Opening Up

by Dizzy Daze

Chapter Five

Granny lifted an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. Big Mac swallowed the remains of his pie and looked her straight in the eye. "Nothin's on my mind, Granny," he protested. "Ah just got distracted by somethin' real fast. Ah'm fine, promise."

His granny wasn't convinced. "Like hay you're fine! Ever since we had that trouble with that sweet filly a few weeks ago, you've been quiet. More quiet than usual, even. And Ah didn't even think that could happen."

Big Mac looked uncomfortable. She was right. Ever since they had rescued Fluttershy, he couldn't stop thinking about it. How worried everypony was that she wouldn't wake up; that the antidote wouldn't work; that, despite everyone's best efforts, she wouldn't make it. He thought about it all the time, now. The smell of the forest, still stinking of those horrible beasts. The trail of blood he had found and followed. How she had been laying on the ground, small and shivering, barely conscious, her soft pink hair splayed out around her. He remembered thinking that she had looked like a broken angel.

"It's just the whole thing, Granny," he muttered. "She's one'a AJ's best friends, and Ah was just worried that Ah came too late. Ah was startin' to blame maself, thinkin' that it'd be all my fault if she didn't make it. But she's gettin' better now."

The wrinkled old mare across from him nodded her head wisely. "She gave us quite a scare. But you did more than any of us, Mac. We're all proud of you, and I know that sweet girl is grateful to ya. You got a good heart, boy, and it's a damn big one, too."

He nodded. "Thanks, Granny. Really, it's nothin'. Ah'm fine now, promise." He gave her a toothy grin, to which she chuckled.

"All right, if that's really all there is to it, Ah'll let ya be. Get on outta here and finish your chores, so Ah can eat my pie in peace" she relented, shooing him towards the door. "Oh, and Mac," she called.

He turned around. "Eeyup?"

"If Ah ever hear of you teachin' Apple Bloom any more colorful language, Ah'll tan yer hide. Got it?"

He flushed a shade darker. "Yes ma'am," he replied.

---

Two short days after she regained consciousness, the doctors decided that Fluttershy was ready to go home. She bid goodbye to Bon Bon, checked out at the receptionists' desk, and flew home as fast as her newly-healed wings would allow.

Angel Bunny was ecstatic to see her. He hugged her the minute she came through the door, then dragged her around to all of her animals to show that he had followed her orders, had kept them in line and in good health. She smiled and gave him a kiss on the top of his head, and he snuggled into her fur. Fluttershy surveyed her cottage and sighed. It was good to be home.

"Goodness, Angel," she commented with a start. "You've done all of my chores for this morning already. Now what am I supposed to do?"

The rodent hopped into the kitchen and pulled out his favorite cookbook, smiling hopefully. Fluttershy giggled. "Okay, Angel," she relented. "But pick something simple."

One extremely messy kitchen later, Fluttershy and Angel stood in front of a large tower of oatmeal cookies. It took Fluttershy a second to find her voice. "Well," she remarked. "That certainly made much more than we thought."

Angel nodded in agreement. There must have been over a hundred cookies there. There was no way the two of them would be able to eat them all, but none of the other animals liked oats.

Fluttershy looked stumped. What could they do with the extra? It would be wasteful to throw them all out. Then an idea struck her.

"Oh, Angel!" She exclaimed, rushing to find a basket. "We should bring these to our friends, to thank them for helping us out."

He seemed to agree, after making her promise that he could keep at least a third of what they had made. The two made up five bags: one for Twilight and Spike, one for Rarity and Sweetie Belle, one for Scootaloo, one for Rainbow Dash, and one for the Apples. She put the bags in a basket, he hopped onto her back, and together they flew into town to deliver their gifts.

---

Their first stop was Sweet Apple Acres, since it was the closest. Fluttershy landed just outside the fence and walked up the path, looking for somepony to deliver the cookies to.

But the orchards were silent. That was odd. Fluttershy looked up at the sun and tried to gauge the time. It was almost directly above her, at the peak of its path, which meant it was about noon. Of course! It was lunchtime. Everypony would be in the house.

She flew across the treetops and landed on their front porch. Angel jumped off of her back and knocked his tiny fist against the door. Fluttershy set the basket at her hooves and rotated her jaw, trying to ease the stiffness that had come from clenching the handle between her teeth.

The door swung open, and Apple Bloom looked up at Fluttershy in surprise. "Well, howdy, Fluttershy!" she greeted. "What are you doin' here?"

Fluttershy smiled at the eager little filly, who was eyeing the basket excitedly. "I wanted to come by and thank you all for helping me," she explained. Angel dug into the basket and pulled out the largest bag of cookies, put together for all four ponies of the house. "And, um, Angel and I made cookies." For reasons that Apple Bloom couldn't figure out, she looked a bit embarrassed at the second part.

The little filly took the bag from the bunny. "Wow!" she exclaimed, taking a whiff. "They smell great! Thank y'all so much!"

Fluttershy returned her smile. "No, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be able to give you these cookies in the first place."

To the timid mare's surprise, she found herself in a tight hug from the excitable filly in front of her. "It was no problem at all," Apple Bloom assured her. "Apples stick to their friends."

Fluttershy gave another smile to her little friend and picked up the basket. Angel jumped on her back, and the two flew off to their next destination.

Apple Bloom waved them off, shutting the door as soon as they were out of sight. She picked the bag up in her teeth and trotted into the kitchen, where the rest of her family was finishing up a quick lunch.

"Who was that at the door, sugarcube?" Applejack inquired.

Apple Bloom dropped the cookies onto the table and grinned. "That was Fluttershy. She an' Angel made cookies."

Granny looked sternly at her granddaughter. "And did you thank 'em properly?"

The little filly nodded. "She said she brought 'em over to thank us, anyways. For helpin' her out and all."

Granny looked pleased with her answer, and turned her attention to the treats. "Well, they smell delicious," she remarked. "Why don't we all try one or two."

Applejack and Big Mac cleaned up their lunch dishes, intending to grab a cookie each on their way out the door to the fields. Apple Bloom pulled out two and, under her granny's watchful eye, set them on the edge of her plate until after lunch. Granny then took out a small cookie and bit into it.

"By golly," she mumbled. "This is almost as good as you get at Sugarcube Corner." She looked around to seek out her grandchildren. Applejack had already left, Big Mac was washing dishes at the sink, and Apple Bloom had just started her lunch. Not wanting to deny her youngest grandchild the chance to eat for any longer, she turned her her grandson. "Big Mac," she said. "Ah want you to go find that filly and thank her for bringin' these to us. And maybe see if you can get that recipe." She winked at him.

Big Mac gestured towards the sink, but his granny waved him off. "Apple Bloom can get that when she's done," she dismissed.

"Hey!" Apple Bloom protested through a mouthful of food.

Granny ignored her. "Ah mean it, boy. Ah would go maself, but my old bones need a rest."

He sighed reluctantly but left the sink. He ruffled his little sister's mane as he passed her and chuckled. "Have fun," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Granny, who was making her way to her rocking chair and had her back to the two of them, yelled out, "Apple Bloom, don't you do that. It's rude."

The two siblings looked at each other, exchanging a look that said, How does she do that? Then Big Mac left his little sister to her lunch and afternoon chores. He stopped to give his granny a kiss on the cheek before leaving, and set out along the path to Fluttershy's cottage.

Comments

[OmniFox]

Where's Winona?

[Dizzy Daze]

4368008
She has to take a break, too! She's probably over by the pond, napping or chasing birds.

[DragonMaus]

Granny be shippin'.