//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - Love and War (Part 1) // Story: Pinkie The Match-Maker // by Ficta_Scriptor //------------------------------// Chapter 13 – Love and War - Part 1 Fluttershy listened intently, Applejack’s silence somehow drowning out the distant chortles and chatters of Apple family members. A subtle tremble in the country mare’s eye almost made Fluttershy wish she’d not even mentioned Pinkie, but she made no effort to disperse the heavy atmosphere with a wave of a hoof and a dismissive tone of voice. In the end, considering all that had happened, she wanted some answers, even if they weren’t to her liking. As several seconds passed, Applejack finally spoke. “Alright, Ah admit it might not seem fair on her, but Ah have mah reasons.” Applejack smiled nervously. “First off, Ah’m still none too happy about her hittin’ mah brother. Sure, he’s shrugged it off okay, but still, it ain’t right.” “Well I can understand that,” Fluttershy replied. “So why don’t you talk to her about it?” “Not happenin’ anytime soon,” Applejack said, looking awkwardly to the ground. “After everythin’ that’s gone on it ain’t seemed like a good idea. Truth be told Ah didn’t find out until a little while after it happened. Mac can be a real stubborn mule when he wants to. Ah was actually plannin’ on bringin’ it up sooner, but every time Ah saw Pinkie she was with you, an’ you two seemed pretty happy. An’ since it seemed like this whole… thing as it were was put behind y’all it didn’t seem right to bring it all up again. Even if Ah am holdin’ it against her for now. Ah can see clear as day you an’ Pinkie have grown closer, an’ that’s a good thing for the pair o’ ya. Doesn’t seem fair to cut in by bringin’ up bad memories, Ah guess.” “So you figured it best to leave things alone?” “Well there’s that, an’ Ah’m still havin’ a hard time tryin’ to imagine Pinkie doin’ such a thing in the first place. Since Mac ain’t said too much Ah’m wonderin’ if there’s more to it than Ah’ve been told.” Applejack paused for a moment, regarding Fluttershy with a light blush. “Sorry. Guess you’d rather not talk about that, huh?” Fluttershy hesitated for a second before nodding curtly. She hadn’t attended the gathering to talk about Mac, after all. Though Applejack did raise a good point about Pinkie; it really wasn’t like her to be violent. With emotions running high Fluttershy hadn’t stopped to think about such things. But still, now wasn’t the time either. “So, is that all?” “Well Ah guess there’s another reason. If ya don’t mind me sayin’, Pinkie can be a little… well, overwhelmin’ at times. Much as Ah’m sure she’d get on fine with the family, havin’ her here might waste an opportunity Ah have with you.” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked curiously. “Ah dunno whether Ah’ve just been worried that somethin’ might have changed between us ‘cause of everythin’, so Ah kinda wanna make it up to ya. An’ Ah also thought it’d serve as a reminder that we don’t need to keep distance from each other for whatever reason.” Applejack placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, a small grin on her face. “An’ maybe Ah just wanna hang out an’ have a good time with one of mah closest friends. An’ this seems as good a chance as any!” Fluttershy smiled. “And I’m happy to be here.” “Glad to hear it. Now Ah know what you’re thinkin’, an’ believe me, Ah do plan to make amends with Pinkie when the time is right. You just tell her Ah’m plannin’ a nice surprise for her an’ Ah’m sure she’ll be thrilled. Now Ah’ve honestly not even thought what that surprise is gonna be just yet, but Ah’ll think of somethin’. Probably somethin’ to do with pie. Clue’s in the name, right?” “Or cider,” Fluttershy suggested. “She’s quite the fan of your family’s brew. Not quite as big a fan as Rainbow Dash I guess, but I know she’d really appreciate some.” “Cider… right…” Applejack’s face grew pensive. She tapped a hoof against her jaw, glancing momentarily to the farmhouse. “Oh, right!” she exclaimed, seemingly startled out of her train of thought. “Ah’ll certainly keep that in mind.” “I think she knows you’re both still friends, though she was a little upset she wasn’t invited today. But I’m sure she’ll understand.” “Ah do feel bad if Ah’ve caused any trouble but Ah just wanted you to have fun today. Ah’m not expectin’ you to stay glued to this pen the whole time. Though they all seem to have warmed up to ya nicely.” Applejack watched as the two piglets trotted towards Fluttershy playfully. Her eyes then moved to Matilda who was still munching a mouthful of hay, glaring irately. “Well… almost all of ‘em. But these critters can mostly keep to themselves, an’ most of mah folks are pretty well versed anyway.” Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “So… you never really needed me to take care of the animals?” “Yes an’ no,” Applejack replied, looking slightly embarrassed. “Ah’m sure we’d have managed without you, but Ah thought you might appreciate somethin’ to do if you got tired of everythin’ else we got here. Mah family can be a little rowdy at times and Ah’d hate to think you were bein’ forced to join in on stuff you didn’t want to.” “I see,” Fluttershy said, going over everything she’d been told. Nothing seemed too out of place with Applejack’s story. Of course not! Fluttershy thought, mentally scolding herself. This is Applejack we’re talking about. “Sorry about all the questions. I guess after everything that’s happened part of me was still paranoid that something was…” She trailed off, unsure what to even say to her friend. Anything she could think of just seemed disrespectful. “Ah understand,” Applejack said with a nod, leaving Fluttershy to sigh with relief. “Especially with Applebloom askin’ you an’ all, Ah bet you thought she was tryin’ to hook you up with some love potion.” Fluttershy couldn’t help but let out a hearty chuckle. “That’s so close to the truth it’s scary.” “Well Ah’d like to think Ah know mah friends well,” Applejack quipped, winking cheekily. “Now Ah have a few things to do. Takin’ charge of the proceedin’s gives me some big horseshoes to fill but Ah’ll be back here real soon. Then we can let our manes down an’ have a good time.” Applejack passed through the gateway, swinging the gate back into place as she trod off. “Oh, um… Applejack?” Fluttershy said timidly. Applejack quickly turned back around, a warm smile on her face. “Yup?” Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something but quickly clamped it shut. Questions teetered on the tip of her tongue and even more hung at the back of her mind. She wanted to know about Mac. In spite of everything that she and Pinkie had gained in putting past experiences aside, those pesky feelings remained. Mac should be with his family at the reunion. That made sense, and yet he was nowhere to be found. The only reason he’s not around is because I’m here, and I’m only here because Applejack wanted to spend some time with me. Why would he give up a chance to be with his own family? And why didn’t Applejack just organise a different meet-up? There was no need for Mac to miss out if I didn’t need to be here in the first place. So what if he’s waiting in the wings, ready to make a move on me? What if he’s changed his mind? What if he wants to be with me? I could never betray Pinkie’s trust, unless maybe I’d had too much to drink… But what if he’s tricked me into coming here so he can sneak off with Pinkie instead? Is that it? “Um, sugarcube?” Applejack said concernedly, waving her hoof to get Fluttershy’s attention. “You still with us?” Fluttershy quickly snapped back to reality, her face growing warm as she realised how strange she must’ve looked. “Oh, sorry.” “Was… there somethin’ you needed?” Applejack asked, stepping towards Fluttershy warily. In the end, Fluttershy decided to let her anxieties slide. There was no point being paranoid about every little detail, and thinking about Mac was always going to end in disaster. It just didn’t help that she was on his turf, not far from the spot where she’d first tried to ask him out on a date. If only I’d gotten my answer there and then things would have been so much simpler. Regrets aside, Fluttershy couldn’t see any reason to interrogate Applejack for information. Firstly, it would only prove to her friend that she was obsessed with Mac, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone. Secondly, the idea that Applejack was part of some conspiracy to secure Mac some time with the mare of his choice was ridiculous. Her brother was important to her, but not so important that she’d concoct a devious scheme to screw with her friends just to make him happy. “Sorry,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. “I forgot what I was going to say. It must not have been important.” “Well if your memory returns, just gimme a holler.” “I will.” “Bye!” Fluttershy waved off her friend and turned back to the five animals in the pen. The two lambs peered up at her curiously. “Well aren’t you the most adorable little things?” she cooed, gently stroking their chins. She knew now to just focus on having a good time. Applejack was in control here, and as such, she had nothing to worry about. Applejack strode off towards the marquee, her heart thumping hard inside her chest. Mac’s plan would be put into motion shortly and she was at the helm. If all went smoothly then it’d be smiles for everyone. But if it all went wrong… Applejack sighed deeply, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Either Fluttershy was acting nervously simply because being here reminded her of Mac, or she was half-expecting some kind of wild set-up. As much as Applejack wanted to believe the former, the latter seemed all too possible. She hadn’t lied to her. Spending some quality time with Fluttershy was indeed what she wanted at this reunion. But she’d also refrained from giving out a few details. Simply knowing that a love triangle had sprouted between her brother and two of her best friends was awkward enough, but the fact that it had led to this moment was something else. If there was no such situation then Mac’s plan wouldn’t have felt out of place. Whether it failed or succeeded wouldn’t have mattered. But there were feelings on the line, and as much as Applejack hated to admit it, the thing she feared most wasn’t if it failed. It was whether her friends found out that she was responsible for it. Don’t go worryin’ yourself. Mac won’t be here to force anythin’ that ain’t gonna happen. An’ if the plan works out then everypony ‘ll be happy an’ this whole thing can just end. But that’s easier said than done. An’ what if it starts a whole new load of problems? But maybe Ah really am just overthinkin’ it all. Ah just hope… Applejack looked up to the farmhouse, her mind running back to her discovery in the cellar less than an hour previously. Darn it, Mac. What haven’t you told me? But Applejack was neither in the mood or the right situation to go interrogating her brother, instead left to simply hope that whatever else he’d been up to wouldn’t put everyone in jeopardy. “My, my, you’re rather affectionate, aren’t you?” Fluttershy said to one of the lambs as it curled up against her forelegs. The other lamb finished its mouthful of grass and followed suit. Fluttershy took a good look around her, feeling more at peace with the backdrop of chirps and tweets from birds circling the nearby apple trees. Members of the Apple family stayed huddled about twenty or so metres downhill, chatting, bickering and laughing. Despite being perfectly aware of how large Applejack’s family was, Fluttershy still found herself taken aback by the sight of them all. Family. It was a word Fluttershy rarely considered in day to day life. She never had ‘family visiting.’ In a way she supposed that might explain why she sometimes wished for a family of her own, but there was more to it than that. Sitting on the ground with two little lambs nestled against her served to remind her of the motherly instinct lying beneath the surface, and that same instinct could have spurred on her love for animals right from the start. Don’t go getting yourself depressed, Fluttershy said inwardly. It wouldn’t be fair on Applejack if you’re down in the dumps. A few minutes passed and a trio of fillies stopped by the petting zoo, all eager to play with the animals. They were all reasonably polite, addressing Fluttershy as ‘Miss’ and asking for help before petting. Matilda seemed more than happy to spend time with the youngsters, not even flinching at being called a ‘he’ by them, much to Fluttershy’s annoyance. From what she could gather after a few minutes of idle chatter, the three of them were sisters. “Miss?” One of the fillies — a lime-green earth pony — piped up with as she retired from fussing over the piglets. “I was just wondering, ‘cause I’ve never seen you before. Did you come here from Manehattan?” “Oh no, I live right here in Ponyville,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m not actually an ‘Apple’, you see.” “So are you like… Aunty Applejack’s animal helper?” “Well for today I guess you could say that, but not usually.” “Oh,” the filly said plainly in response, looking confused. “So why are you at the reunion? Are you, like, Big Mac’s filly-friend?” One of the other fillies immediately perked up. “Oh that’s so sweet! Our family’s gonna get even bigger!” The trio let out a conclusive cheer in unison. Fluttershy could feel her cheeks glowing red but managed to remain calm. “No, that’s not it. I’m just a friend of Applejack’s. She invited me along, you see.” The three foals’ smiles quickly dropped and they looked at each other awkwardly. The green filly was the first to speak. “So you’re just a friend?” “Ye… Yes,” Fluttershy replied timidly, shaken up by the fillies’ sudden change in demeanour. “So why do you get an invite?” the green filly asked. “I thought this was s’posed to be a family reunion day.” “Well maybe I’m so close to Applejack that I’m almost like a sister,” Fluttershy said hurriedly, finishing with a nervous chuckle. Anything to get the conversation on a different track. “Then why haven’t we seen you before?” The three fillies looked up at her curiously. “I’m sure I’d remember a pegasus, s’pecially one with a pink mane like yours.” You’re too intelligent for your own good, Fluttershy thought to herself, feeling a bead of sweat drip down her forehead. It wasn’t everyday an adult pony could be interrogated into submission by three youngsters. “Well that’s because this is the first reunion I’ve been to.” Fluttershy racked her brains for something to tilt the conversation in her favour. “It’s like when my friend Twilight first came to Ponyville. She said the Apple family let her stay for a while and eat lots of food. So… It’s not really that strange after all! I didn’t have anything to do today and Applejack thought I’d like to look after the animals.” “Then why didn’t my folks let my friend tag along last year?” The tan-coloured filly exclaimed. Fluttershy sighed, trying to think of a suitable response before the third filly — who bore a light-brown coat and auburn mane — spoke up. “You mean Speed Stacks?” she said with a mischievous grin. “You only wanted him to come because you love him.” “Do not!” “Do too!” the brown filly chirped. She held her fore-hooves across her chest in a mock hug. “Oh Speed Stacks, show me again! The way you stack those cups and slam them down is so cool.” She opened one eye to see the other filly grinding her teeth and blushing profusely. “Oh you’re so handsome and brave. Come to my family reunion, Speed Stacks. Won’t you puh-lease be part of the family?” “That’s it!” In an instant, the tan-coated filly leapt at her sister, just narrowly missing and planting her chin on the grass. She then gave chase, letting out a high-pitched growl as her other sister sat laughing. The piglets seemed to think that there was a new game in play and also started running in circles around the pen. Despite Fluttershy spending a few moments being thankful for a reprieve from the inquisitive youngsters’ questions, she quickly came to her senses and sprang into action. “Girls, please!” she said firmly. “You shouldn’t be running around like that in a petting zoo. What if you injured one of these defenceless little animals?” The two speeding fillies slowed down and offered an apologetic “Sorry, Miss,” in unison. “That’s better.” Instead of stopping completely as Fluttershy assumed, the two siblings shared a determined look between each other and leapt over the fence as the chase continued, the cries of “Toffee loves Speed Stacks!” and “Do not!” fading into the distance. “Everythin’ alright up here?” said a familiar voice. “My little nieces not causin’ ya too much trouble, Ah hope.” “Oh no, they’re no trouble at all. I just told them no running in the pen—” “So they up an’ started runnin’ outside the pen.” Applejack chuckled. “Sounds like typical Apples to me.” She looked down at the remaining pony stroking one of the lambs. “You’d best go look after your sisters. Fluttershy an’ Ah got some things to do.” “Oh, okay. Goodbye Miss Fluttershy!” The filly said, waving her hoof. “Goodbye, erm… Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” “It’s Bramley. Nice to meet you!” With that, the little pony tore off down the hill. “They’re some energetic little tykes,” Applejack commented. “Did you say they were your nieces?” Fluttershy asked. “Am I… missing something?” “Well Ah did say that, but they’re more like… what’s the word? First cousin once removed? They’re mah cousin Gala’s kids. Anyhow, they know me as Aunty Applejack so kinda seemed natural to call ‘em ‘niece.’ These things happen with big families like our own, plus where’s the love in sayin’ ‘once removed.’ Sounds kinda nasty.” Applejack propped the gate open. “Anyway, you comin’? Thought you could finally mingle now the proceedin’s are movin’ along.” Fluttershy nodded, slinging her satchel over her shoulder. “You look after your friends, Matilda,” she called out. The transgender goat appeared to be pondering things over as she headed towards the sea of ponies and wooden carts. “Don’t worry, she takes a little time warmin’ up to us all,” Applejack said with a wink as soon as they’d passed out of Matilda’s hearing range. “Yes, I noticed.” Fluttershy took a moment to look out over the scattered Apple family. She could hear a faint melodious tune and the rhythmic stomping of hooves emanating from the barn. “If you wanna sling that by the old oak, you can,” Applejack offered, motioning to Fluttershy’s satchel. “Can’t have that gettin’ in the way when you’re dancin’.” “Oh, thank you. In hindsight I didn’t need it after all, but I thought I should be prepared for anything.” Fluttershy removed the satchel and placed it by the tree Applejack had pointed out. “Wait, did you say dancing?” “Sure did. Mah folks go crazy for the ol’ hoe down.” Applejack spied Fluttershy looking worried. “Come on, sugarcube. Don’t gimme that look. It’s all a bit of fun! An’ help yourself to as much cider as you like, so long as you’re safe to walk home at the end of it.” Fluttershy looked over at the enormous tapped cider barrel, a group of teenage colts eyeing it from just a few yards away, one with a tankard held in a trembling hoof as the others goaded him towards it. “I’m not really much of a drinker,” she finally said. “Well the option’s always there,” Applejack replied cheerfully. “This batch is prob’ly the best Granny has ever managed. Ah should know.” Fluttershy nodded curtly. The pair continued wandering towards a crowd stood by a marquee stall, an elderly mare and stallion (presumably husband and wife) giving a speech about their patented apple treats, a smattering of bite-sized cube-shaped cakes led out on different platters on the table in front of them. More and more Apple family members had begun to gather around, though Fluttershy kept a tentative distance. The paranoid feeling of being an outsider still lingered at the back of her mind, not helped, in part, by the verbal battering from Bramley and her sisters. But she couldn’t deny the feeling of warmth in mingling with such a tight-knit family who would usually be lands apart. “That’s mah Great Uncle Crumble an’ Great Aunt Chutney,” Applejack said, pointing to the old couple. “Them’s the business-headed ones of the family, inventors of the famous ‘Pie on a bone.’” “Pie on a… bone?” “You never had any? Ah’ll have to ask if they brought some. It’s like a fruit pie, but it’s coiled around a bone-shaped piece o’ ceramic. You cook it over an open fire, turnin’ on a spit, an’ you eat it off the bone once it’s toasted through. It’s a bit strange at first, but worth a try. But Ah can think of one invention they could use even more.” Applejack chuckled. “A pair o’ dentures that snap shut soon as they go to say somethin’ racist. Though they get away with it at their age!” Fluttershy smiled meekly, suddenly all too paranoid about having the only set of wings in a sea of earth ponies, with supposed racist grandmas in their midst. It occurred to her that no pegasi or unicorns had been married into the family, at least from what she could tell by the reunion’s turnout. Which is why Big Mac likes Pinkie instead, a voice at the back of her mind said sadly. Earth ponies want to be with their own kind. Shaking her head at that thought, Fluttershy tried changing the conversation. “It must take some of your family so long to come all the way to Ponyville. I think it’s wonderful that they’d make the effort.” “We ain’t too widely scattered,” Applejack replied. “There’s a few who swear to travellin’ by cart even if they got a train station nearby. That old Apple family stubbornness at work. Though not everypony can make it every time, but this is maybe the best turnout in a good long while.” And because of me Big Mac can’t be here to enjoy it, Fluttershy mused. “Is every reunion held in Ponyville?” “Mostly. Ah guess we’ve got the room for this kinda stuff. Ah think the trend kinda bloomed after mah folks passed away. Perhaps this is their way of payin’ their respects.” Fluttershy looked awkwardly to the floor. “Oh… I, um… I didn’t mean to—” “Oh, pay that no mind,” Applejack said with a playful nudge. “An’ loosen up a little! Ah thought the plan was to have fun today, right?” “Right… So where do we start?” Applejack tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Ah may have somethin’ in mind.” After rounding up a few family members for assistance, Applejack co-ordinated the clearing of an area just outside the barn and the construction of a sizable bonfire using logs and kindling from a shed outside the farmhouse. Once that was done, swathes of Apple family members — young and old alike — huddled around the fire as wooden skewers were passed around by a few of the stallions, followed by several bowls of marshmallows which were then dipped into the flames. Fluttershy couldn’t help but marvel at the efficiency and synchronisation of those around her as they wordlessly split into groups and completed the circle within the space of a few minutes. There were a few moments where she felt like a bystander watching an orchestrated display, only to quickly realise that she was in the middle of it, so to speak. Applejack had secured her a place close to the fire, which had quickly grown into an intimidating inferno, the tips of its flames reaching nearly twelve feet into the air. Amidst the ensuing banter, relaxing warmth, contagious smiles from those around her and the hypnotic tumbling of branches as they turned into ash, Fluttershy began to feel a sense of wondrous belonging. As she reached forward to toast the trio of marshmallows that Applejack had given her, she thought of how much Pinkie would have loved to have been there with her, and indeed, how much she would’ve liked Pinkie’s company. That wasn’t to say that Applejack was being a poor host — far from it. She spent a fair amount of time conversing with relatives, mostly with a “long time no see” or “haven’t you grown somethin’ fierce?” and appeared to have her mind on making sure the proceedings occurred smoothly, but still gave Fluttershy some attention, regaling her with tid-bits about family members and their occasionally odd habits. But still, it wasn’t quite the same. There were no lingering doubts or moments of awkwardness with Pinkie, even if there might have been before (all this). Fluttershy could best describe it as being like a puppy and a fawn playing games — one excitable and one gentle — compensating for each other in a way that both could appreciate, in a way that they both could feel responsible for one another. She let out a silent sigh. I hope Pinkie’s okay. As the fire died down and ponies grew tired of roasted marshmallows, a middle-aged stallion wearing a straw hat stepped up with a banjo tied around his nape and began strumming a gentle melody. By this point most eyes had fallen on him, and so he took his cue. “Now does anypony here know the story of the one and only Archer Flynn?” He pointed his banjo to a group of colts. “Who?” one of them asked. “Archer Flynn!” the stallion repeated, playing the tune again, this time with added tempo. He began traipsing a slow circle around the bonfire. “I do say everypony should know the story of Archer Flynn. What do ya say I share it with y’all?” A collection of hoots and whistles gave him his answer. “Well okay, I guess I got no choice.” What came next was the story of a brave pony who travelled across Equestria, fighting off goblins and climbing mountains in the search for his long lost brother. Most scenes were punctuated by appropriately timed banjo strums including a cleverly played country ‘waltz.’ Despite obviously being targeted towards a younger audience Fluttershy couldn’t help but be drawn in by the stallion’s charismatic telling, which, alongside the crackling fire and hushed whispers, created a pleasantly tranquil atmosphere. “Hey, Fluttershy,” Applejack said quietly, tapping the mare’s shoulder. “Just on mah way up to grab a drink. Now Ah do insist you have some. Ain’t takin’ no for an answer,” she said with a friendly wink. “Alright,” Fluttershy said with a nod, too relaxed to even consider refusing the offer. And as she thought about it, she supposed a small tipple might actually go down well for the situation. “Then Ah’ll be back in a jiffy.” Applejack plodded along, heart racing as the weight of her actions dawned on her. At any other time, on any other day, what she was doing would be perfectly normal. Indeed, they arguably were normal, even now. But paranoia was a fiendish agent. With every tiny step of misdirection, Applejack feared the worst. She had always been good at perceiving a pony’s emotions and making judgements based on their reactions, especially when it came to honesty. But the way Fluttershy was acting left her with a jumble of possibilities. Mac’s plan had always been a gamble, but Applejack at least wished she could determine how the dice would roll. Sadly, the instincts she’d learned to trust weren’t giving any answers. The temptation was there to call everything off, even if it meant incurring Mac’s wrath and being forced to admit to everything that had happened thus far. But the plan could very well succeed, and so stopping it would be an enormous mistake. Nothing could happen, or everything could happen. Applejack’s mind jolted back to earlier that day and her discovery that one of the cider kegs had gone missing. Wherever it was, it had to have been removed within the last few days, and Mac was almost certainly behind its disappearance. Whatever his plans, he’d kept it to himself. And that was a worry. After everything he’d laid out and explained clearly, keeping one thing a secret wasn’t exactly a confidence booster. Not to mention the amount of hard work that went into making that amount of cider, but there were other, more disastrous possibilities to consider, none of which Applejack could care to think about. He hadn’t told her for a reason; that was for sure. Applejack sighed and slung the two tankards underneath the cider tap. You worry too darn much, like always. She could hear the hoofsteps of an approaching stallion and already knew what was coming next. Finishing off both freshly poured drinks, Applejack turned towards him. “Hey, how’re you doin’?” she asked. “Just swell. So far this reunion is lookin’ to outclass our last one. As for Fluttershy, I’m a little nervous I guess, but confident all the same.” Applejack nodded. “Listen, Braeburn. Go easy on her. Ah don’t want Fluttershy gettin’ intimidated or anythin’. She’s a little fragile.” Applejack paused. “An’ she’s mah friend.” “Right, understood.” Braeburn gave a light chuckle. “I can’t say this is helpin’ the nerves at all.” “Well Ah’m only sayin’ what Ah think needs to be said.” “Alright, alright. Calm your little hooves, cousin. You’re not thinkin’ I’m some kind of womaniser, are you?” “That’s not what Ah mean.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’m just… worried. She’s been through a lot with Mac rejectin’ her an’ all.” Braeburn frowned. “I’m not sure I get why that’s such a problem. It’s not like the same thing is gonna happen again.” “It’s complicated,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” Braeburn looked over his shoulder at the circle of ponies around the bonfire. “Speakin’ of which, is Mac gonna make an appearance? I know Fluttershy wouldn’t wanna see him, but it just seems strange to have a family reunion without vistin’ the family.” “Mac is doin’ his own thing right now. Ah just pray he ain’t up to anythin’ Ah ain’t aware of.” Applejack gave Braeburn a discerning look. “An’ another thing. You ain’t to tell Fluttershy about any of Mac’s or mah involvement in all o’ this. Matter o’ fact, even talkin’ to me alone like this is enough to rouse suspicion.” Applejack grasped the two tankards in one hoof and began the slow trek back towards Fluttershy. “If she finds out what’s been goin’ on there’ll be heck to pay.” Fluttershy thanked Applejack as she took the tankard from her hoof, taking a small sip. The cider was pleasantly sweet, but not as sharp or tangy as she’d come to expect. Applejack began waffling on about the intricacies of cider making and how their family produced the best in the business, to which Fluttershy remained attentive, but not wholly interested. Still, she could at least appreciate the hard work and effort that went into it, and could understand why Applejack had insisted on sharing it with her. As the fire fizzled out and the old stallion’s tale came to a fitting end — complete with an impressive banjo solo and catchy song about Archer Flynn’s life after settling in Appleoosa — ponies began to fan out into their own groups, leaving Applejack to beckon Fluttershy to a round of apple-bobbing. She was fairly apprehensive at first — her mane being considerably long and thus prone to getting drenched — but the surrounding populous appeared carefree enough that being mindful of one’s appearance didn’t matter all that much. Fluttershy soon got to chatting with a chirpy young mare named Apple Fritter (whom she assumed was Applejack’s cousin, but it was difficult to tell) about animals after the mare inquired about her cutie-mark. The mare then talked at length about her plans to open up a bakery all on her own, to which Fluttershy got to talking about Sugarcube Corner and the success that the Cakes (I wonder what Pinkie is up to) had seen over the years, and wishing her luck in her endeavours. There was the slight nagging feeling that Apple Fritter thought she was ‘with’ Applejack in the romantic sense, but Fluttershy decided not to press the issue. Going out of her way to deny such a thing would only seem more suspicious. Just as she’d finished her first tankard of cider Applejack was already tapping her shoulder, a replacement in hoof. Already in a good mood, Fluttershy politely obliged. She was wary of how strong it could be, but couldn’t deny the great taste beckoning her to have just one more sip. And with the sun shining down on them, it felt right to do so. “Listen, Ah’ll be back soon,” Applejack said out of the blue. “Just got a few things Ah need to check up on here an’ there. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you like.” “Oh that’s fine,” Fluttershy replied. “Maybe I should go check on the animals again.” “No, now don’t you worry about them,” Applejack said, looking flustered all of a sudden. “You should stay here an’ enjoy yourself! Those critters ‘ll be fine, an’ Ah won’t be long.” “Okay…” Fluttershy said uneasily, watching as Applejack trotted off to speak with a younger stallion, supposedly setting up his wagon for an upcoming activity. The pegasus took a glance up the hill towards the petting zoo out of curiosity. Nothing seemed out of place; in fact there was nopony there at all, just the piglets, lambs and goat from before. But something about the way Applejack had told her not to go back concerned her. You’re just being paranoid again, Fluttershy reminded herself. You always do this! Applejack already said she just wanted an excuse to spend some time with you and have fun. With this in mind, Fluttershy took a good look around her at the surrounding attractions. Granny Smith and a few other elderly ponies were huddled around a massive patchwork quilt, hard at work sewing new patterns. That had little appeal. Another group were busy making what looked like cinnamon rolls. While Fluttershy had garnered a slight fondness for cooking after Pinkie donated her precious recipe book, what she saw here looked more like hard work than fun. And so her eyes wandered to a row of four blue and white stripy marquees housing a selection of different carnival games. The majority that gathered around were foals and teenagers, aside from a mother helping her young daughter throw a series of coloured hoops as the ponies running each stall whooped in encouragement. Foalish, yes, but Fluttershy found herself strangely drawn to it, memories of a night long ago spent at the fair with her father flashing by. And with nothing better to do besides standing around and looking out of place, it was more than inviting. She walked up to the tent furthest on the right as a slender yellow filly — somewhere between ten and thirteen years old — hurled a small rubber ball over the counter, narrowly missing three coconuts balanced on wooden rods. The pony running the stall — a young stallion wearing a grey cap — let out a whistle as the ball struck the sheet of chipboard placed against the back of the tent. He picked it up and began nonchalantly tossing it in one hoof. “You were real close that time, Parma,” he said with a grin. “You’ve got the power, just not the precision. How about one more try?” Parma huffed indignantly, stomping her hoof in frustration. “No, I ain’t gonna fail all over again.” “Now don’t be like that,” the stallion said, placing the ball back on the counter next to two others. “Who says you’ll fail this time?” Parma shot him an annoyed look before snatching one of the balls and hurling it will all her might. It struck one of the poles, but the coconut on top barely wobbled. Her next throw sailed over the coconuts while the third veered off course completely, sending the stallion ducking for cover as it just barely missed his nose. The filly let out a brief sigh. “See? I’m useless.” Fluttershy stepped towards her tentatively. “Oh, don’t be so disappointed in yourself.” She went to place a hoof on Parma’s shoulder but withdrew as the filly turned to her with a face like thunder. “W-what I mean is… You can’t base your worth just on how well you can throw a ball. I’m pretty sure most ponies your age would have the same trouble.” “But my sister Violet did it!” Parma fumed. “An’ she won one of those teddy bears!” “You can have one if you really want,” the stallion offered, gesturing to a makeshift shelf with all manner of toys lined up. “So long as you don’t tell everypony.” Parma shook her head. “No! That’s just cheating!” The stallion rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s me out of suggestions.” “What if I won one for you?” Fluttershy asked. “But that’d be the same as cheating,” Parma said matter-of-factly. “Well I don’t think it is. For me to give you my prize, well… That would be a gift from one friend to another.” Parma scrunched up her face in confusion. “Really?” “Well of course. I can see you really want one of those toys, just like your sister, so I’ll do my best so you can get one. And I for one would be really upset if a friend of mine refused to accept my gift.” Another befuddled expression. “Seriously?” “Absolutely.” Fluttershy picked up one of the rubber balls, staring down her prey with newfound determination. Despite the filly’s cold stubbornness, Fluttershy couldn’t bear to see her in any worse a state, and from the looks of it Parma was already holding back tears. Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy hurled the ball over the counter, striking one of the coconuts with perfect accuracy. It didn’t fall. The stallion smirked. “Miss, you might wanna try throwing a little harder than that.” Unfazed, Fluttershy threw another, only to meet the same result. Her third and final attempt flew past all three targets and fell unceremoniously to the ground. With a sigh, she turned back to the little filly she’d tried to help, her cheeks glowing with embarrassment. Sure enough, Parma had a hoof held to her mouth, surely on the verge of storming off in disappointment. “I’m… I’m so sorry. I can keep trying until—” Then something happened that Fluttershy hadn’t expected. Parma began to smile. The smile quickly morphed into a wide grin. And then she started giggling, a hoof held to her chest. “That… That was…” She let out a mighty chortle before continuing. “After that whole speech thing… And I thought I was bad at that game.” The filly’s laughter was soon joined by that of the stallion, leaving Fluttershy somewhere between puzzlement and humiliation. But Parma was smiling, at least, which in turn got Fluttershy smiling too. “You see? It’s just like I said. Not everypony can be good at everything, right?” “In that case, Miss…” The stallion reached up to the shelf and grabbed a stuffed rabbit. “You can have one of these on the house so long as you don’t tell anypony. Some might say it’s cheating, but I’ll keep schtum if you do.” Fluttershy gave her thanks and passed the toy over to Parma. “This is for you. I hope you take real good care of her.” “I will!” Parma chimed. “Thank you, Miss…” “Fluttershy.” “Right! Thank you, Miss Fluttershy!” With a wave of her hoof, Parma cheerfully bounded off into the crowd. “Well that was mighty sweet of ya.” “Well I was just doing my—” Fluttershy turned her head, quickly recognising the face of an approaching stallion wearing a wide-rimmed Stetson. “Braeburn? Oh, it’s been such a long time.” “Sure has,” Braeburn replied, nodding. “About a year an’ a half by my count.” “Well it’s a pleasure to see you again. How are things going with the buffalo tribe?” “Just swell. At least… for the most part. There ain’t no more disputes over land an’ such, though the chief was none too happy at rumours of somepony gettin’ frisky with his daughter.” Braeburn rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. “Suffice to say, somepony in our little town is keepin’ tabs on the shadows day an’ night, scared he’ll be trampled by a stampede.” Fluttershy simply smiled back as Braeburn chuckled some more, a little unsure why she’d been told such a fact. The idea of somepony living in fear wasn’t something she found funny on any level, especially since she could easily relate to such crippling paranoia. If this was Braeburn’s attempt at a light-hearted ice-breaker, it had failed miserably. And apparently, he quickly realised this himself. “Er… Sorry about that,” Braeburn said, looking a little flustered. “I guess it’s… You kinda had to be there. All in all, well, life back in Appleoosa is just fine. Business is growin’, Ma an’ Pa are doin’ just fine, my little sister’s just moved out an’ got her own place, an’ me? Well I’ve been doin’ same old, same old. How’re things with you?” Somewhere off the coast of soul-crushing and on the borderline of contentedness. But today is better than most; I’ve not come close to bursting into tears and I’m still yet to slip into and episode of agonising depression and self-loathing. So all in all, great. “Oh, I’ve been fine. Doing the same old, same old just like you, I guess. Except maybe for today. This is the first time Applejack has invited me to a family reunion.” “Well then I guess this is a pretty special occasion. It’s not often anypony outside the family is really allowed, but I think we can let this one slide,” Braeburn said with a wink. “You must be a real special friend of AJ if she’s brought you here.” Or maybe she just pities me so much she wants to make amends in any way possible. Which is fine, really. At least she cares. “I guess so. It’s interesting to see what goes on at these reunions after hearing about them so much.” Fluttershy paused, taking another look around, wondering for a moment where her farm pony friend had gotten to. “I’d imagine there’s a lot of cleaning up to do at the end.” “So long as the barn don’t collapse again I don’t think it’ll be too much trouble.” Braeburn took a moment to eye the coconut stall behind them. “You a fan of old timey carnival games, I see?” “Well no, not really. I was just curious, is all. It’s been years since I’ve actually seen any like this.” “Well, shoot. I was gonna say we’ve got all kinds of things like this back in Appleoosa. Guess that’s out of the question now.” Braeburn walked over to the counter, tipped his hat to the stallion and threw one of the balls straight at the middle coconut, knocking it from its perch in one swift strike. The other two fell in quick succession. “Now you’re just showin’ off,” the stallion behind the counter said. “Though I’d expect nothing less from you, cousin.” So he’s one of Applejack’s cousins too? Fluttershy thought. Or maybe he’s a second cousin? This family tree gets more complicated by the minute. “You call it showin’ off, I call it winnin’,” Braeburn quipped. “Sure, sure. Call it whatever you want.” The two stallions bickered playfully for a minute or so, light jabs being thrown at one another. Fluttershy had stopped paying them much attention, instead wondering what she should do next. Still no sign of Applejack. The sensation of being out of place was starting to crawl its way back into her subconscious. Whatever Braeburn and his cousin were talking about, there didn’t seem to be any apparent need for her in the conversation. Well it is a family reunion, after all. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? Just as this thought passed through her mind she realised that the stallions’ chatter grew quiet. “Oh, where are my manners?” Braeburn said apologetically. “Sorry for cuttin’ you out for a minute there. You didn’t want my prize, did you?” “Not really. Unless I give it to Applebloom, but I’m not sure if she’d like those kinds of toys. Maybe one of the other fillies or colts would want one, but I wouldn’t know who to choose.” “Oh… Um, right.” Braeburn made a quick gesture with his hoof to the other stallion. “Well how’s about I keep you company for a little while, maybe show you a few things I brought from Appleoosa? You look a little lost, if you don’t mind me sayin’.” “It’s really that obvious?” Fluttershy asked, blushing slightly. “I’m just not accustomed these kinds of meet-ups, especially when I hardly know anypony.” “But you know me, right?” “Right.” Fluttershy mulled things over for a brief moment. To Braeburn’s credit, he had a point. While neither of them had actually spoken to each other on many occasions, she at least knew he was the kind to lend a helping hoof at any given opportunity. And it would be considerably easier to mingle and have fun if she was with somepony she knew and was comfortable being around. Anything would beat being ‘lost’ as he quite rightly put it, and spending time by herself would only serve to summon thoughts about (Mac) things she’d rather not dwell on. “Maybe you could keep me company for just a little while. So long as it’s not too much trouble.” “Trouble? ‘Course not,” Braeburn said, tipping his hat courteously. “Ain’t no pride in leavin’ a lady all by herself.” Fluttershy quickly learned that talking to Braeburn was easy — mainly because he did most of the talking. He was clearly passionate about his hometown and heritage, but still managed to speak of Ponyville with an air of admiration. After passing a few relatives and partaking in some small talk, Braeburn invited Fluttershy to try some of his apple and currant flapjacks. She ate one, secretly wondering if every member of the Apple family had the appetite of a grizzly bear. Wherever she looked there were ponies lining up for servings of various treats, which could have classed as full-blown feasts compared to the lighter meals Fluttershy was used to having. If only her strawberry cheesecake hadn’t been ruined, she was sure that it would’ve been reduced to crumbs by this point. Time pressed on, and eventually the conversation turned to what Fluttershy did for a living. ‘Caring for animals’ pretty much covered it, but Braeburn seemed genuinely intrigued to know more, remarking at how impressive it was to look after such a wide array of creatures. Whether it was flattery for the sake of carrying on the conversation, Fluttershy didn’t mind. It was hard to think negatively in the company of such an overtly cheerful pony, which perhaps explained her close friendship with Pinkie as of late. Despite being thankful for somepony to talk to, Fluttershy had become increasingly wary of Applejack’s disappearance. She had reason to be busy, of course, but having seen neither hide nor hair of her friend was suspect, to say the least. There was always the possibility that she was talking to Mac, and as such, could only do so in the farmhouse. Fluttershy considered that Mac wouldn’t have taken too kindly to the prospect of missing out on a family reunion, so it was entirely plausible that Applejack was busy trying to involve him in whatever small way she could. He’s so close, Fluttershy thought, looking to the upper floor of the Apple family home. And yet he’s totally out of my reach. It’s all for my own benefit, but it doesn’t feel that way. I just wish I could see him, even if I know it’ll hurt. Pretending he doesn’t exist is too hard if I know he’s right there, probably resenting me for muscling in on his family gathering and ruining his chances with Pinkie. I wish I could say I just want to be friends, but that would be too painful. How long until we can all look back on this and laugh? I don’t think it’s funny. I don’t think it’ll ever be funny. I curse myself every time I think about kissing him and wrapping my hooves around his neck. Because it’s impossible, and it makes no sense to still have feelings for him but I can’t— “Um… Fluttershy? Everythin’ okay?” “Huh?” Fluttershy turned her head, Braeburn staring down at her with a worried frown. “Sorry, did you say something?” “We were talkin’ about Canterlot an’ I asked you about the Grand Gallopin’ Gala.” He pawed at the ground nervously, looking somewhat disheartened. “Is this… Am I borin’ you?” “No, no, of course not,” Fluttershy insisted, putting aside the fact that she was barely aware that the subject of Canterlot had even come up. She immediately felt guilty for being ignorant, especially when he was making such an effort to be nice to her. Having one’s acts of kindness snubbed was painful to say the least. Fluttershy took a deep breath, mustering as polite a grin as she could manage. “Sorry Braeburn. I was in a world of my own for a moment there.” Braeburn shrugged. “Happens to the best of us. But, uh, If there’s somethin’ on your mind…” “It nothing, really.” Even as the words came out Fluttershy knew it was a horribly unconvincing lie, but Braeburn thankfully took the hint that it wasn’t something she wanted to disclose. “I was just wondering where Applejack was.” “I’m sure she’s around, probably gettin’ caught up in some heated conversation about the best way to lasso a crow outta mid –air, or perhaps she’s doin’ one of her cross country races to settle a score. Either way, she won’t have gone far.” As if on cue, Fluttershy spotted Applejack stroll out from behind one of the barn doors, bring a hoof to her teeth and let loose a shrill whistle that seemed to echo perpetually throughout Sweet Apple Acres. With seconds, the chattering crowd had been reduced to mere murmurs. As silence took over, Applejack cleared her throat and spoke. “Okay, everypony! Ah do declare that the hoe-down officially starts now! Yee-haw!” Applejack backed onto her hind legs and flailed her front hooves excitedly, which was immediately met with a chorus of cheers from other family members. “Well it’s about time!” Braeburn remarked, springing into an energetic trot. “Come on, Fluttershy! We don’t wanna miss this!” Fluttershy followed, happy to know that Applejack was indeed around, and admittedly curious to see the hoe-down, even if she wasn’t particularly keen on joining in. A light-coated mare with a violin stood up against one of the barn doors and began playing a fast, joyful tune which was quickly followed by the timely stomping of hooves. Around half of the surrounding ponies ventured into the barn while the rest (mostly elderly ponies or young foals and their parents) stood adjacent to the entrance, nodding their heads to the beat. “Fluttershy! Come on!” Braeburn called, eagerly waving a hoof. I wish I could share your enthusiasm, Fluttershy thought as she slowly — but diligently — made her way towards the ecstatic stallion. It was sweet of him to try and get her involved, but dancing had never been her forte, especially not in the company of a crowd of strangers. But she was willing to try new things, and it could be seen as rather impolite to completely abstain from getting involved. Like Applejack had said, she was here to have fun, and standing to one side did hold much interest either. The singular pony with a violin was now accompanied by another mare with a guitar and the stallion who’d told the story of Archer Flynn around the bonfire, playing along on his banjo once more. Tankards clashed, hooves were clapped together, and a select few ponies (who held their forelegs around each other drunkenly and swayed to the music) sang along incoherently. After reaching Braeburn, Fluttershy quickly found herself being whisked into the fray before she could even think of stringing a sentence together, in a way that felt oddly reminiscent of her first visit to Appleoosa. While she wasn’t exactly pushed along as per the previous experience, with Braeburn’s hoof on her shoulder and the barging of other ponies around her, Fluttershy somehow ended up unwillingly rushing headlong into the sea of dancers. A little disoriented, Fluttershy clocked her surroundings. Despite the dense crowd, she could see Applejack standing at the far end of the barn, whooping encouragement to one of the more flamboyant dancers. Applebloom was instead close by, bouncing around next to Babs Seed, both grinning like cheshire cats. Everypony seemed to be in a state of controlled disorder. By themselves, most ponies’ movements were made up of haphazard hoof stomps and head banging, but there was a semblance of synchronisation with the rest of the group. “What’s wrong?” Braeburn half-yelled, the stallion retracing dance steps as he spoke. “Nothing’s wrong,” Fluttershy replied automatically. In truth, the surrounding cacophony was a little overbearing. This would be so much easier if Pinkie was here. “Listen, I know you might be feelin’ a tad self-conscious right now, but ain’t nopony here gonna judge you on your dancin’ skills. The rule here is for everypony to let loose!” Braeburn thrashed his forelegs in the air for added effect. “Uh… okay,” Fluttershy replied, smiling awkwardly. She wasn’t even sure what ‘letting loose’ would even be like. It surely assumed the pony in question would let go of their inhibitions and act as they secretly desired. But Fluttershy never yearned to dance around madly and without abandon or chug cider like it was the nectar of life. (As one stallion was currently doing.) Okay, be honest with yourself, Fluttershy thought as she began shifting on her hooves in a series of dance steps. Dancing isn’t so bad. It’s even pretty fun sometimes. A vision of her brief dance with Big Mac flashed by but she quickly banished it. The music is nice, and none of these other ponies could possibly make fun of you, especially given how out of rowdy they’re being right now. What’s that old saying? Dance like nopony’s watching? It took a little while (as well as a few deep breaths and some self-coaxing) but Fluttershy actually began to enjoy herself. Whether due in part to the two ciders she’d had, she wasn’t sure, but her anxieties were slowly slipping away. She felt great in one sense, because she didn’t feel the need to shy away as she often had in similar situations. But once her subconscious took over the use of her legs and dancing alongside Braeburn and Applebloom became thoughtless, her mind invariably closed in on itself. She contemplated the state of her life, the things that were, the things that could have been, the things she had, and the things she wanted. And despite everything that had happened over the past few weeks, little had changed in that regard. She still yearned for something (someone) more. And that certain something (someone) was always out of reach. But the difference between then and now, from what Fluttershy could understand, was that she knew secluding herself out of pity wasn’t the answer. And once that had been decided, her thoughts returned to the real world. It looked like Applejack was moving systematically throughout the crowd, still greeting the never-ending plethora of family members. As much as Fluttershy would’ve liked to spend more time with her friend, she understood the mare’s responsibilities. All things considered, it must’ve taken a great deal of organisational skills to pull everything off without a hitch, so she couldn’t exactly be blamed for that. And regardless, Braeburn had coincidentally taken over the reins and given Fluttershy some much needed company. It could’ve been the case that Braeburn simply wanted a welcome change to the usual family faces, but even so, Fluttershy didn’t think such a thing should undermine his kindness. Without his words of encouragement, she would probably be stood outside the barn, too nervous to get involved in the hoe-down. And even before that, he’d eliminated the terrifying prospect of conversing with strangers and pottering about aimlessly. Unknowingly, then, he’d made a considerable difference in Fluttershy’s day. And as he danced alongside her, smiling, she could feel a sense of… Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, everything made sense. Braeburn was, in all likelihood, hitting on her. All along, she’d been too wrapped up with inner turmoil to notice. Why didn’t I realise? It was so obvious! Everyone else here is his family; I’m the only mare here that he could possibly make a move on. And what’s stopping him? I should just tell him that— Tell him what? Fluttershy thought for a moment. Nothing was actually wrong with what was happening. Braeburn wasn’t exactly forcing himself upon her or spouting cheesy pick-up lines. And he certainly hadn’t been making suggestive comments or touching her inappropriately. All he’d done was strike up a conversation and be friendly towards her. He was just a stallion being nice to a mare he found attractive, and could hardly be blamed considering that she was the only viable mare present. And he couldn’t possibly have known about the previous hardships she’d faced after Mac’s rejection. In a sense, Fluttershy thought it was a real shame. If it wasn’t for the heart-breaking ordeal she’d gone through, getting this kind of attention would’ve been welcome. Braeburn was, after all, a handsome stallion in his own right. But Fluttershy couldn’t consider him to be anything more than that. After weeks of having her emotions jolted around like a roller coaster ride, anything beyond friendship would be too much to handle. Feelings for Mac weren’t just going to disappear at the drop of a hat, despite how much as she’d prayed and hoped that they would. I wonder how Pinkie is dealing with her own feelings. Probably better than me, I guess. I wish I could just ask, but we promised not to talk about it. And how would talking about it even help either of us? It’d just make things harder. No… We need to both work through this on our own and in our own time. “You’re a real good dancer, you know that?” Braeburn commented as the music reached a quiet segment. Fluttershy smiled, having barely been aware of what her body had been doing for the past few minutes. “Thanks,” was all she could manage. “No, I mean it. It’s like you’re a natural.” The stallion shuffled closer. “I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect.” “Oh, right.” “Not that I mean any offense!” Braeburn said concernedly, his eyes darting around the barn. “I’m just surprised that you’re, I mean, I wasn’t sure if you danced before…” “Please, you don’t need to explain yourself. You didn’t offend me at all. Really, you don’t need to worry so much about hurting my feelings.” “Ah… Sorry, Fluttershy. Sometimes my mouth runs away with me.” Braeburn rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “Typical o’ me to get tongue-tied talkin’ to a pretty lady.” “Well I’m… uh… very flattered.” Okay, this is still fine. He’s just complimenting you for looking nice. So long as you don’t give him any possible signals that’s all it’ll come to. Stay calm, and keep the conversation innocent. Braeburn grinned nervously and fell silent as the next song started up again. He looked to be deep in thought, probably a little disappointed that his compliment wasn’t returned, from what Fluttershy could assume. She hoped it might deter him completely, but had a feeling that he was merely articulating his next move. They danced together for a while longer, Fluttershy being unable to shake loose the thought that she might be forced to dole out her first ever rejection. She’d once been the object of one colt’s affection at Cloudsdale High, but even then she never had to make a conceited effort to stop somepony in their tracks. In fact, it was a friend of hers who’d done the talking for her. Saying the word ‘no’ to somepoony whose feelings you didn’t want to hurt and who only meant for the best was a difficult thing for her to consider. It took Big Mac until the moment he’d kissed her to finally say the dreaded word. Don’t think about that now, don’t think about it, you shouldn’t— What had taken him so long? Was it just the alcohol running the show until he came to his senses? They’d been dancing together, centre of the crowd. Just like now, and I don’t want that to happen. Was it all just in the heat of the moment? Or his reluctance to express his true feelings just to play the part without hurting anypony? Or was the fact that the mare he truly desired was egging on the proceedings messing with his head? I don’t know, I don’t know… Was life as unfair as it seemed? Were ponies doomed to pray for the planets to align before anypony might find their soul-mate? So many feelings left unrequited and unheard… I want to forget it all, I just… “Hey, did you want another cider?” Braeburn asked. “I was thinkin’ of grabbin’ one.” “No thank you,” Fluttershy replied, breaking free of her reverie just in time. “Are you sure?” Fluttershy nodded politely. “I’m sure.” “It’s no bother, I mean, I’m not tryin’ to get you drunk or anythin’. I just thought… never mind.” Braeburn’s forehead seemed to suddenly spawn a blanket of sweat, which he deftly disposed of with a hoof. Fluttershy began to panic. And as she did so, she cursed herself for panicking over what was essentially nothing. And this made her paranoid. And this, in turn, made her feel pathetic. A snowball of emotion passed over her as she envisioned the possible turns of events. But she wouldn’t, couldn’t make a scene, especially not when Applejack had been so kind as to— And that’s when Fluttershy breathed an internal sigh of relief. Applejack was still there to lend a helping hoof. Simply having Applejack by her side would make her feel a lot more comfortable in general, and even if Applejack couldn’t forcefully pry Braeburn out of the equation she could still at least act as a knowing deterrent. She was her friend, and she knew better than most just how much of an impact had been made a few weeks prior. “Oh, there’s Applejack,” Fluttershy said aloud, doing her best to appear surprised despite spending the best part of a few minutes scouring the barn for her. “I just remembered I need to speak to her about something. That is, if you don’t mind.” “Say no more,” Braeburn replied, tipping his hat. Fluttershy smiled back before bearing through the crowd, almost meeting flank with face as a rather energetic mare bumped into her, until she reached Applejack. The farm pony had a tankard in one hoof, (how many she’d drunk by that point was anypony’s guess, but she was clearly far from being sober) which she finished in one gulp and tossed aside. “Fluttershy!” Applejack exclaimed, wrapping a hoof around the pegasus’ neck. “Great to see ya! You havin’ fun, sugarcube?” “Yes, I’ve had a really great time.” “Oh Ah’ll bet,” Applejack said with a wink. “Well, yes…” What in Equestria did she mean by that? Fluttershy asked inwardly. “So what’cha been up to?” “Well, I failed miserably at the coconut shy, which was actually more fun than it sounds. Then after that your cousin Braeburn kept me company for a while.” She smiled nervously. “Which, actually, I wanted to talk to you about.” “Ah knew it!” Applejack cried exuberantly, pointing a hoof in Fluttershy’s face. “So how’s it been goin’? You been able to keep these ol’ things from poppin’ up like springboards?” Applejack ruffled Fluttershy’s wings playfully. “What!?” Fluttershy yelled in shock, her cheeks bursting with colour in an instant. “Applejack! That’s not… No, that hasn’t happened!” “Looks like you’re doin’ better ‘n Ah thought, at least.” The farm pony let out a hearty chuckle. “Aw c’mon, sugarcube. Ah’m only messin’! Now from what Ah’ve seen you two ‘ve barely moved past nods ‘n’ smiles. You—” Fluttershy was too flabbergasted to even speak. She just stood completely still, her jaw hung wide open as Applejack carried on talking. What’s going on? Why is she saying these things? Does she think I’ve fallen for Breaburn just because I’ve been spending time with him? Dancing in the spot next to him doesn’t mean anything! “—an’ from what Ah know, he’s more than a little susceptible to the ol’ tail across the face. You know, like Rarity does!” “Applejack, no, really, I’m not—” “Oh of course ya are! Don’t let it get to ya. As a matter o’ fact, as the stallion here he should be pullin’ his weight more ‘n this.” Applejack waved her hoof in the air. “Braeburn! Over here!” Fluttershy was lost in shock once more. This isn’t happening. This is absolutely not happening. But it was. Braeburn was indeed heading towards them, and with a big dumb grin plastered on his face. And that’s when Fluttershy found herself and Braeburn being pushed together, the stallion quickly reacting by catching her in one of his forelegs. “Now that’s more like it, wouldn’t ya say?” Applejack said cockily as the pair blushed a deep shade of crimson. “Now just one more thing…” Applejack walked to one of the musicians and whispered something in her ear. The mare nodded, and Applejack quickly hopped back. “Ah’m sure you can take it from here.” Braeburn nodded hesitantly. Fluttershy stared blankly. Applejack took that as her cue and trotted away into some other corner of the barn, looking all too pleased with herself. Still with one of Braeburn’s forelegs draped on her shoulder, Fluttershy slowly looked up, readying the words that she needed to say. But before she could even attempt to speak her mind, Braeburn spoke first. “I’m… sorry I’m not so good at all this. I guess I could blame lack of experience, but that seems like a poor excuse.” He straightened himself up, stroking his hoof through Fluttershy’s mane for a brief moment. “I’m here to have a good time, an’ if I can do that while I’m makin’ sure you have a good time an’ all, then that’s great. Don’t you agree?” There was no time to give an answer. The mare that Applejack had previously spoken to signalled the music to die down and bellowed out the words: “Okay Apples! Time to find yourselves a partner as we have ourselves a dosey-doe! Yee-haw!” There was a chorus of woops and cheers, followed by the shuffling of hooves as ponies sorted themselves into pairs. The music started up again. Then came the singing. Braeburn took a bow, as did many of the surrounding ponies. Fluttershy could only manage a deep breath before being led into a dance routine. “Now, everypony take a step to the left! Now let’s all take a step to the right! Swing your tail to and fro an’ swing your partner dosey doe!” With forelegs interlocked, Braeburn whisked her around. I shouldn’t be doing this. It’s only leading him on. “Reach for the skies an’ stomp your hooves! Time to bust out all your moves!” Copying the dance with mixed success, Fluttershy locked eyes with Applejack, the drunken earth pony hollering approval in her direction. What were you thinking, Applejack!? Since when did I say I wanted this!? Her gaze turned to Braeburn, his smile still as large as ever, his eyes boring into hers with an empowered expression. No! No! I can’t let this happen to me! I have to get out! I can’t take it anymore! “Braeburn…” Fluttershy croaked, just barely audible above the surrounding clatter of hooves. He looked hopeful for a brief moment, but his face quickly fell. “I’m sorry, Braeburn. I just… I need to go!” “Go? Go where?” But Fluttershy was already on her way outside, head throbbing and heart pounding. She thought she could hear Applejack’s voice somewhere behind her, followed by Braeburn’s. Maybe they were calling after her? It didn’t matter. She just wanted to get outside, get away from the noise, the laughter, the judgemental stares, the stress… Trotting out onto the patch of grass next to the Apple’s farmhouse, Fluttershy took several deep breaths, trying to steady her trembling hooves. She turned towards the barn, half-expecting to see Applejack barrelling after her, a stream of questions at the ready. But after a minute or so, she saw neither Applejack nor Braeburn emerge from the crowd. Not wanting to wait any longer, she picked up her satchel from its resting place under the old oak tree and slowly made her way towards the petting pen. She dearly wanted to just leave without further notice — home seemed the most desirable place — but that would be rude of her. Applejack had the best of intentions bringing her here, so scarpering would surely cause a massive upset. Some quiet time spent with the critters would have to suffice. Alone with the animals. Just like always. Minutes passed of near silence, the nearest chatter of ponies far off down the hill. The piglets had tired themselves out from all the running around earlier that day and were led in a patch of daisies, their eyelids fluttering as they tried to stay awake. Matilda appeared less hostile, at least from the outset, and the two lambs were pretty much as they’d been left. Fluttershy tried clearing her mind, letting nothing but the light breeze, distant chatter, sunshine and nearby grazing stir her thoughts. Despite her best efforts, the feelings of tranquillity were short-lived as she fell prey to dwelling on the day’s events. In the grand scheme of things they hadn’t been entirely unpleasant, and what was left could be made better by discussing them with Pinkie. She’d been a beacon of hope during far worse times. What happened with Braeburn wasn’t much more than an awkward inconvenience, but Fluttershy could still do with somepony to talk to and let off some steam. Leaning against the side of the fence with the two piglets nestled by her hooves, she breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. However, no sooner had she done so that she heard faint voices growing louder. “You really think she’ll read it?” “Hey look, it’s Fluttershy! Ah told ya she’d be here!” “You know her?” “Sure!” “Me too! She helped me win Mr Fluffles!” “Miss Fluttershy! Can we ask you a favour?” The pegasus’ eyes slowly opened to see a group of young fillies and colts trotting towards her. Applebloom was at the front, a colourful book grasped in her mouth. Just behind her was Babs Seed, Parma, Bramley and her sisters who’d paid her a visit earlier that day, as well as another filly and two colts whose names she couldn’t place. They all looked incredibly eager to see her. “Oh, were you sleeping, Miss Fluttershy?” Bramley asked. “Sorry to disturb you.” “That’s quite alright. I shouldn’t really be falling asleep at this time of day anyway. Why aren’t you all having fun at the hoe-down?” “Oh that thing got old fast,” said Parma, rolling her eyes. “Who wants to find a partner an’ do old-timey dances?” “I see,” Fluttershy replied. “So, did you all need my help with something?” Applebloom took a seat and spat the book into her hooves. “Well ya see, Uncle Orange got me this here book on account o’ never buyin’ me a birthday or Hearth’s Warmin’ present before.” “And he’s rich so it was about time!” Babs Seed piped up. “Babs!” Applebloom scolded. “Anyway, Ah thought since not everypony here got any presents it’d be nice to all read it together, ‘cept mah readin’ ain’t too good. Ah think Uncle Orange was expectin’ too much from an eight year old if ya ask me. It’s got all sorts o’ words Ah ain’t never seen before. Shoulda come with a diction’ry. But then, readin’ wouldn’t be too fun if ya gotta stop all the time an’ read somethin’ else. Maybe instead—” “Ahem!” Babs said loudly, tapping Applebloom on the shoulder. “What? Oh right! Long story short, would ya be able to read some of it to us? Nopony else is interested.” “Pretty please, Miss Fluttershy?” Bramley chimed in. “With an apple on top?” “You have such a nice voice,” Parma interjected. “It’d be super-duper if you could!” Guess I don’t have much of a choice, Fluttershy thought to herself as the group of foals pleaded silently, their hooves pressed together in anticipation. “Alright, but—” She was immediately cut off by a chorus of cheers. “But only for a short while, and you have to promise me not to complain once I stop.” “We promise!” The group cried in almost perfect unison. “Alright.” Fluttershy pulled her satchel down from her shoulder and picked up Applebloom’s book entitled ‘The Wanderer.’ The front cover depicted a watercolour city at night time with a lone white earth pony filly staring up into the sky. With the foals sitting attentively, their ears pricked up, Fluttershy turned to the first page and began reading. “What in the heck did ya say to her!?” Applejack blasted after pulling Braeburn to the barn’s outer wall. “I… I don’t know,” Braeburn said glumly, his ears folded back. “Last thing I remember sayin’ was somethin’ about us both havin’ a good time. That was all.” “Well ya done scared her off whatever ya said,” Applejack grumbled. “She up an’ left?” “Well no, not entirely. Ah just seen her headin’ t’wards the pettin’ zoo.” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “It’s alright, Ah shouldn’t be gettin’ annoyed with ya. You’re prob’ly feelin’ a tad upset right now as it is.” “I’m fine, really. I’m more worried about Fluttershy.” Braeburn took a quick peek around the corner, spotting the yellow pegasus in the distance. “I feel like I should say sorry to her.” “Well she prob’ly wants to be alone for now so if Ah were you Ah’d leave it for a little while. An’ Ah think Ah owe her a little apology mahself. We’ll go over later. How about a cider ‘til then?” Braeburn smirked. “I’d love one, but I think you’ve had enough.” “Always a smart-alec,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “Just like mah darn brother. Celestia knows what he’ll do after all this…” “His breath quickening, Nightshade leapt into the shadows to avoid being seen. He knew now that the legends were true; there truly was a creature that dwelled along the riverside at night. He felt half-tempted to run straight home and never look back, but his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted so much to know what the creature was. If he could prove that the legend was true, he would be the talk of the town. Slowly and tentatively, he peeked he head around the corner… and saw a pair of eyes staring back at him!” The colts and fillies uttered a collective gasp. “Nightshade froze on the spot, terrified that he was about to be hunted down and gobbled up by some terrible beast,” Fluttershy continued. “But to his surprise, the creature itself ducked behind a wall. Could it be, Nightshade wondered, that the creature was afraid of him? It seemed crazy, but it could also be true. Otherwise, why hadn’t the creature chased after him while he was in plain sight?” As Fluttershy carried on with the reading, her thoughts were subdued and her heartbeat slowed. Despite having trouble with public speaking, she felt right at home reading an intriguing story to a group of foals. Stress from her earlier encounter — while not entirely dissipated — was beginning to fade. “Nightshade raised his right hoof. ‘Hi, I’m Nightshade. What’s your name?’ The filly remained silent. Nightshade wondered whether she couldn’t talk at all, or whether this was all some hallucination. ‘Flora’ she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘My name is Flora.’” Fluttershy set the book down, and was surprised to see Braeburn approaching them. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said, flashing a half-hearted grin. “I can come back later if you’d like. I just wanted to talk.” Applejack wasn’t far behind him, looking somewhat dejected. “No, it’s… fine.” Fluttershy closed the book and handed it over to Applebloom. “I’d just reached the end of the chapter, anyway.” The colts and fillies protested at first but eventually accepted Fluttershy’s wishes and thanked her for the reading. Parma and Bramley even gave her a hug goodbye before barrelling off down the hill with the others. It was a nice reminder that she’d made some friends that day; things weren’t all bad, as it so happened. Braeburn stepped forward first, taking Applejack’s cue as she made a not so subtle gesture. “Fluttershy, I think I owe you an apology.” The situation was going in a good direction. Already, Fluttershy could sense that everything that had happened thus far could be swept under the carpet. “Well… okay. I’m not sure you do, but I’ll hear what you have to say.” “Thank you.” Braeburn cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for makin’ you feel uncomfortable today. You came here to have a good time, an’ well… I get the feelin’ I ruined it for ya.” “Ah’m sorry too,” Applejack piped up. “Pushin’ you two together like that ‘fore Ah even listened to what ya had to say. Ah just though ‘cause you two were dancin’ together, an’ you looked like you were havin’ fun, Ah just assumed an’ tried to lend a helpin’ hoof an’ then, you know the rest. Ah blame the alcohol,” she said with a chuckle. “Apologies accepted,” Fluttershy said, smiling. The atmosphere seemed to lift in mere seconds. “Well thanks,” Braeburn replied. “And I hope we can still be friends. I shouldn’t have been like I was today, especially after everythin’ you went through with Mac…” Fluttershy’s heart leapt into her throat. She looked to Applejack, who stood stock still, face bright red, unable to stutter a word out. But Fluttershy thought for a moment, and wandered up to her friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Applejack. I understand. After I ran off you didn’t have much choice but to explain the situation.” Applejack still looked distressed, so Fluttershy continued. “I’m totally fine with it, honestly. Otherwise Braeburn wouldn’t know why I acted like that. I mean, it’s not like he already knew about it, right?” And that’s when the penny dropped. Her eyes locked with Applejack’s, the farm pony’s face crumbled like a cliff edge. Teardrops slowly formed as Applejack broke eye contact, overrun with guilt, her lips trembling. “Say something,” Fluttershy thought out loud, hoping for some other explanation. Every ounce of crippling paranoia she’d felt earlier that day came screeching back. “Applejack, t-tell me you didn’t… Tell me this wasn’t all part of some plan. Tell me you didn’t bring me here just for this. Tell me this wasn’t all so Mac could…” Applejack’s eyes burst. “Fluttershy… Ah’m so… Ah just wanted…” Fluttershy didn’t wait to hear what else she had to say. Her heart wrenched in two as every bad memory resurfaced at break-neck speed. She ran. She could hear Braeburn calling her and Applejack sobbing loudly, pleading for forgiveness, but she didn’t stop to look back. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Fluttershy ran as fast as she could through the orchard. As the countless trees blurred from her watering eyes, Fluttershy screamed in rage and anguish, grinding to a halt and pounding at the earth in frustration. As her emotions swirled like a maelstrom, she knew she needed someone to talk to, someone she held dear, someone she could trust from the bottom of her heart and bear the brunt of all the grief and suffering. Someone who would do anything for her. Pinkie.