Replay

by Scootaloose

Chat'r

Chat'r

To get to SugarCube Corner meant I had to cross the whole market. It was still crowded with ponies so an amateur flier like me trying to hover through them meant iminent disaster. Flying over them meant an even bigger disaster so I chose to walk. I guess I'll have to pass up on my unsupervised flight practices for now. So I hovered to the market and kept walking from there, which looked even more crowded once I landed.

Man, it wasn't this crowded in the morning. How many ponies live in this town??

Some ponies I could already recognize, like the stallion over at the paper supplies stand, and Applejack selling her apples with the help of a yellow filly a few metres ahead, the white unicorn mare Spike was babbling about during breakfast was there talking to Applejack.

"Wow he really has good taste, she's beautiful...", I accidentally said out loud. Luckily nopony paid attention to what I said...

"Um... excuse me?", said a cream-coloured mare with the softest voice I've heard in my life. She had a ridiculously long pink mane that covered half her face and had a saddlebag on her. Her eyes were blue with a hint of green, and she was looking at the ground trying to hide the rest of her face behind her hair. She was almost directly in front of me and was flushed red. Oh shit, I think she heard me... Godammit I need to stop talking to myself in public!

"Oh... uh... hello there! Need something?", I said to her trying to make the situation a bit less embarassing. That made her shrink even more and let out a barely audible squeal.

What's up with her? That is a really shy pony... is that even possible??, I thought. This time I managed to keep my mouth shut.

She stared at the ground a few more seconds. Oh man this is just getting worse... I finally decided to break the silence.

"My name's Johnny. What's yours?" I asked.

"Um...Fluttershy...", she said again in a barely audible voice.

"Sorry... can you repeat that again a bit louder? I couldn't hear you..." I said trying to sound as nice as possible, you never know...

"Fluttershy...", she said again.

"Hello Fluttershy, nice to meet you.", I said. "I guess you overheard what I said, right?". She responded with a nod, her mane still covering half her face.

"I was actually talking about somepony else, not you. Sorry about that", I said trying to comfort her. Wait, that can come out wrong... She slowly started to look up at me confused. "Not that you're not beautiful, you're just as pretty as her too!" I quickly said with a smile and breaking a sweat. She was adorable, honestly, her innocent eyes almost made me squeal and "dawww" right in front of her.

She went back to her blushed state, but this time she smiled a bit. "Oh... um... thank you..."

"You are the animal caretaker, right?" I asked her. "Rainbow Dash told me about you yesterday. I'm new here so I'm just trying to socialize with everypony."

"Rainbow Dash?", she asked shyly.

"Yeah, you two know each other?"

"We've been best friends since we were fillies in Cloudsdale, she's the reason I got my cutie mark too", she said smiling. The fact that Rainbow Dash already met me made her feel more comfortable. And she finally poked the rest of her face from behind her mane. At least as much as she could because some of it still kept hanging over her face for it was so damn long!

"That's pretty cool! So I guess your talent is taking care of animals?", I asked after I glanced at her cutie mark for a split-second. There were three pink butterflies on her flank for her mark, and as soon as I recognized they were butterflies I quickly looked back at her eyes. I didn't want to have any other cutie mark stare-downs that resembled yesterday aternoon in any way, especially since I was in a crowded place, nothing compared to what it was back in the Daisy and Rose. I do like being the center of attention, seeing as I took a career as a DJ and producer. But there are two types of attention: The ones that make you feel like a boss, and the other where it makes you wish you were invisible. I felt my whole body shiver in terror for an instant, but Fluttershy didn't seem to notice it.

"Yes", she nodded. "Anypony who doesn't have enough time to take care of their own pets come to me for help, so I babysit them while they're too busy."

"You remind me of some places from where I'm from", I said.

"And where did you come from, Johnny?", asked Fluttershy innocently.

"It's complicated...", I sighed, "I can tell you later if you want."

"Oh... I'm sorry if I made you worried...", she said worryingly, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's alright, I just don't think it's the right time, is all". I definitely didn't want to tell her about my accident right now, especially to somepony as fragile as Fluttershy. And making up stories on the go is not my forte.

"Does the owners' pets give you any trouble?", I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Not at all. The only one that is a bit harder to deal with is my pet bunny Angel, he is kind of demanding sometimes", Fluttershy replied

"Well, shouldn't you be at your cottage then?", I asked her.

"I'm just here to buy some cherries", she replied. "You see, Angel has this favourite dish of his and the final ingredient is a cherry on top of it."

I'm starting to think that this Angel pushes her around a bit too much... I wondered, doesn't sound like an Angel at all... heh, the irony."Well, I guess I'll let you get back to your business. I got some stuff I need to get done myself"

"Alright, see you later then Johnny", she smiled.

Moments after turned around and started to head towards Applejack's apple stand, Fluttershy called me again.

"Wait, Johnny?", she said suddenly, but so quietly I just managed to hear her.

"What is it Fluttershy?", I turned back to face her.

"Are you the Johnny Bass Pinkie Pie mentioned in her invitation?"

"Yeah. You coming over to the party too?", I asked. she simply nodded shyly, but still smiling.

"Alright then, see you at the party. Where will the party be anyway?", I asked her.

"Um...Pinkie said not to tell anypony...", she said. "She made us do the Pinkie Promise too."

"I understand. I'll see you at this surprise party then". I said and walked over to Applejack's stand once more. It's not much of a surprise party anymore now that I think of it...

I finally approached Applejack’s stand, but the white unicorn was already gone from view. So much for meeting new faces. I had nothing to do until I discovered where Pinkie Pie’s party was happening. What the hay is a Pinkie Promise? Ponies don’t have fingers; they can’t do a pinkie promis- oooh…. Pinkie… Pinkie Pie…

“Oh, hey Johnny. Need something?”, asked Applejack when she lifted her head from under the balcony.

“Just passing by” I said, glancing at the apples on the baskets scattered around. “Who was that unicorn talking to you?”

“That was Rarity. She works at Carousel Boutique, y’ know… the big fancy house with the carousel thingy on top?” she pointed a hoof towards said house… “Why, you wanna talk to her? Don’t let Spike catch ya too close to her”, she chuckled.

“What? No! It’s nothing like that at all!” I shook my head furiously. “Spike’s the reason I want to talk to her, really”

“Ah’m just playin’ with ya, Johnny. No need to go apple-faced now.” She laughed.

“Big sis, can ah’ go play with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle now?” said a kid’s voice that had the exact same accent as Applejack. I couldn’t see much of her, since she was behind the balcony with AJ. All I could see was a giant pink ribbon poking out from behind the balcony.

“Sure, Applebloom. Ah’ think we can call it a day now. Go have fun!”, said Applejack while smiling at her little sister. Applebloom ran from behind the stand and stopped next to me to say hi.

“Hello there, Applebloom!” I said to the filly. She was yellow, had a red fluffy mane, that giant pink ribbon on her head and bright orange eyes.

“Hi there! Applejack was talkin’ to Rarity ‘bout somepony called Johnny. Is that you?” she asked, smiling at me. Those big orange eyes kept staring at me with all the joy in the world. I could barely contain myself from squealing from so much adorableness. I was struggling just as hard when I was talking to Fluttershy.

“Sure am! Got here yesterday.”

“Well, see ya ‘round Johnny! Ima go play with my friends now!” she said, and darted off to the park where Rainbow Dash was finishing up with Scootaloo’s training.

“So uh. Do you know where Pinkie Pie is going to throw this party?” I said while turning back to Applejack.

“Eeyup”, she nodded.

“Aaand you’re not going to tell me, right?”

“Eenope”, she shook her head.

“You did a Pinkie Promise, right?”

“Yes ah’ did. And nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise”, she said. “And even if ah’ didn’t do the Pinkie Promise I’m still not gonna tell ya”, she said before I could speak.

“Ugh, took the words right out of my mouth…” I grunted. “Seeing as you’re not going to give in even if I nag you I’ll just give up now.”

“I’m as hard as rock, sugar”, she smiled.

“Well… what is this Pinkie Promise anyway?” I asked.

“It’s really simple”, Applejack said, “All you gotta say is the following: ‘Cross mah heart.hope to flay. Stick a cupcake in mah eye’, if you want you can put your hoof on your eye, like this”, she stuck her hoof on her eye. “But once you do the Pinkie Promise, you better not break that promise! And trust me ah know how it is to break a Pinkie Promise…”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Let’s just say it involved a carriage chase and a Pinkie Pie with the anger of a hundred crabs in a can and leave it at that…” she shuddered at that thought.

“Okay… remind me not to make Pinkie Pie upset then…” I said.

“You betcha”, she said with a shaky voice. “If you’re not busy, seeing as you got time to stop by and chat. Would you mind helpin’ me pack these apples on this wagon ‘ere?”

“Sure, AJ”, I said smiling.

“AJ?” she asked.

“Short for Applejack, you know… I like giving short-hoof terms for my friends”

“When did I ever say I was your friend, Johnny?” she said flatly.

“Well… I just assumed…” I said awkwardly. You have GOT to be kidding me!

Applejack burst out laughing and fell to the ground. “Ah’m kidding Johnny! Really! Sheesh don’t worry ah was just kiddin’!”

“Well I didn’t think it was so funny…” I mumbled.

“Cheer up, sugercube!", she got up and picked up a basket to put on the wagon. "If it makes you feel better ima do the same thing you did and start callin’ you JB. That good?”

J…B…JB… Nope. Nope. NOPE.

“Uh…You know what? I take that back and I’ll just stick to calling you Applejack…”

Comments

[Scootaloose]

Okay, this relieves some stress about not having an updated story for exactly a month...

More info in Author's Note at the end of the page, but I guess you have to pass through that to read the comment section, so why am I putting this anyway?
Unless you skipped through everything, then I suggest you scroll back up and READ
Done, no need for author's note. But you can check my blog for a long description of what happened.

[dusher4]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHOOOOOOORT AND I WANNNT MOOOOOOOOORE

[Scootaloose]

1250094

I did put a [WIP], which means Work In Progress. That means I'm still not done on this chapter >.>

I just happened to miss the Edit button again and it got published, LOL

[dusher4]

1250539
Oh...I knew that...

[Scootaloose]

Ok, done. I decided to bump the party to a chapter of its own so I changed the chapter title.

No copyright infringement intended

[reader238]

hmm not wanting to be called JB. is that a justin bieber crack?

[BassCannon616]

“Cheer up, sugercube!", she got up and picked up a basket to put on the wagon. "If it makes you feel better ima do the same thing you did and start callin’ you JB. That good?”
J…B…JB… Nope. Nope. NOPE.
“Uh…You know what? I take that back and I’ll just stick to calling you Applejack…”

images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/13500000/Poor-Justin-this-is-so-sad-justin-bieber-13500802-720-517.jpg

[Xzaves]

“Seeing as you’re not going to give in even if I nag you I’ll just give up now.”
“I’m as hard as rock, sugar”, she smiled.

That's what he said