//------------------------------// // Braeburn Arrives // Story: Change is Constant, Growth is Optional // by Nova Force //------------------------------// “Oh my goodness, there’s still so much to do,” Fluttershy said to herself. The bright yellow and pink-haired Pegasus had spent the whole morning trying to bake a cucumber birthday cake for her pet, the white rabbit Angel Bunny. Birthday cake preparation was never her strong suit; that honor went to one of her best friends, Pinkie Pie. However, Fluttershy was familiar with Angel’s picky eating habits and knew how to adhere to his exacting tastes. Sometimes Pinkie could get carried away in her excitement and whip up something a little too spectacular for the way Angel liked his sweets. The same applied to Ponyville’s Sugercube Corner. None of their cake selections had ever pleased him either. Unfortunately, this meant Flutterhsy was alone on the battlefield of cake baking. Salads and sandwiches were no problem for her, but cakes were in a league of their own. No matter. She loved her pet enough to give him her best effort. And for Angel’s sake, he was going to need a lot of her best effort. “Okay, now all I have to do is set the oven on high…” Fluttershy twisted the knobs on her oven until she heard a metallic click. “There! That should be everything. Now all I have to do is wait for-” she stopped midsentence looking around her kitchen. “Oh dear, where did I put that cook book?” She fluttered about searching high and low, but to no avail. Time for plan B. Trusting her instincts. “Alright, well, I guess I’ll just check in every now and then to see if the all the fluff has gone away, just how Angel likes it.” With the oven doing its thing, Fluttershy saw what a mess the kitchen had become. Baking cucumber cake had a way of transforming kitchens from pristine palaces of cookery to unrecognizable wastelands that could pass for the Ponyville dump. “I better clean up.” Before she got started, Fluttershy could suddenly sense that she was no longer alone in the kitchen. Ever so slowly she turned around to see a tiny pair of black eyes staring up at her. In front of her was a little white rabbit with his arms folded and a raised eyebrow. Angel lived with Fluttershy long enough to know that this was not the kitchen’s normal state. He began thumping one of his feet on the ground, as if he expected some kind of explanation. Baking cakes may not have been one of Fluttershy’s strengths, but she was an even worse liar. This, however, did not matter. Knowing that she had one of Equestria’s worst poker faces, she planned ahead for any accidental visits from Angel. After all, the element of surprise is a birthday cake’s most special ingredient. She inhaled deeply and, as loud as she could muster, said, “Happy birthday, Angel! We’re going to have a wonderful day today, starting with you right,” she paused, “here in the kitchen!” The code words had been spoken. In moments the kitchen went from having just Fluttershy and her pet, to a whole host of woodland creatures. Squirrels and chipmunks burst through the kitchen windows, allowing an assortment of birdies from toucans to red, green, and blue jays to swoop inside. From the sink slithered out the snakes, with lizards and frogs following behind. All of these creatures swarmed around Angel, who was now wide-eyed and thumping his foot no more. The squirrels lifted him off the ground and carried him out of the kitchen into the living room. Just then, the front door swung wide open. Standing in place was Harry the bear, motioning with his paws to the other animals to follow him outside. At first Harry terrified Angel, but after Fluttershy famously gave him that first massage, every animal realized he was an overgrown creampuff. Still, his presence did take some getting used to for most. The animals charged toward the door. Fluttershy’s cottage was not built to accommodate woodland creature stampedes, so the mess made in the kitchen soon was mirrored in the living room. The birds knocked over lamps. The snakes and lizards dirtied up the floor. And Harry left a deep scratch in the front door when he opened it. As Angel was being carried away, Fluttershy’s heart sank as she realized that her cleanup duty had just doubled. When all the animals cleared out, Harry gave the door a mighty slam shut, making a couple of butterfly pictures fall from the walls. After all the swift and heavy commotion, Operation Keep-Angel-Away-From-The-Kitchen-And-Take-Him-To-A-Birthday-Tea-Party-Outside was a complete success. Even though Angel had seen her concocting something for him, Fluttershy could at least surprise him with what it was. The task before her now was restoring her cottage back to normal. A quick survey of the damage done depressed her spirits. “Oh, so much to do. I wish I had some help.” Almost as if Celestia had been watching over her, there was a knock at the door. Not knowing who it could possibly be, and seeing as the vast majority of her woodland friends were off entertaining Angel, Fluttershy approached the door with caution. “Who is it?” Her fears washed away when she recognized the unmistakable Texan-drawl of her close friend, Applejack. “Fluttershy, it’s me! May I come inside?” “Just a minute!” Fluttershy turned to her living room and weighed two options in her head. What’s worse? Inviting one of your closest friends into a messy house, or making them wait too long at the door? Since each scenario presented ugly outcomes, she struggled to settle on a decision. Applejack shouted from outside. “I’m sorry if this is a bad time. I need to ask you a favor. Is everything alright?” From outside of the cottage, Applejack could detect that there had to have been some commotion going on at Fluttershy’s. Aside from the huge claw scratch that Harry left on the door, Applejack witnessed the woodland creature mad-dash on her approach. Through the door Applejack heard Fluttershy respond, “Okay, but I apologize for the mess.” With that, the door crept open revealing the jumble jungle that was Fluttershy’s cottage. Applejack halted mid-trot as she took in the devastation. “Great Celesita! What happened here?” Fluttershy hovered over her wall paintings that were strewn all over her floor. “I’m in the middle of baking a cucumber cake for Angel, and, uh, he found me in the kitchen, so I had my animal friends keep him busy.” “Well shoot! Let me help you clean up this pigsty.” The two pony friends started the daunting cleanup task. Fluttershy took the paintings from the floor and carefully put them back on the walls, while Applejack realigned the furniture back into their original positions. Over time, the cottage slowly began to resemble its fairness. As Applejack re-fluffed the sofa pillows, she called over to Fluttershy who was now in the kitchen wiping her counter. “Hey guess what? You remember my cousin Braeburn? He’s coming to Ponyville today for a whole week!” Fluttershy froze. Gosh he’s dreamy. “He is? Whatever for?” “Big McIntosh sprained his back a few days ago. He tried tilling the ground for this new garden for Granny, but he overdid it. Now he’s as helpless as a newborn. So I gave a holler to Braeburn over at Appleloosa to see if he’d be willing to help out with the farm chores until Big Mac recovered.” On the surface Fluttershy kept it cool, but inside was another story. The simple mention of Applejack’s cousin revved up her heart rate. She turned away to wipe her already-cleaned kitchen counter, fearing Applejack would see her face flush red. One of the more infuriating parts about having a crush was also one of the most enjoyable – keeping it a secret. “Oh, that’s wonderful news!” As much as she delighted in hearing that Braeburn was in town, for the sake of avoiding a heart palpitation, she jumped topics. “But, um, wasn’t there a favor you were going to ask me?” “Yes, I was gonna get to that. Do you remember those beavers awhile back who built that dam causing our tree fields to flood?” “You mean Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth and his family? What about them?” “Well, turns out Apple Bloom bumped into them while tilling Granny’s new garden, and they got off on the wrong hoof. They’re having an argument right now as we speak, and it’s getting ugly. I was hoping maybe if you’ve got the time, you could at least calm the beavers down? I would’ve asked earlier, but I couldn’t leave you alone in this mess.” Fluttershy looked at Applejack, who put on her “pretty please” puppy-eyes. Applejack did help me clean this place up. Plus, “he” might arrive while I’m there. “Sure! Let’s see what all the fuss is about.” “Great! Let’s get over there before Apple Bloom puts a hoof in her mouth and riles those beavers up even further.” The two friends left the cottage and headed over to Sweet Apple Acres. In the midst of the cleaning up and the news of Braeburn’s visit, Fluttershy completely blanked on the cucumber cake in the oven. “I told you Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth, this land is for Granny Smith’s new garden!” Apple Bloom said. Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth hopped up and down flailing his arms ranting in beaver-speak. Behind him stood his family, each of them standing with stern looks on their faces with their arms folded. Every time the head-beaver squeaked one of his talking points, they nodded in agreement. “Oh c’mon, isn’t there some way we can work this out?” The patriarchal beaver shook his head in rejection. He dug a finger into the ground and traced through the dirt a series of shapes. In a few moments a tiny map of the immediate area appeared. Visually the beaver tried to outline the logistical flaws of the new garden. “How about we compromise?” The head-beaver scuffled back to his family as they huddled into a circle. At last, after going back and forth for hours, it looked as if real progress was about to be made. Hearing the beavers make agreement noises encouraged Apple Bloom. Before long the beavers’ huddle formation broke away and Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth approached the young filly. Apple Bloom extended a hoof. “We got a deal?” The beaver did not receive the hoof. Instead, he blankly stared at it. After a few awkward moments, the beaver’s brow furrowed and he spat at Apple Bloom’s hooves on the ground. Apple Bloom looked down and mumbled to herself, “I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” There’s just no reasoning with the unreasonable. Before the situation escalated even further, Applejack and Fluttershy arrived on the scene. “Whoa! Let’s settle down everyone. Apple Bloom, let Fluttershy handle this,” Applejack said. The yellow Pegasus calmly fluttered between Apple Bloom and the huffy beaver. “Hello Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth, I’m happy to see you again.” The beaver squeaked something that put a look of disgust on Fluttershy’s face. “I understand that you’re upset, but I assure you there’s no need for that kind of language. I promise you that we have no intention of making your lives harder with this new garden. Please consider that Granny Smith isn’t as young as she used to be. Aside from watching her grandchildren grow up, gardening is one of the few pleasures she has left.” For the first time the beaver looked as if he was really listening. Fluttershy continued, “I see you have your family with you. One of these days, you too will become as old as Granny Smith. Imagine what it would be like if your grandchildren came to you and offered to build you a garden because they knew it’d something you like. It’s a safe, low-risk activity involving the great outdoors. How would you feel if we came along and demanded that you do away with the garden simply because we didn’t like it?” Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth turned to face his family. He sighed and looked back up at Fluttershy. He began explaining himself to her. After a few minutes, Fluttershy nodded her head. “I see now. Thank you for understanding.” “What’d he say?” Applejack said. “Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth says he’s sorry. He and his family travel through this patch of land to get to the forest from their dam. There are many routes, but this way is the one most convenient for them. They didn’t think about how much this garden will mean to Granny.” “It takes a mighty big pony to apologize. We accept!” Applejack bowed her head in acceptance. After a series of apologetic bows, the beaver family walked away. “Gosh Fluttershy, I had tried forever to get through that stubborn rodent. You’re really something with animals,” Apple Bloom said. Applejack threw her arm around Fluttershy. “She’s more than that! This girl here successfully reformed Discord! There ain’t any creature out there that Fluttershy can’t communicate with.” Fluttershy’s lowered her head. In a hushed tone she said “Thank you.” Just then, a tenor colt voice called from the distance. “Cousin Applejack! I’m heeere!” Applejack reared onto her hind legs. “Braeburn!” She and Apple Bloom galloped toward their cousin. Knots instantly materialized and twisted in Fluttershy’s stomach as she was arrested by the sight of the Appleloosan colt. Oh my goodness! What do I do now? What do I say? From the moment she and Applejack left her cottage, Fluttershy rehearsed in her head a thousand scenarios of her greeting Braeburn. No matter how much she tried to contrive the situation, life had a funny way of screwing with her plans. After a round of hugs and warm words, the Apple sisters escorted Braeburn over to greet Fluttershy. The closer they got, the more heightened her senses became. “Braeburn, you remember Fluttershy, don’t you?” Applejack motioned over to her love-struck friend. “Why, of course I do! Fluttershy! Blazes girl, you’re still as cute as a button,” Braeburn winked. Fluttershy’s face turned cherry red. She let out a barely audible, “Um, hi.” Braeburn just smiled admiringly at her. Fluttershy could have sworn she saw a twinkle in his eye. Applejack spoke up. “You must be beat after traveling all that way from Appleloosa. Why don’t we go on inside and hook you up with some of Granny’s cider?” Braeburn’s face lit up. “Mmm, that sounds terrific!” “Maybe we can have some Apple Pie too, sis?” Apple Bloom looked up at her with another pair of “pretty please” eyes. “Oh I second that idea! Yes, cousin Applejack, please tell me we have some.” Applejack thought for a moment before realizing a grim reality. “Sorry, I think Big McIntosh helped himself to the last of the pies. Granny felt bad for him lying in bed all day that she spoiled him to everything we had. There ain’t a single cake in the house.” Hearing the word “cake” hit Fluttershy like a ton of bricks. Oh no. The Pegasus gasped. “Angel Bunny’s cucumber cake!” Braeburn tilted his head. “Angel who’s what now?” There was no time to explain. “I-I’m sorry, really. I have to get going. It was great seeing you Braeburn.” With that, Fluttershy galloped back toward her cottage deserting the three earth ponies. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could I forget the cucumber cake? Angel’s birthday is going to be ruined! He probably won’t forgive me. I’m such a bad caretaker. How could I have been so forgetful? The image of Braeburn winking at her flashed across her mind. Oh. That’s how. Her hooves hit the ground carrying her with lightning swiftness. She turned her head around to see Sweet Apple Acres rapidly shrinking into a micro-image of itself. The three ponies she left behind had gone away. Before turning her head back, Fluttershy noticed her wings tucked at her sides. Oh, right. I have these. Every so often, it seemed like Fluttershy forgot that she could fly. Seconds later she burst into the air. Now I’ll get there in no time, though it’s probably too late. Determined, Fluttershy flapped her wings like she hadn’t in a long, long time. On her way back to her cottage, she flew over her woodland creature friends still entertaining Angel. Miraculously, they were still at the tea party. If she wasn’t in a hurry, she would have taken a second look because for one wild moment Fluttershy thought she saw Angel and Harry the bear engaged in an arm wrestling contest with the other animals circled around them cheering wildly. I must be getting delirious. At last her cottage was in sight, though she immediately knew the situation was bleak; black smoke was seeping out the kitchen window. She landed in front of her door and swung it open, to where she was greeted by a massive billowing blackness. She backed away coughing. In the heat of the moment she hatched a plan, where she quickly darted around her cottage opening all the windows. She hoped that would be enough to release the smoke, though deep down she knew the only way truly to stop the smoke was turning off the oven. That meant going inside. She went to the side of her cottage that had the kitchen window. The black smoke continued to rage out into the sky above. Oh Angel Bunny, the things I do for you. She inhaled deeply, shut her eyes as tight as she could and charged through the window. Her visibility was nothingness. Fortunately, her oven was beeping loudly. Just follow the beep Fluttershy. She carefully ambled toward the noise, though at one point she bumped into her table which helped give her a sense of her bearings. By the time she reached the oven, her lungs were about to give out. Since the stovetop was not activated, she had no fear randomly twisting all the knobs hoping that eventually she’d find the correct one. In a sightless flurry, she twisted all of knobs into the off-position. The pressure in her lungs overcame her willpower and she exhaled. She dared not to take a breath fearing for her life, so she retreated backwards until she hit the table again. From there she blindly aimed herself to the location where she thought the kitchen window was. With no time to think, Fluttershy flung herself toward the wall. For a few moments she was weightless, but she braced herself for the impact of a wall. Amazingly, no such impact ever happened. Soon enough, the atmosphere around her felt lighter. By the time she cracked an eyelid, the image of green grass came flying at her, and she landed in her backyard with a thud. The Pegasus sat up rubbing her eyes. When she opened them, the smoke flowed continuously from her cottage. Just as she was about to reach the point of hopelessness, Fluttershy felt a tap on her shoulder. “Need a hoof, darlin’?” Braeburn arrived. She jumped to attention. “B-Braeburn? What are you doing here?” “From the way you exited back at the farm, we all could tell something was wrong. I noticed you left at the word ‘cake’ so Applejack filled me in on your situation. I must say, you have a mighty commitment to that bunny of yours.” “I’ve had him since he was born. I just wanted him to have a wonderful birthday cake,” Fluttershy sighed. Then she noticed Braeburn was alone. “Are Applejack and Apple Bloom with you?” “Naw, they went to start work on some more Apple pies. I told them I was going to swing by here to check on you.” He leaned his head around her to see the smoke raging forth. “Cucumber cakes can fall like a house of cards if you ain’t careful.” Fluttershy eyed him suspiciously. “You know how to make cucumber cake?” The Appleloosan colt reared onto his hind legs. “Sure do!” A colt who cooks. Pinch me. “In fact, Ms. Fluttershy, how ‘bout when this smoke dies down, you and I whip up an even better cake for your bunny?” Oh please, Celestia, tell me this is not a dream. “Are you serious?” “Why of course! Do you have enough ingredients left over?” Fluttershy furiously scanned her memory banks. “Yes, I believe I do.” “Well alright then, when the smoke clears you are and I are gonna bake this cake AAAAppleloosa-style.” Why is he being so nice? Maybe he likes me too? Fluttershy grasped at any justification for Braeburn’s being there with her. Here was a colt who traveled a great distance by train to help his cousins maintain their farm. By all accounts he should have been dead tired from his trip, yet now he stood before her raring to bake a cake with her. It defied logic, but who needs logic when you’re in love?