Fluttering Hearts

by Cloperella

First published 9th of February, 2012

Fluttermac shipping, with some tenderness and sex at the end. yay~

Big Macintosh finally decides to ask Fluttershy out after crushing on her for so long. The two have a wonderful night out, and grow into a wonderful relationship, sharing their most painful experiences with each other. Their desire for one another eventually becomes too much for them to handle as they express their love in the wilderness.

Chapter 1

Fall is a special time of the year in Ponyville; the season of change as some ponies referred to it. Although most noticeably the change they’re referring to would be the physical change of color that the leaves on the trees exhibit, there are also some more subtle, but nonetheless significant changes that occur throughout ponies lives this time of year. The peak of this season is marked by the annual Running of the Leaves competition, in which several ponies compete in a marathon designed to shake the leaves from the trees as a result of the force of everypony trampling the grounds at once as they run. However this year, there was another competition between two ponies that was slowly gaining more spectators. An Iron Pony competition between the down-to-earth pony apple farmer Applejack, and the head-in-the-Cloudsdale pegasus Rainbow Dash. The crowd mostly consisted of their closest friends, a few other ponies always ready to enjoy a good completion, and Applejack’s own supportive family watching from the stands cheering her on.

“Whah!” cheered a tired and frail Grannysmith.

“Whoo-ee!” shouted an exuberant Applebloom.

“Eeyup!” bellowed a somewhat distracted Big Macintosh. The stalwart red colt’s name was known throughout all of Ponyville, however not many ponies aside from his own kin knew much about him. Keeping a strong and silent demeanor, most only knew him as a hard worker with little to say. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy talking; he just never found himself in situations where lengthy conversation had rhyme or reason. It meant little to him though. All that really mattered to him in life was working hard, and taking care of family. At least that was mostly what mattered to him…

Although he had initially made his way here to support his sister in competition, he found his attention drawn to another pony for most of the time he was there. More specifically, the meek and graceful pegasus that was keeping charge of the scoreboard for the games. Watching her pink tail flow as her yellow wings flapped the air past her sent such a warm feeling through his body. He shut his eyes for a moment; taking in her glory while he imagined what it would be like if he could know her more personally. The thought brought a longing smile to his face. His daydream was rudely interrupted by a small nudge to his ribs.

“Whoa nelly, did you see that?” Applebloom asked him excitedly.

“Huh? Oh, yep, sure did!” Big Mac hastily responded. “AJ sure is cleanin’ up down there.”

“But, Rainbow Dash just won the Bronco Buck. Weren’t you watching?”

“Well, of course I was. I just, you know, I meant she will be cleanin’ up, in the next match, that’s all.”

A puzzled look formed on Applebloom’s face. Like any young filly, once her curiosity was peaked, it was quite a challenge to derive her from sating it with knowledge. Her drive to find her cutie mark may have been the only competent rival to the mystery at hand. She looked outwards to see what could possibly draw her older brother away from the heated games that were taking place below. A wide grin appeared as she finally deduced the situation. “Oh, I see now. You’re looking at her again.”

“I don’t know who you’re talkin’ ‘bout.” Big Mac replied in a huff.

“You sure as heck do know who I’m talking ‘bout!”

“Nope.” was his only response.

“So, you’re telling me you aint sittin’ here taking a gander over at…” she pulled herself up to his head and whispered softly in his ear “Flut-ter-shy?” A faint blush appeared on Big Macintosh’s face as his little sister mentioned her name. Applebloom couldn’t help but fall off of him into a fit of laughter at his embarrassment.”I knew it! You looove her!”

“You hush up.” He retorted rather defensively. It was somewhat known throughout the Apple family that he’d had a crush on Fluttershy, and he’d had to put up with a barrage of teasing from both of his sisters for quite some time now. He knew that’s just how girls behaved, but it did tend to get on his nerves sometimes; especially when he knew they were right.

“Ask her out, sonny.” Piped up Granny Smith, who Big Macintosh could have sworn had dozed off a moment ago. “Keepin yer feelins inside of ya is only gonna drive ya loony.”

“I just can’t, granny. She probably don’t feel the same ‘bout me. I mean, what would a pony who lives up in the clouds want with a simple apple farmer like me?”

“But, she doesn’t live in Cloudsdale, Big Mac!” Applebloom chimed in. “She lives in a cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest, taking care of all kinds of critters!”

“She… does?” the red pony but a hoof to his chin pondering this new knowledge.

“You’d be surprised at how many gals ‘preciate a good honest working colt like yerself.” The elder pony resumed, most likely not even aware of her granddaughters’ outburst. Most saw Granny Smith as a senile old mare whose mind had been pulled well past its prime, but her relatives knew that she still had untold amounts of wisdom hidden within.“Why I betcha that little Miss Shutterfly would be thrilled if you took her out on a nice date.”

“‘Fluttershy’, granny. But where would I-?” before he could finish his question, Granny Smith had already fallen asleep, snoring contentedly despite all of the action from the Iron Pony competition going on.

“So, you gonna go for it?” his younger sister asked with a hint of excitement.

Big Macintosh let out an exasperated sigh. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t know…”

“Oh, come on! When did you become so sheepish? You’re almost as shy as she is!”

Hearing this made his ears perk. “Almost as shy as she is… okay, I’ll do it. Right after the competition, I’ll ask her.”

“Well, alright, that’s what I wanna hear!” Applebloom gave her brother a supportive hug as he clenched his teeth thinking about the decision he’d just made. He shook his head and focused on what he’d initially come here for, watching as Applejack swiftly maneuvered through a spinning lasso, clearly outperforming Rainbow Dash, who had somehow managed to tie herself up in a nearby tree.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Darn Rainbow Dash, using her wings like that!” Applejack fumed, sore at how the Iron Pony competition had concluded: Dash winning the competition fifteen events to five. “I can’t believe she’d cheat like that! I thought she was a better friend than that!”

“Hey, come on, AJ.” Applebloom tried her best to comfort her older sister, Big Mac sharing a concerned expression. “Wasn’t this supposed to be a friendly competition between you two?”

“Yeah, it was! And that's why I didn’t think she’d go as far as to use something I can’t compete against!”

“Well, if y’all didn’t want her to do something like that, then maybe ya should’ve said so in the first place? I mean, it aint really cheatin to use somethin’ you’re born with, right?”

The orange Earth pony dug a hoof into the ground, a bit ashamed at her anger taking control of her. “I guess you’re right.” She admitted. “Besides, I still got tomorrow’s race to look forward to. And this time I’m making sure that she aint gonna be flying at all!”

“Just don’t let your feelings get the best of you, ya hear?” Big Macintosh stepped in resting his hoof on top of her head. He gave her a reassuring smile, a sprig of wheat hanging out of his mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. I’ll be a good sport and all, you aint got nothing to worry about.” As she spoke, Big Macintosh’s concentration was broken by a soft giggle in the distance. He looked past Applejack to where a trio of ponies, consisting of Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy, were conversing amongst themselves, Pinkie Pie most likely having just uttered one of her characteristic gut-busting one-liners. After saying their goodbyes, each pony went their separate ways, the yellow Pegasus making her way towards the Apple family.

“Speaking of lettin’ your feelings get in the way…” Applebloom made her way over to her brother and nudged her head into his side. “There she is, go talk to her!” Big Macintosh winced and turned his head to the side away from the approaching Fluttershy.

“Oh for Pete’s sake, are going over this again?” Applejack rolled her eyes at hearing her brother fret over his crush on one of her closest friends again. “When are you gonna pony up and tell her how you feel, ya big chicken?”

“I aint no chicken!”

“Well then, prove it!”

Big Macintosh opened his mouth to argue further, but decided against it when he heard a soft voice speak out.

“Wow, Applejack, you and Rainbow Dash did really well in the competition today!” Fluttershy congratulated her friend in a soft whisper. Hearing her voice caused Macintosh’s mouth to hang open as the piece of wheat stumbled out and fell to the ground.

“Well, thanks, Fluttershy.” The orange mare tossed her ponytail back in a charismatic fashion at being praised. “’Course, your scorekeeping showed I didn’t do well enough.”

“Oh, don’t feel bad. I’m sure that if Rainbow hadn’t used her wings, you would have stood a much better chance at winning.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed at Fluttershy's remark. “That’s what I said! If she was an Earth pony like me, I woulda wiped the floor with her!”
“Oh my.” Fluttershy lowered herself at hearing Applejack’s voice raise. “Did I say something wrong?”
Why, that little-!” Applejack caught herself before she said something she’d regret, and cleared her throat. “Anyway, that aint important. What is important is that my brother he has something real important to discuss.” She said, as she walked behind Big Mac and gave him a powerful nudge towards the yellow pegasus, almost knocking him over.

“Wait, I told ya, I can’t-!” Big Macintosh’s protests met with disapproving glares from his family as he turned back towards Fluttershy and gave a sheepish grin, hardly able to hide his anxiousness.

“Um, what did you want to ask me, Big Macintosh?” Fluttershy asked softly, half her face hidden by her beautiful pink mane.

A few beads of sweat broke out on the red pony’s’ forehead as he heard her elegant voice. He moved his eyes to and fro, hardly able to make eye contact with her. “Well, uh, you see, I was wondering, you know, if you’d like to- and if you don’t I completely understand, but if you’re not busy, maybe you’d like to, you know, uh-“

His clumsy proposal was interrupted by Fluttershy’s tiny voice suddenly. “Big Macintosh?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“I’d love to go out with you and get a little something to eat tonight.” She spoke with a sense of confidence, before immediately reverting back to her usual timid self. “If that’s what you’d like, of course.”

“Yeah! I mean, no, great! Good. Okay, I’ll see you, uh, tonight then- yeah, that’s whatcha said, right? Yeah, you just said it, I was here when-!” Big Macintosh felt a sharp pain in his rear leg as he looked back to see the eldest of his sisters stamp on his hoof, urging him to wrap it up while he was ahead. “I’ll uh… see you tonight then, right before the moon starts to rise.”

Fluttershy gave him a tiny smile as she looked up at him. “That sounds nice. Um, I guess I’d better go. Bye.” Without another word she scampered off back towards her cottage, leaving Big Macintosh with an excited smile on his face.

Smirking, Applejack propped up on her hind legs and rested a fore hoof on Big Mac’s rump. “Now was that honestly so hard?”

Big Macintosh regained his tough exterior and shrugged her off “I aint got time to be lectured. I got plans tonight.”

“Yeah, thanks to me!”

“And me!” Applebloom reminded him.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin ‘bout.” He responded curtly. As he made his way over to retrieve a sleeping Granny Smith from the bleachers, his two sisters followed him back to the Apple farm, giggling amongst themselves every trot of the way.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed, prancing across her living room in a panic. “I’m supposed to go out with Big Macintosh any minute now on a d-d-d-date, and… I have no idea what to do!” For the past hours she had been in this state, fussing over how she was supposed to handle this new ordeal approaching closer by the second. She caught a glance at her reflection in a mirror; wide-eyed, mane an absolute mess, and her teeth clenched; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, settle down, Fluttershy.” She said to herself out loud. “Getting all worked up and out of sorts isn’t going to help any. Just get a hold of yourself.” With her history of being so socially awkward and timid, she was the last of her friends she expected to find herself on any kind of date. Even when she’d met Twilight Sparkle, who secluded herself from other ponies more than she did, she could hardly raise her voice enough to introduce herself. If hadn’t been for her baby dragon assistant Spike bringing out her excitement for young creatures, she might still only have Rainbow Dash and Rarity as her closest friends.

She took another look at her mane out of sorts, and cleared her throat and called out in a delicate manner. “Angel? Can you come help me please?” Her faithful bunny companion didn’t respond. “Angel, where are you?” Taking a few steps around her sofa, she found him lying underneath, his head buried in some book that he must have snatched from Twilight. “Oh, good, there you are. Um, if you’re not busy, do you think you could help me fix my hair, please?” Despite putting on her sweetest smile, Angel resumed reading his book, with his back turned towards her. Even though Angel was her faithful companion, he could be very impatient with her at times, and often a bit selfish. He was still fairly young for a bunny, so she often overlooked his rude behavior. “Angel, I’m sorry that I’m interrupting you, but I could really use your help right now.” Still no response from the bunny as a frown formed on Fluttershy’s face. “One… two…” Hearing her start to count, Angel scampered away from his book and towards Fluttershy’s dresser, finding her own special brush in the top drawer. Apparently, he knew what came after three, and he did not want to have to look at those eyes ever again.

“Oh, thank you so much, Angel.” She responded gingerly, trotting towards him and sitting on the floor so he could get to work. Climbing on top of her shoulders, he worked his arms up to the top of her head and gently worked her brush down, filing all of her frizzy hair back into place. “I would do it myself, but I’m just so nervous right now. I mean, I’ve never been on a date before. I mean, a few colts have asked me before, but I’ve always just… run away.” She sunk her head for a bit, until Angel thumped her, prompting her to keep her head still while he did his job. “But, you know, I’m really surprised I was able to ask him out. I don’t even know where it came from. He’s usually so calm and collected. Seeing Big Macintosh so out of sorts like that kind… inspired me, for some reason.”

Angel didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Fluttershy as she confessed her anxiousness about her first real date in her life. Having finished restoration of her pink mane to its former glory, he hopped off of her down to the floor. “Oh, you’re done. Thank you, Angel, you’ve been a big help to me.” In a huff, the grumpy bunny took his book into his mouth, and hopped back towards the sofa, resuming where he had left off.

Fluttershy looked out the window and saw that Luna’s moon was just starting to rise. Big Macintosh should have been here by now. Had he gotten lost on the way to her house? Did he get hurt? Or maybe he had more work to do on the farm? “Or, probably… he just decided not to come.” She said in a disappointed tone. “That’s okay though. It just means I have one less thing I need to worry about. I guess it’s for the best if he just doesn’t-“A sudden knocking on her door sent her flying under the sofa, right next to Angel who stared at her with a puzzled look on her face. Another set of knocks on the door, and Angel slammed his book shut, hopping towards the door to open it impatiently.

“Oh, uh, hi there, little guy.” Big Macintosh’s strong voice rang out boldly. “Say, is Fluttershy ‘round here?” Looking back to where she was hiding, Angel lifted a paw up at Mac signaling him to wait right there. Hopping towards Fluttershy, he grabbed her by the tail with both arms, and using all of his strength, pulled her out from under the couch leaving her right in front of her date.

“Um… hi.” she said sheepishly, barely able to keep eye contact with him.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Big Macintosh greeted her with enthusiasm, much differently than earlier today at the Iron Pony competition. “You alright? You look a little pale.” Fluttershy covered her head with both hooves. Here he was, right on her doorstep and she couldn’t think of anything about what to say or do with him. “Look, if you aint feelin well, I guess I understand. I’ll just go back home. I don’t wanna force you to-“
“No, wait!” she piped up suddenly, standing up from the floor and reaching out to him. She could detect the disappointment in his voice, and she didn’t want to be responsible for any sad feelings he might have about her setting him up. “I’m okay, really! Oh, please don’t go home!”

Big Macintosh turned back towards her, a relieved smile on his face. “Well, glad ta hear it.” Getting a good look at him, she realized how much trouble he had gone through before arriving. His hair had been groomed neatly in rows, his hooves had been manicured, and in place of his usual harness was instead a bow tie elegantly hung around his neck, along with a primed vest squeezing a bit too tightly around his body.
“Oh my.” Fluttershy responded while taking the sight of him in. “You look… fancy.”
With a grin, Mac explained his new look. “Thanks. It’s kind of funny story. See, my sister done blabbed to one of hers and your friends Rarity, and she offered to give me a ‘make-over’. I tried to protest, but before I could get a word out, I’d been hog tied and pushed into the daintiest salon I’d ever been in. Not, uh, not that I go into a lot of salons, mind ya.”

Fluttershy giggled. That did sound like Rarity. As generous as she was with her talents, she did sometimes overlook the fact that her tastes might not sync up with others. “Well, do you like it?”

“I dunno. What do you think of it?”
“ I think…” Fluttershy pondered her words carefully. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable, although from the looks of it he didn’t seem very comfortable to begin with. “It’s a little much.”

Big Macintosh let out a frustrated sigh. “I knew it! This fancy frou-frou stuff just aint me! I look ridiculous don’t I?”

“Oh no, it’s not that bad. We just need to tone it down a bit.” She stepped towards Big Macintosh and grabbed the strings to the vest with her teeth, pulling them loose until it fell away, relieving his large build of its restriction.

“Hwaa!” Big Mac took in and let out a huge breath of air. “I can breathe again! Thank Celestia!”

“And, let’s just fix this while we’re at it.” Fluttershy buried her nose into his hair, ruffling it around until it resembled its natural untamed finesse. She wriggled her nose a bit, the smell of apples poking at it. It must have been a shampoo, if Rarity had gone to the trouble of fixing his hair like that. She was a clever filly, no doubt about it. “Now, all that’s left is the tie.”

“Actually… I kind of like the tie. Makes me look formal, don’t ya think?” Big Macintosh turned his head up striking an uncharacteristically suave pose.

“Hee hee. Um, yes.” Fluttershy bemused, happy that he was finally comfortable around her. “Well, I guess we should get going. Angel, be a dear and look after the place for me. You’re in charge while I’m gone, okay?”

Angel lifted his paw in a mocking salute, before quickly slamming the door. Big Macintosh turned back towards her, scratching one of his hooves with the other. “So, uh… you got a place ta eat in mind?”

“Oh, yes.” Fluttershy replied meekly. “Actually, I’ve never been before. It’s somewhere that Twilight recommended to me. She and Spike eat there most of the time.”

“Alright, sounds good. Shall we?”

“O-okay.”

Walking side-by-side with him, Fluttershy would occasionally glance up at Big Macintosh to admire his robust demeanor, turning away suddenly if he looked back at her. The comfort they’d felt a few minutes ago had already begun to fade away. Oh no, She thought to herself in a panic. What have I gotten myself into?

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Monsieur and mademoiselle, may I present to you your entrees for the evening.” Their refined waiter carefully placed his silver tray balanced on his head in front of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy, seated outside of the restaurant so they could gaze at the stars slowly making their appearance over them. “For the lady, a garden salad, with freshly sliced cucumbers. And for the gentlecolt, a bean lettuce and tomato sandwich, with… added bar-be-queue sauce.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” Fluttershy responded quietly.

“Yeah, thanks!” Big Macintosh replied in haste, not even waiting for the waiter to depart before diving in head first into his sandwich.

“Well, if you two are all set, then I suppose I shall just, eh… leave you to enjoy!” the waiter scampered away, somewhat startled by Macintosh’s ravenous consumption. After taking many large chomps, he looked up at Fluttershy who was gazing at him with a very surprised look on her face. He took a moment to look down and realized that he was already nearly finished with it, while Fluttershy hadn’t even started on her meal yet.

“Pardon- I mean, uh, excuse me.” Big Macintosh uttered, embarrassed by how uncultured he had behaved. “I hadn’t eaten all day. Breakfast is usually early before the sun even comes up. And with the Iron Pony competition and Rarity sprucing me up, I aint had time to catch lunch or dinner. I was just plain starving.”
Fluttershy giggled. “That’s okay. I just wasn’t… expecting it. That’s all. I usually spend all day with small animals that nibble at their food, so I’ve never really seen somepony eat so much so fast.” Fluttershy took a small pick at her salad, chewing at it with the utmost delicacy

“Heh, well, when you’re spending most your time lugging around carts, and lifting baskets full of apples, it works up an appetite. In fact, me and AJ usually buck more apples than we can carry, so we can catch some snack time while we work.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll bet it’s really hard work. I can’t even imagine how you and Applejack are able to do it without hurting yourselves.”

“Heh heh, nah, it aint no trouble. Applebucking’s what we do in the family. It’s our namesakes, anyways. I can’t really imagine what I’d be good at if it wasn’t Applebuckin.”

“Oh, don’t say that. I’m sure you’re good at lots of things.”

“Eh, maybe. I dunno.” Big Macintosh scratched his head, taking a moment to admire Fluttershy’s encouraging smile. He felt like a million bits. Here he was with the mare of his dreams, and she was smiling at him, directly at him. But he couldn’t just keep gloating about himself, or she might think he had some sort of overinflated ego. “Anyway, how ‘bout y’all tell me about yourself?” He took a very small bite of what was left of his sandwich, trying to make it last a bit longer if he could.

“What?” Fluttershy asked, her face turning to a worried sulk. “Oh, no, there’s nothing for me to talk about. I’m not that interesting.”

“Aw, come on, that can’t be true. Ya got lots of friends, including AJ. They can’t all think you’re uninteresting. Try me. I’d love to hear about you.”

“Well, I, um, take care of animals.”

“Yeah?”

“Y-yeah. I just, keep them with me, and feed them, and treat them if they’re sick and… stuff.” Fluttershy’s head sank, turning away from Macintosh as she spoke.

“Oh, well that’s nice, I guess…” Big Macintosh frowned at hearing her lose confidence in herself. He couldn’t really contribute to the conversation at hand. Although they did keep a large number of animals at Sweet Apple Acres, they were mostly used for farming and their own benefit. Cows, pigs, and sheep could pretty much take care of themselves, and feeding them was simply a matter of filling the trough. It didn’t compare to the tender-loving-care that Fluttershy probably gave her animals. Desperately searching for something else for them to talk about, he happened to notice their waiter a distance behind Fluttershy, waving his hoof, beckoning Macintosh to meet him for a moment. “Uh, ‘scuse me, Fluttershy, I need to, uh…”

“Oh, right, go ahead.”

“I’ll be right back.” He lifted himself up from his seat and, making sure that he wasn’t being watched, trotted closer to his waiter.

“Sir, I couldn’t help but notice that you were sitting with one of the six mares who defeated Nightmare Moon, oui?”

Big Macintosh’s brow furrowed “Oh, shoot! Of course she is! I shoulda asked her about that, it would have made a better conversa-!”

“You misunderstand me, sir. I merely bring this up because there happens to be an open-seating play being held in Town Square tonight; a play centered on the story of our Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna. Part of that play will tell the tale of how the elements were used to defeat Nightmare Moon.”

“Okay, I guess that sounds interesting.”

“And maybe if someone were trying to get to know more about his date, he might want to take her to something that covers an important part of her life, no?”

His eyes widened as he finally put the pieces together. “Oh, that’s genius! Thanks, buddy, I really owe you a big ol’ tip!”

The server pony closed his eyes with a confident smile “Oh no, sir, I assure you, it’s my pleasure-“

“Tell ya what, you ever see me or my sister at an Apple stand, we’ll get you basket- no, make that two baskets of apples, free of charge!”

His face puzzled, apparently not the sort of tip he was looking for. But he shrugged and put on a polite smile. “Sir, you are too kind. I would be happy to take that offer from you.” Shaking hooves, Big Macintosh ran back to Fluttershy, still eating her salad slowly. “Hey, you wanna get out of here?”

“Huh? Oh, why? Are you not having a good time here?”

“No, it aint that. It’s just that I think we might find something really fun to do at Town Square tonight. Like maybe a show or something.”

“Okay, I guess we could-!”

Without a moment’s notice, Big Macintosh lifted Fluttershy onto his back and carried her in a gallop off towards Town Square. This is my big chance, he thought to himself. If she won’t tell me about herself, I’ll find something else to do it for her!
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Ponies of every size and age gathered ‘round the large stage in the center of Town Square. The area served as the central place for Ponyville’s largest events, from public speakers to the annual Summer sun Celebration. It had even served as the location for one of its most infamous performances, as a spotlight for the Great and Powerful Trixie (though most ponies would attempt to change the conversation topic at the mention of her name). A large banner with the title The Moon’s Lament decorated the scenery, with the infamous image of the Mare in the Moon at the footer of the title. Just as the sound of the orchestra raised along with the curtain to signal the start of the show, two ponies running late to the show politely inched their way past the crowd closer to the middle where they could witness the action more easily.

“Um, Big Macintosh?” Fluttershy asked her date for the evening.

“Yeah?”

“Are you… a fan of theater or something?”

“Nah, not particularly. Why?”

“Oh, well, I was just wondering, because you seemed like you really wanted to see this play.”

Big Macintosh chuckled “Well, I aint big into all that theater stuff, but this one’s different. I think you’ll get a real kick out of this one.”

“If you say so…” Fluttershy craned her neck to see above the ponies in front of her, all much taller than her. As the orchestra’s sounds dimmed, the lights on stage rose, showing two ponies with their backs turned to the audience standing on the floor, one dressed in white, the other dressed in black, as an enchanting voice narrated.

“A millennia ago, when life had only just spurned from creation itself, chaos reigned throughout the land. Life would form and diminish in the blink of an eye while havoc coursed throughout each moment. But on one fateful day, all that had been and would ever be would finally change.”

The two ponies in center stage rose slowly, as their clothing began to exhibit an enchanting glow.

“The two regal princesses; Celestia of the Light.”

The pony in white about faced, towards the audience, raising her right hoof dramatically, her face beaming with charm.

“And Luna, of the Dark.”

The pony in black turned as well, her left hoof lowered to her side, keeping a more reserved smile on her form.

“Together, these two sisters drove out chaos and brought about order and harmony into what would from that moment on be their kingdom. The eldest, Princess Celestia, would create the day, filled with light and energy. Her younger sister, Princess Luna, would create the night, full of darkness and tranquility. For a time, it was good, as the sisters reigned in harmony over the land, with their subjects created in their image, each with individual traits borrowed from their makers.”
As the voice explained, the two ponies began to dance and sway around each other, the lights moving to reveal the background, a mural composed of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, all playing, working, and sleeping together in a mixture of night and day. The lights faded until only one remained on the pony portraying Luna.
“However, all did not sit well between the two sisters. While the mortal ponies reveled and embraced Princess Celestia’s day, when nightfall came, most ponies slept and shunned the night sky that Princess Luna had worked so hard to create. While she never brought the matter up with her sister, the bitterness grew within her heart. Each rise and fall of the moon that passed, the empress of the night contemplated how she would persuade her subjects to appreciate her creation. And if they could not be persuaded, they would simply be forced.”

The lights rose again to reveal a change in the background, now a reflection of the interior of a royal mansion, most likely what one would imagine the princess’s home to resemble. The actress playing Princess Celestia made her way towards her acting sister.

“Oh, good morning, my beloved sister.” She said drearily, fighting back a yawn. “If only I could find a way for the sun to rise without my need to rise from my chambers. I could surely use some more sleep.” Princess Luna looked over her shoulder at her sister, then back away, not wanting to entertain conversation. “Come now, Luna, I have already prolonged my duties as a princess. We cannot afford to keep the daylight waiting any longer.”

Princess Luna lowered her head, forcing herself not to look at her sister as she spoke. “No” she cried softly.

“Luna” Princess Celestia raised her voice, inflecting her seriousness at this opposition before her. “I will not stand for this. Lower the moon now so that I may raise the sun, as we have done for so long already.”

“No! I will not! I want them to awake and catch a glimpse at my night, even if just for a moment.”

“I am sorry, my sister, but this cannot be done. If we prolong the day and night for so long, this world will slip back into chaos. Is this what you desire?”

“Maybe it is!” As she protested, the lights dimmed for a flash, causing a stir among the audience, especially the younger ponies. “I’ve heard you speak of how we must keep a sturdy schedule to prevent the land from falling into disarray, but I think it is a hoax! You merely want to keep me hidden within the shadows, so that you can keep your role as everyone’s favorite princess.”

“Luna, please, I would never-!”

“Do not address me by that name anymore!” she cried out, a blackened bolt of magic striking out from her horn towards her eldest sister, knocking her back and onto the floor. A dark swirl of energy began to form around her, obscuring her from sight. “That name represents our union as rulers. But I will break this union and begin my own rule. From now on, you may call me…” the swirling ceased, as it all collected in the middle, and burst forth, illuminating her presence again, now changed to a much more larger and more menacing armor-clad form, eliciting gasps of fear from the audience with her lower growling voice. “Nightmare Moon!”

“You…” Princess Celestia struggled to her feet as she addressed the fearsome presence before her. “You’re not… you can’t be… my sister? What has happened?”

“Your sister has grown up.” She responded “And she has grown tired of your oppressive rule. Now I will see to it that the night lasts forever under my reign. They will never see your wretched sun again!” She threw her head back letting out a vicious cackle, forming into a black mist as she made her way offstage in a rush.

“Dear me, this cannot be allowed to pass!” Princess Celestia cried out to herself, gazing towards where Nightmare Moon had made her escape. “My sister… what has become of you?”

The narrator resumed her tale as the lights faded, and the actress exited to the left offstage. “And true to her word, the dark princess, now referring to herself as Nightmare Moon, left her moon in the sky. Whole crops began to die from lack of sunlight, the tides rose rapidly from the rays of the moon, whilst creatures large and small panicked from the unbalancing of nature. For what should have been four cycles of night and day, terror and havoc gripped Equestira. Until on the fifth day, Princess Celestia construed a plan to lure her corrupted sister out to face her. Though Luna’s power prevented her from controlling the moon, she was still able to control her sun as she pleased.”

The lights once again rose, depicting what the environment might resemble during a solar eclipse. A sparkling dark cloud formed in the center of the stage as Nightmare Moon appeared in a fit of rage. “Celestia!” she bellowed fiercely. “What is the meaning of this!? You dare mock me by raising your sun whilst my moon is still occupies the sky!? Come and face me, now!”

Princess Celestia made her way back onstage towards her dark sister. “What troubles you, sister?” she asked with a dismissive attitude. “I have allowed you to keep your moon in the sky, despite it going against centuries of royal tradition. Do not think that this will keep me from carrying out my own task. I will continue to carry out my duties to my kingdom, whether you approve of it or not.”

Nightmare Moon dug her hoof into the ground hearing her sisters resolve. “You will regret those words, princess of the sun! The night SHALL last forever!”

“Then your mind is made up, is it? You would go against me just to keep the land in eternal darkness, dear sister?”

“I am no longer your sister!” she screamed as she charged towards the white alicorn. Suddenly a flourish of colors formed around Princess Celestia, shielding her from Nightmare Moons’ charge.

“Yes you are. You are still my sister, and also my closest friend. That is why…” as she spoke, the colors surrounding her took form, as bright and shining emeralds emanating with a powerful magic essence, receiving a series of oohs and ahhs from the captive audience watching their battle. “That is why I am still able to utilize these: the Elements of Harmony, the spirit of friendship! Even though you may be my friend, I will still defend what is best for my kingdom!” Her form hovered into the air, as the elements spun ‘round her with increased speed, and a powerful rainbow launched from the top surrounding Nightmare Moon and causing her to rear on her hind legs in fear.

“No! You can’t do this!” he protested frantically. “How could you!?”

“For threatening my ponies with eternal moonlight, I hereby strip you of your command over the night, and cast you into exile within the moon you so cherish above all others!”

“Nooooooo!” with a final powerful shout, Nightmare Moon’s figure faded away, until the entire stage turned to blackness, followed by a bright depiction of the moon, now with the fallen princess’s looming face cascaded into its’ surface. “This is not the end.” A chilling whisper echoed throughout the audience, causing everypony to turn and search for the source of the voice. “I shall have my revenge. Even if it takes a thousand years, I’ll have it. The stars will aid in my escape. And when I do return… the night… shall last… forever…” The moon diminished at a steady pace, until the warm glowing sun took its place.

The swirling colors came to a halt as Princess Celestia collapsed to the floor exhausted from spending so much power. The elements began to flicker slowly. They began to lose their vibrant color, turning to stone and falling to the floor, each one cracking slightly at the force of the crash. Out of breath, she gazed at the fallen elements. “I… I’ve done it.” She stated. “I’ve saved my kingdom, and everypony in it.” Her head sank to the floor as she spoke. “But… I’ve failed. I could not save her. My fellow princess. My younger sister. The friend I’ve known longer than anypony in existence. And it was I… with my own hooves… I am responsible for her no longer being here.” Her voice trembled and cracked as she shut her eyes, a single tear spilling down her upstaged cheek. “What horrible thing have I done?”
With the conclusion of her monologue, the curtains lowered, signaling the end of the first act. A thunderous round of applause rang from the audience, everypony clopping in admiration of what they had just witnessed, accompanied by a few enthusiastic whoops and whistles as well.

“Pretty good stuff, aint it?” Big Macintosh turned to where Fluttershy had been sitting, only to see it empty. Looking to the left and right of him, he panicked fearing that she had grown bored of the play, or him, and left back home. His fears were put to rest when he heard a small whimper underneath him, and looked down to see Fluttershy trembling with her hooves over her face. “Heh heh, how long you been down there?”

“Um…” Fluttershy peeked out for an instant to look up at him. “About since the time that she transformed…”

“Aw, no, you missed out on so much!”

“Well, I heard it, most of it, anyway. I don’t think I like this, it’s so… scary!”

“Oh, Fluttershy, you gotta be brave.” Big Macintosh leaned down and nudged her gingerly. “Sometimes the scary things are a lot of fun, as long as you know it’ll end up okay.”

“But- but what if it doesn’t end up okay? What if it ends up really badly?” she shut her eyes and crouched deeper underneath him.

“Well, it’s a chance you gotta take, I guess. Besides, y’all should know that this story turns out okay, right?

“I… do?” While she questioned her date, the narrator picked up again, to usher in the beginning of the second act. Big Macintosh backed up and gently pushed her rump urging her to stand up and watch the rest of the play.

“With the heaviest of hearts Princess Celestia, who had banished her own sister to save all of ponykind, learned to control her sister’s moon, and took on the responsibility of raising both the day and night for the next several centuries. But Nightmare Moon’s vow to return still haunted her. A millennia had passed, and this day marked the annual Summer Sun Festival. Though most of ponykind had dismissed the tales of Nightmare Moon as an old foaltale, the princess knew that this day could possibly spell doom for all in her kingdom.”

Big Macintosh smiled as he helped Fluttershy onto her hooves. “Well, yeah, wasn’t it the night of the Summer Sun Festives that you met Twilight and all your other friends? The ones that you defeated Nightmare Moon with?”

“I… I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Thank you for-!” she was suddenly knocked into Big Macintosh as the surrounding ponies moved in a bit closer, completely drawn into the play and wanting to get as close as physically possible to the stage. It was a bit tight, Macintosh had to admit. But he wasn’t about to complain about Fluttershy standing up close to his side. He had a new sense of confidence with the way the evening was turning out.

“Ah, me, what to do?” the acting Princess Celestia muttered while pacing back and forth onstage. “’It’s the night of the longest day of the year, and keeping watch on the alignment of the stars, I fear that Nightmare Moon may use their energies to aid in her escape. If she does, I will no longer be able to stop her. My control over the Elements of Harmony was broken when I cast her… my closest friend… into her lunar prison. What to do, what to do!? May even a princess not have some higher being to beg for assistance from?”

At that moment, a puff of fiery smoke wafted in from the side of the stage, forming into a scroll of parchment in front of her. Using her magic, the princess levitated the letter in front of her and read it aloud. “’My Dearest Teacher: My continuing studies of the pony magical arts have led me to the realization that we are on the precipice of disaster. For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon is in fact Nightmare Moon. It is my belief that she may make her return on this night. She will return to Equestria, bringing with her eternal night to rule over the land. Appropriate actions must be taken to prevent this terrible prophecy from being fulfilled. I await a hasty yet prompt response from you, your most faithful apprentice… Twilight Sparkle.’ Oh, Twilight!” the princess’s face lit up at finishing the letter written for her. “My most loyal pupil! I should have thought of this long before. She is the most powerful unicorn I have known for centuries. I remember the day I met her, how she easily increased her future apprentice’s size by ten stories. But, alas… Twilight, you are often so wrapped up in your studies, that you seldom make time to find true friendship. How will you harness the Elements of Harmony if all you do is rely on your own powers?”

“But… yes, this may work.” She said to herself, raising her head up slightly. “If I task her with forming bonds with suitable companions, perhaps she could learn the magic of friendship on her own. It is a long shot, and it means that I will need to distance myself from her so that she may learn from them instead of me. But it is the best shot there is right now.” In a hurry, the princess began to write her own letter back to her student. “She will think it a meager task, meeting unfamiliar ponies and gaining their friendship. But she won’t realize how important her mission is until the night approaches.” Her horn glowing, she set the parchment ablaze, sending it to Twilight Sparkle’s dragon assistant. “Good luck, Twilight. They may not be aware, but all of Equestria will be counting on you.”

As the play progressed, the attention now focused on a new pony actress, one with the appearance of the purple unicorn librarian, Twilight Sparkle. Each scene depicted her and her assistant (played by a younger filly in a scaly costume, trying to keep balance on their hind legs) entering a different section of the town of Ponyville, meeting another one of her five closest friends for the first time. Each reenactment seemed spot on with each pony, drawing a laugh out of the audience as they saw how many times the original pony had said something similar to line they had just heard. Fluttershy herself even joined in the laughter, especially during the scene with her long time friend Rainbow Dash.

“Hee hee, oh Rainbow. She makes me laugh.” She giggled to herself. “When we were in flight school, she claimed that she could do just about anything in ten seconds flat.”

“Heh, see? I told you that you’d like it.” Big Mac gave her cheek a playful nudge, as he turned his attention back towards the play. In a few moments though, a special scene played out before them as Twilight Sparkle entered a setting with the appearance of a surrounding forest, with a yellow pony conducting a small gathering of birds in lyrical harmony.

“Excuse me, miss?” Twilight interjected, causing the birds to fly away in fear. “Oh, my apologies! I seem to have frightened your musicians away. Please forgive me.”

“Oh… it’s um… it’s quite alright.” The yellow pony replied, turning towards Twilight, but averting eye contact as much as she could. From the looks of the actress, she was a bit older than the other thespians, perhaps enough to be somepony’s mother. Though only her skin tone matched Fluttershy’s appearance, the way she portrayed her character was almost identical.

“I don’t believe I have your name. I am known as Twilight Sparkle. How may I address you?”
Digging her hoof into the ground, Fluttershy’s actress responded so softly, it was barely considered audible. “My name… it is, um… Fluttershy.”

“I am sorry; I did not hear what you just said. Could you repeat yourself?”

She cleared her throat, but again could not raise the volume of her voice. “F-Flu-Flutter-shy…”

“I apologize; I am having quite a difficult time hearing you. Could you perhaps speak a bit louder?”

“Um… um…” Hiding her head from Twilight, she let out the tiniest frightened whimper, luring a resounding “Awww!” from the audience, enthralled by how socially awkward she was.

“I am NOT that shy!” a small voice rang out from the crowd. Surprised, everypony in the audience, even the actresses onstage, turned towards the source of the shout. There they saw Fluttershy with an annoyed look on her face. Suddenly realizing that all eyes were on her, she backed down and grinned sheepishly. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t- I mean, I didn’t mean to, I just…” hiding behind Big Macintosh, Fluttershy let out her own adorable whimper putting the onstage actress to shame. This brought about an uproar of laughter from everypony surrounding her, as well as more applause.

“It’s okay, sugarcube.” Big Macintosh reassured her as she trembled behind him. “They aint makin fun of ya. They just really like ya, that’s all.” Turning back towards her admirers, a stern look appeared on his face, as he motioned his head back towards the stage. Taking his signal, the noise quickly died down and the actresses quickly got back into character.

“Ahem, well, I… I suppose that our business here is concluded.” Twilight’s actress responded, forcing a laugh back down her throat. “I shall report to the princess that the Summer Sun Festival should not experience a single hitch in its events, and I can resume preparing for how to combat Nightmare Moon’s arrival!”

And the play continued on without a hitch from that point onward. Each scene recounted the events of Nightmare Moon’s return, and Twilight’s quest to seek out the Elements of Harmony with the assistance of her five best friends through the frightening Everfree Forest. Once or twice Fluttershy would close her eyes when something terrifying was portrayed onstage. But with some encouragement from her date, she found the resolve to watch and enjoy the show along with the rest of the audience. With bated breath, the audience watched as the final scene unfolded before them. Twilight Sparkle, finally realizing that she and each of her friends represented one of the six elements of harmony, joined their powers together to form a giant glowing rainbow. Enveloping Nightmare Moon in a violent vortex of colors and casting the darkness away, all that was left was the frail and weakened Princess Luna in her place. With the climax of the play finished, Princess Celestia appeared on stage congratulating the little ponies on their victory.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She said with admiration as she hugged the small unicorn. “My faithful student. I had faith in you all along, and just as I had hoped, you’ve performed splendidly.”

“But, your majesty, wasn’t it you who told me not to worry about Nightmare Moon?”

“No, my student, you forget my words. I advised you to make friends. For without friendship, none can hope to harness the power of the elements. You did exactly what was necessary, and I could not be more proud of you.” Twilight beamed at her mentors praise. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is one last matter I must attend to.” The princess made her way over to the smaller alicorn, frightened and shuddering on the floor in fear of the one who had banished her so many years ago. “It has been some time since I have seen you like this, dearest sister. I beg of you, put aside our differences and accept my friendship, so that we may resume our rule of this kingdom together… the way it was meant to be ruled. Please…”

Princess Luna’s eyes sank to the floor as her bottom lip trembled. Bursting into tears, she leapt towards her older sister, and buried her face into her chest sobbing. “Please forgive me!” she cried. “I don’t know what came over me! I missed you ever so much”

Overcome with emotion herself, a single tear slid down Princess Celestia’s cheek. “As did I, sister. I shall never do such a thing again. The emptiness I’ve felt with your absence was unbearable. Now, with you back at my side, I finally feel… whole again.”

With the touching moment concluded, the curtain fell on the final scene, a rumbling roar of stamping hooves in applause from the audience, and cheering so powerful that some would even have heard it in the deepest regions of the Everfree Forest. The thespians of the show made their way onstage, taking humble bows to the audience’s praise. After what seemed an eternity, the actress playing Princess Celestia raised a hoof in an attempt to quiet the audience down. “Thank you all so much, everypony! Tonight was a dream come true for so many of us, as we’ve been working on it for so many months now. But we would like to give a special thanks to one member of the audience for attending and being such a wonderful sport as she watched herself be portrayed onstage. Let’s hear it for the element of kindness: Fluttershy!”

At the sound of her name, a stage light shone upon Fluttershy in the audience leaning next to Big Macintosh, prompting her to quickly hide behind him, poking her head out slightly. A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, followed by warming applause as she shuddered behind her date in fear.

“What’s the matter, sugarcube?” he asked, nudging her hair with his muzzle “You’re famous now! ‘Aint that neat?”

“Um, no, not really.” She murmured to him. “Being famous means that everypony’s always looking at you. I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Heh heh, alrighty, I’ll see if I can get ya out of here. Thanks y’all, now gang way, celebrity’s gotta get some air, ya hear?”

Slowly but surely, a row of ponies around them cleared away to provide an exit path for the couple to pass through. Smiling and nodding at all of the admirers, Big Macintosh escorted Fluttershy out of the crowd, as their attention wavered back to the ponies onstage. “And of course, we’d like to give our thanks to our director, please give him a hoof…” her voice died out as the two made their way out of town and back to Fluttershy’s cottage.
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“Oh my goodness, that was amazing!” Fluttershy squealed as she trotted alongside Big Macintosh. “I can’t believe what a wonderful job they did! It was so moving, and-and- and spectacular, and, everything about our adventure was just so accurate! Well, I think they exaggerated the parts about me a bit, but still, everything else was just great! I loved how they-!”Fluttershy took a glance at Big Macintosh, wide-eyed from how expressive Fluttershy had become all of a sudden. “Oh… Sorry.”

Letting out a chuckle, Big Mac shook his head “Ya ‘aint got nothin to apologize for, Fluttershy. I’ve been wanting to get ya to open up to me all night, and I think that show did the trick. I’m glad y’all had so much fun.”

She smiled at him politely. “Well, thank you for taking me. It really was a nice show. It did get scary a few times, but, being with you sort of helped me get through them and enjoy the rest of the show. How did you do that?”

Shrugging his shoulders as he replied “I dunno. Maybe you’re just braver than you give yourself credit for?”

“Oh, me? No, I’m really not that brave. I get scared so easily.”

“Being brave aint about not getting scared, sweetie. It’s about dealing with what you’re scared of. Everypony gets scared of something or another. It’s the ones that push past it and don’t let it get in the way of their goals that are the bravest ones.”

“Oh my, well… thank you. You’re very kind.”

“That means a lot, coming from the element of kindness.”

Fluttershy giggled softly. “Stop it, you’re gonna make me blush!”

“Well, that wouldn’t be too bad. You look downright adorable when you blush.” Hearing him, she felt her cheeks burn fiercely as he winked at her. “Eeyup, just like that!”

“Oh my… eep!” Fluttershy laid down on her stomach, burying her flushed face into her hooves while Macintosh erupted in a fit of laughter.

“Aw, Fluttershy, you’re too much! I’m sorry; I’m just being mean now.” He dug his hoof into the ground for a moment, searching for the right words to say to her. “I really like you, Fluttershy. You’re a sweet mare. And I’m really glad you let me spend some time with ya tonight.”

Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy’s face cleared up a bit as she regained her stance. “Oh, of course! I had a great time tonight with you. You’re such a gentlecolt.”

“Me? Nah, I aint no gentlecolt.” He replied, trying to be humble. “They’s more Rarity’s type, the ones that live in the city. I’m just a farmer. A hillfilly.”

“No you aren’t!” Fluttershy protested fiercely. “You’re well-mannered, you’re encouraging, and you’re very pleasant to be around. You may not be like the colts from the city, but that doesn’t mean anything. In fact, I think it makes you a bit more relatable than them.”

Taken aback by Fluttershy’s insistence, a wide smile appeared in Macintosh’s face. “Gosh… thanks Fluttershy. That’s the nicest thing a mare’s ever said to me.”

The two ponies looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, until they heard the bump of a door opening. Apparently they had made it back to Fluttershy’s cottage, where Angel stood in the doorway with an expression that urged Fluttershy to decide whether she was planning to come inside or spend all night outside. “Well, I guess we’re here. Thanks for walking me home Big Macintosh.”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh replied.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“Well, I don’t know how to ask this…” Fluttershy struggled to get the question out. “Do you want to… you know…?”

“Uh… no I don’t know.” Big Macintosh answered honestly.

“Oh come on, you know… something most colts want at the end of a date…?”

Big Macintosh stood with a puzzled look on his face before his expression changed to a sly grin. “Oh… that. Sure, if you’re offerin, I’ll take ya up on it.”

Fluttershy gulped, and closed her eyes as she prepared herself for what might happen. Even she couldn’t anticipate what happened next…

Suddenly, she felt a strong set of lips press against her cheek for a moment, until a soft smack could be heard as they broke their connection to her. She opened her eyes slowly to see Big Macintosh pull his head away from her, a gentle smile on his face. “Goodnight, sugarcube. Glad you had fun tonight.” With a polite nod, he began to make his way back towards his home.

“Wait!” she shouted, running up to him. “That’s it, really? You’re not looking for… more?”

“Fluttershy, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re getting at. Just spit it out, what are you looking for?”

Fluttershy was dumbstruck. He honestly couldn’t figure out what she was hinting at. He was such an honest pony; it was just too much for her. She began to giggle at his naivety. “You’re supposed to do it like this, silly.” Suddenly, she leaned in and planted her lips directly on Big Macintosh’s mouth, giving him a long but simple kiss. When she backed away, she smiled as she took in the sight of his face, his cheeks slightly pink against his red skin. “You know, you look pretty cute when you blush too.” Without another word, she turned away and scampered back to her cottage, shutting the door behind her.

“Oh my gosh!” she slumped to the floor letting out an exhausted sigh. “I can’t believe I did that! I’ve never been so… assertive before! I really hope he doesn’t think I took advantage of him. He’s such a sweet colt; I couldn’t bear the thought of pushing him away like that. I’d just-!” Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a carrot knock her in the head. Rubbing her head with her hoof, she looked into the kitchen and saw Angel with his chef’s hat on concentrating on making a batch of carrot stew, using the recipe from the book he had been reading before she left. “Oh… Sorry Angel.”Ducking her head down, she quietly made her way to her sofa and lay down, finally relaxing from the most exciting evening she’d ever had with a colt before.

“Hm, he really is a nice colt. I still can’t believe that he likes me like that. I mean, who would ever think that somepony would be interested in me, with all my social problems?” closing her eyes, she began to drift off to sleep. “Big Macintosh… you’ve made me the happiest mare in Equestria tonight…”

Chapter 2

A cool wind rushed through the trees on a warm day at Sweet Apple Acres. There Big Macintosh could be found lying on his stomach, lazily chewing a few apples of his namesake, taking in the scenery around him. He seldom took the time to admire the land he called his home, since he was often working so hard. It was nice to gaze at the scenery for a moment while his mind dwelt on other matters. It had been two days since his night with Fluttershy. He’d had so much fun with her that night, and he’d hoped she did too. He wanted to talk with her again, but he couldn’t decide if it was too soon or not. He’d often heard that mares appreciate a colt who doesn’t rush things too much. Then again, some didn’t have patience for those who played games and weren’t honest about their feelings.

Before he could formulate a solid idea, his noggin ached as he felt an apple hurled against it. Shaking the pain away, he turned back to find the eldest of his younger sisters giving him a grimacing stare as she watched him lazing away. “Well, lookee here.” Applejack drawled walking towards him. “Never thought I’d see one of the Apple family taking a little rest when he knows that there’s work to be done.”

“You’re sure one to talk.” Big Macintosh responded a bit aggravated. “I’d gotten started on my share of the apple bucking before you were even awake this morning.”

Applejack glared at him with intensity for a moment, before busting out into a sweet laugh. “Heh heh, I know. I’m just giving ya a hard time.” If Big Macintosh could be considered the heart of Sweet Apple Acres by working hard to constantly pump life into the body, Applejack could easily be deemed the brain of the organization. It was Applejack who handled the business side of the farm, collecting what was needed of their harvest to sell in town. Though she sometimes let her pride get in the way of her friends and family, she was a wonderful pony at heart; Big Macintosh considered himself lucky to have her as a sister. She plopped down beside her brother, snatching up an apple from the pile he’d gathered for himself. “Ta be honest, I wanted to talk to ya.”

“Yeah? ‘Bout what?”

“You know… stuff.”

“What kinda' stuff’?”

“Like, the weather, family stuff, maybe certain events that took place with a certain mare friend of mine…”

Big Macintosh heaved a sigh as he listened to his sister beat around the bush not so delicately. “Just spit it out: Ya want to hear how it went with me an’ Fluttershy, huh?”

“Well, if y’all insist!” Applejack replied, rolling her eyes. “I mean I guess I’ll listen, you’re just dyin to talk about it.” She took a bite out of the apple she’d stolen.

“Well, we had a really nice time. Took her out to eat and then we saw a show afterwards, there.”

“Come on, Big Mac, I wanna hear more than that! Did ya take her somewhere fancy?

“Of course.”

“Let her get whatever she wanted?”

“M-hm.”

“Did ya kiss her?”

“Eey- hey, wait!” the orange pony snickered at her older brother’s hesitation. “I ain't one to kiss and tell.”

“Meaning ya did, but ya just aren’t gonna tell me, right?” She received no response from her brother. “Gosh, you’re such a prude! If you ain’t more assertive with mares, they tend to up an’ leave ya!”

“Fluttershy ain’t like that.” He responded in a low tone. “In fact, I think she’d like it better if we took things slow.”

Applejack finished the apple, and tossed it behind her. “I guess you got a point there. She’s probably the least outgoing pony I ever did meet. Heck, that’s probably the best speed for a mare like her. You’re gonna have to work your way into her real slowly, ya know what I mean?”

Big Macintosh snorted angrily at his sister’s gesture. “Applejack…”

“Big Macintosh?” she returned playfully, trying to push his buttons at this point.

“Applejack!” he was really beginning to lose patience with her now.

“Big Macintosh?” sounded a soft voice from above.

“Fluttershy!” Big Macintosh’s eyes widened as his brain registered the name he’d just spoken. He looked upwards to see the yellow Pegasus of his dreams hovering above him, similar to an angel delivering wonderful news. “Fluttershy! What are y’all doing here?”

“Oh, I always come on this day to pick up some apples for my animals.” She replied as she descended to the ground and delicately touched down in front of Big Macintosh. “They just love how sweet they are, especially the bunnies. They just gobble them up… um, kind of ferociously, actually.”

“You mean y’all come around here every week on this day?”

“M-hm, every week. Usually around the same time too, since I spend all morning getting everyone fed.”

Big Macintosh turned an aggravated glare at his sister as he lowered his voice to a whisper “And y’all didn’t think to let me know she was coming over?”

“Slipped mah mind.” Applejack replied with a wide smirk on her face. “Anyway, sorry, but I forgot to pick out a few for ya, Fluttershy. But I’ll betcha Big Mac here wouldn’t mind bucking up a few more, would ya?”

“How about you just take the pile I got here? Picked ‘em this morning, so you’re good to go. I’ll just double what I did today after you’re gone.”

“Oh, thank you Macintosh, these would be lovely-“Fluttershy’s voice was trampled by Applejack suddenly cutting in on her.

“Oh no, no, no, not these here apples. Why, they’re all spoiled!”

“No they ain’t.” Big Macintosh reminded her. “You and I were just eating-!”

“Are so!” Applejack searched around, and quickly dug her hoof into the ground before rubbing it up against one apple from Macintosh’s pile. “Why look, there’s a worm in that one!” Big Macintosh took a look and indeed there was a visible worm, though it was more on the apple than inside. “And you know what they say, ‘one bad apple spoils the bunch’.” With a firm kick, every apple that Big Macintosh had picked that morning was knocked and spread all over the ground. “Guess you better get to back to bucking.”

Heaving a very aggravated groan, the red pony began a slow trot away from the two mares towards a patch of trees that hadn’t been tampered with yet.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Macintosh!” Fluttershy called out to him as he left “I don’t mean to be so much trouble!”

“Nonsense!” Applejack intervened, nudging her towards him. “Why he’s just happy to help you out. Ain't that right, brother?”

While his sister was certainly not at the top of his favorite ponies list at the moment, Big Macintosh certainly didn’t mind performing a service for the pegasus of his affection. He turned and beamed at Fluttershy, nodding his head in approval.

“Oh, well, thank you so much! I guess I’ll come back in a little while-“

“Nuh-uh, you ain't going nowhere!” Applejack lowered her voice so that Big Macintosh couldn’t hear them talk “Go follow Big Mac, keep him company! I’m sure he’d love that. And you would too wouldn’t ya?”

Fluttershy raised a hoof to her mouth to contain her sudden gasp. “Oh my, I hadn’t thought of that. I… I guess I could. But, but, what if I mess it up or something?”

“You don’t have nothing to mess up, sugarcube, you’re just spending time with him. Relax; Big Mac ain't nopony to expect the world out of ya.”

“I guess you’re right. Thank you, Applejack.” Fluttershy brushed her head up against Applejack’s briefly in a hug, then quickly trotted the other way “Big Macintosh, wait for me!”

Applejack watched as the pegasus caught up with her date, and they exchanged some words between themselves. She shook her head as she watched the two of them and muttered to herself “You’re welcome, brother.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Sorry ‘bout back there, Fluttershy.” Big Macintosh vented, trotting through the large apple trees with the fair pegasus by his side. “You just surprised me a little. I didn’t expect you to drop by today.”

“Oh no, it’s okay.” She responded politely “I’m surprised that Applejack didn’t tell you before that I come by every week.”

“Well, she’s really been pushing my buttons lately, about…” he looked over at Fluttershy’s face, admiring its beauty, and then turned away quickly. “Stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Fluttershy asked her voice full of care.

“Eh, nothing.”

“Oh, please tell me! I mean, if it’s personal I understand, but I’d really like to know!”

Big Macintosh considered for a moment. It wouldn’t be fair to keep her away all the time, especially if he was planning on being in a relationship with her. A relationship? He thought to himself. Well, let’s not go that far just yet. But he did want to grow closer to her, so he had to let her in a little bit. “Well, she’s been teasing me about you- you know, about our date and stuff.”

“Oh…” Fluttershy’s face lit up as she stopped in her tracks to put the pieces together, and responded with a girlish giggle of delight. “Oh! I see, how funny! And what has she been saying about us?”

Big Macintosh grinned and rolled his eyes. “Well, you’re a mare like her; I’ll bet you could guess what she’d ask.”

“Mm, I suppose I could. So, I guess she’s been asking if we… kissed?” Big Macintosh’s ears drooped as his face turned a darker shade of red. Fluttershy giggled again, as she suddenly brushed up against his side. “Well, I think it was very sweet of you. You certainly know how to charm a pegasus.”

“Heck, y’all are the one who kissed me! I just pecked ya on the cheek.”

“Oh, I know, but I couldn’t have enjoyed it without you of course.”

The red pony smiled warmly at her, and brushed his head up against hers. “Glad y’all liked it, sweetheart.” He breathed in deeply taking in the scent from her hair. It smelled sweet, like lilacs. It was almost as if she had used a shampoo composed of them just before coming over to see him. Well, to see Applejack. Bumping into him had been pure coincidence… right? “Anyways… let’s get you them apples.”

Big Macintosh had led Fluttershy into a deep part of the land, farthest away from the farmhouse, where a multitude of trees gathered. While the trees here didn’t differ much from the trees in view of everypony else, the main attraction was the large tree jutting from the ground in the middle of the plantation. Its trunk was as thick as a house, and the top of the tree wasn’t even visible to either of their eyes. “Oh, wow…” Fluttershy stared in awe at the biggest tree she had probably seen in her life. “What is this thing?”

“It’s a tree!” Big Macintosh replied quickly, receiving a harsh stare from Fluttershy with the message saying You know what I mean “I’m just messin with ya. This here’s Big Timber. She’s kinda a secret on this here farm. Nopony else knows about it except me, and AJ of course.”

“But, but I’ve never heard Applejack talk about it before…”

“Heh, well, that’s probably ‘cause she’s embarrassed of it. Now, you don’t go telling her I told you this, but she ain’t ever been able to buck any apples from this here tree. She’s a mighty fine applebucker, and she’s got a lot of strength in those legs, but she ain't quite up to the challenge. That’s why she doesn’t talk about it.”

“Wow, a tree that Applejack can’t buck. I didn’t think something like that existed!” Fluttershy’s head had remained fixated upwards, trying to perceive the top of the colossal apple tree. She finally returned her gaze downwards, facing towards Big Macintosh “So, does that mean you can do it?”

“Heh, well…” Big Macintosh caught a proud look on his face, as he ushered towards her. “Y’all might want to stand back a bit.” Scooting herself away from the tree, Big Macintosh slowly raised one of his hind legs, and laid a quick strike into the base of the tree, while the ground around them shook slightly.

“Um, did it work?” Fluttershy asked, taking notice that no apples had fallen from his mighty strike.

“Give it a minute.” Big Macintosh reassured, pressing a hoof to his ear “Ya hear that?”

Fluttershy turned her ears up, as a swirling mass of leaves began to crumple above them, as if a hurricane had swept through. Without warning, a torrent of apples began to fall to the left and right of them, all pounding the ground with a powerful thud.

“Ah, shoot!” Big Macintosh yelled as he ran towards Fluttershy. “I must have hit harder than I meant to. Here, get under me.” Big Macintosh lifted a forehoof ushering her to take shelter.”

“But what about you?” she protested.

“I can take it. Now get!”

In a hurry, Fluttershy crawled underneath Big Macintosh as he took the widest stance he could muster to protect Fluttershy. Apple after apple dropped to the ground, some of them landing on Big Macintosh, who stood resolute in defending his mare and collecting them in the bucket fixated on his strong back. After what seemed an eternity, the rainfall of fruit finally ceased, as Fluttershy crawled out from underneath him. “Is it over…?”

“Yeah.” He responded short of breath. The entire ground around was covered in apples, only a few fragments of grass could be seen. “I’m real sorry ‘bout that, Fluttershy, I guess I was trying to show-!”

His speech was cut off as Fluttershy threw herself at him, wrapping both forelegs around him in a tight hug. “Oh, thank you so much, Big Macintosh! I can’t believe you protected me like that! You’re so brave; I don’t know how to repay you!” Before he knew it, Fluttershy planted a passionate kiss on his cheek, and rubbed her face up against his, beaming in complete happiness.

A wide and silly grin appeared over Big Macintosh’s face as he chuckled to himself “Gawrsh…” he responded in a daze. He cleared his throat and regained his composure quickly. “I mean, it ain’t any trouble. I’m glad you’re safe.” He looked down into Fluttershy’s eyes, and this time kept them locked in for a while, admiring how bright and beautiful they were. It was as if he could see into her soul, and everything he saw shimmered like the sun after a rainy day. It brought him a sense of happiness he didn’t even attempt to describe, in fear that words could never do it justice.

“Well… let’s fill that bag of yours up.” He reminded her, breaking contact and leaning over to pick up what little of the mass of fruit she needed.

“Oh, right.” Fluttershy followed Macintosh closely as he picked fallen apples off the ground and placed them in her saddlebags. “I still can’t believe you were able to make all of this happen. You’re so strong.”

Big Macintosh smirked at hearing her flatter him so. “Nah. I’m just a hard worker. And I may have pushed myself harder than most when I was little.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when I was just a little colt, before either of my sisters were born, I wasn’t too social. I didn’t have as many friends as my school mates. I just wanted to work the farm as best I could. One day I ventured out a bit further into the farm deeper than I’d ever gone, and found Big Timber here. I’d never seen such a big tree before. I kicked it as hard as I could, but I didn’t get a single apple to fall.” He motioned towards Fluttershy to follow him to another side of the tree. “See this?”

“What is that?” Fluttershy asked, taking note of a large indention in the tree, in the shape of a large hoof.

“That’s mine, of course. After that day, I’d come out here whenever I finished my daily round of applebucking. I’d buck this tree until I couldn’t even stand on my hooves anymore, then I’d drag myself home after resting for a bit. My mom worried about me, and pop said that I was in over my head, and that I’d never be able to make anything fall. But I kept trying, no matter what he said. I pushed myself every day, made sure I took on extra chores so I could buff myself up, and kept bucking that darn tree til I dropped. A few months later, while I kept kicking up a storm here, I felt something drop on my head. Not sure how it happened, but it was a Macintosh apple, and when it hit me, it split clear down the middle in two halves.”

Fluttershy made an excited gasp as she glanced at Big Macintosh’s rump “Was that how you got your…?”

Big Macintosh flaunted his cutie mark proudly, with the half apple displaying its inner seeds. “Eeyup. Last one in my class to get it, but it came at just the right time. I ran all the way home and crashed through the door to pop, telling him about what I’d done. He tussled my mane and told me he’d never been more proud to be proven wrong in his life.”

“That’s such a sweet story! Um… Big Macintosh?” Fluttershy asked nervously, digging one hoof into the ground. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Well sure you can. What’s up?”

“What happened to… your parents?”

Big Macintosh’s face changed from a warm glowing smile to one of scorn. He turned away from Fluttershy and returned to gathering up apples from the ground. “What do ya think happened to ‘em?” he asked with no emotion in his voice.

“They died, didn’t they?” she asked with resentment. Big Macintosh nodded solemnly, not wanting to look at her in the face. “What happened to them?”

“I just told ya, they died.” He responded with aggravation clearly building up in him.

“But, that’s not what I meant. How did they-?”

“Don’t matter how they did, they just died!” He snapped without warning “That’s what happens to ponies. One day they’re healthy and happy, and the next day they’re dead, and there ain’t nothing you can do to bring ‘em back. Now stop pestering me about it.” Gritting his teeth in anger, Big Macintosh heard a frightened gasp behind him, suddenly bringing him back to his senses. He turned to see Fluttershy’s body trembling slightly, as her lip quivered in fear. “Fluttershy, I’m so sorry!” the red pony pleaded suddenly. “I didn’t mean it. I just lost my temper. Please don’t be upset, please!”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, turning away from Big Macintosh. “I need to go” she responded flatly, as she quickly took flight, accidentally dropping her bag half full of apples.

“Wait, Fluttershy, come back! Please come back!” his cries fell on deaf ears as the form of the yellow Pegasus grew smaller and smaller in his vision. Big Macintosh didn’t know what to feel. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. In a fit of rage, he let out a fierce yell and with all of his might, kicked Big Timber behind him, emitting a thunderous boom that rang throughout the forest, and sent many birds large and small into a panicked flight. He stood there for a moment huffing and puffing before he heard the all too familiar sound from earlier, of the sudden gust falling down from above.

“Oh, sh-!”

Crouching down and placing his fore legs over his head, he was met with a large barrage of falling apples, even more massive than the one before. It went on for several minutes before finally dying down; leaving no single inch of ground to be seen past the new apple coating it had just been given. After the dust had cleared, a woozy Big Macintosh appeared from underneath a large pile of them, shaking his head roughly to clear his daze. “Figures” he said to himself softly, taking a glance at Fluttershy’s forgotten saddle bag. “That probably ain’t even close to the punishment I oughta get.” Picking her bags up with his teeth, Big Macintosh slowly made his way back to the farm, leaving a fresh and deep hoof mark into the large tree behind him.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Big Macintosh watched his shadow grow as Princess Celestia’s sun slowly descended on the farm. He trotted along carrying in his teeth Fluttershy’s forgotten bag full of apples intended for her critters. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was carrying them. He knew full well she wouldn’t want to see him, so she wasn’t likely still on the property. She’d most likely gone home. He couldn’t bring himself to visit her cottage at the moment. Maybe he’d leave them with his sister, and she’d find a way to get them to her. It’d just seemed a waste to leave them on the ground for nopony else to appreciate them.

“Macintosh!” a voice called out for him suddenly. “Hey, Big Mac!” he lifted his eyes slowly and caught a glimpse of his sister galloping towards him, a worried expression on her face. “I just saw Fluttershy fly off towards home. Everything okay?”

“No.” Big Macintosh replied softly, dropping the bag. “I yelled at her. She probably hates me now.”

Applejack let out a gasp “Well, why on Earth would you yell at sweet ol’ Fluttershy?”

“Because she asked about ma and pa, alright?”

“Oh…” Applejack winced, as she was well aware about how touchy her brother was on the subject of their departed parents. “That makes sense. I’m sorry, Mac, and I know how y’all feel, but ya gotta realize that ponies are gonna ask about it sometimes. Ya can’t go flying off the handle just because somepony gets curious!”

“Well, what do ya want me to do about it?” Big Macintosh barked at her “Damage has already been done. She don’t wanna face me, and I don’t particularly wanna see her either.”

“Well, tough!” Applejack barked back, digging her face into his. “You may feel bad now, but you’re gonna feel even worse if you let her get away without even trying to make up for it. I’m good friends with Fluttershy, and she’s got enough sense in her to hear you out.” Applejack lifted up Fluttershy’s bag and forced it into her brother’s mouth. “Now, you take these apples and you run yourself over to her house and you talk it out with her, ya hear me?”

“But, I-!” he protested.

“I ain’t hearing it!” Applejack replied trotting closer to Big Macintosh’s rump, giving it a firm slap. “Now git!”

Letting out a frightened whinny, Big Macintosh reared up and sprinted off of the farm as fast as he could, making his way off towards Fluttershy’s cottage. He wasn’t sure what he could do or say, but all that mattered in his mind right now was getting over there as fast as he could.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Finally arriving at Fluttershy’s small abode, Big Macintosh stopped himself in front of her door to catch his breath. He had quite literally not stopped running since the moment his sister smacked him across the flank and sent him sprinting away. He dropped the bag of apples in front of his door, took a deep breath, and tapped gently on her door.

“Hey, Fluttershy?” he asked weakly. “It’s me. Look, I know how I reacted to you was uncalled for, and I really should have thought of what I was saying.” He pressed his ear to the door, but couldn’t hear any sort of response. “If you don’t wanna ever see me again, I don’t blame you. I just… here’s your apples, outside the door. You can come get ‘em after I leave, I guess. Well… goodbye.” About facing, Big Macintosh began to walk away back to his own farm, until he heard a small creak behind him.

“Get in here, now!” Fluttershy’s tiny voice shouted rather fiercely at him. “Um… please!”

Turning around, Big Macintosh pranced into her home, while she shut the door behind him. “Fluttershy, I-“

Fluttershy cut him off suddenly. “No, I have something to say, and I’m going to say it. Rainbow Dash said that I need to be more assertive, and I’m choosing now to do so.” She cleared her throat before she continued. “You’re right, what you said was uncalled for, and I still don’t understand why you did it.” Big Macintosh’s ears drooped as he braced himself for the assault he expected and probably deserved. “I still don’t understand why you said that to me. It just doesn’t make any sense. For you to just… apologize to me.”

Big Macintosh raised himself suddenly puzzled at her words. “Apologized?”

“Yes… after I clearly upset you, you apologized to me. Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because, I yelled at you! And you looked so horrified, like you were about to cry, I had to say something.”

“I was about to cry.” She responded, closing her eyes. “Because I felt so guilty for making you upset. I could hear how sad you were when you talked to me. I felt like such a terrible pony.” Her tiny voice began to tremble as she spoke. Big Macintosh was absolutely dumbfounded. Here he thought that Fluttershy was angry at him for losing his temper, when she was really upset with herself for making him relive painful memories from his past. “But then you suddenly apologize to me, as if you did something wrong, when you were just expressing how you felt.” Fluttershy ran towards Big Macintosh and violently slammed her head into his large chest, causing him to utter a subtle “Oof!” at the sudden force, before she burst into tears “How could you do that to me!?”

“Fluttershy, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing!”

“Oh, right, I’m so-! Well… what do you want me to say?”

Fluttershy paused from her sobbing, and took a deep breath before she spoke. “What I want you to say, is why you feel like you need to protect me from knowing when you’re upset with me.”

Big Macintosh thought about what the best response would be right now. He needed to be truthful to her, even if it was only in small degrees. “Because, you’re very special to me.”

Fluttershy’s tearful eyes widened as she sniffed and caught her breath “Well, you’re special to me too. But if we’re going to be each other’s special someone, we can’t afford to keep our feelings from each other, the good or the bad. We need to be honest with each other, completely.”

Big Macintosh shut his eyes, and sighed deeply. “Fluttershy…” he responded slowly. “What happened to my folks really tore me up when I was young. I’m still sore about it, even after all these years. I ain’t ready to talk about it now. Heck, I might never be ready.” He looked into her eyes to inflict his sincerity. “But it ain’t nothing personal. It’s not that I want to protect just you from hearing it; I don’t want to talk to nopony about it. That’s just how I feel.”

Her eyes still full of tears, Fluttershy smiled weakly at him, and wiped her eyes off on his chest. “Thank you. That’s all I needed you to say.” She cuddled her head into his fur, as Big Macintosh planted a gentle kiss on her head. “You know, you can kiss my face… if you want.” Fluttershy giggled as she spoke.

“Oh, really?” Big Macintosh responded in surprise.

She nodded. “We already did before.”

“Yeah, but that was your doing, not mine.”

“Well, it’s not like you don’t get to have a say in how our relationship works, you know…”

“Wait, when did we get into an official relationship?”

“That’s what I meant by ‘special someone’s’ silly!”

“Oh… heh, I guess you’re right.” Big Macintosh said sheepishly. Looking into her cyan eyes, he leaned in slowly and made contact with her quivering lips. Or perhaps those were his own, he wasn’t able to tell. As soon as they touched, however, they immediately relaxed, as they took comfort in each other’s embrace. Her lips tasted like the best hay he’d ever baled, with a pinch of sugar sprinkled on top. It sent a shiver through his body as he opened his eyes and looked her over. Breaking the kiss, the two ponies leaned their foreheads together, giggling in delight at each other’s company.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy piped. “That was... fun!”

“Heh, yeah. We oughta do it again sometime soon.”

“Yes. Real soon.” She leaned in and swiped another quick kiss on his lips.

“Hey, watch it! I wasn’t ready that time.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“That’s alright. I’m ready now.” Now it was his turn to catch her off guard as he pushed into her with his strong lips, enticing her to giggle at his sudden forwardness. After a few minutes of exchanging locked lips, Big Macintosh noticed how dark it had become outside. “Ah, horse feathers. I better get back home.”

“Oh, really?” Fluttershy responded disappointed. “It’s still so early though!”

“I know, but I really need to be getting to bed early. Tomorrow’s plowing day, so I need to wake up ‘fore the sun’s even up.”

“I see. Well, I’m still so glad you came over, Big Macintosh.”

“You oughta thank my sister.”

“What do you mean?”

“Eh, nothing. Goodnight, sweetie.” Taking another quick kiss from her, Big Macintosh quickly made his way out her front door, trotting light-hoofed back to his farm, humming to himself as he pranced. With his newfound joy, he was ready to take on tomorrow’s plowing duties head on, without a care in the world.

Chapter 3

Nightfall descended onto Ponyville as Luna’s moon shone brightly across the edge of the Everfree Forest. The crickets had just begun their chirping symphony of the night, when two ponies made their way across the bridge to the cottage at the edge of the woods; the purple unicorn Twilight Sparkle, and her kind friend Fluttershy.

“I really appreciate you taking a look at Owlicious for me, Fluttershy!” Twilight Sparkle thanked her friend as they walked towards her home. “I knew that your talent for helping animals would be perfect to give him the care he needed.”

“Of course, Twilight, it’s no trouble at all.” Fluttershy responded with a bit of uneasiness. “But what I found really strange was that I couldn’t really find anything wrong with him.”

“Well, I assure you, earlier this morning he was quite unwell! Why, his hoots were raspy, and he just didn’t have any energy in him.”

“I see.” Twilight’s actions confused Fluttershy. Normally the unicorn was such a bookworm with a driving passion to learn about all sorts of things. Even though she’d made so much progress with her social life here in Ponyville, she still spent most of her time secluded in her library studying the daylight away. Normally if there were anything wrong with her assistants, Twilight would pour through every book she had on illnesses before turning to somepony else. “Well, it sounds like it was just a common cold. Something like that would clear up on its own in a few days with plenty of rest.”

“But I was, um… just so worried about him! It means a lot to me that you stayed at my library for a few… hours, to look over him. I don’t know what I can do to repay you.”

Fluttershy smiled politely before she opened her cottage door. “Don’t mention it. Well, I suppose I should be-“

“SURPRISE!” an excited multitude of shouts rang out from inside the house, causing Fluttershy to instantly shriek and hide behind Twilight for cover. She peeked over her backside to see the rest of her best friends in the town all happily greeting her back home.

“Welcome home, Fluttershy!” Adorned in her most magnificent dress, Rarity approached Fluttershy and pulled her out of her hiding space and into the front door. “And just look at what we’ve done with the place! Oh, we only finished decorating just a moment ago!”

Fluttershy took in the scenery around her. Her entire home had been touched up with makeshift pillars underneath the ceiling, faux stained glass windows, and even a statue of an elegant alicorn in the center of the room. Rarity’s generosity shone throughout all of the decorations, as only her keen eye for detail would have been able to simulate one of Equestria’s most sophisticated events of the year. “I don’t believe it” she stated in awe. “Why, it looks just like…”

“The Grand Galloping Gala!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced over Fluttershy several times. Sometimes, her friends found it unusual that this one pony was capable of having so much energy. At random moments she was capable of out-racing Rainbow Dash, out-muscling Applejack, and even out-organizing Twilight Sparkle on occasion. So enigmatic were her abilities that her friends had given up trying to make sense of it at all. “Well, not the real thing, but pretty good for only a few hours of preparation, don’t ya think?”

“Pretty good?” Spike’s voice cracked out from the ceiling, where he was making final adjustments to one of the streamers above. “More like pretty awesome! We had to sneak in and start putting everything together after you left with Twilight.” After finishing his adjustments, he slid down the ladder to the floor next to Applejack, who was busy mixing the drinks together.

It did indeed resemble the most extravagant party each of them had ever attended. It had only been but a few weeks since they had all set out to have the best night ever, but met with more than disappointment. Had it not been for all of them sticking together and enjoying each other’s company after the event, it could have easily spiraled into the worst night ever.

“I’m glad you girls were able to finish everything!” Twilight exclaimed with a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how hard it was to keep Fluttershy at my place for so long.”

Fluttershy turned to face Twilight Sparkle “To keep me there? So, I was right, there really wasn’t anything wrong with Owlicious?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “No, there wasn’t. I’m sorry for fibbing to you like that.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I just can’t imagine which of you came up with this wonderful idea!”

“Well, that’s the other thing.” Rarity interjected. “We weren’t actually the ones who came up with this generous motion She cleared her throat as she raised her voice a touch. “Would the gentlecolt who is responsible for this evening please step forward!”

Out from behind the sofa a large red clydesdale dressed in a more semi-formal suit and tie stepped out, his ears drooped and a humble grin on his face. “Hey, babe.” Big Macintosh uttered.

“Mackie!” Fluttershy called out her coltfriend’s pet name as she ran to him. The two had been going steady for more than a few months now, and the two could not have been happier with each other. Even Rarity had found herself out-prattled in her weekly get-togethers with Fluttershy at the spa whenever they stumbled onto the topic of Big Macintosh. “You!? You put all of this together… for me?”

“Well, for you and your friends, of course! I remember you telling me about how y’all didn’t really enjoy the night you’d been looking forward to for so long. So, I mentioned it to Applejack, she talked to Rarity, and everything took off from there. Now you can have the ma-jes-ti-cal night you wanted with the ponies that are really important to you. Do you like it?”

Fluttershy smiled wide as a tear formed in her eye. “Oh Mackie…” she buried her face into the fur on his chest. “It’s exactly what I wished for! This time I mean it!”

A resounding “Aww” could be heard from her friends as they watched the two cuddle with each other, aside from an unheard “Bleh!” from Spike making a rude gesture about his distaste for sappy moments.

“Alright, enough’s enough!” Rarity declared, tapping Fluttershy on her back and leading her upstairs “Let’s get you into your formal attire. I trust you’ve kept that dress I made for you safe, of course?”

“Oh, me too!” Twilight shouted, trotting up towards them. “I couldn’t exactly change before leading her back here, she would have gotten suspicious.”

“Oh, certainly dear. We’ll be just a few minutes, don’t start without us!”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After what seemed an eternity, the three mares emerged from Fluttershy’s bedroom. Each adorned the regal dresses that Rarity had worked so hard to design for them, and carefully made their way down the flight of stairs to the living room.

“Ugh, finally!” Rainbow Dash groaned taking notice of their appearance. “Any longer, and I would have fallen asleep!”

“But you did fall asleep, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie shouted pointing a hoof at Rainbow’s face. “Look, you’re still drooling!”

Dash lifted a hoof to the corner of her mouth and hastily wiped away the bit of saliva stuck there, while everypony laughed in amusement.

“I think what she means…” Applejack spoke over their laughter “Is that we’re glad that we can finally get started with the night. Come on y’all, let’s take it outside.”

“Outside?” Fluttershy asked. “Why are we going outside?”

“Because it’s WAY too small for dancing in here!” Pinkie Pie explained “Actually, you could probably dance in here, but we need music! And for that we need an orchestra, and it’s too small for the orchestra, so we put them outside, soooo…” summoning an unprecedented amount of strength, Pinkie stood up on her haunches and managed to push everypony quickly out the front door in one motion. “We gotta go outside! Oh, we already are outside… neat!”

“Wait, orchestra? What orchestra…?” Fluttershy asked before taking notice of the most famous musicians in all of Equestria before her: from left to right, Frederic Horseshoepin on piano, Octavia on cello, Beauty Brass on tuba, and Nadermane on harp. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, picking herself up immediately. “How in the world did you manage to afford all of these musicians?”

“Don’t fret over it, darling.” Octavia reassured her. “After having to play for those snobby ponies at every Gala, we were happy to perform for you all.”

Twilight Sparkle leaned in close to Fluttershy so nopony else could hear her. “I asked Princess Celestia for help. She insisted that they play for us tonight.” Giving her a quick wink, she returned back to where she had previously been standing and signaled for the band to begin. Taking position, the most regal of sounds echoed from their instruments, pushing everypony to pair up and slow dance. Applejack took hold of Rainbow Dash, while Spike fumbled over his words to try and ask Rarity if he could have her hoof. Before Twilight sparkle knew what had happened, Pinkie Pie had pushed her over in front of the orchestra, trying her best to show the unicorn how to dance.

Looking over the scene of all of her friends dancing together and enjoying themselves, Fluttershy felt a gentle brush against her collarbone. She looked over to see Big Macintosh smiling at her softly as he gestured for her to join him with the others. Each of them bowing formally to each other, Fluttershy walked closely by Big Mac’s side to the center of where everyone was dancing.

After a few minutes of casual slow-dancing, the music took form of a more intimate rhythm with a subtle bounce added to the beat. The romantic music began to take effect on the dancing couples before the playing orchestra. Applejack leaned into Rainbow’s neck, giggling while she enjoyed the luxury of the pegasus nibbling onto her ear gently. Spike gazed into the eyes of his dance partner longingly, while Rarity put on her most polite smile, no doubt to hide just how awkward she was feeling at the moment. Twilight and Pinkie chuckled silently to themselves as they chattered amongst themselves while they danced; most likely amused to see how the others were reacting to the sweet music being played for them.

However, Fluttershy could not have been more oblivious to what had been going on around her. She was absorbed by the pony in front of her. The colt of few words that months ago she would never had guessed she’d be lucky enough to call her own. His own eyes were locked on hers, as they shone with affection towards her.

“Mackie…” she started softly. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

Smiling slightly, he nodded to her. “Aint nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, really, it’s amazing. I can’t tell you how wonderful I feel right now.” She leaned into him, rubbing her head affectionately against his chest. “I love it all.”

He closed his eyes and brushed her hair gently with his snout. “I love you too.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened suddenly, as she tilted her head upwards and looked at her partner. “What did you say?”

Big Macintosh’s face turned to panic suddenly as he gritted his teeth. “Oh, shoot! Sorry.” He replied, looking away from her in embarrassment. “I thought you said something else. I don’t know what I said. Well, that’s a lie, I know what I said, but I didn’t mean- just forget it, okay?”

Fluttershy reached up and tilted his head back towards her with her snout. “I love you too.” She told him with the utmost sincerity. Looking up at him with eyes glistening with happiness, she stood up on her tip-hooves and placed an affectionate kiss on his mouth, coaxing his paralyzed lips to keep in motion with hers.

Realizing that he was still on good terms with his marefriend, Big Mac closed his eyes and returned the kiss to Fluttershy, lowering his head so that she could stand rightly upon the ground.

Slowly breaking the kiss, the two ponies opened their eyes to gaze at each other, their foreheads nuzzling against each other lovingly.

With the ending of the romantic song, everypony in the audience gave out a roar of cheers and applause. Octavia and the rest of the band bowed or nodded politely.

“Play something hot!” Pinkie Pie shouted suddenly. The other energetic ponies cheered in approval, while Rarity rolled her eyes as she excused herself to the punch-bowl from a lovesick Spike.

“Hot…?” Octavia repeated, confused. “Oh, you mean something more upbeat. Well, I do play a decent ‘fiddle’ I suppose. But I don’t have it with me on most occasions.”

“No problem, I have one!” Pinkie Pie reached down underneath her, and tossed a small violin up to the cello player, who just barely caught it in her hooves.

“Pinkie, what on Earth are you doing with a fiddle?” Twilight Sparkle asked, astounded that she hadn’t noticed Pinkie Pie had even had the instrument with her at any point in the evening.

Taken aback, Pinkie Pie gasped shrilly “Why WOULDN’T I have a fiddle!?”

Shrugging off the unexplainable, the orchestra began to play a much faster pace, taking on the sound of a country-western band. The group suddenly found themselves taking part in a rowdy square-dance as partners were passed between each other to keep with the hectic beat.

“Um, Mackie?” Fluttershy asked when she found herself paired up with Big Macintosh again.

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind if we leave for a few minutes? I hope that’s okay.”

“Oh uh, sure thing.” Big Macintosh broke hooves with the group and joined Fluttershy as she made her way towards the yard behind her house. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, everything’s wonderful.” She replied happily. “It’s just that when I went to the Gala, I had planned on enjoying the company of the animals who lived in the gardens. But, that didn’t really work out…” Reaching her backyard, she took a seat on the ground and gently sang out. A small group of bunnies hopped out of the bushes, while a few hummingbirds flew from the flowers they were tasting. A swarm of gentle butterflies and a crowd of flying squirrels joined the militia of animals making their way towards the fair pegasus. “And now, thanks to you, it’s officially the best night ever.” She leaned over and kissed him sweetly while the butterflies landed in her hair and flapped their wings elegantly.

“Heh, no problem.” Big Macintosh replied bashfully. “Hope you don’t mind me asking, but what exactly happened on that night?”

She looked from the hummingbird perched on her hoof to Macintosh. “Why… do you want to know?”

“I’m just confused at how somepony who was looking forward to something for so long ended up hating the whole thing, that’s all. Applejack told me she was sore because her sales were poor, but you ain’t told me hardly anything about why you didn’t enjoy it.” Fluttershy gritted her teeth as her memories traced back to that night. “It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want-!”

“The animals wanted nothing to do with me.” She began directly. “I was so looking forward to becoming their friends, but they ran away from me the whole time. When I couldn’t win them with kindness, I started setting up traps for them. And when that didn’t work, I eventually lost my temper and chased them into the dance hall. I… screamed at them... in front of everypony. I was just so angry. I’d never been that angry in my life.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. “It was shameful. I don’t know what came over me, but I just didn’t understand why they didn’t want to love me!”

Big Macintosh put a hoof over her shoulder to comfort her. “Sweetheart, those animals belong to a bunch of rich ponies. They probably just feed ‘em and keep them in the garden’s for showing off. They ain’t like your animals or the free ones in the forest. You’re one of the kindest ponies I know, and I don’t think it’s bad that you lost your temper just once. You’re too hard on yourself about that kind of thing.”

Fluttershy fought back tears as she heard his supportive words. “You really don’t think I’m a bad pony?”

“Nope.”

Her eyes shimmering, she smiled up at him with affection. “Thank you. Oh my, I didn’t think I’d ever have to share that story with somepony.”

“Well ya didn’t have to. I’m sorry I made you talk about something you’re not comfortable about.”

“Oh no, I think I needed that. Sometimes we need to talk about painful memories. It hurts to talk about it at first, but afterwards it’s like a sudden weight has been lifted off of you.” Big Macintosh froze for a moment deep in thought. He retracted his foreleg from Fluttershy and laid himself on the ground next to her.

“When I was still growing up, my pa told me that ma was pregnant with another little sister for me. I was so excited I couldn’t stand it. When she started to get further along, I’d always put my ear up to her belly to hear her kicking around inside of her. We all couldn’t wait ‘til the day she was born. Even Granny Smith made her way down so she could join in the excitement. They’d already decided on the name Applebloom way before she was due. When the day finally came during the end of winter… something went wrong. Ma was in more pain than the doctors said she should have been in. I wasn’t allowed to go in to see her get born ‘cause they said she was taking too long getting her out. We were there for a whole day, and I nodded off to sleep a few times, but finally I saw pa talking to the doctors. He walked up to me and told me flatly ‘The baby made it. Ma didn’t.’ I didn’t cry at first. I thought I was still asleep, so it didn’t hit me right then. I struck myself in the arm to try and wake up. I kept on hitting myself until I was really bruised, but Granny came along with Applejack and held on tight to me. I never seen her look so angry in her life. She asked me if I thought ma would have wanted to see me doing that to myself. That’s when it hit me. I buried by face in her and cried more than I ever did in my whole life.”

Big Macintosh took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to keep himself together as he spoke. “Pa just wasn’t the same after that. He still did his best to keep the farm up, but he never really talked to us anymore. He’d just sit by himself quietly and only move when something needed to be fixed. One day after winter was all wrapped up, he was fixing a part of the roof on the farmhouse and he fell off… hard. Me and Granny rushed him to the hospital fast as we could, but he still didn’t make it. The doctors told us he didn’t even try to hold on. I was sad for pa too, but I felt like I knew it was coming. After that, I only had Granny, AJ, and Applebloom left. AJ had decided that she wanted to go stay with the Orange family in Manehattan a week later, which left me and Granny to take care of little Applebloom. Whenever Granny was sleeping, I’d be the one feeding her, changing her, and playing with her.” Big Macintosh smiled as a tear ran down his cheek. “Every time I held her, she’d always have this big ol’ smile on her face. Why, for the longest time I bet she thought I was her pa. And that’s what made me real sad. If pa had taken the chance to just hold her even once, maybe it could have saved him.”

Fluttershy watched as Big Macintosh tried to keep his composure. She had no idea what to say to him. She could barely hold her own tears back as she watched him. She crept up next to his side and gently rubbed her face into the side of his neck. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy.” He said with a quivering voice. “A tough guy like me shouldn’t be crying in front of you. I gotta stay strong.”

“Don’t say that.” She told him, wiping his tears away. “I think it takes a lot of strength to open up like that, especially about something so personal. You’re the toughest colt I know, Big Macintosh.”

Big Macintosh sniffed and took a deep breath, finally managing to collect himself. “Thanks, Fluttershy. You’re right: It does hurt, but I think I feel a little better sharing that with you.” He leaned in and kissed her lips passionately. He pulled back to break the kiss, but Fluttershy pushed in on him, apparently not wanting to let him go. He moved himself up towards her, and slowly rolled her over on to her back. With her hooves up towards her face, Big Macintosh fixed his forehooves on both sides of her, sinking his head down to embrace her lips. Both of their tails swished back and forth in excitement as they gave into their loving urges. Fluttershy groaned as she felt her wings begin to spread underneath her, slightly painful as they pushed up against the grass. Big Macintosh took a moment to catch his breath as he leaned up and looked down and gazed at her. His suit wrinkled and his mane ruffled up, a few beads of sweat forming on his brow and his eyes slightly red, Fluttershy couldn’t help but squeeze her haunches together as she felt an intense excitement build up in her body.

The sound of Fluttershy’s blue jay snapped the two ponies from their romantic trance, as they looked around the room and noticed the eyes of her many pets looking at them in confusion and interest.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy piped softly. “I guess I forgot where we were for a second.”

“Yeah” Big Macintosh responded, easing himself off of Fluttershy. “Kinda ruins the mood when you got critters looking at ya all curious and whatnot.” As Fluttershy sat up, she noticed Big Macintosh chuckling as he looked at her. She didn’t realize why at first, until she remembered that her wings were still fully erect behind her. Shooting him an intense glare, he immediately ceased and cleared his throat. “Sorry”.

Suddenly, the sound of murmuring voices could be heard inside the house. The two ponies quickly stood up and fixed their appearance, Fluttershy taking deep breaths to try and get her wings to settle down, Twilight Sparkle appearing before them just a second after they had folded back to her sides. “Oh, hey you two!” she greeted them. “We’re all inside, we were just about to eat when we noticed you two were missing. Is… everything okay?”

The two ponies shot nervous glances at each other as they fumbled over their words.

“Yeah, we’re uh…” Big Macintosh trailed off in the middle of his sentence.

“Yes, we… um, we just…”

Twilight looked back and forth between them with narrowed eyes. “Well, I’m not going to be one to pry. Come on in, we’re all waiting for you.” The couple followed her around to the front door where they entered and found all of their friends looking at them. Applejack had her hoof on top of Rainbow Dash, whispering something into her ear and making her giggle.

“So…” Applejack asked with a grin on her face. “What were y’all doing back there?”

“We were um…” Fluttershy desperately tried to create an alibi for why she had been outside alone with Big Macintosh for so long.

“Talkin!” Big Macintosh exclaimed.

“Right, talkin! I mean, talking.” Fluttershy corrected herself.

“Talking? Yeah, I’ll bet you were talking.” Rainbow Dash teased them as she snorted with laughter. “With your tongues!”

Before either of them could argue, Pinkie Pie interjected suddenly “Well, duh! I mean, how are you gonna talk without using your tongue? You sound really silly that way.”

“You know what I mean, Pinkie.”

“No I don’t.” she replied, tilting her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

Realizing that everypony’s eyes were now fixed upon her, Rainbow Dash stamped her hoof in frustration. “Oh, never mind! I’m starving, let’s eat!”

The other ponies began to fix their own dishes of chips, hay and oat sandwiches, cupcakes, and other goodies. They all gathered in the center of the living room, while the musician ponies joined alongside them after fixing their own meals.

“Thanks so much for allowing us to eat with you, Ms. Sparkle.” Octavia said before taking a bite of a hay and oat sandwich.

“Oh, no, it’s the least we could do. After all, you are playing for us at a generous discount, and that means a lot to all of us.”

The rest of the night consisted of the party ponies chatting amongst themselves, as well as with the musicians of their past endeavors, such as other bands they had played with, and how they had become Gala regulars. Nadermane insisted that they hear about how Nightmare Moon had been defeated. Although hesitant at first, Twilight Sparkle recounted their most daring adventure: The story of how Equestria had been threatened with eternal darkness, and through discovering for the first time the magic of friendship to utilize the legendary Elements of Harmony, to defeat Nightmare Moon and restore harmony to the land.

“I say,” Nadermane replied, astonished by her tale. “For a group of ponies who’ve accomplished such a feat, you girls do seem to live quite modestly. Why, Canterlot has so many ponies that live luxurious lives without doing things half as noble as you. I’d expect living the life of a celebrity, if I were you!”

“Don’t you think so!?” Rarity agreed enthusiastically, putting a hoof to her head as she spoke in dramatic fashion. “I mean, we did save Equestria after all. Is it too much to ask for maybe a yacht or a fancy carriage in return for our heroic efforts?” She looked to her sides as she received vicious glares from Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “But... living a quiet life here without adoration is just as satisfying… I suppose.”

The group laughed heartily at the antics of the sophisticated Rarity. “Well, I think we ought to consider ourselves honored that we could perform for such an audience.” Octavia acknowledged. “Heroes of Equestria, we’d be more than happy to play for you again.”

After finishing their meals, they bid farewell to Twilight and the others, packing up their instruments outside, and boarding a chariot that had pulled up for them a few moments ago. After shedding their gowns, the ponies spent their time taking down the decorations, and cleaning up until Fluttershy’s cottage resembled its quiet and peaceful ambiance again.

“Phew!” Spike gasped, throwing the last streamer into the garbage. “All done. Well, that was a blast!”

“Let’s all thank Fluttershy for letting us have the party here, everyone!” Twilight announced “Although, it’s not like we really asked for your permission or anything. Sorry about that.”

Fluttershy giggled and shook her head “I couldn’t possibly be mad at my friends for throwing such a wonderful party that I could be a part of. You’re all the greatest!”

“Group hug, everypony!” Applejack shouted all of a sudden. Making a disgusted face, Spike turned away with his arms folded.

“Come now, Spike, you can find enough affection in yourself for one measly little hug…” Rarity enticed him, bashing her long eyelashes at him “Can’t you?”

Spike clasped his claws together in admiration. “For you my sweet, I could find enough hugs to last a lifetime!” he ran over to the unicorn and threw his arms around her strongly, while she worked her way awkwardly back to the group and joined the dragon with herself and the others in a warm embrace.

Rainbow Dash let out a stifled yawn. “Well, I’d better call it a night. The weather patrol scheduled it to be foggy tomorrow, so we’re going to have to spend all morning spreading the clouds apart. Talk about a pain in my flank!”

Laughing kindly, each pony said their goodbyes and made their way towards the door. The last one left was Big Macintosh as he stared awkwardly at Fluttershy.

“So, uh… about what happened earlier?” He began. “It wasn’t weird or anything was it?” Fluttershy averted her eyes to the floor as she shuffled her forehoof. “Okay fine, it was weird.”

She smiled and giggled to herself. “A little bit. But I’m not mad at you for it.”

“You’re not?”

“Of course not. It’s not like I … you know, didn’t enjoy it.”

Big Macintosh grinned. “Good. That takes a lot off my shoulders hearing that. So, uh, whatcha wanna do tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, don’t ya want to spend some time together?”

“Oh, I’d love to, but I think I’m going to be busy.”

“With what?”

“Um… I don’t know.” Fluttershy responded nervously.

Big Macintosh frowned as he heard her make excuses. “I thought we agreed we were gonna be honest with each other?”

Fluttershy looked up at him with fear in her eyes. “You’re right, I’m sorry. The truth is I’m sort of confused right now. I don’t really know what to do with myself, or you, or anything. I just need some time to think. But I don’t want you to worry about it, I… I still love you. I promise.”

Big Macintosh’s ears twitched as a warm smile broke on his face. “Well, that’s all I need to hear then. Take some time to get your thoughts together, if that’s what ya need. Let me know when you’re okay.”

Fluttershy returned the smile as she trotted up to him and gave him another kiss. Big Macintosh wrapped his head around her in a hug, and breathed a sigh of relief right onto her neck. Fluttershy gasped as her backside began to quiver slightly.

“You better get going, Mackie. Goodnight!”

“Uh, alright. ‘Night.” Big Macintosh hurried his way out the door in haste and shut the door behind him. She bent her knees slightly as her body shook. Fluttershy quickly raced up the stairs into her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She flew onto her bed and hugged one of her pillows tightly, wrapping both her fore and hind legs around it, breathing heavily. She suddenly heard a soft knock at her bedroom door.

“Angel bunny?” she called out quietly. “Oh no! I know you usually sleep in here, but um, I need to be alone in here, okay?” The soft knocking turned to rapid thumping as she imagined her pet bunny angrily kicking the door in front of him. “I’m sorry, sweetie! Please, just give me some time, I promise I’ll let you in, but not right now. Please don’t make it difficult for me!”

Hearing one final thump, and some quiet trotting down the stairs, Fluttershy shook her head as she hid herself underneath her covers. She couldn’t deny the excitement she felt at the moment. There was an exquisite tingling between her legs that just wouldn’t go away, and only became more intense as she thought of Big Macintosh. The simple and caring way he spoke, the way that his large body pressed against her made her feel so safe. And she couldn’t stop herself from picturing him right on top of her, the way he had been earlier that night. Righting herself onto her back, she slid a forehoof down her chest, stroking it gently between her legs. She let out a loud gasp, and bit her unoccupied hoof, to keep herself from making too much noise. She suddenly realized that she was going to need more time than she had anticipated before she could let Angel inside for the night.

Chapter 4 (Explicit Content)

There are many ways for a pony to spend a lazy afternoon: Catching up on their stories, grabbing a meal at a café, or spending time with their closest friends. However, when enjoying each other’s company, some ponies prefer to be pampered to a certain degree in the process. For those in particular, Ponyville has one of the most delightful spas. Owned and run by twin sisters Aloe and Lotus, the center takes great pride in providing all sorts of refining services, from typical massages and steam rooms to exquisite mud baths and bathing seaweed wraps. This was where the yellow Pegasus Fluttershy could be found on this day, accompanied by the spas’ most frequent customer Rarity. Also with them for the first time was Rainbow Dash, who had promised to come along only on the condition that they might come with her to watch her try out for the Wonderbolts in the not too distant future.

“So, explain to me how this works again?” Rainbow asked impatiently, sitting in a large tub of mud with her hooves crossed in front of her. “Most days you wouldn’t be caught dead near mud, but now that it’s in a building you don’t mind being up to your neck in it?”

Rarity heaved a frustrated sigh as she reached up and picked off the slices of cucumber resting on her eyes. “That’s because this particular mud was manufactured right here, and isn’t covered in the filth of the outdoors. Now do you think you could please try to enjoy yourself?”

Snorting impatiently, Rainbow Dash kicked her head back and stared up at the ceiling. She mumbled something under her breath that neither Rarity nor Fluttershy could understand. “Anyway, hey Fluttershy, what’s with you and Big Macintosh?”

Sitting in the corner of the large tub away from them, Fluttershy suddenly turned towards Rainbow. “Huh? Oh um, what do you mean? What about us?” she asked having been daydreaming during her friends’ bantering.

“Well, you two have been getting pretty serious, haven’t you?”

“I guess so. I mean, this is the longest relationship I’ve ever had. Then again, it’s kind of the only relationship I’ve ever had…”

“Did you guys do it yet?”

“Um, do what?”

“You know… it.” Rainbow Dash smirked while she put some extra emphasis on the word.

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Fluttershy stated earnestly. “Please, tell me.”

“Come on Fluttershy, you should know what I’m talking about.” Rainbow Dash began to make an elaborate series of motions with her hooves to try and illustrate what she was getting at. All Fluttershy could do in response was stare blankly as she honestly had no idea what her pegasus friend was hinting at.

“She’s asking if the two of you have had sex.” Rarity spouted with no more interest at letting this charade play out further.

Gasping deeply, Fluttershy brought her forelegs up to her face to hide her deep blush. “W-w-w-what!? Oh my goodness, no! I mean, we’re not like that! We’re just enjoying each other’s company, that’s it!”

“Well, it’s not like doing that wouldn’t let you enjoy his ‘company’.” Rainbow Dash suggested, raising her hooves up and down to simulate quotation marks around the phrase. “But seriously, you guys have been together for almost half a year now! You know he’s a great guy if he’s been sticking around without getting a little action from you. Don’t make him suffer anymore!”

“S-s-suffer? I’m not making him suffer…

“Well, it’s something you’re going to have to do at some point.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, that’s what ponies do in every serious relationship. If you don’t want to be with him in that way, then that must mean you don’t want to be with him.”

“But I do want to be with him!” Fluttershy insisted, sitting upright to confront Rainbow Dash. “He’s such a wonderful colt. He’s kind, soft-spoken, and honest.”

“So, you like him… but you’re not attracted to him physically?”

“Oh no, he’s gorgeous! His beautiful orange mane, his rigid shoulders and legs…” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she went on about the love of her life, and envisioned him in her mind. “And, oh-! His voice, it’s so strong and deep! Whenever he speaks to me, it gives me shivers…” She could barely detect it, but Rainbow Dash had started to giggle while she was talking. It was a sudden snort that broke her concentration. “Um, what’s so funny?”

“Your… your wings!” was all that Rainbow had the strength to utter. Looking to her left and right, Fluttershy suddenly realized that both her wings caked in mud and dripping were clearly rigid as they poked up from the bath.

“Eep!” She suddenly reached out for them and pressed them down awkwardly, hiding them underneath the surface along with her own face, keeping only her snout up above so she could breathe. All the while, Rainbow Dash was laughing so hard that tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes.

“You know, Dash, you’re really ruining the experience of being here.” Rarity forcefully struck one of her hooves into the rainbow pegasus’ shoulders.

“Ow!” Rainbow Dash rubbed where she had been hit tenderly. “Hey, you’re the one who invited me here.” She snapped back.

Rarity put on a very transparent smile. “And that was clearly a mistake on my part, one I shall never make again.” Ignoring the faces being made at her, Rarity made her way towards Fluttershy, still hiding her erect wings from her friends. “There there, dear.” Rarity cooed, while lifting Fluttershy from the mud. “There’s no need for you to be embarrassed. These things happen to every pegasus. Why, Rainbow Dash gets them a few times a day, don’t you Dash?”

Rainbow Dash’s cheeks flushed suddenly. “S-so? I don’t care! It’s perfectly natural; I’m not ashamed of what happens naturally!”

“Hm, indeed.” Rarity rolled her eyes and turned her attention back towards Fluttershy. “I’m not agreeing that you need to rush something like this, but I’m afraid she does have a point; If you really love Macintosh, that’s something you’re going to have to decide on. I mean, I can’t even imagine a serious long-term relationship being abstinent throughout. Don’t you agree, dear?” Fluttershy nodded her head, while her wings slowly began to recede back to their sides. “There you go, all better! Now, can we please try to enjoy this afternoon?” Rarity pressed both cucumber slices onto her eyes in an exasperated fashion and thrust her head back towards the wall, leaning back to try and regain some sense of relaxation.

While Rainbow Dash sprawled her forelegs over the sides of the tub, Fluttershy sat in deep thought while she stared at the surface of the mud surrounding her. It’s something we have to do? She thought to herself. I never really thought about it as an obligation. I mean, he’s so honest, and he’s never once pressured me into it. She laid her head back, trying to settle down and collect her thoughts. But, maybe that’s a sign! Maybe it means he’s not like other colts, so I can trust him with my… myself… right?

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness…” she muttered to herself, twiddling her hooves underneath the mud. She’d been afraid of many things in her life, but this was on a whole new level. At this point she would have rather faced Nightmare Moon riding atop a giant fire-breathing dragon than have to consider the endeavor before her.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Up on the second floor of the farm house on Sweet Apple Acres sat alone Big Macintosh in his bedroom, wrapped tightly in his thoughts. It had been a few days since the gathering at Fluttershy’s house. He still couldn’t believe how the two of them had almost lost themselves in passion that night. He’d thought himself more reserved than that, but he had also been surprised that Fluttershy had let him take things that far. Of course, she probably had just been too shy to say anything to object to him. He really needed to make sure that he kept his urgings under control around her.

But, had she really been opposed to his advances? He thought back to that moment when they had been together. She certainly didn’t seem to mind it when he had been crawling all over the top of her, kissing her lips repeatedly. Oh, those sweet lips of hers. He longed to taste them again. He’d never really thought about how stimulating Fluttershy’s appearance was until lately. Thinking of the image of her wings spread out as she lay down underneath him, her face full of quiet anticipation, set off all sorts of feelings inside of him.

Big Macintosh looked down and noticed a certain part of him had extended out of its sheath and up to his chest as a result of his daydreaming. He chuckled slightly as he felt its moderate pressure waiting at the ready for any sort of embrace from him. Should I…? He thought to himself. I ain't done this since I was in school. I been so busy taking care of the farm. Though he was by himself in his room, he still looked to his left and right with the shiftiest of eyes, as he turned his back towards the window and leaned up against the wall. Eh, might as well. I don’t get breaks like these too often. Reaching down, Big Macintosh placed a hoof at the base of his rod, and ran it all the way up his long, long shaft, until it reached the top. He grinned from ear to ear, remembering the days of his youth when he had just started growing up. He’d never been the type to play with himself very much, being so busy working the farm and taking care of his family. But during the winter when there was little farming to be done, he’d take the opportunity to let out some of that pent up energy he had. His thoughts centered on Fluttershy now, lying down with her back facing him in a position that drew particular attention to her rump. You can if you want to. He imagined her whispering to him, flicking her tail back and forth. I don’t mind. “Whoa, nelly…” he murmured as he shook his leg, the feeling in his groin rising at a rapid rate.

While he reminisced about his younger days and of his strongest love interest, the door swung open as Applejack stepped in with a letter in her mouth. “Hey, Mac, got somethin' for ya-AAH!” His face instantly changed from pleasure to a look of panic, as Big Macintosh hastily reached over and pulled a blanket over his lower half to cover up his shame (or pride, as some of the other mares might have called it). Applejack about faced fiercely and, clutching the letter in her hoof, began to fan her beet red cheeks burning her face up. “What in the HAY are y’all doin'!?”

“I was trying to get some privacy ‘round here!” he retorted, his voice shaking with embarrassment at being caught by his younger sister.

“Y’all shoulda warned me, Big Macintosh! I mean, what if it had been Applebloom!?”

“… At least Applebloom knocks.” He muttered under his breath, still loud enough for his sister to hear.

Staring knives at her brother out of the corner of her eye, she tossed the letter like a ninja star at him, barely missing his face. “It’s from your marefriend, if y’all are interested.” Applejack promptly stepped out and slammed the door behind her. “And y’all are too old to be doing that anyway!” she yelled through the door, before the sound of violent trotting could be heard descending the stairs.

Big Macintosh shook his head as he sat himself up on his feet. Looking in between his haunches, he realized that his rod had unfortunately receded back into its sheath, a result of his own family intruding and destroying the mood. His head a slight bit clearer, he tore the letter open with his teeth and after unfolding the parchment, began to read.

Big Macintosh read the letter with an increasing sense of dread as he kept repeating that one phrase in his mind. Thinking about us. Thinking… about us. Big Macintosh hadn’t had many serious relationships in his life, but he was smart enough to know what that meant. He’d stepped in it big this time. She was thinking about breaking up with him. He knew he shouldn’t have pushed her that night, no matter how enchanting he found her. She was just too pure for that kind of thing. He slowly made his way to his bed and sank his head into his pillow. As he lay down and mulled the end of his relationship over in his head, he could feel his eyes burning with incoming tears.

Now, Little Mac, there’s many reasons a colt should ever shed tears, he could hear his pa’s voice telling him one day after he’d fallen down and scraped his hindleg. Cuttin’ onions, losing every bit you’ve ever earned, when a loved one passes away. You leave the tears for the mares of the family You gotta stay strong, ya hear?

Taking a deep breath, the red colt tossed the pillow away and made his way back towards the window, staring off into the direction that he knew Big Timber was located. “Sorry, Timber, but I really need to kick something right now.” Wearing a face of grim resolve, Big Macintosh made his way down the stairs and out to the farm, headed towards the only object on the farm that could brave his untamed strength.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Big Macintosh made his way towards Fluttershys’ cottage at a slow pace. It’d been a day since he’d received her letter, and the night before had been torture for him. When he wasn’t out on the farm bucking apples without so much as a word to Applejack, he was in his room skulking. He hadn’t eaten so much as a bite until that morning, when Granny Smith had refused to let him leave without a decent breakfast. Now that he’d had a few (rather large) helpings of apple pancakes and syrup, his head felt much clearer. Fluttershy had told him the night before he’d left that she wasn’t angry at him. And they’d had their arguments before, but it was nothing that Fluttershy had been that upset over. And this might not even be a big deal for them; he might be worrying for nothing. Still he couldn’t shake a sense of dread in the back of his mind, as he was just approaching the front door to her house. Raising his hoof to give it a knock, the door suddenly swung open as he pushed his foreleg forward, and fell flat on his chest inside.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy piped as she dipped down to help him up off the floor.

“Fluttershy!” Big Macintosh took her hoof in kind, but mostly pulled his own weight off of the floor. “How’d you know I’d be here so soon?”

“Oh, I was waiting by the window when I saw you come by.”

“Oh no, was I making you wait? Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, you’re right on time.” Fluttershy reassured him. “I’m just… really ready to get going.”

“Going? Where to?” Big Macintosh asked. “I thought you wanted to talk to-“

“We will, but I want to take you somewhere before we get started.”

“O-okay…?” Wearing a puzzled look on his face, Big Macintosh followed Fluttershy out the door and towards the forest, walking in awkward silence beside her the whole way.
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“We’re here!” Fluttershy finally cheered, as they stepped in an open field of the forest, a pond with some lily pads off to the side. As Big Macintosh took in the beautiful surroundings of nature, he could see that this particular area received more focus of sunshine than any other part of the forest. “Do you know what this place is?” Fluttershy asked him.

Macintosh tilted his head upwards in thought. “Can’t say I rightly do.” He responded finally.

“It’s where I first got my cutie mark. I told you about how I got it after I fell down from the pegasus race Rainbow Dash was in, right?” he nodded his head as she laid down on her stomach and recalled her chronicles of self-discovery with a smile on her face. “Well, I can’t tell you how magical it was for me. This place, this wonderful place, helped put me on the path to who I am. So, every now and then, when I’m feeling confused or uncertain about something, I like to come here and think it over until I can sort things out for myself.”

Big Macintosh mulled her words over in his head for a bit before asking. “So… what’s got you so confused right now?”

Fluttershy’s smile faded as she averted her eyes to him. “I’ve been thinking… about that night that we were together…”

“I’m real sorry about that, Fluttershy; I know I stepped out of bounds.” Big Macintosh began. “I won’t ever let anything like that happen again, I prom-“

“Macintosh!” Fluttershy stood up suddenly and trotted closer to him. “I told you already, I’m not angry with you. I was just confused. I needed to take some time to really think about what I wanted, from you and from myself.”

“And that is…?”

Fluttershy looked down at the ground, before lifting her eyes up back to him and smiling. “I just want to be with you, that’s all.” She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his mouth, pushing him over onto his back to embrace him. Big Macintosh took her into his hooves, stroking her back tenderly as he held her.

“Oh, Fluttershy!” he cried out, breaking the kiss. “Thank you. I really needed to hear that today, you don’t know how badly. I love you, sugarcube.”

“I love you too, Mackie.” She gave him another quick kiss before she rolled over to his side, once again lying on her tummy. “So, is there, um… anything you want… from me?”

“Well, I just want the same thing, to be with you.”

Fluttershy smiled at his righteousness. “Oh, I know that. But is there anything… more you might want?” At this, she began to wiggle her cutie mark at him.

Big Macintosh took a powerful breath through his nostrils as he watched her shake her rump at him. “I, uh… n-n-Nope!” He replied, smiling sheepishly.

A disappointed look came over Fluttershy’s face, before her eyes moved down his body and widened in surprise. “Oh my…” she said putting a hoof over her mouth. Big Macintosh looked down and realized that yet again his pride had unsheathed itself for him and his marefriend to behold. “You’re a terrible liar.” She teased, whispering in his ear.

“Sorry. Okay, I guess there are some… things I might want.” He admitted, turning his gaze from her. “But I ain’t gonna push you into nothing you ain’t ready for. Granny taught me better than that.”

“And I really admire that about you, Mackie. But, what if I am ready for it? Would you be willing to go that far if that were the case?”

“Well, yeah, but…” before he could finish, he was cut off by a loud pompf that filled the air. He looked over and saw Fluttershy’s beautiful wings extended similar to the night they’d spent together at her house. Although her cheeks wore a slight blush, she didn’t seem to mind them much at all.

“Oh, these silly wings of mine.” She began, twiddling her hooves together. “I just can’t control them anymore. I used to be able to tame them, but whenever I think about you Mackie, they just get so… stiff.”

Big Macintosh smiled at her as he sat himself up. “You know why I fell in love with you? It’s because of how innocent you are. That’s what really drove me to you. Pure and sweet Fluttershy of the forest, that’s how I saw you.” Even with his stallion shaft rock hard, he still strived to keep himself composed. “And I’m afraid that if we do… this, it might sully you. I don’t want to ruin what makes you so wonderful, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy gazed at him, before a small amount of tears welled up in her eyes and she broke out into a smile. “That’s so nice of you, Mackie. Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek gently. “But I want this from you. I need it. I’m asking you to help me, as someone I love and trust. Please do this for me.”

“Are y’all sure? I mean, what if we just-!”

“Big Macintosh!” Fluttershy exclaimed impatiently, causing a swarm of birds to take flight from the trees surrounding them. Taking a deep breath, she turned herself away from him, placing her head on the ground and raising her flank in the air, moving her tail to the side to reveal her round cheeks and soaking wet vulva to him. “I’m ready…” she whispered gently.

Big Macintosh bit his lip as he felt his erection throb between his legs. Even he couldn’t muster the strength to protest anymore. Pulling himself up, he quickly mounted the back of Fluttershy. His forelegs hung over her sides and touched the ground, his size so much larger than hers. He gently pushed his penis inside of her, feeling the tight walls of her vagina stroke downwards as he inched his way in. This tightness he felt, there was no arguing that this had to be her first time. It was only when he was about three quarters in that he felt the tip hit a stopping point, eliciting a high-pitched squeak from the pegasus beneath him.

‘Y’all okay?” he asked, stopping himself dead in his tracks, not wanting to hurt her in the slightest.

“I-I-I…” Fluttershy stammered, her voice trembling as her hindquarters wavered with failing strength. Gulping loudly, she fortified her haunches with resolve and stood ready to take him. “I’m fine. P-please keep going…” Nodding, Big Macintosh slowly pulled his hips away from her, and pushed forward back into her properly. He wanted so badly to go faster, but the way her pussy was gripping him, he felt that if he went any faster he might tear something inside her. Making love to her was such a delicate process for him, but for every time he felt his tip push against her womb, the more satisfying it became.

Fluttershy whimpered below him as she took in his large cock repeatedly, his massive weight bearing on top of her. He reached his head down and licked her ears in a loving manner. “Atta girl, don’t worry. I gotcha.” He whispered to her from time to time.

“It’s- it’s so… wide!” She piped out as he talked to her.

“You’re doing great. Just like that.” His reassurances seemed to take effect as she looked up into his caring eyes. As he drug his tongue across the back of her neck, she closed her eyes and crossed her front hooves over in delight, now finally developing a rhythm with his thrusting’s.

“Oh, so wide… so big… big… Macintosh!” Fluttershy cried as her hips moved in tune with his cock deep inside of her. “More…”

“What’s that?” Macintosh asked, pausing from his tending to her head.

“I want more. Faster. Harder, harder! Um, please…” Big Macintosh’s eyes broadened at hearing the delicate pony below him cry out for him to step his game up suddenly. He still didn’t have the heart to push all the way, but he increased the speed of his thrusts nonetheless. “Oh, oh my, yes!” She moaned, her mouth forming a most satisfied grin as she was being drilled by him. This was getting better than he’d expected it to be. Before he could control himself, his right hoof reached back and gave Fluttershy’s buttocks a good and firm slap. “Eep!” she squealed out as he struck her.

“Sorry!” he shouted. “I didn’t mean to-!”

“Again!” he raised an eyebrow at her request. “Please, again!” He raised his hoof and brought it down upon her flank a second time, as Fluttershy squealed in delight. “Oh, yes! Yes! Ah, ah, ah, ohhhh~!”

“What’s wrong, sweetie? Y’all need me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare stop, Big Macintosh!” she shouted, looking back at him with a fierce passion in her eyes. “I’m almost… almost… oh-oh-oh-oh-mmmm~!” Fluttershy let out a loud high pitched whine as she released a large torrent of fluids over Big Macintosh’s large pony rod, giving him an easier time to slip in and out of her; not that he needed it; a few seconds after her climax, Big Macintosh gritted his teeth together as he felt his seed rushing forth from inside of him “Hee… yaaah!” At once, his pony semen exploded from inside of him, filling the inside of Fluttershy’s tight pussy and slightly spilling out its lips. Exhausted, he pulled out from inside of her, dripping a few strands on the ground as he laid back to catch his breath.

The grass felt so nice upon his back as he lay there, admiring the scenery around him. Though he’d always had a taste for the outdoors, the forest was so much different than his farm. This wasn’t cultivated where everything had been harvested and planted by his hoof. This was a spectacle of nature’s own will, as it grew in any direction it saw fit. No wonder Fluttershy was so enraptured by its spirit.

As he lay upon the grass reflecting upon the forest, he felt a pair of hooves grasp his shoulder and chest as Fluttershy reached up and kissed him deeply, before resting her head upon him. “Thank you, Mackie.” She whispered sweetly, a look of contentment spread across her face.

Smiling, Big Macintosh wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “You’re quite welcome, sugarcube. I take it you enjoyed yourself?”

“Oh, I did! I had no idea it would be that enjoyable. You can’t imagine how much I needed that.”

“Heh heh, I reckon I could.” He replied, noticing his shaft finally becoming flaccid and relaxed before him. “You really surprised me back there. I didn’t think you’d get into it so much.” He leaned down and kissed her affectionately on the head. “Glad you enjoyed it though.”

“Um, Mackie?” Fluttershy asked as she righted herself up above him

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we could… do it again?” She put on a wide grin as she pulled her forelegs up under her chin.

“…Beg pardon?” Big Macintosh asked taken aback.

“I, um, want to go again… if that’s all right with you.”

He sat with his mouth slightly open in shock. Did she actually want to go through all of that again, and so soon after their first time? He’d had a few flings with the town mares before when he was younger, and even the savviest of mares found themselves barely able to move after sessions with him. It wasn’t something he took pride in, being with other mares out of a serious relationship, but sometimes he just found himself unable to resist his own urgings in those years. “Come on, Fluttershy, y’all don’t wanna overdo it now, do ya?” Ya might end up hurting yourself.”

“Oh, I think I’ll be alright. It didn’t hurt that bad. And even when it did, I really liked it.” Fluttershy pulled herself on top of Big Macintosh, her hooves propped on both sides of him while she stared down at him with a seductive smile. “Come on, I’ll bet you’ve got some more energy to spare, don’t you?” She lowered her head down to his chest and began to drag her wet tongue up to his muscular neck. At once, his powerful cock again began to build up hard as it brushed up slightly against Fluttershy’s hindlegs.

“Okay, fine.” Macintosh admitted, a slick grin forming on his face. “But only ‘cause you’re insisting.”

Fluttershy winked, as she kissed his chest, and brought her body down lower on him, leaving a trail of kisses as she descended downwards. She finally arrived at his long pony shaft, taking a grip into her delicate hooves as she eyed it up and down. She closed her eyes and began to uncurl her lips as she approached it.

“Wait, don’t!” Big Macintosh protested suddenly.

Fluttershy opened her eyes instantly at his objection. “Oh, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t… don’t do that.” He advised her plainly. “That’s just too demeaning. I can’t have you doing that, no matter how much you say you’re fine with it. Please, Fluttershy.” Although his penis throbbed with passion, his face wore a look of solemn discomfort. He honestly felt uncomfortable with Fluttershy going that far with him.

Fluttershy seemed to understand, as she moved her head back. “I understand.” She muttered. Big Macintosh closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief at her response. However, he felt a small peck against his rod as his eyes flew open and he saw Fluttershy place a gentle kiss upon the large shaft in her hooves. “You’re such a sweetheart, Mackie!” She then began to crawl back up towards him with her legs wide open above his waist. Taking great care, she lowered herself until his hard stallion cock penetrated the sopping lips of her marehood. “Ahhh!” she let out a loud moan as she moved down, letting him move as deep inside as her body could allow. Her face changed quickly from one of pain to pleasure as she grew accustomed to his size. “Oh, Mackie!” she cried out, moving her hips upward, her vagina tugging firmly against the skin of his shaft.

She repeated his pet name as she moved herself down and up, while Big Macintosh could only lie back as she savored her own motions along him. “Heh, I didn’t think you had it in you, Fluttershy.” He said to her nervously.

Fluttershy looked down towards him and formed a mischievous grin on her face. “I didn’t. Not until you put it in me.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and licked her lips seductively.

“Whoa, w-what’s gotten into you?” he asked, surprised by her enticing double entendre.

“You have, silly. Can’t you feel it?” Bringing her chest up a bit, she placed her hooves onto his chest while she continued her motions on his crotch. “Don’t you just love the feeling of being inside me?”

Big Macintosh’s’ haunches began to shake, as he could feel his dick beginning to reach an early climax. “Hey, come on, that ain't fair!”

“What’s not fair? Oh, you don’t like it when I’m assertive, huh? Why? Is it too much for you to handle, big boy?” Fluttershy closed her eyes and laid her chest back as far as she could go. She now had her head up towards the sun as her forehooves reached back near Big Macintosh’s hindlegs, revealing her plump mammaries nestled between her haunches.

Wincing, Big Macintosh realized he wouldn’t be able to last much longer at this rate. He had to do something to gain the upper hoof. He reached out a hoof and seized her breasts, rubbing them firmly in small circles. His touch elicited a small squeak from Fluttershy as her eyes and mouth opened wide in shock.

“W-w-what are you doing!” she stammered.

“Playing dirty, that’s what!”

“Oh, you’re such a cheater!” she exclaimed, as her head tilted back, her eyes and mouth shut tight in passion.

“Oh, you’re one to talk.” He snapped back, lunging towards her and pinning her to the ground. “Acting all dominant when I been used to you being so dang sweet and innocent. Now that ain’t fair, I tell ya what!” With that, Big Macintosh began to fiercely pound away at Fluttershy’s vagina. He’d abandoned his notion of control and lost himself in a furious fit of lust inside of her. As he continued to furiously hump her, Fluttershy clenched her teeth to brace herself from his strength, gasping and moaning at each thrust he gave her.

“Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, Macintosh! Ohhh!” She raised her hooves up to cover her eyes as she could hardly form words at this point. Her small pegasus lips spurted jets of wet orgasmic fluid as he pounded away relentlessly inside of her. He smirked defiantly as he watched her submit to him. He’d regained control of her, finally. The feeling of being the one on top restored the confidence that had been wavering just a moment ago.

After a few minutes, tears began to form in the corners of Fluttershy’s eyes. Seeing them began to stir other emotions inside of Big Macintosh. He began to realize how hard he was actually going at her. He was quite likely the largest stallion in Ponyville, and she was known for being so small and delicate. Was it really right for him to treat her like this? He looked at her face as thoughts of guilt ran through his mind; her tearful eyes opened up and gazed at him. Her beautiful glassy eyes met with his as he felt his own begin to sting. He opened his mouth to say something; he didn’t know what it would be. Before he could utter a word though, she bit her lip innocently as she let out an adorable high pitched whine. It was the same noise she made whenever she met somepony new, the same one she’d made that night at the play when everypony’s eyes had turned on her. Those who’d heard it felt their hearts instantly melt at her awkward charm.

Hearing her frail cry of intimidation, Big Macintosh felt his legs waver underneath him. His eyes rolled up into his head as his mouth hung open, his face lacking any sort of composure. “Huhh-ahh-ohh- ohhh, Fluttershyyyy! Ahhh!” A powerful wave of semen erupted from his cock as he gave one last attempt at thrusting into her, before he collapsed onto his chest, taking care to fall to the side and avoid crushing Fluttershy. Truly spent, he laid there wheezing as he struggled to catch his breath. He didn’t know whether he enjoyed himself or just felt ashamed. He could barely even form thoughts; his head was spinning so much. After a minute of lying down, he finally turned his head over to look at Fluttershy, lying ever still on her back, her head facing away from him.

“Fluttershy?” he called her as he shook her gently with a hoof. “Fluttershy, y’all okay? Please tell me you’re okay!”

Fluttershy began to stir a bit as she turned her head over, her face wearing the most beautiful smile he’d seen in a long time. “Never better, sweetie.” She replied, beaming at him. She began to giggle as she looked into his flushed face. “I guess you really do like it when I’m meek and shy, don’t you?”

He furrowed his brow for a moment. “You mean… at the end, when you did that…” His ears drooped as he recalled that beautiful noise she made to usher in his climax. “Y’all were faking?”

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. “There was no way I could fake something like that. I really really loved all of it. And that... sound… that was real too. I just made sure to really look into you and make sure you noticed it.”

“But what about when you were all talking down to me, like you were challenging me?”

“Oh, that…” Fluttershy’s cheeks reddened as she thought back. “Well, I had a feeling you were being gentle with me before, so I thought maybe if I was more assertive like my friends say I should be, then maybe you’d get enticed to… you know.”

Big Macintosh was dumbfounded. This filly had him played him like a fiddle; she knew exactly which strings to tug in order to get the best performance out of him. He turned his head away from her as he looked down to the ground.

Fluttershy gasped as a worried look formed on her face. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

Big Macintosh heaved a heavy sigh. “Fluttershy… after all the months of being with you and being in love…” he turned towards her with a reserved smile on his face. “Looks like I still got lots to learn ‘bout ya.” He leaned in and kissed behind her ear playfully.

“Yay~!” she piped gleefully, leaning into his face as he tickled her head. “I mean, I’m glad.”

Big Macintosh draped a hoof over her shoulder and brought her close to him as he took in the aroma of her mane. Even covered in grass and sweat, its sweet smell gave him such a calming feeling. “Just don’t ask me for a third one, ‘kay?”

“Well…” Fluttershy shuffled her hind legs underneath her in an antsy fashion.

“Fluttershy!”

She began to giggle. “I’m only joking! Don’t get so flustered.” She kissed his cheek softly to try and calm him down, his face stiff and red from embarrassment. “Anyway, I really need to get going. The animals at my cottage probably need to be fe-!” As Fluttershy moved to stand up, her hind legs quickly gave out beneath her, as she plopped hard onto the grass underneath her.

“Whoa, Fluttershy!” Big Macintosh hustled to her side, looking her over quickly. “What’s the matter? Y’all okay?”

“I-I don’t know.” She replied, shaking her head to clear its fuzziness. She feebly pulled her right hindleg up, but as soon as she put any weight on her hoof, it immediately gave way beneath her “I can’t seem to… put any weight on my legs.”

A frown appeared on Big Macintosh’s face “Oh, dang it, I probably wore you out, sugarcube. I kinda lost control back there and went at it harder than I should have.” Taking a look at her legs, his eyes travelled up to her rump, where he took a closer peek at her. He could see the yellow flesh around was red and had been fairly bruised as a result of his intense love-making. “Oh, Fluttershy, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, really. I mean, inconvenient as this is…” Fluttershy swished her tail to the side as she spoke with joy. “It was worth it.”

Big Macintosh smiled and shook his head. “Oh, sugarcube, what am I gonna do with you?” He suddenly leaned down and pushed his head underneath her rump.

“Wha-wh-what are you!?” Fluttershy cried as she felt her hindquarters being lifted into the air.

“Relax, it ain't whatcha think.” Big Macintosh moved his body, so that Fluttershy’s legs draped properly over his sides. “I’m just gonna help ya get home.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that! I don’t want to be any trouble-!”

“But nothing. I did this to ya, least I can do is give ya a ride home.” Big Macintosh gave her a slight bump as he repositioned her on his back. “Besides, y’all weigh lighter than a barrel of apples. It ain’t no trouble.”

Fluttershy smiled as he began to move out towards the edge of the forest in the direction of her home. Kissing him on the back of his neck, she nuzzled her head into his fur. “Hey, Mackie?”

“Eeyup?”

“I think I might fall asleep on you for a bit. I hope that’s okay.”

He chuckled blissfully. “You go ahead and sleep all you want. I’ll wake ya when we get there.”

“Thank you…” she let out a soft yawn as she again rubbed her cheek into his neck, breathing gently onto him as she fell into a deep sleep.

As he made his way out of the forest, he noticed that the sun had been shining brightly on them the entire time. He gazed up at it as much as he could without letting it blind him.

Princess Celestia’s sun… he raised a hoof to his chin in deep thought. “Y’all weren’t watching us now, where ya?” A few seconds after he spoke, the sun quickly began to shift over, disappearing behind a stray cloud that might have been lost by the weather team. He laughed loudly as he turned away from the sun. “Oh, Princess…” he shook his head and smiled. “Hope we put on a good show for ya!”
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Big Macintosh made his way through the forest, navigating through an unorthodox gathering of trees and bushes. Eventually he came to a point where a large multitude of wilderness kept him from advancing any further. He could have easily brushed it aside, but he was afraid that he might disturb Fluttershy, sleeping so peacefully on his back. He hung his head in frustration, when he noticed a small brown rabbit on the ground looking up at him. It turned its head towards Fluttershy, and cocked his head in confusion.

“Hey there! Don’t mind us, we’re just passing through.” Big Macintosh explained. “Well, trying to anyway.” The rabbit immediately sprinted towards the nearest tree and gave it a few swift kicks to its base. After a few seconds, a flock of birds flew out of the hollow of the tree towards the higher branches blocking the pony couple while a few more bunnies had appeared to help their friend with the lower branches. “Oh, thanks partner!” Big Macintosh gingerly stepped through the path that had been cleared for him. Letting go of the branches, the group of animals trailed him closely as a family of squirrels hopped from tree to tree to the right of him. A swarm of butterflies began to gather above him, adding to the large crowd of woodland critters following him already.

Even while she’s sleeping, she’s got such a way with creatures, Big Macintosh thought to himself while he admired the company following him. Fluttershy, you’re really something else. A sense of calmness swept over him as he admired everything around him. Had he wings of his own, they would have begun to flutter on their own, letting him float the rest of the way to the cottage. He began to experience the sheer joy that his marefriend must experience on a daily basis when she became one with nature. He held onto the feeling as long as he could, letting nature’s will guide him to the edge of the forest, not letting a single worry enter his mind.
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Finally arriving at the edge of the forest, Big Macintosh could see Fluttershy’s cottage ahead of him. Stepping onto the clear ground ahead of him, he turned back and bid farewell to all the creatures that led him here as they scampered back into the forest. He turned his head forward and made his way to her front door. He had almost made it to the small bridge when he heard a voice call out to him.

“Big Macintosh?”

The red pony turned his head quickly as he saw the familiar form of Twilight Sparkle gazing awkwardly at him. “Oh, uh, howdy Twilight.” He responded curtly. “W-whatcha doin’ here?”

“Me? Oh, I was just on my way to Zecora’s to pick up some ingredients for some special tea.” She explained. “What about you? What’s Fluttershy doing on your back? Is she okay?” She trotted over to him and inspected her pegasus closely.

“She’s fine, I promise. She’s just sleeping. She’s had a busy day.”

“Doing what?”

“Nothing!” He responded rather loudly. He cleared his throat before he continued. “I mean nothing important.”

“Nothing important? Fluttershy had such a rough day that she fell asleep on your back from doing ‘nothing important’?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she glared at him accusingly. “You’re hiding something from me, Big Mac, and I don’t appreciate it when somepony hides something about my friends, especially when they could be hurt.”

“Twilight, please! I promise you she ain’t hurt, she’s just tired!”

“Tired from what?!” Twilight shouted. “You’re not making any sense! I mean, what could two ponies do together all alone that could exhaust one of them so much they-!” Twilight stopped mid-sentence as her jaw dropped, a figurative light-bulb clicking in her head. A wide grin appeared on her face as she projected the most intense stare at him.

“Twilight, it ain’t what ya think.” Twilight ignored his statement and continued to stare at him. “Really, it’s a big misunderstanding! Stop looking at me like that! Y’all better listen to me!”

Leaning her head in, she whispered in his ear “So… you made a mare out of her, huh?” His ears drooping, Big Macintosh placed a hoof over his eyes in embarrassment. “Ha ha ha, no way!” Twilight squealed in delight as she began to prance around him in a fashion similar to Pinkie Pie. “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it!”

“Twilight, settle down!” he barked at her suddenly. “You’re gonna wake her up!”

“I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe-!” the bouncing purple unicorn stopped in mid-bounce and slowly lowered herself to the ground as a sheepish smile formed over her face. “Heh heh, sorry. I’m just so surprised at this. To think that sweet innocent Fluttershy would ever do… that. And that you would be the one to do it to her. It’s a lot for her to handle. The responsibility, that is!” she exclaimed suddenly, seeming to catch herself in some unintended innuendo. Big Macintosh shook his head in confusion.

“Well, now you know, alright? Just do me a favor, and don’t spread this around needlessly.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“I mean it, nopony. Swear to me!”

Sighing in frustration, Twilight raised a hoof as she performed the rehearsed actions of a Pinkie Pie swear. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my… eye.” She paused for a second to shut her eye before placing her hoof over it, completing the sacred promise.

“Thanks Twi, I appreciate it.” A relieved smile formed on his face. ”I don’t need nopony else to go getting all out of sorts because of what Fluttershy done. I still want her to be seen like she’s always been seen, ya hear?”

“Oh yeah, I’m with you on that.”

“I mean, seeing the way you took the news, I can’t imagine what all your other friends might do. I’m already gonna have a tough time keepin' it from AJ.”

“Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way.” Twilight responded absent-mindedly.

Taking notice of her reply, Big Macintosh looked back at Twilight, and caught her with her head lowered, her face looking towards the underside of his hindlegs. “You looking for something?” he asked angrily.

Her head shooting up suddenly, a deep blush overcame Twilights cheeks. “Huh!? No no no, I’m not looking for anything, especially not that!” Her eyes darted in every direction as the two were trapped in the most awkward of silence. “Well, uh… I better get going. I have to be at um…”

“Zecora’s?” Macintosh filled in the blank for her.

“Zecora’s! Yes, I have to go to Zecora's hut for-for-for, uh…” she tapped her hoof on the ground, desperate to get her scrambled thoughts together.

“Tea.”

“Yes! Tea! Have to get some tea! That’s why I was out here to begin with, and that’s what I’m gonna do! So, um… bye!” Twilight sprinted off towards the EverFree forest, her tail tucked firmly between her legs.

Big Macintosh shook his head as he watched the unicorn prance away from him. Turning away, he crossed the bridge and made his way up the path to her door. He opened the door and walked towards her sofa, slowly lowering his knees and rolling her onto the sofa. Fluttershy began to stir for a moment, until she rolled onto her back, her legs facing up in a relaxed stance. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each soft breath that she took as she continued to sleep. A large yawn escaped his mouth as he shook his head.

“Whew, I guess I’m a bit worn out myself, sugarcube.” He spoke to her softly, not wanting to disturb her slumber. “Guess I was so focused on being a gentlecoltly I didn’t realize how much you took out of me.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek, causing her to move her hoof up to her face and rub it without thought. Big Macintosh lowered himself onto the floor underneath her, laying his head atop his forelegs. “I guess I could sit a spell here. ‘Sides, it’d be rude to leave you before you woke up.” His eyelids began to sag over his vision, as he felt sleep’s embrace swiftly overtaking him. “Goodnight, Fluttershy. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He couldn’t tell if Fluttershy had really said that just now, or if he was already dreaming. It didn’t matter; awake or asleep, he could feel his heart flutter with the sensation of her love within him.

THE END