"A letter? Fer me?"
It was more than a week before Applejack had heard from Fluttershy again and when she did it was in the form of a rabbit-delivered message. As Angel ran off, the farm pony read the note carefully. Her yellow friend was inviting her out for lunch... Well, that was promising, surely?
Not that it would be anything like that, no. Obviously not, and she wasn't expecting it either. She was just glad that Fluttershy was getting back on her feet after (what Applejack considered to have been) a particularly harsh and unnecessary rejection on her brother's part. This wasn't suddenly a date, no. It's not like Fluttershy would have, looking back, decided that she should have asked out a different Apple sibling; that she'd have suddenly thought it was his sister all along; that realisation had dawned that it might be Applejack who was truly her life partner. No, this was just a meeting, as friends... None of that hair-down nonsense, either. If, IF, we were meant to be together then presentation will prob'ly make no difference. Still, a few flowers... That's just nice, right? Mix it up a little?
With a few carefully adjusted blossoms in her mane Applejack slowly approached the restaurant. It had been a bit of a hassle to get out of the barn: Lately Granny Smith had been insisting that her oldest granddaughter was overworking herself and had told Applejack to stay in and relax today. With Angel's message in mind, Applejack had decided the best course of action was to sneak out. She felt excited and somewhat optimistic. Also, she had flowers in her hair. Now that she thought about it, it was a little like she was sneaking off to meet a secret lov- NO! Too late, looking towards the restaurant she now felt butterflies in her stomach as hope well and truly flickered in her mind. Which was ridiculous, after all... However, unable to shake the thought from her head Applejack settled for taking a few deep breaths and entering the establishment as casually as she could.
"Oh, Applejack, I'm glad you came so early!"
Fluttershy was already there! Her long mane was plaited and decorated with daisies, framing her gorgeous face as she smiled warmly at Applejack. It was the most beautiful thing the Apple mare had ever seen.
"Well, uh, of course! Ah didn't want you to be left here waitin' fer too long!" Fluttershy, now more than ever you are gorgeous beyond sunlight...
"Oh, you're so very thoughtful..." Another smile. Applejack became painfully aware of how hard her heart was beating, yet forced a strong smile back, hoping it would mask her nerves. Deep breaths, this means nothing...
There was an uneasy pause before Fluttershy added, "Oh! You have flowers in your mane too!"
"Ah do... Uh, yes! Thought it would be a nice change of pace, y'know?" I would wear flowers for you all the time if you wanted me to. I would do anything for you.
"Oh, yes... My birds helped me... They thought it would help make a good impression on somepony very close to me..."
"...Oh?" Applejack practically squeaked the response, her brain going wild. Was this it? A meeting at lunch with flowers in their manes, would this be when-
"Rainbow Dash."
Damn.
"...Ya don't say..."
Fluttershy seemed too caught up in her thoughts to notice how disappointed Applejack sounded, and was already talking aloud in a wistful tone, "Oh yes... She was like a hero to me in Cloudsdale, you see. Always looking out for me, even though she wasn't popular herself."
I'd have never let anypony lay a hoof on you. I'd never let anything like that happen to you. If I had been there...
"...I mean, I was very quiet, so I'm not sure if she ever knew, but I used to worship the air she flew in. It was really through her that I first realised I'm interested in mares..."
"Well, there ain't anything wrong with that..." Applejack added as Fluttershy stared thoughtfully up into the sky.
I don't want you interested in mares, I want you interested in ME! ...Why couldn't I have been born a pegasus, Fluttershy, why wasn't I there to help you when you would have noticed me...
"Oh, I know you wouldn't judge me!"
There was that smile again, and the farm pony felt her concerns fall away as she stared into Fluttershy's eyes...
"That's why I was hoping you'd help!"
...You have got to be kidding...
"Help?" asked Applejack, realising as she said it that she was gritting her teeth.
"I mean, you were really supportive when things went bad with your brother, and that helped me a lot, so... If it's okay, could you stick nearby, please? I'm going to confront Rainbow Dash, and I think she feels the same way, I mean, we've seemed so close lately, but... If it's okay, I just need somepony to make sure I don't back out... Please?"
No. No, no, no, no, NO! Why me? Just do it yourself, it's YOUR choice, YOUR life, NOT my resp-
"Of course I will, sugar cube. Anything for you."
Wait, was that me?
"Oh, thank you! It means so much to me!"
Fluttershy hugged Applejack tightly and the orange pony hugged back, fighting back tears. Come on Applejack, no time for that, deep breaths... Her mane smells so sweet...
Well, at least she trusts me, that's something. At least we're still friends. Hey, maybe I'll even get to be best mare when she and Rainbow Dash tie the knot. ...Darn it...
Applejack quietly pushed down her emotions, trying to focus on other things as she and Fluttershy went to track down the blue pegasus. Finding Rainbow Dash turned out to be more difficult than expected, especially for Applejack. The Apple mare mostly just smiled and nodded to what Fluttershy was saying, too choked up to reply. Eventually a few ponies pointed them towards a small cottage by the river.
They got there fairly quickly and Fluttershy stared dumbly at its door for a while before Applejack, patience wearing thin, knocked for her. A young stallion answered and looked surprised to see the pair.
"Is, um... Is Rainbow Dash here?" asked Fluttershy quietly.
"Uh... Yeah, give me a minute..."
"Who is it?" called another masculine voice from inside.
"It's Applejack and... Um..." - he glanced at them - "Fluttershy, right?"
The yellow pony nodded and the stallion called back, "Yeah, it's Applejack and Fluttershy! They wanna see Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow Dash was there in a shot and the stallion went back in.
"Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" asked the blue pony, looking surprised.
"Um... Well... Nothing really..."
Really? Eesh...
Applejack cleared her throat. "Fluttershy was hopin' ya had a spare minute to talk? In private?"
"Oh. Well, now's not really a good time... Um..." To her apparent confusion Rainbow Dash found herself being glared at by Applejack. She looked back to Fluttershy. "As long as it's quick?"
The pegasus ponies flew up to a nearby cloud and Applejack, out of earshot, waited, grumbling to herself internally. For a while she paced in a circle, resisting the urge to buck buildings, and eventually ended up sitting down by the river. Forcing herself to look somewhere other than the cloud she slowly felt her anger die down, and the frustration ultimately gave way to a deep sense of sorrow. She fought against it for a while but couldn't shake from her mind that, somewhere above her, her crush was confessing feelings for somepony else. In the end Applejack's thoughts went back to sadness and regret...
They'll probably have a fancy wedding do too. And I'll be there, by myself, watching her and Rainbow Dash and everypony else being so darn HAPPY whilst I... I'll just still be waiting... Oh Celestia, what am I gonna do with myself? It's been her for so long that I don't know how the hay I'd go about moving on... I can't believe I never even said anything. Would it have made a difference? Maybe not... I'm just me, anyway: Not the strong silent type, nor the "cool" pegasus with history going back to when they were fillies... I wonder if she'd have ever looked at me, had I bee- hey, was that her?
The farm pony stared after what had looked like Fluttershy flying away very quickly, a couple of daisies falling down in her wake. Had something happened?
"Uh..." - Applejack jumped at the voice and realised that Rainbow Dash was next to her - "Say, Applejack, can you go check on her? I shou-"
The earth pony was off like a bullet before the pegasus could finish talking. What happened? Is my girl okay? It looked like she'd been heading home... She was goin' pretty fast too, best try to hurry...
Applejack made it to the cottage in record time, sweating and breathless but pushed on by concern. She got there to find the door ajar and went in to see a pink-haired pegasus sobbing on her sofa, with various woodland critters trying to comfort her as she did so. Applejack took a moment to catch her breath before walking over to her friend.
"Fluttershy?"
"Oh! Applejack! I'm sorry I left you, I just wanted to be alone, I... Oh, Applejack..."
"What happened? Uh, Ah mean... If you want me to go then Ah-"
Fluttershy was suddenly hugging Applejack again, clinging tightly as she cried into her friend's fur. Applejack held her gently, patting her back.
She feels as soft as she looks... "It's okay sugar cube, let it all out..." No... Softer...
"She... She isn't interested in mares! Oh, I feel like such a foal... I was so sure but... I don't even know why I was so sure in the first place! I... She said she didn't mind, that I shouldn't worry, that... She... Was sorry and... Oh, Applejack, what can I do?!?"
Applejack gave her a reassuring squeeze as the yellow pony fell back into sobs. "These things happen, and at least ya know ya tried... We gotta just try our best, one step at a time..."
They stayed like that for over an hour, silent apart from Fluttershy's sobs. At first Applejack could barely focus on the situation, wishing only to take away the pegasus' sorrow, but as the crying died down Applejack became more and more aware that she was embracing the pony she longed for, even if under unfortunate circumstances. The pegasus felt so light, no doubt part of being a flier, but the underused muscles were still there and so, despite the lightness, she felt incredibly sturdy. It was just like she had felt in Applejack's fantasies as she'd literally swept the Apple mare off her feet... Yet so soft. Softer than Applejack had ever noticed before, softer than she'd ever imagined; her gorgeous guardian angel felt like a warrior wrapped in heaven...
Eventually, seeming worn out by her weeping, the pegasus pulled back.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I've kept you here so long, I... Thank you, Applejack. You really are a true friend."
Oh, I would be so much more, if only... Applejack, what are you thinking? At a time like this...
Fluttershy continued, "I... I think I'm going to lay down, get some rest... Thank you for coming over..."
The farm pony nodded, "Take care of yourself..."
The good byes finished and Applejack left the cottage. She looked down to see the last of the flowers falling out from her mane. Flowers... I'd been hopeful enough to wear flowers... Feeling increasingly sad and rather forgotten she started back to her family's farm in the dimming light of dusk.
I need to learn to be less optimistic...