Fluttershy's little rustic cottage wasn't really well suited for a gathering of ponies. It was really barely suited for ponies at all. Its primary purpose seemed to be to house as many type of small creatures as possible in the smallest space. Each room inside of the living tree was filled with tiny stairways or ladders leading to holes, perches, or nests, leaving hardly any room for the pony occupant. But today it would have to do for the party, not a big party, but a party nevertheless.
She surveyed the room and decided the table next to the fireplace would need to move. She carefully cleared its top and used her head to push it back to the end of the room next to the daybed. There—now we will have more space and this table will be perfect for our refreshments.
Next she placed some large pillows as seating around the room: two next to the fireplace and two across from them by the stairs. That looks nice and comfortable, she thought. Now all she needed to do was give instructions to the other residents of the house.
“Now, this afternoon I will be having guests. So if you could please give us some privacy I would really appreciated it. It's a beautiful day, so you should be outside anyway. And squirrels, I know that you and Applejack are not the best of friends, but she is an old friend of mine, so please, leave her alone.”
The two disgruntled squirrels sitting on the sill of the back window twitched their tails, turned, and hopped out into the nearby branches chattering their mild protests.
Not wanting to seem harsh to her little friends Fluttershy closed her eyes, turned her head, and beamed a big smile. Jokingly she said, “Now, the rest of your, shoo! All of you now, go have some fun outdoors. Shoo!”
With the fluttering of wings and scurrying of tiny feet the cottage was emptied, and just in time, as out front she heard the clattering of a wooden cart coming up the path, followed by the dropping of its gate. Fluttershy went through the front door to greet the first of her guests.
Apple Bloom placed a small wooden stool at the back of the cart creating a step for Applejack. “There you go, careful now,” she said as she guided her sister down from the cart. A pair of very young ponies who accompanied the elder mare remained in the cart. Applejack's look as she stepped down made it obvious she was none too pleased with either the cart ride or being helped.
With her big sister safely down on the ground, Apple Bloom turned to face the cottage and called out, “Hi, 'Shy! We're here!”
“Hi Bloom.” Fluttershy approached the cart to escort her guest inside. “Hi, Applejack. I'm so glad you could make it.”
“Me too! I didn't know if I was going to survive my sister's drivin' though.” Apple Bloom just let the crack slide and said, “Now when you've had enough of her send some critter with a note to the farm and we'll do a pick up.” She turned Applejack and chided her, “You have fun and stay out of trouble.”
“And you get back to the farm and do some work youngin'!” Applejack retorted. Youngin' hardly applied to Apple Bloom as she was herself a mature mare.
As Fluttershy and Applejack started to walk across the bridge leading to the cottage, Apple Bloom hitched up to the cart and began the homeward trip with her remaining passengers. The two little Apple ponies peered over the edge of the cart and chanted, “Bye Aunt 'Shy!”
“Oh, bye-bye dears!” Fluttershy did not recognize them, but she was not surprised; nowadays it seemed Sweet Apple Acres was overrun by little ponies.
“I hope you've got a soft place for me to sit inside,” cracked Applejack as they entered the cottage. “I need it after that ride. I'd be better off walkin' than sittin' in that old thing.”
“Sure—right over here.” Fluttershy gestured towards one of the pillows next to the fireplace.
“Ah, that's better,” Applejack sighed as she settled into the thick red pillow. “So, who else is comin' this afternoon?”
“Just Twilight and Rarity, and they should be here soon, unless the train was late.”
“What! No Rainbow? And what about those twins? Why aren't they gonna be here?” Their absence only meant one thing. Applejack crinkled up her face and answered her own question, “Let me guess—a race?”
“Of course,” Fluttershy sighed as she smiled. “Off in Fillydelpha this time.”
“I'm gonna give those two colts a piece of my mind next time I see 'um. To think, not makin' it to their own mother's birthday. Tsk, tsk.” Applejack shook her head in disapproval, but the truth was she was disappointed she would not see them.
“Oh, that's okay. And it's not like they forgot me. I got a new picture of them in the mail yesterday. Let me get it for you.” Fluttershy walked over to the table at the far end of the room and picked the framed picture up in her mouth. She walked back to Applejack who reverently took it from her.
The photo showed the twins with beaming smiles. Bolt was on the left with his military-cut mane and Flash on the right with his longer mane hanging over his eyes. Dwarfed between them was their coach, Rainbow Dash, with a foreleg over each of their shoulders, her smile almost swallowing her face.
“Well, will ya look at that!” Applejack exclaimed. “Theres them good lookin' colts!” She was biased not only as their aunt, but the color of their coats and manes were almost identical to hers. “And there's that show-off in the middle too!” she snorted.
Fluttershy smiled at her joke, knowing the rivalry between the two had ended years ago. “Yes, the photo is just about a week old, right after the last qualifying races. They are all so happy since they colts placed so highly.”
“Of course they did, it's their Apple spirit! I just wish they'd been able to make it today.” Her tone turned changed quizzical as she asked, “Fillydelphia isn't too far away is it, I mean, for a pegasus?”
“No, not really. But the race is in just two days and they didn't want to risk any injuries. Taking the train there and back would have taken too long. And if they flew you know it would end up being a race between all three of them.”
Their laughter was interrupted by a sudden unnatural popping noise outside, followed by the chirping of startled birds. The two ponies stared at each other for a second.
Fluttershy smiled at her guest and said assuredly, “And that, I believe, is Twilight and Rarity.”
~ ~ ~
“Ugh!” groaned Twilight as she and Rarity walked the remaining distance to the cottage. “Why does everything have to be an issue with you Rarity? I didn't have to teleport you, you know?”
“I am grateful dear, but just look at my mane! It was bad enough trying to keep it in shape on the train ride, but now look at it!” Its usual curls were only slightly out of place, as if they had been disturbed by a strong breeze.
“Would you have rather walked from the station to here?”
“On a warm day like today? Certainly not! Then I'd have to take a bath at Fluttershy's, and how would that look? Coming to somepony's birthday party and needing a bath? Simply dreadful!”
“Ugh!” Twilight dropped her head in frustration as the two reached the bridge over the creek in front of the cottage.
Fluttershy opened the front door and called out to them, “I thought that noise was you two! Welcome!”
“Hello! Heard that did you?” Twilight looked up and beamed a smile at her friend. “It's not very stealthy, but it is fast.”
“Yes, and messy,” quipped Rarity. “Fluttershy, my dear, I need to freshen up right away,” she said as she rushed through the door and into the cottage. “Hello, Applejack, be back in a moment!” Rarity said as she quickly made her way to the bathroom at the back of the cottage to repair the damage from the journey.
Applejack's gaze followed her from the front door across the room and down the hallway. “Well hello to you too. What's her hurry?” she asked indignantly as Twilight entered.
“Fashion emergency. Hi Applejack, glad you could make it.”
Applejack's mood improved a bit. “Hi, Twi'. Ruffled her feathers, did ya? Has to go preen before she joins the rest of us?” she said with a smirk. She didn't really dislike Rarity, but the constant obsession with appearance irritated her. After all, they had known each other for years, and frequently seen each other in rather extreme states of disarray, so a few hairs out-of-place in her mane hardly counted as an emergency in Applejack's book.
“I guess I did,” Twilight smiled as she carefully placed her saddlebags down to the left of the door. “This is the longest teleportation she has been on with me and I don't think she was quite expecting that much force. One day I'll take her all the way from Canterlot to Ponyville—now that's a hop!”
A sing-song voice came from down the hallway, “Oh no you woo-n't!”
Rarity's response elicited giggling from the other ponies.
“Well, now that everyone is here I'll start some tea, all right?” Fluttershy said daintily as she closed the front door and headed to the kitchen.
Twilight made herself comfortable on the pillow across from her old friend. “So, Applejack, how are you doing? I haven't seen you in Ponyville in a while.”
“Oh, as best as could be expected. Every time I want to go to town Apple Bloom wants to make me ride in that blasted cart. I'd rather walk and get some honest exercise, feels good on my poor old hip. Nowadays I just seem to be slower and stiffer, you know how that is.”
Twilight nodded in thoughtful agreement. She was slowing down a bit too, and had a few gray hairs in her mane, but not the rate Applejack was. With luck, and a little care, a unicorn could live almost twice as long as an earth pony, and it would still be many years before she would be in Applejack's position. “Well the next time you are in town you should stop by and see me. I've still got a few books from Zecora with lots of herbal remedies. I'm not half as good as she was, but I'm sure I could find something in there for you.”
“Oh, that's all right, I'll get by. It's just, well, I need more time to do things these days. But what about you? How are you doing?” Applejack was always cheered by news of other ponies, and Twilight was usually a good source.
“Well, I seem to spend as much time away from the library as I do in it sometimes. There's always something going on at Canterlot—I'll need a special book, or they ask me to give a lecture. It's always something.”
“Good, always good to be busy. And what of Spike? Any news from him?” Applejack asked expectantly.
“You'll have to ask Rarity, not me. Those two are always flying off somewhere to find something or other. I hardly see him these days.”
Applejack cocked her head towards the hallway so she could yell more effectively, “Well, I would ask her, IF SHE EVER COMES OUT.”
“Come-ing!” came the sing-song reply. The bathroom door at the end of the hallway clicked open and Rarity declared, “There, now I'm presentable.” She immediately went over to Applejack and gave her a smothering hug, befitting the reunion of old friends. “So good to see you, darling! You look as beautiful as ever.”
“I look as gray as ever,” quipped Applejack. “So...”
“So... what?” Rarity look perplexed as she removed her saddlebags and took a seat next to Twilight.
Applejack rolled her eyes in frustration. Sometimes it seemed as if Rarity had perfected the art of selective hearing. “So what about Spike?”
“Oh, that was what you two were talking about. Well, he's not coming today—”
“I figured that, seein' as we ain't outside,” Applejack snapped in irritation. Even though he was still young by dragon standards it had been years since Spike was able to fit in any house in Ponyville, yet alone a small place like the cottage.
“Don't be impatient dear, I was getting to it. You see, Spike left Canterlot to scout the area past those mountains off to the northwest. He's been gone about a week now, but every few days he sends me some new maps and notes of his progress. He said he might not be back for another two weeks at least.”
“That's great, Rarity. I'm sure the Princess is going to be interested in your maps,” Twilight said in a leading tone. Equestrian subjects were required to submit maps to the Royal Archives, and Rarity sometimes needed reminding about her duties.
“Well, right now I've got somepony drawing one big map from Spike's little ones. When he's finally back, and the big map is done, we are going to go on another treasure hunt! Isn't that exciting!” she bubbled.
Twilight reminded her again, “Then you'll give a copy of the map to the Princess?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” she replied, dismissively waggling a hoof in Twilight's direction. “But aren't you excited? We are going on another treasure hunt! So many new gems to find!”
Fluttershy came back from the kitchen and announced, “Tea will be ready shortly.”
“Ah, there is our birthday girl!” gushed Rarity as she rose to give her friend a big hug. “I'm sorry I was so rude, but my mane was such a terrible mess. Happy birthday, dear.”
“That's all right, and thank you. I'm so happy you all could make it here today.”
“Fluttershy,” Twilight asked, “where do you want me to put the cake.”
“Over on the table there, please.” She gestured to the table next to the daybed.
Twilight got up and went to her bags by the door. She lifted the cover of the bag and levitated out a cardboard box tied with string that bore the cupcake logo of the Sugarcube Corner bakery. “And here is your cake,” she declared as the box was lowered to the table. Twilight used her magic to open the box and extract the cake. “Just as you requested.”
The ponies 'oohed' over the revealed delight. The cake was frosted in yellow with borders of pink icing forming small flowers, and, unsurprisingly, on top the same icing formed the simple outline of a single butterfly.
“It's so beautiful, Twilight,” praised Fluttershy, “thank you. Thank you all.”
“Well, if you want the best cakes you must go to Ponyville's Sugarcube Corner,” said Rarity. “Why even in Canterlot they can't make them better. It's because it's a family business—the Cakes are just the finest there are.”
Applejack nodded hardily in agreement for the combined endorsement of Sugarcube Corner and family run businesses.
“Um, I though there was one other pony who was pretty good too,” prodded Twilight.
“Oh, you mean—well of course. But she worked for the Cakes and was virtually a member of their family. They taught her and she helped perfect their recipes, and don't forget that she worked with Pumpkin Cake practically since the day she was born. How could it be more famille than that?”
Rarity's view drifted to the adjacent table as she sang the praises of the Cakes, where she glimpsed the newly arrived photo which had been placed there just before her arrival.
“Oooh! Twilight you must see this!” she cried as she levitated the picture over to where Fluttershy and Twilight were standing. “When was this taken?”
“A week ago, but it just arrived yesterday,” replied Fluttershy.
“And how old now?” asked Rarity.
“Twenty-two, no, twenty-three in the fall.”
“Oh, they are so handsome! And look at those wings!” fawned Rarity, quickly redeeming herself for her previous slights in Applejack's eyes.
“Wow, they are as big as their father now,” declared Twilight.
The sisters-in-law were beaming with pride. “Mac was so proud of them and their flying,” Fluttershy explained. “At first I think he was a little sad when he realized they wouldn't end up joining him on the farm. But once he saw the way his strength came through in their wings, well, there wasn't a prouder papa.”
“So when is the Princess going to recruit them into the guards?” Rarity asked, as if their royal employment was only a formality
Twilight piped, “I don't know if they are the Princess' type—they don't have the right looks.”
Applejack closed one eye and snapped, “An' what's wrong with thems colts's looks?” Her language skills always seemed to degrade when she got angry.
Now I've done it, thought Twilight. “Uh, nothing. It's just that the Princess seems to have this sort of monochrome color scheme thing going.” It was true, all of the guards were either white or gray, but it didn't mater to Applejack at all.
“But, dear,” Rarity explained, “what a bold fashion statement she could make with those colors—two golden guards! They would be perfect for honor guards, escorts, not to mention chariots. She couldn't be more fortunate.”
Applejack was more than pleased with Rarity's defense of her nephews looks and returned to beaming with pride.
“Oh, I don't think they would join the guards,” said Fluttershy innocently. “I don't think they'd be interested unless racing was involved.”
The other ponies laughed briefly. Fluttershy grinned uncomfortably and blushed, as she hadn't meant it to be a joke.
“Well, let me get the tea and we can have our cake.” She rose and headed to the kitchen. “Rarity, could you come and help me?”
“Certainly.” Rarity returned the photo to its place on the table and followed Fluttershy to the kitchen. Twilight resumed her seat across from Applejack.
With just the two of them remaining in the room, Applejack decided to have a little good-natured revenge, and stared silently at Twilight. She didn't look cross, she just stared coldly as if she was looking through her. The unicorn scholar could give lectures in front of hundreds of other ponies, nevertheless Applejack knew exactly how to make her self-conscious in a situation like this.
Twilight glanced about trying to avoid eye contact. She tried grinning back sheepishly, but Applejack's gaze remained steady. She's doing this to me on purpose... come on you two, get back here and save me.
Upon seeing the desired results, Applejack began to crack a smile, and was just about to tell her old friend she didn't mean anything when the tea arrived.
Fluttershy carried in a tray with cups, plates, forks, and a knife for cutting the cake, while Rarity magically floated a tea pot decorated with bouquets of yellow and blue flowers in front of her glowing horn. They placed the items on the table with the cake, and the other ponies rose to join them.
“Well,” said Fluttershy, “let's get our little party started.”
~ ~ ~
They spent the rest of the afternoon as any group of old friends would. Between cake and tea they talked about events in their lives, both past and present. As usual, Rarity dominated the conversation talking about all the goings-on in Canterlot, and only occasionally misremembered the past. Twilight and Applejack made sure that when she did stray it was not too far from the truth.
By late afternoon, the cake was just remnants and the second pot of tea was a distant memory, but Rarity was still going strong. “—and that is why blue will replace green in next year's fashions,” she pronounced. “Oh, that reminds me—”
Twilight's face instantly turned perplexed as she said, “How could that remind you of any—”
“Fluttershy, I know you said no presents,” Rarity continued unfazed as she began to rummage through her bag.
“Oh, Rarity, no,” Fluttershy protested and began to blush.
“Well, I brought a present,” she declared triumphantly as she retrieved an oblong box and floated it in the center of the room. “But it's not for you—”
“Oh, okay,” came the pegasai's breathy reply as other the ponies eyes turned to Rarity to hear the recipient's name.
“It is for you, Applejack,” Rarity stated as she guided the box into the waiting hooves of the shocked recipient.
“Well, I don't know what to say, 'cept thank you.” She began to open the box and asked, “Why me hon?”
“You see, two months ago Spike and I flew down towards that horrible desert area to the south of Appleloosa. We searched and searched but found nothing of value. Spike was hungry, as he always is, and wanted some of that delicious turquoise that is so plentiful down there. When we went to get some in this small town, we found the ponies there use it to make the most wonderful jewelery. And when I saw this piece it, it just cried out 'Applejack' to me.”
Applejack removed the lid from the box and extracted its contents. She held up a piece of jewelery made of articulated rectangular silver plates. Each small plate was decorated with a simple patterns of lines that framed a roughly shaped turquoise cabochon. The resulting look was both simple and elegant. Once the piece was removed from the box, what she originally assumed was a necklace, was now obviously too long. She looked at Rarity and asked, “So, uh, how do I wear it.”
“You don't—your hat does.” Rarity levitated Applejack's hat from her head and proceeded to take the piece from her hoof. She wrapped the piece around the crown of the hat forming a decorative band, deftly adjusted the final link, and secured its tiny pin. “There,” she stated proudly as she returned the hat to its owner.
Applejack admired her newly decorated hat: it was beautiful but not ostentatious, something that fit her well, but something she would have never gotten for herself. “Thank you, Rarity,” she said as she smiled across the room. “I'll wear it always,” she said confidently as she placed it on her head. “Thank you. And you tell Spike thank you too!”
“Oh, I'm so glad you like it. I'm always so nervous getting you girls things,” Rarity bubbled gleefully.
Twilight emptied her tea cup and placed it on the table. “Rarity, I hate to interrupt, but if we don't get started you are going to miss your train.”
“Oh, I didn't realize it was so late. Time just seems to fly when we all get together. And such a shame as I had so many other things to tell you about,” she babbled on as the two unicorns prepared to leave.
“We will just have to do this again, and soon,” Rarity declared and there was a round of muffled agreements from her friends. Twilight and Rarity gathered their things into their saddlebags and began to say their goodbyes.
“Happy birthday, dear,” chirped Rarity while giving Fluttershy a goodbye hug. “And always a delight to see you again Applejack,” she said as she did the same to her earth pony friend. Twilight waited by the opened door trying not too look impatient. “Goodbye!” Rarity chimed as they walked outside.
“Hold on,” Applejack said with a groan as she rose from the pillow she had been sitting on for most of the afternoon, “I've got to see this.” She and Fluttershy followed their friends outside, but stopped and sat by the near side of the bridge, so they could watch Twilight's magic from a safe distance.
Twilight continued to walk down the path with Rarity in tow until they were some distance away from the cottage. They stopped and turned to face their friends seated by the bridge.
“Wait!” piped Rarity. She retrieved a hat from her saddlebag, placed it on her head and tied its blue ribbon beneath her chin. “There. Now let's try not to be so brutal on my coiffure this time, darling.” Twilight rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself.
Not wanting to miss an opportunity to poke a little fun at Rarity, Applejack yelled out, “Show her what ya' got girl!” Fluttershy raised her hoof to her mouth to conceal a giggle.
Twilight smiled at the observers by the bridge then turned to Rarity and stated, “Here we go.”
She spread her front legs and dropped her head while closing her eyes in concentration as she began the transportation spell. Her horn began to glow, at first a soft blue, then a brilliant white as the air around the two unicorns began to swirl. Twilight visualized their destination and began the process of connecting it to their current location. There's the station, she thought. Now to just pull it here... and the rest is easy.
Rarity raised a hoof to wave one last goodbye as the air swept around them. Suddenly, Twilight's head jerked up and she opened her eyes. Her violet eyes were filled with a powerful white energy, but not like when she was young; she was now the master of the power, using it to manipulate space itself. A blue electrically charged ball surrounded the pair and collapsed with a large pop. In an instant they were gone. All that was left where they stood was some swirling dust and a few disturbed leaves slowly returning to the ground.
“Amazing!” exclaimed Fluttershy. “They say that only the two Princesses are better at that spell than she is.”
“I believe it, and she should be. She spent so much time in that dusty ole library learnin' everything written. I never doubted our girl would be the best Equestria's ever seen.”
“I just wish it were, uh, a bit little less dramatic. It scares the animals so—they might not be seen for hours.”
“Oh, you'll coax 'um out if need be. Well,” Applejack sighed, “I guess it's about time I head out too.”
“I'll go out back and find someone to send for Apple Bloom,” said Fluttershy as she started to walk towards the cottage's door. Before she could get very far Applejack interrupted her.
“Well,” she began hesitatingly, “I was hopin' you could walk me home.” Fluttershy turned around to see Applejack looking at her longingly. The earth pony's voice was unsteady as she said, “I was hopin' we could go see Mac—that is—if you want to.”
Fluttershy smiled knowingly at her friend. “Yes, of course we can.”
~ ~ ~
The west road around Sweet Apple Acres might as well have been a private road for the Apples. Ponyville residents took the road directly south to get to the farm to buy produce at the main gate, and although the west road was much more scenic most ponies preferred to keep their usual route. Sometimes Fluttershy would see trot-for-health enthusiasts making the big loop around the Apples's property, but there were few other visitors.
The sisters-in-law began their walk down the road. Fluttershy slowed her pace so as not to tax her friend. Applejack was still in good shape for her age, but years of apple bucking had taken a toll on her hips. Plus, it was such a nice day there, it would be a shame to rush.
After the road past though the woods near Fluttershy's it descended through the rolling hills. Sweet Apple Acres occupied the east, covering the entire area with fruit trees and fields. Paths formed by the Apples and their carts could occasionally be seen through the trees.
Like most late summer days in Equestria the sky was clear, but farther to the south there was a storm brewing, or more accurately, being brewed. Applejack was drawn to the rainstorm being assembled by the pegasai, and she slowed to watch them working amongst the clouds. They darted across the sky like insects in a field of flowers, pushing the smaller clouds together, assembling what would be an early morning, soaking rain. She slowed to a stop and finally sat down, using the pegasai's activity as an excuse to take a little rest.
“That's a good one for tomorrow isn't it?” she said as she plopped down.
“Yes, we need a good one,” replied Fluttershy as she sat by her side and began to watch her fellow pegasai at work.
They sat quietly watching the activity until Applejack wistfully asked, “Do you think she'll ever get hitched up?”
Fluttershy looked quizzically at her friend. “Whom do you mean?”
Applejack continued to stare at the weather-workers in the sky as she spoke. “Rainbow Dash, who else. You think she will every find somepony?”
“Oh, it's hard to say. She seems to always being seeing somepony different all the time. And she's always traveling somewhere so it's hard to imagine her settling down. I can't say with her, but she has plenty of time to decide what she wants to do.”
“Yes she does,” Applejack sighed pensively.
They went back to watching the workers in the southern sky for a time, then Fluttershy asked, “What about you?”
“Me? I'm too old dear!” Applejack laughed at her friend's question. “You don't see the colts linin' up at the gate to ask me out do ya?”
“I didn't mean it that way,” protested Fluttershy, “why didn't you ever try to find somepony?”
“Oh, I was always too busy with the farm I guess,” she sighed. “There always seemed to be some crisis or whatnot. Couldn't lose the farm ya know, it's all us Apples have.”
“I think you are too modest, you have done much more than save the farm. All three of you have worked so hard and you have really made it a success.” Under the stewardship of the three Apple siblings Sweet Apple Acres had become one of the most prosperous business in Ponyville and was one of the largest in the greater Apple family's holdings.
“I know, I know,” Applejack groaned as she rose, “but I was always so worried about it. It seemed like it ended up ownin' me instead of the t'other way round.” Fluttershy joined her standing and they resumed their walk.
“Bloom and Mac were the lucky ones,” Applejack explained as she smiled at her sister-in-law, “they figured out how to do the work and still find some special pony. I guess I never did.”
Fluttershy said nothing—she was a little embarrassed for bringing the subject up—as they continued down the road.
As the road continued, its west side was bordered by a series of open meadows and scattered woods that was the edge of the Everfree Forest. Along the side towards the forest there was small gully, not really a stream proper, filled with growths of cattails and tall grasses, and an occasional sapling. A little more than half way around Apple Acres a path branched off and lead down a bank towards the meadow and forest.
“Here it is,” Fluttershy said as they approached the spot. They took the path down, following it to a wooden bridge over the rocks and water at the bottom of the gully. Across the bridge was their destination; a giant beech tree that stood apart from the others on the edge of meadow. “Just a bit farther,” she said reassuringly.
“Land's sake dear, t'ain't like I haven't been here before,” protested Applejack. “Why I remember playing here when I was a little filly! We would have the whole Apple Family down here for picnics and be sittin' under that tree,” she reminisced.
Once across the bridge it was another hundred paces to shade of the beech's wide branches.
“Mac told me about those times. He loved this place, and I think that's why anytime he was free he would want me to fix something to eat and come down here with the colts for the afternoon,” Fluttershy recalled fondly. “All three of them would gallop across the meadow and splash through the water!”
“He never really grew up,” said Applejack with a mixture of disapproval and envy.
Fluttershy's speech became more rapid. “And in the fall, he would have the boys fly into the branches and shake down those awful nuts, so—”
“He could eat them!” they said simultaneously, and giggled as they recalled the big red pony crunching away noisily at the nuts, oblivious to the disgust of every other pony watching him.
“They're so darned bitter!” exclaimed Applejack as she made a face. “How'd he stand it?”
“I don't know, but he would always get the colts to try them each fall,” Fluttershy said, “and it always ended the same way, with lots of spitting.” The giggling returned, but not for long as they had reached the edge of the tree's branches.
On far side of the tree was a carefully arranged mound of stones.
They approached silently, then stopped and laid down a length or two away from the monument. Neither said anything for quite a while until Fluttershy, compelled by the awkward silence, spoke. “When he would get tired coming back home he would stop here and rest for a while. It always refreshed him.”
“It was a favorite spot for all us Apples, but especially him.”
“He told me that many times,” said Fluttershy trying to add a little joy to her voice.
“Shoot, that's why we knew you were special to him darlin'—you were practically the only one outside the family that could get more than one word out of him at a time!” Her joke broke the tension temporarily.
Fluttershy continued, “That night he didn't come home, this was one of the first places they checked. I guess, in someway, I wasn't surprised he was here, just like he was—asleep.” The silence descended and they both stared at the stones.
Applejack turned to her friend and spoke, “I miss him terribly, Fluttershy.”
“I do too, we all do. When I do, I have remember the time we had together, and how grateful I am for it. The time I had with him won't ever leave me. My only regret is it took so long for the two of us to get together, but we were both so painfully shy.”
Applejack managed a little smile as Fluttershy went on.
“When we finally decided to get married we talked and talked about this, about what would happen. He knew that I would be alone, for a long time, and he said he didn't want to hurt me. Then when the colts came, and they were pegasai, we talked about it again. That's why he tried to spend so much time with us, because he knew it would not last. He wanted us to have as many memories of him as possible and he worked so hard at it. Sometimes, I think, even harder than he worked at the farm.”
Applejack's gaze returned to the mound of stones and she became lost in thoughts of her brother. Fluttershy looked down not wanting to say anything that might make matters worse. Finally, Applejack looked down, drew in a deep breath and spoke.
“Well, I can't sit here and start bawlin' like a silly little filly when there's work to be done.” She got to her hooves again, groaned slightly, stretched, and turned to Fluttershy who was already standing. “I best be gettin' home before they start to worry.”
“Sure,” Fluttershy replied demurely and the two began their walk back towards the bridge and the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. When they reached the path, she made a suggestion to her friend. “There is still quite a way to go, I could fly ahead and get Apple Bloom to bring the cart. It wouldn't take any time at all.”
“Nonsense, I'm still fit as a fiddle! Now lets git moving, we're burning daylight!” Applejack shot back defiantly. Having defended her constitution adequately, her voice became more relaxed, after all she didn't want to hurt Fluttershy's feelings. “And being with a friend always makes the path seem shorter.”
They turned to each other and smiled as they had done many times through the years. They hadn't traveled more than twenty paces before Applejack exclaimed, “Oh, and Fluttershy—”
“Yes, dear?”
“I'd almost forgot. Happy birthday, sugarcube.”
