Chapter 1
Applejack had spent the last hour or so repeatedly looking up at the clock on the wall. Every minute seemed like forever, as they always did when she found herself waiting anxiously for something she wanted as badly as she wanted this. Granny Smith had always told her, ever since she was a little pony, that a watched clock never turns. Of course, she'd also told her a lot of other wacky things, like how dogs couldn't look up. It seemed that her clock claim had some truth behind it, though, as time seemed to be moving slower than a jackrabbit caught in a jam pile.
The farmer's mind raced over what Fluttershy could possibly have wanted to talk to her about today. It wasn't like her to suddenly come out and request a private discussion. She'd even gone as far to say that it was "of the utmost importance." Applejack had her own ideas about what the topic of conversation would be, but she thought it might be wishful thinking. She'd harbored quite the crush on the pegasus for months now, and of all the scenarios for today that went through her head, she wanted more than anything to hear Shy reciprocate the feelings she'd never told her about.
Applejack hummed to herself as she stared at the clock again, reflecting on her inability to tell Shy how she felt about her. For a pony that held the Element of Honesty, she sure wasn't being honest about her feelings. That would all change today, though. No matter what it was that Shy was coming over for, even if it wasn't to declare her love for her like she wished, Applejack would finally tell her how she felt. The very prospect of doing so excited her greatly. She could picture it now: Fluttershy would come in and tell her that she had something important to say. Applejack would tell her that she needed to say something to her first. She'd tell her how beautiful and sweet she was, and that she wanted nothing more than to be her special somepony. Fluttershy would be surprised, but would then admit her own feelings. Applejack would then reach over and place the needle on the waiting record, playing a soft melody that was easy to dance to. She'd sweep Shy up in her forelegs, and they'd have their first dance right there. The thought made Applejack giddy with anticipation.
Applejack's fantasy was interrupted by a wet feeling on her nose. She opened her eyes and stared at the happily-panting dog in her clutches. At some point she'd apparently scooped Winona up and began dancing with her. Her cheeks burned brightly, but thankfully nopony else was there to see it. Plus, Winona seemed to have enjoyed the impromptu dance. Applejack gave Winona a nuzzle, then set her down and watched her run off.
A light knock came from the farmhouse door, causing AJ's ears to perk up. She quietly thanked her wandering mind for having helped her kill a few minutes. She galloped towards the door, but stopped just before it. She didn't want to look too eager; such a thing could possibly scare the timid pegasus away. A few breaths helped to calm herself down as best as possible. Another quiet knock indicated that she might have been hesitating a bit too much. Applejack closed her eyes, took one more deep breath, then opened the door. Her eyes opened, and she smiled widely, taking in the sight of the pony she’d been waiting so long for.
"Howdy, Shy!" AJ said, working to contain her excitement.
"Oh, hello, Applejack..." Fluttershy said, giving her a smile back. "I was worried for a moment that you hadn't heard my knocking."
"Heard it clear as a bell!" Applejack said. "C'mon in! Let's talk!" She stepped aside, her eyes staying focused on Shy's. There was something about Fluttershy's eyes; she'd never seen a pony with eyes as lovely as hers. The color, the shape...they were both purely, uniquely Fluttershy. Applejack’s eyes followed them as Shy entered the farmhouse, until she couldn't see them anymore.
"Do ya want a drink or something?" Applejack asked.
"Oh, um...No thank you..." Fluttershy said. "You don't have to go out of your way for me."
"Ain’t out of my way at all!" AJ said. "Anything you want, it's yours!" She cleared her throat; maybe she was coming off just a smidge too eager. Thankfully, Fluttershy didn't seem fazed.
"It's okay, really," Fluttershy said, offering a smile. Applejack nodded and took a seat on the couch across from her.
"Now, I know you said you had something you wanted to talk to me about," Applejack said softly. Her heart was racing as she tried to decide whether she'd wait to hear what Shy was saying or just come out with her own feelings. She eventually decided to wait. Jumping the gun might make Fluttershy uncomfortable, and she wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.
"Um...yes, actually. I do..." Fluttershy said. "Um...I-it's really hard for me to ask...but I don't think it's good for me to hide these feelings any longer...If I don't ask now, I might never ask, and I'll always wonder what could have been..."
Applejack felt herself mouthing the last bit of that sentence along with Fluttershy. It sounded so much like her train of thought. Her heart beat faster, threatening to leap right out of her chest, as she waited for Fluttershy to say the words she'd been dreaming of.
"Well then..." Applejack said, beaming. "Go on. Ask away."
"Um...I was wondering..." Fluttershy said, beginning to sweat slightly..
"Yes?" Applejack asked, her eyes gleaming.
"...D-do you think that Big Macintosh would want to see a pony like me?" Fluttershy asked, the words spilling out quickly and uncontrollably.
Applejack's heart fell. Her smile stayed frozen on her face, but it no longer represented her mindset. It felt as if all of her hopes had been shattered in one fell swoop. She stammered quietly, but words didn't seem to want to work.
"Um...i-if it's a no, you can just say so..." Fluttershy said, looking down.
Applejack bit her lip, starting to tremble a bit. Fluttershy looked almost as sad as she felt right now. She briefly considered telling Fluttershy no, but one heart was already broken. It didn't need to end up being two.
"...M-maybe, Shy," AJ said weakly. "It's...worth a try, right?" She gave Fluttershy a shaky smile, and Fluttershy smiled back.
"Thank you, Applejack..." Fluttershy said. "I was nervous about it...but if you think he might say yes, then it really is worth a try..."
"H-he'll be home in a few hours, if ya wanna come back," Applejack told her, staring down at the couch. She felt Fluttershy wrap her forelegs around her. She breathed in deep, taking in Fluttershy's scent. It nearly caused her to break down.
"Thank you so much..." Fluttershy said. "I'm going to head home and make myself look presentable...I'll be back in a few hours." She let go of AJ, giggling eagerly to herself. "I'll see you later..."
"Yeah...see ya later..." Applejack said. She waved as the pegasus took her leave. She waited for Shy to close the door behind her, then flumped face-down onto the couch. Hopefully the crying would stop by the time she came back. The last thing she wanted was to make Fluttershy upset.