Apples and Flowers

"Last stop Ponyville, everypony off!"

The conductor pony threw the doors open to allow the passengers to leave. Nopony noticed the tall, slender pony that dashed from one of the train cars and made a mad dash for nearby inn. She slipped in quietly and approached the desk.

"Hello, sign your name, take a key, room is twenty-five bits per night." The bored looking young clerk tossed a key on the desk. "Room 8, up the stairs, last door on the left."

The pony didn't speak a word; she simply lit the horn hidden under the thick cloak she wore and magically wrote a name on the inn ledger. Dropping the quill and catching up the key, she headed up the stairs and to the aforementioned room. Once safely inside with the bolt securely locked, she let the heavy cloak fall off, levitating it to a chair, revealing her slender form. Her alabaster coat was still as pristine as when she had slipped out of Canterlot a few hours before, and a quick glance in the mirror showed that her pale lavender mane needed just a brief brushing.

"Well, Fleur, you are none the worse for wear considering your harrowing escape from that mob." She mused aloud, removing her mane brush from the saddle bags still resting across her back. "You still look fabulous."

She grinned at the remembrance of said escape. The Ponyrazzi were nothing if not determined, but with a little bit of disguising and clever quick thinking, Fleur had slipped right past them. She sobered, sighing heavily. Modeling was enjoyable, but at times it was tiring, especially since there was constant attention and news crews and large audiences. Sometimes she just wanted to be a normal mare again for awhile. Which was why she had finally left.

Honestly being without her ensemble of assistants and her press agent, and the aggravating Ponyrazzi, felt very freeing. She smiled and tossed her larger saddlebag over on the chair before checking her looks in the mirror a final time. Then, taking a steadying breath, she left the inn and headed outside to hopefully just enjoy some rest and relaxation.

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She soon found herself at Sugarcube Corner, and after debating briefly she casually entered the sweet shop, making her way to the counter. As she studied the delightful confections and baked goods, a pink blur whizzed past, went round the room, and then skidded to a stop behind the counter.

"Hello hello! Hi! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, what can I get you today??" Pinkie's eyes went wide and a monumentally long, obnoxiously loud gasp escaped. "You're Fleur de Lis!!! I'd know you anywhere! Rarity talks about you and I've seen pictures and you've been in the papers and ohmygoshthisisjustsoexcitingtohavearealcelebrityintown!!!!"

Fleur offered a soft, slightly awkward laugh. "That- would be me."

"Welcome to Ponyville!" Pinkie motioned wildly. "What can I get you?"

"Two strawberry tarts, one blueberry muffin, two chocolate chip cookies, and one Pinkie Pie Super Special Surprise." Fleur grinned at the wide eyed look. "It sounds very interesting."

"Okie dokie lokie!!!"

Pinkie whirled about like a pink tornado, rapidly filling the order and packaging it before depositing it in her customer's hooves.

"Twenty bits please!!"

Fleur smiled and paid the required bits, then took her purchase and exited the establishment. She withdrew a cookie and snacked on it as she slowly walked through town, looking around at all the sights. Her attention was captured by a pair of birds up in the sky, and she watched them as she continued to walk, chuckling at how cute it was to watch them play.

THUMP!

"Umpf!"

"Tarnation!"

She and the pony she'd collided with echoed their sentiments simultaneously. Fleur looked up as the orange mare righted herself and adjusted the stetson she wore.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention!" She apologized, also getting up.

"Naw, tweren't nothin'. I wasn't payin' attention neither." The mare peered at her. "Wait a cotton pickin' minute...Fleur de Lis?!"

Fleur blinked. "Wait, you're Applejack, right?"

"I sure am!" Applejack shook her hoof. "I'm right pleased to meet ya."

"Ah...yes, because the whole model thing."

"Naw." Applejack grinned. "I ain't much for that. I ain't a pony that cares much on what you do, more on who ya are. I'd be happy to show you around, get to know ya better."

Fleur blinked. "You- don't want autographs or anything?"

"Nope! Just a chance to be your friend."

Fleur was confused. She'd never met a pony who didn't automatically want autographs or pictures with her because she was famous. This pony didn't do that. She just was being nice because. Finally realizing Applejack was waiting, she shook herself out of her stupor.

"Oh! Of course. That would be lovely, thanks, Applejack."

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Applejack kept in easy synchronized step with her taller companion as she showed the supermodel around Ponyville. Fleur easily kept up with her discriptions of buildings, the names of shops, and the identifications of the ponies they passed along the way.

"And that there is the Town Hall." Applejack concluded her township lesson with a jab of her hoof in the direction of said building. "I reckon that covers just about everythin'. Any questions?"

"Not that I can think of." Fleur looked around at her surroundings. "Slot of ponies seem to be staring though."

"Probably are. Famous pony like yourself attracts attention, and I bet ya a bushel of my best red apples they want to meet ya first-hoof."

Fleur smiled slightly. "I'll bet you an ice cream sundae that you're right."

Applejack laughed. "Well now, I best be gettin' on back to Sweet Apple Acres. It was nice meetin' ya and spendin' time with ya. If there's anythin' I can do, just call on me."

With a nod of her head she turned and trotted off, Fleur watching her leave with a wide smile on her face. When she turned back around, she found herself nearly swallowed by a small crowd of excited ponies.

"Miss Fleur! It is you!" Somepony cried excitedly. "Can we get your autograph and some pictures?? Please??"

Fleur sighed and forced a smile as she nodded, dutifully allowing the adoring public to hand her things to sign and snap photos, all the while hoping it wouldn't take long.

It didn't. The dreamy eyed Fleur Fan Club dispersed fairly rapidly, and Fleur beat a hasty retreat back to the inn. She retrieved her key and went to her room, where she locked the door and crawled into the soft blankets.

If she was being honest, the time she'd spent with Applejack had been the highlight of her day. Not being treated as somepony big and famous, but just being treated like any other pony. Like an equal. She missed that. Being famous automatically put her on a level above every other normal pony in Equestria. Once you reached that level, really nopony could ever view you as equal again. But Applejack was the first to defy that and see her as just a pony she wanted to be friends with.

Fleur let her eyes close as she smiled softly. Truthfully, she was hoping to get a chance to talk more to this pony that had made her feel perfectly normal again. She wanted to get to know her better, because with Applejack she wasn't some big celebrity. She was just Fleur de Lis, a pony like all the rest. It was a good feeling. Fleur yawned, and slowly drifted off to sleep still smiling.