//------------------------------// // 225. Water Under the Bridge // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Fluttershy walked down the streets of Canterlot, side by side with Applejack. The two stayed at the donut place for a little while longer after everyone else had left, and now most of the lights were out around the city. Neither of them had spoken to each other since the others left. Fluttershy didn’t know what to say, or where to even begin saying it. “How ya feelin’, hon?” Applejack was the one to finally break the silence between them, and Fluttershy was beyond grateful and beyond relieved. Now she just had to figure out what to say! Which couldn’t be that hard. Fluttershy responded to Applejack’s question with deep contemplation, but to Applejack it must have just seemed like Fluttershy was ignoring her. “Hon?” Applejack said hesitantly. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy sighed. “I was trying to think, how to answer, and then my brain… did that thing it does when it hates me.” “I feel ya,” Applejack chuckled. “You asked how I’m feeling,” Fluttershy took in a soft, comforting breath. “The truth is, I’m angry.” “How come?” Applejack asked politely, and Fluttershy almost laughed; in hindsight, her answer couldn’t possibly have been what Applejack wanted to hear. “At myself,” Fluttershy groaned. “I don’t know, maybe I’m not even angry. I don’t know how I feel, or how I should feel. All I know is I feel gross, and I don’t like it at all.” “How ya feelin’… about me?” Fluttershy looked up at Applejack, who looked away and rubbed her neck, her brow creased concernedly. It tore Fluttershy’s heart up to see that look on Applejack’s face, and to know Fluttershy was the cause of it. Her awful behavior hadn't just hurt Pinkie, it was hurting all of her friends, and she wished there were a way she could make up for it all. No reason not to start trying, she supposed. “I feel awful about you,” Fluttershy said coldly, and when Applejack looked at her with wide eyes, Fluttershy squeaked and her face turned all red. “I mean I feel awful about how I treated you! I don’t feel awful about you!” “I know, Fluttershy,” Applejack laughed and pat Fluttershy’s shoulder, “I was just messin’ with ya.” “O-oh, haha,” Fluttershy said nervously, her laughter flatter than day-old soda. “Eh, sorry,” Applejack muttered, running her hands over her ponytail over and over. “Time and place, huh?” “Yeah,” Fluttershy whispered. Applejack exhaled sharply and the two continued to walk in silence. Until Applejack stopped, and Fluttershy stopped behind her. “Applejack?” Fluttershy said worriedly. “Is something the matter?” “I dunno, kinda?” Applejack turned to face Fluttershy. She reached for the hat on her head, only to realize it was still on Fluttershy’s, and Fluttershy grabbed it right away and handed it to Applejack, who traced the edges with her fingers. “There’s a part of me that’s still mad. A part of me that— I forgave you already, and I meant it. But there’s a part of me that’s still upset and frustrated by this whole situation.” “I know what you mean,” Fluttershy admitted. “I want to be your friend, and I want you and Pinkie Pie to keep making each other happy. But there’s a part of me that’s still angry too. That can’t let go— mm, no, that doesn’t want to let go of how I felt.” “Fluttershy,” Applejack put her hat back on Fluttershy’s head, and Fluttershy blushed at the gesture. It was the only scrap of clothing left on her body after she gave Rarity’s shawl to Twilight. “Please forgive me if this is the worst idea you’ve ever heard. “But do you wanna spar with me?” Fluttershy’s ears perked up— no, her whole body perked up, and she couldn’t even remotely hide the smile on her face. “Yes, Applejack!” she said with glee. “I would love to spar with you!” “W-woah, I wasn’t expectin’ you to be so eager!” Applejack laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy chuckled nervously. “Um, back home, that’s how a lot of disagreements got settled. Friendly sparring. I promise there was far less dismemberment than in the fights that you’ve seen.” “That’s… good to know,” Applejack laughed softly. “It’s funny, wouldn’t’ve taken you for the sparrin’ type, Fluttershy.” “Yeah?” Fluttershy giggled, smiling brightly at Applejack. “Then take me on, Applejack. I’ll show you what I can do.” There wasn’t much space in Canterlot that wasn’t densely crowded with buildings and people, but Fluttershy and Applejack still found a back road on the edge of the city next to the calming, tranquil river, underneath the shadow of a high bridge, for them to be undisturbed during their sparring match. “Applejack,” Fluttershy said, hopping up and down anxiously, “what if I hurt you?” “If you don’t wanna hurt me,” Applejack said with a grin, “then don’t hurt me. Yer in control, Fluttershy.” “Okay, in that case,” Fluttershy took a breath and looked sternly at Applejack, conviction flowing through her, “I’m not gonna hold ba—” Fluttershy squeaked and covered her mouth as she realized that Applejack was undressing. “What’re you doing?!” “Uh, gettin’ undressed?” Applejack said casually. “Fightin’ in this suit’s been a pain, and it seems only right for us both to be naked, y’know?” “I guess so,” Fluttershy said, wiping her brow. “I just wasn’t prepared for it is all.” “What’s the matter, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked cockily. “Yer not gonna get distracted are ya?” “Heh, yeah, you wish,” Fluttershy scoffed but honestly she was already getting a little distracted. Now that she wasn’t quite so blinded by rage and jealousy, she was forced to confront the unfortunate truth that Applejack was really hot. “Alright, Fluttershy!” Applejack pounded her fist against her palm. “Let’s do this!” “Right!” Fluttershy replied confidently. Fluttershy braced herself as she stared down Applejack… who just stared her down in return. They paced around a little bit, locking eyes with each other— or at least some form of eye-locking equivalent since eye contact was still hard for Fluttershy. The point was, they were both trying to play defense. Neither one wanted to charge in, just like earlier at the donut place and on the road. And just like on the road, Applejack was the one to eventually take initiative, charging at Fluttershy like a raging bull. Fluttershy felt her wind magic flow through her body and down to her hooves, and she danced around not only Applejack’s charging attack, but the two or three quick punches that Applejack threw after. Fluttershy was feeling pretty good until Applejack spun on her hooves and slammed the back of her hand into Fluttershy’s nose, Fluttershy reeling from that hit as Applejack moved in to knock Fluttershy off her feet by hitting her with Applejack’s massive, muscular forearm. But Applejack was just a hair’s breadth too slow, as Fluttershy jumped up and spread her wings, staying away from the ground and out of Applejack’s reach. “What’s the matter, Applejack?” Fluttershy gigged as she flitted about in the air. “You’re not gonna give up so easily, are you?” “Actually, Fluttershy,” Applejack chuckled, “this is a great opportunity to try out somethin’ me and Pinkie have been workin’ on.” Applejack clapped her hands, and a length of rope appeared between them in a flash of magic. “A rope?” Fluttershy arched an eyebrow. She didn’t have a great feeling about this. “A lasso, to be precise,” Applejack said with a gleam in her eye. Applejack threw the lasso at Fluttershy and it coiled around her body like it had a mind of its own, pinning her arms to her sides. Applejack then yanked the rope and dragged Fluttershy to the ground, but her resistance at least allowed her to stay on her feet. Fluttershy could barely move her arms and she struggled to pull away from Applejack, and when Applejack yanked on the rope again she found that Fluttershy was not so easily moved, as she was still able to resist with all the strength of a dragon. Applejack switched tactics, dragging herself over to Fluttershy using the rope, but Fluttershy still had perfect access to her wind magic so she disoriented Applejack with a great blast as she tried to get near, and as Applejack’s grip loosened on her lasso, Fluttershy was able to take control of it with her wind, and she quickly wrapped up Applejack alongside her. “Uh, wait, uh—” Applejack stammered, and Fluttershy giggled. “Didn’t expect this, Applejack?” Fluttershy said sweetly. “I didn’t,” Applejack blushed. “Didn’t plan for it either. I know how to untie it, but I’m not totally sure how to untie myse—oof!” Applejack flexed and it just made the rope squeeze Applejack and Fluttershy tighter, shrinking the distance between them so fast that they slammed into each other, back to naked back, the two women losing their footing and both falling on their flanks to the ground. Well this was awkward. Fluttershy’s tail twitched, so it could get out from underneath Fluttershy’s butt, and she felt it brush against Applejack’s bare back. Fluttershy’s wings twitched too, and she heard Applejack stifle a giggle as they tickled her. “You okay back there?” Fluttershy said amusedly. “Yeah, I am,” Applejack laughed softly. “Just tryin’ ta-” Applejack grunted and shifted her weight “-get this thing untied.” “You didn’t think about what might happen if you got tied up with this thing?” Fluttershy asked, rolling her eyes and shaking her head but she was still smiling. Fluttershy was honestly more amused than anything, and she couldn’t deny… this felt kinda nice. Having a moment where she was forced to be still with another person… it was nice. “Well, it’s a work in progress,” Applejack said. “Oh, I think I got—” Applejack tugged on something and both women gasped as the ropes just squeezed them tighter, and they both fell on their sides. It was… hard to ignore that her butt was right up against Applejack’s now, and Fluttershy felt like her face was hotter than the surface of a volcano on the sun in an oven or whatever it was that Pinkie liked to say. “Uhh, so that wasn’t quite what I wanted,” Applejack said bashfully. “Oh?” Fluttershy smirked. “Are you sure this isn’t going exactly how you planned? Honestly, Applejack, if you wanted to get naked with me all you had to do was ask— I’m sorry,” Fluttershy snorted and Applejack laughed. “I’m so sorry, that was so tactless.” “It was funny, so yer fine,” Applejack chuckled. “I am sorry though,” Fluttershy sighed. “Not because I’m overwhelmed or anything, or because I want you or Pinkie to like me more. But I treated you, and Pinkie too but right now I’m focusing on just you, I treated you so badly. And that was wrong of me, and I want to apologize to you. So, um, I’m going to. Applejack, I’m sorry, and I apologize for the way I treated you.” “I forgive you, honey,” Applejack said softly, and Fluttershy felt like a million demons were leaving her body and flying away. “And hey, I think I figured out how to untie—” Whatever Applejack did didn’t untie them. What it did do was painfully twist both girls around so they were lying chest to chest. And uh… other stuff was also touching. Fluttershy was blushing pretty profusely, and Applejack was as red as her namesake. “That was, um, not intentional,” Applejack muttered. “You know,” Fluttershy squeaked laughing, “I could just transform, just for a sec.” “No, no, I gotta figure this out,” Applejack grunted as she squirmed around, trying to get a handle on the rope. Feeling her muscles flexing against Fluttershy’s body sure was… something. “Or we could just stay like this,” Fluttershy said teasingly, and Applejack gave Fluttershy her full attention, Fluttershy squeaking again as she looked away; she definitely wasn’t prepared for Applejack to look at her after she said that. “Oh is that how it is now?” Applejack chuckled. “Feelin’ a little hot-blooded, Fluttershy?” “N-no, shut up,” Fluttershy said trembling. “I was just teasing you, and it ended up backfiring.” Fluttershy laughed awkwardly, and Applejack let out a soft chuckle. She stuck out her tongue and bit her lip as she flexed and suddenly, the rope released and the two were untied. “Got it!” Applejack cheered, taking the rope in her hands. “Toldja I’d figure it out! Just need to talk with Pinkie about makin’ it a wee bit easier. Magic is pretty new stuff to me so I was a bit outta my depth is all.” Fluttershy let out a polite laugh but the truth was she was just thinking about how much she immediately missed having Applejack’s body pressed against hers. “So, um, no hard feelings huh?” Fluttershy asked, and looking down at herself she quickly wished she’d picked different words. “Water under the bridge, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a beaming smile, holding out her hand. Fluttershy took it and the two woman shook on it, Fluttershy determined to put her grudge behind her. And that was wonderful, just an absolute relief. Unfortunately, now Fluttershy had a new complex regarding Applejack; it was sort of hard to grapple with jumping from jealousy and anger to lusting after her so fast that it nearly gave Fluttershy whiplash. Oh well. Fluttershy could deal with that later. For right now, she needed rest, so she fell on her back onto the grass and let out a weary sigh. “Fluttershy,” Applejack groaned as she stood up, “you want me to carry you back to the inn?” Fluttershy’s mind went right to the time that she carried Rarity and her face turned bright red. “Yes, Applejack,” Fluttershy said bashfully, cuz she knew she would be kicking herself if she let this opportunity pass her by, “I would like that very much.”