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// Of Apple Carts and Ramps 
// Story: Caring For A Certain Stallion 
// by runeplay2 
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It was near the end of applebucking season, and there was a chill in the air. If you listen to Sweet Apple Acres, you would hear Granny Smith snoring, Apple Bloom and her friends getting into some kind of trouble, and apple-trees being bucked, by Big Macintosh and Applejack. Now Big Macintosh, he was not that engaged with applebucking. He had recently taken a liking to his little sister Applejack's friend, Fluttershy. He had only seen her twice, once when dropping his little sister off at the train station to visit her cousin Braeburn, the other time being when helping decorate the barn for another of his little sister's friend's birthday party. Pinkie Pie, he was pretty sure.
But boy was she cute. At least, that's what Big Macintosh thought. The way that his little sister talked about her, she sounded like an angel. Though he could not understand what his little sister saw in her girlfriend, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash, as far as he could tell, was loud, obnoxious, and sometimes rude. But he couldn’t really chastise her for that. After that whole dealing with Cheerilee and the love potion.
"Hey Big Macintosh, maybe if you weren't standin' there makin' yerself look lazy and bucking, maybe ya wouldn't be so dang cold!"
Big Macintosh simply brushed off his sister's taunting with a simple "Nope" and got back to work. But Fluttershy was still on his mind, and he would never be able to really know more about her unless he asked.
"Applejack?"
"Yea Big Macintosh?"
"What's yer friend Fluttershy like?"
"Well, lessee here… she's quiet, very kind, she… wait a secun'…" Applejack had slowed down in her answer as the gears in her head began to spin--Big Macintosh usually didn’t ask her any questions while they were working, especially ones as irrelevant as ones about her filly-friends.
"Ya'll have a crush on Fluttershy, dont'cha?"
Big Macintosh knew he had to answer her, because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t get the rest of answer, and she would tease and taunt him with it all day long.
"Eeyup."
"Ah knew it! Ah knew you had a crush on her!"
"Fer how long?"
"Bout around the time Ah got back from Appleloosa. Ya'll went outa yer way to help her get off that dern train. Trust me, us fillies can tell when a stallion’s got a crush.”
After that, Applejack began to get back to her work, and Big Macintosh the same, until he realized that she hadn’t answered his question.
"Well?" questioned Big Macintosh.
"Well, what?" Replied Applejack, not entirely sure what her brother wanted this time.
"What is she like?"
"Oh! Well she is very shy.” Applejack continued her description, and added with a chuckle, “So shy, Ah’m pretty sure if her name fit ‘er any better nopony would ever see her. Anyhow, if y’all want to meet her, why not come to Pinkie Pie’s “End of Fall” party tonight?”
"No. I wasn't even invited. That would be rude."
"Shucks, Pinkie Pie always says that parties are better with more ponies. I'm sure she won’ mind."
"Ah'm not sure if I could even get close to talkin' with her… you know Ah'm no good at breaking the ice."
"Trust me, neither is she. You two will be fine."
As he continued to process through all the information, almost all of it old, he realized he had yet to ask one important question.
"You sure she’s- ya know- into stallions?"
"Why sure. She used to date one stallion in Cloudsdale— Cloudheart, or something—Ah can’t really remember. But then…” Applejack found herself trying to figure out a way to summarize the event without giving too much away, “Well, her bunny, Angel, had been irritating the guy, so he kicked him.”
"That sounds right mean."
"Yeah. You shoulda seen her when she saw him do it. I almost felt bad for him."
"What'd she do?"
"Can’t tell ya. Mayor said so."
Big Macintosh found that almost hard to believe. Someone that quiet being that violent? Then again, her cutie mark was animals, so it would make sense.
So, Big Macintosh continued to pull the carts of apples down into the cellar, his sister taking a quick shower before leaving to help set up for the party.
Fluttershy actually arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule, and when she arrived, she could only find Big Macintosh out front of the barn. He had noticed her arrival, and looked over as she stood nervously poking the ground with her hoof. 
Eventually, Fluttershy gathered enough courage to walk towards Big Macintosh, and he heard her mumble something, extremely incoherently. 
“Ah’m sorry, y’all say somethin’? Ah couldn’ quite catch it ‘cause of this cart.”
“Are you going to Pinkie Pie’s party?”
Big Macintosh found this extremely adorable, how shy she was around other ponies, but also felt that it was maybe a bit inconvenient that he couldn’t make out a word of what she just said.
“Ah didn’ quite get that either.”
“Are you going to the party?”
“Am Ah goin’ to do what now?” 
“Going to Pinkie’s Party?” She finally managed to get the rest of the sentence out without it trailing off into absolute incoherency. 
“Well, Ah guess Ah might as well, soon as Ah get the rest of these chores done.”
As Big Macintosh continued to place apple baskets into the cart, Fluttershy followed him wordlessly. After a few minutes of silence between the two, he figured that he might as well try breaking the ice a bit more.
“Y’all lookin’ forward to it?”
Fluttershy jumped a small bit at Big Macintosh addressing her, her mind having been focused on just watching him.
“I- yes, I um… I’m certain it will be nice.”
“If ya don’ mind me sayin’, ya don’ really seem like the kind ta take too kindly ta parties.”
Fluttershy admitted shamefacedly, “Well, I’m not all that crazy about most parties, but when Pinkie Pie throws them, I just feel more comfortable at hers.”
“Yeah, an’ today yer comin’ with me, ya big smelly lug,”Applejack waved her hoof in front of her muzzle to emphasize her point, “so y’all get in the shower, Ah’m goin’ ahead ta help Pinkie set up fer the party.”
Big Macintosh shook his head, “Ah can’t. Ah’ve gotta get the rest of these barrels of cider down in the cellar.”
“Right…” Applejack gave a sheepish grin, as Fluttershy began glancing between her and Big Macintosh, “Well, Ah guess Ah should-“
“I could help.” Fluttershy interjected.
“Sugarcube, Ah don’ think that yer exactly the best pony fer the job.” Applejack felt apprehensive about the whole situation- her friend was offering to help, and she was supposed to help Pinkie Pie, but at the same time, Fluttershy wasn’t exactly the strongest pony on the block.
“Well, I-“ Fluttershy stuttered, adding in various ‘umms’ and ‘uhs’, “I don’t think it could be that hard, and well, you did promise Pinkie Pie that you would help.”
“Well, Ah…” Applejack almost began to argue with her pegasus friend, but soon realized that she was right. “All right. But Big Macintosh, let me tell you somethin’.” She leaned closer to her brother, and brought his ear down to her muzzle as she hissed “If y’all try somethin’ funny with Fluttershy, Ah kin guarantee there won’ be any second chances. Got that?”
“Wouldn’ think ‘bout it.”
“Right. Then Ah’m off ta Sugarcube Corner! Y’all have fun!”
Fluttershy stood dumbfounded as to what could have prompted the farm pony to go from dead serious, to joyful again. She was probably just telling Big Macintosh to make sure he took his shower or something.
“Well,” Big Macintosh began to list off the procedure of how he and Applejack had always gone about getting the barrels and baskets into the cellar, and Fluttershy stood almost entranced, as though she were listening to Mane Goodall. She had originally noticed him years ago, when he and his friends had run into the forest, trying to catch some frog. By then, he had already developed his reticent behavior, which had at the time been a mystery to her. Fluttershy at the time thought that all colts were boisterous, outright rude, or both. But he had been… different. Eventually, she had gathered the courage to follow him around a few places—usually Sweet Apple Acres, occasionally in town—but she had never approached him before. Eventually, her initial awe with the stallion wore off, and she had dated other ponies, like Cloudheart, but they didn’t really capture her attention. 
“So,” Big Macintosh drew his monologue to a close, “that’s why Ah’d prefer y’all ta be behind the cart while Ah’m pullin’ it down. That way, if Ah lose my hoofin', ya won’t be run over by the dern thing. Sound fair to you?”
“Oh, I—“ Fluttershy stuttered, a red tinge entering her cheeks, “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”
Big Macintosh suppressed a small chuckle, because he couldn’t ever recall anypony ever saying anything involving applebucking sounded ‘just wonderful’.
“Well Ah guess we might as well get started.” He added in a quick summary for the seemingly unfocused mare, “Since Ah’m goin’ ta be goin’ down ‘fore the cart, you need ta make sure none of the barrels come loose an’ smack me on the head. Alright?”
“Right.” Fluttershy gave a sheepish smile as she followed Big Macintosh as he hooked the cart to his yoke and descended into the cellar. While keeping a careful eye on the barrels, she couldn’t help but notice that Big Macintosh seemed to be having not trouble at all with this. Not that she had any delusions of her strength—she knew that she wasn’t the strongest pony on the block—but what was the worst that could happen?
As Big Macintosh began to place the barrels of cider onto the shelves, Fluttershy headed towards the other cart, and strapped on the harness. It was rather loose, but that was probably because it was meant for a pony of Big Macintosh’s size. She found it a bit hard to get the cart moving, but once she did, the cart almost felt non-existent behind her. 
As she came to the ramp, she got her first hint that this might not have been the best idea- that ramp looked awfully steep. But she was a brave pony. She could handle this.
She set her front hoof onto the ramp, then her next. She had complete control, no matter how fast her heart was thumping.
Now her left back hoof. Now her right. She was dominating this.
She inched the cart forward, eventually bringing the front two wheels down onto the ramp.
She didn’t have this. 
As soon as the cart tipped down the ramp, the weight immediately swept her off her hooves, carrying the terrorized mare towards a cider-covered demise.