Flutterheartby BluecatcinemaChaptersMeeting ForrestThree's A CrowdTruth of the HeartLove That LastsMeeting ForrestOn the outskirts of Ponyville, adjacent to the Everfree Forest, was a small cottage belonging to the nature-loving pegasus pony, Fluttershy. It was a particulary windy day, and Fluttershy was doing her best to ensure all her animal friends were safe and comfortable. She placed warm hay around the dens of the weasels and the burrows of the rabbits, and made sure the birds in the tree weren't being buffeted by the strong wind. "Everybody okay?" She asked her feathered friends in her usual soft, almost whisper-like voice. As the birds chirped in the affirmative, she smiled. "I'm so very glad to hear it." Just then, a strong gust of wind blew one of the birds' nests out of the tree, with a pair of eggs inside. "Oh, my!" Gasped Fluttershy. As she dived down to try and catch it, a brown blur suddenly flashed past, grabbing the nest in mid-drop. "Wow, that was a close one." Chuckled the nest-catching pegasus, as he landed at the base of the tree. "Yes, it certainly was." Smiled Fluttershy, descending to the ground. "Thank you..." Fluttershy stopped in mid-sentence as she got a good look at the newcomer. His coat was earth brown, his mane was leaf green, his eyes were sky blue, and his cutie mark was comprised of two crossed leaves. And he was also quite handsome. "You're quite welcome, of course." He smiled. "I'm Forrest. What might your name be?" "Flu... Flutt..." Fluttershy stuttered, completely lovestruck. "Flutter... shy. I'm Fluttershy." "Pleased to meet you, Fluttershy." Forrest smiled. Taking a look around, his gaze settled on her cottage. "Is that your house?" "Yes, it is." Fluttershy nodded, trying her best to maintain a normal conversation. "I know we Pegasi usually live in the clouds, but I much prefer being on the ground, closer to nature." "So do I." Said Forrest. "I live in this little shack on the other side of the Everfree Forest. My Pegasus friends all think I'm weird. And here I thought I was the only one who liked it down here!" "I just love being able to see and play with all the animals here." Smiled Fluttershy. "Me, too!" Chuckled Forrest. "There's this little fieldmouse family in my back yard that I take care of. They just had their second litter. You should see how cute the little mouselings are!" "Would you like to... come inside?" Fluttershy asked bashfully. "I was just about to make some nice herbal tea. Would you care to join me?" "Well, I am feeling a little thirsty..." Forrest admitted. "Sure, why not?" As they entered Fluttershy's cottage, Fluttershy's pet bunny Angel hopped up to them, eyeing the stranger suspiciously. "Angel, this is our guest, Forrest." Smiled Fluttershy. "Say 'hello'." Angel looked at Forrest, then Fluttershy, then back at Forrest. He scowled and gave Forrest an "I'm watching you" gesture. "Oh, I'm afraid Angel sometimes gets like this around new ponies." Sighed Fluttershy. "Don't worry." Smiled Forrest. "I have a way with animals." He scratched behind Angel's ear with his hoof, causing the bunny's scowl to fade, and his whole body to collapse blissfully. "Now that's a good little bunny." Forrest grinned. Impressed, Futtershy smiled as she watched Forrest with Angel. She only broke off her gaze when Forrest realised she was watching, and looked at her with a bemused grin. "I'll go... make the tea, shall I?" She mumbled, blushing madly. As she busied herself with the tea, Forrest took a seat at the kitchen table. A few minutes later, Fluttershy placed two steaming hot cups on the table. "So, what brings you to this side of the Forest?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "Oh, I'm visiting relatives in Ponyville." Forrest replied. "Going to spend a few days getting reacquainted with some distant cousins." "That sounds nice." Smiled Fluttershy. "Yeah, it is." Agreed Forrest. "My friends keep telling me I need to get out more, meet some new ponies. Lucky for me, the first new pony I met was you!" Fluttershy blushed again, hiding her reddened cheeks by taking a large gulp of tea. "After all, we do have a lot in common." Forrest continued. "We both love nature, and animals, and living on the ground. I think we could be really good friends." "Oh, yes." Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "I just love making new friends!" As Forrest finished his tea, he stole a look at a cuckoo clock on the wall. "Oh gosh, is that the time?" He asked panickedly. "I've gotta get going! I was supposed to arrive in Ponyville ten minutes ago. My cousins will be wondering where I am!" "Oh, I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologised. "I didn't mean to delay your arrival..." "That's okay." Smiled Forrest. "I had a wonderful time getting to know you. In fact, I'd like to drop by again tomorrow morning, if that's okay with you." "It's perfectly okay with me." Fluttershy smiled sweetly. "Great." Grinned Forrest. "I'll see you then. And thanks for the tea!" As he made for the door, Forrest made a brief stop to scratch Angel's ear before continuing his departure. Fluttershy watched from the window as Forrest flew off in the direction of the Ponyville. When she was absolutely sure he was out earshot, she emitted an ear-piercing squeal. "He had a wonderful time with me!" She squealed. "Me! Eeeee!" Angel pressed his ears against the side of his head, rolling his eyes as he did. Three's A CrowdThe next day, Fluttershy woke up at the crack of dawn, irrationally believing that Forrest's promise to come by in the morning could mean that he would come by at the very beginning of the morning. She knew it was silly, but she wasn't about to take the chance of being wrong. Eventually, Fluttershy grew tired of pacing around her living room while Angel shook his head despairingly, and decided to get started on her morning routine of bringing food to all the animals that lived around her cottage. She brought the rabbits some carrots, the otters some fish, and even brought the birds some worms (which she carried up in her mouth). As she was just in the middle of "handing off" the worms, Forrest finally arrived. "Hi." He smiled awkwardly, taking in the unusual sight. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" "Oh, no." Fluttershy blushed. "Just... bringing my little feathered friends their breakfast." "Oh, I see." Forrest nodded. "There aren't too many trees around my place. At least, not ones that birds live in..." "Would you like to meet them?" Fluttershy asked. "Okay." Forrest chuckled. "Everyone, this is Forrest." Fluttershy told the myriad avian species nesting in the tree. "Why don't you sing him your little welcome song?" The birds complied, chirping a beautiful melody. "Wow." Forrest applauded lightly. "That was amazing." "Thank you." Fluttershy blushed. "I taught them that." "Well then, you are an excellent teacher." Forrest smiled. "And I thought I had a way with animals." "Oh, it's nothing, really." Fluttershy blushed harder, hiding her face under her long pink mane. "It just takes a little time and patience. Anypony could do it." "I highly doubt that." Forrest shook his head, gently pushing aside a long strand of mane from Fluttershy's face. "Because you are one very special pony, miss Fluttershy." "Oh, thank you..." Fluttershy practically whispered, rubbing her shoulder humbly. "And I think... you're quite special, too..." Forrest's response was a warm smile. Fluttershy felt herself becoming weak at the knees, and was quite grateful that she was still in the sky, as she felt that if she was on the ground, she could very well collapse. For a moment, the two pegasi just hovered there, wings flapping lightly, until an approaching sound captured their attention. "Aaaaahhhh!" Came a half-jubilant, half-terrified scream, as a blue streak crashed into the ground at the base of the tree. "Ouch..." Groaned the cyan pegasus pony with a rainbow colored mane as she clambered to her hooves. "Sure didn't stick that landing..." "Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, as she and Forrest landed next to her. "I'm fine." Rainbow shrugged. "Just misjudged the angle of my dive, is all." Rainbow then noticed Forrest. "Ain't ya gonna introduce me to your new friend, there?" She asked. "Oh, of course." Fluttershy realised. "Rainbow Dash, this is Forrest. Forrest, this is Rainbow Dash, one of my oldest and dearest friends." "Nice to meet you." Rainbow smiled. "Same here." Forrest nodded. "If I may ask, what exactly were you doing up there?" "Oh, I was just practising a new move." Rainbow boasted. "If I want to make it into the Wonderbolts, I've gotta have the best tricks." The Wonderbolts were Equestria's premier pegasus aerobatics team, admired and celebrated across the land. "The Wonderbolts?" Forrest asked. "You're a fan of the Wonderbolts?" "Ever since I was a filly." Rainbow smiled proudly. "I've been following them since I was a colt!" Forrest cheered. "I even have their poster on my wall!" "You've got good taste, my friend." Rainbow smirked. "And you must be one heck of a flyer, if you're planning on actually joining them." Forrest said. "I'm not that good at the whole 'aerial acrobatics' thing, myself." "Isn't this nice?" Fluttershy interjected. "You've got something in common. What do you say we all..." "Wanna see some of my best moves?" Asked Rainbow, cutting Fluttershy off. "Why not?" Smiled Forrest. "I'm in the mood for a little air show right now." "Then let's go!" Whooped Rainbow, flying up into the sky. "Come on, Fluttershy." Forrest urged. "Oh... okay." Mumbled Fluttershy, who was beginning to feel like a third wheel. "Check this out!" Declared Rainbow, as the tomboyish pegasus went into a series of barrel rolls and loop-de-loops. "Not bad." Smiled Forrest. "The last time I saw a pegasus move around like that was when my brother got a burr caught in his wing!" "Funny." Smirked Rainbow, her rose-colored eyes sparkling with defiance. "See how funny you think this is!" Swerving downward, Rainbow gathered some dew from a nearby tree onto her wings, flew back up, spun around, then opened her wings, spraying the dew so finely that it formed a miniature rainbow. "Whoa!" Cheered Forrest, clapping his hooves together. "Now, that's impressive!" "Better believe it!" Sniggered the smug Rainbow. Upon seeing the awestruck expression on Forrest's face, Fluttershy was suddenly resentful of Rainbow for butting in. 'Why does she have have to be such a show-off?' She thought, feeling a level of bile in her throat that she had never felt before. 'She just always has to be the center of attention, doesn't she?' After a few more moves, the exhausted Rainbow returned to the ground, Forrest and Fluttershy following her. "Impressive." Nodded Forrest admiringly. "You're Wonderbolts material, alright." "Like there was ever any doubt." Rainbow boasted. "Always nice to meet somepony who recognises my talents." Forrest's stomach started to grumble. "Oh, look at that." He declared sheepishly. "Lunchtime." "I could fix you something inside, if you'd like." Fluttershy offered, pointing toward the cottage. "Sorry, I can't stay." Sighed Forrest. "I'm supposed to cooking lunch for me and my cousins today. Some other time, kay?" "Okay." Sighed Fluttershy, disappointed. "I'll see you later." Forrest smiled as he started to fly away. "Later, Dash!" "Later, flyboy." Rainbow waved after him, before turning to Fluttershy. "Boy, that Forrest sure is something, isn't he?" "Yes, he is." Fluttershy agreed, before growling under her breath "And I saw him first." Truth of the HeartThe next morning, Fluttershy was making her way through Ponyville, having made her weekly visit to the veterinarian's to stock up on animal medicine. None of her charges was ill, or even off-color, but the nature-loving pegasus wanted to be prepared. As she walked through the streets, she spotted Forrest talking with Rainbow Dash. As Fluttershy approached them, she heard Forrest laughing at something Rainbow had said, and felt a powerful twinge of jealousy. "And that really happened?" Forrest chuckled. "Hoof to Celestia." Rainbow smirked, before noticing Fluttershy. "Hey, Fluttershy." "Hello Forrest, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy spoke Rainbow's name like it was a sour taste on her tongue. "What are you talking about?" "Oh, I'm just telling Forrest about the time we all got messed up by the poison joke." Rainbow explained. "Remember that big, deep voice it gave you?" "Oh, of course..." Fluttershy blushed, very aware of Forrest sniggering slightly. "Come on, Forrest." Rainbow opened her wings. "We've got a skyball game to get to." Skyball was a popular game among pegasus ponies. It was similar to basketball, but took place in the sky, with the object being to throw the ball through hoops fashioned from clouds. "I love a good game of S-ball." Smiled Forrest. "Me, too." Fluttershy suddenly chipped in. "You do?" Rainbow tilted her head in disbelief. "Since when?" "Since always!" Fluttershy growled at her. "Great!" Cheered Forrest, oblivious of the daggers Fluttershy was staring at Rainbow. "Then we can all play together!" After making a quick stop at the cottage to drop off her animal medicines, Fluttershy joined Forrest and Rainbow at the skyball "field", a stretch of sky east of Ponyville. Many of Ponyville's pegasi residents were also participating in the game, such as Cloud Kicker, Ditzy Doo, and Wind Whistler. As the pegasi gathered together, the teams were picked. "Forrest, would you like to be on my team?" Fluttershy asked him just before Rainbow did. "Sure." Smiled Forrest. Fluttershy shot Rainbow a triumphant, mocking grin, leaving the her scratching her head in confusion. As the teams gathered on the center of the "court", Wind Whistler, the designated referee, blew her trusty whistle and threw the ball into the air. Rainbow dashed up and caught it, sped around her competition, tossed the ball up into the air, then turned and kicked it with her back legs, straight into the opposing team's hoop. "She's good." Forrest declared, showing good sportsponyship. "Lucky shot." Fluttershy scoffed, showing bad sportsponyship. And so, the game continued. Fluttershy, who had never actually played skyball before, flew around madly, attempting to grab the ball and score as often as possible. Unfortunately, due to her general lack of skill in the game, she wasn't having much luck. Rainbow, on the other, was highly skilled in the ways of skyball, and made one incredible score after another. After one of her grandstanding maneouvres went awry, she fell over backwards, and the chivalrous Forrest caught her in his forelegs. "Thanks, Forrest." Rainbow smiled. "My pleasure." Forrest smiled back. As Fluttershy watched from above, her usually cyan eyes gleamed a deep green. After that, Fluttershy's playing became more and more frenzied. As she leapt into the fray once more, the inevitable happened: She accidentally took the ball to her face rather then her hooves, and, losing consciousness, dropped out of the sky. "Fluttershy!" Forrest cried out. "I'll get her!" Declared Rainbow. Rainbow dived down, as fast as she could, hoping to catch her before she hit the ground. However, she did not have to, as a tall tree broke Fluttershy's fall, the numerous branches acting as a makeshift, albeit painful, safety net. "Fluttershy!" Rainbow called as she flew down to the tree. "You okay?" "I'm fine." Groaned Fluttershy, batting away Rainbow's helping hoof. "And I don't help from the likes of you." "Okay, that is it!" Rainbow exploded. "What the hay is up with you? You've been acting weird all day. Why?" "Because you've been trying your absolute best to take him for yourself!" Fluttershy spat irrationally. "Take who?" Rainbow asked, completely bewildered. "Forrest!" Fluttershy snarled, her voice reaching a volume it hardly ever did. "You've been trying to entice him with your showing-off since you first met, and it's not fair, because I saw him first!" "Wait, you think I... with Forrest!" Rainbow guffawed. "Wrong, sister! I mean, sure, he's a great guy and all, but he's not what I'd think of as coltfriend material." "He's not?" Fluttershy cocked her head in disbelief. "And even if I did, I wouldn't just steal him from under you like that." Rainbow continued. "I'd never do that to a friend." Fluttershy felt ashamed of herself, not only for victimising Rainbow over something she hadn't even done, but because she had just blurted out her secret feelings for Forrest. "I'm sorry, Rainbow." Fluttershy cringed. "I just... I didn't..." "Forget about it." Rainbow waved her hoof. "Let's just chalk it up to experience and move on." "Rainbow? Fluttershy?" Called Forrest, as he flew down to see what was taking them so long. "Is everything okay?" "Everything's fine." Said Rainbow. "The tree broke her fall." "Oh, good." Forrest sighed in relief. "You had me worried there." "I did?" Fluttershy smiled. "Forrest, Fluttershy has something to tell you." Rainbow blurted out. "I do?" Fluttershy asked. "Yes, you do." Rainbow nudged Fluttershy towards a bemused Forrest. "Go for it. Tell 'im, already!" Fluttershy was not good at expressing herself. But, as she looked at Forrest's expectant smile, she found the strength to say what she needed to say. "Forrest, I... like you. I really like you. A whole lot." Fluttershy declared. "You're sweet, kind and handsome. You're the pegasus of my dreams." "You... really mean that?" Forrest asked. "Yes." Sighed Fluttershy, expecting rejection. "Funny, I feel the exact same way about you." Forrest chuckled. "You do?" Fluttershy gasped. "Ever since we first met." Forrest admitted. "But I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I'm not really good with mares, especially ones as pretty as you." "Oh, thank you." Fluttershy blushed deeper then she had ever done before. For a moment, the two just flapped there, smiling awkwardly. Rainbow shook her head. "Do I have to do everything myself?" She asked, before gently nudging Fluttershy toward Forrest, causing their lips to meet. For a moment, the two pegasi's eyes were wide with shock. Then they closed, as the two wrapped their forelegs around each other and kissed deeper. "Don't ever say I didn't do anything for ya, Fluttershy." Rainbow smirked. "What's going on down there?" Asked Wind Whistler, poking her head through the clouds. "I'm afraid we've had an injury." Said Rainbow. "Fluttershy's hurt her ankle, and Forrest is gonna take her back to her cottage to rest." "But I'm not..." Fluttershy protested, before Forrest hoisted her up in his forelegs. "Never mind..." She said dreamily, gazing deeply into his blue eyes. "Thanks, Dash." Forrest winked as he carried Fluttershy to her cottage. "Hey, what are friends for?" Rainbow shrugged. Love That LastsAfter Forrest brought Fluttershy back to her cottage to "recuperate", Fluttershy decided to treat her new-found love with a song. She sang an ancient medly, well-known to ponies throughout Equestria, to the point where it was practically considered to be their national anthem, and which she often sang while cleaning, or harmonising with her bird friends, especially the hummingbird Hummingway. Forrest listened to her song with awe and wonder, having never heard such beautiful sounds before. "Wow." He whispered, as Fluttershy finished. "That was incredible. Figures you'd have a beautiful voice to match that beautiful face of yours." "Oh, Forrest." Fluttershy blushed, joining her paramour on the couch. "You're so sweet." "Not as sweet as you." Forrest replied, nuzzling his nose against hers. Angel promptly gagged on his carrot. The pair had only been back for an hour, but their saccharine antics had already nauseated the less-cute-on-the-inside-then-the-out bunny beyond belief. "This is wonderful." Smiled Fluttershy, kissing Forrest on the cheek. "You're wonderful." "So are you." Forrest smiled back. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a marefriend, and now I know." "You've never had a marefriend before?" Fluttershy asked increduously. "Never." Admitted Forrest. "Growing up, I was always kinda shy. I never had the courage to ask another pony out on a date." "Me too." Said Fluttershy. "I've never had a coltfriend... until today." "That's why we're so good for each other." Smiled Forrest. "We've got so much in common." Up until now, Fluttershy's mind had been swimming in happiness, but it suddenly registered something. "Didn't you say you were only visiting Ponyville?" Inquired Fluttershy. "What happens when you have to go home?" "Don't worry." Smiled Forrest. "Like I told you when we first met: I live right on the other side of the Everfree Forest. I could fly from there to here in... twenty minutes, tops!" "And maybe I can come over to your little shack sometimes." Fluttershy said hopefully. "You sure can." Agreed Forrest. "So you see, my leaving Ponyville isn't the end of the world. We can still see each other all the time." "That's good." Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think that I was going to lose you, right after I just found you." "Never gonna happen." Forrest whispered, kissing Fluttershy once more. "And even better, my cousins won't be needing me back until way later tonight, so I can stick around here for as long as I like... and as long as you'd like." "Oh, goody..." Fluttershy giggled. As the day wore on, the two enjoyed their company more and more. After sharing a romantic dinner, the two then went outside and looked up at the clear night skies together, taking in the awe-inspiring sight of the stars above Equestria. It was almost as if Princess Luna herself had arranged this perfect night, just for the two of them. It was with a heavy heart that Forrest finally decided it was time for him to head back to his cousins'. Sharing one last kiss, he flew home, leaving Fluttershy both happy and sad at the same time. The next morning, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came into Ponyville to see Forrest off, his visit to his cousins having come to an end. "See ya 'round, flyboy." Said Rainbow, sharing a "high hoof" with him. "Stay cool, Dash." Forrest smiled. "And good luck with the Wonderbolts." "With skill like mine, who needs luck?" Boasted Rainbow. Forrest and Fluttershy embraced each other. "Come and visit soon." Fluttershy whispered. "Oh, I will." Chuckled Forrest. "Wild dragons couldn't keep me away!" The two shared one last kiss, before Forrest took off into the wild blue yonder. As she watched her love vanish into the horizon, Fluttershy shed a single tear. "Missin' him already, huh?" Rainbow asked kindly. "Come on. Let's go get some some hay smoothies. My treat." "Oh, that's not necessary." Protested Fluttershy. "I'll pay. It's the least I can do after the horrible way I treated you yesterday." "Forget it." Shrugged Rainbow. "Let's just let bygones be bygones. I'll pay. I insist." "No, I insist." Fluttershy retorted. "No, I insist." Rainbow shot back. The two continued their arguing all the way to the local café, where they eventually compromised by paying for each others' drinks. As they drank their beverages, Fluttershy's thoughts once again drifted towards Forrest, and she starting gazing dreanily into space, sucking on her straw long after she had drained the cup. "Thinking about 'him' again, are we?" Smirked Rainbow. "Girl, you've got it bad." "And it feels so good." Smiled Fluttershy contentedly. The End.
Meeting ForrestOn the outskirts of Ponyville, adjacent to the Everfree Forest, was a small cottage belonging to the nature-loving pegasus pony, Fluttershy. It was a particulary windy day, and Fluttershy was doing her best to ensure all her animal friends were safe and comfortable. She placed warm hay around the dens of the weasels and the burrows of the rabbits, and made sure the birds in the tree weren't being buffeted by the strong wind. "Everybody okay?" She asked her feathered friends in her usual soft, almost whisper-like voice. As the birds chirped in the affirmative, she smiled. "I'm so very glad to hear it." Just then, a strong gust of wind blew one of the birds' nests out of the tree, with a pair of eggs inside. "Oh, my!" Gasped Fluttershy. As she dived down to try and catch it, a brown blur suddenly flashed past, grabbing the nest in mid-drop. "Wow, that was a close one." Chuckled the nest-catching pegasus, as he landed at the base of the tree. "Yes, it certainly was." Smiled Fluttershy, descending to the ground. "Thank you..." Fluttershy stopped in mid-sentence as she got a good look at the newcomer. His coat was earth brown, his mane was leaf green, his eyes were sky blue, and his cutie mark was comprised of two crossed leaves. And he was also quite handsome. "You're quite welcome, of course." He smiled. "I'm Forrest. What might your name be?" "Flu... Flutt..." Fluttershy stuttered, completely lovestruck. "Flutter... shy. I'm Fluttershy." "Pleased to meet you, Fluttershy." Forrest smiled. Taking a look around, his gaze settled on her cottage. "Is that your house?" "Yes, it is." Fluttershy nodded, trying her best to maintain a normal conversation. "I know we Pegasi usually live in the clouds, but I much prefer being on the ground, closer to nature." "So do I." Said Forrest. "I live in this little shack on the other side of the Everfree Forest. My Pegasus friends all think I'm weird. And here I thought I was the only one who liked it down here!" "I just love being able to see and play with all the animals here." Smiled Fluttershy. "Me, too!" Chuckled Forrest. "There's this little fieldmouse family in my back yard that I take care of. They just had their second litter. You should see how cute the little mouselings are!" "Would you like to... come inside?" Fluttershy asked bashfully. "I was just about to make some nice herbal tea. Would you care to join me?" "Well, I am feeling a little thirsty..." Forrest admitted. "Sure, why not?" As they entered Fluttershy's cottage, Fluttershy's pet bunny Angel hopped up to them, eyeing the stranger suspiciously. "Angel, this is our guest, Forrest." Smiled Fluttershy. "Say 'hello'." Angel looked at Forrest, then Fluttershy, then back at Forrest. He scowled and gave Forrest an "I'm watching you" gesture. "Oh, I'm afraid Angel sometimes gets like this around new ponies." Sighed Fluttershy. "Don't worry." Smiled Forrest. "I have a way with animals." He scratched behind Angel's ear with his hoof, causing the bunny's scowl to fade, and his whole body to collapse blissfully. "Now that's a good little bunny." Forrest grinned. Impressed, Futtershy smiled as she watched Forrest with Angel. She only broke off her gaze when Forrest realised she was watching, and looked at her with a bemused grin. "I'll go... make the tea, shall I?" She mumbled, blushing madly. As she busied herself with the tea, Forrest took a seat at the kitchen table. A few minutes later, Fluttershy placed two steaming hot cups on the table. "So, what brings you to this side of the Forest?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "Oh, I'm visiting relatives in Ponyville." Forrest replied. "Going to spend a few days getting reacquainted with some distant cousins." "That sounds nice." Smiled Fluttershy. "Yeah, it is." Agreed Forrest. "My friends keep telling me I need to get out more, meet some new ponies. Lucky for me, the first new pony I met was you!" Fluttershy blushed again, hiding her reddened cheeks by taking a large gulp of tea. "After all, we do have a lot in common." Forrest continued. "We both love nature, and animals, and living on the ground. I think we could be really good friends." "Oh, yes." Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "I just love making new friends!" As Forrest finished his tea, he stole a look at a cuckoo clock on the wall. "Oh gosh, is that the time?" He asked panickedly. "I've gotta get going! I was supposed to arrive in Ponyville ten minutes ago. My cousins will be wondering where I am!" "Oh, I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologised. "I didn't mean to delay your arrival..." "That's okay." Smiled Forrest. "I had a wonderful time getting to know you. In fact, I'd like to drop by again tomorrow morning, if that's okay with you." "It's perfectly okay with me." Fluttershy smiled sweetly. "Great." Grinned Forrest. "I'll see you then. And thanks for the tea!" As he made for the door, Forrest made a brief stop to scratch Angel's ear before continuing his departure. Fluttershy watched from the window as Forrest flew off in the direction of the Ponyville. When she was absolutely sure he was out earshot, she emitted an ear-piercing squeal. "He had a wonderful time with me!" She squealed. "Me! Eeeee!" Angel pressed his ears against the side of his head, rolling his eyes as he did.
Three's A CrowdThe next day, Fluttershy woke up at the crack of dawn, irrationally believing that Forrest's promise to come by in the morning could mean that he would come by at the very beginning of the morning. She knew it was silly, but she wasn't about to take the chance of being wrong. Eventually, Fluttershy grew tired of pacing around her living room while Angel shook his head despairingly, and decided to get started on her morning routine of bringing food to all the animals that lived around her cottage. She brought the rabbits some carrots, the otters some fish, and even brought the birds some worms (which she carried up in her mouth). As she was just in the middle of "handing off" the worms, Forrest finally arrived. "Hi." He smiled awkwardly, taking in the unusual sight. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" "Oh, no." Fluttershy blushed. "Just... bringing my little feathered friends their breakfast." "Oh, I see." Forrest nodded. "There aren't too many trees around my place. At least, not ones that birds live in..." "Would you like to meet them?" Fluttershy asked. "Okay." Forrest chuckled. "Everyone, this is Forrest." Fluttershy told the myriad avian species nesting in the tree. "Why don't you sing him your little welcome song?" The birds complied, chirping a beautiful melody. "Wow." Forrest applauded lightly. "That was amazing." "Thank you." Fluttershy blushed. "I taught them that." "Well then, you are an excellent teacher." Forrest smiled. "And I thought I had a way with animals." "Oh, it's nothing, really." Fluttershy blushed harder, hiding her face under her long pink mane. "It just takes a little time and patience. Anypony could do it." "I highly doubt that." Forrest shook his head, gently pushing aside a long strand of mane from Fluttershy's face. "Because you are one very special pony, miss Fluttershy." "Oh, thank you..." Fluttershy practically whispered, rubbing her shoulder humbly. "And I think... you're quite special, too..." Forrest's response was a warm smile. Fluttershy felt herself becoming weak at the knees, and was quite grateful that she was still in the sky, as she felt that if she was on the ground, she could very well collapse. For a moment, the two pegasi just hovered there, wings flapping lightly, until an approaching sound captured their attention. "Aaaaahhhh!" Came a half-jubilant, half-terrified scream, as a blue streak crashed into the ground at the base of the tree. "Ouch..." Groaned the cyan pegasus pony with a rainbow colored mane as she clambered to her hooves. "Sure didn't stick that landing..." "Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, as she and Forrest landed next to her. "I'm fine." Rainbow shrugged. "Just misjudged the angle of my dive, is all." Rainbow then noticed Forrest. "Ain't ya gonna introduce me to your new friend, there?" She asked. "Oh, of course." Fluttershy realised. "Rainbow Dash, this is Forrest. Forrest, this is Rainbow Dash, one of my oldest and dearest friends." "Nice to meet you." Rainbow smiled. "Same here." Forrest nodded. "If I may ask, what exactly were you doing up there?" "Oh, I was just practising a new move." Rainbow boasted. "If I want to make it into the Wonderbolts, I've gotta have the best tricks." The Wonderbolts were Equestria's premier pegasus aerobatics team, admired and celebrated across the land. "The Wonderbolts?" Forrest asked. "You're a fan of the Wonderbolts?" "Ever since I was a filly." Rainbow smiled proudly. "I've been following them since I was a colt!" Forrest cheered. "I even have their poster on my wall!" "You've got good taste, my friend." Rainbow smirked. "And you must be one heck of a flyer, if you're planning on actually joining them." Forrest said. "I'm not that good at the whole 'aerial acrobatics' thing, myself." "Isn't this nice?" Fluttershy interjected. "You've got something in common. What do you say we all..." "Wanna see some of my best moves?" Asked Rainbow, cutting Fluttershy off. "Why not?" Smiled Forrest. "I'm in the mood for a little air show right now." "Then let's go!" Whooped Rainbow, flying up into the sky. "Come on, Fluttershy." Forrest urged. "Oh... okay." Mumbled Fluttershy, who was beginning to feel like a third wheel. "Check this out!" Declared Rainbow, as the tomboyish pegasus went into a series of barrel rolls and loop-de-loops. "Not bad." Smiled Forrest. "The last time I saw a pegasus move around like that was when my brother got a burr caught in his wing!" "Funny." Smirked Rainbow, her rose-colored eyes sparkling with defiance. "See how funny you think this is!" Swerving downward, Rainbow gathered some dew from a nearby tree onto her wings, flew back up, spun around, then opened her wings, spraying the dew so finely that it formed a miniature rainbow. "Whoa!" Cheered Forrest, clapping his hooves together. "Now, that's impressive!" "Better believe it!" Sniggered the smug Rainbow. Upon seeing the awestruck expression on Forrest's face, Fluttershy was suddenly resentful of Rainbow for butting in. 'Why does she have have to be such a show-off?' She thought, feeling a level of bile in her throat that she had never felt before. 'She just always has to be the center of attention, doesn't she?' After a few more moves, the exhausted Rainbow returned to the ground, Forrest and Fluttershy following her. "Impressive." Nodded Forrest admiringly. "You're Wonderbolts material, alright." "Like there was ever any doubt." Rainbow boasted. "Always nice to meet somepony who recognises my talents." Forrest's stomach started to grumble. "Oh, look at that." He declared sheepishly. "Lunchtime." "I could fix you something inside, if you'd like." Fluttershy offered, pointing toward the cottage. "Sorry, I can't stay." Sighed Forrest. "I'm supposed to cooking lunch for me and my cousins today. Some other time, kay?" "Okay." Sighed Fluttershy, disappointed. "I'll see you later." Forrest smiled as he started to fly away. "Later, Dash!" "Later, flyboy." Rainbow waved after him, before turning to Fluttershy. "Boy, that Forrest sure is something, isn't he?" "Yes, he is." Fluttershy agreed, before growling under her breath "And I saw him first."
Truth of the HeartThe next morning, Fluttershy was making her way through Ponyville, having made her weekly visit to the veterinarian's to stock up on animal medicine. None of her charges was ill, or even off-color, but the nature-loving pegasus wanted to be prepared. As she walked through the streets, she spotted Forrest talking with Rainbow Dash. As Fluttershy approached them, she heard Forrest laughing at something Rainbow had said, and felt a powerful twinge of jealousy. "And that really happened?" Forrest chuckled. "Hoof to Celestia." Rainbow smirked, before noticing Fluttershy. "Hey, Fluttershy." "Hello Forrest, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy spoke Rainbow's name like it was a sour taste on her tongue. "What are you talking about?" "Oh, I'm just telling Forrest about the time we all got messed up by the poison joke." Rainbow explained. "Remember that big, deep voice it gave you?" "Oh, of course..." Fluttershy blushed, very aware of Forrest sniggering slightly. "Come on, Forrest." Rainbow opened her wings. "We've got a skyball game to get to." Skyball was a popular game among pegasus ponies. It was similar to basketball, but took place in the sky, with the object being to throw the ball through hoops fashioned from clouds. "I love a good game of S-ball." Smiled Forrest. "Me, too." Fluttershy suddenly chipped in. "You do?" Rainbow tilted her head in disbelief. "Since when?" "Since always!" Fluttershy growled at her. "Great!" Cheered Forrest, oblivious of the daggers Fluttershy was staring at Rainbow. "Then we can all play together!" After making a quick stop at the cottage to drop off her animal medicines, Fluttershy joined Forrest and Rainbow at the skyball "field", a stretch of sky east of Ponyville. Many of Ponyville's pegasi residents were also participating in the game, such as Cloud Kicker, Ditzy Doo, and Wind Whistler. As the pegasi gathered together, the teams were picked. "Forrest, would you like to be on my team?" Fluttershy asked him just before Rainbow did. "Sure." Smiled Forrest. Fluttershy shot Rainbow a triumphant, mocking grin, leaving the her scratching her head in confusion. As the teams gathered on the center of the "court", Wind Whistler, the designated referee, blew her trusty whistle and threw the ball into the air. Rainbow dashed up and caught it, sped around her competition, tossed the ball up into the air, then turned and kicked it with her back legs, straight into the opposing team's hoop. "She's good." Forrest declared, showing good sportsponyship. "Lucky shot." Fluttershy scoffed, showing bad sportsponyship. And so, the game continued. Fluttershy, who had never actually played skyball before, flew around madly, attempting to grab the ball and score as often as possible. Unfortunately, due to her general lack of skill in the game, she wasn't having much luck. Rainbow, on the other, was highly skilled in the ways of skyball, and made one incredible score after another. After one of her grandstanding maneouvres went awry, she fell over backwards, and the chivalrous Forrest caught her in his forelegs. "Thanks, Forrest." Rainbow smiled. "My pleasure." Forrest smiled back. As Fluttershy watched from above, her usually cyan eyes gleamed a deep green. After that, Fluttershy's playing became more and more frenzied. As she leapt into the fray once more, the inevitable happened: She accidentally took the ball to her face rather then her hooves, and, losing consciousness, dropped out of the sky. "Fluttershy!" Forrest cried out. "I'll get her!" Declared Rainbow. Rainbow dived down, as fast as she could, hoping to catch her before she hit the ground. However, she did not have to, as a tall tree broke Fluttershy's fall, the numerous branches acting as a makeshift, albeit painful, safety net. "Fluttershy!" Rainbow called as she flew down to the tree. "You okay?" "I'm fine." Groaned Fluttershy, batting away Rainbow's helping hoof. "And I don't help from the likes of you." "Okay, that is it!" Rainbow exploded. "What the hay is up with you? You've been acting weird all day. Why?" "Because you've been trying your absolute best to take him for yourself!" Fluttershy spat irrationally. "Take who?" Rainbow asked, completely bewildered. "Forrest!" Fluttershy snarled, her voice reaching a volume it hardly ever did. "You've been trying to entice him with your showing-off since you first met, and it's not fair, because I saw him first!" "Wait, you think I... with Forrest!" Rainbow guffawed. "Wrong, sister! I mean, sure, he's a great guy and all, but he's not what I'd think of as coltfriend material." "He's not?" Fluttershy cocked her head in disbelief. "And even if I did, I wouldn't just steal him from under you like that." Rainbow continued. "I'd never do that to a friend." Fluttershy felt ashamed of herself, not only for victimising Rainbow over something she hadn't even done, but because she had just blurted out her secret feelings for Forrest. "I'm sorry, Rainbow." Fluttershy cringed. "I just... I didn't..." "Forget about it." Rainbow waved her hoof. "Let's just chalk it up to experience and move on." "Rainbow? Fluttershy?" Called Forrest, as he flew down to see what was taking them so long. "Is everything okay?" "Everything's fine." Said Rainbow. "The tree broke her fall." "Oh, good." Forrest sighed in relief. "You had me worried there." "I did?" Fluttershy smiled. "Forrest, Fluttershy has something to tell you." Rainbow blurted out. "I do?" Fluttershy asked. "Yes, you do." Rainbow nudged Fluttershy towards a bemused Forrest. "Go for it. Tell 'im, already!" Fluttershy was not good at expressing herself. But, as she looked at Forrest's expectant smile, she found the strength to say what she needed to say. "Forrest, I... like you. I really like you. A whole lot." Fluttershy declared. "You're sweet, kind and handsome. You're the pegasus of my dreams." "You... really mean that?" Forrest asked. "Yes." Sighed Fluttershy, expecting rejection. "Funny, I feel the exact same way about you." Forrest chuckled. "You do?" Fluttershy gasped. "Ever since we first met." Forrest admitted. "But I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I'm not really good with mares, especially ones as pretty as you." "Oh, thank you." Fluttershy blushed deeper then she had ever done before. For a moment, the two just flapped there, smiling awkwardly. Rainbow shook her head. "Do I have to do everything myself?" She asked, before gently nudging Fluttershy toward Forrest, causing their lips to meet. For a moment, the two pegasi's eyes were wide with shock. Then they closed, as the two wrapped their forelegs around each other and kissed deeper. "Don't ever say I didn't do anything for ya, Fluttershy." Rainbow smirked. "What's going on down there?" Asked Wind Whistler, poking her head through the clouds. "I'm afraid we've had an injury." Said Rainbow. "Fluttershy's hurt her ankle, and Forrest is gonna take her back to her cottage to rest." "But I'm not..." Fluttershy protested, before Forrest hoisted her up in his forelegs. "Never mind..." She said dreamily, gazing deeply into his blue eyes. "Thanks, Dash." Forrest winked as he carried Fluttershy to her cottage. "Hey, what are friends for?" Rainbow shrugged.
Love That LastsAfter Forrest brought Fluttershy back to her cottage to "recuperate", Fluttershy decided to treat her new-found love with a song. She sang an ancient medly, well-known to ponies throughout Equestria, to the point where it was practically considered to be their national anthem, and which she often sang while cleaning, or harmonising with her bird friends, especially the hummingbird Hummingway. Forrest listened to her song with awe and wonder, having never heard such beautiful sounds before. "Wow." He whispered, as Fluttershy finished. "That was incredible. Figures you'd have a beautiful voice to match that beautiful face of yours." "Oh, Forrest." Fluttershy blushed, joining her paramour on the couch. "You're so sweet." "Not as sweet as you." Forrest replied, nuzzling his nose against hers. Angel promptly gagged on his carrot. The pair had only been back for an hour, but their saccharine antics had already nauseated the less-cute-on-the-inside-then-the-out bunny beyond belief. "This is wonderful." Smiled Fluttershy, kissing Forrest on the cheek. "You're wonderful." "So are you." Forrest smiled back. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a marefriend, and now I know." "You've never had a marefriend before?" Fluttershy asked increduously. "Never." Admitted Forrest. "Growing up, I was always kinda shy. I never had the courage to ask another pony out on a date." "Me too." Said Fluttershy. "I've never had a coltfriend... until today." "That's why we're so good for each other." Smiled Forrest. "We've got so much in common." Up until now, Fluttershy's mind had been swimming in happiness, but it suddenly registered something. "Didn't you say you were only visiting Ponyville?" Inquired Fluttershy. "What happens when you have to go home?" "Don't worry." Smiled Forrest. "Like I told you when we first met: I live right on the other side of the Everfree Forest. I could fly from there to here in... twenty minutes, tops!" "And maybe I can come over to your little shack sometimes." Fluttershy said hopefully. "You sure can." Agreed Forrest. "So you see, my leaving Ponyville isn't the end of the world. We can still see each other all the time." "That's good." Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think that I was going to lose you, right after I just found you." "Never gonna happen." Forrest whispered, kissing Fluttershy once more. "And even better, my cousins won't be needing me back until way later tonight, so I can stick around here for as long as I like... and as long as you'd like." "Oh, goody..." Fluttershy giggled. As the day wore on, the two enjoyed their company more and more. After sharing a romantic dinner, the two then went outside and looked up at the clear night skies together, taking in the awe-inspiring sight of the stars above Equestria. It was almost as if Princess Luna herself had arranged this perfect night, just for the two of them. It was with a heavy heart that Forrest finally decided it was time for him to head back to his cousins'. Sharing one last kiss, he flew home, leaving Fluttershy both happy and sad at the same time. The next morning, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came into Ponyville to see Forrest off, his visit to his cousins having come to an end. "See ya 'round, flyboy." Said Rainbow, sharing a "high hoof" with him. "Stay cool, Dash." Forrest smiled. "And good luck with the Wonderbolts." "With skill like mine, who needs luck?" Boasted Rainbow. Forrest and Fluttershy embraced each other. "Come and visit soon." Fluttershy whispered. "Oh, I will." Chuckled Forrest. "Wild dragons couldn't keep me away!" The two shared one last kiss, before Forrest took off into the wild blue yonder. As she watched her love vanish into the horizon, Fluttershy shed a single tear. "Missin' him already, huh?" Rainbow asked kindly. "Come on. Let's go get some some hay smoothies. My treat." "Oh, that's not necessary." Protested Fluttershy. "I'll pay. It's the least I can do after the horrible way I treated you yesterday." "Forget it." Shrugged Rainbow. "Let's just let bygones be bygones. I'll pay. I insist." "No, I insist." Fluttershy retorted. "No, I insist." Rainbow shot back. The two continued their arguing all the way to the local café, where they eventually compromised by paying for each others' drinks. As they drank their beverages, Fluttershy's thoughts once again drifted towards Forrest, and she starting gazing dreanily into space, sucking on her straw long after she had drained the cup. "Thinking about 'him' again, are we?" Smirked Rainbow. "Girl, you've got it bad." "And it feels so good." Smiled Fluttershy contentedly. The End.
