Out of Season
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The afternoon was late, and while dusk was still a ways away, the bottom edge of the sun was getting close to some of the taller rooftops in Ponyville.
Applejack let out a long sigh. Today's market hadn't been quite as good as she had hoped, but there was nothing to be done, short of forcing somepony to buy what was left on her cart. She knew ponies loved her family's apples, but sometimes she wished they liked them just a bit more. Deciding she wasn't likely to get much more sold before sundown she started packing up to head back a little early. Big Mac might give her that look of his, but she'd weather it.
“Oh, I'm s-sorry, am I too late?”
The fact that Applejack had barely heard the voice made her smile before she had even finished turning around. “Well howdy Fluttershy. I'd never turn anypony away, let alone a friend. What'cha need sugarcube?”
The yellow mare's body seemed to deflate with her relief. “Well, I was wondering i-if, umm, any more of those, r-really juicy apples, were still available.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow as she responded. “Didn' think most ponies really cared too much 'bout the kind of apple, just if it was sweet er sour. Why so partic'lar?”
Fluttershy moved her head down so her flowing pink locks shielded her face before responding. “I, umm... that is to say, s-some of my animal friends, really like those ones.”
Applejack couldn't remember ever hearing about animals being picky about apples either, but who was she to argue. “Huh. Well alright, do ya'll remember anythin' that stood out?”
Fluttershy shifted her gaze to the side as if the answer would be hiding against one of the other vendors' carts. “W-well, they um, were red?”
Applejack waved her hoof to indicated she needed more.
“Umm... Oh! It also had very faint white marks on the outside.”
“Like spots or like the eyes on a potato?”
The pegasus paused for a moment to remember the tiny detail. “Like a potato, I think.”
Applejack put a hoof to her chin as she though about which types could fit the bill. It was especially hard considering how irregular the coloring on a given strain of apple could be, but in a few moments her eyes widened as she turned back to her yellow friend. “Winesap?”
“I'm, not really sure. I don't actually know the different kinds by name. I'm sorry.” Fluttershy took a step back and lowered her head further, her shame at revealing how little she knew of something so important to a friend readily apparent.
Applejack shook her head with a smile on her lips. I shoulda known better than to ask by name. “Right, well, it's rather juicy, with a nice sorta balance between sweet an' sour.”
The pegasus opened her wings in excitement as she look up, her entire demeanor doing a flip. “Oh yes. That's the one. Do you have any more?”
Applejack thought over the day's sales, and what was back at the farm,before her ears went back as she realized she'd have to crush such enthusiasm. “Ah'm right sorry Fluttershy, but Ah sold the last one early this mornin', an' we don't have anymore in storage back on the farm neither.”
It hurt Applejack to watch her friend's mood shift again so quickly, he sunny enthusiasm replaced with an even deeper sadness than she'd had before. “Oh,” she mumbled quietly, “I guess I'll just head home then. Sorry to have bothered you Applejack.”
The farmer watched with a bit of surprise at how quickly Fluttershy had given up getting any apples, but mostly she felt horrible. It reminded her of the many times of the years she'd had to punish Apple Bloom for one of the crazy stunts she got into with her friends. She knew they never meant to cause such problems, but they still had to be punished, even if she wished they didn't.
Suddenly her head shot up, her ears spinning forward as her eyes opened wide and she remembered something. “Wait Fluttershy!”
The dejected pony turned around and came back, unable to deny a friend, even if her mood was as poor as it was.
“Ah jus' remembered, we have another strain of apples in storage yer animals might like.”
Again the shift was immediate, though not as thorough as before. Fluttershy seemed to brighten and stand straighter, but her eyes still held reservations. “R-really?”
“Well, I'm not sure how well they'll like 'em, seein' as they're a bit more towards bitter than sour while still bein' plenty sweet, but they are pretty juicy if'n that's what they like. Lemme jus' finish packin' up th' old cart an' we'll head back ta the apple cellar to grab ya a few. If'n ya don' mind waitin' a few?”
Fluttershy seemed to grow fully revitalized, shaking her head. “I don't mind at all, really.”
“Well alright then.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The walk back to the farm had been pleasant. The two had shared small talk mostly. What sort of tricks Rainbow Dash had been up to, how Rarity's new line had sold up in Canterlot, Twilight's newest research obsession, and when was the next time Pinkie had something planned for, without summoning her with the 'P-word' of course.
Applejack trotted up to the front of the barn and quickly unhitched from the cart before heading around the side and pulling the apple cellar open. “ Just wait out here for a minute sugarcube, I'll be right back with the apples I mentioned.”
It was hard to see in the dark of the cellar, but Applejack figured there was enough light still coming in through the doors to not bother bringing a lantern, even if it did make it harder figuring out if she had the right pile. Satisfied with her choice she drug it over into the light and gave them a deep sniff, just to be sure, before getting herself under it and stepping back outside.
“Here we are. One full bushel o' Foxwhelps. We normally use 'em fer cider but this batch came in a bit late. They ain't much good fer bakin' an' such, so we were kinda worried they'd jus' go to waste. Go ahead and try one on the house sugarcube, ta see if they'll work for ya.”
Applejack watched as her friend approached the bin full of very round and very red apples. She had always thought they looked a bit like slightly unripe tomatoes, but she knew better.
“Well, um, they certainly look... juicy.” said Fluttershy almost too quietly to be heard. Her face, looked uncertain, but Applejack could see her nose flaring as she took in the scent repeatedly. And her eyes, they looked hungry... no, ravenous! It was though she was starving and this was the first real food she'd seen in weeks. As the farmer watched, her friend kept lowering her neck, inching closer and closer to the pile, her eyes becoming more glassy as the seconds passed.
“Uh sugarcube, you alright?”
As if broken from a trance Fluttershy bolted upright, firmly shaking her head before looking over. “I... I...” Applejack watched her friend's face as it seemed to shift from confusion, to shock, then fear, and finally guilt as she sunk her head almost all the way to the ground, which soon became moist with a few tears.
“I'm s-sorry. I sh-shouldn't have... I mean... Igottago!” And in a split second the pegasus had turned and spread her wings, ready to fly off and disappear above the nearby trees.
“Fluttershy wait!”
Applejack wasn't sure why it worked, but it did. The yellow mare had stopped just before pushing off from the ground, but held her open-winged posture, not even turning around. Now that she could get a better look though, Applejack could tell her friend was on the verge of a full blown panic attack, her breathing quick and uneven, her wings slightly twitching with the desire to bolt and hide.
“Sug... Fluttershy, what's wrong? You can tell me. I promise, no, I Pinkie promise. I won't judge you.”
A moment passed with no response, then another. Applejack opened her mouth to say something more before-
“R-r-really?” It was quiet, but clear, and the fear of rejection was so palpable Applejack had to swallow before responding.
“O'course! I'm yer friend ain't I? Ya know I'd never think any less of you.”
Ever so slowly, Fluttershy turned to look at the farmer, her eyes puffy with tears and shaking with barely contained fear. “N-no. I m-mean, do you, p-promise?”
Applejack felt horrible. The look she was getting felt as if she had just told her friend one of her animals had died, but Applejack wouldn't back down from helping a friend in such obvious need. She couldn't.
“Cross mah heart, hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She finished with a small smile of reassurance.
Fluttershy just continued to stare, as though trying to decide if the promise was enough, before finally closing her wings slowly and turning back around, Her head stayed low, her flowing mane hiding her face from the condemnations she must have thought were coming. “W-well. The umm... the a-apples aren't... aren't for, the critters.”
That was it. Applejack waited for more, but none came. It was as though the pegasus thought that alone was enough to damn her. Needing more to go on she wetted her lips before pressing.
“So, who are they for sugarcube?”
There was a long pause.
Very long.
Finally, as though taking all her courage, Fluttershy took a sizable breath and said, “Me.”
Again Applejack waited for more. Again nothing came. “I... don't see the problem sugarcube.”
Fluttershy fidgeted before looking up into Applejack's eyes. The farmer could see the paper-thin resolve her friend was desperately holding onto.
“I... that is... um, I'll sh-show you.”
Applejack watched as the pegasus, ever so slowly, approached the apples again. Her gaze scanning around for a suitable example before finding a rather plump one and lifting it out carefully with a hoof.
“Um... p-please don't be s-scared.”
Applejack gave as pleasant of a smile back as she could, hoping it would be enough.
Again, she saw Fluttershy close her eyes and take a deep breath to steel her resolve. When her eyes reopened, however, she looked much different. That hunger from the marketplace was back in her eyes again. Applejack wasn't quite sure why, but the look reminded her of a timberwolf looking at it's prey for some reason. Before she could blink the pegasus's mouth rushed forward and opened wide, a pair of small fang's gleaming in the orange of the sun, before sinking into the flesh of the apple.
Applejack's mind seemed to stop. This wasn't real, was it? For a moment she though she saw her friend's eyes turn red and her wings change to leather. She blinked, however, and all was back to normal... all except the fangs. As she watched, Fluttershy slowly drained the apple of it's juice, the sides caving in, before finally pulling back from it and dropping the desiccated husk on the ground.
Fluttershy just sat there after she was done, shaking, as though waiting for her fears to be proven true.
Applejack's throat felt dry, but she spoke anyway, “Fluttershy... are you... uh...”
Her friend cringed as the sentence dropped off.
“-okay?”
The pegasus's head jolted up to stare at her friend, her eyes wide in surprise. “W-what?”
Applejack swallowed. “Ah asked if, ya'll were alright. Are ya?”
“Y-you... you don't.. h-hate me?”
Applejack jolted in surprise. “Hate ya? Now where would you get a crazy idea like that?”
“B-b-because, you h-hated those, vampire fruit bats. Y-you hated them so m-much. I th-thought... I thought, if I was like them... you'd... h-hate me t-too.” As she spoke, Fluttershy's face seemed to become etched deeper with anguish at each passing word.
The look on Fluttershy's face brought actual pain to Applejack's heart. She had been so adamant about the evil of those bats before, and now... She tried to swallow her guilt as she realized her mistake. Fluttershy had somehow not been fully cured from whatever magical curse-thingy that had affected her that night. She must have been hiding her condition for weeks now. Fearing that if anypony found out, they'd think her a monster. Even worse though, Fluttershy must have thought that Applejack would lump her in with those horrible bats. Thinking her evil and ending their friendship if she ever found out.
An instant later Applejack had bolted over, hugging her friend tightly. “No! I could never hate ya sugarcube. I think the world of ya, and all the girls. Jus' 'cause I hated those bats somethin' fierce, don't mean I hate you too... I'm so sorry Fluttershy.”
As the words tumbled out the yellow pegasus sat in the hug, rigid with shock, before finally wrapping her hooves around her friend as well and cried. The dam had broken and she sat there, sobbing and shuddering as she let go of all her fear and worry and doubt.
After quite a long while, the sobbing became normal crying, which became sniffles, before finally stopping altogether. Applejack pulled back but remained holding her friend at leg's length. “Ya never answered mah question.”
With one last wipe of her eyes with the back of a fetlock Fluttershy responded. “What? What question?”
Applejack's smile spread from ear to ear. “Are ya okay?”
Fluttershy returned a small smile. “Yes, I think so.”
Applejack let go of her friend and stood back up before walking over to the bushel and lifting it onto her back, then approached the cellar and closed it without losing her load. “Good. Let's get you home then before it gets too dark.” And with that she started walking away from the farm toward the distant cottage.
Fluttershy fell into step beside her before fully noticing what her friend was carrying. “Umm, what about the apples?... If you don't mind me asking.”
Applejack just smiled. “On the house. An' you let me know if ya need any more alright?”
The yellow mare sniffled again as some fresh tears came to her eyes, her smile growing bigger. “Th-thank you.”
“Don' mention it sugarcube. After all, what are friends for?”
Author's Note
Inspired by this pic:
by Mysticalpha
I hope you enjoyed the story, & thanks for reading. ^_^
