Apples or Lightning

by MimitehDragon

If it's Thunder's Advice: Take it.

Fluttershy galloped at her fastest speed, pushing through the crowds of Ponyville's streets. Her muscles screamed for a break, lungs burning for air. Her breath came in ragged gasps between snuffles and stifled sobs and the rain battered her stinging face. The cream pegasus bumped into a familiar gray stallion with golden eyes. "Sorry!" She mewled, brushing past a bewildered pegasus with a sniffle.

Soarin glided at a low altitude, swooping through the streets of Ponyville in search of his anguished crush. He glimpsed her passing a gray pegasus, but then she disappeared into the crowd. "Hey, you!" Soarin barked, skidding to a stop in front of the confused pony. "Which way did she go?"

"You'd have to be more specific, dear boy. I've seen many mare-flanks going in many directions and you'd have to inform me which one you're speaking of." The pegasus declared, his voice laced with smug cleverness.

"I swear, if you don't tell me which way 'Shy went, I'm gonna-"

"Jeez, don't get your panties in a bunch. The specific mare you seek to chase down in alley went that-a-way." He flicked his head back to indicate the road behind him. "But from what I can tell, she seems to need some time alone. Let her blow off some steam." The stallion shrugged and started to trot away.

"How do you know all these complicated mare-things." Soarin grumbled, kicking a stone irritably. "Some big red douche came in lookin' for a fight and she yelled at both of us; I was just trying to defend myself. I don't see what I did wrong. " The pale pegasus plopped onto his haunches, poking at the wet, rain-penetrated ground with his hoof.

"Mares don't like colts that fight all the time." The gray pony shrugged, stopping to turn back to him. "They don't like all that violence and shiz. Just give er some time to cool off and apologize another day."

Soarin sighed, looking down at his hooves with his shoulders slumped. "I guess that could work.." He mumbled. Then, the wonderbolt looked up. "Hay, what's your name, anyways?"

"I'm Thunder Lane." He said.

Before the pale stallion could reply, Thunder Lane lifted his hoof to pause him. "Soarin, I know. Nopony around here recognizes you without the suit. But, hay, who says I can't." He extended the same hoof with a smile and had it shaken by Soarin.

"Thanks, Thunder." He said.

Fluttershy galloped down a small dirt path as her cottage came into view. Her eyes stung from crying as she pushed further, breaking from her gallop into a slower saunter. She darted into her small home and locked the door behind her, leaping onto her couch with a sniffle. Shy buried her face into her decorative cushion, trying to bury her sobs and labored breathing.

Angel bunny appeared on the armrest in front of her. His usually stern expression was soft, his ears flattened back. He leaned forward with a foreleg out to paw at his owner's ruffled mane.

What happened? His eyes questioned when Fluttershy's wet face came out of her pillow.

"Oh, it was awful!" She sobbed, sitting up weakly at the protest of her screeching muscles. "I ruined my date with Soarin! It's all my fault! I just know it is. I shouldn't have yelled at Big Mac for trying to protect me when he thought I was in danger and I shouldn't have yelled at Soarin for defending his honor and-and.. " Fluttershy sniffled, wiping her face with a hoof.

Angel bunny patted her head, motioning for her to go on.

After explaining what happened at the Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy ended with, "-and it's all my fault!!" Fluttershy buried her face in her hooves. "I wouldn't be surprised if they hate me forever. If they never, ever want to speak to me again, ever see me again! I'm such a horrible pony for raising my voice at them!"

Her mind whirled with thoughts about if what happened was told to other ponies. What would all of her friends think? Rarity saw what happened; she could tell everypony else! What if they hated her, too? What if they were angry at her?

A worse thought struck her. She could hide from anger, but what about disappointment?

If her friends were disappointed in her, what could she ever do?

Fluttershy imagined Rainbow Dash's reaction. 'Not cool, Fluttershy. Not cool.' The cyan pegasus glared at her ex-friend, tilting her muzzle up to walk away.

'How could I be friends with someone who screams at ponies?' Twilight scoffed, recoiling.

'I expected more from you, Fluttershy.' Rarity glowered at her, eyes smoldering.

Fluttershy put her hooves over her ears, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to shut out the voices in her head.

'Not fun!' Pinkie's hateful tone singed her thoughts.

Fluttershy whimpered, putting a foreleg up to her mouth and gripping her flesh in her teeth.

'Honestly Fluttershy! Ya'll should know better!' The orange mare's voice dripped with scorn as it echoed in Fluttershy's thoughts.

Blood trickled down her foreleg and tainted her tongue.

Angel Bunny thumped his foot on the top of her head and scowled, shaking his.

Fluttershy sniffled, looking at the scarlet liquid pulsing from her wrist. "You're right angel. This isn't how I'm supposed to deal with my problems. I'll just.. I'll just apologize a-and hope for the best." She smiled, patting his head. "Thanks, Angel. Goodnight."

Suddenly realizing how exhausted she was, Fluttershy let sleep drag her into its peaceful darkness without bothering with her bedroom.

The sun peered over the horizon, sending slanted rays down into sweet apple acres. Big Macintosh stared out at the sunrise with exhausted eyes. He'd barely slept all night.

Today, he was going to head down to Fluttershy's and apologize for how irrationally he'd acted.

Big Mac began at a saunter toward the yellow pegasus's house. He remembered the moment when he'd put a hoof on her wing, the other day, and shivered at the way she'd stiffened with pleasure. He shook his head. Don't think that way about yer.. He stopped himself from calling her his marefriend. Ladyfriend he completed his thought carefully.

He still couldn't help but let his mind wander toward her enticing flanks. He stiffened. "Stop that!" He cursed himself aloud, speeding up.

As he sauntered quickly toward his destination, Big Macintosh passed by a gray pegasus with a pale blue mane. He called out to the red stallion, causing an irritated sigh.

"What is it?"

The gray stallion tossed a rubber ball up and down in one hoof. "Where ya off to?"

"Why would y'all wanna know that?"

"Just curious."

"If y'all must know, I'm goin' to my ma-" He paused. "My friend's house."

"Fluttershy?"

"How in tarnation did y'all know that?" Big Macintosh huffed.

"Just a wild guess." He glanced up from the bouncy ball, then tossed it to the other hoof and back.

"Leave me alone.." Mac grumbled.

"I'd restrict myself if I were you." He called as Big Macintosh turned to continue on his way with a grunt of irritation.

"Yeah, yeah.." He muttered. "Buck off.."

The gray pegasus shrugged, tossing his ball in the air once more before Mac began to gallop away.

Comments

[lunarstallion]

Bad idea, mac, you should've listened to him.

[MimitehDragon]

2393078 Quite.

[DjPonpheonix]

Wow, I love your approaching action in this story. Very believable.

This kind of scene happens all too often even in the real world and leads to very forcible and awkward situations. I can only hope things go as smoothly as ponyly(hehe yes I went there) possible. Very impressed with this chapter.

fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/127/1/3/thor_and_mlp_meme_for_fimfic_by_ponpheonix-d64fsvg.jpg

[Omegafr]

Thunderlane the best stallion