Of Doormats and Trees
Pinkie Pie found herself alone in the library. She didn't often goad her friends on like that, but Twilight had made it so easy – she couldn't resist. “La la la-la la-la la,” she bounced cheerfully out the door. The streets of Ponyville looked particularly inviting today. She felt a bit of an itch along her withers. The last time she felt something like that, she'd gotten sick from eating the baked 'bads' that Applejack had helped her cook up. Somepony was going to get a tummy ache. She looked around, but didn't see anyone. Oh well, - perhaps she was just itchy because she was itchy. That sometimes happened too. Pinkie Pie scratched at herself publicly.
Pinkie Pie had wanted to go balloon kiting with Rarity today, but that was ruined now. She didn't even see the remains of her balloon-pegasus wing suit. It must have floated away. Oh well.
Pinkie's biggest concern right now was that all her friends were upset, and it was partly her fault too. She had to find a way to cheer them up. This called for a party of course. Hmm, she was out of balloons, the Cakes had a large order to fill today and Sugarcube Corner was reserved for that very same event. It wouldn't be much of a party with food, entertainment, or a place to be. Drat.
Well, she could spend the time looking for a partner for Twilight's plan. Yeesh. Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. If that's what the future held than so be it, but, she wasn't in any hurry to go there. Perhaps a walk around town would give her an idea to help cheer up her friends.
“Morning Lilly.” Pinkie Pie smiled at a pony watering her flower garden.
“Morning Pinkie.” Lilly Valley smiled back. Ah, the aroma of fresh flowers. They tasted good too. “Pinkie,” Lilly scolded.
“Whoops, hehe.” Pinkie Pie released the slightly chewed plant from her mouth. Lily Valley straightened it out while Pinkie Pie split.
Pinkie Pie bounded down the market.
“I'm not a little filly anymore,” Turf complained.
“Neither am I,” Cheerilee said, “but you have to admit, those bows look just darling. Have you been keeping up with your hop-skip-two-threes like I recommended?”
“Ugh.” Turf buried her face on her hooves out of sheer embarrassment.
“Hop skip two three. Say my 'a's and my 'nays'. Do a wiggle jiggle happy dance-y.” Pinkie jumped in.
“Well done Pinkie,” Cheerilee smiled and clapped her hooves together.
“Aagh.” Turf almost looked like a different pony – her face was so red.
Pinkie Pie kept bounding along. “Morning Shoeshine.”
“Hrumph.” Shoeshine sat uncomfortably on a bench. She was clearly gloomy over something. Pinkie Pie dove in a bush and burst out with confetti and a party whistle. Fweeee. “Not now Pinkie,” Shoeshine complained.
“Uh oh, what's wrong?” Pinkie asked. “Is it aliens? I bet it's aliens! Have they come to steal our doormats? Cause if I was an alien, I'd totally be stealing doormats.” Pinkie Pie climbed up on the bench to shake Shoeshine by her shoulders and stare her in the face – so close together that their eyes were practically touching.
Shoeshine no-so-gently pushed Pinkie off. “Nothing like that. My favorite hat just got destroyed this morning by a flamingo. It was a souvenir from Appleoosa.”
“Well maybe the flamingo was an alien? And, and... it thought the hat was a doormat? And, and...” Pinkie Pie could tell by Shoeshine's completely flat expression that she wasn't getting anywhere. “Well hold on. This is a hat emergency! To the hat-mobile!” Pinkie Pie pantomimed getting into a vehicle (with a hat), and zipped off. She then clambered up a tree and popped out holding a... hat. It was one of those multicolor caps with a propeller on top.
“Teh-da!” Pinkie said. Shoeshine cringed at the sight. “Well, I don't really have a hat-mobile, but I do have emergency hats, for hatmergencies,” Pinkie explained.
“Uh, thanks Pinkie.” Shoushine reluctantly took the hat. She looked down at it. “I think.” She still didn't smile though.
“Aww,” Pinkie stopped to count, “I started with a happy greeting, then confetti, then talked about something irrelevant, then emergency hat- what's next? Ah! Sing random song! Ahem.” Pinkie paused to clear her throat, but before she could start Shoeshine jumped off the bench and put the beanie on.
“Ha ha-ha, no need for that. Look how happy I am.” Shoeshine forced herself to smile. “This hat's just great. No need to sing. In fact, it's probably my favorite hat now. Goodbye.” Shoeshine galloped off.
“Okay dokie loki bon voki smokey.” Pinkie Pie called after her. Disaster averted, Pinkie bounded on. “Morning Pokey.”
“Morning Pinkie,” Pokey Pierce said with a smile.
“Hmm,” Pinkie stopped to think for a sec, but she was interrupted when she saw Blossomforth fly by. Ah! So that's where she was. Pinkie Pie bounded after her. Blossomforth didn't know she was under pursuit and landed by the Quill and Sofa shop.
“Would you like any sofas or quills?” Davenport asked.
“Well, I am looking for a – Pinkie!” Blossomforth was startled when Pinkie jumped out of Davenport's hat (ruining it).
“Gah, don't do that Pinkie.” Davenport shook her off his head and tried to straighten his hat back out. He failed.
“Oof,” Pinkie said as she landed ungracefully on the ground. “Well I bet you didn't expect me to remember – but I did. Today's the day.”
“The day for what?” Blossomforth asked.
Pinkie Pie held up a picture of a pony with an incredibly ugly manestyle. “Remember when we were looking through Ponygraphic magazine? And I said I could I could totally do that for you? And you were like, 'yeah, like in a year,' well guess what? It's been a year.” Blossomforth scrunched up her face in disgust at the sight of the beaded dreadlocks. It was a poor interpretation of a traditional zebra hair-weave. Even the zebras in the article laughed at it.
“Geez Pinkie, can't you get a clue?” Blossomforth asked.
“No way. I can't hog all the clues. Then nopony else would ever get any,” Pinkie Pie said. “Hey!” Pinkie Pie shouted at Blossomforth as she took off to leave.
Pinkie Pie grabbed a rope and tried to spin it around like Applejack does. It... didn't go so well. The loop was too big and wobbled in the air. It was only from sheer luck that she didn't tie herself up. With a heave, Pinkie tosses the rope in the general direction of Blossomforth.
“Ack!” Blossomforth called out as the rope tangled around her and got caught up in a nearby tree too. The only reason that worked at all is because Blossomforth had paused to watch Pinkie's attempt at that rodeo trick. Now she was thoroughly tangled up and dangling upside-down from a tree.
“Alright. I did it on the first try. Applejack would be so proud.” Pinkie Pie beamed. “Now wait right here, while I get the beads,” Pinkie said. Blossomforth rolled her eyes, and Pinkie Pie turned around to dig through a bush.
Flitter landed nearby. “How is she doing that?” Flitter asked.
“Huh, but I'm not doing anything,” Pinkie Pie said as she retrieved her stash of beads from its hiding place.
“Now that is one flexible pony.” Flitter said.
“What?” Pinkie Pie turned around, but she was too late. Blossomforth was already flying away and an empty tangle of rope swayed gently underneath the tree. Pinkie Pie turned to Flitter. “I don't suppose you'd let me do your mane like this?” Pinkie held up that horrid photo again.
“Ugh, maybe in a year,” Flitter said and walked off.
“Okay.” Pinkie Pie promised. She returned the beads to their hiding place and went on her way again. “Hello again Pokey,” she said as she went by him again.
“Hey Pinkie,” he replied, “got any plans today?” Pinkie Pie stopped walking. Well, she might as well ask.
She jumped in front of him and leaned forward. “Pokey Pierce, will you poke and pierce me?”
“Wha?” Pokey fell over and started laughing. “Good one Pinkie. You're always good for a laugh.”
“Hrm?” Pinkie Pie kept leaning over him.
“Oh, you're serious.” He got up and composed himself. “Well in that case, twenty bits.”
“Fifteen bits,” Pinkie replied quickly.
“Twe- ... You know what? That's a fine fare for such a fun filly. Come on in,” Pokey said and went inside.
“Well that was easy,” Pinkie Pie said and bounded in after him.
***
Fluttershy was deeply disappointed with herself. She hadn't left out of refusal, or out of rejection of Twilight's plan; but she'd been overcome with embarrassment and couldn't contain herself. So the Princess wants them all to have children. It was a bit sudden, but she was sure that Celestia had her reasons, and Fluttershy could agree to it herself.
Each year, the animals that she cared for would come back with new kits, hatchlings, and babies of their own. It was always so wonderful to see and she envied them a bit. She was always too shy to go out and meet other ponies though. She didn't really have any friends aside from Rainbow Dash until Twilight had come to town. Sure, she'd known about Rarity. Every pony had met Pinkie Pie. She'd often helped Applejack deal with animal problems on her farm. But Twilight was the one who really brought them all together.
With their help and encouragement, she'd been able to accomplish a lot. She'd tried very hard to be more assertive and to overcome the ghosts of her past. It hasn't been easy for her, but she's pulled through so far. But going out on her own to find a new type of friend? A special somepony? That still gave her chills. Well, she wasn't getting any younger. If Celestia had faith in her, than she could at least try. Handling a stallion couldn't be any harder than handling Discord... right?
But who?
Fluttershy put that thought out of her mind for a while she fixed the midday meals for the animals. She prepared salad for the bunnies, nuts for the squirrels, berries for Harry the bear, and seeds for the mice and the birds. Anypony she'd want for herself would also have to like animals too. Who in town, aside from her friends, kept pets?
Fluttershy gathered up the eggs from the chicken coops to take to town. This delivery was for the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner. They need eggs to bake their cakes with. If Pinkie Pie was there then she could ask her about the other ponies in town. Pinkie Pie knew everyone.
While walking through town, she spotted Rainbow Dash flying overhead dispensing fliers. Fluttershy caught one and looked at it. “All pegasus stallions are invited to a race at the Ponyville training fields this evening. Want to show that you're too hot to trot? Winner gets to spend some quality time with Ponyville's best flyer.” Fluttershy stashed the leaflet on her cart. She had some mixed feelings about that approach. “Rainbow Dash, I sure hope you know what you're doing,” Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy knocked on the door to Sugarcube Corner. Mr, Cake opened the door. “Oh, thank Celestia you're here. You arrived just in time. We were running out.” Mrs. Cake also came out to help unload. Fluttershy picked up the pamphlet and stayed out of their way.
“Is Pinkie Pie around?” Fluttershy asked. Mr. And Mrs. Cake stopped in their tasks to look at each other.
“She's in her room,” Mrs. Cake said.
“Can I see her?” Fluttershy asked.
“Just don't wake the foals,” Mrs. Cake said as she resumed her task. Fluttershy followed the Cakes inside and took a look around. The place was full of delectable baked goods all organized and in pristine condition. The aroma alone could be enough to drive a pony wild. Fluttershy wondered why Pinkie wasn't down here to make a mess of things like she usually did.
Fluttershy left the Cakes to their work and went upstairs. She tread softly, so as not to wake the foals. Fluttershy tapped softly at Pinkie's door, but it wasn't latched and swung open. Pinkie Pie sat with her rump on the floor and a scowl on her scrunched up face. Her ears were flat against the side of her head – which didn't do any justice for her brand new pair of earrings. The giant, white safety cone around her neck didn't do them any justice either. Pinkie Pie kept trying to scratch at her ears, but the safety cone got in her way. Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
Pinkie Pie froze. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, sorry Pinkie,” Fluttershy apologized. “I shouldn't laugh. That's mighty brave of you to go though something so painful like that just to make the best impression you possibly can.”
“Oh, uh, right. That's totally exactly what I was thinking completely.” Pinkie Pie got up and gently shook her head to straighten her ears out. The earrings did look kind of nice. They were shaped to look like little balloons which complemented her cutie mark. They would have looked good by themselves or with a dress; the safety cone still ruined it though. Pinkie Pie tried to touch a hoof to her ear but the cone got in the way again. She sighed.
“You know you can't take them off until after your ears heal and you shouldn't agitate the wounds or they'll heal slower, right?” Fluttershy walked in the room and gently closed the door behind her. She didn't want their talking to disturb Pound or Pumpkin Cake who were sleeping in their crib in the room across from them.
“Yeah, but that doesn't make them any less itchy.” Pinkie sat on her rump again. She also flattened her ears again instinctively.
“So, uh, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, “you know all the ponies in town right? Can you tell me who keeps pets?”
“Well, aside from us, Octavia has a peacock, Vinyl has a ferret,-”
“Stallions – I meant stallions,” Fluttershy corrected. “Single stallions.”
“Oh, well – waiit – Is this for that 'pony' project?” Pinkie narrowed her eyes and snorted.
“Mm hmm.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “I don't really get out that much, into town I mean. I thought I'd ask you first. It's easier to meet somepony if you have something in common to talk about.”
“Huh. No offense Fluttershy but you're usually such a... doormat. After the way you flew off I would have expected you to just hide in your cottage all day.”
“Well, I wanted to. But I can't be a doormat my whole life. I mean, it'll always be part of who I am, but sometimes you just have to hide the doormat.” Fluttershy walked over to look out the window. This was the busiest part of the day. She sighed after looking at all of the other ponies.
“Wait so...” Pinkie Pie wanted to rest her chin on her hoof in thought, but it bumped against the safety cone. Pinkie scrunched up her face in annoyance. “So if you're not the doormat, but you're the thing that takes the doormat, then that must mean...” Pinkie jumped into the air and gasped. “You're an alien!”
“Ssh, don't wake the foals,” Fluttershy reminded her. “And don't be silly. Aliens aren't real.”
“So aliens aren't real? They're fake? You're not real? I've been imagining you the whole time?”
“No silly, I mean I'm something else.”
“Something else? Is that like... 'anything' else? Or what about-”
Fluttershy stood up tall and spread her wings and forelegs out. “I'm a tree.”
“Huu-uh,” Pinkie gasped and pressed her forelegs against the sides of her safety cone. “Trees steal doormats? It all makes so much sense now. No wonder you never see any in forests. It's all part of an arboreal plot to keep your hooves dirty.”
“Precisely,” Fluttershy agreed. She couldn't contain herself and fell over giggling. Pinkie Pie fell over laughing too. Once they composed themselves, Fluttershy asked her question again, “Do you know of any available stallions that keep pets?”
“Let's see-” Pinkie wanted to count ponies on her hooves, but the safety cone was in the way again. She had to content herself with sticking out her tongue. “-Noteworthy has a rooster, Cherry Fizzy's got that fruit bat, Blue Skies keeps a blue bird, Star hunter's also got an owl, Bright Idea's got an ant farm, Graphite's also got a chicken,-”
Fluttershy tried her best to follow along as Pinkie spouted off names. She'd seen most of these ponies around, but hadn't ever really introduced herself. At least there seemed to be a lot to choose from, though she was wondering about the availability of some of them, wasn't Cherry Fizzy with Carrot Top? Or perhaps she was thinking of Caramel.
“-and, of course, Big Mac has all those pigs on the Apple Farm,” Pinkie Pie concluded.
“Big Mac? But isn't he seeing Cheerilee?”
“You tell me. They went on one date together last Hearts and Hooves day and haven't seen each other since.”
“That's perfect then. I'll ask him.” Fluttershy wasn't talking directly to Pinkie Pie, but staring out into space instead.
“What? But don't you think that Applejack-” Pinkie didn't really know what Applejack would think. It couldn't be good though. Applejack didn't seen to like the idea of Big Mac and Pinkie being together anyway.
“It won't matter what Applejack thinks. He's his own pony.” Fluttershy was determined to be a tree, and not a doormat.
“Well, in that case, what do you think about this whole 'pony project' in general? I mean, Rainbow Dash was fully against it. She left to find Spike and get a definitive answer from Celestia. She could pop in any moment now and tell us to call the whole thing off. Not that that's likely. I'm just saying it could happen, any moment now.” Pinkie Pie looked out the window in anticipation.
“Oh, well...” Fluttershy retrieved the flier she'd picked up and unfurled it on the ground. “Pinkie, you should see this.”
“Huh?” Pinkie Pie looked down and read the flier. “What!” She screeched. “If Rainbow Dash is doing this than Celestia must have actually said 'yes'! Oh no, I've got to try again!” Pinkie's outburst was greeted with the sound of crying from across the hall. They could hear ponies coming up the stairs. Mrs. Cake made soothing noises in the other room and Mr. Cake opened the door to Pinkie's room.
“Can you two go somewhere else?” he asked. “I don't mean to kick you out or anything but we're just so busy and can't have any distractions...”
“It's okay. We were on our way anyway,” Fluttershy said and walked out the door.
“Sorry Mr. Cake.” Pinkie Pie hung her head low, but she had to pick it up again when the safety cone started scraping along the floor. Mr. Cake ran back downstairs when a timer went off and Fluttershy started to follow after him.
Thud.
Pinkie Pie's safety cone was just a little too big and got caught in the door frame. She fell over as if she'd walked into a wall. “Are you okay Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, yrah.” Pinkie Pie got back up and backed out the door this time. There was a tiny 'pop' as the cone passed through the door frame.
As they came downstairs, the sweet aroma of freshly baked delectables was even more enticing than ever. Pinkie Pie couldn't resist and grabbed a cupcake to eat. She smooshed it against the side of her safety cone. “Aww,” she said with tears welling up in her big, wide eyes.
“Here, let me help you with that.” Fluttershy held out a cupcake, and Pinkie slurped it off her hoof in one bite.
“Thankfs Flutterbshy,” sportled Pinkie as she ravenously devoured it.
Fluttershy wiped some projectile crumbs off her face. “Anytime.”
“That's enough Pinkie,” Mr. Cake said as he wiped the remains of the squashed cupcake off the floor. “We're running behind as it is and don't have enough to spare for sampling right now.” Mr. Cake handed Fluttershy his payment for the eggs she brought. “Thanks again, Fluttershy. Your timing was impeccable.”
Fluttershy stashed the coins in her purse. “And thank you too,” she said in response.
Fluttershy leaned in close to whisper in Pinkie's itchy, sore ears, “Come on Pinkie, we've got places to be... and stallions to... do.” The pegasus blushed and had trouble controlling her wings. “Eeh-hee.” She ran out the door.
Pinkie Pie sighed and backed out after her. Pop. They went their separate ways.
***
Fluttershy flew back to her cottage. She wasn't sure why she'd said that, and now she was almost as embarrassed as she was this morning. She took in deep breaths, and the critters in her room came out to comfort her. “No, I can't just give up like this. I have to be strong. I have to stand tall. I have to grow tall. I have... to be a tree.”
Fluttershy gathered a few things and put on a nice, broad-brimmed hat with a small pink bow. The animals milled around watching her. “Alright, Angel. Mommy needs to go out again. Be a dear and watch the place while I'm gone, okay?” Fluttershy walked back out the door. Angel ignored his instructions and followed her.
The farm was as productive as always. Even out of applebucking season, there was always fruit ripe for the bucking. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith were nowhere to be seen. Only Big Mac was out working in the orchard. He had quite a few empty baskets lined up and was steadily bucking trees to fill them up. From the pace he was moving, the work he had lined up would probably take all day – or longer. Presumably, Applejack would help too but she obviously had other things to worry about.
Fluttershy gnawed at her hoof in nervousness. Well, there was no sense in waiting for him to finish. If she wanted to have any time with him when he wasn't busy, she'd have to take Applejack's place and help with his chores. She fluttered down and softly approached him on hoof. “Hello, Big Mac.” He didn't seem to notice. She'd spoken too softly. “Hello, Big Mac.” She repeated a bit louder. He glanced at her and went back to his work. Fluttershy stood there awkwardly. Big Mac finished filling another basket and jumped a bit when he turned around and saw that she was still there. “Um, you look a bit busy.”
“Eeyup.”
“Would you like some help?” Fluttershy swung her head and panned her eyes across the rows and rows of trees that needed attention.
“Eenope.”
This was going to be difficult. Well, a little lie wouldn't hurt – as long as Applejack didn't show up. “Applejack had to help Twilight today, but she said I could come down and lend a hoof if, um, that's okay with you, that is.”
Big Mac sighed. “Eeyup.”
Fluttershy was glad he was willing to accept her help; but now the trees suddenly looked daunting. She wasn't strong enough to buck them like him, but she could fly up and shake the fruit down. It was different, but it worked. Fluttershy nervously wondered how Applejack was doing.
Big Mac gave a swift kick to another tree, filling up three baskets at once.
Well, she couldn't worry about Applejack now. “Alright, I'll start with this tree here,” she said. It was in the row next to his. She flew up ans disappeared in the tree's foliage, which rustled. Apples fell down to fill up the baskets. Fluttershy jumped down to inspect them, but it felt like she was missing something.
Big Mac snickered at her. She looked up. Her hat was gone. The tree had claimed it for itself. It looked so silly with that hat that she couldn't help but giggle too. She left it there and flew over to the next tree. Big Mac gathered up the full baskets and carried them to the wagon he was filling up. It had a lot of empty space left.
“So you like caring for the pigs?” Fluttershy asked as she shook down more apples. She moved on to the next tree.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac returned to apple bucking. Fluttershy was hoping he'd say more, but he didn't.
“How's Applejack been doing? You seen her today?” Fluttershy shook another tree. She was doing pretty good at this. If only she could say the same about trying to have a conversation with Big Mac.
“Eenope.” He only answered her second question.
“Apple Bloom's still just as impatient as ever. Has she earned her cutie mark yet?” She moved onto the the next tree and shook it quickly to keep pace with Big Mac's progress.
“Eenope.”
“And, uh, I guess Granny Smith's still doing well.” Fluttershy was close enough to the next tree to just jump to it. Her landing helped knock some of the apples down.
“Eeyep.”
“Beautiful weather we're having today.” Fluttershy was running out of small talk. She was also running out of breath. Hopping between trees was exhausting.
“Eeyep.”
Fluttershy paused to catch her breath while Big Mac loaded more apple baskets onto the wagon. Trying to talk to Big Mac was like trying to talk to a doormat. His monosyllabic answers were about as exciting as trying to play catch through a closed window. Sure, you got your ball back, but you really wanted to play with the pony on the other side. Well, if Big Mac was going to be a doormat, then so be it. She'd just have to be that thing that stole doormats. “Come on Fluttershy, be a tree,” she blurted out.
Big Mac looked at her. “That's the spirit,” he said, “You can make the trees work with you if you get to know them.”
“Huh?” Had her ears deceived her? Had he just broken his perfect string of 'eeyup's and 'eenope's to talk about trees? She looked down at the tree she was in. It looked – like a tree. She wasn't sue how she could 'work with' that.
“Well sure,” Big Mac went on, “trees are living creatures too. They don't talk, but they can show their feelings.” Big Mac leaned against a tree. He caressed its trunk with one of his hooves.
“You mean like how the leaves get limp when they're thirsty and how they change color when they're exhausted from growing all summer and want to take a nap for winter?” Fluttershy went back to shaking down apples. There still was a lot of work to be done, after all.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac got back down on all fours and started bucking again. The apples landed perfectly in the baskets he'd lined up. Fluttershy cringed a bit at his monosyllabic response. She hopped over to the next tree. She worried that she'd lost him. But he went on. Phew. “And you can tell by the color and size or the fruit how ripe they are.”
Big Mac went on to explain the finer points of apple growing and harvesting. Fluttershy understood some of the points he made. When a tree didn't drop all its fruit when she shook it, it wasn't trying to be mean. Trees could be proud of their fruit – and didn't want to give away apples that were still growing. They didn't have to return later to complete the harvest, either. It was a big farm, and leftover fruit like that could be left to the animals. Fluttershy really liked that part.
Big Mac also talked about the 'feel' of the earth, and the thrum of the life within. That... had to be an Earth pony thing. Talk like that went completely over Fluttershy's head, or under her hooves, so to speak. She stayed up in the trees and kept to her work so he wouldn't catch the look of confusion on her face. She didn't mind that he was talking about such stuff. She didn't have to understand it to know know it was important to him. It was a lot like her connection to animals really. The only pony who who could understand it was herself.
Hmm, speaking of which – she'd listened to him talk about his special talent. It was time to get him interested in hers. When they took another break to load up the wagon, Fluttershy flew down where he could see her. “A tree's not just a living creature-” she said. She tapped on the trunk near a hollow, and a family of squirrels poked their noses out. She gave a quick whistle and extended her forelegs. Some songbirds flew down to land on them. Even a bat came and hung itself upside down (the regular kind – not the fruit bats that lived in the southern fields). Some bees hovered nearby. Their nest was in another tree. “-it's an entire ecosystem.”
Big Mac looked up with wide eyes and an open mouth. It was just one tree, and the sheer number of critters that appeared amazed him. “Ai had no idea.”
Fluttershy giggled and closed her eyes. With a small shake of her legs, the animals departed and returned to their homes – except for the birds. They just perched on a nearby branch and cheeped encouraging nothings at her. “Don't be silly. You've seen them all the time. Just, not all at once.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac scratched his chin in contemplation. “That sure is a lot. Will they hurt it?”
“Oh no. Nothing like that. They all live in the tree. It's their home. They want it to prosper too – not destroy it.” Fluttershy caressed the tree like Big Mac had earlier. Sure enough, it was a fine, healthy specimen. Big Mac walked over to the next tree but hesitated. “Don't worry. They're used to it.” He shrugged and resumed applebucking.
“Ai guess they'd have to be,” he said. Big Mac was getting ahead of her. Fluttershy shook down more apples, and the birds flew off. The birds quickly returned when she finished. They followed one tree behind her, with the flock slowly growing as she worked to catch up. The next tree the birds flew ahead of her and pecked the apples down. They... weren't good with their aim, but the squirrels down below helped load the missed apples into the baskets. “How did you get them to do that?” Big Mac asked. He pointed a hoof at the critters and looked at Fluttershy with wide eyes.
“Aww, show them a little kindness, and sometimes they'll show kindness in return.” Fluttershy flew down to nuzzle with the cute little squirrels and hummed in key with the birds.
“A little kindness?” Big Mac watched.
“A lot of kindness.” Fluttershy laid out nuts on the ground for the squirrels and had the birds come down to feast on breadcrumbs. She greeted each of them. Big Mac looked around at the apple baskets. That seemed to be the last of them. He loaded them up on the cart while the animals dispersed. Fluttershy flew up to shake the next tree. No apples came down, but she did get her hat back. “Oh. I guess we're done.”
Big Mac looked at her in the evening sun. Sweat clung to her golden coat, and heavy breathing belied just how exhausted she was. Much to her credit, she sounded genuinely disappointed to be finished. “Eeyup. Ai recon we finished early.” Big Mac pushed the cart in the barn for storage.
“Well in that case, how about a picnic?” Fluttershy fluttered her eyes at him.
“Uhhh...” Big Mac backed up a bit. He was taken aback, but she had been working so hard. It would be rude to refuse her now. “Well, alright.” He gave in.
“Yay,” she cheered softly. Big Mac watched as she set up the picnic blanket and laid out the food and drinks. He was a bit uncomfortable with that. It reminded him of what Apple Bloom did a while back. Once she was finished, he walked up to take his place across from her. Eying the food, the apples looked... suspiciously familiar, but she also had blueberry muffins, cupcakes, and, of course, tea. Well, he hoped it was tea. He was really quite thirsty but he really, really, didn't want to gulp down another love potion.
Fluttershy poured them each a cup and proposed a toast to a fine day. Big Mac bit the rim of his cup and picked it up. It looked like tea. He sniffed at the liquid. It smelled like tea. Fluttershy tapped her cup against his and took a drink. He watched with trepidation, but she didn't seem visibly effected. Big Mac closed his eyes and reluctantly took a sip himself. It tasted like tea, with a hint of lemon. Slowly, he lifted one eyelid and peeked past it at Fluttershy. He was not overcome with emotion and did not feel any intense throes of passion for her. He gave a sigh of relief and finished his drink. The small cup wasn't enough to satisfy the thirst of a large pony like him so he set it down and drank from the pitcher instead.
Fluttershy looked at him funny. She picked up a blueberry muffin and took a demure, dainty bite. Big mac of course, went for the apples. He scarfed them down one after another and paused only to spit out the cores. Fluttershy wiped her mouth with a napkin, while he wiped his mouth with his own hoof. He was a bit amused by her genteel mannerisms, but this was a farm – not a palace.
Big Mac finished eating and looked up at the trees. Fluttershy remembered seeing Applejack and Big Mac lean back-to-back after a hard day's work and took this as an opportunity to get closer to him. She walked up next to him and then leaned towards him. He shied away from her where her feathers tickled him, but let her lean in close once she'd folded her wings up.
“Ai reckon you could be a good farmer if ya wanted,” he said.
“I guess you could be a good caretaker too; if you wanted to be,” she said.
This moment was perfect. They leaned together in harmony. The grass rustled in the breeze. Birds chirped in the background. Fluttershy wished there was somepony out there to take a picture. She would have loved to leave things as they were. She felt like they'd made a connection – that they were friends. But she had a deadline to meet. “Big Mac?”
“Hmm?” He wondered what she had to say. Her tone of voice made it sound important.
“Will you be my special somepony?”
“Puu.” Big Mac spat and sat up forcefully, knocking her over. Ne varrowed his eyes and snorted. “Did Apple Bloom put you up to this? Why would she think ai'd even want a pegasus?”
Fluttershy's eyes welled up with tears and her voice quavered, “So, does... does that mean...?” Her hat drifted down in front of her.
Big Mac stepped on it, and leaned down in her face, growling. “No.”
“Bwa-Aaa-aAa.” Fluttershy ran off crying.
“Hrrmph.” Big Mac swung his head up in disgust and scuffed his hooves, abusing that poor hat.
Angel hopped out and bit him.
“Yeouch!” He frantically shook his leg and hopped around trying to dislodge the irate bunny.
Next Chapter:
Ponyville Idol
