//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 : The Good / Bad Thief Routine // Story: Give Love A Chance Even If You're "Fluttered" Or "Shy" About It // by FluttershyGuy1293 //------------------------------// I awoke the next morning to the sound of birds above me. They startled me so much that I nearly fell out of the tree that I was resting in. Lucky for me I saved myself from a fifteen foot drop. "That would have been bad." I said to myself. "Okay. . .lets see. . . where am I going to start gathering my new food from?" This was a very difficult question for me because I was not familiar with the area yet. So I decided to leave myself markers on the paths I walked on so I could help myself get back to my main camp. The paths I was making for myself were not very effective for gathering food. They would either end me up in a manticore's territory or at a dead end that had a towering wall of dirt and soil that I could not climb. Mainly because I was scared of high places, but also you couldn't get a good enough grip on the wall to climb. So after awhile I just gave up on the dead end paths and decided to mark them special so I wouldn't waist any time walking down them. One day I decided to make a whole new path just to see where it would take me. It ended up being the longest path I have ever made. It weaved in and out of thorn bushes along with some tight spaces between trees until finally one day after many before it I came to a field. More specifically an apple tree field. Something kept bothering me though. Why did this seem so familiar? I knew there was something about it that I couldn't quite grasp. . .but what was it? After some time my stomach started to protest with my mind and all the thinking I was doing. So I just forgot about it and ended up picking about a dozen apples off of the trees. This had been going on now for almost a month when I started to feel guilty about what I was doing. I knew it was stealing but thought nothing of it at the time because I was doing what I needed to do to survive. I kept thinking to myself "there must be some way to make this seem not as bad at it is but what can I do?" **Meanwhile at Sugarcube corner** "Well girls it looks like Our plan with the princess didn't go so well." "Ya think? I thought it went just as planned!" said Rainbow Dash sarcastically. "Well Obviously we should have warned the princess after Daniel got to the Library. Instead of sending her a letter ahead of time maybe we should have kept our word and written the letter with him. That can't happen now because we all lost him in the Everfree Forest. So now the princess won't be able to study the new creature. Guess who has to explain that one to her?" Twilight said with an uneasy look on her face. At that time all the girls looked at one another and started talking about the strange new creature in their land when they realized that Applejack wasn't with them. "Hey. . . did anypony see Applejack today?" They all shook their heads no and tried to figure out where she was. Just as they were very close to start a search party for her(hosted by Pinkie Pie of course)she came into the shop with a very unhappy look on her face. "All right Rainbow give it up! Ah know it was you stealing all mah apples! Now confess!" yelled Applejack. "Now wait just a minute AJ. What the hay are you talking about?!" "You know right well what ah'm talkin about! I know you've been stealing mah apples while you take naps in mah apple trees!" "Yes it's true. . . I do sleep in your apple tree's from time to time but I would never steal from you! How can you say such a thing?!" "Well who else could it be?" "Um. . . Applejack how long ago did you notice your apples being stolen?" asked Twilight. "Oh. . . ah don't know maybe about three weeks ago. why?" "Don't you think it's a little strange that that's about the time we lost Daniel?" "Ah guess so. . .but what's ur point?" "My point is that Daniel is still out there." To this statement the group gasped all at once. "What?! But how?!" exclaimed Applejack. "It's obvious isn't it? He's been surviving off of you apple trees!" "Well what should we do?" asked AJ. "I think we should catch him in the act and Applejack I think you owe Rainbow Dash an apology." said Twilight with a pleased looking grin on her face. "Ur right Twilight." Applejack then turned to Rainbow Dash and said "Ah'm mighty sorry for accusing you Rainbow, but as seeing you were the only one that sleeps in mah apple trees ah thought that it was only right to accuse you. Can you ever forgive me?" "No sweat AJ. . .it's cool. I would have done the same thing being in your horseshoes and all." "Now that that's out of the way we should get a plan together." "Um. . . Darling how do you suppose we do that exactly?" said Rarity. "Well we will need about a week to get ready. What I was thinking was Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie can block his way he came in. Then me and rarity will hold him down using our magic. Then Applejack can tie him up using her rope. Everypony know what to do? "Yup" "Of course darling." "Okie dokie loki!" "You got it partner!" "Um. . . no. ." "What?! What do you mean no? Oh wait. . .sorry Fluttershy I forgot to tell you. You have the most important job out of all of us. You job is to watch the apple field at night so we can get the correct timing on when to strike. Think you can handle that?" "Y. . .ya. . . I. .I can do that." said the timid mare. **Back at the apple field** "Alright that should be enough for tonight." I managed to collect half a dozen apples and still haven't found a way to make up for all the others I've stolen already. As I was leaving I noticed off in the distance under another apple tree was a bucket of some kind. When I got to the bucket I realized why this place was so familiar. On the bottom of the bucket it said "property of the Apple family." "Oh buck". . . .I thought. "This is the Apples farm! That's why it was so familiar to me! I've been stealing from one of the honest families I know and thought nothing of it! Now I HAVE to repay them somehow! But how can I do that when all of Applejacks friends (and herself) are on the hunt for me? Think Daniel Think. . . .That's it! I can come later tonight to grab some of their apple buckets and fill them up for them saving some time and work for the family! It's perfect! As long as nopony see's me. . ." **four days later and continuing the same routine** "Lets see. . .one, two, three, four, and five buckets full of apples. That should be more than enough for tonight. In the mean time I need to go back to camp to get some long needed rest." As I was making my way across the field something felt different from the previous nights of collecting apples. I noticed off in the distance that there was somepony watching me. So I began to walk faster. The pony started to follow me and I soon realized who it was. It was Fluttershy that was following me! I almost started to tear up because of what she did to me. How is it that the nicest pony in all of Equestria could play a game with someone by being friends with you and then stab you in the back with a few lies thrown in between? I mean how could she turn me in just like that and not even think about how I felt? At least I now know how she feels about me. She must not even care about me to do what she did to me. By this time I made it to the two big trees that had the opening of my path. But instead of running down the path to get away I just sat down on the other side of one of the trees and began to cry. I new very well why I was doing it. It was because of Futtershy and all that we did together(good or bad). I was at the tree longer than I thought because before I knew it Fluttershy was at the opening of my path and was just staring at me. Once I saw her I ran to camp before she could even follow me. The way I see it was that I would rather Fluttershy remember me for being nice and caring like her, than being weak and helpless like I just was with her staring at me. What I didn't know though was her reaction upon seeing me as a crying mess leaning against the tree. If I would have scene the look on her face, then I would have broken my heart more that it was before.