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Chapter 16: The Reveal

Applejack considered herself a fit pony, but she was struggling to keep up with Fluttershy as she ran back to her cottage. Fluttershy must have been desperate to get home. For a second, Applejack started to question if it was really a good idea to talk to Fluttershy right now. Normally she was already withdrawn; now that she was hurting it was possible she’d be very difficult to talk to.

Applejack continued to follow Fluttershy as they left the village of Ponyville proper. Fluttershy showed signs of slowing down, so Applejack poured on the speed and caught up to her. The two ran side by side as Fluttershy turned to Applejack, tears welling in her eyes.

“What do you want?” Fluttershy cried, turning her head away from Applejack.

“Ah wanna help ya,” Applejack said, now panting from the run. “Ah know things didn’t go well with Dash and I wanna help ya feel better.”

Fluttershy began to blush and started slowing down, too tired to keep up her speed. She came to a stop, and Applejack stopped right beside her. Across the way they could see the roof of Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Do you wanna talk inside?” Applejack asked.

“Not really,” Fluttershy replied. “I don’t understand why you’re following me. I’d rather just be left alone.”

“Ah was afraid o’ that,” Applejack said. “But bein’ alone tends to make things worse. Yer thoughts get all muddled and it’s hard to get outta yer funk.”

“How would you know?” Fluttershy was starting to regain her stamina, and she thought about running from Applejack, but those thoughts were quelled when Applejack gave her a smile.

“Ah think ah might have a story to tell you that’ll help ya feel better.”

Fluttershy looked into Applejack’s eyes tentatively. There was a twinkle in them that she normally didn’t notice, and it comforted her. Fluttershy returned a smile and hid coyly behind her mane.

“I guess I could hear a story,” she said softly. Applejack beamed, and the two of them made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage at a more casual pace.

Until they reached the cottage, Fluttershy and Applejack stayed in a comfortable silence. They both knew there’d be plenty of time to talk once they were situated indoors. When they reached the cottage, Fluttershy opened the door and beckoned for Applejack to enter.

“Thank ya kindly,” Applejack said as she entered the cottage. Fluttershy followed her and shut the door. Applejack hung her hat up on the hat rack, and then the two of them sat down on the couch in silence for a few moments, each waiting for the other to speak.

“All right,” Applejack said, “ah’ll tell my story first. It was a colt in school, and I was just a filly, not much older than Apple Bloom. His name was Baritone, and as you can guess, he was really into music.”

Fluttershy settled into the couch as she listened to Applejack’s story. Applejack knew how to spin a good tale, a trait that she’d learned from Granny Smith. Fluttershy wondered why she didn’t ask Applejack to tell more stories.

“Anyway, I weren’t so keen on music ’til ah talked to him, and then ah listened to all kinds o’ stuff on the old radio back at home. Most of it was terrible, but we always had somethin’ to talk about. We were really good friends.

“Well, rumors started flyin’ from the other fillies, mainly, about how we were keen on each other. At first we laughed it off, ’cause it was kinda ridiculous. But then ah started gettin’ all giddy when ah was around him, and my stomach felt kinda fuzzy. So ah asked Granny Smith about it, and she told me ah had a crush.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy chimed in. “How did that make you feel?”

“Well at first ah got mad, sayin’ o’ course ah don’t have a crush on him. That’s just silly talk. Granny told me to sleep on it, and in the mornin’ ah realized she was right.”

“What made you change your mind?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, ah kinda had a...dream about him.”

“What kind of dream?”

Applejack started blushing.

“The kinda dream ya don’t forget easily,” she remarked. “But ah don’t really wanna say what it was.”

“All right, then,” Fluttershy said, not wanting to push Applejack into saying something she didn’t feel like disclosing. Applejack cleared her throat and continued.

“Well, ah wasn’t one to sit idly by and wait for him to make a move, so ah resolved to tell him ah liked him. It took me a few days to muster up the courage, but ah got him alone at recess.”

Fluttershy stared into Applejack’s eyes carefully, and she saw in them a lingering pain. Was it really difficult to recall this after so many years? She almost wanted to ask if she was okay, but figured it would be rude. Besides, Applejack was on a roll now.

“Ah started stammerin’ over my words, and he asked me if somethin’ was wrong, and ah said it was nothin’.” Applejack recalled bitterly. “And then I poured my heart out to him. I started babblin’ on and on about how the other fillies were right and ah had butterflies around him and then ah told him about the dream…”

Applejack paused to brood for a moment.

“The dream?” Fluttershy asked. “How bad was it?”

“It was pretty bad for bein’ ten. He told me he really liked me as a friend but that he was actually startin’ to have a crush on Bon Bon. Ah hated her after that, but not as much as ah hated myself for openin’ my big, fat, stupid mouth.”

“That sounds dreadful…” Fluttershy said, reaching up and stroking Applejack’s mane. Applejack winced but relaxed as Fluttershy ran her hoof through her mane.

“Oh, but ah’m bein’ silly...Ah was supposed to be helpin’ you…”

“Well, you still can,” Fluttershy said. “How did you get over it?”

“Um...well, things just kinda went back to normal after a while,” Applejack said. “Ah never really did get over my first crush, but it got manageable and we were still good friends, at least ’til the end o’ the school year. He moved to Trottingham after that. We promised to write, but we kinda lost touch after that…”

“I’m sorry, Applejack.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Applejack said. “But enough about me. How do you feel?”

“A bit better, actually. I mean, I know I said I didn’t want you around, but it’s nice to have a friend to talk to about all this.”

“Yeah, but ah’ve been the one doin’ all the talking!” Applejack proclaimed. The two of them laughed, and the room settled.

“Don’t let Rainbow getcha down,” Applejack said, giving Fluttershy a smile. “She don’t know what she’s missing.”

“Thanks,” Fluttershy whispered. “Um...what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Huh? Well...ah’m just sayin’ you’d make a pretty good catch.”

“Applejack…”

Applejack squirmed in her seat. “What? Ah’m bein’ serious.”

“That’s not exactly what I want to hear right now,” she said. “It doesn’t really help…”

“Oh,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Um, well...sorry, ah think ah just…”

“Just what?” Fluttershy asked, leaning closer to her.

Applejack took a deep breath and turned to face her. “There’s somethin’...somethin’ ah wanna say, but now’s not the best time. Ah wanna give ya time to bounce back before ah burden ya with any more nonsense.”

“Applejack, I’m sure what you have to tell me isn’t nonsense.”

“Yer too kind,” Applejack responded, turning her head away. “But trust me, it’s silly and not fittin’ for this time, not with you just gettin’ yer heart broken.”

Applejack and Fluttershy both stared at the floor, listening to the clock ticking from the back wall. Applejack rose from the couch and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Fluttershy asked.

Applejack hurried over to the hat stand and put her Stetson on. “Ah think ah have to get going.”

“But Applejack, I want you to stay.”

Applejack turned over to Fluttershy and gave her a careful look. Fluttershy’s cheeks turned pink and she looked away.

“I could still use your help,” she muttered. “I could still use a friend…”

Applejack smiled and returned the Stetson to the hat stand. She slowly walked back over to the couch and sat down. Fluttershy sighed but gave her a small smile.

“Thank you, Applejack.”

“No problem. Mighty kind o’ you to let me stay.” Applejack then chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Fluttershy asked with a slight pang in her voice.

“Oh, nothin’,” Applejack said sheepishly. “Just wonderin’ if this is gonna turn into another overnight.”

“Would that be a bad thing?”

“No! Not at all. In fact, ah think it’d be great!” Applejack reached over carefully and began to rub Fluttershy’s back. Fluttershy grew visibly calmer. “Ah really appreciate the chance to get to know you better. We never really talked to each other before.”

“I know,” Fluttershy whispered. “I’m really glad we can be there for each other right now.”

“Fluttershy, ah…you’re a really good friend.”

“Applejack, what’s going on?” Fluttershy asked suddenly. Applejack stopped rubbing her back and her stomach felt like it was churning butter. “You’re being so nice to me, and we’ve been with each other so much over the last few days, and you said you had something to tell me.”

“Fluttershy, ah don’t think…”

“Don’t think what?” Fluttershy asked. She sat up and faced Applejack with a stern look on her face. “Look, I know you’re trying to be respectful, but if there’s something on your mind, I want you to tell me what it is. There’s no reason to suffer in silence.”

“What makes you think ah’m suffering?”

“You seem so unsure of yourself,” Fluttershy observed. “You’re usually so bold around our friends, but with me, especially right now, you’ve been a lot more...tender, I guess is the word. I’ve never seen you like this, and when you told me you wanted to tell me something, it got me thinking.”

“Thinking what?” Applejack then shook her head. “No, it really ain’t a good idea to get into it. Ah’m not even sure of it myself, and ah don’t wanna disappoint you—”

“Disappoint me?” Fluttershy reacted. “I’m sorry, forgive me for interrupting, but how could you disappoint me? You’ve been such a good friend.”

“Look, it’s somethin’ that even ah don’t fully understand, and ah don’t wanna confuse you or nothin’, so ah really don’t think…” Applejack then groaned and buried her face in her hooves. Fluttershy pulled her hooves away and looked into her eyes.

“I think I know what it is,” she whispered. Applejack’s pupils retracted, and Fluttershy had never seen her look so terrified. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but grin.

“Well, let me just say that I understand why you don’t want to tell me now. I’m just getting over this thing with Rainbow Dash, and you don’t want to take advantage of me while I’m vulnerable. I agree, it wouldn’t be a good idea right now, but maybe we can give it some time and I can reconsider.”

“Now yer just makin’ assumptions. What makes you think ah like you like that?”

Applejack froze for a few seconds and then covered her mouth with her hoof. Fluttershy smiled warmly and pulled her hoof away.

“That is it, isn’t it?” she asked. “That is what you were afraid to tell me, yes?”

“Aw, consarn it, it is! Ah can’t believe ah couldn’t keep my big mouth shut, especially at a time like this. Ah didn’t even realize until ah hung out with you for the past few days, but ah’m still not really sure and ah don’t wanna put you through any more grief and—”

Fluttershy placed a hoof up against Applejack’s lips.

“Shh…” she whispered. “You don’t have to worry so much about it. I’m flattered, and I’m curious to know what’s going to happen here. Just give me some time, okay?” Fluttershy lowered her hoof.

“Okay,” Applejack said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Well, now that that’s outta the bag, what now?”

“Let me make us some dinner,” Fluttershy suggested, “and we can just talk, like good friends always do. Then we’ll have a nice evening and a good night’s rest, and tomorrow everything will start to look a little brighter, hopefully for the both of us.”

“Yeah, it’s been a pretty rough day,” Applejack remarked. “Some dinner sounds nice right about now.”

“Then I’ll get it started.” Fluttershy rose off of the couch and sauntered over to the kitchen, humming to herself. Applejack still had the willies, but she was feeling a lot better, too, maybe even a little hopeful. At the very least, Fluttershy seemed to be feeling a lot better, so, at least in that respect, her confession seemed to be a success. She just hoped that success didn’t stop there.

Oh, Applejack, she thought, what are ya gettin’ yerself into?