Author's Note

Thanks to all the people who loved and upvoted Apples and Oranges! It gave me the motivation to go on and publish the first chapter of the next installment, Butterflies & Red Skies. It makes me very happy to write such a tribute to one of my favorite Applejack episodes, as well as a tribute to several of my favorite characters.

And as stated before, reading this story's predecessors is not required for enjoying the story

Pony Confession

After meeting Autumn Blaze for a very friendly lesson and music number, Applejack found herself walking back to the village. Seeing the yellow pegasus sitting in the village territory with a gentle smile on her face, Applejack froze and felt her heart race.

Damn you, just talk to her about the problem!

Applejack forced her hooves to return to motion, trotting over to her friend.

“Fluttershy! Guess what?” Applejack said, feeling her face growing hotter.

“I figured out the friendship problem!” Applejack and Fluttershy exclaimed at the same time. “Me too! Go ahead!”

“Heh, bet that’s a problem the Kirin never have,” Applejack snickered.

“No,” Fluttershy batted her eyelashes, glancing away as a small smile showed on her face. Applejack froze, feeling her heart thundering in her chest. “Should we tell the leader we found out the friendship problem?”

“Of course, we can start by letting Autumn Blaze back into the group!” Applejack smiled, walking alongside Fluttershy. “Then, we can find the cure to get ‘em talking again.”

“What? No!” Fluttershy squealed, stepping backwards. “That can’t ever happen! They turned into Niriks and destroyed the whole village!”

“That’s no reason for them to shut down all their feelins’!” Applejack turned to face Fluttershy, feeling her heart jumping all over the place, heat firing up her body.

“Yes it is!” Fluttershy shouted back. “Think of the other animals in this forest, Applejack! If the Nirik cause a fire again...what are they doing?”

Applejack turned around, flinching as she noticed all the Kirin of the village giving them blank stares, surrounding the two mares. Fluttershy squeaked as the Kirin levitated the two in the air with their horns, marching out of the village.

“H-Hey! Get your magic off her!” Applejack grunted, struggling in the Kirins' magical grip.

“I think they’re worried about us arguing,” Fluttershy admitted.

“Aw shucks! We were just having a normal disagreement, honest!” Applejack protested.

"Where are they taking us?!" Fluttershy looked at the water ahead, breathing fast.

"The Stream of Silence!" Applejack cried. "Fluttershy, if they throw us in there, we won't feel nothin' or say nothin' ever again!"

Fluttershy gasped, struggling alongside Applejack.

"Fluttershy, there's somethin' ah need to tell you," Applejack stopped her struggling, staring into Fluttershy's eyes. "Ah'm in love with ya, have been for years. I'm sorry that I waited till now to tell ya."

Applejack closed her eyes, feeling tears slipping down her face before she heard a roar shake the magic around her. She glanced up the hill, seeing a Nirik charge towards the two of them. The Kirin dropped the two as they stumbled back, the Nirik surrounding Applejack and Fluttershy in a circle of fire.

Fluttershy whimpered, covering her face with her wings, when Applejack placed her hoof on her mane.

"Fluttershy, I think it's the Autumn Blaze I mentioned to ya," Applejack whispered. "It's okay, you can relax."

Fluttershy unraveled her wings, staring at the white and orange former Nirik.

"Can't have them silence the only lovebirds that can talk," Autumn giggled. "Not when one of them hasn't responded."

"You heard that?" Fluttershy squeaked, blushing as she turned to Applejack. "You love me?"

"How could I not?" Applejack smiled, turning to face Fluttershy. "You've got the softest heart I've ever known. Even when we disagreed, it was because you wanted to keep every creature safe. But these Kirin, they deserve to love just as much as we do. You understand, sugarcube?"

"Of course," Fluttershy nodded. "And if Autumn can control her anger, then these Kirin can too! And I...I have feelings for you too, Applejack. With Discord and Dash's antics, I thought you'd never come around."

"Well, they can be an intimidating bunch," Applejack laughed before her jaw dropped. "Wait a gosh-darn minute, you love me too?!"

"Mmhm," Fluttershy bit her lip, feeling the blush return to her face full-force.

After meeting Autumn, Fluttershy discovered the foal's breath via the squirrels, and Autumn dropped the flowers into the Kirin's drinking water. After years of heartache and crippling loneliness, the Kirin finally had a change of heart.

Autumn walked up to Applejack and Fluttershy and embraced the two of them.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," Autumn said, her body shaking. "We'd only touch one another during the heat cycles. And I have so many lovers to reconnect with, all thanks to you two."

"Speakin' of lovers…" Applejack turned to Fluttershy, hearing the newfound chatter of the other Kirin. "Before we get into this relationship, I slept with somepony else before telling ya how I felt."

"In the village?" Fluttershy asked.

"I was helping her with lessons on how to win you over," Autumn admitted, stepping out of the embrace. "Turns out she's a lot farther along than I thought. I'm...sorry for taking that away from you."

"Taking what away from me?" Fluttershy asked. "If you hadn't talked to her about me, who knows if she would've told me how she felt.”

Fluttershy walked over and hugged Autumn Blaze.

“I...um…” Fluttershy squeaked, burying her face in Autumn’s curly locks.

“What is it, Fluttershy?” Autumn asked.

“You Kirin...have sex in public?” Fluttershy whispered.

Autumn looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder and saw several of her village-mates rutting for all to see. Autumn smiled, before returning her gaze to Fluttershy.

“We haven’t had public sex in years,” Autumn explained. “Always hiding in our silence, our homes. You two have really given us a gift.”

“Not really, you’ve helped me connect to the mare of my dreams!” Fluttershy pressed her hoof to Autumn’s chest. “I haven’t even come close to repaying you. Is...is she good, Applejack?”

“Wha?” Applejack’s eyes widened.

“Your time with her, was it good?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, I uh...I mean...yes? But I’m sure it’ll be nothing like my time with you!” Applejack grinned, sweat running down her blonde mane.

“Oh wonderful~” Fluttershy smiled, turning to Autumn. “Then that’s how I wanna repay you, with my flower.”

“What?!” Applejack gasped, causing Autumn and Fluttershy to look back at her. “I mean, I’m sure she feels repaid already, what with the village and all.”

“It’s okay, Applejack,” Fluttershy broke away from touching Autumn’s chest, walking over and pressing her nose to Applejack’s. “I’ll be sure to taste your apple pie after thanking her. Besides, our time should be enough to prepare you. Right?”

Applejack gulped, feeling her nethers heating up at the thought of Fluttershy and Autumn Blaze going to town on each other. What with Fluttershy moaning and squeaking under Autumn’s tongue…

“Holy shit,” Applejack gasped. “Is Autumn okay with it?”

Applejack and Fluttershy looked at Autumn Blaze, the latter rubbing Applejack’s leg in a slow teasing motion.

“Autumn Blaze,” Fluttershy batted her eyelashes, flicking her pink tail to the side. “May you be a dear and allow me to thank you?”

“Yes, a thousand times yes,” Autumn gasped, jumping to her hooves and staring at the mouth-watering temptation before her.

Years of quiet rutting and restrained emotions, and now before her, was her prize. Autumn grinned, as the fun...had just begun.