Disclaimer: I don't own MLP FIM
Butterflies Just Don't Get Apples
"Thanks for helpin' out, gals!" Applejack said happily as she looked at her friends.
They were all at Sweet Apple Acres helping with apple-bucking.
"No, problem!" Rainbow Dash called as she kicked one of the trees.
"Yes, that's what friends are for. To help, right?" Twilight Sparkle added.
"Hey, not that I'm complaining about this or something like that but why do you need our help anyway?" Spike asked.
"Big MacIntosh got some plans today so he can't work." Applejack answered and as a perfect example of a 'speak of the devil'-moment the big red stallion just came walking up to them.
"Howdy, ladies." he greeted politely.
"Hey Big Mac!" the all greeted back happily.
"Hey! Do I look like a lady to you?" yelled an offended Spike.
"Nope." Big Mac said one of his signature words.
That was when Rarity's strong eye for detail noticed something.
"Ohhh! Did you groom your coat and mane?" she asked as she leaned closer to take more in.
"Eeyup." he nodded.
"Cause somepony's got a hot date~!" Applejack sang teasingly as she nugged her brother.
"Really?" everyone asked, nobody noticing Fluttershy tense up.
"Date? Eeyup. Hot? Nope." Big Mac defended himself as he blushed slightly.
"Look! He's turning even redder!" Rainbow yelled as she pointed at him and soon all others were crowded around him and asking a million questions per minute.
"Uhm… Girls? Maybe you should give him some space." Fluttershy suggested, knowing how overwhelmed she herself sometimes got in crowds and from what Applejack had told her Big Mac wasn't very much different from herself.
When the mares backed up Big Mac sighed in relieve and smiled at the yellow pony.
"Thank ya kindly." he said with a nod, causing her to blush for some reason.
"Who are you going out with?!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she once again got way to close to Big Mac.
That pony really didn't understand the term 'personal space'…
As Applejack pulled the pink pony away from her brother by the tail said brother thought it wouldn't hurt to answer the question.
"Cheerilee." he said and it earning him a chorus gasps.
Fluttershy shrunk a little more than usual and asked "Really?" to which she got a nod with a small smile and tiny blush and that made her shrink even more.
This time at least Twilight and Applejack noticed it and shared a confused and slightly worried look.
"I-if you don't mind me asking, why are you going out with her?" Fluttershy asked timidly as she was now almost lying on the ground.
"Um… Ah guess that with the Heart's and Hooves Day incident she and Ah became really good friends and just got a bit closer than we thought." Big Mac explained sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head with a hoof.
"Well, I for one think you fit greatly together." Rarity chirped.
"Hey, Rarity? Isn't there any other couple you think would fit good together?" Spike asked hopefully.
"Why yes! I've recently noticed that Derpy and Dr Whooves seem to have taken a shine towards one another and would balance each other out well. Too bad neither won't confess." Rarity ranted, much to Spike's disappointment.
"Hey, you are well prepared in case it goes really well, right?" Rainbow asked bluntly.
"RAINBOW!" Applejack roared as she bonked the multicolored pegasus on the head while her brother looked close to having a heart-attack and having Pinkie Pie surge all over him for whatever 'preparation' he was supposed to have also didn't help.
Big Mac cleared his throat and said "Um… Ah guess Ah should be glad with ya'll givin' some support."
That was the last drop for Fluttershy and without a word she spread her wings and shot off at a speed that could even rival that of Rainbow, something that meant a lot considering it was still Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy! Where are you going?" Twilight called after her but she either didn't hear her or decided to ignore her as she kept flying.
"What's with her?" Spike asked Pinkie who shrugged.
"Did Ah say something wrong?" Big Mac asked worriedly.
"No, ya didn't do anything wrong. We've got this covered so you just go on your date with Cheerilee and try to have a good time, big brother." Applejack reassured him with a pat on the back.
Even while he didn't seem comfortable he obeyed and slowly walked away.
"Twilight, Ah think you and I both know what is probably goin' on." Applejack addressed the princess from the group.
"Yes and I think be better go and see if we're right about it." Twilight agreed.
"You guys can all go home or do something different. AJ and I got this covered." she said to Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie and Spike.
Just like Big Mac they all were recullant to simply walk away but they decided to trust their leader and second in command.
Together the purple and orange ponies walked over to Fluttershy's cottage.
When they reached it they shared another worried look as the could hear Fluttershy's soft crying from inside.
After knocking on the door they were surprised when Discord of all creatures opened the door.
"Discord?! What are you doing here?" Twilight yelled, not caring if she was being rude with him.
To her surprise Discord didn't smirk and started ranted in a what he thought was a charming way but instead glared back.
"I am merely being there for my best friend! And might I add that you acting this way towards me isn't helping? Fluttershy is clearly upset and while I couldn't care less about what you might think of me, Fluttershy does. Do you want to have her become even sadder? Hmmm?" he scolded while Twilight stood there speechless, not knowing how to react to the draconequus who was now for once being serious and right about the matter.
"You're right, we shouldn't start arguing right away and we're sorry about that. Can we please come in?" Applejack asked much more politely.
"Well, since you are the element of honesty I believe you so yes you may." Discord said as he opened the door enough for them to enter.
Inside they found Fluttershy on the couch sobbing into a pillow.
"I decided to just randomly pay a visit and found her like this but I haven't gotten her to tell me what was going on." Discord whispered.
"I think we know." Twilight whispered back and together they carefully approached their friend.
"Fluttershy?" she asked softly.
The timid pegasus slowly lifted her head to look at them, showing her teary eyes that were red and swollen from all the crying.
"Twilight? Applejack? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.
"Seein' how ya're doin' after ya just left." Applejack answered.
"Oh… I'm sorry about leaving like that. Especially while I was supposed to help you at the orchard." Fluttershy apologized and the others had to resist a groan when she once again thought more about others then herself even while she was feeling miserable.
"Ah don't care about that. We just wanna know why do did it." Applejack gently scolded.
"It was because of Bic Mac, wasn't it?" Twilight guessed when Fluttershy kept quiet and the whimper she got was enough of an answer.
"Your big brother?" Discord asked Applejack who have a quick nod in confirmation.
"What Ah don't get is why ya got so upset that he's datin' somepony else." the orange mare said.
"B-because… Because I-I really l-l-like him…" Fluttershy stuttered as her whole face turned red.
"What?!" Applejack yelled in surprise, causing her friends, Discord and all the animals that were inside to flinch.
"How in Tarnation did that happen?! Ah know nopony in mah family is ugly or something like that but…?!" AJ started ranting but then a volume-button appeared on her back and Discord turned it down, resulting in her voice getting sifter and softer until she was just moving her lips with no sound coming out.
When she realized that she gave Discord a death-glare.
"I just had to, my dear. I'm pretty sure they could just hear you all the way into Fillydephia." he nonchalantly explained himself while inspecting his nails.
After turning the button up Applejack opened her mouth and started talking again but this time she watched her voice a bit more.
"Sorry, about that but Ah just don't get it. Fluttershy, of all the stallions in Equestria, why mah brother?" she asked her friend.
She would have never thought sweet, small, timid, careful Fluttershy could fall for her bulky, tall, strong, almost always working hard brother.
"It's just that he is always so kind and polite and willing to listen and so much more…" Fluttershy sighed.
"And you yourself already said nopony in your family is ugly." Twilight added.
"Ah guess those things are all true… So ya're upset because ya like mah brother and today heard he's datin' Cheerilee?" Applejack asked for clarification.
Fluttershy slowly nodded and let her head hang, her pink mane acting as a curtain over her face.
"Hearing him think he had your support in it was what made you leave, wasn't it?" Twilight asked in fluttershy's face after Discord gently moved the manes away.
"Yes, I really don't like that he's dating another pony but I can't blame him. It's his own choice and I'll just have to respect that." Fluttershy said.
"We're proud of you because of that, Sugarcube." Applejack said as she placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder.
"We sure are." Twilight agreed as she copied Applejack.
All three ponies yelped in surprise when suddenly a bowl filled with vanilla ice-cream was thrust in their faces.
Looking up they saw Discord dressed as an ice-cream vendor, holding the bowl out to them.
"I once heard eating ice-cream with friends is the first step to fixing a broken heart." he chirped.
Twilight and Applejack were just about to scold him for his goofiness but were cut off when Fluttershy awkwardly asked "Uhm… Do you by any chance have strawberry flavored ice-cream?"
"Of course! And also chocolate, pistachio, lemon, caramel…" Discord started ranting all kind of flavors as they all appeared around the room.
Shrugging it off as it seemed to make Fluttershy happier the other two ponies also grabbed some ice-cream.
Caramel for Twilight and of course apple for Applejack.
"Toppings?" Discord offered as he now had twenty arms, each arm holding whipped cream, sauces, snippers, pieces of fruit and more in the hand attached to it.
And so they spend the rest of the evening talking laughing and eating ice-cream with Fluttershy feeling much better with the comfort of her friends.
And maybe she would one day find somepony else who would also love her.
The End
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