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Description
*Fluttershy's cottage, 7am*

Fluttershy was snoozing peacefully in the upstairs bedroom of the small cottage which she happily shared with her pet rabbit: Angel Bunny, Who wasn't much of an angel at all. She was jolted awake by the piercing sound of shattering glass.

"EEEP!"

Fluttershy leaped from her bed to cower behind the wardrobe in the far corner of her room.

There's somepony in my cottage! There's somepony in my cottage! Oh no! Oh please don't hurt me! Maybe if I keep quiet and stay out of sight they'll leave me alone.

She curled herself up in a ball and tried to make herself as small as possible, shivering and whimpering quietly. There were quiet thumps coming up the stairs.

Oh no! they know I'm here! I have to stay quiet!

Fluttershy stuffed one of her front hooves in her mouth and waited, shivering and terrified as the thumps got closer and closer. Then they stopped right outside her open doorway. A long shadow slithered up the wall just in front of her. Then the thumps were only a few feet away, beside her bed. Fluttershy listened in terror as she heard her bedspread being ruffled around. What were they looking for? There was nothing of value in her bed.

They're looking for me! What if they find me? What if they hurt me? Ohdearohdearohdearohdear!

  Fluttershy was so terrified that she couldn't contain her fear and she let out a tiny whimper. She heard the thumps as they scuttled toward her. Fluttershy curled herself tighter, hid her face in her long pink hair and closed her eyes in terror. She was sure that they had found her. She could tell that whoever the hay they were, they were standing right in front of her.

*sniff sniff sniff*

Wait a minute, are they smelling me? Why in the name of Celestia would they want to do that?

*sniff sniff sniff, thump thump*

Fluttershy opened her eyes and was startled to find a familiar little pink nose peeking through the barrier she had created with her hair. Fluttershy stopped shivering in realization.

"Oh angel Bunny you startled me!" she said in her usual whispery tone.

Angel just stood there for a moment before tapping his hind leg on the wood floor impatiently and pointing to one of his front paws, which was bleeding.

"Oh Angel Bunny, what happened? Are you alright? Let me get that bandaged for you."

Fluttershy went to her bathroom to get some tape and gauze for the little rabbit's injured leg. After she was done mending Angel's leg, Angel tapped his hind leg on the ground impatiently again and pointed a finger into his mouth.

Fluttershy glanced at a clock on the wall and her eyes widened in alarm.
"Seven fifteen already! I've overslept! Oh I'm so sorry Angel! You must be starving!"
The little bunny gave her a look that seemed to say "You should be sorry!"
Fluttershy dashed down the stairs and into her little kitchen but she stopped in the doorway at the sight of shattered glass and chopped vegetables all over the tiled floor. Angel bunny, who was now by her side, turned to face her holding up his bandaged paw.

"Oh Angel! You didn't try to make your own breakfast did you? Oh, I guess I'll just have to clean up this mess, then I'll make you your breakfast. Okay?" The bunny nodded.

After Fluttershy was finished cleaning up all of the remnants of Angel's tragic attempt at preparing breakfast, she got a new bowl down from one of the overhead cupboards and looked in the fridge for some fresh vegies. There were only a few parsnips and about five radishes. Neither of which, did angel find appealing.

"Angel sweetie, we're out of vegies so I'll have to run over to Carrot Top's Shop and get some more. Don't worry, I'll be home soon to make you brunch."

With that, Fluttershy grabbed her saddlebags and trotted towards the center of Ponyville.

When Fluttershy finally arrived at Carrot Top's shop she pushed the door open and floated inside.

"Hello miss Fluttershy, back so soon? I thought I sold you some lettuce and carrots just a few days ago."

"Oh, umm… yes." said Fluttershy as she tried to hide her face in her mane.

"Well is there anything you need?"

"Oh umm, well, I wouldn't want to burden you."

"Oh, well I'll be in the storeroom. I have to do inventory on this week's crop of tomatoes. Just holler if you need me!"

"Okay."

Fluttershy walked around the store gathering all sorts of vegetables. She wanted to make angel a special meal since she had made him wait so long for his food. When she was done, she had so many vegies that it seemed as if her saddlebags were going to rip and her legs shook under their weight. Fluttershy was slowly making her way to the counter when she heard the door ding behind her, And before she knew it the weight of her saddlebags had been lifted from her back.

"I'll get that fer-"

"EEP!" she shrieked as she leaped into the air and landed with a thud atop of a pyramid of canned vegetables that stood just a few yards behind the register.

Big mac trotted over to the wreckage with a frown on his face.

Now why the hay did ya have to go an do that? She's probably terrified of ya. What if she's hurt?

"Sorry miss Fluttershy, I wasn' meanin' ta scare ya none. You just looked like you needed some help with your bags."

Fluttershy rolled over and rubbed her head with her hoof. She was shaking.

Did I really scare er that bad?

"Are you alright miss?"

"y-yeah, I-I think so."

Fluttershy glanced up from her position on the floor to find Applejack's brother Big Mac standing over her. His green eyes were filled with concern.

"Ya need a hoof?"

"No, I-I think I got it." said fluttershy as she attempted to lift herself of the ground.

"Listen I didn' mean ta-"

"What the hay is going on out here!?" Carrot top came trotting in from the back of the store. Her eye's narrowed in anger at the sight of Fluttershy lying on the ground surrounded by what had once been a nicely arranged pyramid of canned goods.

Fluttershy blushed heavily in embarrassment and picked herself up from the canned wreckage. She put her ears back and walked slowly toward the infuriated mare.

"I- I'm sorry miss Carrot Top. I- I just got scared." Fluttershy whispered and looked down, trying to hide, and so she didn't have to see the anger on Carrot Top's face.

"So you crashed into my nice, neat display? That took me nearly two hours to set up!"

"I- I-"

"It wasn' her fault miss, I was jus' goin' to help her with her bags an' I guess I caught her by surprise."

Carrot Top was not listening. She did not care to hear the explanation. She was too focused on the massive mess in the middle of her store.

"Well just look at this mess! Its gonna take forever to clean this up!" Said carrot top, throwing her hooves in the air in frustration.

"I-I'll clean it up for you, if that's okay with you, that is." Said Fluttershy, looking at the floor.

"I'll stay an clean as well Ma'am."

Carrot Top looked at the two ponies with an unsure expression. But then she decisded that she would rather get back to her work than have to set up the display again.

Carrot top gave a frustrated snort and said "Fine. Just be sure and stack them neatly. I don't want to see no half flank work." and walked to the back of the store.

After she was gone Fluttershy looked over at Big Mac. "You really don't have to do this, I'm sure you've got more important things to do than help me."

Big mac was astonished that she would ask him to leave after he was the one who had caused the mess in the first place.

"No miss Fluttershy, I'm stayin' right here an helpin' you till the job's done. It's the least I can do fer scarin' you like that. Well, I figure this mess is more my fault than it is yours."

"Oh no, if I wasn't so- so jumpy then there wouldn't be a mess to clean up. And umm, I wouldn't want to keep you from your work. Really, I've got it."

"If I hadn' snuck up on ya like that then you wouldna been frightened in the first place. Besides, yer not keepin' me from anything, Applejack's got everything handled at the farm."

"A-are you sure?"

"Eeyup"

"But I wouldn't want to waste your free time on me." Fluttershy turned away, blushing. He was probably just being gentlecoltly.

Big mac could see that she would have had trouble if she would have tried to tackle the mess alone. All he wanted to do was help her after all the trouble he had caused her.

"Really miss, It ain't a problem. Plus two ponies is better than one. When it comes to big mess like this, its nice to have some help."

"well, umm alright."

They worked in awkward silence for a while until Big Mac asked "What were ya buyin' so many goodies for? If You don' mind my askin'?"

"Oh, umm, it- it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you."

"I got the time."

"Umm, Well okay, it all started this morning when …"

Big Mac listened intently as Fluttershy proceeded to tell him about her eventful morning.

"Wow, seems as if you've had quite tha mornin'!"

Fluttershy didn't say anything. She wasn't sure how to respond, or if he really wanted to hear a response. Maybe he was just talking to her to be gentlecoltly? She went back to her work picking up the cans and organizing them into neat rows for the new pyramid.

Big Mac was perplexed by the little yellow mare. When she was tellin' her story about her bunny she seemed so comfortable, but now it seemed like she had retreated back to hiding her face in her mane. He knew she was one of Applejack's good friends and they had met a few times over the years; but he had never really had the chance to speak with her alone like this. It was nice. All this time he had only known her as the shy, yellow mare who was good with animals. But now he knew that she was much more, she was intelligent, kind, and genuinely caring, not to mention exceptionally beautiful...

But there was something else about her that genuinely interested him. He just wanted to talk to her more but he was unsure how to spark the conversation again. She seemed to have been afraid to answer his small talk questions. So he tried the only thing that he knew was certain to get her speaking to him: talk about animals.

"So, what are ya gonna feed that bunny o' yers for his special brunch?"

"Oh, I don't know. I couldn't decide." Fluttershy looked at the floor and pawed at her foreleg with her hoof.

"Is that why yer bags were so full?"

"Y- Yeah. I guess so."

"I noticed you didn't get any radishes or parsnips."

"Oh no. Angel doesn't like parsnips or radishes. He is very picky about what he eats. You have to get his food just right or he won't eat it."

They continued talking until Fluttershy flew up to the top of the pyramid to put the last can in its place.

"There, all done." Fluttershy said as she landed gracefully back on solid ground. She trotted over to where Big Mac had placed her saddlebags to dig out a few bits. She still hadn't paid for her food after all of this trouble she had caused.

Carrot top is so angry with me. She probably hates me now. She thought as she walked slowly toward the register with her ears down. "Umm Carrot Top? Carrot Top? Hello?" she called gently towards the back of the store.

"What do you want?" snapped Carrot Top as she came out of the storeroom carrying a large box of tomatoes. She shot Fluttershy and angry glare.

Fluttershy looked down at the floor and nervously pawed the ground with her hoof. Then She spoke in a shaky tone

"U-umm, well, you see I-"

"Come on I ain't got all day. I got customers to serve, you know, ponies who don't wreck my hard work." Said Carrot top, eyes ablaze in anger. Fluttershy sank lower to the ground at the remark. She felt tears come to her eyes and she tried not to release them. But it was too late. She could feel the lump in her throat as she tried to speak.

"B-but I just wanted to-"

"To what? You've already wrecked my shop so what could you possibly want from me now?"

Fluttershy shrunk lower and lower to the ground until she found herself with her head buried in her hooves trying to hide her tears from the aggressive pony. All she had wanted to do was apologize, pay for her food and be on her way home to Angel. But instead she just lay here on the tile floor in tears.

Big Mac was infuriated with the way that Carrot Top was treating this meek mare. She was obviously sorry for the accident with the display, and Carrot top's aggressive attitude was completely uncalled for. Normally, he would never even think of laying an angry hoof on a mare, but right now, he would have loved nothing more than to buck her teeth in for the way she was treating Miss Fluttershy.

He inserted himself between the aggressive mare and her helpless victim.
" Leave er alone Carrot Top! Miss Fluttershy didn' do anythin' wrong! Listen, the mess was my fault fer scarin'  her. It was an accident! And she was kind enough to stay and help me re organize the display while you were back there doin' who the hay knows what!" Big mac was now yelling down at the orange mare. His face was no more than a foot from hers and his nostrils were flaring. Carrot Top's once anger-filled expression quickly turned to fear and she dropped her box of tomatoes and started to back away. But Big Mac kept moving closer, yelling all the while. "Why if I was less of a gentlecolt I would Buck yer teeth in right about now."  The anger in his voice Caused her to lay her ears down and back up until her hoof grazed the checkout counter and she ran out of room. He had her trapped. But he didn't stop advancing until his face was less than an inch away from hers. "Miss Fluttershy is a kind and caring mare! Why she wouldn' even hurt a Parasprite!  You oughta be ashamed of yerself fer thinkin' she would ever do a thing like this on purpose!" He stomped his front hooves on the ground and snorted in her face. She flinched. "Now if you don' mind we would like to pay and be on our way!"
"I-it's on the house. Whatever you want! Just please don't hurt me!" Said Carrot Top shakily.

Big Mac backed off and Carrot Top dashed back into the store room, leaving the box of tomatoes in the middle of the floor. As he turned around, he found Fluttershy staring up at him. His expression softened in compassion. She was so beautiful, so kind, so... sad. And although she was no longer crying, her body was shaking with quiet sobs. After a brief moment of eye contact she blushed and turned way. He could feel his cheeks turn red as he looked at the floor. He couldn't tell whether she was embarrassed about crying in front of him or… something else. But Big Mac could see that she was still upset and he wanted more than anything to comfort her. He put his head down and walked over to the distraught mare, laid down next to her and put a hoof around her shoulders.

"It's alrigh' miss. She won' bother ya anymore." He said as he gently rubbed her shoulders with his hoof. She was starting to relax now and the sobs were soon replaced by little shaky breaths. But he still couldn't see her face though her long pink mane. He was about to brush it away so he could see her face, but then she turned and looked him in the eyes. He was taken aback by the beauty in her bright cyan eyes. She blushed and looked down at her hooves.

"You didn't have do that, to stick up for me like that."

"That don' matter, I wanted to. To yell ya the truth , Carrot Top's been trottin' on my last nerve for quite a while. She needed to be put in her place. Plus, you looked so… well helpless an' sad. Carrot top was bein more n' a mite harsh on you. An' I couldn' just stand there an' watch. And.. well, I just wanted to help ya any way I could."

Big Mac removed his hoof from her shoulders and shuffled a little closer to her and to his surprise; she leaned into him wrapping her arms around him in a gentle hug. He was relieved that she couldn't see him blushing in bewilderment. Everything she did was gentle. But after a couple seconds he hugged back and she rested her head against his mane. He felt his heart start to race as he felt her nuzzle close to him and he wondered if maybe she could hear it. He caught a whiff of her mane, it smelled wonderful, like a spring meadow…

Fluttershy couldn't believe she was doing this. She was hugging him! And he, hugging her back! A colt she had known for maybe an hour at most! She would never even have dreamed that something as amazing as this moment could have ever happened to a shy pony like her. After she had first hugged him she could hear his heart start to beat faster and she thought she had made him angry. But then he had hugged her back. He made her feel safe and warm and, well, happy. He was just so... caring, a gentle giant. He was different than any other colt she had ever met. She noticed it when he didn't laugh or poke fun at her after he had seen her make a fool of herself by landing on the display. He even came over to make sure she was okay and stayed to help pick up the mess she created. Not to mention the way he stood up to carrot top for her! Nopony had ever done a thing like that for her! Well, except maybe rainbow dash, but she was always sticking up for ponies. This was different. He was different.

"Thank you." She whispered into his mane. Big mac blushed and hugged her tighter.

When the hug ended, they got to their hooves and Fluttershy went to get her saddlebags but before she could put them on Big Mac threw them over his back.

"I'll take these for ya miss Fluttershy."

"No, That's okay. You've done enough for me today. Besides I wouldn't want to bother you."

"It'd be no bother at all. This load it too heavy fer ya anyway miss Fluttershy."

"Umm. Alright. But Big Mac?"

"Yes miss Fluttershy?"

"It'd be alright if you'd just call me Fluttershy. That is, if you don't mind."

"I don' mind at all miss- I mean Fluttershy."

They set off toward Fluttershy's cottage at a gentle pace. Neither of them said a thing until they reached Fluttershy's front doorstep. Big mac set down the bags on the porch. But before opening the front door, Fluttershy asked

"Big Mac? W-would you like to come in for brunch? It's the least I could do for helping me today."

He wanted so much in that moment to deny that he would be overjoyed to have lunch with this kind attractive mare. And he felt guilty for the thoughts that filled his head in that moment were less than appropriate. And what would Applejack think? Fluttershy was, after all, one of her best friends.

Big mac what are you thinkin'? She probably don't even think ah ya like that. She's probably just tryin' to be kind. It'd probably be best if ya went back to the farm. But she invited me... It would be gentlecoltly to accept wouldn' it?

Fluttershy blushed and put her head down once again. What were you thinking? Inviting him for lunch? What if he says no? He was such a gentlecolt earlier... I was sure he would say yes.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to. It's just that, you were so wonderful to me back there. Nopony has ever been so kind to me before. And, well, umm, I just wanted to thank you. But if you don't want to I guess I'll just-"

Big mac's ears perked up at the sound of her nervous disappointment. Was she having the same thoughts? Did she feel the same way or was it all just in his head? Had he imagined that she sounded disappointed. He didn't know but the thought if it gave him hope. She was just about to go inside when he finally spoke up.

"Fluttershy, I'd love to."

Fluttershy perked up and her blue eyes glistened when she smiled at him.

Oh how in Equestria could anypony say no to a mare so beautiful?

Description
*Fluttershy's cottage, 7am*

Fluttershy was snoozing peacefully in the upstairs bedroom of the small cottage which she happily shared with her pet rabbit: Angel Bunny, Who wasn't much of an angel at all. She was jolted awake by the piercing sound of shattering glass.

"EEEP!"

Fluttershy leaped from her bed to cower behind the wardrobe in the far corner of her room.

There's somepony in my cottage! There's somepony in my cottage! Oh no! Oh please don't hurt me! Maybe if I keep quiet and stay out of sight they'll leave me alone.

She curled herself up in a ball and tried to make herself as small as possible, shivering and whimpering quietly. There were quiet thumps coming up the stairs.

Oh no! they know I'm here! I have to stay quiet!

Fluttershy stuffed one of her front hooves in her mouth and waited, shivering and terrified as the thumps got closer and closer. Then they stopped right outside her open doorway. A long shadow slithered up the wall just in front of her. Then the thumps were only a few feet away, beside her bed. Fluttershy listened in terror as she heard her bedspread being ruffled around. What were they looking for? There was nothing of value in her bed.

They're looking for me! What if they find me? What if they hurt me? Ohdearohdearohdearohdear!

  Fluttershy was so terrified that she couldn't contain her fear and she let out a tiny whimper. She heard the thumps as they scuttled toward her. Fluttershy curled herself tighter, hid her face in her long pink hair and closed her eyes in terror. She was sure that they had found her. She could tell that whoever the hay they were, they were standing right in front of her.

*sniff sniff sniff*

Wait a minute, are they smelling me? Why in the name of Celestia would they want to do that?

*sniff sniff sniff, thump thump*

Fluttershy opened her eyes and was startled to find a familiar little pink nose peeking through the barrier she had created with her hair. Fluttershy stopped shivering in realization.

"Oh angel Bunny you startled me!" she said in her usual whispery tone.

Angel just stood there for a moment before tapping his hind leg on the wood floor impatiently and pointing to one of his front paws, which was bleeding.

"Oh Angel Bunny, what happened? Are you alright? Let me get that bandaged for you."

Fluttershy went to her bathroom to get some tape and gauze for the little rabbit's injured leg. After she was done mending Angel's leg, Angel tapped his hind leg on the ground impatiently again and pointed a finger into his mouth.

Fluttershy glanced at a clock on the wall and her eyes widened in alarm.
"Seven fifteen already! I've overslept! Oh I'm so sorry Angel! You must be starving!"
The little bunny gave her a look that seemed to say "You should be sorry!"
Fluttershy dashed down the stairs and into her little kitchen but she stopped in the doorway at the sight of shattered glass and chopped vegetables all over the tiled floor. Angel bunny, who was now by her side, turned to face her holding up his bandaged paw.

"Oh Angel! You didn't try to make your own breakfast did you? Oh, I guess I'll just have to clean up this mess, then I'll make you your breakfast. Okay?" The bunny nodded.

After Fluttershy was finished cleaning up all of the remnants of Angel's tragic attempt at preparing breakfast, she got a new bowl down from one of the overhead cupboards and looked in the fridge for some fresh vegies. There were only a few parsnips and about five radishes. Neither of which, did angel find appealing.

"Angel sweetie, we're out of vegies so I'll have to run over to Carrot Top's Shop and get some more. Don't worry, I'll be home soon to make you brunch."

With that, Fluttershy grabbed her saddlebags and trotted towards the center of Ponyville.

When Fluttershy finally arrived at Carrot Top's shop she pushed the door open and floated inside.

"Hello miss Fluttershy, back so soon? I thought I sold you some lettuce and carrots just a few days ago."

"Oh, umm… yes." said Fluttershy as she tried to hide her face in her mane.

"Well is there anything you need?"

"Oh umm, well, I wouldn't want to burden you."

"Oh, well I'll be in the storeroom. I have to do inventory on this week's crop of tomatoes. Just holler if you need me!"

"Okay."

Fluttershy walked around the store gathering all sorts of vegetables. She wanted to make angel a special meal since she had made him wait so long for his food. When she was done, she had so many vegies that it seemed as if her saddlebags were going to rip and her legs shook under their weight. Fluttershy was slowly making her way to the counter when she heard the door ding behind her, And before she knew it the weight of her saddlebags had been lifted from her back.

"I'll get that fer-"

"EEP!" she shrieked as she leaped into the air and landed with a thud atop of a pyramid of canned vegetables that stood just a few yards behind the register.

Big mac trotted over to the wreckage with a frown on his face.

Now why the hay did ya have to go an do that? She's probably terrified of ya. What if she's hurt?

"Sorry miss Fluttershy, I wasn' meanin' ta scare ya none. You just looked like you needed some help with your bags."

Fluttershy rolled over and rubbed her head with her hoof. She was shaking.

Did I really scare er that bad?

"Are you alright miss?"

"y-yeah, I-I think so."

Fluttershy glanced up from her position on the floor to find Applejack's brother Big Mac standing over her. His green eyes were filled with concern.

"Ya need a hoof?"

"No, I-I think I got it." said fluttershy as she attempted to lift herself of the ground.

"Listen I didn' mean ta-"

"What the hay is going on out here!?" Carrot top came trotting in from the back of the store. Her eye's narrowed in anger at the sight of Fluttershy lying on the ground surrounded by what had once been a nicely arranged pyramid of canned goods.

Fluttershy blushed heavily in embarrassment and picked herself up from the canned wreckage. She put her ears back and walked slowly toward the infuriated mare.

"I- I'm sorry miss Carrot Top. I- I just got scared." Fluttershy whispered and looked down, trying to hide, and so she didn't have to see the anger on Carrot Top's face.

"So you crashed into my nice, neat display? That took me nearly two hours to set up!"

"I- I-"

"It wasn' her fault miss, I was jus' goin' to help her with her bags an' I guess I caught her by surprise."

Carrot Top was not listening. She did not care to hear the explanation. She was too focused on the massive mess in the middle of her store.

"Well just look at this mess! Its gonna take forever to clean this up!" Said carrot top, throwing her hooves in the air in frustration.

"I-I'll clean it up for you, if that's okay with you, that is." Said Fluttershy, looking at the floor.

"I'll stay an clean as well Ma'am."

Carrot Top looked at the two ponies with an unsure expression. But then she decisded that she would rather get back to her work than have to set up the display again.

Carrot top gave a frustrated snort and said "Fine. Just be sure and stack them neatly. I don't want to see no half flank work." and walked to the back of the store.

After she was gone Fluttershy looked over at Big Mac. "You really don't have to do this, I'm sure you've got more important things to do than help me."

Big mac was astonished that she would ask him to leave after he was the one who had caused the mess in the first place.

"No miss Fluttershy, I'm stayin' right here an helpin' you till the job's done. It's the least I can do fer scarin' you like that. Well, I figure this mess is more my fault than it is yours."

"Oh no, if I wasn't so- so jumpy then there wouldn't be a mess to clean up. And umm, I wouldn't want to keep you from your work. Really, I've got it."

"If I hadn' snuck up on ya like that then you wouldna been frightened in the first place. Besides, yer not keepin' me from anything, Applejack's got everything handled at the farm."

"A-are you sure?"

"Eeyup"

"But I wouldn't want to waste your free time on me." Fluttershy turned away, blushing. He was probably just being gentlecoltly.

Big mac could see that she would have had trouble if she would have tried to tackle the mess alone. All he wanted to do was help her after all the trouble he had caused her.

"Really miss, It ain't a problem. Plus two ponies is better than one. When it comes to big mess like this, its nice to have some help."

"well, umm alright."

They worked in awkward silence for a while until Big Mac asked "What were ya buyin' so many goodies for? If You don' mind my askin'?"

"Oh, umm, it- it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you."

"I got the time."

"Umm, Well okay, it all started this morning when …"

Big Mac listened intently as Fluttershy proceeded to tell him about her eventful morning.

"Wow, seems as if you've had quite tha mornin'!"

Fluttershy didn't say anything. She wasn't sure how to respond, or if he really wanted to hear a response. Maybe he was just talking to her to be gentlecoltly? She went back to her work picking up the cans and organizing them into neat rows for the new pyramid.

Big Mac was perplexed by the little yellow mare. When she was tellin' her story about her bunny she seemed so comfortable, but now it seemed like she had retreated back to hiding her face in her mane. He knew she was one of Applejack's good friends and they had met a few times over the years; but he had never really had the chance to speak with her alone like this. It was nice. All this time he had only known her as the shy, yellow mare who was good with animals. But now he knew that she was much more, she was intelligent, kind, and genuinely caring, not to mention exceptionally beautiful...

But there was something else about her that genuinely interested him. He just wanted to talk to her more but he was unsure how to spark the conversation again. She seemed to have been afraid to answer his small talk questions. So he tried the only thing that he knew was certain to get her speaking to him: talk about animals.

"So, what are ya gonna feed that bunny o' yers for his special brunch?"

"Oh, I don't know. I couldn't decide." Fluttershy looked at the floor and pawed at her foreleg with her hoof.

"Is that why yer bags were so full?"

"Y- Yeah. I guess so."

"I noticed you didn't get any radishes or parsnips."

"Oh no. Angel doesn't like parsnips or radishes. He is very picky about what he eats. You have to get his food just right or he won't eat it."

They continued talking until Fluttershy flew up to the top of the pyramid to put the last can in its place.

"There, all done." Fluttershy said as she landed gracefully back on solid ground. She trotted over to where Big Mac had placed her saddlebags to dig out a few bits. She still hadn't paid for her food after all of this trouble she had caused.

Carrot top is so angry with me. She probably hates me now. She thought as she walked slowly toward the register with her ears down. "Umm Carrot Top? Carrot Top? Hello?" she called gently towards the back of the store.

"What do you want?" snapped Carrot Top as she came out of the storeroom carrying a large box of tomatoes. She shot Fluttershy and angry glare.

Fluttershy looked down at the floor and nervously pawed the ground with her hoof. Then She spoke in a shaky tone

"U-umm, well, you see I-"

"Come on I ain't got all day. I got customers to serve, you know, ponies who don't wreck my hard work." Said Carrot top, eyes ablaze in anger. Fluttershy sank lower to the ground at the remark. She felt tears come to her eyes and she tried not to release them. But it was too late. She could feel the lump in her throat as she tried to speak.

"B-but I just wanted to-"

"To what? You've already wrecked my shop so what could you possibly want from me now?"

Fluttershy shrunk lower and lower to the ground until she found herself with her head buried in her hooves trying to hide her tears from the aggressive pony. All she had wanted to do was apologize, pay for her food and be on her way home to Angel. But instead she just lay here on the tile floor in tears.

Big Mac was infuriated with the way that Carrot Top was treating this meek mare. She was obviously sorry for the accident with the display, and Carrot top's aggressive attitude was completely uncalled for. Normally, he would never even think of laying an angry hoof on a mare, but right now, he would have loved nothing more than to buck her teeth in for the way she was treating Miss Fluttershy.

He inserted himself between the aggressive mare and her helpless victim.
" Leave er alone Carrot Top! Miss Fluttershy didn' do anythin' wrong! Listen, the mess was my fault fer scarin'  her. It was an accident! And she was kind enough to stay and help me re organize the display while you were back there doin' who the hay knows what!" Big mac was now yelling down at the orange mare. His face was no more than a foot from hers and his nostrils were flaring. Carrot Top's once anger-filled expression quickly turned to fear and she dropped her box of tomatoes and started to back away. But Big Mac kept moving closer, yelling all the while. "Why if I was less of a gentlecolt I would Buck yer teeth in right about now."  The anger in his voice Caused her to lay her ears down and back up until her hoof grazed the checkout counter and she ran out of room. He had her trapped. But he didn't stop advancing until his face was less than an inch away from hers. "Miss Fluttershy is a kind and caring mare! Why she wouldn' even hurt a Parasprite!  You oughta be ashamed of yerself fer thinkin' she would ever do a thing like this on purpose!" He stomped his front hooves on the ground and snorted in her face. She flinched. "Now if you don' mind we would like to pay and be on our way!"
"I-it's on the house. Whatever you want! Just please don't hurt me!" Said Carrot Top shakily.

Big Mac backed off and Carrot Top dashed back into the store room, leaving the box of tomatoes in the middle of the floor. As he turned around, he found Fluttershy staring up at him. His expression softened in compassion. She was so beautiful, so kind, so... sad. And although she was no longer crying, her body was shaking with quiet sobs. After a brief moment of eye contact she blushed and turned way. He could feel his cheeks turn red as he looked at the floor. He couldn't tell whether she was embarrassed about crying in front of him or… something else. But Big Mac could see that she was still upset and he wanted more than anything to comfort her. He put his head down and walked over to the distraught mare, laid down next to her and put a hoof around her shoulders.

"It's alrigh' miss. She won' bother ya anymore." He said as he gently rubbed her shoulders with his hoof. She was starting to relax now and the sobs were soon replaced by little shaky breaths. But he still couldn't see her face though her long pink mane. He was about to brush it away so he could see her face, but then she turned and looked him in the eyes. He was taken aback by the beauty in her bright cyan eyes. She blushed and looked down at her hooves.

"You didn't have do that, to stick up for me like that."

"That don' matter, I wanted to. To yell ya the truth , Carrot Top's been trottin' on my last nerve for quite a while. She needed to be put in her place. Plus, you looked so… well helpless an' sad. Carrot top was bein more n' a mite harsh on you. An' I couldn' just stand there an' watch. And.. well, I just wanted to help ya any way I could."

Big Mac removed his hoof from her shoulders and shuffled a little closer to her and to his surprise; she leaned into him wrapping her arms around him in a gentle hug. He was relieved that she couldn't see him blushing in bewilderment. Everything she did was gentle. But after a couple seconds he hugged back and she rested her head against his mane. He felt his heart start to race as he felt her nuzzle close to him and he wondered if maybe she could hear it. He caught a whiff of her mane, it smelled wonderful, like a spring meadow…

Fluttershy couldn't believe she was doing this. She was hugging him! And he, hugging her back! A colt she had known for maybe an hour at most! She would never even have dreamed that something as amazing as this moment could have ever happened to a shy pony like her. After she had first hugged him she could hear his heart start to beat faster and she thought she had made him angry. But then he had hugged her back. He made her feel safe and warm and, well, happy. He was just so... caring, a gentle giant. He was different than any other colt she had ever met. She noticed it when he didn't laugh or poke fun at her after he had seen her make a fool of herself by landing on the display. He even came over to make sure she was okay and stayed to help pick up the mess she created. Not to mention the way he stood up to carrot top for her! Nopony had ever done a thing like that for her! Well, except maybe rainbow dash, but she was always sticking up for ponies. This was different. He was different.

"Thank you." She whispered into his mane. Big mac blushed and hugged her tighter.

When the hug ended, they got to their hooves and Fluttershy went to get her saddlebags but before she could put them on Big Mac threw them over his back.

"I'll take these for ya miss Fluttershy."

"No, That's okay. You've done enough for me today. Besides I wouldn't want to bother you."

"It'd be no bother at all. This load it too heavy fer ya anyway miss Fluttershy."

"Umm. Alright. But Big Mac?"

"Yes miss Fluttershy?"

"It'd be alright if you'd just call me Fluttershy. That is, if you don't mind."

"I don' mind at all miss- I mean Fluttershy."

They set off toward Fluttershy's cottage at a gentle pace. Neither of them said a thing until they reached Fluttershy's front doorstep. Big mac set down the bags on the porch. But before opening the front door, Fluttershy asked

"Big Mac? W-would you like to come in for brunch? It's the least I could do for helping me today."

He wanted so much in that moment to deny that he would be overjoyed to have lunch with this kind attractive mare. And he felt guilty for the thoughts that filled his head in that moment were less than appropriate. And what would Applejack think? Fluttershy was, after all, one of her best friends.

Big mac what are you thinkin'? She probably don't even think ah ya like that. She's probably just tryin' to be kind. It'd probably be best if ya went back to the farm. But she invited me... It would be gentlecoltly to accept wouldn' it?

Fluttershy blushed and put her head down once again. What were you thinking? Inviting him for lunch? What if he says no? He was such a gentlecolt earlier... I was sure he would say yes.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to. It's just that, you were so wonderful to me back there. Nopony has ever been so kind to me before. And, well, umm, I just wanted to thank you. But if you don't want to I guess I'll just-"

Big mac's ears perked up at the sound of her nervous disappointment. Was she having the same thoughts? Did she feel the same way or was it all just in his head? Had he imagined that she sounded disappointed. He didn't know but the thought if it gave him hope. She was just about to go inside when he finally spoke up.

"Fluttershy, I'd love to."

Fluttershy perked up and her blue eyes glistened when she smiled at him.

Oh how in Equestria could anypony say no to a mare so beautiful?