Shyness, and All That Jazz
Big Macintosh trotted down the path and into the park, cheerfully humming some barely-remembered song from his youth.
He scanned the park, looking from right to left.
The band was already deployed inside the gazebo with the exception of two gray pegasi with trumpets, arguing over who should perform from the roof. The unicorn conductor was frantically trying to wave them down to ground level.
A few dozen ponies were waiting nearby, chatting, eating, or just relaxing.
The lake itself was calm and nearly empty. The only creatures nearby were a single duck and a single pony. The duck let out a loud, unpleasant “quack” and took off.
“No, wait, Missus Quackeline!” cried Fluttershy. “I know classical music is good, but you should really broaden your horizons.”
Big Macintosh walked up to the lake, watching the duck fly away. Fluttershy jumped back with an “eep.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean for you to see me arguing with a duck like that. I hope you don’t think me rude for raising my voice …”
“Nope,” said Big Macintosh, as Fluttershy’s voice trailed off.
In the distance the two pegasi settled into the gazebo, casting wary glances at each other, as the conductor levitated his baton. The crowd’s conversations died down to whispers, and the band began to play “Sophisticated Filly.”
Fluttershy sat down next to Big Macintosh. He swayed slowly to the beat of the song, and tapped his hooves gently. Several times, he sighed a soft “eeyup,” causing Fluttershy to jump back a few inches with a start. By the time the song was over, she was sitting at the edge of the lake, staring at her reflection.
He let out one more contented sigh, and sat down beside her.
“I hear they’re going to do a couple standards by Colt-Rein,” he ventured.
“I …” Fluttershy started. “Umm …”
Big Macintosh continued, “I hope they play ‘Lazy Pegasus.’”
“Umm … or maybe ‘Stompin’ at the Savoy?’ Angel loves that one,” said Fluttershy. “Actually, I think he just likes stomping.”
“Nope,” said Big Macintosh. “That’s ‘The Prince of Swing,’ Benny Goodmane.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” squeaked Fluttershy, “I don’t actually have many jazz records.”
Big Macintosh craned his neck to stare intently at the band. Fluttershy whimpered and backed away from him. He didn’t seem to notice.
The band began to play “Lover Stallion (Where Can You Be).” Big Macintosh again swayed slowly in time with the music.
Fluttershy stared at the ground for awhile, and then perked her ears up with a shy smile.
“Oh, I know this one,” she ventured. “It’s one of ‘Fillie’ Holiday’s famous songs.”
She took a couple steps toward Big Macintosh and sang softly to him:
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ears
A-hugging and a-kissing
Oh, what we've been missing
Lover stallion, where can you be?
Big Macintosh smiled, tapped a hoof to Fluttershy’s singing, and sighed a soft “eeyup.”
“’Eeyup?’ Oh, good! Does that mean you really will …” Fluttershy stammered, “whisper sweet … umm … a-hugging and a- … oh dear. Did I just sing that?”
Fluttershy blushed a bright red as she slinked away from the lake to a nearby oak tree.
When the song ended, the two pegasus trumpet players began to argue over which song should come next. Big Macintosh slowly slid out of his reverie, and realized that he was alone. He looked around and saw Fluttershy under an oak tree, engaged in a hushed conversation.
“No, that hat doesn’t go with that outfit,” she chided. “You should wear this one instead. I’ve been reading up on it and – oh dear, I seem to have accidentally dropped it. And you seem to have accidentally kicked it away.”
Something tiny and white flew past Fluttershy and landed in front of Big Macintosh. He looked down and saw a sailor cap, smaller than his hoof. It had a black silk ribbon tied around it, neatly embroidered with the name “Angel.” He delicately picked it up between his teeth and approached the oak tree.
Standing on a gnarled root was a little bunny. He was wearing a white sailor’s suit with the traditional navy blue collar, paired with a less-than-traditional olive green soldier’s helmet. He held some neatly-folded camouflage clothing between his front paws.
Fluttershy swiped the sailor cap from Big Macintosh, startling him. She gave him a sly wink.
“Now Angel, sweetie,” she said in a sing-song voice, “I got you that soldier helmet so you could wear the whole soldier uniform later. Now be a good lil’ Angel and take off that hat.”
She reached toward the hat with an empty hoof, causing Angel to scurry back away from her. But Big Macintosh was already there. He took a deep breath, and – WOOSH – the helmet flew off of Angel’s head. Fluttershy quickly brought the sailor hat down on his head, produced a little strap, and tied it off under his chin.
“There we are. Isn’t my little Angel just adorable now?” she said in an excessively cute voice.
“Eeyup.”
Angel’s paws frantically pushed at the sailor hat, but the strap barely gave at all. Eventually, he just crossed his front paws in front of his chest and pouted as Fluttershy squealed with delight.
“So, did Rarity make that outfit for you?” Big Macintosh asked hesitantly.
“No, I just bought some dolly clothes and altered them to fit Angel. Twilight’s library was ever so helpful,” she replied cheerfully. “Rarity did embroider Angel’s name on the tally, but everything else was my own work.”
He picked up the little camouflage clothing and said, “I recognize the soldier outfit. That’s from Major Starbright.”
“A Real Equestrian Hero!” sang Fluttershy and Big Macintosh with a chuckle.
“I had to use a unicorn’s outfit. The earth ponies are much taller than Angel,” she said.
“And Angel doesn’t need pegasus wing holes,” said Big Macintosh.
Angel jumped up and grabbed the soldier’s outfit from Big Macintosh. He frantically jammed the jacket on over his sailor suit and tried to button it.
“Now Angel, what have I told you about mismatched clothes?” quizzed Fluttershy as she pulled the jacket off. “Mismatched clothes aren’t cool. You want to look cool, don’t you?”
Angel shook his head and frowned.
“I think he looks very cool,” said Big Macintosh.
Angel’s frown deepened.
“There, did you hear that? Everypony thinks you look great! Let’s go show you to everyone,” she said, beaming.
As Fluttershy reached for Angel, his eyes widened in panic. He scurried away from her. He ran through the crowd of ponies, eliciting several gasps of surprise. He stormed into the gazebo, and was quickly picked up by a glow emanating from the conductor. He levitated Angel slowly toward the crowd. Several ponies “aww”ed at him as he floated amongst them. A little pink filly tried to grab him, but he narrowly escaped, and bolted out of the park.
“Aww,” said Big Macintosh and Fluttershy as Angel hopped down the tree-lined path.
Fluttershy tore her eyes away from Angel and noticed that she was sitting so close to Big Macintosh that they were nearly touching. She self-consciously took a couple steps away.
“So, do you dress up any of your other animals?” asked Big Macintosh.
“Umm … no,” whispered Fluttershy, staring at the ground.
Back at the gazebo, the blonde-maned gray pegasus flew up on top of the gazebo. The conductor rolled his eyes, and with an exaggerated sigh led the band through “Boogie Woogie Bugle Colt.”
Big Macintosh tapped his hooves, easily keeping up with the frantic rhythm of the band.
“Oh, I know this one,” said Fluttershy,”umm …”
She took a deep breath and sang softly to Big Macintosh:
They made him blow a bugle for his Auntie ‘Tia,
All the soldiers stomped and clopped their hooves with awe.
He was the top colt in his craft,
Until his number came up and he was gone to the draft.
Fluttershy gasped. “No wait,” she said hurriedly, “did I skip to the second verse in the middle of the first?”
Big Macintosh tapped his hooves, quietly singing, “Eeyup. Eeyup. A-eeyupityadd-eeyup.”
“Oh, you’re right,” she whimpered, “I don’t really know anything about this kind of music. My friends just wanted me to help you enjoy the music, and I’ve failed. I’m so sorry.”
Fluttershy flew away crying, as Big Macintosh continued to hum and tap his hooves.
Fluttershy flew straight for Sweet Apple Acres. She quickly spotted Applejack and Twilight Sparkle setting up a ping pong table inside the house. She flew inside, landed, and then froze, unable to think of what to say.
“Howdy, Fluttershy,” said Applejack. “Is the concert over already?”
Fluttershy just whimpered in response.
“It’s supposed to last another hour,” said Twilight. “Big Macintosh didn’t walk out did he?”
“I f…” whimpered Fluttershy.
“Beg pardon,” said Applejack.
“I fai…” Fluttershy said weakly.
“Did something go wrong? Did they cancel the show?” asked Twilight.
“I failed!” sobbed Fluttershy.
“What do you mean you failed? You failed to listen to the music with Big Macintosh?” said Twilight with concern.
“I’m not good enough to enjoy music with Big Macintosh. I’m a boogie-woogie-washout,” said Fluttershy.
“Sugarcube? What does that even mean?” queried Applejack.
“You need to talk about this?” said Twilight.
“No. I just need to go home and get my mind off it,” said Fluttershy wiping her tears away. “If you need me, I’ll be sewing handkerchiefs into bunny-sized pirate caps.”
Fluttershy sniffled as she flew away, her head hanging low. Applejack and Twilight Sparkle stared until she was just a speck on the horizon.
“So, where’s Big Macintosh?” asked Twilight.
“If I know my brother, no force short of a cyclone can pull him away from that concert,” said Applejack.
Back at the park, the band finished up their final number, “Lazy Pegasus.” Two reclining pegasus trumpeters slid off the top of the gazebo and onto the ground.
Big Macintosh stopped swaying his head, and sighed one final “eeyup.”
He said, “By the way, Fluttershy, I think you skipped the first verse of …”
His voice trailed off as he looked around. It was no surprise to him that Fluttershy was no longer at his side. But he was surprised that she was no longer near the lake, the oak tree, or indeed, anywhere in the park. The crowd was already dispersing; the park was emptying; Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.
“Hmm …” he murmured to himself. “Am I really that …”
He stood under the oak tree and thought for awhile. By the time he left for home, the band was completely cleared out, the ducks had come back to the pond, and the sun had begun to set.
The next day, Big Macintosh walked down the path to the school, effortlessly hauling a large wagon full of pieces of wood.
“Good afternoon, Miss Cheerilee,” he said. “Howdy, kiddo.”
“Howdy, Mac!” said Apple Bloom, cheerfully.
“What have you got there?” asked Cheerilee, pointing at the wagon.
“It’s one of our market stalls,” said Apple Bloom, clambering up into the wagon. “This is our medium-sized one. It comes apart into six pieces for easy transport. See, this piece connects to this piece right here.”
Apple Bloom dug through the wagon, holding up pieces and pushing them together.
“We’ve been showing her how we put together the stalls,” said Big Macintosh.
“But y’all won’t let me fix it up myself!” complained Apple Bloom.
“I’m sure that when you’re a big pony, your family will give you more responsibilities,” said Cheerilee.
“I am so a big pony!” proclaimed Apple Bloom.
She dug up the sign and tried to demonstrate where it fit on top of the stall, until she realized that she was trying to attach it underneath the bottom piece.
“So why is the stall broken up already? It’s only mid-afternoon,” said Cheerilee.
“We sold out of today’s stock early!” announced Big Macintosh triumphantly.
“Yippee!” squealed Apple Bloom.
“So, y’all want a ride?” offered Big Macintosh. “I know you live near the farm, Miss Cheerilee; it’s not out of the way.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” she responded. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“I can haul the big market stall, and enough apples to stock the whole thing,” said Big Macintosh matter-of-factly. “I can haul the medium market stall and two ponies, no problem. Or even one and a half ponies.”
He smirked at Apple Bloom. After a few seconds, something dawned on her.
“Hey, whaddaya mean half pony!” she complained.
Cheerilee covered her mouth with a hoof, barely suppressing a giggle.
“Oh, okay,” said Cheerilee.
She sat down in the front of the wagon, directly behind Big Macintosh. She relaxed as Big Macintosh easily hauled the wagon away. Apple Bloom remained in the back, holding up pieces of the stall, and mumbling to herself about what goes where.
“Apple Bloom’s really something, isn’t she?” said Cheerilee.
“Eeyup.”
“I bet she’s a real handful at home,” she said.
“Nope,” said Big Macintosh. “She’s a lil’ angel.”
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This is the second time I've heard/read "I’m a boogie-woogie-washout" today.
Both times involved Bugle Boy. What is wrong with this world?
---To clarify, my day started 4 hours ago...
Eeyup.
How is it that I've played every song that you've put in this story? P.S. Colt- Rein, Priceless.
This better be a FlutterMac.
STOP THE PRESSES i recon it will be cherlliexbigmac :D
352675
Fluttermac stories are fucking garbage, this will obviously end with mac masturbating with razers
Crying Fluttershy?! HNGGGGGGGGGGGH!
Moar! images.4chan.org/mlp/src/1332390991733.png I Need Moar!
352675
Pff, this is obviously shaping up to be a RarityBurn.
353173 shut up this is obiously a Tom/Bloomberg Fic
Well about this chapter i must say that i liked it a lot, the Fluttershy suddenly crying and running away it looked like really rushed for me, i like fluttermac but i see this is pointing in another way and im ok with it, keep up the work you are doing
This is a Cheermac! I'm positive now.
353533
E'eyup
seems to be the case
need moar
352790
What am I reading, what is this.
>> Story response
Funny, although I don't see Fluttershy being quite THAT dramatic, it still works and is funny
Well, it's too bad the Fluttershy thing didn't work out. It seemed like they were really bonding over humiliating her animals for their own amusement.
I'm a little surprised they let the Pinkie ship sink so easily, actually. She was totally geared up to keep dating him.
HA! I see what you did there.