A Stallion with a Question

by Ugly-Duckling123

Chap 3

"Would you like some tea Applejack?" Fluttershy asked as she opened her door to her cottage. "You know, as a thank you for bringing me home."

"If you're willing to make some," Applejack said taking her hat off following Fluttershy inside.

It had never occurred to Applejack, that she had never been in Fluttershy's house before.

Small animals ran around free either making themselves comfortable in baskets or on the sofa. Bird houses hung from the ceiling and on the walls, pictures of the two and their friends hang on the walls, one of them was from their high school prom all wearing the dresses that Rarity made for them. All the while Applejack was looking for any sign that would say 'Rings in here'.

As she was looking around, a small white rabbit came up to her and twitched his nose, looking at her in a suspicious sort of way.

"What would you like in your tea Applejack?" Fluttershy called from the kitchen.

"Just some milk please Fluttershy," Applejack answered turning to the odd figurine on the mantle-piece.

It looked like it was suppose to be some sort of lamp, seeing it had a light bulb in it's hand. But what the animal holding it... That was what Applejack couldn't work out.

Gently picking it up, Applejack turned it over to try and find it's branding to work out where it came from. Except there wasn't one.

"Here you go Applejack," Fluttershy said coming in, nearly making Applejack drop the figurine.

"Oh er... Thank you Fluttershy," Applejack said putting the thing back on the mantle-piece going over to have her tea. "Er... if you don't mind me asking Fluttershy," Applejack said after a couple of sips of her tea "Where did you get that... That... thing?" Applejack asked looking over to the mantle-piece nodding to the creepy figurine.

"Oh a few years ago I went on holiday and found a travelling circus," Fluttershy began "They said that the night's show would have to be cancelled because Tia, the leading tiger, wasn't very well. After I said I was a vet and asked if I could try and help her, I found she was about to have her cubs."

"A bit like Nutmeg then?" Applejack asked remembering the day Honey-Crisp was born sounded like this story.

"After helping Tia with her cubs, and making sure that they were alright, the ring master came over and said thank you to me and gave me that lamp. He said the circus's magician, er... Discord, I think he was, in his spare time liked making abstract figurines and said he would like me to have that one for helping them." As Fluttershy finished her story Angel, her pet rabbit came up and hopped onto her lap eying Applejack a bit.

"It kind of scares the animals a bit though." Fluttershy said petting and scratching Angel behind the ears to make him feel better."Which is why I put it up there, so they can't see it, and keep them away from the fire place."

"Wow," Applejack said looking back at it. "But, what's it supposed to be?" she asked.

"It's supposed to be, he said, a legendary monster called a Draconequus." Fluttershy said. When that didn't help she said "That's a creature with the head of a pony, but the arms and legs and other things of all other sorts of animals. See it has a lion's paw, and a bat's wing..."

As Fluttershy went to refill the cups with more tea, Applejack called Angel over.

"Ok Angel," she began "I'm sure you know Fluttershy and Mac have their anniversary next week..." she paused getting a blink in response. "Well I don't know what Mac's planning, but he said he need's one of Fluttershy's rings to make it work..." After she thought about it she face-palmed herself. "I'm such an idiot. Now I know what he's planning."

Angel cocked his head to one side and twitched his ears folding his arms. He was not about to give his carer's jewellery to someone, even if that someone was one of her friends.

"That's what he must of told Honey yesterday," Applejack said putting it all together "No wonder she acted like that when he came in to the barn."

'You going to tell me or what?' Angels expression said amplified by him tapping his foot on the cushion.

"He want to ma..."

"I just found some biscuits in the cupboard Applejack," Fluttershy said coming back in.

Angel seemingly have gotten the message hopped off the sofa and ran upstairs to Fluttershy's room.

*
Jumping up onto Fluttershy's bed he made it over to her bedside table and flipped the lid up on the jewellery box on it. Shuffling through the pieces of jewellery , which Angel had no idea why Fluttershy had since her job called her not to have anything on her fingers, he found a simple non-unmissable silver ring, closed the box and went downstairs again.

*

Downstairs Fluttershy was clearing away the biscuits and cups and went back into the kitchen again. Seeing his chance, Angel ran out in front of Applejack trying to get her attention.

Seeing the rabbit had the ring, Applejack took it and patted her thanks to Angel and got up.

"Well I best be getting back to the farm," Applejack said loudly so Fluttershy could hear her. "Thanks for the tea Fluttershy." she said putting her hat back on.

"You're welcome." Fluttershy came out and walked her friend to the door and seeing her off.

---

On the other side of town, Apple Blooms friends were inside Sugarcube Corner trying to work out what they could do for their friend to make her feel better.

"We can ask Miss Cheerilee to put the trip on hold until she's better," Sweetie Belle suggested.

"But then that would be unfair to the rest of the class," Diamond Tiara said. "Besides everything for this trip has been planned for months.... The tickets for the train, what we'll go and see, where we're going... They can't just move the date just like that."

"Well Rainbow Dash once told me, 'A good friend never leaves another behind. Even if that means giving up on some things.'" Scootaloo said sipping her milkshake.

"Isn't that saying 'A good solider never leaves a man behind' Scoots?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Same thing." Scootaloo said.

"So what are you saying?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"I'm saying, that on the day of the field trip... Instead of going and leaving Apple Bloom behind. We should stay with her and keep her company for the day." Scootaloo said.

"But then she'll feel guilty that we're not going because of her," Sweetie said.

"Well I think it's really nice of you giving up the trip to Canterlot to keep Apple Bloom company," Mrs Cake said coming over with their orders. "And I'm sure she will too."

"I can throw her a 'Get Well Soon Apple Bloom' party if it will make her better," Pinkie Pie, one of Applejack's, Rainbow's and Rarity's friends said coming to the counter looking at the table the girls were sat at.

Pinkie was always the one to go to if there was a party to be put together. Rarity had told Sweetie Belle once that Pinkie even had her own party cannon that could shoot out decorations all over the room.

"Er... Thanks Pinkie, but she seemed a bit up set when we left the farm yesterday," Scootaloo said carefully so's not to get Pinkie into thinking they won't need her.

"Yeah, besides a broken leg need as long as it needs before it's better." Diamond Tiara said starting on her cake. "No amount of wishing or 'Get Well Soon' stuff will change that."

Sighing they all paid for their orders and left the shop.

---

Back in her room at the farm, Apple Bloom was playing catch with herself, but when the beanbag got out of reach, she had to stop. Then she turned to the books on her bedside table Applejack was letting her borrow.

There were the first few books of 'Daring Do', a series of short stories called *'Equestrian Mystery's'* about four friends going on adventures around ancient Equestria solving each puzzle that comes their way. And her favourite, *'The Night Carnival'*. Even though it was a while since she had read it, Apple Bloom could vaguely remember what it was about.

Deciding that at least it was something to do, Apple Bloom picked the first book off of the pile and began reading.

*

When a knock came at her door Apple Bloom screamed in surprise.

"Aren't you coming for tea then Sugarcube?" Applejack's voice asked though the door after failing to open it.

"What do you mean sis?" Apple Bloom asked while getting up from her bed and going to the door. "It's only 2:30." then seeing the clock on the wall saw it said 6:45.

Opening the door Apple Bloom sheepishly grinned at Applejack saying she got distracted and didn't realize the time.

"That's alright Sugarcube." Applejack said letting Apple Bloom go first.

When they got into the kitchen Apple Bloom noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where Mac?" she asked getting into a chair.

"He's out on an errand for the gift he's going to give Fluttershy next week." Applejack said dishing up the vegetables.

"What's he got her?" Bloom asked tucking in.

"At the moment nothing," Applejack said taking her hat off and sitting down.

"Then... Then how can be on an errand for it?"

"It's a return to collect me later errand, child" Granny Smith said enjoying her meal with her granddaughters.

---

Outside the jewellery shop in town, a truck had just pulled up.

Mac walked into the shop and rang the service bell at the bar waiting looking at the rings in the cases.

"May I help you sir?" a sweet voice asked making Mac turn around.

"I'm looking for a ring for my girlfriend," Mac said coming up and placing on the counter the silver ring and a picture of Fluttershy he kept in his wallet.

"It's our five year anniversary next week and I... Well..."

"I get the idea sir," the young lady said smiling. "So I take it that, that is one of her rings for size?" she said pointing at the ring.

"Yep." Mac said.

"Do you have any idea what kind of ring you would like to give her?"

"Something animal related I think," Mac said rubbing the back of his head. "She's a vet and a close friend to one of my sisters."

The young lady walked into a room behind the counter and came back with a book of pictures of rings for Mac to look at.

"If it's an engagement ring set for animals sir," she said turning to the right page "The most popular requests are butterflies, although we have had some dolphins, and once we had a request for a tiger." she said opening up the book and handing it to Mac.

"She did say she went to see the Monarch Butterfly Migration when she was a teenager." he said looking at those ones. "But she cares for endangered animals too. And Applejack told me when she came home, that Fluttershy had a past with a tiger in a travelling circus." Mac said massaging is head because of all the work it was doing.

"If you like we can try putting all those stories onto one ring, sir," the young lady replied smiling that Mac cared so much for this 'Fluttershy' to remember all that.

"How?" Mac asked.

Getting a notepad and pen that was kept by the register the young lady drew a circle and split it into three.

"That way, all the things she wants, can be together." she said.

Thinking that was a great, idea, Mac went with it, after he said what he wanted, thanked the girl and paid half the price upfront so they could get started, he left being told to come back in three days.

As he got outside he looked up at the moon and said "I hope you'll like this Fluttershy."

Author's Note:

* Pony-vied names and slight tweaks to Roman Mystery's and The Night Circus

Comments

[ggg-2]

lamp of an animal holding the lightbulb? Discord?