Pies and Knives

You have a way with words, Fluttershy!

       That Rarity, I'll kill her for this one. I run into the center of town and spot the mayor looking around and sweating pretty badly. She looks very anxious, and knowing the mayor, she's probably praying nothing goes wrong. She must be looking for me. I run up to the podium next to her and she gives me a small smile. "Thank Celestial, you're here. You got this Applejack. I know I can trust you." If anyone were to ask: no, I don't feel bad about killing ponies. I've done it too long for it to bother me. Lying doesn't bother me either. The only thing that gets to me are the ponies in this town. All of them just seem to be perfect. Too perfect, and too ignorant. They're the embodiment of untampered naivety. I don't know, sometimes they just make me mad.

       The mayor went right on. "Everybody put your hands together for our speech-giver of the evening, Applejack!" After my name, there was a wave of applause. When it died down, I looked down at my hands, eyeing the paper Fluttershy had written on. I started reading it off: "Thank you, everypony, for showing up and partying your hearts out. I would like to say that I uh... uhm..." My throat tightened up. I can't speak. I try, but I just cluck like a chicken. My heart's starting to pound, and the blood shoots through my arms with the shock of adrenaline causing me to shake. I glance up at the audience. Their eyes are on me. Their stare feels empty, and yet they intimidate me.

       Do they know? Did they hear Thorn Bush's rumors before I set her shop ablaze? No... impossible. Her shop is on the border of town, they shouldn't even know it burned down yet! Their eyes however screech a million accusations at me. "Murderer" they're all saying. "Arsonist!" "Country bumpkin!" "Crazy hillbilly killer!" My eyes feel so wide and my legs feel so twitchy. I've never been scared of people when I've had the advantage over them. I'd have no problem being stuck in a room with three helpless ponies. A crowd this large, though, is impossible to eradicate. I can't use a knife in this situation. I'm defenseless. I'm trapped. My attention turns off myself after I hear someone yell out from the crowd:

       "You can do it, Applejack!"

       I know who's soft voice that is. Fluttershy is in the very back of the crowd, trying to push her way to the front, and she continues to call out. "Everyone loves you Applejack!" I look down at the paper. It looks so much clearer now. The words on the page start connecting in my head. I look at Fluttershy, and she's finally shoved her way to the front. I wink at her, then go back to reading. "Sorry folks, seems like my country brain got a bit side-tracked." I could hear Rarity make a sound of contempt. "I would just like to say, that this town is better than any other town on Earth, am I right?" Just like Fluttershy wrote down on the paper, people cheered after I said that line. I waited for them to settle, then continued. "This town would be nothing without all of us. Without Twlight's books, without my apples..."

       I looked at Rainbow Dash and smirked. "Without Dashy's tricks..." Rainbow Dash shot into the air and screamed at the person next to her. "SHE CALLED ME DASHY! HAHA! I LOVE THAT GIRL!" I looked at Rarity with a smirk as well, but one that was a bit more instigative. "Without Rarity's dresses..." She rolled her eyes. "Without all those things," I said, "this town would not be the same, and it surely wouldn't be as great as it is! I'm so glad you all are having fun, and let's hear it for our town!" The crowd roared like lions and raved with just as much pride and passion.

       The mayor ran up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and she shook my hand with a smile. "Thanks, Applejack. That's why I picked you. Nobody else could have done it!" Then she walked off. Fluttershy rushed onstage to hug me. I didn't expect it, and it made me uneasy. I pulled away from her, a bit uncomfortable. She looked irritated by that, but still congratulated me on my successful speech. There was a minute of awkwardness until she broke and told me: "Well, it's late. I'm going to head home. Bye Applejack." I grabbed her by the back of her hair and she squeaked in pain. "You're not going anywhere out of my sight, girly. You know that. Don't try anything slick either. You're stickin' with me." She swallowed hard, then batted my hand off her hair. "Let go of me! Why can't you just leave me alone? I won't tell anyone!"

       That's when Twilight appeared out of nowhere. Her chuckle startled us both. "Tell anyone what? Do you two have a secret? Come on, you can tell me! You're good friend Twilight!" Fluttershy whimpered, and I noticed that I still had a clump of her hair in my hand, which I dropped quickly before Twilight saw it. "Sorry, can't tell you." She expressed her disappointment, and I asked her what time it was. Her horn sparkled, she must've done some time-checking sort of spell, because that action allowed her to enlighten me with the glorious answer: "4:37 a.m." I yawned and so did Fluttershy. Both of us had put up with a lot today, and you could see it in our dull grey faces, with shadows lying underneath our tired eyes. "I guess we ought to be headin' back! I'm working on something at home. A new shed." Twilight tilted her head to show how interested she was, which annoys me when she does.

       "That's awesome! I'll let you guys go then. Stop by sometime! I've been lonely working on projects all week. Are you guys okay to come over tomorrow, actually? I'd like the company" I get ready to say no, but Fluttershy tells her that we'd both be delighted to come by tomorrow. They agreed on a time, and Twilight left. "Why did you do that, you idiot? I don't wanna go to Twilight's house!" Fluttershy shoots back a glare that I can almost feel cut through my head. "You want to look innocent? Go out more." With that, she turns towards the direction of my house and walks off. I let her go. Before I follow behind, I decide to have a bit of fun. I go to Pinkie's bakery and have her make me one of her Super-Pink Fizzy Drinks.