//------------------------------// // Autumn (part 3) // Story: These Are The Days Of Our Lives // by ADRNEL //------------------------------// One week later... "Are you sure you're going to be okay here by yourself?" asked a timid Fluttershy to her coltfriend Big Mac. Unfortunatly, Fluttershy was unable to get tickets to the Wonderbolt's demonstration show her friends are attending for Big Mac, forcing him to miss out. "I'll be fine sugercube, ah have a lot of work here t'git th' farm ready fo' winter. So stop worryin' about me an' injoy yer time with yer friends an' mah sister." explained Big Mac, trying to calm her down. "I guess you're right...I'll be back in the morning Mackie, I promise!" stated Fluttershy, deciding to go off anyways without him. She then kisses him before flying off, Big Mac waving her off until she's out of sight. At the Cloudsdale arena, Rainbow Dash and four members of the Wonderbolts are in the locker room changing into their trademark suits and getting ready for the demonstration show. Spitfire then walks up to Dash, who looks nervous. "Hey Dash, calm down, this isn't an official show, you know? This is just a demo to see how well you work with us and how well you go with the audience." explained Spitfire, trying to get Dash to relax. "What if blow this? What if I mess up!?" exclaimed a nervous Dash. "Don't worry, even if you DO mess up, you'll still have your friends, and you'll still be training under us, failure just means that your addition to Wonderbolts will be postponed to a later date." continued Spitfire. "I hope you're right." mumbled Dash to herself. "This is THE! BEST! THING! EVER!" exclaims Rarity as she checks out the VIP box she and her friends have been escorted too. She then sees a table of hour d'oeuvres on the opposite side of the glass viewing wall and seats. "There's even some classy food too!" Twilight, Time Turner, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Applejack are also checking the room out. "Well, they don't call it VIP for nothing!" stated Time Turner, as he and his marefriend Twilight take their seats next to each other. While looking around, Applejack notices a sad look Fluttershy's face. "Are yo' okay Flutters?" asked a concerned Applejack. "I'm fine...I-I just wish Big Mac could be here." explained Fluttershy. Applejack still finds it hard to accept that her best friend and brother are now a couple, but is willing to support it for the sake of Fluttershy. "Well, stop worryin' about mah brother, because he'll be more upset when he hears thet yo've been worryin' about him. Knowin' him, he'd rather have yo' enjoy this here day than t'worry." explained Applejack, trying to cheer her up. Fluttershy realizes that her friend is right, she SHOULD enjoy this day, for Big Mac. "Finding everything to your liking?" asked a new voice. Everyone turns to see Soarin, in his Wonderbolts suit, walking into the room. "You wouldn't believe!" exclaimed Rarity, serving herself some wine, while Pinkie Pie is gorging on the hour d'oeuvres. "Thanks fo' doin' this." thanked Applejack to the pegasus stallion. "No problem, anything for Dash and Applejack's friends." said Soarin, with a cheerfull grin on his face. "Now remember, this show is to put Dash through her paces and to see how well she gels with the group and audience." explained the Wonderbolt. "Don't worry, knowing Dash, she'll fit right in and the audience will love her." chimed Twilight from the seats. "Well, she needs all the support she can get, anyways, I have to get going now, enjoy the show, and no matter how well this show goes, you are all invited to an exclusive Wonderbolt gala at the Cloudsdale city hall." continued Soarin. "A gala?" exclaims a shocked Rarity, nearly spitting out the wine she just drank. "Don't worry, it's not a formal affair, it's just something we, the Wonderbolts, hold after every show here in Cloudsdale, only current and former members of Wonderbolts and their family and friends are invited, and seeing as you're friends of Dash, you're all invited." "ALL RIGHT!" exclaimed a cheerful Pinkie. "I LOVE PARTIES!" "Good, I'll see you all there!" stated Soarin, he then walks out of the room, but Applejack, seeing him walk off quickly trots after him. "WAIT! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU FOR A MINUTE!" yelled Applejack after Soarin, as they meet in the hallway. "What do you want to talk about?" asked a curious Soarin. "Ah was reckonin' that maybe when yer not busy sometime, that maybe yo' an' ah can have dinner sometime, just th' two of us?" nervously proposed Applejack. "Are you asking me out on a date Miss Applejack." asked Soarin in a playfull tone. Applejack just blushes, but hides her face under her hat. "Of course I'll go on a date with you!" "Really?" was all a surprised Applejack can say. "Of course!" agreed Soarin. "I had such a great time the last time and I am due for a week off next week, but I really have to get going now, we'll talk at the gala tonight, bye!" with great haste, Soarin gallops off to get ready for the show, leaving Applejack alone in the hallway, blushing. At Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac has just finished painting the barn and getting the farm ready for the upcoming winter, he has just put away the cans of red paint in the barn until he sees Cherilee waiting for him outside the barn. "Hey." Big Mac greets politely to the mare. "Oh hey Big Mac, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" asked Cherilee in her usual cheerful way. "What's that?" said Big Mac, locking the barn for the day. "Well, I was wondering if you can do some repairs around my house, I need help replacing some windows and getting the roof ready for winter." explained Cherilee. "You do the job well and you're the only repair pony I know that would be willing to do these things for free." Big Mac could've sworn that he heard a hint of flirting in Cherilee's voice, but chalks it up to his imagination. "Of course I'll help yo', anythin' fo' a friend." stated Big Mac. "That's great! Thank you!" exclaimed Cherilee. "Eeyup." At the Cloudsdale arena, Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts are at the gate, waiting for their cue. Dash is nervous as she sees fellow Wonderbolts Misty, Fleet Foot and Spitfire mentally prepairing themselves, but then she sees Soarin gallop in and immediatly begins to calm down. "Three minutes Wonderbolts!" yells an attendant in the background. Rainbow Dash nervously walks up to Soarin. "Hey Soarin, listen, I've been thinking, that maybe when you get some time off that maybe we could go have dinner together, just the two of us?" nervously asked Dash to his crush. Soarin is caught by surprise by the offer. "Gee, I'd love to Dash, but I already promised a date with somepony else." explained Soarin, trying his best not to hurt Dash's feelings. "WHAT! WHO?" said a shocked Dash, feeling her heart break. "Why, you're friend Applejack of course." stated Soarin. Suddenly, the whole area in engulfed in the sound of the Wonderbolt's enterance theme, marking their cue to assemble in the field. "Look, we'll talk about this after the show, I promise!" explained Soarin as he quickly joins the rest of the Wonderbolts in their march into the area. Dash just stands there dumbfounded, but quickly regains focus and follows the group out. "And there...that should be all." stated Cherilee as Big Mac finally finishes replacing the last window in her house. "Thanks for the help!" "Eeyup." said Big Mac in agreement. "And to thank you for all your hard work, how about I cook you some dinner and maybe we can catch up on some old times?" proposed Cherilee. Big Mac couldn't help but think that she's fliting with him again, but quickly dismisses the thought. "Well ah's hungry." stated Big Mac in deep thought. "GREAT!" exclaimed Cherilee, "I'll go make some now!" she then rockets to the kitchen. Big Mac just stands there in confusion as he begins to get this feeling that something bad is going to happen, but quickly dismisses it. Half and hour later, Cherilee finally finishes dinner, two waldorf salads, one of Big Mac's favorite meals. They both sit in the dinning room table and begin to eat. "So tell me Big Mac," started Cherilee. "since when did you have feelings for Fluttershy? How did you two become a couple?" asked the mare. "About over six months ago, ah foun' out that she had a crush on me fo' a long time an' felt sorry that ah have been ignorin' her feelin's fo' so long thet ah decided t'form a relationship with her, plus ah wanted t'find a mare that'd stop mah heartbreakin' ways an' stop me from treatin' mares th' way that ah did." explained Big Mac, while eating his salad. "But what can you possibly see in her?" asked Cherilee, in a slightly skeptical tone. "She's the textbook definition of a 'Shrinkin Violet'." explained the mare. "Ah know, but once yo' get her t'open up, she's actually pretty kind an' loyal, plus she can be assertive when she needs to." explained Big Mac. "Heck, she loves me so much, that she left t'face her inner demons just so she'd get th' confidence t'make this relationship work." he mused. "So you truly love her?" stated Cherilee, a hint of sadness in her voice, Big Mac can see her usual smile turn into a frown. "Are yo' okay?" asked a concerned Big Mac. "No...it's just that, seeing you happy with Fluttershy reminds me about the fact that I have no special somepony in my life, and of all the good times we had together, because you're my first coltfriend I had since I started teaching." explained a sad Cherilee. "An' ah's sorry that ah dumped yo' like trash, ah shouldn't have done that." apologized Big Mac for his actions. "No, no need to apologize, the flower ponies warned me you would do that, but being the optomistic mare that I am, I ignored them." Cherilee explains, trying to put up a fake smile and failing. Big Mac starts to feel bad for Cherilee. "Look, do me a favor and stop worrying about ME and start worrying about your marefriend, she needs you now more than anything," explained the mare. "She needs a strong stallion in her life that can help her face the world." "Ah know, but ther has t'be a way ah can make it up t'yo' fo' treatin' yo' like that." stated a guilty Big Mac, as a micheaveous grin forms on Cherilee's face. "How could Applejack do this!" exclaims Rainbow Dash in her head. "How could she go behind my back and ask the stallion that she KNOWS I have a crush out on a date!?" Dash is trying her best to concentrate on the routine she and the Wonderbolts practiced on, but can't help but think about what Soarin told her. "And besides, everypony knows that me and Soarin are meant to be! We have the same interest, skills and aspirations for Celestia's sake!" Suddenly, Dash then notices her vision begin to tunnel and gray, but is too lost in her thoughts to care. "You know what, if Soarin wants to date that two-timming apple bucker, then he can go ahead and do so! See if I care!" "DASH!" yells a distant voice, but Dash ignores it, as she begins to feel the sensation of falling. "Because SOARIN doesn't know what he's missing out on! He would NEVER know what it's like to rut on a cloud, he would NEVER know what it's like to not have to worry about leaving his marefriend alone because of Wonderbolt commitments, and he'll DEFINATLY never know just HOW fast I can go!" She then sees her vision fade away into darkness as she hears a loud "THUD" followed by a surge of pain, then nothingness. The next day... Big Mac has never felt more ashmed in his entire life, as he stares in utter shock at the ceiling of the bedroom that is definatly not his. He looks down to see Cherilee, her head on his chest, still sleeping and basking in the afterglow from what they did last night. He then looks back up to the ceiling, wide eyed and feeling more dirtier than he ever felt in his life. "What. Have. I. Done!" he says to himself in utter shock and shame. There is no going back now.