Butterfly in the Orchard

"Okay everypony, remember the theme," said the mayor to the crowd of worker ponies and volunteers. "Warmth in Ice, everypony, make everything look cozy and warm, Like we must huddle up together." The preparations for the Winter's Heart Ball had begun. The Ponies of Ponyville had started to make the Community center this year's location and are trying their best to make it better this year than last.

"I'm Heeeeeeeeere," said the cheering voice of the pink party pony known as Pinkie Pie, followed by Big Macintosh pulling the cart of supplies.

"Pinkie, I'm so glad you made it." Says the mayor as she looks questionably at the oversized cart, "what exactly did you bring?"

"we brought the Ribbons, mats, balloons, streamers, screamers, plates, forks, and my personal favorite, the Party Cannon!!!" shouted Pinkie with a joyful pitch as she pulls out the cannon and aims it at the mayor.

"Pinkie, we said no cannon this year." Exclaimed the Mayor, "Remember what happened last year at Vinyl's concert."

"That wasn't my fault," protested pinkie, "I wasn't the one who mixed soda in with the confetti." She said with an innocent smile on her face, eyes pacing back and forth.

The mayor looked at her sternly, "no cannon" she said, passing her.

"Come on, just one pony gets a broken jaw and everypony is afraid of the party cannon," Grumbled pinkie as she pushed the cannon back home.

"Anyway, thanks for bringing the supplies Big Mac. We couldn't get it done without you," Said the mayor, while making sure Pinkie didn't turn back.

"t'ain't nothin' miss mayor, anything to help you ponyfolk." Replied Mac as he unstrapped the cart and stepped forth with a sigh. Looking at the decorations being put up, he thought of the fancy dancing that would happen in this hall in just two days.

The mayor sees the look on his face and asks, "is something wrong." She saw him as if he was worried for something.

"It's nothing," he said "this looks like it'll be a mighty fine dance here, fancy actually."

The mayor sees his distraught expression as he looks around at the other ponies decorating and having fun. Then she begins to recall something, she has never seen Big Mac at a Ball or any parties outside of sweet Apple acres. She feels his pain and thinks she needs to do something, she can't stand to see any pony not benefit from the hard work they do.

Suddenly, a young Pale purple unicorn filly with a ribbon in her hooves begins to shout, "mommy, mommy, look at the Bow I made," then a blue gray Pegasus wearing new glasses looks down "it's very nice, dinky." But as she looked down the glasses fall, frantically the Pegasus moves back trying to catch the glasses and slams into a pillar. The pillar, having been placed for decoration begins to topple and fall over in the direction of the filly. She screams at the top of her lungs. The crowd hears her and are too shocked to move. Then the galloping of a colt breaks the silence. He gallops to the filly and gets to her just as a cloud of dust and debris fills the dance floor. The crowd is silent as they wait for the dust to settle. They waited, and waited paralyzed in suspense. Then they see the orange mane of Big Mac trotting out of the dust and towards the wall, with the blonde filly on his hoof. The crowd was surprised, and relieved.

"Mommy!" said the filly, as she hopped onto the ground trotted towards her mother, "he saved me!"

The crowd cheered for Big Mac. "hurrah, hurrah, Big Mac is a Hero!"

"thank you, Big Macintosh, you have saved this young filly and stopped what would have been a horrible accident." Gleefully said the mayor.

The ponies continued to cheer. "hurrah," The Blue gray pony then stood up with her daughter in her wing and expressed her thanks, "I wish there was some way we could repay you for your bravery"

The mayor then struck a golden idea, she rushed into the ticket booth and under the stand picked up two scraps of paper and trotted back to Big Mac. She placed them at his feet, clears her throat and as if she were giving a speech she spoke in her loud voice "In honor of your brave act and saving these ponies, as mayor, I am proud to award you with a ticket to the Winter's Heart Ball for you and a guest." The crowd though it was a good idea. They remarked on how they think it is fit to give him tickets to the dance he saved. "so will you come?"

Big Mac was surprised by the tickets, but seeing as they were a gift it was not in his nature to deny it, plus he had always wanted to come to a fancy ball. His pride had his confusion at bay so he answered the question in the most modest way he can "Eeyup."

While returning the cart to sweet apple acres Big Mac was confronted by his sister, "howdy Big Brother, how's it like being the big hero now" she had heard of the news, seeing as when gossip comes it spreads like wildfire through Ponyville. "I Hope the fame don't get to your big head," she teased.

Big Mac rolled his eyes as he prepared for another round of her sisterly antics. He walked past her trying to shake off the comment that Applejack had made, but then just as he expected the second round had come.

"woowee, would you look at that," said Applejack, looking in the cart. "tickets to the Winter's Heart Ball. That's what they gave you?"

"Eeyup" replied Big Mac, Trying to get out of the subject, he knew where this would go.

"Two tickets, though, who's the other one fur?" she asked, in her sisterly teasing voice. "yuh got, somepony you're eyein?"

Big Mac blushed, but under his red coat it was hardly noticeable. He had to think of something quick so that Applejack won't keep taunting him. "ya'll can have that ticket, if yah like,"

Applejack looked at him, "that is mighty fine of yah," she said, "but I'm helping Zecora collect Flowers in the Everfree forest that night." Big Mac had forgotten about that commitment she had made for that night. The Wintereed does only bloom on that night. "Why don't you ask some of your other friends?"

"Right," said Big Mac with a quivering lip "I'll see if they want it." He grabbed the ticket and placed them in his jacket and hurried out of Applejacks view.

He hadn't told her but he has only two friends, Whooves and Caramel. But unfortunately they were already going, so he had no one to give the ticket to.

Big Mac walked into town thinking to himself. "who am I gunn' invite, if it was just one ticket, Applejack is busy and can't really give it to one of her friends, she would kill me." He thought and thought, but one thing came to mind, "I know, I'll just give the ticket to the first pony I see. That's right the first pony I see, I'll tell them I mean nothing by it and it'll be okay." He stopped at the market center and began looking around. He kept thinking, "What if somepony thinks I'm trying something sneaky."

He began to imagine the scenario, he gives the ticket to a pony, heir friends begin to think tat he is trying to get in bed with her, he gets scorned, Granny smith and Applejack gives him another lecture on treating mares the right way.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a cartwheel snapping, followed by the high pitched yelp of a mare. He turns towards the sound and sees a Golden Pegasus with long pink mane. She was pulling a cart with cart with a bag of carrots and a bucket of fish. The cart had tipped over, probably from a broken wheel. Big Mac looked at her for a few seconds and noticed that nopony had stopped to help her. He watched her trot around trying to find a solution; it was too much for him, he had to do something.

"'xcuse me miss," he said whilst prancing up to her, "yah need some help?" the mare looks at him for one second then looks away, stumbling for words. Big Mac, seeing her reaction pulls back thinking he was too forward with his statement. "sorry miss, but I just saw yuh havin trouble and thought I could help."

The mare then looked at the cart and back at him, tripping on her own words. She tried to get a statement out but her fear had stopped her. Big Mac took action and began inspecting the cart. He went to the side it had tipped over and saw the wheel had snapped in half. The spokes on the bottom half had broken here but the top had stayed attached to the axel. Big Mac had dealt with this problem before.

"miss, I could help yuh, it's just a split wheel" he said carefully as to not upset her any more. "I could help yuh carry it home, If yuh don't mind."

The mare had then begun to feel safe and replied, "uh, uh, sure, I …. Uh.. don't mind."

Having been given permission Big Mac used his Yoke to lift the cart from the broken wheel, and waited for the mare to begin pulling. As they took the cart Big Mac began to try having a conversation with the mare.

"Nice cold day we got here" he started, but the mare just gazed back at him and looked forward avoiding conversation.

"These sure are lots of carrots an fish," he said trying to get something out of her. "What yall need em for?"

"I …. Uh …. Need to …..feed my….  rabbits and ferrets." She spoke softly and hesitantly. She continued to look forward, head down and eyessafely scanning back and forth. She repeatedly gazed back at him when she thought he wasn't looking, but when she saw him looking at he she tried to make it seem as she did nothing. Big Mac was surprised, he had never seen a mare quite like her.

"Rabbits?" he asked, trying to find the right words as to not spook her even more. "I thought thay hibernated in this time a year,"

"Actually… they don't," she said peeking out of her shell, "they still come out, same with ferrets."

"I didn't know that" he responded, "yuh sure know lots about little critters."

"I uh….. well.." she then stopped with her eyes forward, "oh look, were here." She said having arrived at her cottage. "well thank you for the help. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Any time miss…" he paused for a moment realizing something, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

The mare looked down at his feet to not feel intimidated, she hesitated on her words. "I'm …. I'm Fluttershy." She said in her sweet voice as she looked to his feet, to make sure he hadn't left.

"well Miss Shy" he said in a with a smile, it was not a surprise to him that a mare like her would have such a sweet name, he had remembered what he was planning on doing, "I was fixin on givin you somethin" he said as he reached into his coat pocket.

Fluttershy flinched when she saw him pull something out, closing her eyes for a second. Once the whimpers went to silence she opened her eyes and saw a scrap of glitter covered paper hung from the mouth of the muscular red colt. She stood from her defensive position and read the sheet. "admission to the Winters heart ball"

"Oh," she said in a surprise "well … ," she didn't know what else to say. She had expected something else. "I…. uh…"

"I got this extra ticket and wondering if yah wanted it."

Her head was spinning she had recently thought of going to the ball seeing as she wanted to get over the gala incident and thought it would be nice to be in a quiet ball again. But on the other hand she felt as if It would be a bad idea to accept a gift from a colt she didn't know very well. She felt as if she had to accept this gift, seeing as it would embarrass the colt if she didn't accept.

She had made up her mind. "Thank you," she said as she looked down, "I'd like the ticket." She then gave a gaze at the ticket and looked back down. Big Mac then knew what she was waiting for, it was not nice for a colt to have a mare get close to his mouth without permission. He placed the ticket on the cart and turned around. "Thank you for helping me with the cart,"

"You're welcome," he said proudly "well, I best be off. I'm expected by some friends." He then walked off, leaving only a trail of hoofprints in the snow. As he headed over to the Watering Hole he began to ponder on the name, "Fluttershy, where have I heard that name before?"

Fluttershy was confused, and didn't know why her fiend's brother would give her a ticket to the ball. She left the food inside and headed over to Rarity's for advice. "If there's anypony who knows about confrontations It's rarity." She thought to herself quietly. Rarity had been going out with Spike for a few months now, and Fluttershy sees them as a happy couple and sees her as a good source of advice

As Fluttershy walked into the Carrousel Boutique she noticed rarity working on a dress., she mumbled to herself as she tried get the dress in a presentable. She gasped as she got inspiration and grunted as it didn't work out and took the scraps off the seemingly never perfect dress. Fluttershy's entrance gave a ringing that broke Rarity's concentration.

"Who is it?" she asked in a monotone voice, upset that her vibe had been disrupted, she turned to see the yellow mare standing at the door way. "ah, it's you."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." She replied in her soft voice.

"Not at all," said rarity, "I was just preparing my dress for the ball on Friday. What did you need, darling?"

"Actually,…." Fluttershy stumbled on her words, "I came to ask you about …….the ball"

"The ball is looking fabulous; I just got my ticket from spike, and am hoping it will be a wonderful night." Said rarity as she looked at her picture of spike, "did you get a ticket?"

"I… uh….. just got one," she paused for a moment, with her face turning red.

"Really? How? The tickets are only being sold to colts right now……" rarity stopped in her tracks, giving thought to the last statement. She gasped and gave a big grin that seem to scare Fluttershy. "oh, my" said Rarity as she prepared her words. "Who is the lucky colt?" she said in a lovingly aggressive voice.

"Well….. i….." Fluttershy was stunned and could not find an answer. She waited for a miracle to happen.

Ting-a-ling, went the bell at the door. Fluttershy turned to look and saw Applejack with a smile on her face. Fluttershy's face turned red.

"How yall doing" said Applejack as she walked up to them.

"Hello Applejack," said rarity, still grinning at Fluttershy. "do you need something special?"

"I'm just here to order a suit for my big bro. he got two free tickets to the bal…" she then looks at Fluttershy and notices her acting especially shy today. Questions raced to her head as she noticed Fluttershy look at her and then look back at the ground. "is something wrong with ya'll Fluttershy?" she asked, then she put her hoof on Fluttershy's forehead, "ya'll feelin alright? You don't have a fever do you?"

Rarity stood back looking at her with a sly look o her face, she couldn't stand it. "Fluttershy got invited to the Winter's heart ball, by some stallion"

Applejack stood in shock, Fluttershy face went from a pink to dark red. "really now…." Applejack replied in a sly voice "who's the lucky fellow?" she bluntly asked.

Fluttershy tried to speak, but the shear presence of Applejack made her uncomfortable, and couldn't give she kept mumbling on her words and every moment she stayed silent, Applejack grew more suspicious.

It didn't take long for apple jack to piece it together. "wait a minute," said Applejack as she put two and two together. "it was Big Macintosh who gave you the ticket, wasn't it?"

Fluttershy was shocked. Putting her fears in check she gave one quiet answer. "um .. yes" she looked at Applejack's feet trying to hide her fear. She then glanced to see her face just in time to see the rage growing in her eyes.

"Why that no good son of a snake in a barrel," Shouted Applejack, cursing Big Mac in every word, "how dare he ask trick me and go ask my friend to the dance behind my back!!!!"

"Applejack, calm down" said Fluttershy, "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"why when I find him, I'm gunn' give him a piece of my mind." She said storming out the door. Fluttershy, hoping to calm apple jack down follows her and begins trying to reason with her.

"Sorry, I'm late" said Big Mac as he enters the Watering Hole, "I got caught up with somethin'."

"It's alright," said caramel, "I'm sure it was important." He said snickering under his alcohol ridden breath.

"What's that about?" asked Big Mac

"He was hitting the rum harder today," said Whooves. "he just broke up with his marefriend."

"What, again"

"tain't mah fault, she just didn't like mah persunalituh" Caramel said as he took yet another chug from the bottle.

"What did he do?" asked Big Mac

"He laughed at an old lady as his marefriend tried to help her back at her feet" Said Whooves as he took the bottle away.

"To be fair, the banana slip was always funny," he said trying to reach for the bottle. Whooves knew that there was more to the story so he glared at him until he fesed up. "fine, I was the one who tossed the banana"

"When are you gonna give up those antics" said Big Mac, "most mares like a grown colt who doesn't play tricks on ponies."

"Really, like that yellow mare you were with earlier?" Caramel drunkenly said. Big Mac blushed at the statement, "we saw you bein friendly with her. I knew you liked them shy" he said waving his bottle back and forth.

"it wasn't like that." Defended Big Mac, "I just… helpin her with her broken cart."

"Settle down Big Mac" said Whooves "I believe it is time for you to settle down, I was your age when I got together with Ditzy, it started with something simple, a returned package."

Big Mac was getting embarrassed, he couldn't believe that his friends would think that, "It's not like that, nopony was helping her and I helped her get her groceries home."

"you kidin me," interrupted Caramel spilling the ale from his cheeks "you gotta step up your game, get together with this mare, she's a hard win, and you've got a chance with her."

"Well…." Said Big Mac suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door being kicked open.

"Big Macintosh!!" said an incredibly familiar voice. Big Mac looked and saw the orange mare, dripping with rage, and breathing heavily. She was followed by the yellow mare that the colts were talking about. "Ya'll better explain yourself now."

"What are yah yelling about." Replied Big Mac with a quivering voice, he has had to deal with his sister's legendary rages, and they never end pretty.

"Can you explain why you gave your ticket to my friend, yuh sneaky serpent." She shouted getting the attention of the bar patrons. "are yuh tryin to get her to like you, need I remind you what happened between you and Lyra?"

"Look I was just givin her a hand with her…"

"You was just tryin to be fresh with her, ain't yah? Why how do yuh think granny would feel when she hears you was preyin on innocent ponies…" yelled Applejack, as Fluttershy tried to get her to calm down, with no progress.

"Look lil'sis," Big Mac attempted to say, finding an opportunity to speak whilst Applejack took a breath to shout at him again "I was just helping her with her cart. It got a broken tire, and I lifted it home…"

"Then, what in tarnation did yuh give her the ticket fuhr? are yuh tryin to get'er in your cot?" she said abruptly. The bar went silent, Big Mac was astonished by not only the remark, but by the fact she said it in such a public place. Fluttershy looked at Big Mac her eyes swelling with confusion and fear. She had never seen Applejack this angry before. She knew that she was just being protective, but she may have taken it a bit too far.

"I had no one to give the ticket to," protested Big Mac "I saw her, and thought she may need some cheering up, it's not like I want her, I was just being friendly" he thought back at his statement and believed he may have upset the yellow mare, but to him he was already in as deep as he could be, he couldn't possibly get any deeper.

Applejack was seething with rage, and the orange mare was snorting like an enraged bull trying to get out of its pen. She was just about ready to go for another round when the soft voice that had tried to reason with her suddenly gave it all her go. "that's enough!" Applejack turned stopped in her tracks as the yellow mare flew into her way, blocking the red stallion from her view with her frail torso. "now listen, you took this the wrong way." She said sternly, "he did help me with my cart, in fact he was the only pony that even offered, and the ticket might as well just been a friendly gesture, sure you can confront him and ask him what it was about." She then turned and pointed at the crowd, "but to embarrass him in front of all these ponies, it… it just seem un-sisterly, and even unkind to accuse him of such vile things when ponies are watching." Applejack's rage turned into confusion, then as she looked at the patrons, fearful, curious, and a little tipsy, judging her and Applejack with their daggering eyes. Her confusion had then evolved into sorrow, and embarrassment. Her face turned redder than her brother's coat, she gave a grin and then ran off. She shot off out the door, fumbling and ran off towards the outskirts of town.

Big Mac was relieved and yet sad that it had to go like this. The yellow mare stood in front of him, shaking off her serious face and beginning to feel sorrow as well. Big Mac tapped her on the shoulder as to talk to her. As she turned to look at him, her eyes glistening from the tears that had begun to roll out like an overflowing glass of cider, the words he was looking for had begun o choke him tiring to recede back into his heart. After taking a gulp, he finally let out a few words, "thank you miss."

She had then begun to cry, letting the tears pour down her cheeks. She felt fear that her friend would hate her for telling her off in front of so many ponies. Big Mac could sense this, he had to deal with Applebloom having the same situation with her classmates. He instinctively did what a brother would do.

"don't fret little miss," he said, wiping tears away from her face, "Applejack might be soar, but her heart is in the right place, she will forgive you, just give'er some time." He tried to keep a smile but he began to rethink his words and hoped that his actions don't make things worse. He looked at the mare, and her eyes became round again, and she gave a smile as she gripped the hoof that was on her face. Luckily for Big Mac his face could not show its redness. The mare then stood up and headed out the door, looking for Applejack. The stallion stood there looking at the door, hoping the mare would come back. The silence was eerie but to Big Mac it all seemed worth it.

Twilight was walking through town when something caught her attention. She noticed Applejack laying on a hill, sniffling and sobbing. Twilight, being a good friend went to her to see what had happened. She pranced on over to the hill and asked Applejack a simple question. "Applejack, what's wrong?" Applejack was too distraught to even look at Twilight, she continued to sniffle on. "if something happened  you can trust in me and tell me."

Applejack finally gave an answer, or at least tried, her sobbing had given her crying hiccups. "I, …. I yelled at .. at Big Mac … and … and embarrassed him .. and … flutt …. Fluttershy in front of every … everypony."

Twilight was confused; she had never seen Applejack this upset before. She had to comfort her somehow, she can't stand her friends being like this. She began to look for the right words that would calm her down, maybe even keep her from rolling out more tears. "It's okay Applejack, we all have moments when we do things that we regret." She tried to assure her, hoping it would calm her down, "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

Applejack looked up at Twilight, "I accused Big Mac of tryin to take advantage of Fluttershy." She said covering her head "it was the most…. Embarrassing thing I did." She continued to groan in shame. She tears continued to roll down. Twilight placed her hoof on Applejack's back trying to comfort her. Applejack was filled with regret, her head believing that she would not be forgiven.

"Applejack," spoke a soft voice. Applejack turned to see the yellow mare trotting up the hill. "i… wanted to apologize for what happened at the watering hole."

Applejack was surprised to see her. "No, Fluttershy, I should be the one to apologize," she protested, "I was acting under anger, not letting mah mind resolve the issue," she looked down in shame. "i…. I was …. I was." She began to sniffle. Fluttershy felt sorry for her friend, she felt for her but needed to make her feel better. Fluttershy moved forward and held Applejack, in hopes that she would settle down. It worked. Apple jack let out a big sigh and said "I'm sorry"

"It happens to all of us," Responded Fluttershy.

"I think you two have it settled here," said Twilight, "I'll just let you two be." She then walked away, looking back at the two as they continued to talk and apologize for their behavior.

The two friends knew they could get over this situation. Applejack calmed from her fragile state and began to accept that it was just a bump that they could go over. Big Mac passed them to peek at them and seeing that they have made progress he walked on home to get some rest. As he goes on, he begins to think of the Ball. He knows it is coming soon and he does not know what will happen there. He hopes they will have a good time, and not be a blunder like the gala applejack went to, but only time will tell.