Author's Note

This is the first AppleShy story of many in this mix! To start it off, have a bit of romantic fluff.

The Anniversary

It had been an uneventful day for Fluttershy. Her marefriend, AppleJack, had been away from her cottage since as early as sunrise.

Fluttershy understood that work on the farm could be hard, and took time out of AppleJack’s day. But, since they had gotten together, AppleJack had given her at least a few morning before-work kisses. Or, at the very least, AJ would leave a note for her marefriend. Today, this was not the case.

It had bothered her the entire day. She couldn’t focus on her animals, even on Ellie, the pup AppleJack gave to her when Winona had puppies. Too many thoughts plagued Fluttershy’s mind, worrisome and dark. What if something happened to AppleJack? Maybe something urgent happened at the farm, something so terrible that her marefriend had to leave immediately. Or, the one she didn’t want to focus on, what if AppleJack left her?

Fluttershy shook her head, as to dismiss the thoughts. She rationed that she was overthinking it. AppleJack probably forgot to write her a note. Fluttershy loved her to the ends of the Earth and back, but AJ could be a bit absentminded due to her work. She smiled, able to cope with the solution she came up with.

After using the morning for her and her animals’ breakfasts, Fluttershy noticed a note under the doormat coming back from feeding the outdoor animals. She picked it up excitedly, hoping it was from AppleJack.

Luckily, it was. It was a few words long, but that was enough for Fluttershy.

‘Flutters,’ it said, scribbled in AppleJack’s hoofwriting that wasn’t great, but good enough to be readable. ‘Meet me at the Sweet Apple Acres barn this afternoon, about 4:30. Got a surprise for ya’. –Applejack.’ She read the note multiple times, taking in every detail of AppleJack’s hoofwriting after hours spent worrying.

The thought of AppleJack making a surprise for her made sense, but why? Fluttershy searched her memory to try and remember any special occasions that could be happening today. It wasn’t any of their birthdays and she thought their one-year anniversary would be in a month.

Whatever it was, she was excited for it. Throughout the day, she kept stealing glances at the clock in her cottage. It seemed like the hours were slowing down as though they were enveloped in amber.

After everything was done at the cottage, it was only 3:45. She started absentmindedly braiding her mane, trying to pass the time with no work for her to do. She spent at least 15 minutes braiding her light pink mane, and then undoing the braids to make them again.

As the fourth hour passed, she stopped, braids still in her mane. “It’s close enough to 4:30. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to get there early, right?” Fluttershy mumbled to herself, opening the front door to her cottage. Stepping outside, she extended her wings to take flight.

Since her and AppleJack got together, her marefriend had been helping her with her weak flying in the limited ways she could. She helped her marefriend’s wings grow stronger, so that the yellow Pegasus could lift herself higher and higher. Fluttershy hoped that one day, her wings would be strong enough to lift both AppleJack and her. So that she could show AJ the wonders of flying- the wind in your mane, the rush of defying gravity as you go higher, and the views from up in the sky that were absolutely phenomenal. She figured her marefriend would enjoy it with her, as long as she knew she was safe with her lover’s wings.

The winds brushed against the pegasi’s frame gently as she scanned the buildings of Ponyville and its busy citizens below. She saw Rainbow Dash on a cloud nearby, looking down at a particular pony below. Fluttershy traced her eyes below to see the unicorn her old friend was admiring. Rarity was below, carrying bags of fabric with her magic, sketch ideas for dresses and vests floating around her. Fluttershy smiled, stopping by Rainbow Dash for conversation.

“Hello Rainbow. Admiring the view down there?” Fluttershy teased the cyan Pegasus. Rainbow’s head jerked up, surprised. As she realized what Fluttershy said, her cheeks gained a slight pink hue as her ears flopped down shyly.

“I might’ve been. I-I just don’t know what it is, Shy. Whenever I’m around her, my heart starts racing, my throat gets dry, and I never know what to say to her.” She explained, her words rushed and her face becoming a bit darker hue of pink.

Fluttershy pursed her lips, coming up with a childhood memory. “Remember how you asked me out when we were fillies?”

Rainbow laughed. “Yeah. I took you to some big animal convention. I still remember how excited you were, seeing all the rare exotic animals.”

“Then that’s the answer. Take Rarity to something she’d enjoy, like a fashion show or a candlelit dinner. Even if you two don’t become anything more than friends, I’m sure that would be a wonderful evening for the both of you.”

She smiled. “I might do that. Thanks, ‘Shy.” Rainbow looked up at Fluttershy, now with a questioning look. “Would you mind if I asked you two questions?” RD asked. When the other Pegasus nodded, she continued, “First one, how did you and AppleJack of all ponies get together in the first place?”

Fluttershy smiled, blush the same color as her hair on her cheeks. “It was just a regular day at Sweet Apple Acres. AppleJack invited me in the barn, and we ended up...” she sighed, flustered. “We ended up making out in the hay. After that, AJ invited me to dinner with her family. It sort of went off from there.”

Lifting her eyebrows in surprise, she smiled. “Wow. Never thought that’s how you two would start off a relationship. When we were fillies, you were always too shy to kiss me anywhere, let alone make out. You were the least hormonal teenager ever, I swear.”

“Well, things change. So, what was your second question?”

“Oh! Okay, what’s with the fancy braids?” she asked, pointing at my mane. “Are you goin’ on a date or something?”

Fluttershy nodded. “AJ left me a note; told me to meet her at the barn at about 4:30.”

“Well then, don’t let me keep you! You have only about 15 minutes to get there, and I have a fashionista to arrange a date for. Good luck!”

As she flew away, she called out to her old marefriend, “You too!”

At seeing Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy’s heart raced out of nervousness, feeling as though it might jump out of her chest. “Calm down, Fluttershy,” she mumbled to herself as an attempt to calm herself down. “You have nothing to be nervous about. You’ve been with AppleJack on countless dates. You can do this.” She stopped, landing a few inches away from the barn – the place where their whole relationship started. She gulped, looking to the new clock on the wall. “4:25,” she thought, “I’m not late.”

Swallowing her fear, she raised her hoof to knock at the barn door. Seeing her marefriend leaning on the wall, she stopped. AJ smiled, saying happily in that adorable Southern drawl, “Hey sugar. Ah’m happy ya’ could make it.” Trotting to her marefriend, AJ gingerly kissed her ear, whispering in it, “Close yer’ eyes. Ah’ want this to be a surprise - just fer’ you.”

Hearing those words, Fluttershy blushed, becoming flustered. With her voice a bit quieter, she whispered, “Okay.”

Shutting her eyes, she heard the barn doors open, and a steady hoof leading her forward into it. Then, they both stopped.

“Okay ‘Shy, ya’ can look now.” She heard AJ say.

Opening her eyes, Fluttershy gasped. The barn was lit up with electric lights around the slanted ceiling, all hay and dust swept off the floor. There was a sign on the wall, with the words, “Happy One Year Anniversary, Darlin’!” There was a table with a pure white tablecloth draped over it, a silver candlestick in the middle and two champagne glasses and plates with folded up cloth napkins on both sides. The two chairs on both sides were a dark magenta and, as Fluttershy felt it, plush and velvety soft. A radio was in the corner, playing soothing classical music to accentuate the entire scene. It left Fluttershy breathless.

“You…you left the cottage early…to do this?” she gestured at the entire interior, sitting down at the chair opposite of her marefriend.

“Well, Ah’ put the finishin’ touches this mornin’,” Applejack explained, “Ah’ve been plannin’ this fer’ a month or so, findin’ the perfect furniture and arrangin’ it fer’ the past week. Ah’ thought we needed only the best fer’ the one year anniversary of fallin’ in love with the most perfect pony Ah’ve ever had the pleasure of meetin’.”

“But, you told me our anniversary was next month.”

“Well, I’m not one fer’ lyin’, as ya’ know, but Ah’ knew ya’ would probably do somethin’ special fer’ it, too. It would’ve been easier to decorate the barn than try to get a reservation at a fancy-schmancy restaurant. Now, it’s like we’re at our own. Ah’ hope yer’ not mad fer’ tellin’ ya’ that little lie, though.”

“Mad? For you covering up something as sweet as this?” Fluttershy laughed. “I can’t be mad at you for all this hard work and dedication you put in this anniversary dinner.”

The clip-clop of hooves could be heard as Apple Bloom, dressed in clothes you’d find on a waitress, trotted in, a small notepad and pencil in her hooves. Smiling, she asked, “Can Ah’ get you lovebirds anythin’?”

AppleJack nodded. “Could ya’ get us the bottle of Honey Surprise?”

“Right away, sis.” Apple Bloom said as she trotted out the barn.

“What’s ’Honey Surprise?’” Fluttershy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Applejack smiled. “Ya’ know the champagne ya’ really liked from that one restaurant we went to?”

Fluttershy gasped in amazement. “You didn’t.”

“Ah’ did. Ah’ truly did.”

“AppleJack, how many bits did you spend on this anniversary dinner?”

She shrugged. “About 3 months’ worth of bits, but it’s worth it fer you, Shy.”

“AppleJack, you are the sweetest marefriend ever.”

AppleJack smiled. “Ah’ know Ah’ can be. Ah’ do it because Ah’ love ya’.”

Fluttershy smiled, a faint brush of pink still on her cheeks. “I love you, too.”