The Fluttershy Effect

Big Macintosh panted under the hot sun. Each ray beat across his back as heavy as the last. He hated being out too long because he'd always burn so easily, especially his nose. Apple Jack would sometimes just call him a big cry baby but she handled the sun perfectly fine.

Summer for others was usually a time of leisure, but all he had was the cider barrels to shift and people to serve. He'd wondered what it'd be like to have other people serve him and for him to put up his own hooves. Taking a bit of time off might've been a little too much for him to ask for, he knew no-one else had the strength to plough the fields or lift all the barrels. Besides, he was too shy to ask although sometimes he thought,'why should I ask? Apple Jack always gets to see her friends.' But then he remembered. He had no friends.

His ears pressed back against his neck and his head drooped, he lifted a barrel and brought it forth towards Apple Jack's stand and to the snake of ponies lining up for their cider. Apple Jack turned to him,"what's up sugar cube?"

Big Mac didn't even look up,"nothing", he murmured slowly with out an attempt to mask his feelings.

Apple Jack didn't believe him for one second, but she gave him a quick,"uhuh" and persuaded him to sit down for a while.

"I'll talk to you in a bit", she always knew it'd been hard for him being so committed to the family and committed to the land.

Big Mac shrugged gently and took his leave. He sat in the shade of the barn.

"WooooOOOOOOOOoooooo!"

Rainbow Dash shot past the crowd in the sky with several glasses of cold cider in her grasp,"I was first! I was first! That's right! I got my self some cider. This is the best cider season ever!!!"

Soon Dash learned that the crowd were not pleased when bushels of apples were hurled at her in every and any direction possible. The force of the apples made her limbs feel weak and no dodging could evade the crowds aim. Suddenly she realised that she felt wet and the crowd had stopped hurling apples and were now laughing.

"What", she asked looking at the crowd. A breeze blew past her and all of a sudden she was feeling quite chilly, she looked down and saw she had spilt the cider all over herself. Angrily she shot past them and with one swift rainboom cider season was over. The barrels rolled away and the stand splintered into pieces. The Apple family and company moaned in unison and whilst that was all going on Big Mac didn't even look up once.