An Ounce of Prevention [Private]

[SteelEagle]

Applejack grimaced as she pulled the armor off in its entirety, though it had much more to do with the Princess' fretting. “Ah can't really go ta tha hospital, sugarcube. That'll invite questions, won't it? Then Ah'll have ta lie lots. An' if Twilight comes snoopin' about? Well, she can sniff out a lie faster than a pig sniffs out some slop. Ah'll head home an' heal thar. Apples are used ta healin' up. Ah'll just have ta tell mah family Ah got hurt doin' mah work near tha Everfree. Close enough ta tha truth, ain't it?” She smiled, putting her armor away entirely. What the Princess said next however made her a little peeved.

She noticed finally that Applejack was pregnant. The Apple mare would have preferred her not to see that, but she reckoned that was something she couldn't keep quiet forever. More importantly, she took massive umbrage at the fact that Applejack had taken such risks while pregnant. Even called her irresponsible. To Applejack's ears, called into question some core tenets of a rather stone-cold Apple family philosophy. Applejack loved her Princess too much to let her go on ahead believing in such foolishness. That needed some major and immediate correction.

“Yer Majesty with all due respect, Ah know mah body more than you. Ah know Ah'm as stubborn an' hard-headed as a pony gets but Ah ain't dumb. Ah'm an Earth and Ah'm an Apple. We are hardier than tha mountain. Lil' ol Zap Apple is safer inside his mama even if she is twirlin' about an' fightin' than Ah am as Ah'm twirlin' an' fightin'! 'sides, if he was in any danger, you think Ah wouldn't have ta worry about RD losing her little bird mind?” She laughed, her anger having gone down as she spoke. “Ah'm fine, Yer Majesty. Zap's fine. We'll be fine. Yer concern is mighty appreciated,” she said, finally finishing putting her materials away. She gave a pained bow, her back legs shaking.

“Ta happier meetin's, Princess.”

[DerpRavener]

Celestia could see Applejack's point.  If she went to any official medical centres, questions would inevitably to be asked about what caused her injuries.   Another pony would have a chance of concealing the truth with some risk, but for all her capabilities one thing Applejack could not do reliably was lie to other ponies.  It was regrettable, but it apparently unavoidable.  Yet another unpleasant surprise, the one positive development that could be taken from this was a lesson learned.  The farmpony should not be called on for a certain sort of task.

 

Applejack took offence, of a sort, at Celestia's own criticism.  She naturally did not outright insult the princess, though the inherent displeasure was very evident all the same.  The alicorn supposed she could understand the farmpony's perspective.  Applejack had an innate understanding of herself and had a confidence in that, and as such she 'knew' she could accomplish the task they had undertaken without putting her child at risk.  She'd thus accused Celestia of passing judgment despite not being the most knowledgeable pony on the subject.

 

Strictly speaking that was true, Celestia thought.  She didn't know Applejack's body as well as the earth pony herself did.  What she did know however, indeed what she felt herself an authority on, were mistakes.  Over her centuries she'd seen how even the most durable, resolute pony could be laid low by a stone where one didn't expect, or an opponent moving faster, or even slower than one would expect.  She also knew what could be lost, when those small mistakes were made, particularly in high intensity situations.  Indeed, she'd made a great number of mistakes herself, some of which haunted her for a thousand years.  Applejack had taken a risk she wouldn't have dared taken herself.

 

However that was, ultimately, out of Celestia's control.  It had taken her effectively several lifetimes to truly learn that lesson, and Applejack was known to be a particularly stubborn pony.  She doubted Applejack could be convinced without indisputable proof, which she hoped the mare never found.  This was yet more to the lesson the alicorn herself would have to take away from this, but beyond that there was little more to do here.

 

On 3/15/2018 at 5:30 PM, SteelEagle said:

“Ta happier meetin's, Princess.”

Celestia smiled back, if a bit sadly, and after a moment she spoke.  “Yes, to happier meetings.”

 

And then, with a flap of her wings, she launched herself into the sky and flew off.