“So Fluttershy flew you over a firey tree!? Just in the nick of time!? That sounds so …dirty!” Sweetie Belle said enthusiastically, imagining herself in the same situation, “That’s crazy that YOU did that Fluttershy! I always thought you’d pass out or somethin’ if something like THAT happened!”
“Yep she sure did!” Applejack said glancing towards the distracted Pegasus as they entered their cottage, “’Shy can be awfully brave when she needs ta be,”
“When you were unconscious did you have a dream?” The filly asked randomly, getting Applejack to think for a little bit.
“That’s a doozy of a question, Sweetie Belle. Ah honestly don’t know if ah did or not, if ah did, I don’t remember it. Silly filly, now yer gonna have me thinkin’ ‘bout that all the time,”
“I wanna be unconscious!” She said, waving her hooves in the air in excitement, “That sounds so cool! Then I could tell you if I had a dream!”
Applejack chuckled, “Bein’ unconscious ain’t nothin’ fun, Sweetie Belle, trust me. Ah might not’a woken up if Fluttershy didn’t find me,”
Fluttershy finally reentered the conversation when she heard Applejack say that, “D-Don’t say that Applejack, you know that makes me sad,”
“Ah’m sorry darlin’” Applejack said sincerely, then looking back down at the filly.
Sweetie Belle looked at the two of them with a confused look on her face, “What do you mean ‘never wake up?”
She sat down in front of the couch as Applejack and Fluttershy sat next to each other. They consciously sat farther apart than they usually would, both not sure if she even knew about them being together.
Fluttershy shook her head at Applejack as if to say ‘No, don’t tell her that!’
The earth pony struggled to come up with a good lie, “Well, ah didn’t mean not wake up, ah meant not wake up for a little longer, ‘cause ah-ah woulda been fine no matter what!”
Sweetie Belle accepted the earth pony’s answer, even though Applejack’s terrible lying skills made it obvious she beading around the bush.
“Why do you smile at her so much?” Sweetie Belle asked Applejack, her randomness nothing surprising for a filly her age.
The earth pony looked at Fluttershy, begging with her eyes for the Pegasus to answer that time.
“W-Well, um, me and um, Applejack are good friends,” Lied the Pegasus, smiling awkwardly at the young pony in front of her.
“You're just friends? Applebloom told me you two were datin’… ah mean hay! You live together,”
Applejack felt stupid, “Well ah guess there’s no reason ta lie if Applebloom already told ya… We are, and there ain’t nothing wrong ‘bout that, but we won’t do nothin’ that you’d think is weird, ah guess, Sweetie Belle,”
“Ok, because I don’t know why a pony would want to kiss another pony! That’s just gross,”
It made the two mares feel better that it wasn’t specifically two mares kissing that she thought was gross, just two ponies kissing in general. It was nice to know that the newer generations were going to be a little more tolerant of their choice to be together.
All three of them then heard a loud knocking on their door, Sweetie Belle jumping up ecstatically.
“Applebloom! Scootaloo!” She ran to the door and opened it, revealing two excited fillies, “I invited them over, is that ok?” Sweetie Belle asked excitedly, all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders putting on their signature begging smiles to convince the two to say yes.
Applejack jumped up at the sight of her little sister, no convincing needed, “Of course y’all can! ya can stay an’ play with Sweetie Belle fer a while, ya three can’t sleep over,”
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LATE NIGHT HANG-OUT AT FLUTTERSHY AND APPLEJACK’S COTTAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” All three of them screamed ecstatically, jumping up simultaneously. The explosive loudness from the fillies scared both of the mares near-by and Fluttershy’s many animals near them. They immediately apologized to Fluttershy when they saw the animals fleeing the area.
“Applebloom! Ah haven’t seen ya in so long!” Applejack said extremely happily, as Fluttershy flew around to calm her animals down that were scared by the booming outburst from the Cutie-Mark Crusaders.
“You still have yer cast on Applejack?” Applebloom asked as she went over to the orange pony to get a closer look at it.
“Yeah, Nurse Redheart said ah need ta keep it on fer another week, even though ah think it’s completely fine. How’ve ya been? Keepin outta trouble? Doin’ yer chores? Keepin’ outta Granny Smith and Big Macintosh’s mane?”
“Yes, Applejack!” She said, enunciating her words to show her disapproval of her older sister’s pestilent questions. The three fillies continued looking around Fluttershy and Applejack’s cottage for something interesting to see or do. They were slightly more careful than they had in the past, knowing Fluttershy’s stare was something they didn’t want to come face-to-face with.
Scootaloo frowned, standing on the mini-staircase for one of Fluttershy’s many animals, “Guys, we’ve been here so many times, there’s like nothing to do!”
“I agree, maybe we could try chicken herding again?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Fluttershy intervened before the idea could even circulate between the two other fillies, “Oh no, my chickens are all asleep, they don’t need to um, be herded, I don’t want to lose Elizabeak again,” She watched closely as they once again examined every detail of her home just for something to do
“Ah know! Ah know! Applejack could tell us a story!” Applebloom said, Sweetie Belle agreeing with her, while Scootaloo just sighed.
,”If you don’t want me to stay over, don’t tell me some mamby-pamby love story, because I’m un-wakeable when I fall asleep!,” Scootaloo said defiantly, but her efforts were to no avail as the other crusaders sat expectantly in front of the older mares.
“I know! You can tell us the story about Fluttershy saving you that you um…uh…told me earlier!”
“Yeah! Ah haven’t heard it yet! And she’s ma sister! Please tell us!” Applebloom said, excitedly jumping next to Sweetie Belle, looking up at the two mares on the couch.
Reluctantly, Applejack decided it was the only thing she could do to settle down the young ponies before her. As Scootaloo sat down next to the other ponies with a sigh, the earth pony began once more. Throughout the whole time that she told the story, she had the entire interest of all three young ponies in front of her. A true story about Applejack being rescued from a blazing inferno immediately captured Scootaloo’s interest, even if the some of the details were purposefully altered due to their age.
,”…And that’s how Fluttershy here was able ta save me from that fire, ah’ve never seen anypony be as brave as she was then,” Applejack said proudly, finishing the story with a loving glance towards the Pegasus.
Sweetie and Applebloom were left in awe, left saying ‘Whoaaaaaaa!” In unison, while Scootaloo just looked critically at them.
“Fluttershy? REALLY? That can’t be true! Only Rainbow Dash could think of doing something that cool!” She stomped her little hooves on the ground for emphasis.
Applejack sighed, “No, Scootaloo, it was Fluttershy here, nopony else,”
“That’s right, I um, did all of that,” The Pegasus added, feeling a slight sense of pride that she wasn’t used too.
“B-but, that just can’t be, Fluttershy did something COOL?”
Applejack sighed, “Oh look, it’s getting dark outside! Ya young’uns should make it back home before ya parents or sister or whoever gets mad at ya!”
The three collectively sighed, knowing the older pony was right.
“I guess I’ll see you two later, um uh…yeah, later,”
They each exchanged good-byes, taking extra-long even thought they knew they’d just see each other the next day. It wasn't surprising to the older mares though, friendship at such a young age is something really special, so they didn't rush them
Soon, it was just the three ponies left in Applejack and Fluttershy’s cottage. The earth pony had just finished telling the same story for second time that day, was pretty tired. With a loud yawn, Sweetie Belle let the two know she was very tired and ready to sleep
“I’m very tired, and ready to sleep,” She said out-loud, as if her yawn didn’t give it away.
“Well, um ok, follow me Sweetie Belle,” The shy pegasus responded followed by a quiet yawn of her own.
Fluttershy led the little filly upstairs into the lone bed she had slept in before. Blowing out a candle, closing the curtains on the near-by window, she starting singing her gentle lullaby, finally succeeding in making the tuckered out little unicorn fall asleep. Fluttershy felt thankful she didn’t want to sing it herself again.
“’Shy ya have such a beautiful singin’ voice ah reckon!” Applejack remarked as the Pegasus softly trotted down the steps.
Fluttershy lowered her head in embarrassment, “Y-You heard me singing?”
Applejack finished chewing on an apple she had gotten, then continued, “Yeah! Ah didn’t know ya could sing so well,”
“It was just a lullaby…” She said as she swiftly flew back on to their couch, making room for the earth pony to join her.
“Doesn’t mean ya ain’t got a good singin’ voice!” Applejack stated, hopping up onto the couch, enjoying the warmth she immediately got from being curled up with the Pegasus.
“Well-I”
“Hey, what was that thing that was makin’ ya sad earlier today?” Applejack interrupted unintentionally.
The sudden question caused the Pegasus to squeal, then feel embarrassed preventing her from speaking. Like usual, Applejack giggled, then loosened her up with a loving nudge in the nape if her neck, which she knew drove Fluttershy absolutely wild.
Despite herself, Fluttershy smiled, “Well, I was um…thinking…”
“’Bout what darlin?”
The shy Pegasus sighed for confidence, “I um…ever since we’ve been together, and the more and more I loved you, I um…I always had something I thought about every once in a while and it worries me,”
The orange pony nodded, ready for whatever she may have to say.
“I always think about my future with you, because, um… that’s the only future I want, “ Applejack smiled adoringly, but let Fluttershy continue, “But…I always imagine us having foals of our own and the fact we can’t make our own makes me….I don’t-” Her voice trailed into a squeak at the admittance of her worries to the orange pony. Applejack, even though what Fluttershy had said made her feel sad too, comforted the Pegasus.
“A-Ah know, Sugarcube, I think ‘bout that too sometimes. But ah still wouldn’t change anything, and ah don’t think ya should worry ‘bout it, we’ll find a way, ah’m sure of it,”
“Sometimes when I see how much you want a filly of your own, I think that maybe…um, that you wish you would have picked a stallion instead of me…”
“What? Fluttershy, ah don’t even know how to react to that,”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Applejack shook her head, “Why would ya even think that Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy sighed, “I don’t know! It’s just um, I don’t…you want a filly of your own so bad, and we can’t and I-….I don’t know…”
“First off, it’s not a filly of ma’ own, it’s a filly of our own…and ah’d never wish ah chose somepony other you, stallion or mare…ah-ah, never even thought of it. Ah don’t want you to ever think that, I love you, Fluttershy. Nopony else, ever,”
Fluttershy smiled lightly, “Sometimes I just get carried away in my thoughts, I guess…”
“Ah-ah do want a foal of our own someday, though…and ah’ve definitely thought about it a mighty lot over the past few months, but ah never would want somepony other than you, and that’s a promise, Fluttershy,”
Fluttershy turned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Thank you, Applejack…”
“Anytime, darlin, don’t let these bother you anymore darlin’…juss talk to me ‘bout them,”
The earth pony comforting her made Fluttershy feel much better. Applejack was the only pony she knew that always knew what to say whenever she felt sad, whenever she needed encouragement, or just any daily conversation in general.
“I will…um…can I ask you another question?” Fluttershy said sheepishly, causing the earth pony to giggle.
“Ya juss did,” Applejack responded, causing both to laugh quietly, conscious of the sleeping filly upstairs.
“When we have our own foal…do you have any names?”
Applejack thought for a moment, this being something she never really contemplated since she’s been with Fluttershy, “Honestly, ah can’t really say ah have, ah always assumed it’d juss be apple something, or something apple or something apple related…Is that ok if we do…?”
Fluttershy smiled, still facing her, her hooves wrapped around the earth pony. She was about to fall of their couch, but she liked this position so much she ignored it.
“Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way,”
“Have you thought of any names?”
“I um, I always liked maybe the name of a flower? Like rose, coriander, carnation, lily…flowers are so sweet and pretty, I think that they can make a perfect name for a filly,”
Applejack put her hoof to her chin as she considered the names she said, “Applelily, Applerose, Applecoriander, Applecarnation?”
The two giggled once more when she said ‘apple carnation’, a name they obviously wouldn’t choose.
“I like Applelily…it sounds…nice,” The shy Pegasus said in her usual soft voice, with a content smile.
Applejack returned the smile, the name emanating with her. They both felt it, the warmth in their hearts when they realized that when the day came, Applelily would be the name of their filly.
“Applelily…ah could see it now,” Applejack said wistfully, both mares finally nodding off to sleep.