A Shy Warrior (Built Upon Dreams, Paid in Blood)

Fluttershy sits next to Applejack riding in the backseat of Core Seed’s putter-wagon. Applejack’s older brother Macintosh sits in the front seat next to their father. Fluttershy smiles as she stares out the window watching the trees of the hills surrounding her home city, thinking about how her father persuaded her mother to let her go to the sleepover…

Posey looks out the window and sees two putter-wagons pulling up to the driveway of the wheat-barn. Curious she picks up her son and steps outside to see the new arrivals.

“MA!” Fluttershy shouts, jumping out of her seat and running up to her mother. “I’ve made a new friend!” She clutches onto her mother’s legs.

Posey looks down with a smile. “You did?” She glances at the other putter-wagon and sees a red-furred earth pony stallion getting out of his vehicle along with his two children. She sees an eleven-year-old colt with red fur and a blonde mane standing to the stallion’s right, and to the stallion’s left is a seven-year-old filly with orange fur, freckles, and blonde mane.

“Hello, Mrs. Posey.” The stallion’s children wave.

“Well hello, dears.” Posy smiles at them. “And whom you might be?”

The stallion chuckles. “Well this is my son Macintosh, and this is my daughter Applejack.” He pats his children on their heads. “And mah name is Core Seed Ma’am.”

Posey smiles at the stallion’s manners, “Well nice to meet you Core Seed.”

“MA!” Fluttershy whines.

Posey looks down. “What is it?”

“Pa said I could spend the night at Applejack’s!” She jumps up and down. “Can I, will you let me?”

Posey gives her daughter a raised brow. Her attention turns and sees Applejack giving her a pouty lip and puppy eyes. “Well… this is on such short notice…” She looks at her husband. “What about the farm work, don’t you need help?”

“I always need help sweetie, but I think it will be good for our daughter to get out once and awhile.” He walks up to his wife. “Besides, it will give us some alone time.” He whispers into her ear. She blushes at his words.

“Don’t you worry Ma’am, we’ll take good care of your little filly.” Core Seed places a hand over his heart. “Apple’s honor.” He gives a goofy smile. His children giggle at his actions.

Posey smiles at the family before glancing down at her daughter. “Alright, you can go.” She scratches her daughter's neck. “Now hurry and pack up!” Fluttershy giggles and runs into her house. Applejack to full of excitement runs after her.

“I think we should play hide n’ seek when we get home!” Applejack states, playing with her braids.

Fluttershy moves her gaze from the window and glances at her friend “That sounds like fun.”

“Yay, and my brother can be the one that’s it!” Applejack proclaims, giggling to herself.

Macintosh grunts in frustration. “I just want ter relax sis…” He sighs, looking at their orchard’s apple trees that were coming into view.

Applejack frowns at her brother. “Yer gonna play with us!” Applejack huffs, crossing her arms.

Macintosh sighs. “I don’t want to!”

“Why not?” Fluttershy asks calmly.

Mac looks back at her with a blush. “I… I want ter read mah book.”

Core Seed smiles, chuckling to himself at the children’s conversation. “You can read your book son after yer help wear your sister and her friend out.” He nods to the fillies in the backseats.

“It will take forever for us to get tired Papa!” Applejack giggles, Fluttershy nods in agreement. Core Seed shakes his head, shifting up a gear. Macintosh sighs and lays his head against the window of the passenger door.

Stifling a giggle, Fluttershy looks out her window, eyeing the many groves of apple trees lining the dirt road. Tilting her head some more, she sees a large two-story barn fifty-feet away. Its outer shell seeing better days. Just a few yards from the barn sits Applejack’s house. It’s a simple one-story home built out of oak and cedar. A bronze roof protects the house from the weather. Small three by three feet windows dot the home, while one large six by three feet bench-window sits by the front door.

Looking into the home through the large window, Fluttershy can see an elderly earth pony mare in her late fifties sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace. While a younger earth pony mare in her late twenties sits on the couch talking to her.

“That’s grandma’s tree.” Applejack points at a large apple tree directly in front of the house, towering over the home.

“Why is it your grandma’s?” Fluttershy’s left ear falls flat.

“Well… She calls it her lucky tree.” Applejack smirks. “She says it grows huge apples… but I never saw any big apples on it since I can remember…” She rubs the back of her head. Macintosh shakes his head.

“Really?” Fluttershy asks in wonder.

“E-Yup!” Macintosh says in a goofy voice, causing the fillies to giggle.

Core Seed smiles as he parks the putter-wagon next to the barn. “Well, we’re here.” He holds out an arm in a sweeping motion.

Overwhelmed with tension and excitement, Applejack and Fluttershy jump out of the vehicle in a flash, running into the orchard in a fit of giggles. “Mac, tag you’re it!” Fluttershy laughs, shorting Macintosh’s name as she weaves in and around the apple trees with Applejack.

Macintosh blushes at her nickname she gives him. Shivering away his embarrassment he picks up a basket of unsold apples. Seeing his son’s reaction, Core Seed takes the basket from his son with a smirk. “Hey?!” Macintosh huffs in confusion.

“Why don’t you go play… I mean you’re it.” He looks through the thicket of apple trees and sees the fillies peaking at them behind one of the trees. “You’re not going to let them beat you, now are you?” Core Seed asks, giving his son a sly smirk. Macintosh looks at the fillies and gives them a playful-menacing smirk as he rolls up the sleeves of his plaid-polo-shirt.

-Two Hours Later-

Macintosh hides in the rafters of the barn on the second story. Flakes of dust float in the air around him. One lands on his snout, tickling it. Rubbing his nose, he reorients himself, getting into a more comfortable position.

Keeping his ears at full attention, he listens for a set of feminine giggles. As if on cue, he hears them. Peaking over a crate of canned goods, he sees his sister and Fluttershy walking into the barn. His sister’s orange fur and Fluttershy’s canary yellow fur standing out like sore thumbs in the dim light of the fading sun. Watching them scan for his whereabouts, he holds in a giggle. They were clueless about where he’s hiding. He wasn’t going to lose to them. He picked a great spot.

“Where can he be?” Applejack huffs, opening the doors to a small closet within the barn. Not seeing her brother behind the tools within, she shuts them with a grunt.

“He’s really good at hiding… Maybe he learned magic from your cousin and he's invisible?!” Fluttershy wonders, awed by her own thought as she searches through a hope-chest.

Applejack laughs. “If mah brother grew one of them horns, like them unicorns then yes, but I don’t think he can do that… He’s an earth pony!” She squeaks. “Or… did he grow a horn?”

Macintosh rolls his eyes at her question.

With a huff, she nears the back of the barn and looks up at its rafters. Pondering for a moment. “Wait a minute?...” She sees the ladder that leads to the rafters is missing. ‘Could he have?’ She thinks. ‘Cheater!’ She frowns. “Hey, Fluttershy!?”

“Yeah?” Fluttershy looks over her shoulder, breaking her gaze from the tractor.

“Can yer fly up there and search fer the ladder?” Applejack asks pointing at the rafters. Fluttershy looks up at the spot her friend is pointing and smirks, nodding her head slyly.

Macintosh feels himself go numb. Fearing that he might be seen, he backs further into the corner.

Nervous, Fluttershy opens her wings and gives them a soft flap. She tries to remember what little training she had received from her mother. She is still too young to entirely fly without some assistance from her elder. Looking at her friend, seeing the broad smile on her face, she swallows a lump and begins flapping her wings as fast and as hard as she can.

Macintosh’s jaw hits the floor as he watches her fly up to the rafter. The flight isn’t graceful or correct in proper flight rules and behaviors, but it is enough to lift her off the ground allowing Fluttershy to grab the ledge of the rafters.

Pulling herself up onto the rafters, she catches her breath, letting her sore wings rest. She gives herself a smile. Her mother would be proud. Applejack is hopping up n’ down with glee. “Did you find the ‘ladder’ yet?”

Scanning around, Fluttershy gives a frown as she walks around the rafters. Climbing onto several crates, she looks about,studying her environment like a lion would. Macintosh inches himself closer to the corner of the rafters where it meets the roof. Angling his back to fit snuggly up against the ceiling, he watches Fluttershy’s every move. “I'm not going to lose!” He huffs under his breath.

“Hey Applejack?!” Fluttershy calls out, coming up to the ladder. “I found the ladder!” She picks up one of its ends and lifts it up showing her friend.

“Oh… Did you find him?” Applejack asks in a defeated tone.

“No…” Fluttershy replies in the same tone. “Not yet.”

“Well,” Applejack puts her hands on her hips. “He can't be far…!”

CRACK!

SNAP!

“AHHH!”

Several loud snapping and wooden cracks ring out loudly from within the barn, causing the structure to shake. Shivering in fright, Applejack and Fluttershy look around with wide eyes, their ears flat against their heads.

Whipping her head around, Fluttershy looks over her shoulder and sees a good-sized hole in the rafters. Stepping up closer to it, she looks down into it and sees Macintosh at the bottom, dazed and confused, with his head bobbing around, his forehead, bleeding slightly. Both fillies look at the scene with worry. Nervous, Applejack runs out of the barn. “PA, MACINTOSH HURT HIMSELF!”

Macintosh lays on the couch near the window, facing the entrance to the kitchen and dining area. Burlap bandages are wrapped around his forehead and right hoof keeping the gauze-pads over his wounds in place. Several pillows are under him, supporting him in a semi-upright position as he grumpily stares at his book.

Applejack’s and Macintosh’s grandmother Granny Apple Smith and their mother Autumn Apple sit by the fireplace in their own rocking chairs, knitting scarfs, and hats. Fluttershy and Applejack sit in front of them, playing with dolls they had dragged from Applejack’s room.

With a sigh, Macintosh moves, trying to get into a more comfortable position, but a searing pain shoots across his back. With a whimper, he lays back down on his pillows. Hearing her son’s discomfort, Autumn Gold looks at her son with a comforting smile. “You need anything, sweetie?”

Macintosh looks at his mother, trying to hide his tears. “No, Ma…” He mumbles. His mother gives him a look, question his statement. Faltering a bit, he nods, giving into her stare. With a smile, she gets up and heads into the restroom down the hall. Hearing a set of giggles, he turns his attention to the fillies. “What’s so funny?!” He glares at them.

Both fillies hold a hand over their lips. “Yer crying!” Applejack laughs.

“Well, yer cry when its dark and yer need a candle next to your bed to sleep!” Macintosh grunts.

“That’s not true!” Applejack huffs. She slowly bows her head and makes circles with her index finger on the hardwood floor. “Sort of…” Fluttershy giggles at the sibling’s playful banter.

“Okay, children stop this nonsense.” Autumn Gold quips. “Here you go, sweetie.” She pours out a brown colored liquid into the bowl of a metal spoon and feeds it to her son. Macintosh shakes his head and shivers, his tongue sticking out in disgust as he swallows it. Smirking at her son’s reaction to the medicine, she hums turning her attention to the fillies. “So, what are you two playing?”

“We’re playing knights!” Fluttershy speaks up. “Mr. Angle Bunny is the king, and he’s trying to save the queen!” She points at Applejacks stuffed animals, several of her stuffed teddy bears surrounding her stuffed doggy-doll.

“But these evil bears have captured the queen!” Applejack points at the doggy-doll. “But Mr. Angle Bunny and his armies will save the day!” She proclaims, holding up a wooden earth pony soldier doll, wearing a grey army-uniform.

“Hey, those are my action figures!” Macintosh whines, noticing his toys.

“They’re Mr. Angle Bunny’s soldiers!” Fluttershy huffs along with Applejack.

“No, they’re not!” Macintosh huffs back.

Autumn Gold puts a hand to her temple and rubs it as the children bicker back n’ forth. ‘Oh colt… it's going to be a long night…’ She thinks to herself.

“Suppers ready!” Core Seed calls out. His voice a saving grace, ending the children’s feud.

“Come one kiddies, get’a flanks a moving!” Granny Apple Smith hoots.

Fluttershy and Applejack run into the kitchen giggling to themselves, while Posey helps her son to the dinner table.

Stepping into the kitchen, Fluttershy smells the spicy cabbage roast Applejack’s father cooked. Looking at the dining table, she sees it resting in its steel-pan, steam rising off its surface. Licking her lips, she takes her seat next to Applejack and Macintosh. “Who’s hungry?” Core Seed asks holding a knife in his hand.

“I am!” All three children say in unison.

“And that’s how mah Pa and I created the Zap Apple Jam recipe.” Granny Smith chuckles as she rocks in her rocking chair by the fireplace, telling the children stories of her past.

“What does it taste like?” Fluttershy asks, laying her head in her hands, her legs swinging in the air.

“Oh, they taste delightful…” She looks out the window. “That tree out there grows the apples needed for such a jam.” She points at the tree. “White Delights… The rarest of the apples.” Granny Smith hums, sinking into her chair.

Macintosh sits on the hearth of the fireplace near the firebox, letting the warmth of the fire sooth his sore back. Applejack sits next to her friend watching as her grandmother fades off into dreamland. Hearing her snores, the children giggle at her, as her lips flap about from her shallow breaths.

Core Seed chuckles. “Looks like it’s time for bed.” He reads the time on the clock. It reads seven-pm. “You children better run off and take a bath now you hear.” He gets up heading to the entrance of the hall, pointing a finger at the restroom. “Ma will be there shortly to help bathe you.” The children moan and whine, disobeying his commands, but his stern grunt tells them otherwise. Slowly the trio gets up from the floor and heads to the restroom.

Stepping into the restroom, Macintosh turns on the copper furnace and faucet, letting the warm water flow into the white-cast-iron-tub. With the water roaring into the metal bowl, both brother and sister begin undressing from their day clothes. Fluttershy, on the other hand, blushes at the idea that she would be nude in front of her friends. Seeing her flustered appearance, Applejack gives her a puzzled look. “You never bathed with your brother before?”

Fluttershy cheeks redden some more. “Um yes, I have… but I… Um?” She didn’t want to sound mean. “I just never um…”

Applejack understands her embarrassment. “Well, it's just like bathing with your baby brother except we’re there!” She smiles.

Macintosh notices Fluttershy burying her face in her hands. “I think that didn’t help…” He looks at the scared pegasus. “We need to bathe together, it saves our parents a lot of tokes if we do.” He sets his polo-shirt on the floor and works on undoing his belt.

Fluttershy studies Applejack’s embarrassment. “You’re family’s poor?”

Applejack sighs as she sets her bonnet on the sink’s counter. “No… not poor… Just um… Don’t say anything, but mah brother and I listened in on our parents arguing about money…”

Fluttershy looks down at her hooves. “My parents do the same thing…” Her tail flicks instinctively.

“Then you understand,” Macintosh grumbles taking off his pants. Even though he is used to being nude in front of his sister, Fluttershy is a stranger… He had already scolded her about not getting undressed and here he is blushing madly. Fluttershy stares at Macintosh, the image of his form sends shivers down her spine causing her to blush. Fighting his embarrassment, he quickly crawls into the tub, sinking into the warm bath water.

“Are you children in the bath?” Autumn Gold asks from behind the door.

“Yeah!” Macintosh replies.

“No…” Fluttershy and Applejack reply in unison.

Opening the door Autumn Gold walks into the restroom with three bathe-towels and three pairs of nightgowns for them. “Alright, you fillies undress and get into the tub.” Quickly, Applejack and Fluttershy untie their dresses and lets them fall to the floor. Without haste, they jump into the tub taking their place next to Macintosh. With a hum, Autumn Gold pulls out a bar of tar-soap from under the sink and begins to lather it in her hands. Humming a soft melody, she scrubs their manes, one by one. “Once I get you all cleaned up, dry off, and it’s off to bed.” She giggles as she scratches the back of her daughter’s ears. “You three are going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

Dressing into their nightgowns with no lack of embarrassment coming mostly from Macintosh and Fluttershy, they brush and floss their teeth and head off to their room.

Stepping into the bedroom, Fluttershy sees that there are two beds in the room. 'Apparently, the siblings share a room,' Fluttershy thinks to herself. She sees one of the beds on the right side of the room in the corner, it's MacIntosh’s by several action figures laying around the base of the bed, and by the color of the sheets being very masculine colors. Applejack’s bed is on the left-hand corner, hugging the wall where the door to the room is situated. The end of her bed is covered in dolls and stuffed animals of varying age and wear.

Tired and sore, Macintosh flops on his bed, face first. His head smacking his pillows with a poof. A happy sigh leaves his lips, his young voice echoing off the walls of the room. The fillies giggle at his manners, he’s too tired to care. Smiling at one another, they crawl into the other bed and get under its sheets.

Stepping into their room, Autumn Gold, and Core Seed smile at them as they walk up to their bed. “Applejack, Fluttershy, is there anything you two need?”

“Can you light my candle, Papa?” Applejack asks, pulling the sheets to her chin.

“Sure can…” Core Seed pulls out a box of matches from his shirt’s pocket and strikes one of them, lighting the candle. A soft glow floods the room, basking it in warm orange.

Bending down, Autumn Gold kisses the fillies on their foreheads. “Goodnight, let the Lord bless this night and all your dreams, little ones.” She gives them a soft smile as she says the traditional prayer told to children before bed. Getting up she walks over to her son, bending down, she hears his soft snores. With a smirk, she kisses him and repeats the prayer. Walking to the door with her husband, she gently shuts the door, only allowing the room to be bathed in moonlight and candlelight.

Rolling over on her side, Applejack stares at her friend. A broad smile plastering itself on her lips. “Fluttershy?”

“Yes?” Fluttershy turns over to face the earth pony.

“I just want to say, I’m glad we’re friends.” Applejack places her right hand under her head.

Fluttershy feels a warm sensation form in her chest. “Friends for life?”

Applejack giggles. “Friends fer life!” She fists up her left hand giving it to Fluttershy. Fluttershy giggles as well and returns the gesture with her own fist, fist bumping.