The Apple Does Fall Hard for the Tree

Fluttershy began to sink as low as she could in the booth as Pinkie bounced toward them like a doll of cotton candy and rubber come to intense, energetic life.

Applejack cleared her throat and stretched out a hoof towards the pink pony.  “Pinkie, ah don't think--”

Pinkie stuck one of Fluttershy's cider bottles in AJ's hoof (how did she reach across the packed table?) and grinned.  “I don't think you're relaxed enough either yet.  Fluttershy!  You look GREAT!  Have you been off mastering the art of beauty sleep?  Rarity talks about it allllll the time, and it did seem like every time I dropped by your cottage with a party invitation lately you were sleeping.” Pinkie hunkered down beside Applejack and stage-whispered in her ear. “She has the cutest little squeaky snore, really hard to hear, but if you're listening for it...”

Fluttershy just blinked slowly at Pinkie, overloaded as usual by the deluge of mile-a-minute speech, but hadn't the pink pony said something in there about her looking...great?  'Shy blushed gently, but the light tint in her cheeks became brick-red when the party-pony began discussing her snoring habits.  “Um, Pinkie, please.”

“Pinkie, have you ordered yet?  We just got our food as yew can see, and ah think we're having second thoughts.  It seems a bit much for j, just the two of us.  Would you like to do us a favor and help us tuck in?”

Pinkie tilted her head, listening, and as soon as the import of AJ's words registered her eyes grew wide and began shining.  “I will take this delicious bullet for you, amigos!”  She cried, and pulled a small spade from...somewhere.  She thrust it into the massive souffle, opened her mouth unnaturally wide, and shoveled in what must have been two pounds of the savory entree.  “S'GOOD!”  Pinkie mumbled, her mane puffing up another degree or two.

Applejack grinned, and stuck her fork in the souffle, tearing off a piece of the browned crust half the size of one of Rarity's hats.  She offered it to Fluttershy with an apologetic look.  “Didn't mean to come away with quite that big a piece, hon.”

'Shy just giggled, and took a big bite out of the offered morsel.  In a few seconds the fork was empty, and she left her mouth open, tongue lolling over her lower lip, playfully signaling for more.  AJ was quick to oblige her, and the mountain of souffle slowly eroded before their eyes.

After a few dozen forkfuls of the souffle, AJ speared a number of the cheese fries, the cheese kept nicely molten with a warming spell built into its serving tray.  Fluttershy delicately lipped the fries from the fork a few at a time, and couldn't help but groan in pleasure.  “Oh goodness, these taste so good, they have to be awful for you.”

Pinkie giggled, shoveling up a mass of the fries and dumping them in her mouth.  She mumbled around the greasy load, “You canf worreh abouf stuff like thaf when yo havinf fun!”  When she swallowed, a lump as big as a grapefruit slid down the pink pony's neck.

~She must be made of rubber.   I wish Twilight was here to see this.  She'd be pulling her mane out trying to force the Pinkie puzzle piece to fit inside her idea of how physics and anatomy ought to work.~  Fluttershy glanced at AJ, who met her gaze and grinned, shrugging.  It was the 'it's Pinkie Pie' shrug, and anyone who wanted to stay sane ended up adopting it quickly.

Fluttershy gently stopped AJ's next fork with a hoof.  “Go ahead and try them yourself, AJ, and eat your pasta.  I can, um, forage for myself for a moment.”  She smiled, leaning over to plant a lightly greasy kiss on the orange pony's nose.  They both froze for a second after, glancing Pinkie's way to see if she'd noticed, but the other earth pony had burrowed into the pile of fries and appeared to be reenacting a famous siege within.

“You think you can starve us out?!  We have enough molten cheese in here to last us for WEEKS!  You'll be the ones who show their tails in the end,” munching sounds cut off the speech, “U'lll see!”

Applejack nuzzled her dear friend's cheek with a contented sigh, then turned her attention to her own little entree.  Fluttershy opened her mouth wide, and took a big bite out of the pile of fries before her, letting the mix of cheeses tease her taste buds with the sharpness of cheddar, the sour note of swiss, and the smooth rich decadence of colby.  The herbs and spices played counterpoint to the thick, soft cheese, keeping the greasy mass from becoming overwhelming.  The fries themselves were perfect, crispy on the outside but soft within, and salted just right.  She swallowed, and went right back in for another bite, and another, and another.  Grease shone on her muzzle, but for the moment she didn't care.

'Shy flinched back at pressure on her side, but a quick glance showed it to be Applejack caressing her swelling barrel again.  Fluttershy leaned into that hoof, stomach emitting a soft “Glorp,” with the movement, and reveled in the soothing rubs as she resumed munching into Pinkie's fort.  The pegasus and pink earth pony met each other half-way, Pinkie surprising 'Shy with a slurp to her shining muzzle.

“Guess what was at the center?!  Sour cream!”  Now Pinkie helped feed 'Shy, sheaves of fries doused in the cool cream slipping past her lips.  Pinkie did her own share of the eating of course, and soon the fry fort collapsed atop her, the foundations too nibbled and gnawed to support the cheesy roof.  Laughter rang through the restaurant as the three tried to corral the cascading fries somewhat, and it quickly became a game of funneling them into Pinkie's mouth.  The party-pony's belly had certainly puffed up during dinner, but nowhere near as huge as common sense indicated it should have.

~Where does she...well, I suppose a lot of it is instantly burned off in the excited vibrating she's always doing,~  'Shy giggled, chasing some of the fries by pouring cider into the upside-down Pinkie's mouth.  Pinkie gargled it appreciatively before swallowing, and groaned, patting her gut with both forehooves.

“You two sure know how to order at this place.  Didja get dessert?  Huh?  Didja-didja-didja?”  Just as if she wasn't sporting a belly that suggested she'd eaten a few bowling balls, Pinkie sprang off her back and onto her hooves, even flipping to face the seated pair in a single blurred motion.

“W-we did order cake, actually.”  Fluttershy admitted, biting back a moan when AJ kneaded a little deeper into her side.

At the mention of cake, Pinkie squealed like a filly, sprang off the table and onto the souffle cart, her impact setting it rolling towards the kitchen.  She rode it like Scootaloo on her clever little scooter, even popping a wheelie halfway across the dining room, while calling back over her shoulder.  “I'll let them know we're ready for desserrrrrrt!”

“Are yer ears ringin', hon?  Ah feel like we just stepped out of Vinyl's club.”  AJ shook her head until her ears flapped, then had to chase her hat as it made a break for the floor.

“Mmm, I'm glad she was here.  I think that meal would've done me in without her help, and besides...she, she isn't treating me any differently at all.”  Her smile grew so big, it rivaled one of Pinkie's, and AJ couldn't help but mirror it.

“Yer friends will stay your friends, sugar cube.  The ones that count, anyhow.  And you know us five count.  Some of 'em might...well, pro'ly will say things they regret later, and maight even take awhile to get used to the idea of a softer 'Shy that's here to stay, but they'll remember soon 'nuf what's inside hasn't changed a bit.”

Fluttershy slipped a foreleg around Applejack's neck, pulling her in close with a cloud-soft sigh.  “I know it, but I'm glad you're here to say the words and remind me, AJ.  I...mmph.”

~Love her?  Well of course I love her, she's my darling friend.  But do I love her like...that?~  It was such a sticky thought, she was having trouble approaching it.  Would she trade her life for AJ's?  Of course!  But, she would do so for any of her friends.

What about Applejack's happiness?  Would she place it above her own?  Her mind rebelled against the thought so sharply, Fluttershy blinked.

~Oh.  I've been trying to overcome that, and admit to myself my own happiness is important.  I don't have to put everyone first.  I don't have to be a doormat.~  But now, this adorable orange mare gazing up at her...  She shouldn't put everyone else first, but now she could choose to put one special pony's happiness before her own...

“A bit for your thoughts, mah Fluttershy.”  Applejack brushed noses with her, sharing a warm breath with the plush mare.

She nuzzled up Applejack's muzzle, kissing her between the eyes, nudging her hat up and onto her neck so she could bury her nose in blonde mane.  The scent of apples, hay, and grass tickled her nostrils.  “I'll tell you later, my apple dumpling.”  She tried out the pet name, and wrinkled her nose, grinning.  It didn't fit, but it made her smile.

~I can't tell her I love her on our first date.  That...just doesn't seem....no, I'll wait.~

The kitchen doors opened, and the squeaky cart reappeared, Pinkie and a waiter harnessed to it.  They pulled with visible effort, while a towering confection so dark it seemed to absorb the ambient light loomed over them.  Its shadow edged closer and closer, eventually eclipsing the staring couple in their booth.  Even standing on their hind legs, neither of the ponies could have reached the top of that ridiculous cake, even assuming they were standing on the cart with it!  Thick dark frosting shone dull and sullen, glistening beneath rivulets and curtains of drizzled raspberry syrup.

A waterfall crafted from fresh whipped cream cascaded down one side of the cake, and flat stones made of cookies had been placed around a 'pool' of the cream, turning the monstrous dessert into a bit of an art piece.

Flaked chocolate of different sizes had been used to decorate each tier of the cake, with chunks the size of bits on the lowest tier and airy delicate shavings on the highest.  The thick smell of chocolate slapped them in the face, and likely filled the entire dining room within moments.

Pinkie ducked out of the harness, and dumped cake servers that could have been used in some kind of bizarre dessert-themed fencing match in front of her friends.  “Who wants CAKE?!”  The last word was a kind of manic screech.  Pinkie was...passionate about cake.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say 'Check please,' but somehow her lips and tongue converted the words into “I do.”  ~Oh Celestia.  They'll have to roll me home.~