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// 44. The Best Night Ever - To Meet 
// Story: Blaze the Pony Tale 
// by Wolven5 
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Fluttershy had stepped outside when she saw, “A meadowlark!”

She followed the little bird towards a floral archway to a dense area of the gardens, and heard a whistling tune.
“I think she’s calling me, just what I wished for!”

She replied with a quick vocalization, and cupped her ear, hearing the same tune, and joyfully went in, not realizing somepony was following her.

Fluttershy continued to vocalize, calling to the meadowlark she saw, as she followed the whistling deeper into the garden.

“My little meadowlark is right around this bend!” she excited as she turned around the bend and gasped.

The whistling came from an elderly earth pony, raking some leaves.

“Was that you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yup, I love whistling while I work,” the old stallion said as he continued to do both.

“Oh, well, excuse me,” Fluttershy said as she turned and went a different way when she heard some animal noises. 

She came upon a small clearing and gasped!
“Oh, I see a toucan! And a spider monkey, and- oh! Is that a wallaroo?”

She approached the animals, only for them to run away in fright.

“Oh Fluttershy, you’re such a loudmouth,” Fluttershy scolded herself when she heard a light chuckle and she turned to see… “Big Macintosh?”

Big Macintosh looked very handsome in his suit, Fluttershy noticed, inciting a slight blush, as the red stallion said a little shyly, “Um, evenin’, Miss Fluttershy. Ah, uh… saw y’all headed this way an’ thought Ah’d join you.”

“Well, I don’t mind, Big Macintosh,” Fluttershy replied. “Um… but you probably don’t want to waste your evening at the gala with me… I just plan to…”

“Ah know why yer here,” Big Mac spoke up, “But Ah hate t’ tell ya, th’ animals in this garden are skittish a strangers. One o’ the castle staff told me.”

“No wonder they ran from me,” Fluttershy whispered, starting to feel upset. 

“Hey.”

She looked and ‘eep’ed a bit to see Big Mac standing right next to her. 
“Come over here.”

She watched as Big Mac went over to the foot of a tree and gestured her over. Hesitantly, Fluttershy obliged as Big Mac sat against the tree and said, “Sit in front of me.”

“What?” Fluttershy was starting to blush and honestly so was Mac but she couldn’t see because of how dark the shade made his already red coat. 

“Jus’ sit in front o’ me,” Big Mac invited, “Ah promise, yer gonna like this.”

Fluttershy looked around before slowly but finally sitting down in front of Big Mac. He placed a hoof on her shoulder, and held up her opposite arm, whispering into her ear, “Jus’ stay perfectly still… and wait.”

Wait she did, and nothing happened for a couple minutes, her arm starting to ache to be let down, when Big Mac made a quiet whistle, and Fluttershy realized it was a bird-call!

Then she silently gasped as she saw the meadowlark from before flutter down onto her hoof. It stared up at Fluttershy curiously, as she awed at the little bird, but felt more in awe of the big stallion behind her. He surprised her further by holding out a sunflower and gently shaking its seeds onto his other hoof, whispering, “Here ya go, lil’ fella.”

The meadowlark chirped as it then fluttered onto his hoof and ate the seeds, Big Mac chuckling, “Enjoy th’ grub.”

Then the meadowlark flew off, Fluttershy asking, “How did you do that?”

“Critters can be skittish if they don’t know ya,” Big Mac explained as he helped Fluttershy up. “So ya gotta be patient, entice `em a little, and let them move on their own pace.”

Fluttershy was surprised and impressed all at once! 

Then at that moment, Big Mac looked a little shy himself as he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Um, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Yes, Big Macintosh?”

“Would you… do an ol’ workhorse th’ honor…” Big Mac squirmed, not sure how to say it, but Fluttershy got the idea. 

Without thinking and just going for it, she reached up and gave Big Mac a peck on the cheek, making him jolt as she said, “I would like that very much.”

It took a moment for his brain to puzzle out what just happened but with a goofy smile, Big Mac held out his foreleg, which Fluttershy took, and they ventured deeper into the gardens to visit with the local animals more.