A Stallion with a Question

by Ugly-Duckling123

Chap 10

Apple Bloom's friends were visiting her at the farm that afternoon, and they were all in the barn with Applejack and an upset Appleseed.

"What's wrong with Appleseed, Applejack?" Sweetie Belle asked slowly walking up to him her hand out.

"Um, Mac went out for a ride and got hurt." she said not trying to say how he did. "I just think Seed's scared for Mac. The doctor says he's to stay in bed for five days."

"But... isn't their anniversary tomorrow?" Apple Bloom asked over with Honey-Crisp.

"It is," a voice said from the door making everyone turn to see a very happy Fluttershy.

"So why are you happy that he's hurt?" Scootaloo asked looking up from her homework.

"Oh I'm not happy about that girls," Fluttershy said as bouncy as Pinkie Pie. "Here look!" she said showing them all her left hand a new ring on her fingers.

"Did it in his room then?" Applejack asked smiling after she pulled away from a hug she gave Fluttershy.

"Yep" she answered giggling.

"What?" three girls asked. Diamond Tiara smiling silently grooming Honey for Apple Bloom.

"Mac asked me to marry him!" Fluttershy said a big smile on her face.

"OH MY GOSH!" the girls cried making the horses back up a bit scared by the noise.

"So when's it happening Shy?" Applejack asked calming down Nutmeg.

"We don't know yet. But we'd like all you girls to be there with us." she said to Applejack.

"You told anyone else yet?" Applejack asked helping Diamond Tiara up.

"Not... Not yet," Fluttershy said suddenly going quiet and hiding behind her hair.

"Why?" the girls asked shocked.

"I... I don't know how to tell them yet that's all." she said blushing playing with her hair.

"You can tell them at..." Sweetie Belle started to say but cut herself off before she reveled what they were planning.

"At the library." Scootaloo finished for her not trying to act suspicious.

"I want to stay here with Honey," Apple Bloom said moving away so Diamond Tiara could get out of the stall, not noticing how strange her friends were acting.

"Ok," Applejack said a slightly sad look on her face as she and everyone else walked out.

---

That evening, Pinkie Pie had a emergency 'Congratulations On Finally Tying The Knot' slumber party at the library since Sugercube Corner was having the twins birthday inside, (Spike had gone to spend the night over at Thunder Lane and Rumble's house so he could get some sleep).

"Oh this is way better than a trip through the forest Fluttershy." Rarity said looking at the beautiful ring on her friends finger wishing she had one of her own.

"Meh, just looks like another ordinary ring to me." Rainbow Dash said shrugging practicing her keepie-uppies.

"'Another ordinary ring'" Rarity asked shocked "Can you not see how much hard work went into...." she stopped when everyone was laughing at her reaction.

"Very funny." she said.

"Now we just need to sort out Apple Bloom's trip to Canterlot problem." Applejack said hugging her knees away from the group a bit.

"The girls haven't told you their plan yet?" Twilight asked coming in from the kitchen with the snacks.

"What y'all talking about Twi?" Applejack asked halfway bringing a chocolate bar to her mouth.

"Oh... Oh can I tell her Twilight!" Pinkie asked raising her hand like a student in a class room, waving it around to get the teacher's attention.

"Ok Pinkie." Twilight said smiling a bit.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara are going to stay here, well not 'here' but at your farm, on Field Trip Day to keep Apple Bloom company when everyone else is going to Canterlot. And we're going to have a 'Solar Eclipse Party' party at Mac and Fluttershy's Grotto in the woods so we can see it so she won't miss out on anything."

Everyone was silent Rainbow and Rarity proud of their sisters for choosing their friend over a visit to Canterlot, Applejack happy that Bloom would be able to do something on that day after all, and Fluttershy had gone bright red in the cheeks, and fled from the group to get some fresh air.

"What's wrong with Fluttershy?" Twilight asked starting on the snacks.

"I'll go find out," Applejack said getting up stopping at the door. "Thanks Pinkie for putting it together."

"What are friends for?" Pinkie said ribbing into a bag of cotton candy.

---

Outside the library, Fluttershy was feeling the cool autumn breeze on her face as she was leaning against the wall looking up at the stars.

"You alright out here Sugarcube?" Applejack asked coming around the corner.

"I... Ummm.... I'm fine AJ." Fluttershy said sinking to the ground.

"You sure?" Applejack asked joining her. "Cause you seemed to be in quite a hurry to get out after Pinkie had finished what she was saying."

After a moment of silence Fluttershy said.

"It was the way she called the Grotto, mine and Mac's." she said head down. "It... It just doesn't sound right. Because it was your parents grotto not ours. We just found and have kept going to it." she explained.

"Which in a way does make it Mac's Shy," Applejack said not trying to bumm out her friend anymore than she already was.

"What?" Fluttershy asked looking up.

"Well if it was Ma and Pa's that means it belongs to us Apples." Applejack said looking up to find her parents stars in the sky. "And since Mac's er... 'Next in line' and all that, it's now his."

"But it's not mine AJ," Fluttershy said looking up to find her own parents stars wishing that they would help guide her out of this problem. "In fact some of it belongs to Filthy Rich. He told us that it was he and your dad that found the place in the first place."

"Sugercube, I'm sure Mac's already said this," Applejack said smiling looking at her friend "But places like secret grottoes in the woods don't belong to anyone. Pinkie just called it yours and Mac's because out of all of us, you two are the ones using it more."

"Only because no one else knows where it is."

"Scootaloo knows where it is." Applejack said reminding her shy friend that when Honey went for her midnight walk five years ago, Scootaloo went with Mac into the woods and was told to wait in the grotto till he came back for her.

"I know where it is. How do you think I was able to find you today?" Applejack asked.

"I guess you're right." Fluttershy said smiling at her soon to be sister-in-law her face back to normal.

"Good." Applejack said getting up and helping up her friend. "Now come on, it's your party after all."

And together they both went back into the library to join their friends in celebration.

---

After saying goodbye to everyone who was awake at 6:45 in the morning the next day, Applejack and Fluttershy made it back to Fluttershy's clinic to feed her animals, before they would spend a whole day at the farm.

"Feel better this morning Shy?" Applejack asked breathing in the morning air.

"Yep." Fluttershy said "Sorry I... Acted like I did." she said rubbing sleep out of her eyes

"That's alright Shy." Applejack said, taking her hat off as they entered the clinic.

They did the feeding in silence, checked everyone was happy, signed the sheet and went off to the farm.

As they got there, Granny Smith was just giving Apple Bloom her breakfast waffles and syrup putting aside two plates on a bed tray.

"Why hello girls," she said seeing Applejack and Fluttershy coming in seeing the ring on Fluttershy's finger.

"He asked yesterday then?" she said smiling.

"Yes." Fluttershy said sitting down happily.

"I take it you'd like to be with him today sweetie?" Granny continued handing out waffles onto the trayed plates placing a pitcher of syrup on there as well along with some juice and cups.

"Um..." Fluttershy said hiding behind her hair.

"Something wrong dear?" Granny Smith asked not looking at Fluttershy as she continued to set up the tray.

"Will it be alright to?" Fluttershy asked "I mean, this ring only says we're together, it..."

"Honey," Granny said turning around to look Fluttershy in the eye. "Jewellery don't say anything. It's only there to make us girls look pretty to get a boys attention. Besides it's your... What was it Apple Bloom?

"Their five-year-adversary, Granny." Apple Bloom said after swallowing her waffles.

"And in my day, when its a two's anniversary," Granny said going over to get the tray "They were giving the day off, sun up to down, to be with each other all day."

"Is he awake?" Fluttershy asked getting up and taking the tray.

"I heard his feet moving around up there a moment ago." Granny said smiling pushing her new granddaughter out the door and to the stairs "But knock just in case."

---

In his room Mac was just getting himself back onto his bed as carefully as he could when a light tapping came to the door.

'Tap' 'Tap' Tap'

"Come in." he said smiling knowing it was Fluttershy, only she knocks like that.

"Happy anniversary Mac." She said blushing slightly as she closed the door.

"And to you." he replied. "You mad I gave you your gift a day early?" he asked propping himself up with pillows.

"Not really," she said placing the tray on the bed over him and getting his desk chair.

"Your friends know yet?" Mac said starting his waffles.

"That's where me and AJ were last night." Fluttershy said starting her set of waffles after pouring syrup on them.

She told him about Pinkie's slumber party and how they all reacted as they saw the ring and congratulated the two of them.

All morning the two of them played games to keep them entertained seeing as Mac was under strict orders to stay in bed for five days.

---

At school, Apple Bloom was as cheerful as she was before she broke her leg. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Miss Cheerilee.

"Happy today Apple Bloom?" she asked at break when everyone was outside.

"Sure am Miss Cheerilee!" she said happily playing cards with her friends not looking up at the teacher as she answered.

"May I ask why?" Miss Cheerilee asked setting the board up for the next lesson.

"Mac's asked Fluttershy to marry him." Scootaloo said for Apple Bloom as she picked up the four of spades to add to her hand and putting down the queen of hearts.

"Well congrats for them."

"He asked her yesterday," Sweetie Belle continued picking up the next card and placing it down "After he came back from the forest on a doctors stretcher with his chest all bandaged up."

"Excuse me?" Miss Cheerilee asked not understanding her student.

"Mac, after practicing asking for Fluttershy's hand all morning, went riding with Appleseed into the forest," Diamond Tiara explained placing down the three of diamonds "And apparently Seed threw him and he broke the ribs he broke when he was a kid."

"And because of that he has to miss his and Shy's five-year-adversary today, kind of, she's spending the day at the farm, but he's stuck in bed for five days." Apple Bloom concluded showing her hand reveling she won.

"Well I'm very happy," Miss Cheerilee said "For both the two of them and that Mac's alright."

At that moment the bell rang and everyone came back in returning to their desks for the next lesson.