It was early morning on the apple farm. Granny was in the kitchen together with little Apple Bloom and Fluttershy. The elder mare was looking out the window with a smile. She saw Big McIntosh and Apple Jack working in the orchards, the siblings were working together like in good old times. It was a hard time for McIntosh after the death of his parents. He became very grumpy and was full of rage, it scared Granny Smith how much he changed, but she always believed in his good heart and gentle nature.
And now he worked with a smile again, together with his sister and most ponies would think that it became better thanks to AJ's return, but granny knew better. Big McIntosh was like his father, his greatest weakness was always a pair of big beauty mare eyes. This Fluttershy Pegasus had such eyes, she was a lot like Pearbutter, a gentle mare with a heart full of love.
Fluttershy was taking care of little Apple Bloom, the foal was in its high chair and made some happy little filly noises while drinking milk from the bottle.
"You have a good appetite for such a young filly." Shy's voice was gentle, nearly whispering, but it was also quite in here and Granny could hear it.
"She is an Apple, that's totally normal." Granny spoke with a smile "Big Mac's mother was a healthy strong earth pony and had to eat six apples more a day while she was nursing... and I guess a thin pegasus mare would have to eat some more." Granny Smith was an old fashioned mare, but after what happened between the Apple Family and the Pear Family she knew that the most important thing was her families luck. So it was not important if the mother of her great grandchildren was a pegasus or not, as long as anyone was happy and healthy.
Fluttershy looked over to her, she was not able to hear the last part because Granny spoke extra quite "Oh? What are you making over there?"
"Making a pie."
"It smells good. That is apple pie, right?"
"Eeyup, like my mom did like my grandma' did and every apple mare before her."
"Is there a special occasion today?"
"Since when do you need a special occasion for apple pie? I make at least one every day... ha! When I was at your age I made four to five every morning."
"Ah! I understand that is fitting to your cutie mark!"
Granny laughed a little "Yeah, I got it when I finished my first pie together with my mother. What about you? Butterflies?"
"Oh!" Shy blushed heavy, she was still not used to her cutie mark "it has to do with my love for animals, I mean it's hard to describe."
"So you are good with animals?" Granny looked over to the table, that white little bunny was sitting there, chewing on a carrot.
"I think so, yes."
"We have some animals here, lamps, piglets, cows and so on. Our piglets are eating less and less these days, maybe you could check that?"
"Oh! I am happy to help anytime!"
Big McIntosh was working for three hours, already covered in sweat and his muscles flexed to the maximum. Work was easier with Apple Jack, but this was no reason for slacking off, he worked as hard as always and Apple Jack did her best too.
They took a break to drink some cold water from the well. Mac used the first bucket full of water to splash it over his head, his mane and fur got soaked and start glittering in the suns light. His muscles were swollen and the water run over his fur, looking at him in this state made a lot of mares feel like in heat.
"Nearly forgot how good working feels." Apple Jack smiled honestly while getting a bucket of water for herself "My muscles hurting already and burning like fire... I love it. What do you think Mac? Big McIntosh?" she looked confused to her brother, he was looking over to the pigsty where a certain yellow Pegasus was. "Hey! Big Mac!" AJ splashed some of the water on his neck and the big red stallion made a jump and snapped out of his little dream. "If you want to talk to her, just do it, I can do the rest alone." He looked at her and wanted to say something, but she cut off his words by putting her hoof tip on his lips "You are speaking way too much big brother, I already know what is going on... Wait" AJ realized something and her big green eyes became even bigger "you don't know it yourself? Oh, Celestia, that is so you McIntosh!" The big red stallion became confused, but his sister just continued to talk "Just walk over to her and speak."
McIntosh walked over to the pigsty. Fluttershy did not notice, she was totally into talking with the pigs and piglets. Of curse, the animals could only do "oink" and some other grunting sounds, but it seemed like Shy could understand them and answered them with her quite whispering voice. She seemed way more relaxed when she was with animals and McIntosh had to smile when he saw her working.
"The last Mare I saw doing so good with the animals was your mother." said granny to her grandson "I mean she was very eager working on the fields too, but no pony reached our animals as she could."
"Eeyup." He nods and walked over to the door. He opened it and it creaked loud, the pigs looked up and Shy turned around, blushing like she was coughed doing something forbidden.
She walked over to him, trying to hide that beautiful big eyes with her mane, but he was looking for them and smiled when he found it.
"Ehm... I... I talked to them... and... I think I know why they eat so less." She was not able to look at him without blushing and also she had to smile when she saw him, she tried to avoid his view, but she enjoyed it "It's about the door... the squeaking scares them. I think if you manage to feed them without opening the door it would be alright again. They are very sensitive to loud sounds."
Mac smiled, he made a mental note here, he would repair the door as soon as possible. But he also smiled because he was so close to shy, even here, in the pigsty, he could smell her fine scent when he was so close. It made his heart beat faster and gave his body the most strange tingle in his chest. Maybe she felt something similar? She had to smile too and this was a very nice smile, he could look at that like forever.
“Hey, get a room you two.” That came from Apple Jack, she chuckled when she came over.
Mac could feel how his cheeks became warmer, he blushed, as well as Shy. He had to clear this situation fast before something happens! “Ah! I Remember now! I wanted to show you something!”
Fluttershy followed Big McIntosh to another place, it was just like 15 Minutes walking from the farm.
On the way she walked behind Mac and had Angel Bunny on her back, the little bunny was munching on a bit lettuce. Shy was using her healthy wing to make sure he would not fall from her back. She cared about the safety of that bunny but also had a lot of interest in the stallion right in front of her. She still had to think about this little fantasy she had in McIntosh door, about him and her, having very painfully sex against her will, but she liked it? She never had such fantasies before, why now? Because she got her cutie mark? Or because of him? Because she lost her home and was looking for something to fill the hole in her heart? Or was that something more? Why was she happy just looking at him, why did she feel safe when she was close to him, even if her life was so miserable right now? Why was it that she just wanted to hold him and behold to him, even if it hurts?
She nearly bumped into him when he stopped walking. Shy could see they were at the edge of the forest, also there was a small river and a huge old tree with some kind of hut in it. Anything here looked so peacefully, it was far from the city and quite. BigMcIntosh walked through the river, it was not deep, only reached to his knees. He turned around and offered his hoof to her. She smiled and took it, it was a special moment. The touch of his hoof was enough to send tingly waves up and down her spine and made her healthy wing flap a few times. With one move he lifted her on his back and she was riding on his back like Angel Bunny was riding on her. She holds to him and pushed her muzzle in his mane, gently sniffing and shuddering in delight. She had to admit one thing: Big McIntosh was the first stallion that gave her that special feeling, the other fillies in flight academy spoke about.
McIntosh and Fluttershy arrived on the other side of the small river and she still was holding to him and it seemed like McIntosh let her hold to him. He walked up a small hill to the big old tree.
“I wanted to show you this here.” he gently touched the tree
“A tree?” she asked without letting go of him.
“Well, yes, but also when I was young we used to spend a lot of time here, the tree is very alive, but it has some huge space in it. Old Stallion Logan used to live here, he was the forester. I think I could gather some ponies and put this place back in shape... it would make a very good home for you... It is peacefully, you have many little critters like your friend around, no pony will bother here” and it was close to his home! He could visit her every day “and it is close to the farm.”