The sun was low in the sky, casting an amber hue over the rows upon rows of trees, their succulent red fruit glowing in the fading light. The wind gently rocked the branches, a warm caress from the setting sun, a reminder of it’s love for all the world as it passed by. In the distance the occasional twang filtered through the rustling leaves and chirping birds.
Through this arboreal paradise, the soft clopping of hooves against dirt rang out. A butter yellow pegasus walked slowly but deliberately through the orchards, a faint smile displaying proudly to the world. On her back sat a simple pair of saddlebags, rough and worn from age, but still loved and cared for. From one bag a muffled jingling could be heard, the other stuffed to the brim with a white and red checkered cloth. She hummed quietly through the handle of a basket she held in her teeth, the lid popping open ever so slightly with every step. In the distance the twang had started to form chords and ring clearer.
Fluttershy always loved walking through her crush’s orchards. Neatly arranged in rows as far as the eye could see and even further still, each tree was loved and cared for like a parent would for a child. She passed under a particularly large one, she thought she heard Applejack call it Silverstien on occasion, and noticed a pillow, grayed from use, wedged in the crook where bough meets trunk with a simple, threadbare blanket draped under it, fluttering lazily in the evening breeze. A blue feather stood proudly in stark contrast to the red apples that surrounded it. Fluttershy chuckled as she thought of her oldest friend's snores rumbling through these peaceful acres. In the distance a gentle melody played softly, the twang bringing her attention back to the present.
The trees began to thin as she approached the tall stalks of corn that separated the Apple family's ancestral home from the northern orchards. The tall verdant shoots of the summer corn wavered in the wind, leaving a faint shadow on the well trodden path that winds its way slowly through the fields. In the distance she can see the very tip of the old tower that caps the barn-turned-home of the Apple family. The old wrought iron weather-vane wobbled gently, the roster on top of it pointing west towards the setting sun. In the distance the simple melody was becoming more and more clear and the words to some unknown song whispered on the wind.
Fluttershy’s walk soon flowed into a brisk trot and that into a full gallop as she got closer and closer through the fields. She was almost there and she could hear Applejack’s voice singing over her guitar clearly now and a grin going ear to ear broke out on her face. At full speed now, with three quick hops, she took to the air in a flurry of dust and leaves, a single yellow feather fluttering around in the turbulent air she left in her wake. The sound of her wings flapping through the air was accompanied by a simple song, sung by a simple mare, her voice closer than ever.
As she climbed, she saw to the north a trio of fillies bounding and playing with a rust and white patched dog in a clearing, their joyous laughter and happy barking ringing through the sky. To the west, she angled her self downwards towards hill and its old tree. The tree was in full bloom, its white flowers dotting the green branches that sagged under the weight of its age. From underneath it, an orange mare sat, humming some unknown tune as picked at her guitar softly, occasionally turning a little tab and strumming again.
She landed gently in a cloud of loose grass and puffy white dandelion seeds just in front of Applejack. The earth pony’s already faint smile grew wide as she looked up to Fluttershy as she landed.
“Glad you could make it, sugarcube,” she said softly as Fluttershy put down the timeworn basket in her mouth.
“I’m not late am I? I’m so sorry if I am, I should have walked fa-” She started to say while she shrunk back behind her mane before a chuckle interrupted her.
“You’re on time as always, Shy.” She put her guitar down beside her, leaning up against the tree. “Now, come on and lets get the picnic set up. I’m a mite hungry after workin’ the north fields all day.” She stood up walked over to Fluttershy and grabbed the straps over her back in her teeth. Fluttershy’s face started to burn up as she felt her friend’s breath work its way into her fur, a warm gust that rustled her nerves far more than it did her coat. Applejack placed the bags on the ground and the jingled softly as she worked the over stuffed blanket out of the other bag. She whipped her head and it unfurled completely in one smooth motion. It gently settled to the ground. She looked over it once and used her hoof to smooth out any uncomfortable wrinkles that formed.
“A new blanket, huh?” She ran her hoof over the edge nearest to her, it’s trim simple and unassuming, but still pristine.
“Um, yes. Mrs. Berenstain’s cubs really liked it, so I let her have it for her den out in Whitetail Woods,” Fluttershy said as she scuffed her hoof against the ground. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Don’t mind none, sugarcube. If that ol’ bear friend of yours loves it so much, its in the right hooves.”
“Oh, Little Roosevelt loves it. He says it smells like apples.” Fluttershy beamed as she unpacked the basket onto the blanket.
They continued setting up their meal in the peace of the summer afternoon with out a word spoken between them. Fluttershy didn’t feel the silence was awkward though, it never was. She felt that Applejack appreciated companionable silence as much as she did. It was just one of the reasons why she admired the farmer so much. She was jolted out of her thoughts by a voice.
“Shy, what’s this bottle got in it?” Applejack was holding up a small jar with a yellow liquid in it. “Looks like one of the ciders I sold you.”
“Oh, I found a recipe for an apple honey salad dressing in the library. I thought you might enjoy it.” She smiled sweetly at the mare.
“I’m sure I will. You could probably cook up some meat and I would still enjoy it.” She joked, laughing for a moment. “Well, OK. That might be stretching it a bit.”
They fell into silence again, only the wind, leaves and birds keeping them company out on this little hill under this ancient tree. As they ate, Fluttershy kept stealing glances at her friend. Taking in her hair, the mane as golden as the grain it mimicked, waving with the wind. Taking in her coat, a deep and rich shade of orange, not unlike the evening sky that sat behind her. Taking in her eyes, those beautiful green windows to the simple soul sitting across from her. She blushed deeply as they locked eyes, but she never stopped looking.
“You ready to get started, sugarcube?” Applejack asked through a piece of pie, smiling softly.
Fluttershy nodded quickly, a smile of her own spreading out. Applejack picked up her guitar while Fluttershy reached into her other saddlebag and pulled out a tambourine. She was never too good with any real instrument, not like Applejack. She could play so many. The violin, piano, guitar, banjo and so many more. She was so talented. Still, Fluttershy could sing. Applejack said she had a better singing voice than anyone else in Ponyville. She wouldn’t have believed it if anyone else said it, but Applejack never made false compliments.
And so they sang and played. Their music sounding out through the orchards and fields. Into it they poured their hearts and souls and they sang songs of love and loss, of silly little things or simply just made up the words as they went. It didn’t matter to Fluttershy and she was sure it didn’t matter to Applejack. Just that they were singing and dancing through the setting of the sun together and alone at the top of the little hill in the back of Sweet Apple Acers just like they always did every week.
After a few hours they finished, exhausted and happy. Fluttershy sat back down on her haunches and looked at Applejack. The mare was leaning back on the tree, her eyes focused on the guitar in her hooves as she tuned it one last time. Her hat had long ago been set aside and her hair let fly loose. She heard it said somewhere that music was love in search of a word. In this moment, she knew it was impossibly true. Because all she could think about one thing.
“I love you so much, Applejack,” she thought to her self, more than a little drunk on atmosphere and the cider they shared.
She heard Applejack’s guitar clamor to the ground as she looked up to Fluttershy with eyes wide.
“You what now, Shy?” she asked, confusion splayed across her face underneath a deep blush.
Fluttershy squeaked with eyes wide. “I said that out loud!?” she thought to her self as her heart rate started to rise. “I said that out loud! Oh no!”
“Sugarcube, did you just say you love me?” asked tentatively. She got up and tried to walk over to the trembling pegasus; trying to offer some measure of comfort to her close friend. Unfortunately, she was battered back by a gust of wind and a spray of food as the normally weak flier rocketed off towards the horizon.
Wiping the remains of a pie from her face, she looked towards where Fluttershy flew off too. By then, she was a tiny yellow speck in the evening sky.
“Ponyfeathers!” And with that, she took off galloping after her friend.
Applejack ran. She was nearing the other edge of town now, and the sun was gone from the sky, leaving the lonely moon hanging in a starry night sky.
“What in the world was she saying? She loves me?” She thought to her self as she weaved past a market stall. “If she was any other pony, I would have some choice words for running off after saying something like that..”
The cobblestone roads gave way to dirt trails as she left the town proper and hit the road towards Fluttershy’s cottage. “I would probably scare the poor girl to death right now, though.” She slowed down to a trot as she neared the tiny bridge in front of the quaint little cottage. She stopped as she reached the creek and looked over Fluttershy’s home.
“It’s too dark in there. She ain’t here.” She quickly took stock of where she could be. They were good friends after all. They knew each other’s favorite spots all around town. And Fluttershy had quite a few. Lucky for Applejack, she had a hint.
Off in the distance behind the cottage, on a lonely little hill with a single old tree, she saw lights. They danced about unlike any candle or lantern. If she was a betting mare, she would put Sweet Apple Acres down on the pegasus being on that hill. She took off at a gallop to find her friend, only to slow down to a walk as a thought crossed her mind.
“What in the world am I gonna say to her?” she asked her self. She was still going over what to say in her head by the time she reached the tree. What she saw there stopped her in her tracks.
Sat on top of the hill, her back to the tree, Fluttershy sat surrounded by her animals. Perched on her shoulder, a robin sang a sad song, obviously tired from being up late. A squirrel sat snuggled into her tail, gnawing away at an acorn, occasionally looking up at the sad pony, worry in it‘s eyes. At her hooves, a fox nuzzled into a yellow hoof as it ran over it’s orange coat, trying his best to keep this one pony happy. And all around her, casting an ethereal glow onto everything, fireflies swirled about.
Applejack has always known Fluttershy was beautiful. Hell, any pony could tell you that; mare or stallion. But right there, in that moment, nothing was more beautiful to the rustic mare. She shook off the daze and slowly walked up to the top of the hill. As she sat down, the graceful dance of fireflies ended as they dispersed. When Fluttershy didn’t react to her presence, she spoke up.
“You scared me half to death hun, running away like that.” Applejack said softly.
“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy whispered back. Applejack finally got a good look at her face. Tear tracts stained her yellow coat and her eyes were red and puffy.
“Com’ere, girl.” Applejack said as she scooted closer and draped a hoof over Fluttershy’s withers. As the robin flew off flustered, Fluttershy squeaked softly and looked at Applejack with wide eyes. For her part, Applejack just smiled back.
“A-A-Applejack?” Fluttershy’s wings fluttered slightly, brushing against Applejack’s coat. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like, sugarcube? I’m huggin’ you.” Applejack said with a singsong voice. She nuzzled Fluttershy. “Looks like you could use one right ‘bout now.”
“I-uh-you-” Fluttershy stuttered and stumbled over her words and blushed furiously.
“Now, I know what you’re prolly thinking. ‘She’s just hugging me cuz she feels sorry for me.’” She laughed softly, and Fluttershy looked away.
“That’s where you would be wrong. I came up here thinking I would have to letcha down easy or some thing like that. What I didn’t expect to find when I got up here was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen” She tightened the hoof over Fluttershy’s withers. They were silent on that hill for awhile. The squirrel, fat and happy from the unexpected meal, scampers up the tree and into its home.
“I remember when we first met. You were all frazzled from having half of Ponyville come asking you for help with their pets.” Fluttershy simply nodded, the memory coming back to her. “I came in, hoping to get Wynona a check up with the new vet in town.” She laughed heartily. “’Stead I spent the rest of the afternoon helping you deal with all the fussy folks who came by. We spent the evening just talking over a pot of tea.”
“I always did love our little talks.” Applejack said, smiling at the nervous Fluttershy.
“I was worried ‘bout you so much. You’re my best friend and you go and drop this on me half drunk from cider.” she sighed. “Running off sure didn’t help matters any.”
“So. You are right. I don’t feel the same way ‘bout you right now. But I know our days are heaven sent. I ain’t gonna’ waste ‘em by not doin’ what I think I should. So I’m willing to give this.” She leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Fluttershy’s cheek, causing them to both burst out with even deeper blushes. “A chance,” she finished.
Fluttershy didn’t say anything. She could hardly say anything if she had tried. Instead, she smiled. The single brightest smile Applejack had ever seen on her friend since they met. When she felt a wing drape over her back, she snuggled deeper into it. The fox, realizing his work here was done, scampered off into the dark, leaving the two ponies alone.
In the valley before them, in the midnight mist, the fireflies started their graceful ballet one more time. Together, tentatively, they watched it, and took the first steps down a road they didn’t expect. But a road they both want to travel.
Author's Note
Title is obviously http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxIfOdwSJE&feature=kpCrazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen.
Though the story it self was inspired by Applejack by Dolly Parton. Obviously not a songfic though, by the contents of both the story and the song. I wanted to play with description and repition here to try and set a tone. Please, if you do comment, tell me what kind of tone I set for you. I would love to also hear any other kinds of feedback you can give me as well.
Funny joke actually, this was originally going to be a TwiJack story! But the more I wrote that first draft, the less I felt TwiJack was a good fit for the tone and theme. Twilight may be awkward but I doubt she's the kind of pony to hide her feelings. She never hit me as the shy kind of pony. So Fluttershy ended up in here and it was perfect.
