J: If you're familiar with my writing style you'll be able to recognize that it has clearly been forever since I did any good writing. This one shot and maybe a couple others to follow will be awkward as hell to read just because I'm so out of practice. So I apologize for the awkward read. This is also the first time I'm attempting to write as a pony, it's different and I have to focus on the little things. Hope you get to like LoveStuff all the same :)
"I love the sun."
"I love the sky."
"But most of all I love cherry pie!"
LoveStuff sang this little diddy in time to her steps as she left her house. The day was beautiful with no clouds to be seen, a warm breeze running through her mane and tail and the promise of cherry pie fresh out of the oven waiting for her at Sugar Cube Corner.
The streets of Ponyville were rather busy this time of day what with every pony still being excited about their new princess Twilight Sparkle. LoveStuff was just as excited and loving of the little alicorn but she can only focus on one love at a time. At that particular moment she loved cherry pie more than anything.
Being a smaller pony for her age and not having anything flashy to draw attention to herself with LoveStuff was usually over looked. She could slip between ponies in a crowd to get to the front and see what the big commotion was, or she could sneak after FlutterShy's adorable bunny Angel when the mood struck her.
Unfortunately being overlooked didn't work to every pony's advantage.
LoveStuff's sight was focused on the dessert shop just a quick gallop ahead when she heard it.
"Mrrow! Meeow!"
Stopping in her tracks LoveStuff looked up at the tree she'd almost walked past. High up in the branches looking down at her was a fluffy white kitty with a purple hair bow and a purple gem studded collar. LoveStuff Kind of recognized the feline from her odd trips to Rarity's boutique. "I don't know your name kitty but I know you shouldn't be in that tree."
The kitty blinked," Mrrow." It cried at her but made no attempt to get down.
"Are you stuck kitty?"
"Mrrow."
"That's a yes. Okay kitty LoveStuff will try and help you. Um…BARRELS! I love you barrels you're exactly what I need." Sitting empty next to a cart parked at the side of the road were two barrels.
Kicking them over and rolling them over to the tree LoveStuff left one on its side and stood the other upside down to make a platform. "I love my smart brain. Here I come kitty!"
LoveStuff wibble wobbled on the turned over barrel as she hoisted herself up onto the standing barrel. "Stumpy sturdy legs are great, stumpy….sturdy…..legs….arrree great! I love you legs!" Coaching herself on LoveStuff pulled and steadied herself up on top of the barrel and up onto her hind legs so she could reach up with her hooves for the tree branch that the kitty sat on.
Seeing a stranger reaching for her the kitty hissed and moved further down the branch. "Kitty! Don't go that way, I'm right here. I guess I can come up there too." Using her hind legs LoveStuff kicked off from the barrel and pulled herself up onto the tree branch. At the moment she kicked off the barrel was unsettled making it topple over and knock away the other barrel.
Clinging to the branch with all four legs LoveStuff inched along to the kitty, "Come here kitty, I'll get you down….Maybe….Kitty? Where are you going?!"
The kitty did not like sharing a tree branch with the stranger and decided she wanted to go home. Jumping off the branch with no bit of fear the dainty feline landed with poise and left.
LoveStuff had no problem with being small and overlooked when it didn't matter, but now she was high up in a tree and very scared. "I don't love heights, I don't love heights. HELP! PLEASE! CAN ANY PONY HEAR ME?! I DON'T LOVE HEIGHTS!"
"Eyup."
Not wanting to keep staring down at the ground so far below LoveStuff had closed her eyes when she started to yell for help. Had she kept them open she would have seen a tall red stallion with a dirty blonde mane and tail, green eyes and a sliced green apple for his cutie mark. This stallion was the owner of the cart and barrels that LoveStuff had borrowed. Finding the barrels on their sides under a tree had made him curious enough to wander over to look. When he got to the tree a very loud voice started yelling for help, looking up he saw a small light brown pony with a red and pink striped mane and tail, light pink tipped hooves, and a collection of different sized hearts for her cutie mark.
Opening her eyes LoveStuff awkwardly smiled down at the stranger, "That was fast. Um, any ideas how to get me down?"
The red stallion looked around, seeing nothing she could use to climb down on safely he came to the next best solution, "Eyup."
"What's the plan? It's not jumping is it?"
"Eyup."
"Uh….Not to be mean but I don't love your plan. What am I supposed to land on?"
He answered by pointing to his own back.
LoveStuff frowned in worry, "Land on you? But that will hurt you won't it?"
"Nope."
"You're really sure it won't hurt?"
"Eyup."
On that last confirmation the stranger's voice was entirely confident in his answer, his expression was just as confident.
Scared out of her wits of how high she was LoveStuff moved at a snail's pace to unwrap her hooves from the branch and steady herself on all fours. "Whoa okay, on the count of three….Maybe….One….Two…..Three!" LoveStuff didn't jump so much as lose her balance when her front left hoof slipped.
For a life time she felt herself falling then she was on top of a warm body. Sprawled across his back she blinked down at the much closer ground. Regaining that her thoughts that had flown out of her mind in the fall LoveStuff asked in a squeak, "I got down? I didn't get hurt? No, no, I mean, you didn't get hurt?! Are you okay?!"
The strange stallion looked back over his shoulder putting his muzzle very close to her own. He smiled, it was just an ordinary smile to any pony else walking by, but to LoveStuff there was something different, special about that smile. Her heart, which she swore was three times bigger than any other pony's, beat three times faster at that smile, "Eyup."
Realizing she was still on his back LoveStuff wiggled in an awkward flailing of limbs until she fell off. Sprawled on her back looking up LoveStuff blushed, "Th-thank you! I-I mean, thank for the help….and letting me land on you…I love, I mean, I'm LoveStuff. And I-I have to go, it was nice meeting you, hope I see you again….Bye bye!"
At a loss for words for the first time LoveStuff panicked and galloped to Sugar Cube Corner as fast as her legs could take her.
Mrs. Cup Cake smiled seeing her regular Monday afternoon customer, "Hello dear, I have your cherry pie warming in the oven for you. I almost thought you weren't going to come today."
LoveStuff heard everything Mrs. Cup Cake was saying but her sight was focused out the window where she could still see the tall handsome red stallion, "Of course I came, your cherry pie is the food love of my life. Mrs. Cake do you know who that stallion is?" The change in subject was abrupt even for her energy levels, it must have been why Mrs. Cup Cake stopped what she was doing and looked out the window.
Her eyes crinkling in motherly humor Cake told the young pony, "Why that's Big Macintosh. He's AppleJack and Apple Bloom's older brother. He lives up on the apple farm."
"He is big….and tall….and nice….and sweet….Mrs. Cup Cake I feel funny. It's like the feeling I get when I find something new to love, but not the same. It's different from my friend love and family love too. Do you know what it is?" LoveStuff couldn't stop looking at Big Mac, and knowing his name made her funny feeling stronger.
Mrs. Cup Cake giggled, "I think I know, why don't you come eat your first slice and I'll tell you."
LoveStuff's green eyes followed Big Mac as he hitched up his cart with the two barrels and went off in the direction of the apple farm. When he passed the edge of the window frame she turned away and went to the counter where her slice of cherry pie was waiting for her. Smiling at the older pony LoveStuff happily got to work eating and learning about this new kind of love.