The Road to Romance

Chapters

...Was Laid By Inexperienced Workers
...Is Paved With Bad Advice
...Has A Detour Or Three
...Leads To Really Awkward Dates
...Is Best Traveled With Someone You Trust
...Has a Speed Limit
...Can Give You the Wrong Idea
...Has a Misleading Sign or Two
...Can Cause Rifts Between Travelers
...Is a Dangerous Road to Travel By
...Is a Worthwhile Journey

...Was Laid By Inexperienced Workers

"...okay?"

Fluttershy broke from her momentary trance and looked up from her plate. She wasn't sure how long Rainbow Dash had been trying to get her attention, but being as kind as she was, she hated to keep a friend waiting for any amount of time.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I was asking if you're okay, Flutters. You kinda zoned out there for a bit."

Fluttershy blushed slightly, embarrassed that she let her attention slip from her oldest friend. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I guess I'm just distracted, is all."

"It's fine, relax. I was just wondering. Anyway, not to rush you, but you said you had something important to tell me when you invited me to this picnic. Wanna tell me now?"

Fluttershy nodded, heart pounding in her chest. She'd been going over this moment for the last few days in her head, yet she still felt completely unprepared. After a few seconds to gather her thoughts, she opened her mouth.

* * * * * * * * * *

"I think it looks like... a fish."

It was a week before and all Fluttershy could see were blue skies that stretched to the ends of the earth. The one exception to the vast blueness was a sole fluffy cloud that floated lazily along the sky, as if the cloud itself didn't have a care in the world. A slight breeze blew through the grasses, bringing the air to a perfect temperature. To Fluttershy, it was the very embodiment of the perfect day.

"I don't know, Rainbow. It looks more like a cake to me."

She was spending this perfect day laying out by a lake near her house with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had what seemed to be her first day off of work in ages, and since she realized she hadn't just hung out with Fluttershy in a while, she invited her friend to just laze around and spend time together. Normally she'd want to do something a bit more exhilarating, but she was feeling sore after a long week of gathering clouds for an upcoming snowstorm.

"I guess it kinda looks like a cake if I squint enough."

Fluttershy leaned back into the sun-warmed blanket lying below her, relishing in the comfort. Rainbow had really done a great job picking out a spot to relax. No noises to distract them, no worries on their mind, just two good friends without a care in the world.

"No, now it looks more like a fish."

Turning her head to the side, she took a minute to just watch Rainbow. The athlete watched the cloud with a surprising intensity, as if waiting for it to change shapes so she could call it out. The bright sun overhead reflected perfectly off her mane, almost creating a rainbow itself. Something about seeing her friend in this light made Fluttershy feel funny. She couldn't tell whether it was just the sun or her emotions, but she suddenly felt much warmer.

"Y'know, Fluttershy, we should do this more often." Rainbow rolled onto her side to face her friend.

Fluttershy shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What do you mean, Rainbow?"

"This, right here." Rainbow waved her hoof in a downward circle to punctuate her statement. "Just hanging out, just you and me. Laying around, doing nothing. You know?"

"Oh, right. I didn't really take you to be the type to enjoy just lying around with friends. I mean, no offense."

"None taken." Rainbow turned to glance at the sky again. "Cool, now it looks like a... fishcake? Is that a thing?"

Fluttershy took advantage of Rainbow's distractedness to try to determine what had made her feel so odd when looking at her before. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but something about Rainbow just looked different. Did she get a new manecut? No, it looked as long and unruly as always. Was she—

Fluttershy was broken out of her momentary trance by Rainbow's voice. "Yeah, to be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I am either, but this is... I dunno, nice. We might not be doing much, but it's still really fun." Rainbow let out a groan of frustration. "Ugh, I can't put it into words! I guess it's just fun hanging out with you, no matter what we're doing."

Fluttershy smiled brightly at her friend. "I know what you mean. I agree, this is really nice. You're a great friend, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow rolled back onto her side and stopped to think for a moment before pulling Fluttershy into a brief hug. It only lasted a second or two, but it felt much longer than that for the shy mare. Fluttershy's entire body turned a light shade of red at the unexpected display of affection. Whatever's wrong with me, she thought to herself, I have a feeling staying around Rainbow Dash is only going to make it worse.

Rainbow brought Fluttershy back to reality once again with a tap on the shoulder. "Fluttershy, you alright? You look like you got a bad sunburn or something."

"I, um... just remembered I have to go water my table. See you later, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy practically jumped up and flew off at an unusually fast speed for the usually weak flyer.

"Wait, why are you..." Rainbow was left alone, blinking in confusion at the events that had just occurred. "Did I smell bad or something?"

Once she reached her house, Fluttershy locked her door and went straight to her couch. "Why did I feel like that? I've never felt that way around Rainbow Dash before. It must have had to do with the hug." Fluttershy wondered aloud, seemingly to the ceiling.

The ceiling, being unable to talk, said nothing.

Fluttershy went over all the possibilities in her head, ranging from simple (sudden onset of the pony pox) to irrational (Rainbow Dash was secretly a changeling). After a few minutes, she came to the most logical conclusion: she was allergic to Rainbow Dash.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fluttershy spent the next day avoiding Rainbow Dash, or at least trying to. The weather mare was on cloud patrol across the entirety of Ponyville since Ditzy Doo had accidentally let a batch of storm clouds loose ahead of schedule. Additionally, since Wednesday was Grocery Day for Fluttershy, there was no way she could just stay home. Since Fluttershy had no way of knowing if Rainbow Dash was nearby (they'd already ran into each other a few times that day, with Fluttershy making a weak excuse for having to leave each time), and since it was downpouring thanks to the storm clouds spread across the sky, Fluttershy decided to camp out in Sugarcube Corner for a while, as she was craving something sugary anyway.

As expected, Pinkie Pie was behind the counter. She didn't look up right away as Fluttershy walked in, as she was preoccupied trying to scrub away a jelly stain on the counter. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, home of the most yummeriffic..." Pinkie looked up and broke into a wide smile. "Hey, Fluttershy! Great to see you!" In an instant, she was beside Fluttershy, having seemingly forgotten about the stain.

"Um, nice to see you too, Pinkie." Fluttershy shivered a bit, still soaking wet from the downpour outside.

"Oh my, Fluttershy! You're abso-tively soaked!" Pinkie pulled a blanket out of thin air and wrapped it tightly around Fluttershy, instantly warming her up. "Doctor Pinkie is on the case! Come sit down, I'll get you a hot chocolate!"

"Thanks, Pinkie." Fluttershy made her way over to one of the many tables and sat herself down. Before long, Pinkie was back with two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

"So, what brings my yellow-and-pinkest friend here? Did you decide to give Gummy his birthday present 141 days early?"

Fluttershy blinked and shook her head a bit. "No, sorry. I just came by to get something to eat and to wait out the rain."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Pinkie dashed off and came back with a plate of cookies, still hot from the oven. "These are on me! I still owe you for helping make those cupcakes last week. And for helping me put out that fire after." Both mares shivered at the memory.

"Right, thanks." Fluttershy let out a small sneeze.

"Oh no, you must have gotten a cold from the rain!" Pinkie held up a hoof. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Fingers...?" Fluttershy stared in confusion.

"Never mind. The important thing is, you're not well!"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm just temporarily allergic to Rainbow Dash, is all." Fluttershy took a sip of her hot chocolate, recoiling a bit at how hot it was.

"Allergic to Rainbow Dash? That's the silliest thing I've heard all day!" Pinkie giggle-snorted for a few seconds before cutting herself off. "Sorry, go on."

"No, I'm serious. Ever since yesterday, I've felt funny around her. My heart starts beating faster, I feel all warm inside, and I get really nervous," Fluttershy explained. "Well, more nervous than usual."

"Wow, that sounds super serious! If I were you, I'd hide in my house until it blows over!"

Fluttershy hadn't even thought of that. Well, she thought, all I have left to buy is some celery, and I suppose that can wait a few days. "Great idea, Pinkie. Would you mind telling the girls I'll be staying home for a few days?"

"Sure thing! Should I tell them why?"

"Just tell them I'm sick. I don't want Rainbow Dash to find out I've been trying to avoid her."

"Okie dokie lokie! You can count on me, Colonel Fluttershy!" Pinkie giggled a bit at her own joke. "Hey, look! The rain stopped!"

Fluttershy glanced outside to find that Pinkie was right. "Oh, I should be going. Thanks for the advice, Pinkie. The snacks, too."

"No problemo, buddy!" Pinkie waved as Fluttershy walked out the door. "Just another hour of work and I'll tell the girls..."

Mr. Cake walked in the room. "I hate to do this to you, Pinkie, but could you stay a bit late today? We have a big order coming in tomorrow from Manehattan, so we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Um, sure thing!" Pinkie's smile faltered slightly for a split second. This was going to be a long night.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fortunately, Fluttershy didn't run into Rainbow Dash during the walk home. Since the storm had ended, Rainbow had gone elsewhere, most likely to take a nap or something of that sort. Once she got inside, Fluttershy was promptly greeted by Angel, who shoved a bowl in her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Angel Bunny. I didn't expect to be out so long, but I got held up by the rain." Fluttershy gave an apologetic smile, but Angel didn't relent. "Here, let me fix you some lunch."

Fluttershy made her way to the kitchen, with Angel following behind. As she worked on preparing him a "big, juicy" salad, she relayed her day to the bunny. "...And she told me that I should stay home for a few days until it clears up. What do you think, Angel?"

Had Angel been able to speak, he would have told his caretaker that she had a blatant crush and she needed to act upon her feelings. Instead, he simply tapped his foot.

"Oh, I agree, Angel. It really is a great plan. Pinkie just has the best ideas sometimes, doesn't she?"

Angel facepawed and climbed up onto the counter. While his caretaker was looking away, he snatched a piece of lettuce out of the bowl and absentmindedly nibbled on it. This was going to be a long couple of days.

...Is Paved With Bad Advice

The next two days passed uneventfully. Fluttershy spent most of her time caring for the animals and relaxing; in other words, her routine wasn't too different than usual. On Saturday, her self-imposed exile was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Fluttershy, dear, are you in there?" the knocker asked. "Please let me in, the cold is giving me split ends!"

The pegasus got up from her couch—she'd been doing some light reading on the proper care of flower gardens—and slowly opened her door. She was greeted by a slightly shivering Rarity.

"Oh, hello Rarity. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Please come in."

"That's quite alright, darling." Rarity made her way inside and settled down on the couch, with Fluttershy following. "Fluttershy, I can't recall seeing you the past couple days. Where have you been?"

Fluttershy blinked. "Pinkie didn't tell you?"

"I'm afraid I haven't been over to Sugarcube Corner the past few days. Trying to watch my figure and all that." Rarity frowned a bit. "If she had something to tell me, she didn't bother tracking me down either."

"Oh, horsefeathers. I told her to tell you girls, but she must have forgotten."

"It's quite okay, Fluttershy. No harm done." Rarity put a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "So I take it she was supposed to tell me why you've been gone?"

"Oh yes, I told her to tell you I've been sick."

Rarity quickly pulled her hoof off Fluttershy and sat back. "Oh my, are you alright?"

"I think I'm alright, or at least I am as long as I'm inside."

"Hm? What do you mean, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy recalled how she'd been feeling off around Rainbow Dash as of recent, explaining that she believed she was allergic to the athlete. Once she was done, Rarity tried and failed to hold back a grin.

"What was funny about my story? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Fluttershy frowned a little.

"Fluttershy, dear, that hardly sounds like an allergy at all!" Rarity's grin slowly grew wider.

"Huh? What do you mean, Rarity?"

"Why, it sounds like you're in love with Rainbow Dash!"

Fluttershy blinked once, then twice. She had never even considered that love was the root of her problems. Faced with the pure unexpectedness of Rarity's response, Fluttershy did the most sensible thing she could think of—fainted out of shock.

* * * * * * * * * *

"...shy? Are you alright?"

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. Beside her, Rarity was gently shaking her, trying to rouse her into consciousness. She'd been friends with Fluttershy for long enough to know exactly how to deal with situations like this.

"Wh-what happened, Rarity?" Fluttershy slurred.

"Oh, we were talking about your recent troubles with Rainbow Dash. I told you that you were most likely in love with her"—Rarity gently shook Fluttershy's shoulders again, keeping her from fainting again—"and you fainted dead away. I expected you to not take a comment like that lightly, but I didn't expect you to react like that!"

Since she couldn't faint again, Fluttershy sat upright in a panic instead. "In love? No, that's impossible! That had to have been an allergy! There's no other explanation! I don't even know anything about love!" Her voice had practically become a manic shriek, or at least as close to one as she could pull off.

"Darling, I'm fairly certain I'm right. After all, I am a master on the subject."

Fluttershy sat back, slowly calming down. "You-you're certain it's love?"

"I believe that's just what I said. Besides, I've never heard of one pony being allergic to another before." Rarity had to stifle a giggle at the thought.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and went over the situation in her head. She'd never had a crush before, much less been in love. Her shyness kept her from getting that close to a pony, or at least it had until now.

But, at the same time, she didn't really view it as a bad thing. After all, being in love sounded like a new and exciting experience. She'd always envied the couples walking around Ponyville, wishing she could be as lucky as them. Besides, there were worse people to fall for than her oldest friend.

She opened her eyes and looked at Rarity. "So you're certain it's love?"

"Not to be rude, Fluttershy, but we're going in circles now. Yes, you appear to be in love with Rainbow Dash, at least judging from what you've told me. Don't worry, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just to be sure, let me ask you a few questions."

"Okay, go ahead."

"What do you think of Rainbow Dash? Can you describe how you feel about her for me?"

Fluttershy went over it in her head for a bit. "Well, she was the first real friend I made in flight school. She protected me from bullies and just generally watched my back. I guess she's just always been there for me."

"I see, go on."

"She's such a great flyer. Even though I'm not too interested in flying, I really enjoy watching her practice because I know it makes her happy. I just feel so good inside whenever she's happy."

"Would you say she's your closest friend?"

Fluttershy paused. She'd never thought about who her closest friend might be, as she'd never had a reason to. "I guess so. I mean, we have so much fun together and she's just so talented and funny and—"

Rarity cut her off by raising her hoof. "Fluttershy, it sounds like you really are in love with her! Oh, this is perfect! Two best friends turned into destined lovers!"

Fluttershy tuned her friend's talk about romance out and thought some more. She really was in love with Rainbow Dash. Just knowing this took a huge load off her back. However, she had no idea what to do next. The pegasus looked up at her friend, who was busy talking about wedding rings or something to that effect. Suddenly, she had a great idea. What better way to learn about romance than to ask the leading expert in Ponyville?

"Um, Rarity?" Fluttershy mumbled, not loud enough to be heard over Rarity's ranting.

"...just imagine how lavish the wedding would be! I'm sure we could scrounge up enough bits to go toward the perfect reception hall..."

"Rarity? May I interrupt?" Fluttershy leaned forward and gently tapped Rarity's leg, breaking her out of her speech.

"Hm? Do you have a question, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy took a few seconds to carefully consider her words. "Um, I don't really know that much about love, so I don't have any idea how to tell Rainbow Dash how I feel. Is there any way you could help me?"

Rarity let out a squeal of delight. "Why, of course I will! I'm sure with my help, she'll be yours in no time!"

"Thank you, it means a lot to me. So, where should I start?" Fluttershy grabbed a notepad and pencil from the table beside her.

The unicorn put a hoof to her chin. "Well, you should be sure to confess your feelings in the most romantic way possible. You should tell her how you feel under the moonlight! Take her out to an open field under the stars!"

"Like at a picnic?"

"Why a picnic? I mean, it's not a bad choice, but I'm trying to follow your thought process here."

"Um, it was just the first thing that came to mind, I guess."

"Very well. I suppose a picnic would work well, provided you hold it at night."

Fluttershy nodded and copied down more notes. "How should I ask her?"

"Hm, that's a good question..." Rarity stopped to think. "Ooh, try reciting a poem confessing your love! There's nothing more romantic than a heartfelt poem."

"I guess I could find a poem to use. And if she says yes?"

"Take her out to a fancy candlelit restaurant! I hear there's a new place down by Hoofington Street that serves the best daffodil salad!"

"Fancy restaurant, Hoofington. Got it." Fluttershy finished writing and put the notepad off to the side. "Thank you so much, Rarity. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Oh, it was nothing, darling. Anything to promote true love. I wish you two the best of luck!" Rarity got up and made her way to the door. "I'm sorry to leave so soon, but Opalescence needs her tri-daily brushing."

"Don't worry about it, I can take it from here. Bye, Rarity." Fluttershy waved at her friend as she left.

Once Rarity was gone, the pegasus turned to her notes and went over them again. Her bunny, Angel, hopped over to her side and peered at the notepad.

"Oh, isn't this exciting, Angel? I'm sure with Rarity's help, I'll be able to get Rainbow Dash to love me!" Fluttershy smiled wide, practically squeeing with delight.

The rabbit read the notes and facepawed. There was no way this could end well.

* * * * * * * * * *

It was Sunday morning, and the sky was clear and noticeably Rainbow Dash-less. This posed a problem for Fluttershy, as she was trying to track down the athlete to invite her to the picnic the following Tuesday. After a full hour of walking around Ponyville and scanning the sky for a distinctive streak of rainbow, Fluttershy decided she would try again the next day and started to make her way home. Upon turning around to head home, however, she was greeted by a familiar scratchy voice.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash landed in front of her friend, seemingly out of nowhere. "I haven't seen you in a while, are you alright?"

Fluttershy jumped at least a foot into the air out of surprise. After regaining her composure, she stuttered out a weak "yes".

"You sure? You seem kind of nervous."

"I-I'm fine, Rainbow Dash. Just had a lot of chores to take care of at home."

"Ah, alright. I'm gonna go practice some tricks, so see you later!" Rainbow started to take off.

"Wait!" Fluttershy practically flinched at her own sudden volume. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet up with me for a picnic Tuesday night."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Um, sure. Can I ask why? Usually when we hang out, it's me asking you."

"I, um..." Fluttershy stumbled, not having expected to have to come up with a reason. "I have something important to tell you."

"Works for me. I'm gonna get going now. Nice seeing you, Fluttershy!"

"Y-you too, Rainbow Dash!" Once Rainbow was out of sight, Fluttershy cursed herself a bit for acting so nervous around her crush. If I can't even ask her out for a friendly outing, how am I going to ask her out on a date? Fluttershy thought for a bit. I guess I'll just have to wing it.

...Has A Detour Or Three

It was Tuesday night. The stars were spread across the sky, the distant sound of crickets and the occasional frog accented the otherwise silent night, and Rainbow Dash was waving her hoof in Fluttershy's face.

"Equestria to Fluttershy, you there?"

Fluttershy blinked twice and shook her head to clear her mind. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I must seem so awful. I mean, I invited you here and I keep getting distracted."

"Nah, it's cool." Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy into a quick hug. "See? I don't hate you. Anyway, you were gonna tell me something?"

Fluttershy tried to hide her growing blush. "I-I was?"

"Um, yeah. You said you had something important to say, then you totally spaced out on me again."

"Oh, right." Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm her nerves. This was it, the moment she'd been spending days preparing for. "R-Rainbow Dash, I wrote a poem for you."

"A... poem?" Rainbow Dash stared incredulously. "Can't say I was expecting that. Go on."

Fluttershy nodded and opened her mouth to begin.

...And froze up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember the poem she had written for the life of her. Oh horsefeathers, what am I supposed to do now? Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, who was staring at her, waiting for a poem. I guess I'll just have to make something up.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Um... Roses are red, violets are—Wait, no. Can I start over?"

Rainbow nodded. "Take your time. This must be one hay of a poem if it has you this nervous."

"Y-yes, it is." Fluttershy closed her eyes so as to focus better. "Roses are red, dandelions are yellow... I can't do it. I'm sorry, Rarity."

"Rarity...?"

Fluttershy snapped her eyes open and shook her head. "Um, Rainbow Dash. Can I just skip to the end of the poem?"

"Um, sure, I guess...?"

"Okay." Fluttershy closed her eyes again so she wouldn't have to look at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, I really like you."

Just like that, the secret was out in the open. It was like a weight had been lifted off Fluttershy's shoulders. She let out a deep breath she hadn't known she had been holding and—

"I figured as much."

"That's— wait, what? H-how?"

"Well, we're good friends and friends usually like each other, so... yeah?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No no no, I really like you."

"I'm not sure I get what you're trying to say, 'Shy." Rainbow raised a confused eyebrow.

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, too nervous to make anything even slightly resembling eye contact. "Um, I-I'm trying to ask you out. Like on a date."

Rainbow's eyes popped open. "Oh! Uh, I knew that. I, um..." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I'm not really sure how to respond to that."

"But you don't hate me?"

"No, no! I could never hate you, Fluttershy. It was just unexpected, is all." Rainbow stopped for a second to think. "Like I said, I don't know how to respond. I really like you too—as a friend, at least for now—and it doesn't sound like a bad idea, but it just came completely out of the blue. Can you give me a day or two to think?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Okay, take your time. Just let me know when you've decided."

"Will do. Now, are we gonna eat or what?" Rainbow Dash tore into her daisy sandwich as if she hadn't just been asked on a date by her best friend.

Despite the fact that Rainbow didn't explicitly say no, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Part of her had expected Rainbow to give her an ecstatic "yes" before commencing in cuddles (or whatever it is that couples do). Then again, that part of her had expected to recite a long, romantic poem confessing her burning love. I suppose all I can do now is wait, the shy pegasus thought, taking a sip from her apple juice box.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fluttershy spent the next two days worrying that Rainbow Dash would not only say no, but that she wouldn't want to be friends anymore for some reason. She mentally chided herself for coming on too heavy, too suddenly. She hadn't even been certain Rainbow was even into mares! Besides, if she said no and they stayed friends, things would be awkward between the two. Fluttershy, you really shouldn't just jump into things headfirst like that.

Thursday morning, Fluttershy was walking through the market, trying to find the perfect head of lettuce. Angel had been restless lately (in this case, "restless" means "kicking away all bowls of food offered to him") due to inadequate lettuce, and Fluttershy hoped to fix that. After all, an unhappy Angel makes for a vegetable-lined cottage. She was so busy comparing two similar lettuce stands that she didn't notice Rainbow flying up behind her.

"Hey, Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy turned around and gave her friend a small smile. "Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash. Aren't you supposed to be working...?"

"Nah, it's cool. We're just taking care of some stray clouds today." Rainbow landed and walked up to Fluttershy. "Anyway, I wanted to talk about your question the other night."

Fluttershy's heart started pounding. This was it, the moment she'd been waiting two days for. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. "Y-yes?"

"I'd be willing to give it a shot."

Fluttershy stood in shocked silence, her jaw practically on the ground. She had been absolutely certain that Rainbow would say no. After all, what would someone as cool as the Rainbow Dash see in a shy worrywart such as herself?

After a few seconds, Fluttershy finally managed a response. "Y-you would?"

"Sure. I mean, I'm cool and you're cool, so together we'd be the coolest couple in Equestria, right?" Rainbow struck a pose, causing Fluttershy to let out a nervous giggle. "Really though, I'm up for trying it out. We're best friends, so what's the worst that could happen?"

Fluttershy was so excited she could hardly even think. Hay, she hadn't been this excited since the Great Butterfly Migration. Her response consisted of nervous mumbling and a weak "yes".

"Anyway, you wanted to take me out on a date?" Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, who nodded in response. "How does tomorrow night sound?"

"S-sounds good. I was thinking we could go to this new restaurant down on Hoofington Street for dinner."

"I dunno what restaurant that is, but I'm sure you have better taste in food than me. Hay, I would have picked a Burger Colt or something."

"Alright, see you around seven?"

"Sure thing. I'll drop by to pick you up." Rainbow started to fly off. "Sorry, Flutters, gotta get back to work!"

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy waved at the departing pegasus, still high on excitement. I can't believe she actually said yes! Now I'm gonna have to get a nice dress...

* * * * * * * * * *

Rarity prided herself on being a hard worker, no matter the hour. To this extent, she would usually work even during what would normally be her lunch break, levitating whatever she was eating that day by her side while stitching her dress of the hour. As such, she was in the middle of eating when Fluttershy came into the room.

"Um, hello Rarity, I.. Are you eating a fried hay sandwich?"

Rarity shrieked and threw her plate at the wall. "Fluttershy, I believe I put up a sign saying I'm at lunch, did I not?"

"Um, I don't remember seeing any signs on the door."

Rarity sighed and regained her composure. "Bah, I must have forgotten. No worries, it's in the past anyway, as it 'twere." She got up and made her way over to her friend. "Anyway, do you need something, Fluttershy?"

"Well, I asked Rainbow Dash out, and—"

Rarity cut her off with a squeal. "Oh my heavens, darling! What did she say?"

"She said yes and—"

"Oh, this is just wonderful! Have you two planned a date yet?"

"Yes, we're going to Le Fleur tomorrow night." Fluttershy waited a few seconds to see if Rarity would interrupt again. After receiving a nod from Rarity, she continued. "I came here to see if you could make me a dress—"

"Oh, I'd love to! I'll make sure you look absolutely fabulous!" Rarity stopped as soon as she saw the slightly irritated (or at least as irritated as she could pull off) look on Fluttershy's face. "Oh, sorry. Continue."

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you, Rarity. I don't really want anything fancy, but I want to look nice for my first date."

"Understood. I'll have something whipped up for you by tomorrow night." Rarity let out another squeal. "This is just so exciting! I take it you're going to need more advice for tomorrow?"

Fluttershy blinked. Now that she thought about it, she had no idea what to do at the date. "Um, if you don't mind."

"Well, be sure to order the same thing as her. There's nothing more romantic than ordering the same thing on a first date!"

"Okay, got it. Anything else?"

Rarity thought for a second. "Oh, I think Le Fleur has a string quartet in the back. Ask them to play Rainbow Dash's favorite song while you eat!"

"Will do. Is that all?"

"All that I can think of for now. Anyway, about your dress..."

...Leads To Really Awkward Dates

Angel liked to think of himself as a very important bunny—or VIB, as he liked to refer to himself—with very important needs. Specifically, at 6:30 every Friday night (or every night, for that matter), he expected a large salad prepared especially for him, complete with a cherry tomato on top.

Unfortunately for him, even VIBs don't always get their way.

Rather than preparing his dinner, his owner/personal chef was busy darting around her cottage, trying her hardest to get ready for her upcoming date. Mascara bottles were thrown everywhere, a couple pictures were knocked off the walls, and there was a thin cloud of face powder fogging up the air. To call it a chaotic scene would be a vast understatement.

Not content with the level of attention his stomach was receiving (i.e. none), Angel decided to take matters into his own paws. Grabbing his favorite bowl, he hopped over to his owner—who was currently checking her dress in the mirror—and shoved it into her side.

Fluttershy didn't so much as blink. "Sorry, Angel, but I can't fix you your salad tonight. There are some carrots in the pantry, though." She leaned toward the mirror and applied a touch more blush. "Will that be alright?"

Angel made a loud whining noise, but gave up on his quest for salad nonetheless. Starting toward the kitchen, he paused when he saw movement outside the window, and moved closer to examine the source of said movement. A rainbow-maned pegasus was standing at the doorway with her hoof raised, as if she were debating whether to knock or not. Angel decided it wasn't his concern—even as a VIB, he rarely got visitors—and made toward the kitchen again.

* * * * * * * * * *

Although she would never admit it to anypony, Rainbow Dash—the greatest, coolest, awesome-est mare in all of Equestria—had never been in a real relationship. She hadn't even really given a thought to romance before Fluttershy had asked her out on a date. After all, why would someone as busy as Rainbow give even a passing thought to something as time-consuming as romance?

The two days she had used to think about her answer had mostly been spent fretting over what the hay she was supposed to do. On the one hoof, a relationship would probably cut into her practice time (not to mention her nap time). Additionally, if she messed it up, she'd risk losing one of her oldest and closest friends.

On the other hoof, though, Fluttershy was probably her best friend. They'd known each other since they were fillies, been through the good and the bad together, and practically knew each other like the back of their hooves. After all, she figured, she couldn't think of anypony better to help her ease into the world of dating than her best friend.

In the end, she decided to give it a shot based on two factors: that she would probably appear significantly cooler with a romantic partner, and that Fluttershy was such a good friend. All Rainbow knew about love was what she read from that one romantic novel she borrowed from Twilight (she'd finished the Daring Do series and decided to pick out a new book using the age-old method of closing her eyes and grabbing a book, a method she would never use again after that day), which wasn't much. From what she could tell, lovers were really sappy and significantly uncool, so she accordingly viewed awesome-ing—a verb only found in the Dash Dictionary, between "awesome" and "awesomeness"—up relationships as a challenge. And if there was one thing Rainbow loved besides napping, it was a challenge.

Despite her excitement at the opportunity to face a new challenge, Rainbow was quite nervous about facing something as daunting as a relationship, which was why she stood frozen at Fluttershy's door, trying to build up the courage to knock. After about five minutes of standing around awkwardly, Rainbow finally raised her hoof to knock...

...Only for it to meet Fluttershy's mane. Fluttershy stood in the now-open doorway, blinking in confusion as to why Rainbow was greeting her with a knock on the head. Rainbow quickly pulled her hoof back and blushed from embarrassment.

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. "Um, you're here earlier than I expected. I was going to go water my plants one last time."

"Yeah, I had nothing better to do." Rainbow gave a weak shrug. "I'll whip up a cloud for your plants later or something."

Fluttershy nodded in appreciation, and the two stood around in silence, not sure of what to do next.

"So, uh..." Rainbow mumbled, trying to relieve the awkward tension in the air. "Wait, was I supposed to dress up?"

Fluttershy hadn't even noticed that Rainbow not only wasn't wearing a dress like herself, but hadn't seemed to have cleaned herself up at all before leaving. Her mane wasn't exactly messy, but it was in its usual shaggy state rather than being brushed. Additionally, her coat was slightly matted as if she'd been laying in bed before she left. "Um, I suppose not. It's fine, I don't think Le Fleur has a dress code."

"Alright, sweet!" Rainbow pumped her hoof in the air a bit. "So are you ready to go?"

Fluttershy looked back one last time to check on her animals. Angel was standing by the wall, chewing on a carrot. He noticed her looking at him and nodded as if to say he'd be fine. "I guess. Shall we?"

"Sure." Once Fluttershy walked out, Rainbow moved over to her side as if courting her. "Quick question, though."

"Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

"What exactly is Le Fleur?"

* * * * * * * * * *

"...Seriously?" The restaurant that the athlete stood in front of was most certainly not what she had been expecting, although to be fair she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. 'Le Fleur' was a giant, modern-looking restaurant with sleek black walls that were were so highly polished, they reflected their surroundings almost as well as mirrors. Small fountains spurted pristine water on either side of the doors, which were being held open by a young stallion with a pencil-thin moustache and a tuxedo. And to top it all off, there was even a fancy red carpet leading up to the entrance. It was elegant, swanky, and so un-Rainbow.

"Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?" Her shy companion raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Hm? Oh, nothing's wrong. Guess I just didn't expect it to be so..." Rainbow struggled to find the right word. "Fabulous?"

Fluttershy let out a small giggle. "Well, of course it's fabulous. The Le Fleur franchise is owned by Fancy Pants himself."

"Right, of course." Rainbow couldn't recall who this Fancy Pants guy was, but judging from his name, she wasn't really interested in recalling. "So are we gonna go inside? I'm starved!"

"Sure. After you?" As soon as Fluttershy closed her mouth, Rainbow started in a sprint toward the door. "Wait, Rainbow!"

When they finally caught up at the door, the stallion gave them a curt nod. "Good evening, madames. Do you have a reservation?" Fluttershy nodded and relayed the necessary information. Upon checking his reservation book, he pointed over at a lush sofa in the entrance hallway. "Please have a seat and we shall have your table shortly."

Rainbow once again sped ahead, practically diving onto the couch. She let out a nervous cough upon seeing Fluttershy's slightly disapproving look. "What? Sooner we get inside, sooner we eat, right?"

"I... don't think it works like that, Rainbow." Fluttershy looked around to make sure nobody had been watching before sitting beside Rainbow on the couch.

"Eh, whatever." The two mares sat in silence. After a few minutes and still no sign of their promised table, Rainbow Dash let out a rather loud groan of frustration. "Oh, come on! What the hay's taking so long?"

Fluttershy quickly shushed her.. "Try not to be so loud. I'm sure they're just busy."

As if the waiters themselves had heard Rainbow's complaints (and chances are they had), a fancily-dressed unicorn mare approached them with two menus floating in her magical grasp. "I apologize sincerely for the wait, madames. Your table is ready, please follow me."

Rainbow jumped up excitedly. "Alright, finally!" A few disapproving glares from nearby patrons quickly silenced her. "Oops, sorry. Just a bit hungry."

The waitress escorted the two mares to a table toward the back with a perfect view of the entire restaurant, including the string quartet playing off to the side. That'll come in handy later, Fluttershy thought to herself. She made a mental note to ask them to play a song for Rainbow Dash sometime during the night.

As soon as they sat down, the waitress levitated the menus over to them and took out a small notepad. "Now then, may I ask what you two would like to drink?"

Fluttershy looked over her menu. "Oh, um... I'll have a—"

"Do you guys have any cider?" Rainbow put her menu down and looked up. "I really like cider."

"We have a cider that is distilled from the finest apples that Sweet Apple Acres can provide and then aged to perfection."

Rainbow thought for a second. "That means it's got alcohol in it, right?"

"Er, yes. Our cider is indeed alcoholic."

"Great, I'll take one of those." All the better to help calm my nerves.

"Alright, one cider. And for you, madame?" The waitress turned to Fluttershy, who was still looking through the drink menu.

"I... guess I'll have a wine of the chef's choosing." Fluttershy didn't know much about alcohol, but she figured fancy ponies drank wine so she might as well.

"A wine of the chef's choosing, noted. Your drinks will be out shortly." And with that, the waitress turned around and walked out of sight.

When the silence between the two became unbearable, Fluttershy attempted to start a conversation. "So, um... How's work going?"

Rainbow looked up from examining her hooves. "Eh, same old. Boss says there's another snowstorm coming up soon."

"Oh, that's fascinating."

"Yep. And how are the animals?"

"No different than usual, I suppose." At a loss for conversational topics, Fluttershy chose to instead embrace the following awkward silence.

After a couple minutes of twiddling their hooves, a waiter arrived at their table with a tray balanced on his back. He leaned down in front of Fluttershy, as if asking her to take her drink herself. "One glass of chardonnay for the lady..." After she took her glass, he got up and repeated the process for Rainbow. "...And one mug of cider for the other lady."

The two mares started on their drinks, Fluttershy with dainty sips and Rainbow with the ferocity of a hundred thirsty pegasi. Within ten seconds (a new personal record for the pegasus), Rainbow had finished her mug and was now looking around the immediate area for a waiter. Upon finding one, she flagged him over.

"Hey, can I have another cider?"

"Certainly. Would you rather I bring you two, just in case you finish the first one too quickly?"

Rainbow blinked. She hadn't even thought of that. "Sounds good to me!"

* * * * * * * * * *

Twenty-five minutes and six ciders later, Rainbow Dash was smashed, to put it lightly. Fluttershy hadn't known this, but Rainbow was infamous within the weather team clique for being a lightweight when it came to alcohol. In fact, there was a strict do-not-give-Rainbow-alcohol-or-you'll-be-fired rule in place as a result of the Second Great Thunderstorm. It didn't take a genius, though, to figure out that somepony couldn't handle their liquor - or cider, as it were - when said pony was busy reciting the entire history of the Ponyville weather force a few dozen decibels too loud.

"And then he—" Rainbow paused to hiccup for approximately the billionth time that night (she wasn't good at counting while drunk). "And then he said, 'Why not just kick the clouds?' Noooopony had thought of that, so we built a statue in his honor. I think it's... down in the Main Square?"

"Rainbow Dash, the statue in the Main Square is of Princess Celestia."

"Oh. Well, I knew that." Rainbow dazed off for a few seconds, staring into space. "Hey, I wrote a song. Ya wanna hear it?"

Fluttershy braced herself for what was sure to come. "I'd love to, but maybe lat—"

"Fluttershy is a pretty cool pony!" Rainbow got up from her seat and went into what appeared to be a choreographed dance routine, if swaying from side to side and staggering is considered choreographed dancing. "She's like the best pony in the whole wide... something that rhymes with pony!"

"Rainbow, I really don't think that's a good idea." Fluttershy struggled to make her voice heard over Rainbow, who was currently in the middle of an air drum solo. After failing to get a response, she decided to walk over to Rainbow and tap her on the shoulder. "Rainbow, you should probably sit back down. You're making everypony stare." True to her word, every table in the nearby area was sending them looks of pure vitriol. Luckily, there hadn't been any staff nearby, so they didn't have to worry about being kicked out for the time being.

"Huh-zwha? Ohh, sounds like a great idea. You're so smaaart, Fluttershutter." Rainbow leaned in for a big hug, but tripped after failing to realize Fluttershy was actually about a yard away from her. "Fluuutters, will you carry me to my seat?"

Fluttershy sighed and dragged Rainbow to her seat. Obviously the date wasn't going as she'd planned, but she still had the slightest sliver of hope. After all, she still hadn't checked with the string quartet. A bit of calming music might help to keep her from bursting out like that again, Fluttershy thought idly. "Rainbow Dash, you stay right here. I'm going to go take care of something."

"Mmmmkay, I'll miss you!" Rainbow got up and plopped down in her chair before deciding she was tired and practically faceplanting the table.

Well, hopefully she'll stay put. Don't want any more episodes like that happening tonight. Fluttershy made her way over to the string quartet, who were just wrapping up a song. She walked up to the closest member to the front of the stage, a grey earth pony playing what appeared to be a cello. "Oh, um... Excuse me, miss..."

"It's Octavia, ma'am. And yourself?" The mare extended a hoof, which Fluttershy grasped tentatively in something that almost resembled a hoofshake.

"Um, I'm Fluttershy." The pegasus pulled her hoof back and took a short step back for comfort. "I really liked your performance tonight."

"Oh, really? That's quite kind of you, miss Fluttershy." Octavia cocked her head slightly. "I apologize if I come across as rude, but is that all you came over here for? I believe we're starting our next song soon."

"Oh, no. I was going to ask if you could play a song for a friend of mine. She's had a rough day and she really needs some cheering up."

"I believe we could fit a request into our songlist. Might I ask who this friend is?"

Fluttershy pointed off toward her table, where Rainbow was unsuccessfully trying to spin around in her chair. "She's over there. Her name's Rainbow Da—"

"Oh, I see." Without a further word, Octavia got down from the stage, briskly trotted over to Rainbow's table, and sucker-punched her square in the muzzle.

...Is Best Traveled With Someone You Trust