//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Where They Are Joined // by Cloudy Skies //------------------------------// Fluttershy kept her head down and her face hidden behind her mane as much as she could. Barely playing into conscious thought, her tail dragged along the ground in an attempt to make her as small as possible. Even with these precautions, it was hard to avoid attention. She couldn’t take a single step without receiving congratulations from friend, acquaintance and stranger alike. And they were nice strangers, of course! Everypony from those she knew well like Granny Smith and Rarity’s parents—or even Cadance—via acquaintances like Twilight’s mom and dad, right down to ponies she couldn’t even name, they were all so very kind. Nothing but smiles and well-wishes. Still, she couldn’t help but wish her parents would arrive sooner rather than later so she’d have something more familiar. Even more than that, she wondered why there was one pony she hadn’t seen at all. The pony she wanted to see more than anything. In fact, she had to wonder if Applejack was the only pony in all of Equestria she hadn’t met and greeted since she woke up a few hours ago. “—which is why I don’t understand why they only want to run one rehearsal. Practice makes perfect after all. Er, what are you looking for?” Fluttershy winced, turning her attention back to Twilight rather than sneaking covert little glances every which way in search of Applejack. “Sorry. I was just, um. Never mind. Rehearsals, is that what’s next?” Twilight brightened and unfurled a scroll to levitate it at her side whilst sidestepping a string of ponies who passed them by. These didn’t so much as look at them. Palace staff, then. “I’m glad you asked! Let’s see. Catering and all that is done, and Pinkie Pie is banned from the kitchen. Again. Quarters are booked. We’ve checked on the chapel itself and double-checked the general schedule with the princesses.” Twilight nodded once for every point on her list while Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the familiar laughter of a certain trio of foals. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo zoomed past them, winding around and through the legs of the ponies milling about the hallways. Fluttershy smiled and waved while Twilight went on. “Next up, Rarity suggested a full rehearsal with dress and all since the wedding itself is tomorrow afternoon. We should head to the chapel’s eastern forechamber right away.” Fluttershy nodded along. “Sounds lovely.” “Tomorrow!” Twilight said, smiling brightly. “Aren’t you excited? I just hope everything goes according to plan. I’ve only got a single set of backup contingencies for each step. I’m not sure that’ll do.” The unicorn frowned skeptically at her scroll, as if the once-treasured companion had suddenly betrayed her. “If you say so, and of course I’m really happy that you’re happy.” Fluttershy giggled. Together they descended a set of grand stone stairs, while Fluttershy silently thanked her stars that Twilight knew where they were going in the maze that was the palace. It took the pair no more than a few minutes to find the right exit. From there they passed through the small garden that preceded the southern part of the palace grounds. Along clean-brushed cobblestones and past impeccably trimmed bushes they went, up and up through grandiose staircases of pure white stone until finally they passed through the doors to the Sun’s Dance complex. Here was little of the hustle and bustle of the palace, and Fluttershy recognized the narrow corridors Twilight took them through to access the layer below the chapel proper. Just like the chapel itself, the sublevel’s every room faced the exterior of Mount Canterlot, and here rested the dressing rooms and all that came with them. It didn’t take a lot of effort to locate the exact room they were headed for; Pinkie Pie’s laughter bounced down the carpeted hallway. Twilight chuckled as they made for the door, and Fluttershy upped her pace a little, perking up at the familiar sound. “There you are! We’ve been waiting and waiting,” Rarity said when Twilight and Fluttershy strode into the large and airy chamber. The white unicorn sat brushing her own mane, looking rather exasperated. Racks of clothes lined the back wall, and a massive, elaborate vanity dominated the wall opposite. At least, racks of clothes would have lined the back wall were they not mostly toppled over on the side. Even more distressing, the mass of dresses, shirts and other accouterments was moving. Fluttershy took a step back towards the door just as Rainbow Dash’s head surfaced. The pegasus bared her teeth and dived right back into the soft sea of clothes. “Uuh?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy blinked. Rarity shrugged and walked over to the vanity, idly rearranging brushes and other mane styling tools. “They insisted on helping Fluttershy get ready, and while that’s sweet of them, well, have you ever tried to keep them still in a room with no entertainment for over five minutes?” “I’m sorry for being so late for, um, this,” Fluttershy said by way of apology. Rainbow’s head popped up again, this time with a pink tail in her mouth, the pegasus tugging and worrying away at it until she realized she had an audience. Pinkie peeked out from under a dress as well, giggling. “Hiya. I’m a shark!” “Uh, hey guys,” Dash said, scratching her head. Once she’d let go of Pinkie’s tail, Pinkie grinned hugely and disappeared in the clothes-pile. A second later, Dash yelped and was dragged under. “So, at any rate.” Rarity cleared her throat. “I had some ideas if you want your mane done up in a different style, perhaps? Not that you need to do much, goodness,” she said, beckoning Fluttershy over and reaching out to run a hoof through her mane. “You have a gorgeous mane as is.” Fluttershy dipped her head at the compliment. “Um, I really liked what you did for the gala, but perhaps something a little simpler?” “Of course, dear. I know you and Applejack both appreciate the simpler approaches to styling. Now, let’s start with getting you into the dress.” Rarity stuck her tongue between her teeth and covered the nearby dress form in her magic, levitating over the wedding dress that had become so very familiar to Fluttershy over the past few weeks: an elaborate white dress with pale green borders that matched the crystal brooch that secured it at her chest. Rarity smiled to herself when the layers were settled across her back and Fluttershy’s wings were snuck through the holes made for them. She beamed twice as bright when she fastened the ornamental butterfly behind Fluttershy's ear. A moment later, she levitated up a brush, a pair of scissors, and a can of hairspray. “Twilight?” Fluttershy said, trying her best to look towards the unicorn by the door without turning her head. “Didn’t you say you had to go talk to the princesses next?” “Oh, uh, yes,” Twilight said. “I just set off twenty minutes for a break, and I thought I’d take it here. Spike is having lunch anyway. I like watching Rarity work. I—uh, I hope I’m not a bother?” Rarity arched a brow. "Oh, hardly. I don't mind," she said, very obviously trying to hide a little smile, but Fluttershy caught it. Fluttershy dropped her eyes to the ground and stifled a smile of her own, clearing her throat. When Rarity levitated over the four shoes that went with the dress, she hesitated a second before she slipped into them, raising her legs one by one to secure the straps with her mouth. “About the whole rehearsal thing, um, maybe we could... do less of that, right now?” Twilight made a strangled noise. “Practice is essential! How else will we know everything will go according to plan?” “Oh come now.” Rarity clicked her tongue. “It’s really their choice. Still, do you mind me finishing styling your mane now, at least? The dress is a fit, but we don’t know how it will look with a different mane style.” “I’ve tried the dress on twice already,” Fluttershy said, locking eyes and trading smiles with Rarity in the mirror. “It’s lovely.” “Ah, well, yes, that’s true. It’s your prerogative of course. I suppose you’ve had a busy day already.” “Applejack and I both,” Fluttershy said, a frown crossing her features. “Where is she, anyway?” “Applejack? Oh, she’s in the other dressing room, of course. She said she’d be delighted to let me do her mane tomorrow, but at the moment she was rather preoccupied. With what, I cannot imagine.” “I met some of the Apple family coming down the hall earlier. I think she sent them away. They said something about her wanting to be left alone,” Twilight said. “Ah, well, she can certainly handle herself,” said Rarity. Fluttershy’s body sagged. At some point, everypony had apparently decided that Fluttershy was weak, and that Applejack was strong. She sat here surrounded by almost all of their shared friends, and what did that say about her? She licked her lips and tried not to let it show. “Actually, maybe we can do this later, too? I think I just need a little break.” Twilight and Rarity did not hide the glance they exchanged, but there was no hesitance in Rarity’s agreement. She put the brush down on the vanity. “Of course, dear. I’m going to get some lunch of my own, and while I’m at it, I’ll make sure Twilight eats something as well. How about that?” Fluttershy nodded her thanks and waved at the two unicorns as they made their exit. Twilight muttered something about her real lunch break not being for another forty minutes, but Rarity brooked no complaint and ushered her out. “Want us to leave too?” Fluttershy turned at the unmistakable voice, Pinkie Pie sauntering over while Rainbow Dash hauled the last of the terrorized furniture upright. “Maybe? I—I don’t think so. I just need a little break from wedding things, I think.” Fluttershy leaned down intending to undo the straps of her shoes, but decided against it. It wasn’t the dress’ fault, any of this, and it was ever so pretty. “Aw, that’s okay! Sometimes, it can get a little too exciting. There are so many ponies out there, have you seen them?” Pinkie all but squealed. “I had to do a little song about it when I woke up, even if Rainbow Dash didn’t want to do the chorus with me.” Rainbow Dash took wing and crossed the room, coming to land next to Pinkie Pie with a sigh. “Yeah. Because I was trying to sleep.” “Silly, you can’t sing while sleeping!" “No, I can’t sleep while singing.” Dash bumped into Pinkie’s flank with her own, at which the earth mare merely giggled. With a shrug, the pegasus made for the door. “Let’s give Fluttershy some space.” “Actually, if you don’t mind—” Fluttershy said before she could quite stop herself. Dash and Pinkie halted as one and turned, heads tilted. Fluttershy took a deep breath, her eyes on the floor as she tried to force the words out. “Maybe I lied a little. I think I could use some, um, rehearsal on something.”          “Oh! I can go get Rarity and Twilight and let the others know they need to get ready in the chapel!” Pinkie called, beaming. “No! I mean, that is, no, please, I just, well.” Fluttershy sighed and scuffed the ground. There was no reason for these words to be hard—but then, that was the crux of the issue. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe steady, though she was sure her cheeks would ignite from the sheer heat she felt. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the rustle of her dress when she raised her head again. “I just need you to pretend you’re Princess Celestia, asking me if I Do.” Pinkie Pie tilted her head further until she teetered at the brink of toppling while Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Sure,” Dash said. “Dibs on being Celestia or Luna or whatever.” “Aw, okay. I’ll be Scootaloo!” Pinkie said. “Or, you know, you could be Applejack,” Dash said. “Because that actually makes sense.” “Aw, but who’ll be Scootaloo? Scootaloo will be there! I asked her!” Pinkie pouted, her lower lip trembling ominously. Rainbow Dash didn’t even go for a second round of protests. Instead, she calmly hovered over to the vanity, picked up a can of orange hairspray, and put it on the ground near the middle of the room. “There’s the squirt. You’re Applejack, and I’m Celestia because I have wings,” Dash said, simple as that. “But you don’t have a horn!” Pinkie cried. Despite herself, Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie never failed to make her smile, but when ‘Celestia’ stood before them, that laughter felt very far away again. Even Rainbow Dash jamming a mane curler in her mane to serve as horn didn’t so much as earn a smile any more. When ‘Applejack’ stood beside her, the knot in her chest grew. Applejack missed appointments and dates with her once in a great while. The first time, even if it was after they’d declared their love for one another, she’d panicked and started worrying. It had taken the rest of the day to come down from that sickening bout of fright. Now, so many seasons later, it was hard to dredge up any of those ghosts, to find the source of the doubts she only remembered, but no longer felt. “Hey!” Fluttershy blinked heavily. “Sorry?” Princess Celestia looked down at her, pink mane-curler horn flopping in her rainbow-colored mane. “You zoned out. I said, do you think this mare is super cool, and do you want to hug her until you’re both sick of it yadda yadda sloppy kisses forever?” “Yeppers peppers!” Applejack said, her pink mane bouncing as she hopped on the spot. “I’ll even bake her lots of apple-y stuff and kick her trees! Because that’s what I do. I’m Applejack, by the way.” “Uh-huh.” Dash nodded, turning to Fluttershy. “Great. And you?” Fluttershy turned to look at Pinkie Pie, eyes that slowly turned green under her stare. Applejack was dependable. She was a rock, and she was true to her in every sense of the word. There was no room for even Fluttershy to fear or doubt. But those memories cast shadows, and for the first time in years, she wondered, again. She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t without doubting everything they had. She was sure this was what she wanted. Fluttershy was sure. But that was all she truly knew. “Um, I—I do,” Fluttershy said, the words coming out a weak croak. It wouldn’t do. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth together while tears welled up. “I do,” she repeated in a whisper. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life!” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash stared, and she let them. They stood open-mouthed, slack-jawed and silent as she sat down on the floor and her eyes glossed over. Pinkie Pie bit her bottom lip, but for once, was rendered speechless. Rainbow Dash said nothing, that same intense look of yesterday back in place. “I think I just need a moment,” Fluttershy said, the corners of her mouth wobbling. She turned to face the mirror, barely recognizing her own reflection. She knew the dress, but the inconsolable expression on the other pony was strange and foreign to her. “Please.” Fluttershy rested her head on the vanity and waited. Hoofsteps slowly receded, and whispers preceded the door’s closing with a quiet click. She willed the tears to come, but nothing happened. She just lay there trying not to think; she tried to let time pass until she and Applejack were married and she’d heard those two words from her fiancée's mouth. Perhaps she’d have cried if she was completely alone. As it was, she felt more than she heard Rainbow Dash close. When she spotted her in the mirror, she could see the pegasus looked angry, and her wings were half spread on approach. “Spill it. This is getting dumb.” “I don’t know,” Fluttershy said. The voice didn’t sound much like her own. The pony who had spoken sounded tired and desperate. “Yeah you do. Of course you do. You don’t just sit down and whine about nothing, jeez. Not even you do that.” The last words were spoken with that odd mixture of affection and scorn that Fluttershy suspected not even Rainbow Dash knew she used. “Everypony’s all around me, trying to take care of me, just because you think I need it.” “Uh, yeah. You’re the one crying by yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, Rainbow Dash shut her muzzle with a click and closed her eyes, grimacing as if she’d eaten something particularly sour. Dash moved up to her side and sat down with a sigh. “That didn’t come out right.” “You don’t know what Applejack is doing,” Fluttershy said, poking at the edge of the vanity. “Because you all think she’s all tough and strong, and that she can take care of herself, while I can’t.” “Come on, you know that’s a load of junk.” Dash groaned. “If anypony thinks you’re not cool or strong or whatever, then they’re idiots and I’m gonna kick’em. I—” “But that’s why I don’t know! It’s not about me!” Fluttershy cried, raising her head to thunk her forehead against the vanity. Instead, she was caught by a surprisingly gentle foreleg that denied her. Dash blew air through her nose. “Then tell me what you do know. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me how I can help! I’ve known you since we were little, and I’m one of AJ’s best friends too. Are you saying this is all on her?” When Fluttershy didn’t reply, Dash narrowed her eyes until they were mere slits. Finally, Fluttershy had no choice but to put words to that terrible fear. She knew better than to doubt Rainbow Dash’s sincerity. Silence wouldn’t work. “There’s something she’s not telling me. I don’t know what exactly, so don’t ask me, please, but I already told you I don’t know why she didn’t tell her family, and there’s more, too. She’s sad, or afraid, or worried about something.” Fluttershy sunk to the ground, her muzzle flat against the carpet until she was a heap of white fabric on the floor. Rainbow Dash didn’t look very impressed. “Then you ask her what’s up. Like I told you to. Jeez, Fluttershy. I don’t like talking about feelings and gooey mushy stuff, that’s your thing, but even I know you gotta talk about stuff.” The blue pegasus’ cheeks were tinted by the slightest of reds, as if even admitting as much was uncool. If only it were that simple. Fluttershy nodded at the simple wisdom of her words. “Yes. I should ask her what’s ‘up’, but I don’t think I want the answer this time.” “Because?” The second Dash had asked that single-word question, her eyes widened. Fluttershy was glad she didn’t have to spell it out. “Because you think she’s having second thoughts for real. You think she doesn’t want this.” Dash's voice was entirely toneless. Fluttershy couldn’t even nod. The thought was so abhorrent, she wanted it to just go away even if she knew it wouldn’t. Trying to play hide and seek with this all didn’t change anything. She kept postponing the dreadful conversation, and she didn’t know why. She blinked, and in the split-second her eyes were closed, she saw herself at the altar. She found the words, but when the turn came for Applejack to speak, the earth mare turned away. Perhaps she’d closed her eyes for more than a split second. Rainbow Dash was almost at the door, striding towards it without a backwards glance. Fluttershy took to the air and worked her wings harder than she’d ever done before in her life, zipping across the chamber to slam her flank against the door and block the exit. “You can’t!” “Move,” Dash snapped. “You can’t.” “Uh, yes? Yes, I can, and I’m totally going to.” Fluttershy stared up at those rose eyes, and she had no words. Mutely she begged for mercy, but she didn’t know what to say. Her eyes stung, and her body trembled, each breath more shallow than the last. When Rainbow Dash stopped close enough to touch, she gave up; Fluttershy closed her eyes and curled up with her snout beneath her tail. Better to let the world move on and decide on what happened next without her. She’d had enough. A hoof ran through her mane. An unpracticed and rough maneuver from a pegasus who was most certainly not accustomed to evening cuddles. Rainbow Dash’s sigh, however, was exquisite, a well rehearsed sound. “Come on, for crying out loud, I’m not some kind of monster,” Dash said. “Do you think I honestly don’t care about AJ either? Don’t tell her, but she’s cool, too. Almost as cool as me. I don’t know why she’s annoyed, but I’m sure it’s not your fault. Maybe we all goofed up or whatever. Maybe somepony needs to tell her we’re sorry?” Dash snorted, and Fluttershy could feel Dash’s wings rustling before she continued. “I don’t know. I told you, you’re the one who does all this feeling stuff. You’re awesome, okay? You’re awesome, and come on, she’s totally into you. Even if she is okay, you’re not. You say it’s not about you, but you’re crying! That makes it about you, too!” Fluttershy sniffled and nodded. That, at least, she could agree to. “I hate it when you cry,” Dash muttered. “And I kinda wanna kick Applejack now. I don’t have a clue. Just talk to her. Don’t make me say it.” Fluttershy swallowed and forced one eye open, peeking out from between the strands of her mane and tail to look upon a severely annoyed pegasus who studiously avoided her gaze. “S—say what?” Fluttershy managed, wiping her snout. Dash flicked her tail. “‘Please’. Please go talk to her? I don’t want to. I think I need to go fly or do something else that’s less, ugh, sticky.” It was impossible not to giggle, even if it was a short-lived affair. Fluttershy put one leg up, then the next, slowly rising to stand. She had hundreds of ways to say no, thousands of protests, and millions of ways to beg off this and avoid this one confrontation that could very well be the first fight she and Applejack had ever had. She opened her mouth as she thought, thinking, searching for inspiration, mustering the will to tell Rainbow Dash ‘no’. Rainbow Dash smiled at her. A simple, genuine smile while she reached out with a wing to touch it to one of Fluttershy’s own. In her oldest friend was none of the doubt Fluttershy felt, only rock solid faith. “C’mon. Go fix this. I know you can do it.” “Okay,” Fluttershy heard herself say. Her stomach lurched, she felt nauseous and dizzy all at once, but Rainbow Dash moved to her side. Together, they opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “I think she’s right down at the end of the hall to the right. Or the left. I didn’t really pay attention,” Dash said. “Listen, I’m gonna go find Pinkie and the others and let them know something’s up. You’ll be fine.” “Okay.” Fluttershy licked her dry and chapped lips. Rainbow Dash gave her a nudge on the rump to set her moving, and it was all she could do to maintain the momentum, to keep putting one hoof in front of the other, but it was over all too soon. She stood at the end of the hall. There was nowhere to go but forward. She couldn’t simply forget to be afraid, this time. Whenever she did something especially brave, she found that it was because she didn’t have time to consider being afraid. Now she had all the time in the world. She cast a last glance down the long, brightly lit hallway, and found Rainbow Dash looking at her from the other end. It was too far away to make out her expression, but Fluttershy liked to imagine she was smiling. Or tapping her hoof on the floor and wishing Fluttershy would get on with it. Fluttershy took a deep breath and pushed the door open, revealing a room very much like the other dressing chamber, albeit with slightly neater clothes racks on account of lacking a pink and blue tornado to mess them up. Instead of a dejected pegasus sitting by the vanity like a sullen foal who refused to eat her carrots, Applejack stood by the window resting her head on the windowsill. Her wedding dress rested on a mannequin by her side, the lovely white vest and dress pristine. The earth mare turned to greet her once the door closed behind her. “Told you I’m—oh. Fluttershy.” Applejack smiled when she saw her, but Fluttershy could now see how it was a cracked and flawed thing, a painted expression. “Surprised you got away from Rarity’s claws,” Applejack said, adding to it with a chuckle. “You’re looking gorgeous, though. She only let me go after I told her it’s ‘cause I trust her to do a mighty fine job first try in the morning, and... you’re looking like somepony did their business in your breakfast. What’s the matter, sugar?” Fluttershy blew her mane out of her face and sat. “We need to talk.” “Heh, ain’t too long ago you told me those words are rarely a good thing.” The corners of Applejack's mouth sagged. “And you still ain’t smiling in the least.” “I don’t think it’s a good thing at all, no. Why are you hiding?” Applejack rolled her jaw and peeked out the window behind her. There wasn’t a whole lot to see. Snow drifted lazily down from the puffy white clouds, obscuring the distant lands below. She may as well have said out loud that she didn’t want to speak even a half-truth to Fluttershy’s face. “I ain’t hiding. I’m right here, aren’t I?” Fluttershy stared at the back of Applejack’s head, wondering from where she got the nerve to be so bold. Where she'd before struggled to speak above a mutter, she found her voice now. “You’re not. You’re really not. Why are you sending everypony away? What are you not telling me?” Applejack deflated and glanced back at her, ears splayed. She opened her mouth, but closed it again with no words spoken. Again and again she tried, her eyes flitting about the place seeking purchase, but Fluttershy knew that Applejack couldn’t lie to her then, not like this. “It doesn’t matter,” Applejack finally said. As she spoke, she seemed to gain a measure of confidence. “That’s really it. It doesn’t matter none so long as you’re happy. I can handle this. Trust me.” Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat. She sat very still trying to figure out exactly what the heat that rose to her cheeks was, because it certainly wasn’t embarrassment. When she finally realized what it was she felt, her neck prickled with the tentative beginnings of fear as well; she was angry. She had never before truly been angry with Applejack, but now the smile Applejack offered sickened her. “Trust you." Fluttershy repeated words that were devoid of all meaning. “How—how dare you? Of course I trust you! I’ve always trusted you, but I know there’s something wrong. I know it, and you do, too, but you’re sitting here by yourself hiding and trying to tell me everything will be okay, and you tell me to trust you? Do you really think I care so little about you?” Applejack lowered her hat down until it half covered her eyes. “I know—” “We both know!” Fluttershy's breath came ever faster. “I know what I want to happen tomorrow. I know that when Celestia asks you to bend an ear, I would love to put my earring in it, to say that I do, and that I love you, because I do.” Despite her anger, despite the terrible nature of the moment, Fluttershy’s heart lept at the thought. It lasted all of a second until the reality and the doubts came crashing down again. Fluttershy scraped at the carpet with the tip of a shoe. “I know what I want to say, but I’m afraid of what you’ll say. When you’re acting like this, you make me think that maybe you don’t want me after all. That maybe you’re having second thoughts.” Applejack gaped. “How in the wide world can you say that? You know I love you!” Fluttershy looked up to find Applejack standing over her, stuck somewhere between anger and fear, but when their eyes met, all the fire in the earth mare died with a sigh. “By all things good, sugar, I had my own little proposal ready that very same day, you remember that, don’t you? I ain’t spouting hot air when I say it’s with you I want to spend my days. That ain’t a lie,” she said. Applejack reached out, but Fluttershy backed up a step, nearly tripping over her dress. It would be so easy to hug her and make up, to yield to the need in her eyes and pretend all this terrible business had never happened. Too easy. “Then tell me why,” Fluttershy said in a voice that almost sounded like a demand. She idly wondered if she should perhaps apologize for her tone, but Applejack did not so much as raise an eyebrow. After a moment’s pause, the earth mare nodded. “If I’ve made you think for a second that I don’t want this—that there’s something here that’s your fault, then I’ll tell you every darn little thing." Applejack plucked her hat from her head to fidget with it. “You’re gonna think me silly, but I’d rather that than... well.” It was a humble pony indeed who peered at Fluttershy over the rim of her own hat. “I ain’t no stranger to crowds and parties and big get-togethers. There’s a reason every single Apple family recipe’s for twenty ponies at least. Still, ever since back when we were talking about telling all our friends, well, I suppose something went wrong up in my head.” Applejack looked particularly sour, averting her eyes for a moment. “I ain’t ever been grabby, but I suppose I wanted you for myself in some way. When we started telling our friends, it felt like I was giving up a little piece of you. I was looking forward to a day about us. About you and me, because there ain’t the thing in the world I want more than, well. More than you, sugar. To give you an earring that don’t mean half so much as two little words I’m saving for tomorrow.” Applejack looked up at her with ears splayed and reached out to touch Fluttershy's cheek. She pulled it back a second later, swallowing. “Might be you hate me for it now, and it don’t make perfect sense to me, I just didn’t want to make a big production out of it. I was looking forward to a small wedding back down in Ponyville, to putting a pretty piece of jewelry in your ear and carrying you home and telling you how much I love you. Goodness knows the rest of my family loves you. You’ve charmed the tail off just about everypony you’ve met, and I can’t wait to host one heck of a party, but I thought that just for one day, it could be about us.” Fluttershy closed her eyes. If any remnant of that foul anger that had visited her lingered, it was surely gone now. Applejack’s voice was so quiet, it sounded entirely out of place on the otherwise confident mare. “About us, and maybe about me, too. I ain’t never had too much that was mine. Just me and my hat, and that ain’t really mine either.” Applejack shrugged, scratching at one of her knees with a foreleg. Fluttershy swallowed and nodded, waiting for her to continue. “Didn’t tell my cousins and all for the same reason I didn’t really want to come here. One of the Apple family’s a guard here, and he said he’d heard I was comin’, so then Apple Soup caught wind of it, and before I knew it, they were all coming down on us. I love them all to bits, but this ain’t how I wanted it. It’s getting further and further away from what I thought it’d be, and now it's all so big and messy, I can’t even see the point of it all. Can’t see myself. Can’t see you. Told you it was dumb.” “I don’t think it’s stupid at all,” Fluttershy said. “I just wish you would have told me. I can tell when you’re happy, and I can tell when you’re sad, you know. When you wake up a little more tired than usual, I put an extra lump of sugar in your morning tea. But even if we’re going to be married, I can’t read your mind. If you can’t trust me to understand, that makes me feel weak, and that doesn’t—I mean, it can’t be like that. If you don’t trust me, what do we do then?” “It ain’t about being weak. It’s got nothing to do with that,” Applejack said. “You give way to other ponies more often than not. I just wanted to do something nice for you.” “No you didn’t.” Fluttershy shook her head. “You do nice things all the time, but you were making yourself unhappy for me. That’s not the same, especially not when I care about you. You can let me be the strong one too, you know. You’re always trying to be strong for me, but if you don’t think I’m weak, if you really mean that, you need to let me make some sacrifices. Let me give, too. I don't mind if the wedding is big or small.” Applejack sighed and scratched her head. “Shouldn’t have taken it into my own hooves, at least. I made a terrible mess of it. I’m sorry about this all.” Fluttershy resettled her wings, reluctantly nodding. “Maybe, but, um, you know, I could have told you sooner, too. I was just afraid to. I’m sorry too, it’s just that the Applejack I fell in love with, the Applejack I know, she wouldn’t stand for this. She wouldn’t stand at everypony else’s attention when it all made her unhappy, pretending to like some big, noisy wedding when it isn’t what she wants. I don’t want you to change because of what you think I want.” Applejack bit her lower lip and nodded deeply at that. “Right. Got it.” “I’m just sorry I didn’t—” “Didn’t nothing,” Applejack said. Before Fluttershy had a chance to react, Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her neck and hugged her close, and this time, Fluttershy neither pulled back nor protested. The pegasus melted into the embrace and wrapped her wings around Applejack, squeezing her tight. “Don’t you finish that sentence,” Applejack growled into her mane. “Because you ain’t changing a thing. Don’t you dare change, either. I never wanted you to.” Outside the crystal-glass windows, the wind whistled and howled, but the room and the two ponies were silent outside of breath and the occasional sniffle. Fluttershy figured those belonged to her, but she wasn’t really sure. For the longest time, they held each other, and for the first time in a long while, there was no pressure on Fluttershy’s heart—except for Applejack’s own chest and one of her shoulder-bones, but that was fine. The world was soft and warm and smelled of Applejack. “I still say I stepped in it this time,” Applejack said, her voice muffled. “I could have asked. I was just so scared,” Fluttershy said. Applejack held her tighter, squeezing her one final time before letting go. “Right,” Applejack said, rubbing at her eyes with the back of a foreleg. “Sugar, I’m a bit lost here. What do we do now? Do you, uh, well. D’you still want to do this?” "I really do." Fluttershy nodded. Applejack grabbed her hat and squared her shoulders. “Alright. Well, I tell you this; I can shut up for another day, and once this is all over, I’m going to take you back home—” “Oh. Oh no. Um, sorry. I mean, no.” Applejack blinked. “Pardon?” “If this whole, um, ‘production’ is making you unhappy, then I don’t want this at all, either.” “But you just said we’re doing this, didn’t you?” Fluttershy arched her neck to peer over Applejack’s shoulder, staring out the window behind her. The weather had cleared a little. “I love our friends, our family, and everypony else very much, of course, but I think you’re right. This is our day, and right now, if it’s okay with you, I think I’d rather fly you home to Ponyville myself instead and get married there. Anything, really.” Applejack laughed and leaned over to nuzzle her. “Sugarplum, if that ain’t the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, you can call me a pear farmer, but we best let the others know first at the very least. Try to make sure Twilight doesn’t get a heart attack or something. We owe it to them to hear what they’ve to say about it all. Then we can see if we need to find a chariot to Los Pegasus or something.”