The strings of fate are fickle and untamable. Even Zeus, Greek God of the Sky and Heavens, cannot manipulate their whim. For they are the one and true act of free will of the universe, and will bow down to no god. Destiny, fate, all it is and will be is the path one sets down on, be it through their choices or their desires. One's destiny is their own, but every road will eventually cross another if it sets out long enough...
Oh Celestia… here goes nothing.
Knock knock!
"Coming!" Fluttershy called as she tossed aside another plaid skirt in her search for the right clothes. She sifted through the pile, pawing articles aside and poking her nose behind her dresser. Tonight was a special occasion, and the right clothes were in order. At least, that's what Rarity taught her. For tonight, Fluttershy needed to heed her advice. After all, it wasn’t everyday Applejack wanted to spend time with her.
Finally! Fluttershy pulled out the pink skirt with her teeth and dragged it across the floor. She stepped over it and used her wings and teeth to pull it up her tail and flanks, effectively covering her cutie mark. Part of the hem caught in her tail, forcing her to comb through it with her teeth and untangle the knot. Once freed, she skipped over to the mirror and did an once-over of herself, making sure she was presentable for the date. Not a romantic date, of course, but a meeting between two old friends.
"Oh my, Fluttershy," she whispered to herself, her breath fogging the mirror as she crept close. “You’re getting old.” She tilted her head and examined her mane as if she was peeking through it, just like the old days. It was gradually losing the luscious pink allure to it, with only a few grey hairs in sight. She turned her head to look at her face and behind her. The skin around her eyes were somewhat wrinkled from stress, and her waist were wider than she would have liked due to her work and lifestyle. At least her brown cashmere sweater and pink skirt covered the worst of it, and just a dab of makeup to cover the wrinkles.
“Oh well, no point in worrying, I guess!” Fluttershy chuckled and leaned closer to the reflection to apply the makeup. As she dabbed the pink fluid onto her eyelids, the frame on her drawers caught her eyes. She sighed, her mind reflecting on better days, when somepony knocked on the door.
Fluttershy sighed and smiled before calling, “I’m coming!” She set down her makeup supplies and turned from the mirror.
Switching to flight, she flapped her wings and descended from the second story. A few birds flew past and chirped in her ear, tickling her ears as they circled her. She landed just in front of the door, held out her hoof to catch a baby bird, and gave it a quick nuzzle before releasing it back in the air.
Fluttershy turned to the door and huffed. “Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this.” She closed her eyes and focused, holding her breath in an attempt to calm her hammering heart. Oh, I’m so nervous! Well, here goes nothing. She opened her eyes.
She opened the door.
A mare stood outside her door, examining a chipped hoof. She wore a grey business suit, complete with a red tie that clashed with her headwear. The mare clicked her tongue and ran the chipped hoof through her blonde mane, adjusting her Stetson hat. Applejack.
Fluttershy coughed, quietly and politely as Rarity had taught her.
“Oh, Fluttershy!” Applejack jolted and hid her hoof, smiling wide and awkward. “Howdy! It’s nice to see you after all this time!” Her old accent, from what remained in Fluttershy’s memory, had faded. Still present, but most likely adjusted to better suit her Apple business. It was just as Fluttershy expected; Applejack had changed over the years. They all had changed.
“It’s nice to see you again,” Fluttershy said, moving forward then jerking back her hesitant hoof. A strange thickness permeated the air between the mares. They smiled and welcomed each other, but something kept them apart. Twilight would call them magnets, supposedly.
Deciding to break the ice, Fluttershy darted forward and wrapped her forelegs around Applejack’s neck, causing the former farm mare to step back in surprise. Applejack stiffened, then relaxed as she returned the embrace. She even patted Fluttershy’s back, right between the wing joints, just like old times.
“Just like old times,” Applejack chuckled as she caressed Fluttershy’s mane. It was neck length, no longer flowing down to her shoulders like in her youth, and curled at the ends. “I see you cut your mane. Did Rainbow have you do that? I hear them Wonderbolts do that to fly faster. Can’t keep up with your own marefriend, eh?”
Fluttershy pulled away from the embrace and forced a smile to Applejack.. “Yeah, about that…” She shuffled her hooves and looked away, unsure what to say.
“Oh my gosh, don’t tell me you got hitched!” Applejack covered her muzzle with both hooves, her eyes sparkling like emeralds. Her cheeks puffed out, barely containing unspoken excitement. Fluttershy could only smirk, blush, and shake her head.
“No, no,” Fluttershy said as she looked up from the ground, her bangs conveniently covering an eye. Rainbow Dash had claimed it was her “sexy look,” especially when they—Fluttershy shook her head, dispelling the clingy thoughts. She looked up at Applejack and merely tilted her head, doing her best to beam for her friend.
Applejack lowered her hoof to the ground and tipped her hat with the other. “I see, sugarcube. Sorry to hear about that. Does that have to do with you coming back out of the blue?” Fluttershy bit her lip for a moment, then slowly nodded. “I see.”
“Whelp, no point in dwelling on the past!” Applejack flashed her pearly whites and placed her hoof on her side, offering her elbow to Fluttershy. “So, shall we go, my lady?”
Fluttershy blushed then bowed. “We may.” She took Applejack’s foreleg in her own, and the two set off.
Slam!
“Evening, fillies!” Pinkie Pie punched the doors wide open, dramatically announcing the nightly opening of her own bar.
“Come on inside, you depressed ponies, and get drunk off your flanks!” Pinkie Pie said, puffing her chest out and staring at the passing crowd, the bypassers giving her nonplussed looks. One stallion’s jaw dropped, forcing his marefriend to discretely close it. Pinkie Pie’s eyes flicked left and right, taking in the scenery. “You know you want it.”
“Pinkie! What did we talk about just last night?!” a voice shouted from across the empty bar. A few glasses were strewn about as the stallion inside finished his pre-opening cleaning. “Brutal honesty is not a marketing strategy!”
“Yes it is!”
“No it isn’t!”
“Yes, it is!”
“No, it isn’t!”
“Darn it, Braeburn, how many times do I have to tell you that brutal honesty doesn’t work!”
“Yes it does!”
“No it doesn’t!”
“Pinkie!” Braeburn stomped and snorted. “Honestly is the best policy, and we are sticking with it!”
Pinkie Pie smirked and flipped her mane. “Whatever you say, my sexy stallion who could be even sexier if he lasted more than five minutes but I love him anyway because it’s the heart not the loins that matter!”
“You’re lucky I don’t get the divorce papers!”
“I’m lucky to have you, baby!”
“...Me too.”
Instead of answering with more chitter-chatter with her lover, Pinkie Pie peered into the distance. It was almost dusk, when they usually opened their bar. The fun would soon begin.
Clip clop. The sound of hooves echoed across the wooden floor, and a foreleg wrapped around Pinkie’s shoulders. Pinkie leaned against the warm bulk of Braeburn and closed her eyes, ignoring the cool wind blowing across the village.
“Oh Braeby, it’s beautiful,” Pinkie sighed as she rubbed her cheek against her lover. The foreleg wrapped tighter around her, pulling her close.
“Each and every day.” Braeburn chuckled, watching as a few interested ponies made a beeline for their bar. “Not a bad wedding gift, eh?”
Pinkie nodded, tears coming to her eyes. It was to be expected of their nightly ritual, but the genuineness of her joy was evident, and the tears were true. A beautiful, sensitive wife, his own business in a town where he could visit his favorite cousins, Braeburn knew he lived the life. Their first year anniversary had passed nearly a month ago, and the bar was still up and running.
“Life is good…” the couple sighed in unison before they turned and entered the bar. They split, Braeburn toward the counter to mix and serve drinks, Pinkie to the kitchen to cook. Most restaurants had a bar inside, but Pinkie wanted a bar with a built-in restaurant. A unique inverse that kept the competition fierce, and the customers coming.
Ding! The bell rung as a pony stepped through the door. Braeburn looked up from polishing a mug, his nightly ritual (he thought it looked cool), and greeted the first couple.
“Cousin AJ!” He beamed as Applejack tipped her hat, her business suit clashing with it. “Oh, and I see you brought a friend! Well howdy-do, miss!” He reached up to his ginger mane and…
“You miss the ol’ days, sheriff?” Applejack mused as she led Fluttershy to the counter, offering her a seat. She tipped her hat for emphasis, smirking as Braeburn sighed.
“You bet I do,” he said, turning his attention to the clean mug. He inspected it, searching for even the tiniest particle of dust as an excuse to scrub further. Finding none, he set it down and turned his eyes back to his cousin. And her friend. His eyebrows rose as he picked up two glasses, briefly filled them with water, and turned around. Without breaking his stare, he set the waters down in front of the mares.
“Well hello, who’s this?” he asked, following up with a whistle. She looks familiar… Realizing he had been staring at her, Fluttershy blushed and tried to hide behind her shorter mane. “Where’d you find yourself a pretty new marefri—”
“Braeby…” Pinkie Pie growled as she ducked her head out of the kitchen door. Her eyes shot daggers as a knife reflected the fluorescent lights. She stared, silent and deadly, as Braeburn turned white as a ghost. Without a word, she floated back behind the door and closed it.
“Wow, I didn’t know Pinkie was married,” Fluttershy said after a giggle. With the tension broken, she made eye contact with Braeburn. “Life has really changed while I was gone. I’m Fluttershy, we met a few years ago. How did you and Pinkie get together?”
“Well…” Braeburn muttered as he looked dramatically into the distance, still shining his glass. “About two years ago, I was still in Appleeeeeeeloosa!” He grinned, the memory of his drama causing Fluttershy and Applejack to giggle. “Now, a little background. Yes, I did see that nice buffalo lass for a good time, but we parted on good terms. It wasn’t until the Eighth Annual Orchid Blooming that I met my little Pinkie Poo.”
“Oh, pretty!” Fluttershy said, inching forward on her barstool. “That must be your spring festival.”
“I wish I had gone to that one,” Applejack admitted, tapping the marble counter and eyeing Braeburn’s glass with an inquisitive fire. “Would’ve loved seeing cousin Braeburn’s face when he first saw Pinkie Pie. Now that would be a sight to see!”
Braeburn reared back and laughed. “You have no idea, AJ! You see,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. He placed his elbow on the counter, leaned forward, and raised an eyebrow. “She was quite a looker back in the day, ya know. So here I was, fresh from putting away some crooks trying to steal a couple of ‘em trees from the orchard, when I bump into this nice young lass from the show! I didn’t recognize the mare at first, but even I couldn’t help but slick back my mane and try to sweet-talk her!”
“Well aren’t ya the sweetest Apple?” Applejack held her glass and took a tentative sip. “Let me guess, she was in that odd outfit?”
“Odd? I think you mean—”
“‘Lavishing and befitting of a mare of such figure and grace,’ like you said all those years ago,” Pinkie Pie whispered from behind Braeburn, wrapping her fishnet-covered hooves around his neck. Dressed in her old showmare outfit, she pressed her bare chest against his back and whispered something into his ear, turning his face a bright red. As quickly as she came, Pinkie Pie sunk under the counter and disappeared. Applejack briefly considered trying to find her, but knew it was a fruitless endeavor.
“So, that,” he said, ending the segment with a gulp. “Then, er, we…”
Applejack pushed her water forward, smirking. “Some water, cousin?”
Braeburn took the water, nodded his thanks, and chugged the icy beverage. He sighed, setting the glass down, and looked up as the bell rung. Two ponies walked in, a beautiful mare with a mane golden like his, and the other a bit more homely. He was new to bartending, but his bartending instincts were going off worse than Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense when the piano nearly fell on him. His wife zipped to their first customers and ushered them to a table, giving Braeburn and the girls some more time and space.
Braeburn took a deep breath and continued. “Anyway, she bumped into me in that outfit, fresh from her performance. Being the young, naive stallion I was, I naturally tried sweet-talking the miss. Not impressive considering I was hauling two hoofcuffed crooks to the jail, but it was worth a shot. She gave me the time of day, and I did my best to impress her with the little time I had.”
“Little time? Was something happening in the festival?” Fluttershy asked, having completely forgotten. “You didn’t need to tell a speech, did you?”
“Oh no, this part’s good.” Applejack stifled her laughter. Braeburn sighed and hung his head.
“Unfortunately, no. Babe’s charm was so strong, I didn’t notice the crooks pickpocket my key! They got out, kicked me to the side, and took Pinkie as hostage!”
“Oh no!” Fluttershy gasped, covering her agape mouth. “What happened then?”
Braeburn smiled, albeit forced. “Well, with an innocent damsel threatened to the sheriff’s expense, the crooks flanks were quickly handed to them… by Pinkie.”
“...”
“She was so fast, so strong, I was completely smitten! After we threw them in the cell, I immediately proposed!”
“Jeez, cousin, you’re a fast one!”
“What’d she say?!”
“Buy me a drink first, Braeby,” Pinkie answered, popping up next to her husband. She grabbed a tray and bottle, pecked her husband on the cheek, and zipped back to attend to more customers.
“And then I said, ‘I’ll buy you a drink every day…’” Braeburn finished with a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling. Applejack flipped her mane and rolled her eyes.
“Not quite the silvertongue, eh?” she said, playing with a blonde lock.
“Eeyup.” He nodded, frowning. “Didn’t know she was going to take that literally. One year later and here we are. I did not know what I was getting into.”
“Braeby…” Cold steel reflected light behind him. Braeburn began sweating.
“Nor have I regretted it since!”
“Love you too, Braeby!” Pinkie kissed him on the cheek and sped off again. The two remaining mares exchanged amused glances.
Applejack was the first to speak. “Whelp, as long as he keeps his hooves in line, he won’t have to pay that impending hospital bill.” -she turned her head to Fluttershy- “She really likes him, doesn’t she?”
Braeburn blushed and nodded. “You know what they say.”
“An Apple a day—”
Gurgle! Fluttershy gulped as her stomach betrayed her friends, interrupting their moment. She squeaked as she sought to cover herself and shrink from view. Braeburn merely paused, then belted into laughter.
Braeburn wiped a tear from his eyes as he said, “Whelp, looks like I should probably do my job! Would you girls prefer a table, or the counter here?”
Applejack rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Hm… I think a table would be best, Braeburn. Flutters and I got some catching up to do, if that’s alright.”
“Say no more, say no more.”
Gosh darn it! Here I was, thinking I wasn’t going to say something embarrassing in ten seconds flat! Applejack thought as she wisely closed her jaw, Fluttershy watching her with twitching eyes.
“I, uh…” Fluttershy gulped. “That’s quite the interesting story, Applejack. I never knew that you… rodeo… lasso… Twilight… Nevermind!” Fluttershy’s cheeks grew bright red as she stared down at her salad plate, pretending to be suddenly interested in a tomato.
“I, er, perhaps that’s for the best,” Applejack said just before biting into a cucumber. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her that story. Chomping on the last piece, she mulled over the evening and swallowed.
“So…” Fluttershy tapped her hooves together, her eyes shifting left and right. “How goes Sweet Apple Acres and the family?”
Applejack didn’t miss a beat. “Profits couldn’t be higher, I’d say. Apple Bloom is finishing up her degree, tuition already paid for, and Big Macintosh just became engaged with a nice mare. Got Princess Luna’s blessing too.”
“Really?” Fluttershy cocked her head as she pushed her salad aside, belly satisfied. “I thought Princess Celestia or Cadence oversaw wedding blessings.”
“Well…” Applejack said as she rubbed her head with a hoof. “You could say she’s a little… ‘batty.’”
“Aren’t we all?” Fluttershy said, closing her eyes. Applejack rested her hoof on the table and just… looked at her. Rather than interrupt, Applejack was content to rest her cheek on a hoof and gaze at Fluttershy’s moment of serenity. The pegasus, seemingly lost in a distant memory, finally opened her eyes and smiled. “Do you remember?”
Applejack nodded as she leaned back in her chair. “I remember ‘em fruit bats and all, but I doubt that’s the happiest memory we got!”
“Indeed…oh! Remember when Winona had puppies, and you let me take care of the litter?”
“You kinda adopted them, ‘Shy. Not much I could do about that,” Applejack chuckled. She adjusted her Stetson as she brought her eyes up to Fluttershy. Her smile slowly dropped as her heart sunk. Yeah…
“Something wrong?” Fluttershy leaned forward, reaching out with a foreleg to Applejack’s. Applejack cringed, hugging herself instead.
“Sorry about that, ‘Shy.” Applejack shrugged as she brought her gaze back up. “Winona was always a good girl. I just can’t help… yeah.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy, rubbed her foreleg with a hoof, sharply looked away. “I’m sorry for your loss…”
Oh great. Applejack grimaced as the mood continued to drop. We were doing so well before I haaaad to tell that one story. Now it’s awkward, and that’s my entire fault. If Carrot were here, she’d be chewing me out.
“What about carrots?”
“Ah!” Applejack shook her head, nearly toppling her hat off. “I, er, didn’t mean to talk aloud. Just thinking about… well, carrots. And apples.” Well, it is my business…
A giggle escaped Fluttershy lips as she tried to stifle it with a hoof. “Aren’t apples always on your mind?”
Her cheeks grew red as Applejack pouted. “That’s not—Oh come on!”
“Speaking of apples…” Fluttershy shifted, resting her cheeks on her hooves and her elbows on the table. “Since Big Macintosh is taken, have you found any…?” She gestured with her hooves, rubbing them together. “...love?”
Aw shit.
Applejack immediately turned the shade of her usual produce and began sweating buckets as she forced a smile. The rest of her body froze, growing hot, as the flash of embarrassment ravaged her nerves. “Er…”
“Well, you already know about mine…” Fluttershy stuck her bottom lip out, whimpering as her eyes watered. It was the stare, not the stare of beasts and animals, but the stare of… adorableness. Fluttershy’s trademark skill that worked the smallest butterfly to divine spirits.
A chord struck in Applejack’s heart. Go figure. Of course she’d… ah ponyfeathers.
“Alright, alright. Stop pouting, you cuti—rascal,” Applejack huffed, shaking out her nerves. She returned her eyes to Fluttershy, albeit not making eye contact. “I haven’t really, well, committed.”
“Oh Applejack, you haven’t…?”
Applejack shook her head. “Er, well, no. After the gang split up, I started focusing on business. Of course, I never put my family second, but I sure as Tartarus expanded our little farm. Thanks to Filthy Rich, we actually sell stocks now. But stallions? Mares? Nah, never had the time. Never really wanted to…”
“Settle down?”
“Settle down with the right pony, ya know?” Applejack sighed, resting a hoof on her forehead. “I mean, I know somepony, but she… that door closed. I doubt it’s going to open. Never really fancied anypony else.”
“Who was she?” Fluttershy breathed, leaning closer. Applejack blinked a few times, realizing they had been creeping closer as they spoke. Instead of leaning back or changing the flow of events, Applejack closed her eyes and went with it, but her frown remained.
“...”
Fluttershy gave a smile, a small, sweet smile intended to cheer up the brooding Applejack as she patted the latter’s outstretched foreleg. “Why don’t you just tell her? It would be good for you.”
“Heh.” Applejack’s heart skipped a beat as Fluttershy’s patting became a gentle massage. “I, er, well…”
“Sounds like somepony’s shy…”
Sure am. Applejack sighed as she opened an eye, catching a flash of pink in the corner. Could really use some liquid courage... Heh, speak of the devil. She grinned as their pink waitress dropped two mugs in front of the platonic couple, on the house as usual, the mugs emanating a delicious scent of Apple Pie cider—the result of a friendly collaboration, and a prank gone wonderfully wrong.
She smacked her lips after the first sip, the green apple concoction burning down her parched throat. Fluttershy followed suit, and the two made eye contact as they sipped their drinks.
“I never thought Applejack of all ponies was shy,” Fluttershy muttered, hiccupping afterwards. It was a short and quiet hiccup, like a bird chirping. Aw, cute.
“She was…” Applejack slurred, the alcohol hitting her brain. Not enough to be intoxicated, of course, considering it was only her first mug. She was used to barrels, not cups. “She was… somepony special, a close friend of mine. Prettiest mare in Equestria, and kindest one I know.”
“Even more than Rarity? Or did you and her…?”
“No no no, it ain’t like that!” Applejack shook her head before finishing her mug in a single swig. She brought head back down, wiped her muzzle dry, and sighed. “She’s cute and all, but we never went any farther than…”
Fluttershy giggled, watching Applejack squirm, red as an apple. “Oh Applejack… so, this mare. Tell me about her, please?”
“Well…” Applejack rubbed her chin, furrowing her brow as her judgment lapsed. “Whenever I needed somepony at my side, to talk to or just be there with, she was always there. Yeah. But... her eyes were always somewhere else, but I always kept hoping… Yeah, ‘Shy, I was the shy one.”
“She sounds special…”
“She was, indeed. And then one day she found herself a partner, flew away, and now here I am, alone as ever. Door closed.” Applejack slumped in her seat, resting her forehead on the table. Her vision flashed red as her forehead pounded with contact. Ouch… too hard. She opened her eyes and…
W-what’s this?
Carrot Top quietly closed the door behind them, making one last visual sweep to ensure their companions or anypony wouldn’t interrupt them. She shut the last crack, took in a deep breathe, and whipped around.
“Are you crazy?” she nearly screamed, stomping her hoof. “What were you thinking, nearly blurting that out?”
Applejack winced, then scowled. “Well, if you bothered to use your words, maybe you wouldn’t have to be all melodramatic!”
“Melodramatic? Me?” Carrot Top gasped, placing a hoof on her chest and puckering her lips like a duck. “Oh no, it’s not like I went to visit my old crush the moment I heard she came home after a bad breakup. I’m sooooo not taking advantage of her vulnerable feelings, I swear!” She scrunched her muzzle and pretended to fidget, her eyes flicking from side to side. “And Ah like muh apples!”
“Oh shut up!” Applejack poked Carrot Top’s chest with her hoof. “I wanted to see my friend that I haven’t seen in years! So what if I want to see her? Big deal. Ain’t nothing wrong with it!”
“Oh, right,” Carrot Top deadpanned, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like you had a crush on her since, like, forever! Always being patient, always being extra caring toward her. Didn’t you teach Winona how to play dead just so you could have an excuse to visit her?”
Applejack blushed, unable to deny that. Yes, it was uncharacteristic of her, but farm life was demanding. She needed any excuse she could get to spend any time alone with Fluttershy. She finally opened her mouth to say, “So? What’s it to you?”
Carrot Top glared, but did not utter a word. The two stared each other down in the bathroom, neither daring to move a muscle. Applejack studied her fellow farmer’s face, searching for the infamous tell. Something to get underneath her coat…
“What are we doing, Applejack?” Carrot Top sighed, breaking eye contact to stare at the floor. “Seriously, what are we going?”
Applejack stepped forward, her doubts cast away and replaced with worry. “I don’t know what you mean, sugarcu—er, Carrot—”
“No, it’s fine,” Carrot Top interrupted, shaking her head. “We’re friends, and I won’t deny that, rivalry or no rivalry.” She looked up to Applejack, her eyes beginning to shimmer with tears. “But, Applejack. We can’t hold it in forever. Neither of us can do this.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Carrot Top sniffed. “I was married once, to a stallion I thought to be a gentlecolt. Secrets, especially of the heart, cannot be held forever. The fact we know each other’s secret is only testament to that. They’ll find out eventually. Then what will we, the cowards, do?”
“Cowards? We ain’t cowards!” Applejack scoffed. “We’re just—”
“Just what?” Carrot Top cried, her cheeks dampening with sorrow. “Taking our time? Thinking of a way to break the news? Thinking of the perfect time to spit it out? Being considerate of their feelings? Doing what’s right? Guess what, Applejack; we’re not. I’ve seen it all before, because it was him instead of me. It never ends well.”
Carrot Top’s breathing grew heavy after her outburst, nearly collapsing into tears. Applejack froze, unsure what to say. She—Everypony knew about her divorce, the stallion that cheated on her years after their shotgun wedding in high school. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t kind, but the stallion should have been honest about his feelings. Instead, he lied and ended up hurting his entire family. Applejack sighed; Carrot Top spoke the truth.
“...Then what do we do?”
Carrot Top blinked, expecting a livelier response. “Maybe… maybe we should just be honest with them.”
The image faded away, bringing Applejack back to reality. She shook her head clear of any lingering images. I oughta change the subject.
“So, tell me about Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said, her cheeks flushed from the alcoholic cider. “I know it might be a little sensitive right now, but these aren’t things you should keep locked in. If y’all had a falling out, I’m willin’ to lend you a shoulder if ya need it.”
“Oh no, of course not!” Fluttershy shook her head, her mane swishing against her shoulders. “She, we, er, it was mutual. I do appreciate the offer, but it would be selfish for me over a simple b-breakup.” She stumbled over the last word, her tongue trying unsuccessfully to roll it off. She whimpered and turned her gaze down to the simmering cider.
“Ah see.” Applejack pushed her mug to side and propped her elbow on the table, resting her cheek on her hoof. “So, er, who was it? Ya know, the one who…”
Fluttershy murmured, “Broke it up?” She looked up to Applejack and blinked, her expression blank. “I did.”
“Why?” Applejack blurted, surprised at Fluttershy deadpan. “I remember ya bein’ all heads over hooves for that gal since y’all were fillies! Took forever for her to ask ya out! Y’all traveled together for years! What changed? Why?”
Wincing, Fluttershy shoved her rising wings to the side before frowning. “I, uh, couldn’t keep up. You know how Rainbow Dash is, living her life to the fullest. She wanted to be a Wonderbolt since as long as I could remember, and I supported her from the sidelines and always cheered. But…”
Applejack leaned forward, her ears perked up. “But what, sugarcube?”
“I’ve been holding her back.” Fluttershy averted her gaze, instinctively hiding behind her mane. The cut length only covered a single eye, but the gesture communicated the same message nonetheless. “I’ve done nothing but hold her back, becoming her load. I tried accounting for her, I tried managing her schedule, but I can’t do anything right! I don’t have what it takes to travel with, to live with, to be with a Wonderbolt!” Fluttershy dissolved into a sob.
Instinct called for a hug, but Applejack settled with a pat on Fluttershy’s mane. “It’s alright, sugarcube, I’m sure ya did a wonderful job. Ya shouldn’t be too hard on yourself, ya hear?”
Fluttershy sniffed and looked up with glistening eyes. “I-I guess you’re right. I just wanted to be the mare Dashie wanted, but I couldn’t be the mare she needed. As soon as I caught Spitfire flirting with her after a show, I knew it was time I’d consider where we were going with this. Three years, Applejack, three years! You know if she doesn’t pop the question by then, it isn’t happening!”
Well, that isn’t surprising, Applejack mused as she contemplated returning to her drink. Rainbow Dash IS the one to, well, forget about these things. Her mind wandered, turning to darker thoughts. She clutched the end of the table, turning her hoof white.
Ah knew Rainbow Dash like the back of my hoof durin’ in the day. She was tough, but always had a soft spot of ‘Shy. A little too soft. She probably couldn’t… she wouldn’t want to break Fluttershy’s heart, would she? She gulped as a malevolent thought drifted past.
She probably cheated on her.
“Ah’m—er, I’m sure you’ll find somepony, Fluttershy.” Applejack annunciated each syllable, rolling her tongue properly. Just like Rarity had taught her in business, the effect was immediate. Fluttershy quietly returned to a proper posture and her grief slowly melted away as she focused on Applejack’s words. “You’ll find somepony, ‘Shy! Rainbow Dash moved on, yes, but you have to as well! Find somepony, anypony worth your time! Look at’cha! You’re b-beautiful!”
Rather than deny her words, or continue her self-pity, Fluttershy smiled. It was a genuine smile, rather than forced, like the old days when Fluttershy would smile and melt the coldest hearts of the most powerful spirits. Kindness, indeed, and it shone in her smile.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, dipping her head. “I appreciate it, but I’m just not worth it. I’ll just go back to my cottage and live the quiet life like I’m supposed to, taking care of animals and staying out of everypony’s way.”
Applejack’s heart throbbed, but she ignored it and sighed. I need a drink. With that thought, she sipped her drink. The warm liquid gushed down her throat and filled her belly, spreading warmth throughout her body and cool limbs. She smacked her lips, the bitter green apple aftertaste lingering on her dry tongue. The warm alcohol buzzed through her veins like electricity. She sighed and felt it race to her brain, buzzing through every neuron and synapse, increasing her heart rate and breathing.
Her eyes shot open. Hard cider ain’t supposed to do that. She leaned onto the table and stared down at Fluttershy’s remaining cider. Nothing steamed from it. No potion, no magic, no nothing. Seeing nothing suspicious with her drink, she returned her gaze to Fluttershy.
Nothing had changed about Fluttershy, but something about her vision had. Light itself seemed to bend behind Fluttershy, basking her in a heavenly glow. Her mane illuminated in pink halo, just as she fluttered her eyelids open and met Applejack’s gaze with luminous blue eyes. A small draft bellowed from below, fluttering the edges of Fluttershy’s mane. Applejack gulped. Eeyup, nothing’s changed.
“Is something the matter?” Fluttershy asked, batting her eyelashes. Applejack was sure she wasn’t pulling anything funny, but she couldn’t help but notice Fluttershy’s tender hooves resting on either side of her mug. Her own hooves twitched against her mug as she stared into Fluttershy’s concerned eyes.
”We can’t hold it in forever, you know.
Carrot Top’s words echoed in the halls of her mind. Applejack’s eye twitched as a bead of sweat condensed on her forehead. She was right, this sensation was killing her. It was a beast, roaring and clawing its way out of her chest.
They’ll find out eventually. Then what will we, the cowards, do?”
She bit her lip, admitting her own cowardice. There was nothing she could do if Fluttershy found out. She would, eventually. It was inevitable, and would be dishonest if she kept it to herself. A lie of omission, and one that would only hurt herself.
”Maybe we should just be honest with them.”
“Applejack?”
Without a word, Applejack slid her hooves forward on the table. Gently, she rested them on top of Fluttershy’s, bring forth a nervous squeak. They sat there, still and silent, their breathing quiet and even. Their hooves never moved, not even a reluctant twitch, as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes.
“Fluttershy,” Applejack, desperately controlling her breathing as her coat grew red hot. A slight blush painted Fluttershy’s face a pink comparable to her groomed mane. Applejack stared at her in silence, waiting for the perfect moment to speak. Heh, she’s really cute when she’s like that. “Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy nodded, never averting her eyes. “Yes, Applejack?”
Thump, thump, thump. Applejack’s heart hammered in her chest, increasing in a percussionist crescendo. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“Applejack?” Fluttershy leaned forward, leaned close. Applejack could smell her breath, the scent of fresh flowers and nature. It wasn’t apples, but… it didn’t need to be.
Thump, thump, thump.
Still no words. The scent was intoxicating.
Thumpthumpthumpthump.
“Appleja—”
Silence reigned. Silence was good. Applejack couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn’t breathe. She had to taste the flowers. The flowers tasted nice. They tasted warm. She was warm.
It lasted only a moment, but a moment was all she needed. Applejack was satisfied as Fluttershy pulled away, only lingering to brush her cheek against her.
“Oh my, I didn’t know,” Fluttershy giggled as she lowered her head in a near-fit. “I, uh, don’t know… It’s much too soon, you see… Three months since she—I… Do you…?”
“Wait, three months?” Applejack shook out of her stupor with a shake of her mane. “I thought you just broke up with her!” She immediately scrunched her muzzle as the realization hit her. “I, er, mean… I didn’t mean to take advantage with that outburst, Shy, but I honestly did think you just came home.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I’ve been home for a while. I just didn’t want to bother anypony with my feelings, you see. It was just my animals and I for a while, and I truly needed it. But do you, Applejack?”
“Do I what?” Applejack’s mind blurred through the last few minutes, unsure which question she referred to. It was, justifiably so, confusing.
“Do you like me?” Fluttershy whispered, low like a spring breeze. Applejack leaned down to listen, catching her words with trained ears.
“I, uh, well,” Applejack muttered, fiddling with her hooves. Alcohol buzzed through her blood, and her cheeks were flushed with naivety, but her heart was genuine. “Well, it sure wasn’t the alcohol talking.”
“Hee hee,” Fluttershy giggled like a schoolfilly. “Well, I never really thought about it, Applejack, but it is an exciting thought!”
What happened to cry Shy? Applejack mused, smiling. “Well, I always did like you, Shy. Just never said anything because, well…”
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked, cocking her head. A nod answered that. Fluttershy beamed up at Applejack. “But it’s okay now, I’m a grown up girl now, not a filly with a silly little crush. But, well, it’s just so soon…”
Her heart beat and struck a chord, a daring chord, and Applejack found herself resting her forehead on Fluttershy’s. She breathed, wordless, until Fluttershy fell into her rhythm. The two sat there, at the fateful bar where destinies intertwined, and everything was okay. At last, everything was okay.
“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Applejack said, her eyelids fluttering with the butterflies in her chest. “I’m willing to take my time, if you’re…”
“Of course,” Fluttershy breathed, taking in the scent of orchids and butterflies. “I’m willing to… give it a shot.”
Author's Note
All three chapters are written to stand alone, but build off one each other as well. Hope you enjoy either way!
