"You making fun ah me?"
Fluttershy immediately shook her head and started backing away. Then I remembered Dash buying the shy pony in front of me the hat and suddenly all the irritation was gone like was wasn't ever there at all. It was might odd she was wearing it, but I still wasn't going to pry.
"Oh, I could never, would never…"
"Just hold it right there sugarcube. I remember the place Dash bought that there hat now. It's nothing but tourist trash, made to sell as cheap as can be."
"Huh?"
"It's a stupid hat. It's clearly too flimsy for real work, white shows the dirt way to easy, and even for a ten gallon hat it's too tall. It's like a cartoon of a real hat." Then I blinked. "Well whatya know, I agree with Rarity, and about fashion o all things."
"Oh. Sorry, but, uh…" Then she looked down
"Now listen here. I don't mind if you don't tell me something that ain't my business, but you better not lie to me."
"Uh, then, just please don't ask me to take off the hat."
"Ah don't really care about that none. Though ah'm pretty sure that crazyness over yonder is involved somehow. "
I then pointed to the edge of the Everfree, or at least that's what I thought it was at first. It certainly was a mass of trees and the Everfree was nearby, but it was much more open and bright. It also surrounded where Fluttershy's cottage should be. I think it was still there on the other side, but I couldn't see it. She looked down.
"Oh, uh, that."
"Yes, that. Ah know for a fact them there trees weren't here last month, and now they are. So how and why did you get some full grown trees to suddenly…"
"I didn't. They just grew."
"They just grew? They grew as big as the Everfree trees in less than a month?"
Fluttershy nodded. "And I didn't even plant any trees. They just started growing one day. They weren't anything poisonous, so I started talking care of them."
"And they got this big?"
She nodded. Well it looks like what's happening with Fluttershy is obvious enough, even if it don't make much sense. Though I guess she had that garden for her little animal friends. She did grow some pretty big carrots and such too. It took some serious convincing but I even got her to enter that melon in the fair that one time. Still, huge trees out of nowhere is a bit much.
"Fluttershy, you been paying to attention what's been going on with me Dash and Pinkie right? What seems real likely to happen to the rest of us considering all what Luna said about the elements and Twi's magic reading stuff, right?"
"Yes, I suppose, but…" She turned away from me completely. "I'm sure this really means nothing. We really don't have to go see Twilight."
"If you really don't want ta, fine, but seems to me like you gotta do something about all this. I mean if nothing else figure out how to stop the trees spreading. Otherwise Ponyville is going ta have some serious issues."
"Oh, I don't think it's like that. I think they just want to protect me and my house. From the wind, and anything that comes out of the Everfree too. Maybe? I'm not sure."
"Ah know this is going to sound a bit odd coming from me, but they're just trees. They have some feelings and such, but they don't really want things."
"It seems like they do, even if it isn't like the little animals."
"Ah'm not sure what ta say ta that. Ah guess ah just gotta trust somehow whatever's going on makes you know that's the truth. That's why you're wearing the hat too, isn't it?"
"Uh, maybe. I…" She paused "…don't really know. It could be, maybe, but, also maybe not. I'm hoping, that maybe, it will just go away and I don't have to bother anypony about it. That would be nice." She then smiled
"That seems a might unlikely to me. Seems like we don't got no choice but to go forward and try to deal with this weirdness."
"Please Applejack, I don't want to…"
"As I said, it's your business. There's lyin', then there's not telling every pony every little detail of your life."
"So I can keep the hat?"
"Yea, but there is some things you can try to keep private, but like it or not, they ain't. That there wall of trees is one of em. Now lets start trying to deal with this here mess right quick as best we can."
"What do you mean exactly?"
I smiled. "Well ah gotta a few ideas but how about we start with the one that helps me directly." Then I kicked the ground a bit. "Wait a tic, before that, is there anything ah can help you with in terms of any of your animals?"
She shook her head. "Oh no, they've been really clear about their problems lately. Plus it really helps to…"
Then she went wide eyed and covered her mouth with both hooves. Her wings had kicked in to keep her from eating dirt, but she still tipped forward a ways. She smiled broadly then looked away.
"I'm sorry but…"
"Ah still think telling Twi would be best, but ah 'spose that girl is mighty busy lately. Ah mean trying to figure out Pinkie and Dash's weirdness, and Pinkie's weirdness is a full time job just by it's lonesome."
"Oh and of course Rarity's lessons."
"Yea, Dash mentioned that jus' yesterday. Twilight's been trying to help me on top of all that and her normal studying, whatever that is. It just seems like awful much. Especially since she ain't been a lick of help to me really."
"Oh my."
"Ah'm just sayin'. It ain't like she's not giving it her all, it just ain't helping. It also still feels a might weird asking for help."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have made you doubt you decision. Going to Twilight for help is best, maybe we should…"
"Now don't go caving in quite yet. Way I figure it maybe we can help each other and Twi can do a bit less. What ya think?"
"Oh, yes, that does sound nice, but, well…"
"It is the solid truth. Maybe that ain't the main reason, but as ah said, she could use a bit less to do, and honesty don't mean giving up all privacy."
"O-okay."
"So far things been a little unsettling, but not dangerous. Just promise me if things get real bad you go strait to Twi right way, okay."
Fluttershy nodded.
"Okay, then come on. Looks to me like this might keep a bit, and also ah got a feeling about something."
"Okay, so, where are we going?"
"Sweet Apple Acres ah course. Get any gardening supplies you think you'll need, though ah can't think of anything ah won't have in the barn."
"Oh, uh, ok. There is one thing I should get."
Then she flew through the forest that while not very thick, did a very good job of hiding her home. I really hope this wasn't a bad idea because that is clearly some pretty mighty magic right there, especially if it was by accident. Then again Twi said she had an issue with control and the rainboom was an accident too, so maybe that's a thing with magic. The less control the more it can do. I shuddered a little once I was sure Fluttershy was out of sight. I didn't want to do nothing to upset her but all this magic crazyness bothers me like nothing else. I just really don't like the idea of having to deal with something I can't hit. I turned toward the farm and smiled
"Okay, I'm ready."
"Hey Fluttershy, ah got a little story to tell you, but promise you won't tell Twi or Rarity."
"Uh, okay."
"See when ah was real young ah ran across this unicorn colt showing off. Ah don't even 'member why, but he and ah got riled up at each other. Ah thought we was gonna tussle, but then he used his magic to throw rocks at me before ah could get close."
"Oh my, that's awful."
"They weren't big rocks, and he missed most of the time. It was only when I was real close he would get me. The thing is it scared the hoof outta me."
"So you were scared of him?"
"Not just him, but all unicorns." I then laughed. "Seems more than a might silly now, but ah wasn't even old enough to go to school quite yet, and didn't leave the farm much. Until that day ah don't think ah even understood having a horn meant anything."
"So, what happened?"
"Well, it got so bad ah wouldn't go out afraid of the horned ponies were a coming for me. I was having awful nightmares too. Then my pa gave me some really awful advice."
"Oh no, so it just made things worse?"
I shook my head. "No, it ain't that kinda awful. What he said was unicorns can be scary, but they're just like any other pony, an if you give them a hard enough knock they fall down and don't wake up for a while."
"Oh my, he really said that to you when you were so young?"
I nodded. "Sure as ah'm standing here. It was awful, but true too. Most important it did make me feel better. Plus ma made sure ah understood that magic didn't make them bad neither. Course ah think the hitting thing helped there too."
"Really?"
"Yea, ah mean the idea that they ain't that different was something ah already accepted, the idea they were good as any other pony ain't that far away."
"Your mom is great. I miss her."
"Yea, me too."
I then turned to look at what Fluttershy had grabbed from wherever. It was a set of small blue saddlebags covered in images of what looked like some strangely stylized cat, but it was wearing pink clothes and had huge eyes. Well I have to admit, that is something that for sure wouldn't be in my barn.
"Why are they so small, and what's in them."
"Oh, they're from when I was just a filly, but they still hold all my gardening tools nicely. They're also so cute."
"I 'spose so. Ain't really my style, that's fer sure."
"Are you sure about this? I mean I don't really know anything about growing trees."
"I'm pretty sure that don't matter anymore sugarcube."
I then pointed at the trees surrounding her home and she nodded. I'm not too sure this will do any pony any good either, but at least it's something to try.