Chapter 1

Big Macintosh

Today's the day... Big Mac thinks to himself as he kicks an apple tree, and watches as all the apples fall perfectly into the basket. He looks at the sky, and the wind blows through his mane.

"This is the only time I'll ever get to do this..." he mumbles to himself. Throughout his whole life, he hadn't uttered more than two words. The only words anyone heard him say were, 'Eeyup,' and 'Nope.'

Ever since he had layed eyes on her, he had been under her spell. Her sweet and gentle tone. She wouldn't harm a fly. Her beautiful mane and personality. She was his dream mare, and would do anything for her. He just wasn't ready to admit it.

Big Macintosh had been waiting for this moment for a year now. This beautiful pony would be his best friend... or something more.

He clears his throat and whinnies. Applejack had told him Fluttershy was coming today, and he knew she would have to come down this path to get to the old barn. He had prepared what he was going to say.

Big Mac rehearses his speech in his mind, still kicking the trees. Apples fall into empty baskets. After one tree is empty of apples, he moves down the line. He lashes out at the tree, knocking about a third of the apples out of the tree.

Many thoughts race through his mind. He was mainly thinking about apples, his family, and Fluttershy. The more he thought about it, the more he realized they were alike in a few ways.

For one thing, they were both shy and quiet. They both love the outdoors and nature as well. Both him and Fluttershy enjoyed being alone as well as with loved ones.

They also had a few differences. Like, Fluttershy had a few friends and Big Macintosh had absoloutely none. Just his family. Big Macintosh had a huge family, and no one had met Fluttershy's family. Fluttershy had a puzzling connection with animals, meanwhile Big Mac scared away chipmunks. Unfortunately he couldn't scare away those pesky crop-stealing bunnies.

He kicks the tree again, more apples falling into another empty basket. One more kick and basket, and this tree would be empty of apples. Big Mac gets ready to kick, and when he kicks the whole tree shakes. His hooves tingled after he set them on the ground. He sits down, stunned. Then shakes his head and gets up.

Where is she? She's running late! It's noon! M-maybe she took another path! he thinks to himself in distress. He had waited forever for this moment, and now it was blown because she had decided to take another path.

No, she wouldn't do that! She knows this is the quickest way to that old barn! he thinks to himself. Macintosh shivers, a cold crosswind blowing through the field.

A familiar clop-clop sound reached Big Mac's ears. He smiles inwardly, and looks at his hooves. He wondered if he was super unnatractive right now. What with the wind tangling his mane and everything. Well Fluttershy wouldn't say anything anyways, she's way to sweet to be critical.

"Well, here she comes. The best pony in all of Equestria, walking right into my web..." Big Macintosh says under his breath. Sometimes he wondered what Fluttershy thought of him. Hopefully nothing too bad. He wondered if she loved him as much as he loved her.

Well, here goes nothing. Nothing at all. Big Mac thinks to himself. He wasn't exactly optimistic, but he surely wasn't a pessimist.

Fluttershy comes into view, and Big Macintosh moves down to a new tree. One closer to Fluttershy. He gets ready to kick the tree, when Fluttershy runs into him. He clears the fuzz out of his head by shaking it. He observes Fluttershy in her cute little cape. It was sparkling with jewels.

Fluttershy apologizes by saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Macintosh shakes out his mane and opens his mouth and starts to speak for the first time.

Fluttershy

Fluttershy yawns, flapping her wings vigoriously. Angel peeks up from her little bed. Fluttershy smiles, and blinks the sleep away.

"Well, guess I should meet Applejack at the farm. I Pinkie Promised that I would reason with the little bunnies to leave the crops alone," Fluttershy says in her sweet, quiet voice. She was speaking to Angel, who nods. Fluttershy always knew there was a special connection between her and the animals of Equestria.

Fluttershy jumps out of her bed, and walks to the mirror to brush her teeth. She uses her hoof to grab the brush and scrub her teeth until they almost sparkled.

"Ooh! I almost forgot! I have to wear the new cloak Rarity made me! It's simply darling!" Fluttershy says. She grabs the light blue cape that matched the color of her eyes. Light green jewels traced the edges of the cape. A high rise collar that rose up to her chin made it extra cute.

"Bye Angel! Please be good while I'm gone! Don't eat too many carrot sticks, or you'll be sick for days!" Fluttershy says in exasperation. Last time she had left Angel home alone, she had gotten into all the carrot sticks. Angel was sick for a solid week.

Fluttershy walks out the door of her home, and trots to town. The Everfree Forest loomed on the edge of her property. A few chickens had disappeared lately, hmmm.

She decides she better pick up the pace, so she starts flying through Ponyville. It sure was faster, and it allowed her to avoid all the ponies she didn't feel like talking to today.

"Hi Twlilight! Bye Twilight!" Fluttershy whispers just loud enough for her friend to hear. She earns a puzzling look from Twilight, who was reading a book in the shade of her library-home place.

"Finally!" Fluttershy calls out as she nears Sweet Apple Acres. She flies a little faster, anxious to see her friend Applejack. Applebloom and Granny Smith were singing the alphabet to the water in their pink and blue bunny suits.

"Hi!" Fluttershy calls out to them as she flutters by. She continues, to the old barn where Applejack was supposed to be waiting. Applejack had said that the barn was a great distance from the Apples' shared home.

Fluttershy had flown a great distance, and her wings were throbbing. So she started to trot, not too fast though. About a quarter of the way to the old barn, she bumps into Big Macintosh. Literally. She was knocked onto her haunches, and Big Mac shook his head, and looked at her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Fluttershy says in a loud whisper. She looks at Big Mac who shakes his mane out, and offers a smile.

"It's okay, Fluttershy! I've wanted to run into you for a while. I-I've been holding in my words for you," Macintosh says in his deep, sexy voice. Fluttershy gasps, and steps back. Big Mac never talked. So why would he want to talk to her?

"Um. Er. I mean..." Fluttershy says frantically. Her eyes dart from tree to tree. She was trying to avoid looking at Big Macintosh.

"I know you confused. But I can explain. Just meet me at the old barn at... Hmmm. Midnight?" Big Mac says. Fluttershy just gapes at him.

"Er... Sure. Midnight it is..." Fluttershy says. She couldn't say no! It would totally be against her nature. Big Macintosh kicks the tree, apples falling right into a basket. He clearly wasn't going to talk anymore, so Fluttershy flies as fast as she can to the old barn.