HOME | DD

Description
Intrusion

The red stallion couldn't get away from his little sister fast enough. Big Macintosh could still taste the deliciously sweet apple on his tongue that was left over from the apple fritter. It was the Apple Family's Reunion, and the young adult colt couldn't be happier... or more overwhelmed.

He was happy to see Granny Smith with her friends and Apple Bloom chat away with Babs. Even though Applejack was in overdrive with the festivities, the filly couldn't be everywhere at once. So wherever Applejack wasn't at the ponies were having a fine time.

This was not Big Macintosh's first reunion, his last one was when he was just a small filly like Apple Bloom. But he was the same as he then, now. Walking around slowly, smiling kindly to each family member he saw, yet still too shy to have a conversation. It was odd, because even though there were other stallions his age, Big Macintosh was still as shy as ever. He wanted this reunion to be different, he wanted to step out of his mental box and talk to somepony.

Yet, as always, the only things that came out of the stallion was, “Eeyup.”

Well, now he was on a mission to avoid Applejack. At least he was able to eat one apple fritter before she chased him away. He tried to help AJ with as much as he could, but it seemed that no matter how much he did, Applejack always had more to worry about. Big Macintosh knew things would pan out over time, but for now, he just wanted a moment of peace and quiet.

There were no Apple family members along the perimeter of the farm. Macintosh walked around each apple tree, wondering if he should buck a few ripe-looking fruit. But Granny Smith made him promise not to work during the reunion, and Big Macintosh was honorable to a promise.

He stopped walking and sat down against the white picket fence that closed in their large apple grove. “Eeyup,” he sighed to himself. Oh how he wished he could have another delicious fritter.

Only a few minutes of peace and quiet had passed. Then there was a loud clicking sound. Big Macintosh listened carefully. “Squirrel?” he asked himself in his deep southern voice.

Then he heard another voice from a distance, “Oh please come down! Please, please, please!”

He had to strain to hear the other voice. Whoever was talking wasn't very loud, sounded like a filly's plea. The filly's voice was very pleasant to listen to, even if it was in a desperate tone. Big Macintosh stood back up on all fours and started to clop towards the sound. He could almost recognize that filly's voice... it was so familiar... he just knew it was...

“Fluttershy?”

On the other side of the picket fence was the yellow Pegasus. She was leaned over the fence as much as she could, and her light pink mane fell around her face messily. His eyes went from her to her line of sight, where he saw a squirrel had climbed high in an apple tree. The next thing he knew, Fluttershy's big blue eyes were staring into his, and a loud, “Yeep!” followed.

Did ah startle her? Macintosh wondered.

“I'm so, so, so, sorry!” the filly then cried, her voice volume still low and shrieked. “I know you're having a family reunion, and I didn't want to interrupt any part of it, but my squirrel friend Izzy won't listen to me, and he refuses to come down from your apple tree.”

Almost as if it were rehearsed, the squirrel Izzy began to make the clicking sound again. It had a mocking tone to it.

Normally, this is where Big Macintosh would simply say 'eeyup' or 'nope'. But when he saw just how upset Fluttershy was, he knew that those two words wouldn't cut it. The stallion took a deep breath. If he can talk to Fluttershy, maybe he can talk to the other Apple members and finally do what he wanted to do in the first place. “Yah don't have tah be sorry.” Her blue eyes only seemed to get bigger. “Ahm not mad or nothin'. Yah want me tah get yah squirrel?”

She meekly shook her head. “Izzy won't come for you. He refuses to come down until I give him... um... a...” she stopped mid-sentence. Then her attention turned to the squirrel, “What was it you smelled, Izzy?”

“Racracracrac,” replied the squirrel.

Fluttershy turned back to Big Macintosh. “An apple fritter. He smelled your apple fritters and he refuses to come down unless I feed him one. I told him that he's intruding on a party we weren't invited to. I even offered to buy him one in town. But he has his heart set on a fresh one. I'm so sorry. I don't even want to fly over your fence... I don't want to intrude.”

The filly was so sincere with her words. Macintosh gave her a small smile, “Hey now, ah don't blame the 'im. The fritters are really good. How about ah get 'im one for ya?”

“Oh no, you don't have to! That's just causing you trouble!”

“Ah no, it's no trouble. Ah don't want ya tah be troubled, Fluttershy.” As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he said her name. Strangely, Big Macintosh found him wanting to say it again. The yellow Pegasus had a wonderful name. “Ya stay right here, Fluttershy. Ah'll be back with ah fritter for ya.”

Before she could object, the colt was already turned around and trotting towards the family festivities. “Be careful!” Fluttershy called. “Oh dear, I'm sorry again!”

This time he smiled wider, knowing that nopony could see him. Fluttershy was certainly being apologetic and it wasn't necessary... yet he couldn't help but find it charming. There was an endearing appeal about her. She was sweet natured without trying to be. Even though she was letting Izzy the squirrel manipulate her, Fluttershy was too kind to berate him.

He once again entered the Apple family crowd. The colt looked left, then right. No Applejack. Big Macintosh gulped nervously. Just run, he told himself. Run fast.

Whish!

And run fast he did. Big Macintosh sprinted through the crowd, skidded to a stop, grabbed a fritter between his teeth, then started running again.

He didn't stop even when he was out of the crowd. He finally slowed down when he saw Fluttershy in the distance. He watched as he blue eyes brightened when she saw the fritter in his mouth. “Thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed, and for the first time her mouth was in a smile. “I'm sorry for the trouble. But thank you! I'm sorry you had to go out of your way. But thank you again!”

Macintosh almost laughed, but if he opened his mouth the fritter would drop out. He took the treat in his hoof. “Ya welcome. No trouble at all.” He handed her the apple fritter.

Fluttershy took it gratefully. “Oh my, it does smell good. These are homemade?”

“Eeyup. Mah granny's own recipe.”

“How wonderful. Izzy will love these.”

“Ah think ya should have half. Ya deserve some too.”

The bratty squirrel heard him. “RACRARCRARCRARCRACRAC!”

She frowned. “Oh, uh...”

Big Macintosh smiled. “He did cause ya some trouble. Ah insist.” Fluttershy seemed to debate his offer for a few moments. Finally, she gently leaned over and took a bite of the fritter. He wanted to see her expression when she tasted, but Fluttershy's pink hair fell back into her eyes. However, she lifted her head back up and into view. “Good?” he asked.

A small smile spread on her face. “It's delicious.” By now, Izzy had climbed down from the tree all on his own and was climbing into Fluttershy's mane, trying to get the fritter in her hoof.
“Well, looks like I've got my squirrel back,” she said softly.

“Take it easy, Fluttershy.”

“You too, Big Mac.”

He smiled again when she said his name. He could feel his cheeks get a little flushed, something that only happened when he was sweating during work on a hot summer day. The stallion realized he wasn't sweating, let alone hot. He was blushing. Shyly, Big Macintosh took a few steps back. “Well ah'll see ya later.”

“Have fun at your party. Sorry again. Oh, and thank you. Again.”

He watched Fluttershy fly off, the yellow Pegasus disappearing into the trees. Just like that, she was gone. “Ahm gonna have ta learn how ta make them fritters,” Macintosh said to himself.

Then, maybe one day, he can bring Fluttershy some more.

END

Description
Intrusion

The red stallion couldn't get away from his little sister fast enough. Big Macintosh could still taste the deliciously sweet apple on his tongue that was left over from the apple fritter. It was the Apple Family's Reunion, and the young adult colt couldn't be happier... or more overwhelmed.

He was happy to see Granny Smith with her friends and Apple Bloom chat away with Babs. Even though Applejack was in overdrive with the festivities, the filly couldn't be everywhere at once. So wherever Applejack wasn't at the ponies were having a fine time.

This was not Big Macintosh's first reunion, his last one was when he was just a small filly like Apple Bloom. But he was the same as he then, now. Walking around slowly, smiling kindly to each family member he saw, yet still too shy to have a conversation. It was odd, because even though there were other stallions his age, Big Macintosh was still as shy as ever. He wanted this reunion to be different, he wanted to step out of his mental box and talk to somepony.

Yet, as always, the only things that came out of the stallion was, “Eeyup.”

Well, now he was on a mission to avoid Applejack. At least he was able to eat one apple fritter before she chased him away. He tried to help AJ with as much as he could, but it seemed that no matter how much he did, Applejack always had more to worry about. Big Macintosh knew things would pan out over time, but for now, he just wanted a moment of peace and quiet.

There were no Apple family members along the perimeter of the farm. Macintosh walked around each apple tree, wondering if he should buck a few ripe-looking fruit. But Granny Smith made him promise not to work during the reunion, and Big Macintosh was honorable to a promise.

He stopped walking and sat down against the white picket fence that closed in their large apple grove. “Eeyup,” he sighed to himself. Oh how he wished he could have another delicious fritter.

Only a few minutes of peace and quiet had passed. Then there was a loud clicking sound. Big Macintosh listened carefully. “Squirrel?” he asked himself in his deep southern voice.

Then he heard another voice from a distance, “Oh please come down! Please, please, please!”

He had to strain to hear the other voice. Whoever was talking wasn't very loud, sounded like a filly's plea. The filly's voice was very pleasant to listen to, even if it was in a desperate tone. Big Macintosh stood back up on all fours and started to clop towards the sound. He could almost recognize that filly's voice... it was so familiar... he just knew it was...

“Fluttershy?”

On the other side of the picket fence was the yellow Pegasus. She was leaned over the fence as much as she could, and her light pink mane fell around her face messily. His eyes went from her to her line of sight, where he saw a squirrel had climbed high in an apple tree. The next thing he knew, Fluttershy's big blue eyes were staring into his, and a loud, “Yeep!” followed.

Did ah startle her? Macintosh wondered.

“I'm so, so, so, sorry!” the filly then cried, her voice volume still low and shrieked. “I know you're having a family reunion, and I didn't want to interrupt any part of it, but my squirrel friend Izzy won't listen to me, and he refuses to come down from your apple tree.”

Almost as if it were rehearsed, the squirrel Izzy began to make the clicking sound again. It had a mocking tone to it.

Normally, this is where Big Macintosh would simply say 'eeyup' or 'nope'. But when he saw just how upset Fluttershy was, he knew that those two words wouldn't cut it. The stallion took a deep breath. If he can talk to Fluttershy, maybe he can talk to the other Apple members and finally do what he wanted to do in the first place. “Yah don't have tah be sorry.” Her blue eyes only seemed to get bigger. “Ahm not mad or nothin'. Yah want me tah get yah squirrel?”

She meekly shook her head. “Izzy won't come for you. He refuses to come down until I give him... um... a...” she stopped mid-sentence. Then her attention turned to the squirrel, “What was it you smelled, Izzy?”

“Racracracrac,” replied the squirrel.

Fluttershy turned back to Big Macintosh. “An apple fritter. He smelled your apple fritters and he refuses to come down unless I feed him one. I told him that he's intruding on a party we weren't invited to. I even offered to buy him one in town. But he has his heart set on a fresh one. I'm so sorry. I don't even want to fly over your fence... I don't want to intrude.”

The filly was so sincere with her words. Macintosh gave her a small smile, “Hey now, ah don't blame the 'im. The fritters are really good. How about ah get 'im one for ya?”

“Oh no, you don't have to! That's just causing you trouble!”

“Ah no, it's no trouble. Ah don't want ya tah be troubled, Fluttershy.” As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he said her name. Strangely, Big Macintosh found him wanting to say it again. The yellow Pegasus had a wonderful name. “Ya stay right here, Fluttershy. Ah'll be back with ah fritter for ya.”

Before she could object, the colt was already turned around and trotting towards the family festivities. “Be careful!” Fluttershy called. “Oh dear, I'm sorry again!”

This time he smiled wider, knowing that nopony could see him. Fluttershy was certainly being apologetic and it wasn't necessary... yet he couldn't help but find it charming. There was an endearing appeal about her. She was sweet natured without trying to be. Even though she was letting Izzy the squirrel manipulate her, Fluttershy was too kind to berate him.

He once again entered the Apple family crowd. The colt looked left, then right. No Applejack. Big Macintosh gulped nervously. Just run, he told himself. Run fast.

Whish!

And run fast he did. Big Macintosh sprinted through the crowd, skidded to a stop, grabbed a fritter between his teeth, then started running again.

He didn't stop even when he was out of the crowd. He finally slowed down when he saw Fluttershy in the distance. He watched as he blue eyes brightened when she saw the fritter in his mouth. “Thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed, and for the first time her mouth was in a smile. “I'm sorry for the trouble. But thank you! I'm sorry you had to go out of your way. But thank you again!”

Macintosh almost laughed, but if he opened his mouth the fritter would drop out. He took the treat in his hoof. “Ya welcome. No trouble at all.” He handed her the apple fritter.

Fluttershy took it gratefully. “Oh my, it does smell good. These are homemade?”

“Eeyup. Mah granny's own recipe.”

“How wonderful. Izzy will love these.”

“Ah think ya should have half. Ya deserve some too.”

The bratty squirrel heard him. “RACRARCRARCRARCRACRAC!”

She frowned. “Oh, uh...”

Big Macintosh smiled. “He did cause ya some trouble. Ah insist.” Fluttershy seemed to debate his offer for a few moments. Finally, she gently leaned over and took a bite of the fritter. He wanted to see her expression when she tasted, but Fluttershy's pink hair fell back into her eyes. However, she lifted her head back up and into view. “Good?” he asked.

A small smile spread on her face. “It's delicious.” By now, Izzy had climbed down from the tree all on his own and was climbing into Fluttershy's mane, trying to get the fritter in her hoof.
“Well, looks like I've got my squirrel back,” she said softly.

“Take it easy, Fluttershy.”

“You too, Big Mac.”

He smiled again when she said his name. He could feel his cheeks get a little flushed, something that only happened when he was sweating during work on a hot summer day. The stallion realized he wasn't sweating, let alone hot. He was blushing. Shyly, Big Macintosh took a few steps back. “Well ah'll see ya later.”

“Have fun at your party. Sorry again. Oh, and thank you. Again.”

He watched Fluttershy fly off, the yellow Pegasus disappearing into the trees. Just like that, she was gone. “Ahm gonna have ta learn how ta make them fritters,” Macintosh said to himself.

Then, maybe one day, he can bring Fluttershy some more.

END