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                     The Inner Beauty                      
                   -by RarestRarity1779-                   
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                         Chapter 1                         
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Chapter 1
“Fluttershy, darling, are you absolutely sure that you want to go to this party alone?  I’d be more than happy to come with you if you’d like,” Rarity said as she sat beside her in the steam room.
    “No Rarity,” Fluttershy replied with a gentle smile, “I’ll be fine.  You’ve probably got too much work to do anyway.”
    “Oh nonsense dear, I’m never too busy to spend some quality time with my marefriend,” Rarity replied.
    “But Rarity, we spend time together all the time,” Fluttershy pointed.
    “What, you don’t like it when we spend time together?” Rarity asked, her eyebrow cocked.
    Fluttershy squeaked nervously, afraid that she had offended Rarity.  “No, no, no!  That’s not what I mean!  I mean…I you…” she tried to correct herself.
    Rarity chuckled lightheartedly.  “Stop fretting darling,” she smiled at the innocent little pegasus, “I’m only joking with you.”
    “Oh,” Fluttershy looked away and blushed, embarrassed of her gullibility.
Rarity adjusted herself so that she was flat on her stomach on the bench and then outstretched her dainty hoof so that she could inspect it.  “Fluttershy darling,” she began, “you never did tell me why you were going to this thing.  I’d go but that whole ‘rave’ thing isn’t exactly my cup of tea.”
“I just got to thinking about all the things you girls have said, you know, as far as trying to get me to get out there.  Well, I saw the flier on a bulletin board and thought that it might be good for me to go to it.  It isn’t far and it seems like there wouldn’t be many ponies at it, seeing as how it’s here in Ponyville and all,” she replied, still quiet.
    “Hm,” Rarity mumbled and blew a breath of air onto her hoof so as to free some debris which rested on the tip of it.  “I suppose if it suits you darling,” she said and observed her hoof once more.  Satisfied with its cleanliness, she dropped it back down on the bench and smiled at Fluttershy.
    “Um…Rarity?” Fluttershy asked timidly, a small blush on her face.
    “Yes darling?” Rarity asked.
    “Thank you for being concerned though,” Fluttershy replied and smiled back at Rarity.
    “Oh, it’s nothing,” Rarity chuckled, “Now what say we drop the subject and relax.  Our spa day is almost over after all,” she pointed.
    Fluttershy giggled and replied, “Sounds like a good idea to me.”
And so the two of them quieted and enjoyed their time together at the spa.  Whilst in the sauna they talked of either casual things such as work or friendship, or what they had in mind for next week’s spa date.  As always, Fluttershy kept her ideas to herself, which left Rarity to coordinate the whole thing.  “Fluttershy, do you feel like going for a swim?  We’ve still got some time before they close,” Rarity inquired.
Fluttershy glanced at the clock and saw that she should be getting home to prepare for the party.  “Oh, if it’s OK with you Rarity, um… I don’t think I’ll be able to.  See, I should really be getting home to get ready for everything,” she said politely, though with her same soft and unsure tone.
“Alright then darling,” Rarity said after a sip of her beverage, “I suppose this means goodbye.  If you need me to do anything, you know where to come,” Fluttershy stood and headed for the door to deposit her towel in the bin.  “Ta-Ta darling!” Rarity called cheerfully through the steam.
    “Goodbye Rarity!” Fluttershy replied as she smiled through the steam at the hard to see Rarity.
    “Oh, and darling,” Rarity said as Fluttershy opened the door and turned, “have fun and good luck.  Be yourself.”
    “Thank you for the advice Rarity.  It’s very kind of you,” Fluttershy replied and opened the door to the hallway.  She made a mental note of what Rarity had told her and set off for her cottage.  On the way, she ran over her mental checklist for the millionth time.  “Be yourself, don’t let anypony run you over, but be courteous, and have fun,” her mind recited in a sing-song type of way, a method which she used to remember things easier.
Socially, this was a very big step for her.  She wanted to do everything like a normal, social pony at the party as she knew that it would only do bad things for her self-esteem if she failed to go through with it all, or went there and simply stood in the corner.  Twilight and the others recommended she get out a little more as she truly did seem to feel a little better about herself once she had engaged in some conversation or interaction with the ponies around her; it made her feel like she wasn’t left out.
Yes, that had always been her problem, the feeling of being left out.  No matter how hard she tried, she could never get the accursed feeling of dread to leave her.  However, Twilight had suggested that it was possible to knock it all down piece by piece and that that method would be easier for her to handle.  “Take filly steps to achieve a bigger goal,” she had said, citing the wise Princess Celestia.  She put two and two together once she had spotted the flier while on her usual shopping route and thought it might be good for her.  She had seen some of the “parties” or “raves” that rarely happened in Ponyville in the past, and it really didn’t seem like all that big of a crowd attended.  Those ponies that did attend however, were ponies that she already knew; customers at her pet shop, customers who chose her as their vet, or just some of the nice ponies who lived in the tiny little town that had introduced themselves and had set the ground for a mutual friendship.
    “Yeah, it won’t be so bad,” she whispered to herself as she spotted her cottage just over the hill.  “Oh,” she stopped and giggled, “I’m sorry Mr. Snake.  Hurry now and get back to your family.”  The baby snake blinked at her a few times as if it was wondering what it had just been told and then slithered quickly across the road.  She smiled to herself as she watched its reptilian tail slide into the tall grass, and once sure that the way was clear of any more little creatures, proceeded ahead.  One should always wait for any other creatures that may be crossing the road, that was what she always said.  It wasn’t fair to those poor dears, no matter how big or small, if they got trampled over by ponies.
    She hummed a gentle tune to herself as she got closer and closer to her cottage.  “Good afternoon my little dears,” she cheerfully as two red birds whizzed up to her and hovered close to her head; they chirped politely and then flew away from her, off to resume their game.
Fluttershy crossed the bridge into her front yard and unlocked the door, the tune still in her throat.  She stepped inside and dropped her saddlebags against the wall and checked the clock once more.  Where should she start?  She had never been in such a position before, and boy was it taking a toll on her!  Never before had she been pressured to move her schedule around so she could attend an event, let alone one she would attend by herself.  For a moment her mind became frazzled, stressed.  She truly didn’t know where she should start.  Should she shower, groom, and look for a saddle first, or should she feed and water her creatures first?
She sighed and closed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.  “One little bit at a time Fluttershy,” she whispered to herself and glanced at her reflection.  She never could look at her reflection for too long; she thought she looked silly.  Maybe after going to this party she could at least look at her own reflection.  There were some dirty dishes that needed doing, so she figured it would be best if she finished those first.  She continued to hum and stare aimlessly out the window at the setting sun as she dipped the plates underneath the warm, soapy water and sponged them off.
    “I wonder where Angel is?” she thought to herself as she noticed two of the little white bunny’s friends come hopping by.  She giggled as they chased each other around and eventually ran out of her sight.  As watching her animals sometimes did, she had a flashback to her fillyhood.  She moved the clean dish aside and pushed another one into the water.
    “Wanna come play with us Fluttershy?” she remembered one of the fillies asking her all those years ago.
The quiet little Fluttershy, in her turquoise dress with the white bow around the midsection, would merely kick her black shoes at the dust and look away from them.  She would nervously gasp as she tried to find the words to politely say ‘no’.  Eventually, she would whisper, “N…no thank you,” and watch through her mane as the ponies looked at each other, shrugged, and moved on.
She finished up with the last dish and turned the water off.  Those weren’t happy memories either.  She didn’t have any friends back then.  As a result, over the past few weeks, she had begun to think about how she at least wanted to try once more to get herself out there and make a few more close friends.  Despite all of the negative things that came from it, Iron Will’s method worked a little bit.  She did feel a little more assertive, but not to any extent.  Maybe if she did what Twilight advised, she would become normal.  Yes, normal, just like Rarity and Twilight and Rainbow Dash.  She sighed, “A mare can hope,” the quote crossed her mind and she sighed.
She kicked at the floor and eventually left the kitchen, off to fix herself up as best she could.  “Oh darn it,” she said as she entered into her bedroom.  She had spent nearly the whole day with Rarity, and never once had she bothered to ask for some fashion advice; she was such a fool!  She sighed once more and looked over the saddles in her closet.  It was nothing at the palace, so nothing too informal, and it wasn’t a grocery run, so nothing too formal.  She plucked one saddle out, but put it back.  She picked another and then another, but couldn’t seem to find the right one for her.  Perhaps there wasn’t a saddle for it, this party.  She had heard it wasn’t like most other parties she had ever been too.  Nothing like the ballroom parties in Canterlot anyway, so maybe it would be best if she didn’t wear a saddle.  Her first bout of confidence struck her.  “Maybe I won’t be the only one there who isn’t wearing a saddle,” she thought, “yes,” she smiled and closed the closet door, “I’m sure I won’t.  And if I am, then I’ll just go home, just like Rarity said.”
The party wasn’t until late at night, so Fluttershy had plenty of time.  As a matter of fact, she didn’t know why she felt so rushed.  Perhaps it was just the excitement, or the fear, controlling her.  Relaxed, she plopped down on the bed and scribbled some of her thoughts into her diary, mainly her feelings towards the events that would be occurring later.  She wondered if she would meet any new ponies, what the party would be like, what kind of things they’d have at the party, and so many other things.  Her writing faltered and she had to erase some of it.  She was getting stressed again, trying to think about it all at once.  “One little step at a time, Fluttershy,” she reminded herself as she ended her sentence and closed the book.  “One little step at a time.”

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                        Chapter 2                          
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Chapter 2
Later that evening, Fluttershy was all ready to go.  Her mane looked magnificent, her eyelashes were brushed up to an attractive height, she smelled just perfectly of perfume, not too much and not too little, and her entire coat was freshly showered and combed.  One might say she looked angelic; only, she didn’t seem to think so.  “Thank you Angel,” she smiled down at the bunny filing her hoof, “I think that’s enough.”  The little bunny shrugged and hopped on to go about his own business.  “Wish me luck,” she said quietly as she approached the door and breathed a heavy sigh.  Just as she was about to open the door she gasped.  She felt a wrapping sensation around her hoof, and looked down to see it was her pet snake, Cuddles.  “Aw,” she smiled down at the snake as it wrapped slowly, affectionately, around one foreleg, and then slithered over to do the same to the other, “thank you Mr. Cuddles,” she said as it finished its hug.  The aging reptile smiled up at her and poked its tongue out a few times, as if it was saying ‘good luck’, and then slithered slowly away.
She stepped out into the crisp night air and closed the door behind her.  She set off down the path, feeling nervous as ever.  “You’ll do fine darling,” she heard Rarity say in her head, “Just remember to keep your head and don’t let anypony run you over.  Just be yourself and have fun,” the mental unicorn said.
“Be yourself, have fun,” she whispered a few times.  How hard could it be?  Walk right in, get used to the atmosphere, maybe grab a few cups of cider, and then walk around to see if she could find anypony she knew.  She had it all planned out now, and all she had to do was keep telling herself that it was going to be a fun night in which she met many new ponies and had lots of fun.
An owl hooted and she nearly jumped out of her skin.  “Oh, you scared me Mr. Owl,” she said with a shaky voice and looked up at the bird.  It flapped its wings and flew away in response.  “Oh,” she said as she dropped her head and walked on, “I can’t be doing any of that tonight.  No jumping what-so-ever,” she ordered herself.  As she crossed the bridge leading into Ponyville she reached back with her muzzle and pulled a pamphlet for the party out from the recesses of her wing.  She figured it would be better than just walking and staring ahead in silence.
The more she looked the pamphlet over, the more she allowed her excitement to envelope her nervousness and anxiousness.  Eventually, a tiny smile crossed her face.  She glanced ahead to make sure she wasn’t about to run into anything and let her eyes dart back to the paper.  “Meet DJ-Pon3!” it advertised; she did like DJ-Pon3.  “Free admittance!  Free music!  Free beverages and an all-you-can-eat salad bar!” the big bold letters popped out; free was always a good thing.  “Dancing, games, a real good time!” it also advertised; Fluttershy loved a good time.  “So come down to the Ponyville Rave!  Everypony’ll be there!”  She gulped in slight nervousness, wishing she hadn’t read that final part, “Everypony’ll be there.”  She observed the pictures and read up on all the party had to offer for a few more minutes until she eventually satisfied her curiosity and closed the pamphlet.  She tucked it back inside of her wing and walked on.  She could already see the lights of Ponyville in the distance.
After a few more minutes of silent walking and wishful thinking, she eventually found herself in Ponyville; she wasn’t far now.  The closer she got, the more her excitement faltered.  To her, the fact that she could see the bright flashing lights and hear the loud music from where she stood, which was right on the outskirts of town, was scary.  This was especially true because each and every house that she passed was dark inside, so that either meant that the house’s inhabitants were asleep or were at the rave, she highly doubted that anypony would be able to sleep with music so loud that it was shaking the ground.
    Using the streetlamps to guide her towards her destination, she cut down a side street and then down another.  With each and every step she took, she could feel the ground pounding music shake the earth even more violently, and she could hear the loud tunes so clearly now that it almost hurt her ears.  Despite all of the negative things she was already getting from it, growing discomfort and a pounding head, she wasn’t ready to call it quits and go home before she even got to the party.  “You should never judge a book by its cover,” she thought, “so why should you judge a party by its sound?”
    With that, she cut the final corner and saw the most magnificent and most terrifying scene she had ever witnessed.  She had found the rave, but she wasn’t even close to the entrance and it was already scaring her.  Her eyes widened as she walked towards the gate and tried to process everything at once.  She jumped and gasped in fright as she felt something wrap around her neck.  “Hey Fluttershy!” Lyra said with a smile on her face, accompanied by Bon-Bon, “What are you doing here?  This doesn’t seem like the kind of place for you.”
    Fluttershy sighed in relief.  She wasn’t even inside the party yet, and she was already meeting ponies that she knew.  Maybe it wouldn’t be such a scary night after all.  “You…you’re telling me,” she replied, “I just thought I’d try to get out a little more.  Rarity and Twilight say all that shutting in isn’t good for me.”
    “Aw hon, I get it,” Lyra replied, “nice to have you here.  Why don’t you hang with us?”
    Before she could reply, Bon-Bon wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy’s neck as well, “Yeah,” she said enthusiastically, “it’ll be fun!”
    “Thanks girls,” Fluttershy replied timidly with a tiny smile on her face, “that sounds like a great idea.”
    “Glad ya’ think so,” Lyra released herself from Fluttershy as they neared the entrance.
Fluttershy looked up as they crossed under the banner.  “Ponyville Rave” it read, in big multicolored letters.  She gulped as she crossed under it and they passed into the entrance of the party.  It was all rather ominous and taunting to a pony like her; it made her feel like she wasn’t normal.  “Something wrong Fluttershy?” Lyra asked, answering her sigh.  The group stopped.
    “Just a little nervous, that’s all.  It’s my first erm… ‘rave’,” she struggled to find the words even though the banner was just above her head.
    Bon-Bon patted her gently on the back and said, “It’s going to be fine Fluttershy.  Don’t stress about it.  Just stick with us and have some fun.  If you feel brave later try to dance or mingle with the crowd.  Who knows, you might even meet a nice stallion,” she giggled and winked at the blushing Fluttershy, “But serious, don’t stress,” they continued walking, “I’ll bet you’re not the only one new to the party scene.”
    Fluttershy thought a moment about what she had just been told.  “I guess you’re right Bon-Bon,” she smiled, her confidence begging to return, “thank you.”
    “No problem,” Bon-Bon replied somewhat hastily, too focused on her excitement as they line ahead of them proceeded on quickly.
Once inside, it was a completely different world to Fluttershy.  She wasn’t used to any of this!  The atmosphere was smoky, there were ponies crowding all around her, the music hurt her ears and head (though not as much as it had a few minutes before).  She felt herself begin to sweat and shake.  “Hey, Fluttershy,” Lyra clacked her hooves and poked her.
    Fluttershy snapped out of it and looked over at her.  “S…Sorry,” she said.  She looked at the ground, her confidence destroyed once more.  One moment she was fine, and the next she was frozen in fear at the continuously growing crowd around her.
“I know it seems scary hon,” Lyra said, leading them on, “but give it some time to sink in.  I promise you’ll have fun tonight.”
    Fluttershy gulped and only nodded her head politely.  A tight feeling had edged its way into her throat and had taken her ability to talk.  All she could do was stare.  Eyes wide, she looked at the atmosphere around her, everything from the speakers, to the lights, to the bonfire, it was all way different from what she knew.
    To ease into everything the group grabbed a few drinks first and merely sat at the makeshift bar and scaled up the crowd.  Lyra and Bon-Bon spotted a few cute stallions and made plans to introduce themselves later.  “What about you Fluttershy, you see any cute ones out there?” Lyra asked and took a sip of her cider.
Fluttershy gulped, too embarrassed to say that she had spotted a few stallions.  “Well…” her whisper of a voice cracked somewhat, and she eyed a dark brown stallion, “I did see him,” she pointed to the pony.  He seemed her type; he wasn’t partying hard, just walking around and making conversation with his friends.
    “Hm…” Lyra began her critique, “nope, nope, I don’t see it.  Opposites attract honey, remember that.”
    “Opposites attract?” she asked, quoting her.  A confused look crossed her face.  She had never been big in the dating game so she didn’t know much about it.  As a matter of fact, she had never dated before, but perhaps tonight was just a good a time as any to start.  “No, no,” she thought to herself, “maybe I shouldn’t.  I’m getting ahead of myself.”  Though that’s what she felt, she knew a little advice wouldn’t hurt.
    Lyra mixed her drink with her magic and replied, “Yeah, kinda like magnets, you know?”
    Fluttershy thought a moment and then shook her head, “…No, sorry,” she said.
    Lyra sighed and put her drink down.  The poor innocent mare was so naïve and clueless it was rather cute.  “Alright, so you’re a shy little introverted thing, right?” she asked.  Fluttershy nodded her head, intent on learning something new, “Well, maybe the shy stallion isn’t your type.  Think about what you really want.  Deep down you might like a stallion who gets out and about, a real fast lane pony.”
    “‘A fast lane pony’,” Fluttershy blushed at her own thoughts.  A fast living stallion did sound exciting to her.  “You really think so?” she asked with a small smile on her face.
    “Hey, if there’s one thing I know it’s stallions,” Lyra replied with a chuckle.  “Mhm,” she circled her glass around and quickly reminisced about a past memory before draining the last of the liquid and putting her glass down rather loudly.  “You girls wanna dance?” she asked with a smile on her face.
    “I’m up for it,” Bon-Bon replied, “What about you Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy gulped and hesitated a moment.  She thought she was a terrible dancer!  She only ever did it at the birthday parties to be polite, and even then she knew that nopony was focused on her dancing skill.  Here, it seemed like ponies judged you based on your skill to dance.  “I…I don’t know h-” she said, her voice grew tinier at the end.
    “What was that?” both mares asked in near unison.  She repeated herself once more but her voice still grew quiet from embarrassment.  Over the booming music and chatter of the partygoers, all they could see was her lips moving.  “One more time Fluttershy!  I can’t hear you!” Lyra leaned in close to Fluttershy.  The music reached a point in which it got progressively louder and louder, and then returned to normal volume only to be followed by a few eardrum pounding, earth shaking bass lines.
    “I…I said I don’t know how to!” Fluttershy said to her, a little more comfortable now that she didn’t have to broadcast it to the rest of the party.
    Lyra smiled and backed away.  She giggled and replied, “Well that’s nothing to be ashamed of!  There are probably a lot of ponies here that don’t know how to dance!  Come on, we’ll show you!”  Before Fluttershy could have the chance to reply, the mint green pony grabbed her hoof and dragged her onto the dance floor.  Bon-Bon took her place beside Lyra where the two of them began moving their rumps to the music.  “You’ve worked out before, right?” Lyra asked.
    Fluttershy nodded.  She began to sweat and blush with all of these ponies crowding around her.  “Um…yes,” she answered eventually.
    “Well, just pretend that you’re working out, except you’ve got some awesome tunes to listen to.  Just like exercise, ease into it, and when you’re comfortable give it all you’ve got,” Bon-Bon gave her advice.
Fluttershy stood still for a moment so that she could observe her friends movements.  After a few minutes of watching, slowly and timidly, Fluttershy began to move herself.  Just in time too, a new song was starting.  “Alright Fluttershy,” Lyra said, “Get ready.  Something tells me it’s about to get loud in here.”  A cocky smile crossed her face as she swayed along with the slow introduction.  Fluttershy copied her moves and calculated what her next steps should be.  It rather troubled her that she had to think deeply about what her next move should be when there were ponies all around her that were used to dancing.  But it didn’t matter, now was no time for self-pity.  Now was the time for her to have fun and be herself.
As music track after music track played on, Fluttershy eventually adapted to her surroundings like usual.  Whenever she visited another town such as Canterlot or whenever she visited someplace she usually didn’t, she was always nervous at first, but she would eventually be able to become comfortable with her surroundings to where it at least felt like she was in Ponyville, just around more ponies.  The group of three danced with each other, would leave to get a few drinks, and then returned to the dance floor.  It got to the point of where Fluttershy even thought it was after a while.
    But as it always seemed to, Fluttershy wasn’t allowed to get too comfortable before something knocked her down a peg.  The music stopped and Vinyl Scratch’s voice rang out over the party, “All right all you crazy ponies, it’s been one hay of a party so far but I think it’s time we toned it down a little,” a slow, rather arousing tune began to play, “Now find yourselves a partner and let the love fly.”
    After a second or two of applause for the introduction, the crowd around her shuffled and found partners.  Even Lyra and Bon-Bon had caught those two cute stallions they had pointed out.  Fluttershy sighed and shuffled slowly and unnoticed through the crowd and off the dance floor.  Before she could place her hooves on the soft green grass though, she bumped into another pony and knocked both of them to the floor.  “Oh, I… I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized and tried to stand.
“Aw hey, it’s fine!  Stuff happens!” she heard a male voice reply and looked up just in time to see a dark red pegasus hovering in midair in front of her holding out his hoof.  She took it and allowed him to help her up.  Upright, the two pegasi got their first good looks at each other.  As Fluttershy scaled the attractive stallion up, she blushed.  It was the first time she had ever gotten any appeal from a stallion.
    After a few seconds of just looking at each other, Fluttershy eventually snapped out of it.  She backed up a little and cleared her throat, “I…I’m sorry again.  I should really be more careful,” she said and tried to walk around him.
    “Don’t worry, its fine.  You’re cool,” he replied.  Fluttershy blushed.  “So… you wanna dance?” he asked.
    She looked into his big green eyes, “Me?” she asked, “You want to… to dance with me?” she stuttered her question out.
    “Sure,” he smiled, “why wouldn’t I?”
    Fluttershy looked down and kicked her hoof at the ground, “Because I’m clumsy.”
    “What?  Nah, I don’t think you’re clumsy.  As a matter of fact, I think you’re beautiful,” he placed his hoof under her chin and lifted her head up gently.
    A huge blush crossed her face and she whimpered nervously as she was forced to look into his eyes.  In a split second, she had made her decision.  She was going to do it; she was going to say yes!  She had only met him a few seconds ago, but for some strange, odd reason, she couldn’t seem to help but trust him.  “O…OK,” she said timidly and allowed him to take her hoof, “I… I’d love to dance with you.”

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                         Chapter 3                         
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Chapter 3
“Oh, look at that,” Bon-Bon whispered excitedly, “Lyra look.  Fluttershy’s found herself a stallion.”  The slow dance was still in session, but the two mares’ dates had to leave early which forced the two to retreat back to the bar for some cold drinks.  They had thought Fluttershy had already left as a result of them so rudely abandoning her, but deep down they knew she was a strong filly.
    Lyra craned her head up to see over the crowd, “What?  Where?  Who?” she asked excitedly.  She finally spotted the two slow dancing pegasi, but Bon-Bon pulled her down before she could get a really good look.
    “Stay down,” Bon-Bon instructed, “she might see us.  She looks content, like it’s only the two of them.  We don’t want to remind her where she is.”
Lyra nodded in agreement, “Yeah, yeah,” she said, watching the two through the crowd, “you’re right.  Keep an eye on them though.”  They watched them in silence for a moment or two, “They’re so cute together!” Lyra complimented after some time.
Fluttershy and her new friend were hugged close to each other and were staring gently into each others eyes.  He made her feel so comfortable with herself.  Unbeknownst to two ponies spying on them from the bar, this new stallion had been doing wonders for her self-esteem.  The whole time they slowly, romantically danced around with each other, he would whisper sweet and kind things into her ear.  It seemed as though his timing was on purpose too, for it seemed he wouldn’t make another compliment until Fluttershy’s blush had gone away.
The couple danced around and around slowly until they were forced to stop by the transition of music tracks.  DJ-Pon3 piped up once more and complimented on all the mares and stallions in the crowd that had “found each other”, but announced that it was time to speed the party up a little more.  “Can’t have all you ponies falling asleep now,” she said and swapped over to a new track.  It was the same kind of music that shook Fluttershy and hurt her head and ears.
    “Thank you,” Fluttershy said and backed away from him only to do a miniature half curtsy.  She blushed when she realized how out of a place a curtsy was at a party like this.  Though she didn't know just yet, her new friend thought it was rather cute and did a semi-bow back which caused her to blush.  She liked this stallion, and as such, did not want him to leave her just yet.  “What do I do?  What do I say?  Oh, I've never been good with this kind of thing!” these thoughts of confusion and fear all raced through her mind.  After some minutes of panicking, she came to the sudden realization that the whole time they had been dancing and quietly conversing with each other, she hadn't bothered to ask his name.  “So...” she began slowly, “What's you're name?”
    “Hey, I was just about to ask you the same thing,” he replied, “Basswubs the name,” he held out his hoof, “Nice to make your acquaintance.”
    Fluttershy politely shook his hoof and giggled.  He was so charming!  “Um...” she hesitated and blushed, “my name's Fluttershy.  Nice to meet you,” she blushed just a little harder.
    “Can I take you for a drink?” he asked with an undeniable smile.
    “That sounds lovely,” she said quietly, and allowed him to lead her towards the bar.
    “Oh, shoot!” Lyra cursed, “They're coming this way.  Let's move a little but stay where we can see them.  They've hit it off, I just know it,” she said and moved a little deeper into the crowd.  Once they discovered a spot, Lyra and Bon-Bon mingled in with the crowd and kept an eye on Fluttershy and her date.  Who would have ever thought it, innocent, quiet little Fluttershy going on a date?  All that in mind, Lyra's demeanor suddenly changed.  Once they inevitably met up once more, she would have to scale the stallion up and pry into him a little more.  Fluttershy would be easy bait for any stallion looking to hook up, and Lyra wasn't about to let that happen to gullible little Fluttershy.  As she watched them through the crowd she kept her eyes on the stallion and scanned her thoughts.  She hadn't seen him before, so he was either in town for the party or was one of the many ponies that had moved there to escape the overcrowding of the cities.
    “Thank you,” Fluttershy said quietly and politely as she took the drink.  Though she began to feel somewhat at home at the party, she was still nervous with this male in her presence; she had never gotten this close to a “date” before!  She blushed at the very thought of being on her first ever date and took a sip of her drink.
    Her innocent thoughts were disrupted though as Bass tapped her on the shoulder.  “You OK,” he asked, “you're shaking,” he tipped his head towards her shaking hoof.
Fluttershy glanced at it and tried desperately to stop her shaking.  “Oh, I... er...” she hesitated and her eyes darted all over the place, “I'm just a little nervous,” she confessed eventually.
     The big stallion sipped his drink and replied, “What's there to be nervous about?  I don't scare you do I?” he asked with a playful, somewhat semi-taunting smile.
    Fluttershy gulped.  It wasn't that he scared her, she just wasn't used to being with a male.  She just couldn't tell him the truth that he frightened her; that would be so rude and would definitely deter him from her.  What should she do?  What should she say?  Was he being serious, or was he just toying with her?  “Think Fluttershy, think!” she ordered her mind to recall some of the pointers Rarity had given her on dating and conversing with the male.
    “No!  Not at all,” she said, “It's just, well... see, I've never been approached by a stallion before.”
    The stallion chuckled, “In the grand scheme of things Fluttershy, I think it was you who did all of the approaching.”
    Fluttershy blushed as she remembered how she had bumped into him.  It was certainly one unique way to meet a pony.  “I guess you're right,” she giggled softly.
    They fell into silence for a moment, but Bass was able to save them from it.  “So...” he circled his drink around, “What are your plans for tonight?”
    Fluttershy thought a moment.  When she got home it would be the same usual thing, find something to eat, maybe read a book, and then go to bed.  “I guess nothing,” she sighed, “I'm a very boring mare.”
    “Come on, don't think like that.  Believe me baby, you're far from a boring mare,” he complimented her and drained his drink in one more gulp.
    “Did...did you just call me 'baby',” she blushed deeply.
    “Hm,” he replied, “yeah, I suppose I did.”  He smiled at her.  His smiles were very attractive, just like the rest of his body she thought.
“Oh,” she said and looked away, “thank you.  That's very sweet,” she brought her hoof up and began to fiddle with her mane.  He was very smooth and very kind.  Eager to keep the conversation going, she asked with her best flirty tone, “Could I ask what your plans are?”
    “I guess you could,” he winked at her and chuckled, “I guess I'll pretty much be doing the same thing as you.  Go home, dig through a bag of chips, put on some tunes and go to bed.  Why do you ask?”
    Fluttershy blinked a few times, silent.  She wanted to tell him what she felt even though she had just met him, but she just couldn't, not yet, so she answered his question with a question, “Well... why did you ask?”
    The stallion cocked an eye smoothly, “Because I was hoping you'd let me walk you home,” he replied just as smoothly.
    An embarrassed smile crossed Fluttershy's face and she began to fan herself in a flirtatious kind of way.  She was worried she might be coming into the whole thing a little fast, but she kept physically displaying her gratitude to him regardless.  She knew most mares (probably smarter than her) wouldn't normally let a stallion walk them home after just meeting, but there was something about this one that really appealed to her.  “I think that would be OK,” she answered and stopped fanning herself.
    “Sounds like a plan,” he replied, “any chance I could... kiss you on the cheek?”
    Her deep blush returned and Fluttershy was forced to look away once more.  “Why do you want to kiss me of all mares?” she asked quietly.
    “Because I like you and I think you're pretty,” he replied and supported himself on the bar with one elbow.
    “Oh,” Fluttershy hid her eyes behind her mane but kept them laid on him, “if that's the case, well... I guess it wouldn't hurt.”
“You guess?” he asked, “Tell me what you think of it after I've done it,” he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.  To Fluttershy it was the perfect cheek kiss, not too short, not too long, not too wet, and not too dry.  She was blushing deeper than ever and was gently shaking with excitement. Her first kiss, her first kiss from a stallion!  He broke his lips away from her cheek and asked with a confident smile, “So, what'd you think?”
    Fluttershy placed her hoof over the kiss mark, her blush still there, and replied in a near-whisper, “It was amazing.”
    “Glad you think so babe,” he replied and dropped off the counter.  He began to flex his wings.
     Fluttershy's blush grew stronger, and she uttered a quiet “Oh,” when she noticed he was showing off for her.  He had a very large, graceful wingspan and now that she got a better look at his torso under his wings, he was just her size; Fluttershy loved what she saw.
    Bass conjured up a fake yawn and said, “Wow, excuse me.  Totally didn't expect that.”
    “You're very handsome,” she complimented him.
    “Thanks,” he replied never faltering, “maybe I'm almost as handsome as you are beautiful, but I doubt it.”
    Fluttershy giggled and looked down once more.  Fluttershy thought she was falling for this stallion.  Was she just some stupid, innocent mare letting hope and stupidity take hold, or could it be that she had finally found love?  Maybe it was true what Lyra had said, maybe opposites did attract?  It certainly felt like it, and a mare never knew until she tried.  In that moment, Fluttershy tossed all of her concerns and worries aside and decided she would accept when and if he asked her to be his marefriend.  She cringed with excitement at the possibility she could have her very own special somepony soon.
    “That's very sweet,” she commented as she glanced into his majestic green eyes.
    “Kinda like you?” he asked.  Fluttershy could only blush in reply.  He hesitated a moment and said, “Well what do you say we blow this popsicle stand?”
    Fluttershy thought for a moment, but was unable to cypher what she had just been told.  “I... I don't...” she began.
    Bass understood though, so he cut her off.  He chuckled softly and explained to her, “It's an expression babe.  It means let's go, let's leave.  That sound good to you?”
    “Oh,” Fluttershy blushed and looked down at the ground; she felt so embarrassed, “yes, I think it's probably best if we left.  Oh, if that's OK with you that is.”
    “Hey, I asked you didn't I?” he asked pointedly and smiled.  He took Fluttershy's hoof and led her towards the exit gate.  Once outside the party, the music still shaking the ground, Bass looked Fluttershy in her eyes and asked softly, “Ready?”
    Fluttershy smiled gently up at him and replied, “Ready.  I'm ready for you to take me home now.”
    “Mhm,” he replied, “and take you home I will.”

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                        Chapter 4                          
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Chapter 4
As the two of them walked up the hill and away from Ponyville in silence, Fluttershy listened as the booming music grew softer and softer and the earth became surer.  Aside from the chatter of the crickets, all was silent at first until Bass spoke up.  He cleared his throat to make it seem less awkward for them and said, “Follow me, there's something I want to show you.”
    “What is it?” Fluttershy asked innocently.
    Bass chuckled and replied, “You'll see,” and began to stray off the dirt path.  Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow, unsure and timid at first, but eventually followed him off the path and down onto the grassy knoll.  As she followed him she could hear the sound of the trickling creek water getting progressively louder.
    “Where are we going sir?” she asked once more.
     “Look,” Bass said as he pulled her a little closer and pulled the shrubs apart.  Fluttershy gasped at the beauty of it.  She couldn't believe she had never noticed it before, and it was so close to the bridge too!  In front of her was perhaps the most beautiful part of the entire creek.  The crisp, beautiful, blue water flowed at the perfect speed over the rocks, and the roses, daffodils, and other wildflowers grew in peace.  The twinkling fireflies made the whole scene look like something right out of one of her favorite romance novels.
    Fluttershy gasped quietly, “It...it's beautiful,” she said with a whisper.  She stood still for a moment and continued to watch the fireflies flutter around.  Deep down inside of her, Fluttershy made a mental note to visit this place while alone.  It was secluded and beautiful, a place she knew she could feel at peace at, unlike the salon or even her own home; she could never image a place like this as being too loud or too scary.  “I love it,” she commented so quietly that it was unlikely that Bass had even heard her.
    “It is, isn’t it?” he replied and observed the scene himself.  All was quiet for a moment after that as the two of them merely observed the beauty around them.  Sure that he wasn’t watching her, Fluttershy stole and glance at him and tried to figure him out.  He was a partier, that was for sure, but he seemed to have a soft side.  “How many fireflies do you think there are?” he asked after a while.  Fluttershy quickly looked back towards the scene and the fireflies before she could be discovered looking at him.
    As they fluttered around she tried to count them, but she just couldn’t, there were too many.  “There has to be hundreds,” she replied and smiled gently at him.
    “I counted three hundred once,” he replied and led them a little further into the area, just enough so that they didn’t have to hold the bushes anymore.  Aside from the crickets’ chirp, all became silent once more.
     The silence gave Bass the perfect opportunity to pull his next romantic move of the night.  Gently, silently, and as casually as possible, Bass outstretched his left graceful wing and wrapped it slowly around Fluttershy’s petite body.  She hadn’t been paying attention, so she gasped and jumped at first, but when she noticed that his wing was wrapped around her and she was pinned closely against him, she blushed deeply.  She had seen this romantic move many times before, but had never experience it.  In her opinion, it was the sweetest thing a male or female pegasus could do for his or her mate.
    She looked away from him and glanced down at the ground as silence enveloped them once more.  “Basswub?” she asked after a minute or two, “are we…” she looked away, too nervous to look into his eyes, “dating?” she asked and blushed.
    Bass looked down at her and smiled.  He kissed her gently on the head.  That should have answered the question, but Bass knew her type, innocent, inexperienced, so he knew it never hurt to confirm something like that with her.  “What do you think?” he asked in a light tone.
     Fluttershy snuggled her head up to him for a few moments.  When she stopped she looked up at him and replied, “But we only just met,” she pointed out with a guilty feeling in her gut, “If you don’t mind me saying, well… I don’t know you all that well, and you don’t know me.”  She finished and then quietly gulped at the realization she had probably just ended her first ever relationship.  Little did she know though, Basswub was full of determination.
    “I know,” he replied calmly, “I don’t know you all that well either.”
    Fluttershy thought a moment, though she didn’t really need to, and snuggled her head back up to him.  They stood in silence and observed the romantic sight before them as a new couple.
    As all good things must though, the two of them tired of looking at the beauty before them and decided to get back on the path towards Fluttershy’s house.  It was getting very late, into the early morning hours, and they were both very exhausted after the excitement of the day.  As they proceeded on at a walk Fluttershy attempted once more to tell him he didn’t have to walk her home.  “You really don’t have to do this,” she said to him, “you can go home and get some rest.”
     “And let a mare like you walk alone, my mare?  Heh,” he snorted, “no thanks.”  He smiled at her and quickly rubbed up against her affectionately.  Fluttershy blushed in reply.  She tried to make herself stop, but she just couldn’t stop blushing around him.  She knew she probably didn’t look good if she blushed around her own stallionfriend.  “I think it’s pretty cute, you know,” he pointed out to her.  It seemed he could read her like a book.  Needless to say, from that point on, Fluttershy no longer thought twice about blushing around him.
    Awkwardly enough, the couple didn’t talk much as they walked on into the night.  It was unexpected; a shocker to both of them how love could strike so quickly.  If Princess Celestia taught Fluttershy one thing, it was that there was a time for everything, so she should not think it strange that something sudden should happen.  Both of them pondered their thoughts in silence and took the occasional glance at either the night sky or the pony beside them.
    Eventually though, they spotted Fluttershy’s cottage over the distance.  “Is that your place?” Bass asked and looked over at her.
    “Yes sir,” she replied and nodded her head with a smile.
    “Impressive,” Bass complimented the garden, bridge, and front yard as they got ever closer to the house.
    “Thank you,” Fluttershy replied, “you’ll have to show me your house sometime.”
    They approached the door, stopped, and turned towards each other.  “Will do,” Bass replied and nodded his head.
    Fluttershy turned to unlock the door and then asked, “Would you like to come in?”
    Bass thought for a moment but declined, “No thanks cupcake, I’ve really got to be going.  I’m worn out and there’s a lot to be done tomorrow, especially since I just moved here.”  He yawned and stretched his wings.  After that, all Fluttershy could do was look down at the ground and hoof the grass and all Bass could do was look up, look down, and glance around as he tried to think of something to say while he also waited for something to be said.  Unbeknownst to him, Fluttershy was doing the exact same thing.  Unable to think of anything, all Bass could say was, “So… I guess I’ll see you soon?”
    Fluttershy smiled brightly at him and quietly replied, “You can count on it.”
    “Well, I guess I’ll be going.  I uh… I love you,” he said and began to walk away.
    “Oh, wait,” Fluttershy stopped him.  He turned to ask what she needed, but before he could even get a semi-turn in, he felt her lips against his.  Now that was something very unexpected!
     Little did he know, but Fluttershy had absolutely no idea what she was doing and had little faith in herself.  With each second that passed, a million instances of “I should stop, it's been too long,” and “It's only been a second or two, I don't need to stop yet,” all raced through her head at once.  She even doubted herself for a minute.  Maybe she was rushing into this a little to fast, for Celestia's sake, she had just met the stallion not but a few hours ago and she was already kissing him like they were engaged to be married!  She knew it was strange, maybe even wrong, but she just couldn't stop herself.  She kept their lips locked together for a few more seconds and then pulled away.  “I love you too,” she said in her quietest and driest voice ever, though she was somewhat pleased and rather comforted by the fact that she had just prompted the first blush out of him of the night.
     “That was... pretty good.  That was awesome in fact,” Bass stared at her as he savored the last bit of her sweet breath and the taste of her lips.
    Fluttershy blushed, looked down at the ground, and resumed her hoofing.  She giggled very quietly and replied, “Thank you.  I just wanted to say thank you for making sure I had a good time.  I was so nervous at first, but now, well... er... you probably get what I'm trying to say.”  She smiled weakly at him.
    Bass chuckled and kissed her on the head, “I sure do cupcake.  I don't wanna leave an amazing mare like you after something like that, but I'm super tired.  I hope it won't hurt anything if I left you alone for a few hours,” he winked at her.
    Fluttershy smiled at him and replied, “No sir, of course not.  See you soon.”
    “Alright cupcake,” he smiled back at her and began to walk off down the road.  She waved him off and walked inside when he disappeared over the bridge and around the bend.
     Once she was inside, she proceeded upstairs and went into her bedroom.  She closed the door and laid down on the bed to relax and reflect on the last few hours which just seemed to magical to her.  For a moment, she really thought she was dreaming.  Could it be true that one of her deepest, most desired dreams had just come true not but a little more than an hour ago?  It seemed like Bass was the perfect stallion, the stallion of her dreams in fact.  The more she thought about him, the more she wanted to remember about him.  She pulled open the drawer to her nightstand and pulled her diary and pencil so that she could write down her feelings about the wonderful night.
     Once she finished writing, she read the passage back to herself.  It read:
“Dear diary, I don't think I could've been any more wrong about tonight!  Oh but I just don't know where to begin first!  Step one would probably be a good start ~blush~.  When I first got there, I was having serious doubts and I almost turned back, but before I could, my friends Lyra and Bon-Bon showed up.  They persuaded me to go in and just told me to be myself.  I did, and the results showed!  I met a stallion!!! <3 His name is Basswub, but he likes it better when I just call him Bass.  Long story short, he's my stallionfriend!  He's so sweet and kind, he shown and told me many wonderful things, and I love him!  The only thing is, we met at the party and I'm afraid I'm jumping into it all a little fast.  I don't want to jump to conclusions though... I think I'll ask Rarity for advice tomorrow.  She has a lot more dating experience than I do and she's probably best fit to assess the situation, oh... well, that is if she isn’t too busy.  And speaking of which, I can barely wait to tell the girls!  I just know they'll be so excited for me!  :)
Love,
Fluttershy
    A yawn escaped her mouth once she finished reading, so she closed the book cover gently and placed it back inside of the drawer.  After that, she blew out the candle on the same nightstand and cuddled up under the sheets.  She didn't know it, but she couldn't sleep because of the excitement flowing through her.  She tossed and she turned, but she just couldn't seem to keep her eyes closed for more than a few seconds; all she could think about was him, and every time she closed her eyes she saw him, her new stallionfriend.  Eventually though, well into the morning hours, just before the sun's rise, Fluttershy was finally hit with the sensation of sleep as her excitement died off, which forced her into a deep, peaceful sleep, in which she secretly hoped she would dream of her first, new love.

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                         Chapter 5                         
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Chapter 5
     A few weeks had passed since Fluttershy since met him, and dates were becoming a regular thing.  Not but a few days ago, she revealed the news to first Rarity at their spa date, and then the rest of the girls later on that day.  Feelings were somewhat varied by the ponies at first, but Fluttershy observed that with each day that passed, they seemed to be warming up to the idea of her dating.  They were just concerned for her, that was all.  She was so lucky to have such great friends.  Now all that was left to do was introduce him to them.
    That was what she was going to do today.  The afternoon was fast approaching and all of the ponies decided to go out to lunch and simply spend some time together.  It was the perfect time for her to introduce him to them all!  He was sure to be the talk of the day, she just knew it.
      He had given her a picture of him last week that she kept pinned on her bedroom mirror.  It allowed her to see his face whenever she groomed herself or whenever she checked her reflection.  She hummed in key with the birds outside her window as she sat down on the edge of her bed and began to comb her mane.  She was running late enough and was anxious to go, but she kept messing up because her eyes would drift away from her reflection and over to his face.  Eventually though, she got her mane down and finished up the grooming process with just a dab of perfume.
    She went downstairs and double checked that all of her animals were taken care of before she left, and after she told them all to wish her luck, she headed out the door and went off down the path in a quick, dainty trot.  Soon enough, she came to the bridge and stopped for just a moment to watch a family of ducks cross underneath her. It looked as if they were swimming right to the spot that Bass had shown Fluttershy when they first became a couple.  She thought a moment about the beauty she had been shown and how she hadn't yet had the time to visit it in solitude and promised herself that she would do it soon enough.  She focused her attention back on the ducks, but could only watch for a few more seconds as their little yellow tails disappeared into the thicket and went under a downed tree.
    She sighed dreamily and smiled.  Even when she was this far from the spot, she seemed to be at peace.  Concluded that she would see no more ducks, she went on her way.  The walk to the fork in the road was relatively lonely, but Fluttershy was no stranger to that.  She shook her head as she turned left instead of right this time.  Maybe now that she had a stallionfriend, such thoughts wouldn't find their way into her head.  In her opinion, Bass had already shot her self-esteem through the roof, and she could only imagine what the results would be if the relationship carried on at its healthy pace.
    In any event, she knew it would get better for her.  As Rarity had told her, she just needed to “keep her chin up and tackle one thing at a time”.  She gulped as she walked further into town; tackling things sounded scary.
     Eventually, she found herself at Bass' small apartment complex.  He was living on the first floor of a multi-story apartment complex near the river in Ponyville until he could scrounge up the money to buy a house.  He was confident about it and assured her that it wouldn't take too long, for she constantly worried about his well-being.
    She found her way to his door and knocked on it a few times.  As usual, the music was booming, so she had to strain to hear a reply.  Finally, she heard, “Fluttershy, that you babe?  Come on in, door's open.”  The music shut off and Fluttershy stepped inside the apartment.  Bass poked his head around the corner and smiled brightly.  “Make yourself at home babe.  I just got out of the shower, but don't worry, I won't take too long.”  He winked at her and disappeared back around the corner into the bathroom.
    “Thank you,” Fluttershy called out to him and sat down on the sofa.  “Take all the time you need... darling,” she was never good with the sweet name calling, so she always hesitated.
    She heard Bass chuckled from the bathroom and reply, “Well I see you haven't changed a bit.  Still your little, sweet, innocent self I see.”
    Fluttershy blushed and ran her hoof a few times over the carpeting.  As she waited on him too, she observed the apartment around her.  It was the first time she got a really good look at it.  She had been there a few times, but hadn't had the chance to sit down and scope out the place.  It wasn't what she expected of an apartment at all.  Bass kept it clean (for the most part) and had posters of his favorite bands and music figures on the walls.  He too had a picture of Fluttershy that she had given him which he had sitting on top of his stereo near the closet door.  It made her feel warm inside knowing that he had a picture of her.
    “So remind me again babe, what all are we doing today?” he asked.
     Fluttershy continued to observe the posters on the walls, but replied, “Oh, I just wanted to introduce you to my friends.  If that's OK with you, I mean.”
     Bass chuckled once more and replied, “Sounds like a plan babe.  Almost done in here.”  She heard the sink turn on and assumed he must be brushing his teeth.  Once he finished and exited the bathroom, the very first thing he did was kiss Fluttershy on the head and then give her a peck on the lips.  He backed away and asked, “How do I look?”
    Fluttershy looked him over, though she really didn't need to.  She thought she always looked good.  “You look good... as usual,” she tried to flirt with him.
    “Same to you babe,” he replied and kissed her on the forehead once more, “You ready to go?” he asked and smiled at her.  Fluttershy nodded her head and thanked him when he held the door open for her.  Once he locked up, the two went on their way at a leisurely pace and talked with each other.  Fluttershy asked how the house hunt was going, Bass replied, asked about her plans later, and so on and so forth.  They usually talked casually or with a semi-lovey tone, though most often the latter because neither of them really knew how to do any of that flirty stuff.  Needless to say, Fluttershy was more than a little surprised when she found this out about him.
    There was silence and nature observation for a little while, so Fluttershy recalled the conversation.  “I would've thought a stallion like you gets all the mares,” she had said to him.
    Bass had replied, “Nope, not as much as you would think,” then he had winked at her, “only a few times actually.  Either I wasn't happy or she wasn't happy, so it always ended.”  After that, he had ever so sweetly lifted her had up so that he could look into her eyes and say, “Maybe this one'll end differently.”
     Fluttershy smiled, blushed, and replied, “Maybe it will.”  And then she recalled she had snuggled up to him and then the two of them resumed their nighttime walk.
    After that, her flashback ended and she saw that they were getting close to the restaurant.  It wouldn't be long now until the girls got to meet the stallion they had been told so much about.  Knowing this, Fluttershy began to sweat as she recalled the mixed opinions the ponies had.  What if they didn't like him?  What if one of them pulled her aside and told her she should tell him to get lost?  She didn't deal with rejection good, it would show she was a bad friend if she didn't listen to her friends' advice, and one of her greatest fears was heartbreak, so who would she be to come along and break another pony's heart?  She gulped as she noticed the sign to the restaurant just over them.  She was so caught up in her worries in fact, that she jumped when Bass tapped her shoulder.  “You OK?” he asked and cocked an eyebrow.
    She didn't want to reveal her worries to him.  She was dragging him along on this date after all, and she didn't want to throw anything else on his plate.  “Um...” Fluttershy looked down and gasped quietly, a sign that she was lying, “yes, I'm fine,” she looked back up at him and smiled weakly, “Why do you ask?”
    His eyebrow still cocked, Bass replied, “Well, you sure are sweating a lot, and well... it isn't that hot outside.  Not to mention your wings look like their shivering.  There's something wrong Fluttershy, and I know it.  I'm your stallionfriend, so don't play me for a fool.  So tell me babe, what's the matter?”
    They were standing in front of the restaurant window now and Fluttershy feared that the girls would see her.  This isn't how she wanted to make his big introduction!  Only a few minutes in and already everything was going wrong!  But she must hold true to her previous promise, for his own good.  She tried her hardest to stop her sweating and quivering and smiled a little brighter.  “Nothing, I promise,” she lied, “I just get a little nervous when I go into public places like this.  You know me,” she giggled nervously.
     Luckily enough, it seemed to work.  Bass smiled back at her and lifted her head up.  “I understand,” he replied, “just remember that I'm right here by you.”
     “That's very sweet of you,” Fluttershy replied quietly and blushed as he pulled the door open and ushered her in.
    He walked in behind her and stopped beside her.  Little did she know, but Bass was just as eager to make a good impression as she was.  Any friend of Fluttershy's was a friend of his.  “So, where are these friends of yours?” he asked and scanned the place over.  He wanted to see if he could pick out any mares and/or stallions that seemed like Fluttershy's type on the outside.  As they walked through the tables Bass looked and looked, but he just couldn't seem to spot any sweet little innocent ponies that kept their heads down or their eyes hidden behind their mane.
    Eventually though, he was shown the ponies he was looking for.  “Girls,” Fluttershy blushed and hoofed at the ground, this was something new for her, “this is Basswubs.  My stallionfriend,” she smiled at them and then took her seat rather hastily so that the others could get a better look at him.
    “Hey everypony,” Bass waved somewhat sheepishly and sat down beside Fluttershy.  Judging from their looks, he would have never guessed that his quiet little Fluttershy associated with ponies like this.  His surprise was even more furthered by the fact that all of the ponies there, except Fluttershy of course, seemed outgoing.  They all introduced themselves to him, and then, as usual, came the volley of questions.  Questions like, “Are you new here?” and “What do you like to do?” and all the simple things that he had answered with each new move or each new date.  Regardless, he was polite about it and answered all of their questions accordingly.  If he didn't look good for himself, he at least wanted to look good for Fluttershy.
     Once that was over, they all settled down and enjoyed a hearty lunch.  As they ate though, they were sure to keep the conversation lively, and even intrigue Bass a few times.  As he ate, Bass' ears caught the sound of giggling and when he looked up, he saw none other than Rarity, Twilight, and Futtershy all with a light blush on their face giggling at him.  He would later come to find out that it was nothing more than innocent amusement aimed towards the stray pasta noodle on his nose (which he failed to acknowledge for quite some time).
    Bass might have been strong and smooth internally, but on this date, he was every bit as nervous as everypony else.  It was a lukewarm feeling, meeting somepony new for the first time.  They were all excited, but they just didn't know what to expect.  The five ponies before him curious and maybe even suspicious of the stallion that would be dating their friend, and him curious at the five ponies that could very well become his own friends.  Better to get to know everypony now than later on down the road.
    As the clock ticked on, it soon became apparent that Bass had won over the hearts of the five ponies before him.  They had all warmed up to him within an hour and already treated him like they were his closest of friends.  Needless to say, it looked like Fluttershy's idea for an introductory lunch was a huge success.
    The minutes continued to go on and eventually everything began to slow down.  The tables of ponies around them began to clear out and the staff began clearing the tables for the dinner rush later.  “Well ladies, darling,” Rarity indicated Bass and politely shook his hoof, “it's been fun, but I really must be going.  Thank you all for the good company, and I look forward to doing this again very soon.”  Rarity then stood and was the first to leave.
    “Ah think Rarity's got a plan there,” Applejack yawned and stood, “I lost some sleep to come on this thing, but it was worth it.  Nice meetin' yah partner,” she smiled at Bass and then left.
    After that, all the other ponies left them alone.  “You sure you guys don't want to come with us?” Twilight asked, “You're welcome to if you want.”
    Fluttershy shook her head and quietly replied, “No thank you Twilight.  Me and Bass have plans later, oh, if that's OK with you I mean,” she blushed and looked down.  Every time it seemed she made some progress, some situation came along and set her two steps back.
    “Alright then,” Twilight replied with a smile and turned to walk away, “you two have a good rest of the day.  It was really nice meeting you Bass,” she nodded at him and smiled wider.
    “Same to you,” Bass smiled back.
    “You two have fun now,” Rainbow Dash replied as she hovered away beside Twilight, “Oh, and try to keep it clean.”  She finished and then winked at them both.  The statement didn't take more than a couple of seconds to prompt a blush from them both.
    Eventually, Bass cleared his throat and asked, “So you ready to go?”
    Fluttershy smiled and said, “Yes sir.  Ready as I'll ever be.”
    “Honey, I really wish you'd stop calling me 'sir',” he said and opened up his wings and assumed a takeoff position, “on the count of three.”
    “Sorry,” Fluttershy looked down at the ground and assumed the same take off position.
     Bass began to count down.  “One, Two, Three!” he said and the both of them shot off into the air.  It took some time before they got even with each other in the air, soaring above the clouds, but the moment Bass found himself beside his mare he said, “Don't be baby,” she looked over at him and he smiled, “I think it's actually pretty cute, you know.”  She smiled back, but Bass wasn't satisfied just yet.  “Love you,” he said in a lovey type tone and shifted just a little closer to her so that he could tap her with his hoof.
    Fluttershy only glanced over at him, blushed, and mumbled in reply.
    “Didn't catch that babe?” Bass shouted over the roaring wind.
    “I said I love you too!” she replied just loud enough so that he could hear.
    Bass smiled at her and then moved a little closer so that he could rub his cheek affectionately against hers.  He then drifted away and pulled ahead just slightly; he knew exactly where they were going.
    The two of them continued to fly on for a few more minutes until eventually it seemed as if they were right under the city of Cloudsdayle; it seemed as if they couldn't get up any higher into the sky.  After some minutes of toying around in the sky, the two of them landed on a cloud and rested.  As expected, poor, weak Fluttershy panted and rubbed her aching wings, whereas the more experienced Bass merely stretched his wings and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he tended to Fluttershy.  “You did pretty good,” he smiled at her and winked, “awesome and graceful,” he finished.
     Fluttershy blushed and looked down at the cloud surface for a moment.  She was still out of breath and it took her some time to cool down to the point of where she could talk.  “That's very sweet...” she said quietly, but had to allow a few more pants in, “but I'm not good at all.  You don't have to lie to me.”  She looked down at the puffy cloud underneath of her and used her forehoof to swipe a tiny bit of it off into the sky where she watched it flutter away in the wind and then disintegrate before her.  “I don't have a lot of use at all.  You don't have to sugar coat it for me.”
     She sighed and laid down on the edge of the cloud and dangled her hoof over the edge as she thought about how she hated the way the ponies around her treated her they way they did.  She wasn't stupid, she knew she wasn't normal, and as such, must be treated like a fragile little creature.  It seemed as if every time she talked to another pony, one of the girls especially, she dreaded it because she knew how they would reply with that soft, gentle and careful tone.  The only thing was, no matter how hot the desperation burned inside of her, it seemed as if she could never get up the nerve to speak up against it and request, no, demand that they talked to her like they did to everypony else.  Even internally, when she really wanted to say something, she was also always held back by the feeling that it was such a minute subject and that nopony would ever pay attention, so there wasn't even a point in bringing up.
    Bass laid down close beside her and dangled his hoof over the cloud so that he could grasp hers.  “Why do you think like that?” he asked her as he joined her in gazing down at the ground.
    “Because it's true,” she simply said and looked slightly to her left, away from him.
    He moved just a little closer to her so that they were both touching and then wrapped his left wing around her.  “No it isn't,” he said, “you're just as good as I am, or anypony else.”
    Fluttershy snorted quietly under her breath and then laid her head down on her forehoof so that she could allow the wind to gently blow her mane.  It was silent for some seconds until Fluttershy eventually spoke up, still unable to look at him, “What do you see in me?” she asked, “I'd think a stallion like you'd be a lot more happy with somepony like Rainbow Dash.  She's athletic, lives fast, and is way 'cooler' than I am.”
    “Fluttershy,” he replied in a soft tone, “I'm hurt.  Why would you ever think something like that?  Sure, Rainbow Dash is fast and seems like my type, but believe me babe, they don't come any more perfect than you,” he continued to coarse her emotions down gently.
     “I'm sorry,” she apologized some tears welling up in her eyes, “I've never been in a relationship before.  I guess... I guess I just don't know how to act.”  It was so difficult for her!
      He snuggled his head up to hers a few times and said, “It's OK kid,” he smiled at her when he saw she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and continued, “you'll adapt.  You're a smart filly.  It doesn't take you long to get the hang of it.  Well, not that you need to, you're already perfect the way you are.”  They both chuckled softly under their breaths and cuddled against each other.
    Eventually the two left the cloud but continued to fly around in the broad privacy of the sky as the simply enjoyed each other’s company.  But as any normal dating ponies would, they eventually tired of their in-air escapade and regrouped with each other for a leisurely descent to the earth below.  As they glided down to earth though, they eventually caught each other’s glances and blushed.  That embarrassment turned to something else though and the two smiled at each other, if not in a semi-competitive kind of way.  When Fluttershy cocked her eyebrow at him in a way which seemed to ask, “Ready?” the two of them changed position and began to circle down towards the earth around each other in a funnel type move.
      As they circled around and around each other slowly, time seemed to stop for Fluttershy.  She smiled at him and he smiled at her each time they crossed paths in the orange, sunset sky.  Fluttershy could only image what it looked like from down below, and in her mind's eye, she pictured herself standing there and watching the scene before her.  It was absolutely beautiful, more beautiful than anything she thought she'd ever see.  But right now, it was more than just beauty to her, it was realization.  Some tears of joy and passion began to well up in her eyes.  In that moment, in that one romantic moment, it seemed as though she had found her inner beauty, just as he had promised she would.
    Eventually, they found themselves back on the ground, though Fluttershy secretly wouldn't have minded if what she had just experienced had lasted a lifetime.  The moment their hooves touched the soft green grass, Fluttershy quickly trotted to his side and gave him a tight hug.  He chuckled softly under his breath and asked, “What's this for?” and hugged her back.
    Fluttershy looked up into his eyes and smiled, “For making this the best date ever,” she snuggled her head against his neck a few times and then pecked him on the cheek and finished, “I love you so much.”
    “I love you too baby,” he whispered back into her ear and wrapped his foreleg around her neck so that he could gently stroke her mane.  And so the two of them stood there in the warm evening sunlight and hugged and caressed each other quietly, happy and proud to be in each other's presence.  Eventually though, they moved on towards Fluttershy's home.  Bass always took her home first; he said he couldn't bear to think of her walking home all alone.  Fluttershy tried many a time to detest this, and offered that she walk him home first, but she never had any success.  He was a very determined stallion.
     As they walked down the path towards town and eventually up and over the hill they made casual conversation and observed the early stars that were beginning to appear in the sky.  They both knew that meant that Princess Luna must be awakening.  Bass still couldn't get over the fact that his marefriend, his marefriend, had gotten to meet the Princess face to face!  It was very exciting and was one thing more he could show off to all of his friends.
    They walked on and on and eventually reached the path that led to Fluttershy's cottage.  Fluttershy spotted the bridge that marked the five-minutes-to-home mark and was hit with a small type of sadness.  She really didn't want to separate from him just yet, and she had every intention of showing him that.  She snuggled up to him and prodded his wing until he wrapped it around her and then gently snuggled her head up to his neck, “I wish this date never had to end,” she sighed dramatically and glanced up at his face to see if he got the message.  Though she felt so selfish for not taking his plans into consideration, she desperately hoped that they would turn back or stray from the path, or anything!
     “It doesn't have to,” he smiled down at her and snuggled her head back, “Come with me,” he commanded gently and moved ahead so that he could take her hoof and lead her on.  She had an idea of where they were going, but she couldn't be sure.  Regardless, she just decided to keep quiet.  She knew she could trust him.  “I know you haven't been here yet,” he said quietly and pushed his way through the bushes and then held them open for Fluttershy, “but now we can experience it together.”  He smiled at her and released the bushes when she was safely inside of the recessed knoll which surrounded the creek bed and shrouded them in a deep, serene, and romantic privacy.
    They walked a short distance down the small incline and moved just a little closer to the water.  They sat down beside each other and admired the sight before them.  Ahead of them a countless sea of fireflies danced just above the water, and a gentle warm breeze blew through the trees and moved the many colorful flowers around them.  Bass plucked a fresh, red rose and placed it into a blushing Fluttershy's mane.  “I love you,” he said quietly into her ear and then wrapped his hoof around hers.
    “I love you too,” she replied just as quietly and snuggled her head up against him.  He pulled her closer to him by wrapping his left wing around her in kind.
    After that, they merely sat in silence and continued to observe the sight before them.  Fluttershy felt like something was missing though.  The silence was there, it was perfect, the romance was in the air, it was palpable, but still it just felt as if something more could be done to make the date a little more fun.  Perhaps a kiss would make it all feel right?  She leaned over and timidly kissed him on the lips.  That didn't do it, something still felt out of place.  Internally, Fluttershy felt she should just shrug it off and remind herself that the date would unfold how it was supposed to unfold and that she shouldn't push herself too hard.
    But little did she know, Bass felt that same, lacking air.  To him, the date was fun and just sitting beside her and admiring the beautiful atmosphere was all he needed.  Still though, he wondered if Fluttershy felt the same way.  “Hey baby,” he started and Fluttershy looked over at him with a gentle smile on her face and he continued, “you would tell me if you weren't having fun right?”
    Fluttershy's smile turned to a frown as she wondered why in the name of Equestria he would ask her something like that.  Of course she was having fun!  She had waited a very long time to even get comfortable with a stallion, let alone trust herself to go out on a date with him.  To keep her concerns hidden, she smiled once more and kissed him on the cheek, “Of course I would,” she said, “but you don't have to worry about that.  I'm having the time of my life,” she finished gently and moved as close as she possibly could to him.
    They kissed once more.  But this time, something lingered in the kiss.  They both felt it but didn't quite know what had caused it.  Perhaps it had been the way they had quickly sneaked their tongue into the other pony's mouth.  Whatever it was though, it felt sensual.  And oh how it couldn't have come at a worse time; Fluttershy was in heat.
    She bit her lip and glanced back at her grounded rump as she tried to control the warmth and moisture that seemed to be permeating from it.  Unfortunately for her though, the more she thought about and tried to stop it, the worse it became!  She panicked and glanced all about and even once caught a glance of Bass' sheath, which needless to say, didn't help things much.  For a slight moment, she wondered how big he was and stole one more glance.  He snapped her out of it though, “You alright babe?  Your eyes are flyin' all over the place.”
    Fluttershy gulped and nodded her head.  “Yes darling,” she replied softly with a red blush on her face, “I'm fine.”  She tried to stop herself, but her eyes just kept darting and her hormone controlled mind just kept exploring deeper and deeper into a dark fantasy.
    “So....” he started, “I guess you're ready for me to take you home then?”
    Fluttershy wasn't quite ready to go yet, but she figured she might as well be getting home.  It was late and she was rather exhausted.  “If that's OK with you,” she replied and smiled sheepishly.
    Bass chucked and replied, “Of course not, but can I ask you one more favor?”  He smiled back at her.
    “Anything!” Fluttershy replied in a quiet whisper.
    “Maybe I could get one more of your world famous kisses?” he asked.
    Fluttershy hesitated a moment due to embarrassment, but decided to go ahead with it.  She knew that he was doing it for her benefit anyway, because the more kisses or hugs that she gave him, the further she was able to come out of her shell.
    But little did they know that they each would be getting a little more out of this kiss than they had bargained for.  Bass had only just adjusted himself to where he was facing her so that it would be easier for her to kiss him when she had already planted her lips on his.  “I love you,” she whispered between kisses and listened as he responded in kind.  As the seconds ticked on, their kissing seemed to get faster and more passionate.  Instead of a simple lip peck, the two would kiss each other and stay locked and then move their tongues so sensually over the opposite pony’s.
    Fluttershy loved it, and she would soon come to find out that Bass did too.  Her face was as red as could be, and she kept her tail pinned down tight just in case Bass happened to glance back and see that she was getting wet.  But to her surprise, she glanced down to find him semi-erect.  She gasped so quietly that not even Bass heard her through their kissing.  It was such a frightful sight for her, but yet it was so pleasing.  She had never seen a stallion unsheathed before, only in the medical and anatomy books that she had borrowed from Twilight for veterinary use, but deep inside, she couldn’t lie to herself by denying that she didn’t like what she saw.
    Another thing Fluttershy noticed was that Bass kept trying to close his front legs together discreetly, obviously in an attempt to hide his continuously growing genitals from Fluttershy’s view.  Both of them knew they could just stop kissing, but neither of them wanted to.  Where was the fun in that?
    Fluttershy broke her lips away from his and then hugged him.  She whispered, “I can see it, you know,” in a sensually timid tone and then resumed her kissing.  Then from that moment on, the blushing Bass kept his front forelegs comfortably open and allowed his penis to continue to extend on down until it was just a few measly inches away from the ground below.  He thought that perhaps it would be good to show off to her.
    The shy little mare couldn’t help but ogle at it, even after they had stopped kissing.  It was a magnificent sight to her!  She bit her bottom lip and looked away from it back towards her soaked rump.  She glanced back at his penis and thought, “Maybe just… maybe just a feel wouldn’t hurt.”  She blushed deeply at her own thoughts and her throat seemed to seal up.  Through the awkward silence and revealed genitals though, she was able to gain the courage to ask timidly, “Could I… could I touch it?  Oh… oh, if that’s OK with you, I mean…” she looked away and then hid her eyes behind her mane.
    Bass blushed too.  He’d never had a mare ask to touch his genitals before, and he didn’t want to take advantage of the sweet little, naïve mare, but the sexual temptation was killing him.  “S…sure babe,” he said with a shaky voice.  She moved a little closer to his midsection and reached a hoof out, but before she could make contact, he stopped her.  “Are you sure you want to do this?  We…we can wait if you want,” he reminded her.
    Fluttershy looked up into his eyes, over to her hovering hoof, and eventually stole another glance at his penis.  She took a deep, dramatic breath and quietly replied, “I’m sure,” and continued to outreach her hoof, “I... I…” she stopped and giggled like a schoolfilly, “I’ve always been curious anyway.”  And so she finally grasped his cock and played with it for a few moments, gently and respectful so that she wouldn’t accidentally hurt him.  After all, she was absolutely clueless about how all of this worked.  She couldn’t help but feel both fascinated and aroused with it as she found herself unable to stop touching it.
    Bass looked straight away to hide his blush and quietly said, “That… that feels pretty good.”  Afterwards, when he was sure that Fluttershy wasn’t focusing on his upper body glanced back and down to watch her play with it for a few moments.
    He decided to get a little playful with her after that; he just couldn’t help himself.  “Oh!” Flutterhsy gasped quietly and quickly withdrew her hoof when he flexed his cock and flared his tail once or twice.  “I’m so sorry!” she gasped once more, “did I… did I hurt you?!” she asked frantically.
    Bass couldn’t stop himself from laughing!  “No silly,” Fluttershy was just sitting close enough to his front that he could reach his head back and muzzle her affectionately, “us guys do that when we like what we feel down there,” he explained to the embarrassed filly.
    Fluttershy looked back at it and back up at him and timidly asked, “So… I should keep going?”
    “Hey babe, you do whatever you want to do.  I don’t want to force you into anything.  You know I’ve got way more respect for you than that,” he replied.
    Fluttershy smiled and affectionately rubbed his midsection (she knew some stallions liked it when mares did that).  “In that case,” she began, “well…” she blushed, “I think I at least owe you this for all you’ve done with me.”
    Bass was about to object, but before he could get to far, Fluttershy resumed her rubbing and prodding, though this take she seemed to be taking it a little easier, having been shaken by Bass’ former stunt.  Eventually though, Fluttershy tired of simply rubbing him and it seemed to be getting him nowhere on the pleasure scale.  She spotted his testicles and blushed at their size.  She was sure that gently rolling them around or smoothly licking them would give him some pleasure.  The only thing was is that she was too embarrassed to ask him to get into a good position for her to do it.  The poor dear was already on edge.
      As she had before though, she was able to summon up the courage to ask him to roll over onto his back, which he gladly did, eager inside for more.  To his surprise though, the naïve Fluttershy climbed on top of him completely, with her head down at his genitals and her rump in his face.  He immediately assumed that Fluttershy was expecting him to repay the favor, so he gently pulled her tail aside and went right for the gold by tonguing her winking and aroused clitoris.
    Fluttershy gasped as she felt a warm, wet, and simply amazing sensation moving about her genitals.  She glanced back and sure enough saw Bass with his muzzle buried deep inside of her rump, licking her moist pussy.  This was certainly a surprise!  She wasn’t expecting this, and now she didn’t want him to stop.  It felt so good to her virgin pussy to finally have some contact, but she had to go on and please him too!
    She dove her head back down and began to suck his cock and rub his testicles.  She could tell by the way his cock flexed when it was in her throat and the way he tried to move his tail that he liked it.  Every now and then, she would quit sucking his cock and would crane her head down so that she could suck his balls.  She took one into her mouth and gently rolled it around and ran her tongue over it.  And then she would spit it out and do the exact same to the other.  He absolutely loved the sensation!
    In turn, he repaid Fluttershy the best he could.  As she sucked and kissed, he tongued her as hard as his mouth would allow.  He would circle his tongue around and lick her clit, and he would tease her by stopping and taking a breath a few moments before she could orgasm (as indicated by her quiet, high-pitched gasps).  Certain that she had lost the urge to orgasm, he plunged his tongue deep inside of her virgin pussy as deep as he could and then circled his tongue around inside of her as he tried to savor every bit of what he tasted.
    A few more minutes ticked on as the two of them, caught up in lust, continued to give each other oral sex.  In fact, they kept it up to the point of where after only fifteen or twenty minutes had passed, they had very sore tongues.  But each of them wanted to keep going until they just couldn’t go anymore!
    As they continued on, so many thoughts raced through Fluttershy’s mind.  She was so embarrassed and felt rather guilty.  She loved this stallion, true, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way, but for some reason she just felt like now wasn’t the right time.  Maybe she should have waited?  No, she had started it all, and it was a beautiful thing, so she had to go through with it, she just had to!
    She jumped a short distance into the air and then used her wings to maneuver herself around and then landed back on top of him, this time so that they were face to face.  “Wow,” Bass said as she touched back down on top of him, “that was pretty cool.”  He winked at her.
    Fluttershy giggled and flipped her mane out of her eye, “Thank you,” she said quietly and laid her head down on his chest.  They laid there in silence for a few seconds and merely cuddled, but it was Fluttershy who broke the silence once more.  “That felt pretty good,” she complimented his tonguing skills, “I had no idea it could feel so good,” she praised him in a near whisper.
    Bass wrapped his foreleg tightly around her and replied, “Thanks cupcake.  I had a feeling you’d like it.”
    Fluttershy giggled and quietly replied, “I didn’t like it, I loved it!”
    Bass kissed her on the head and replied, “Glad to hear it.”
    After that, in return, Fluttershy craned her head up and kissed him on the lips.  Bass thought she was ready to stop, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.  She kissed him just as passionately as they had not long ago and even licked his bottom lip and tongue as she tried to get a taste of her own juices.  She knew Bass loved what he saw, and she loved what she tasted.  She felt so naughty!  After a while, she stopped kissing him and asked, “C….could we go just a little further?”  Her face was as red as could be and he could feel her heart pounding.  That was all he needed to witness to know what she was talking about.
    He thought a moment and then replied, “Babe, you sure?  With me?  This is a big step for you.  Maybe we ought to wait, you know, until a little later on down the road.  C’mon, I’ll take you hom-”
    Fluttershy cut him off, “No,” she said quietly and timidly, “I’m ready.  I’m like any other mare.  I have urges to,” she pointed out and then put her muzzle right next to his ear and just as sensually as her timidity would allow her to, finished, “I… I want you inside of me.”  She kissed his cheek.  It then became apparent to her that Bass had been going soft when she felt the tip of his cock creep up over her back.
    “If you’re absolutely sure…” Bass began, but was once again cut off by Fluttershy.
    She kissed him, “I’m sure,” she said and glanced back towards her rump so that she could get one more glance of what she was about to take in.  She gulped at its size.
    Bass could sense something was wrong with his mare, so he asked, “Is something wrong Fluttershy?”
    Fluttershy replied with a shaky voice, “N…No sir.  W…Well, it’s just so… big,” she pointed out, “I… I’m afraid it’ll hurt.”  She blushed and looked completely away from him, out towards the water and the fireflies.
    “Babe,” he placed his hoof softly on her cheek, “are you absolutely sure you wanna do this?  I told you, we can wait if you want to.”
    Fluttershy still wasn’t able to look at him, but she bit her bottom lip and tried to make up her mind quickly.  “I…I’m sure,” she finally concluded and scooted down a few inches until their genitals were practically touching, “Just… just please be gentle.”  She blushed and then glanced into his eyes.
    He gave her a quick kiss and replied, “You’ve got it babe.  But listen,” he stopped her as she scooted down just a little more, “I want you to tell me the minute it hurts, and we’ll stop, understand?  I could never hurt you Fluttershy.”  He gently brushed his hoof through his mane and then quickly kissed her once more.
    Fluttershy smiled gently, kissed him back, and quietly replied, “I know, thank you.  I… I’m ready.”  She looked back towards her rump and the tip of his penis on top of it.
    “OK,” he replied and reached down so that he could steer himself in, “but remember what I said.”  Fluttershy only nodded her head and continued to look back, unsure if she should brace herself for pain or pleasure.  She closed her eyes tightly as she felt his head rubbing against her pussy and gasped rather loudly when he finally pushed himself in.  He was so big and it did hurt a little, but she kept her eyes shut tight and dropped her head down all the way so that they were closely hugging each other.
    He started out slowly, and with each and every thrust went just a little deeper.  When he had himself about halfway in, Fluttershy gasped loudly once more and bit her bottom lip as tears of pain started to flow down her cheeks.  “Fluttershy?” he stopped immediately and called her name quietly.
    Fluttershy refused to look him in the face, for she knew that he would see her tears and that they would stop.  They had gotten this far, and what sense did it make to stop now?  She sniffled just as discreetly as she could and said, “I’m fine, keep going.  Please.  It’s just… I’m holding back a sneeze,” she lied.
    Bass hesitated a moment, but eventually resumed his slow, passionate thrusting.  Eventually, and to Fluttershy’s great relief, the sensation seemed to be transforming from virgin pain to pleasure.  It even began to feel downright good after a while!  But some of the pain still lingered, especially when he gently thrust himself all the way in, so Fluttershy figured that calm thoughts, such as those she had envisioned earlier on their flight, and maybe some romantic kissing would help take her mind off of it all.
    She picked her head up just a little when she was sure that her tears had dried and that any stains on her coat that might have been left were gone, and placed her lips on his.  They didn’t wildly and sexually tongue kiss each other, but merely gave each other passionate, long romantic kisses, pulling away from each other it seemed only to take in a breath of fresh air.  Fluttershy loved it, she loved more than anything in the world what she was doing right now.  As she had on their flight, she painted a third-pony picture of the event in her mind, and what a beautiful vision it turned out to be.  The fireflies behind them and the moon above them reflected beautifully off the water, the wind blew easily through their manes, and Fluttershy would thrust her midsection and flip her mane in pure ecstasy.  She closed her eyes.  She placed a hoof behind his raised head and held it up, and then put her head back down beside his and began to suckle his neck.
    Bass pulled her a little closer to him and then did the same.  He sped up his thrusting, but remained careful.  He knew how tender she must still be.  They stopped sucking each other’s necks and then kissed each other quickly on the lips.  “I love you so much,” he whispered into her ear and reached down to gently rub her cutie mark.
    “I love you too,” she pulled her lips off of his necks to say and then plunged them back down on it.
    Eventually, as the minutes ticked on, all of the pain had vanished from Fluttershy’s genitals and now it seemed to be nothing but pure pleasure.  Her blush was deep and it only seemed to grow deeper with each and every thrust that he took.  She wondered how she was doing?  She wanted to ask him, but she didn’t want to interrupt this magical moment between them.
    Bass continued to thrust deeper and occasionally speed himself up.  He thought perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if he gave her one hard, fast round, and so he did.  Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around his neck and nightly and bit her bottom lip.  It felt so good!  “Ah!  Ah!” she gasped quietly, “it feels so good!  Please don’t stop!”  She demanded in a quiet, high-pitched voice.  Bass did as he was told and kept his thrusting just the way she liked it, deep and hard.
    Eventually the pounding she was taking became just too much for her and Fluttershy was forced to orgasm.  It felt wonderful!  Even as she came and her liquids flew all over the place, Bass ceased to stop his speed which made Fluttershy love it even more.  She screamed momentarily, but buried her face deep into his neck and started to kiss him in an attempt to muffle her screams to the night.  “Yeah, you like that don’t you?” Bass teased her quietly and then gently bit her ear.  She blushed at how much pleasure just that gave her.
    “I love it,” Fluttershy replied quietly and ground herself on top of him.  She didn’t exactly know if she was doing it right, but anything that would help make the sex better for the both of them.
    “Aw,” Bass bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes at the pleasure, “that feels amazing!” He complimented her and then gave her cutie marks a good slap.
    Fluttershy gasped and uttered under her breath what sounded like a “Yes!” and which also revealed that the naughty little filly had an affinity for being spanked.  As an answer to this newly discovered secret, Bass gave her bottom a few more good slaps, most gentle and one hard.
    “I think I’m getting close babe!”  Bass revealed after only a few more minutes.  Fluttershy wondered what she should do as she glanced down between her legs and watched his cock slam deep inside of her.  He thrust into her a few more times and Fluttershy noticed that he seemed to slow way down.  The shy little mare wondered what was about to happen, but before she could deduce too much, Bass took one more, thought-shattering and pleasing thrust into her, which plunged his cock as deep as it would go inside of her.  She felt him kick his leg out in an uncontrollable way and then she felt the warmth inside of her start to grow, coupled with the sensation of his pulsating stallionhood.  It was absolutely amazing!
      She wished that it would have never stopped, but she knew that all good things must.  She gasped in delight as she felt his cock pop out of her and quickly looked down between her legs to see a waterfall of his juices come streaming out of her orifice.  It was such a pleasing thing to see!  She glanced down at Bass and found that the poor stallion was all tuckered out from his powerful orgasm.  She cuddled his head and teased him quietly, “You’ve been need some stress relief for a long time haven’t you, my little Wubsy Lovesy?”  She kissed his cheek and began to climb off of him.
    “Wait,” he stopped her and pulled her closer to him.  “I love you babe,” he said and kissed her on the lips.  They broke apart and then she kissed him back to show her gratitude and her love for him.
    After that, she climbed off of him and backed up a little to give him some room.  “Oh,” she blushed, worried that she had tired him out too much, “do you need any help?”
    Bass lifted his head up a few inches and chuckled.  “Nah,” he replied, “it’s gonna take a lot more than some great sex to keep me down!”  He gathered his returning strength and then used his wings to propel himself off his back and into the sky where he majestically flipped around and then landed softly on his hooves.  Afterwards, he snuggled Fluttershy, “Let me tell ya’ babe,” he began, “that was amazing.  I’m really proud of ya’.”  He pecked her on the cheek and gently pulled her mane aside so that he could look into her beautiful eyes and see her beautiful blush.
    Afterwards, they walked back up to the bushes and cautiously peaked out of them to make certain that the way was clear.  Sure that nopony was coming down or was already on the path, they quickly ran to the roadway and resumed their casual walk to Fluttershy’s cottage.  It wasn’t far now, and Fluttershy was relieved to be returning home, eager to wash the day’s adventures off and then curl up in her nice inviting bed, but oh how she didn’t want to leave him.  As a matter of fact, she wouldn’t have minded if he stayed the night or maybe even a little longer then her.  But that was too much to ask, she knew that he too was tired and had his own things to do at home.
    The solar lamps which led the way up to her home were just on the distance.  As they neared closer and closer to the cottage, Fluttershy came to realization that they had walked the whole way in silence.  She was about to wonder aloud, but just decided to keep quiet.  Besides, who could blame them?  It was quite an awkward, spur-of-the-moment decision.  As they ascended the small hill up to her front door, Fluttershy shrugged it off completely.  She was sure, no, she knew that they both felt the same inside; amazed, excited, and a little scared.
    Fluttershy sighed quietly when they reached her door and turned towards each other.  Even there at the front door, all they were able to do was stand in awkward silence.  Bass would look away towards his rear and flex his wing awkwardly, or would utter a fake cough just to keep the silence away, and Fluttershy would look away from him, mainly up at the stars, and scratch the top of her hoof.  Little things which tried to keep the awkwardness away from them, but which also said “I’m not ready to leave you.”
    Bass straightened himself up and cleared his throat and began, “So…” he was cut short as Fluttershy dashed into him and gave him a tight hug.  He blushed and continued, “I guess this is where we part ways,” he chuckled under his breath and finished, “not bad for a day out I’d say.”
    Fluttershy laughed softly under her breath and gave him one final squeeze before backing off of him.  “I had a wonderful time tonight,” she confessed quietly, “it was… it was the most magical night of my life!  I’ve never felt this way about somepony before.”
    Bass smiled and then they kissed quickly, and he turned to leave.  “Glad to hear it princess,” he said softly and smiled at her one more time.  “See me off?” he asked cutely.
     Fluttershy giggled quietly, “As always,” she reminded him with a smile and then waved him off as he trotted off down the path.  Once he had disappeared past the bend, Fluttershy turned and entered her house.  A sigh of relief, romance, and exhaustion all balled into one escaped her mouth once she did so.  She put her things down and then lit a few candles for light and plopped down on the couch.  She knew she should probably go ahead and get a shower and go to bed, but for some reason, now that she was in the cozy confines of her cottage, she just couldn’t seem to get comfortable enough to get tired.
    She flipped over onto her back and propped her head up on the sofa’s rest so that she could look out of the window and admire the night sky.  It was a very beautiful night on which very beautiful events had taken place, and that was something that Fluttershy would never forget.  She rolled over once more, this time away from the window, and closed her eyes.  She slipped into a deep, cozy sleep right there soon began to dream of the magical night that would majestically haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

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                         Chapter 6                         
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Chapter 6
     Around four months had passed since that night had happened, and Fluttershy was left to reminisce in her diary.  She laid on her bed, her saddlebag next to her, ready to be loaded full of books that had to do with amphibious creatures, and scribbled in her journal about previous dates and the night which she kept reminiscing on.  The two hadn’t dared to do it again since that night, primarily for the fear of suddenly realizing that they might not be ready for sex, but Fluttershy had a feeling that they were getting serious!  She gasped delightedly and wrote down her opinion on that in her diary and then ended it with her usual signature.  She sighed once more, picked her saddlebag up with her muzzle and placed it over herself, and then put her diary back in its rightful place.
She stood and stretched her wings a few times and pondered if she should fly to Twilight’s library or walk.  It would probably be best to walk.  She was feeling a little under the weather, and a little sun was sure to help her more than a lot of air.  Her thoughts were interrupted though as another one of those cramps struck her.  Her whole body shuddered and she blinked her eyes a few times to help rid the pain.  She walked downstairs and went into her office for an antacid, and sure that that would do the trick proceeded on towards the front door.
As she always did before she left, she wished all of her animals a goodbye and then locked up.  Before she could turn though, another cramp, though not as bad.  She closed her eyes and cringed once more and simply had to remind herself that it would be a few minutes before the antacid set in.  She took a deep breath, put on her brightest face, and then was off to Ponyville and the library.
    As she usually did, Fluttershy walked at a leisurely pace down the path that lead to town as she enjoyed nature and all of the little creatures around her.  She stopped momentarily and smelled a beautiful pink flower just off to the side of the road, and looked up just in time to see two tiny red hummingbirds come whizzing over her head.  She smiled and whistled at them and set back off on her way when they whistled back.
    Recently, one of her pet iguanas feel ill and she just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the poor dear.  She took his temperature, gave him medicines for all sorts of ailments, but the poor little creature just couldn’t seem to get better.   Eventually Fluttershy had to admit defeat and the previous night concluded she should check with Twilight to see if she had any books that might be able to help her get to the root of the problem.  Fluttershy giggled as she remembered a comment that Rainbow Dash had made, “I wonder if I’ll ever be around to see the day when Fluttershy doesn’t know what to do about a pet?”  Fluttershy had listened to her say when she took Tank the Tortoise in for a regular checkup.
    After a few more minutes of walking on in silence, Fluttershy eventually found herself at the library.  She knocked on the door a few times and waited for Twilight to come to the door.  “Hello Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted with a smile, “what a nice surprise this is.  What brings you here?”  She stepped aside and allowed Fluttershy to walk inside.
    Fluttershy explained quietly, “Oh, if it isn’t too much trouble, could I borrow a book from you on reptiles?  Anything that has to do with their anatomy or known illnesses.”
    Twilight smiled and led her to where the books she would be looking for as she listened to her story.  “Here they are,” she said with a smile as she showed off the impressive collection, “take whatever you need.  I hope they’ll help.”  She smiled once more at Fluttershy and excused herself as she explained that it was Spring Cleaning and that there was much work to be done in the other room.
    “I understand Twilight,” Fluttershy started looking immediately, “thank you.”  She smiled and watched as Twilight trotted into the next room over.  Left alone to find whatever she could that would help her solve her problem, Fluttershy spotted a few promising titles right off the bat.  “Reptilian Anatomy” Fluttershy whispered the titles to herself as she dropped each into her saddlebags, “Natural Cures For Your Pet (Reptile Edition)”, and “The Big Book of Reptilian Medical Symptoms”.  Those should’ve been enough to do the trick, but Fluttershy wanted to make extra sure for her little baby, so she spotted one more book.  It had a promising title, but just as she was about to grab it and throw it in her saddlebag, another one of those cramps sprung up again.
    This time the cramp was so violent and painful that Fluttershy gasped and fell to her knees.  “Ah!” she said quietly and clutched where it hurt.  She rubbed gently to try and quell the pain but it didn’t work.  She started to cry it just hurt so bad!
    Twilight must have heard her gasps and cries for she came sprinting into the main room.  “Fluttershy!  Fluttershy!” she began frantically as she rushed to her friend’s aid, “What’s the matter?  What happened?  Are you alright?”  She asked all at once because she knew how sensitive the little mare was.
    Fluttershy was breathing heavily and her whole body shook as she looked slowly up into Twilight’s eyes and quietly uttered through a choked and teary voice, “It… It hurts,” she said, “it hurts so bad.  Twilight, I’m scared.”
    Twilight helped her up gently and slowly helped her walk to her bedroom where she insisted that Fluttershy lay down.  “What hurts?” Twilight asked gently as she knelt beside her bed.
    Fluttershy couldn’t draw the breath to talk anymore, so she merely indicated on her body what hurt.  She pointed towards her lower abdomen.  “Could I?” Twilight asked for permission as she reached her hoof out towards Fluttershy’s lower stomach, and upon receiving a light-headed nod from Fluttershy, prodded her stomach a few times.  “Does it hurt when I do that?” she asked.  Fluttershy shook her head negatively.
    Twilight merely sat there and inspected and inspected, but she just couldn’t figure out what could be hurting one of her best friends.  That was, until she noticed something, something very strange.  It didn’t hurt when she poked or prodded on the outside, so it was obvious that it had to be on the inside.  “Fluttershy?” she asked and darted her eyes between Fluttershy’s face and her stomach, “have you… have you gained weight?”
    The pain was subsiding, but even though it still hurt, Fluttershy was able to muster up the energy to quietly utter, “I… I’m not sure.  Um… I looked in my mirror and thought the same at first, but, well… I just couldn’t tell.”
    Twilight stood and retrieved her stethoscope.  “How long has it been hurting?” she asked just like a real doctor would.
    Fluttershy thought a moment and then replied, “Around three months.  It… it didn’t hurt as bad at first, but it just seems to be getting worse…”
    Twilight placed the stethoscope to her stomach, and listened deeply.  Her eyes grew wide after a moment, she had a feeling, and she was absolutely blow away by the mere thought, but she couldn’t be sure.  There were more tests that had to be run.  “Are you hungry right now?” Twilight asked out of curiosity.
    Fluttershy gasped once more as another mini-cramp hit her and she clutched her lower stomach once more.  “A… a little,” she replied sheepishly, “why?”
    Twilight paced a few times and replied, “Just wondering.  Listen, if you want to stay a little while longer I can run a few tests and a hundred bits says I can figure out what’s troubling you.”  She smiled at the pitiful little mare.  The poor dear looked so tired.
    Fluttershy smiled weakly.  “Would you?” she asked graciously, “Oh but Twilight, I can’t bother you with this.  You’ve got better things to do.  Spring Cleaning, remember?”  She tried to get up, but had to lay back down for another cramp came.
    “Nonsense Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, “I’ve always got time to help a friend in need.”  She smiled at her and finished, “Now I want you to just lay here and rest.  I’ve got to go get some of my equipment from the basement.  I’ll be right back.”  She quickly trotted out of her bedroom and closed the door, sure to leave it cracked just a little bit and then went in search of Spike, “Spike!” Fluttershy heard her call loudly, “Spike!” she called once more, “forget the cleaning, meet me down in the basement ASAP!”  She ordered and then Fluttershy heard the sound of quick hoofclacks on wood and then eventually heard Spike ask Twilight something, but they were too far away for her to understand.
    Fluttershy exhaled and inhaled deeply, and though that did seem to help the pain a bit, it just seemed like it wouldn’t go away.  Fluttershy laid her head down flat on the pillow and closed her eyes as she tried to think of something, anything that would make the pain go away.  Though she had stopped her crying a few minutes earlier, the tears remained.  “I’m such a weak mare,” she sniffled and berated herself quietly.  It was probably just her own weird and weak body over-exaggerating something simple.  She dried her eyes with the loose edge of the pillow case.
    It didn’t take Twilight long to return, Spike close behind her carting in all sorts of mechanical and technological contraptions the likes of which Fluttershy had never seen.  She raised her head up from the pillow just slightly.  “Twilight?” she asked, “if you don’t mind me asking… um… what is all of that?”
    “Impressive isn’t it?” Twilight replied with a smile as she began setting everything up to where her bedroom looked like a full-blown hospital room, “this my friend is some of the most advanced medical and experimental technology to date.  It should tell us if my suspicions are correct or not.”  Twilight went silent after that and then mumbled, “Oh Princess Celestia,” she glanced out of her window towards the sky and Canterlot Castle in the distance, “please don’t let it be.”
    “I didn’t catch that last part Twilight?” Fluttershy asked her to repeat.  It wasn’t often she had to ask other ponies to repeat themselves over being quiet.
    “Oh,” Twilight smiled back at Fluttershy and quickly thought up a lie, “I said I wonder what Princess Celestia is up to.  We haven’t written each other in a while, you know.”
    Fluttershy nodded her head and smiled weakly at her studious friend and then laid her head back down.  She was silent for a few seconds, but eventually raised her head once more and asked, “Um…Twilight?  Is… is this going to hurt?”
    Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at the gullible little mare.  “No Fluttershy, it won’t hurt a bit.”  Once she had turned away from Fluttershy once more, she frowned and thought about how it was questions like that that really made her hope that her idea was wrong.  She gulped, “Oh who am I kidding?  When’s the last time I was wrong?” she thought.  “No, no, no!” she then scolded herself, “mustn’t think like that, mustn’t think like that at all.”  Eventually, she finished setting everything up and then proceeded to see what she could do for her friend.  “And there we go!  We’re in business now,” Twilight smiled partly to herself and partly to Fluttershy when she plugged in a tall mechanical contraption and it started to white and black and white images started to appear on the screen.
    “What does that do?” Fluttershy asked innocently as she looked at the big scary device.
    “You’ll find out,” Twilight replied.  She hoped she wouldn’t have to use it, and it’s purpose would only alarm Fluttershy or worse, provided that Twilight’s assumption was wrong.
    “Oh,” Fluttershy nodded and laid her head back down.  As she had before, she was silent for a few moments but then rose her head up again, “Twilight, please, you don’t have to do this.  I… I feel fine now, really,” she really did feel a lot better, healthy as a horsefly, “All I need is a little rest and some more medicine.  Maybe…maybe it’s just a bout of the stomach virus.”  She gulped for she didn’t like the sound of anything that had the word “virus” in it, and smiled out of sincerity.
    After that, she tried to get up but Twilight wouldn’t allow it.  “Oh no you don’t!” she said, “there’s something wrong with you and I’m your friend.  Besides, all this stuff is up here now so I might as well put it to good use.”
    Even though Fluttershy felt fine now and even thought she could retrieve the books she wanted to borrow and go ahead home, she thought it best to humor Twilight.  Besides, her and little Spike had gone through all the trouble of carting all of that stuff up here, and boy did it all look very heavy, and it would be good to find out what was troubling her.  She agreed to submit to the tests but made a mental note to insist that she help Twilight and Spike take the equipment back down to the basement when they finished.  “What do you need me to do?” Fluttershy asked timidly as she eyed the cold, sinister looking instruments not far from her.
    And so the process began.  Twilight started by asking Fluttershy pretty simple, straightforward questions like, “Have you changed your eating and drinking habits over the past few months?” and “Does it always hurt in the same place?” and “Have you got any other symptoms?” and the like.  It was just like being in a real doctor’s office!  Fluttershy was so grateful that she had a friend that was as smart and helpful as Twilight.  But then there was one question that Fluttershy wasn’t expecting at all.  “Have you had any… you know…” Twilight blushed, because she too was a very innocent mare, “intercourse in the past few months?”
    Fluttershy gulped quietly.  She hesitated a moment as she remembered the night that her and Bass had gone on a little escapade off the path.  But she just couldn’t tell Twilight!  What would she think of her?!  “No,” she lied and tried her hardest to control her darting eyes and blush.  Why would she ask something like that?!  It was way too personal!
    Twilight scaled her up for a moment, almost as if she suspected she was lying, but after a while merely shrugged and jotted down the answer on her clipboard.  “Well,” Twilight began as she finished jotting down a few things, “I think that should about do it.  Get ready for the next part.  It might tickle a little,” Twilight smiled and reached for one of the devices atop the tower looking contraption.  She moved a little closer to Fluttershy and sat down on the floor.  For Fluttershy’s benefit, she turned the monitor towards her.  After that, she instructed Fluttershy to brace herself and then placed the device on her stomach, just a little over where her uterus should be.
    Fluttershy giggled a few times as she moved the warm, pulsating instrument over her stomach but was eventually able to calm herself.  In the meantime, she wondered what could possibly be displaying on the screen.  “It’s amazing how much this has all come,” she thought as she noted the technology.  She remembered when she was just a little filly growing up how almost no technology existed at all.  But those were slower times; she sighed aloud and blushed once she realized she had done so.  “You OK?” Twilight asked and looked away from the screen, but went back to observing the screen when she nodded her approval.
    Twilight kept on looking.  The observing tool wasn’t completely warmed up, and even then it was an infrequently used piece of machinery that was fairly experimental.  There could be no solid guarantee without a professional doctor’s opinion.   Maybe she should just stop, tell Fluttershy what was on her mind, what she suspected, and tell her to go to a doctor.  But suddenly the picture became much clearer and Twilight was able to get a better look at Fluttershy’s insides.  She wasn’t sure, but it looked like… no, it couldn’t be.  It was!  There was no denying it now, because sitting right in front of her, visible and even slightly moving on the screen was proof.  Her eyes grew wide and she dropped the tool, the screen died.  For what felt like the first time in her life, she literally didn’t know what to do, what to say.  This was not something easy to say or easy to go through for anypony, especially when it was one of your most very dear friends.  But Fluttershy, of all ponies?  It just didn’t seem real to her.
    “Is… is something wrong Twilight?” Fluttershy asked and leaned slightly forward so that she could get a better look at Twilight.
    Instead of responding, Twilight stood and braced herself to deliver the news.  She didn’t know what to expect, especially from such a volatile mare as Fluttershy.  “Fluttershy…” she began slowly, quietly, “I… well… I don’t know how to tell you this, but… you…. You’re pregnant.”
    Fluttershy gasped and some tears began to fall from her eyes.  “Wh…what?” she asked in a choked tone.
    Twilight responded just as slowly and quietly as she had before, “You’re pregnant.  About four months in from the looks of it I’d say.  Those cramps… they’re not stomach viruses or anything else, it… it’s the foal growing, possibly kicking.  The weight too, that’s where it’s coming from, same as with your frequent hunger and mood changes.”  Twilight looked down at the ground and kicked at the carpet a few times.  “Fluttershy?!” her voice, wrought with disbelief echoed throughout her mind, “of all ponies.”
    “What…what do I do?  Twilight, please… help me, I’m scared!”  Fluttershy continued to cry and shake.  She felt so guilty, so dirty and vile.
    “I don’t know,” Twilight replied quietly, “I don’t know,” she repeated once more, only quieter.
-     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
    Later that evening, all six of the ponies were gathered at Twilight’s library.  After some persuasion from Twilight, Fluttershy agreed to allow Spike to send out messages to the other four so that they may come and offer her support.  Needless to say, all of them were in a state of utter shock.  None of them could believe that such an innocent, sweet, and naïve mare like Fluttershy would be the first of them to get pregnant.  A few of them were even angry.  “Pregnant!” Rarity shouted as she burst through the door into the room, “How… how dare he push himself onto Fluttershy?  Of all the dastardly… I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” she turned and headed for the door, “I’m going to go give him a piece of my mind!  And my hoof!” She waved her balled up hoof in the air and turn to rage back towards the door.
     Applejack dashed forward to pull her back.  “Oh no you don’t missy, he’ll be over here soon enough.  We’re all a little uh… shocked,” she glanced over at Fluttershy who merely stood mute as she stared out the window with an expressionless look on her face, “but that ain’t no reason to go beatin’ nopony up.  Take a seat sugarcube, and cool off.  I think we all need to take a seat, gather ourselves.”  Whether it was what had been said or overwhelming anger, none of them knew, but Rarity allowed herself to be guided back towards the center of the bedroom by Applejack.
    “Can you blame me?!” Rarity continued to loudly rant, “look at the poor dear,” she pointed, “she hasn’t spoken a word since!  She’s scared, helpless, and innocent!  She doesn’t know what to do!  And it doesn’t help tha-”  This time it was Rainbow Dash who intervened.
    She slapped her hoof over Rarity’s mouth and pulled her out of earshot of Fluttershy.  “Will you be quiet?!” she whispered, “you’re probably just makin’ her feel worse!”
    Rarity took her hoof and massaged her muzzle a few times.  She exhaled deeply and then drew in a fresh breath of air.  “You’re absolutely right,” she said, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”  She reassured Rainbow Dash and then stood.  “I’m sorry for that Fluttershy.  That wasn’t right of me to go ranting about like that.  It’s just, it’s just… you’re my best friend, and oh, I can’t stand to see you like this.”  She walked to Fluttershy’s side and looked out the window with her.  “Darling, I know this might seem difficult at first, but it’ll all turn out right in the end.  Just watch.”
    Pinkie came bouncing up to Fluttershy’s opposite side and threw in her opinion too, “Yeah!” she smiled, “just you wait and see!  Babies are so cute and fun to play with!  You can trust me, because I babysit Carrot and Pound Cake!  It’s super-duper fun!  Now turn that frowny upside downy!”  She reached her hooves over and tried to form a smile on Fluttershy’s face, but the pegasus merely turned her head away and walked away from the both of them without saying a single word.  She crossed the room to the other window and continued her blank and expressionless staring.
    After that, they all just decided to leave her alone and talk in private as they waited on her stallionfriend to arrive.  They all knew how confused and scared and helpless she must have felt, but they couldn’t imagine, they didn’t want to imagine what they’d feel like if they were in her horseshoes.  Not married and pregnant, and with an uncertain future ahead.  It was enough to make any of the other five mares in the room shudder.  Rarity allowed her hate to multiply.
    Soon enough, as he had promised, Bass showed up at the library.  They all heard him call out Fluttershy’s name and run around through the downstairs, and then heard him run up the stairs, but then strangely enough they heard him stop dead outside of the bedroom door.  That was nervousness and guilt in its purest form; they could all tell.
    The door creaked open and Bass stepped inside.  He wore just as confused and scared a face as Fluttershy.  “Where is…” Bass didn’t have to finish, “she…” he looked down at the ground when he noticed her.  He cleared his throat and in an attempt to ease some of the tensions in the room and dampen the nervousness that was, he greeted the other ponies.  “Twilight,” he greeted.  The purple unicorn merely looked down at the ground and said nothing.  He cleared his throat and tried Applejack.  She merely tipped her hat, but refused to look him in the eye.  “Miss Rarity,” he smiled weakly at her and nodded his head.
    “I know where you live,” she scowled and continued to glare at him through squinted eyes.
    “Maybe that’s enough of that,” Bass thought and then turned his attention towards Fluttershy.  “Fluttershy?” he asked quietly as he started to take a few steps towards her.  She turned her head towards him though, and then he stopped.  Rarity wouldn’t allow it though.  She used her magic and conjured a magical push which ushered him (pretty roughly) a few paces closer to Fluttershy.  He turned his head back like he wanted to say something or at least make a face, but the look Rarity gave him told it was best to just keep to himself when it came to her.
    He exhaled deeply and joined her at the window.  “Whatcha lookin’ at babe?” he asked quietly.  She said nothing.  As he tried to think of what to say next, he wished that the ponies behind him would leave so that they could talk in privacy, but there was almost no chance of that happening.  As far as they were concerned, he had hurt their friend and he would only do it again if they left him alone with her.  “Look Fluttershy, I know what you must be feeling right now.  I… I can only imagine what you feel inside for me as your stallionfriend.  You think I’ve hurt you, but I know I’ve hurt you.  But I’m prepared…” he choked up, “but I’m prepared to stand up to what I’ve done.  I had planned on it for a while, but well… I guess this is the perfect chance.  I want to see it through to the end and beyond,” he cleared his throat, “So that’s why I’m asking you,” and then he dropped to his knees and Fluttershy looked down at him, “will you make me the happiest stallion in all of Equestria?  Will you marry me Fluttershy?”  Gasps and inaudible mumbles erupted from behind him as he awaited her answer.
    Fluttershy continued to stand in silence and stare at him.  For a moment, it looked as if there was no hope.  He had done it; he had successfully destroyed a wonderful mare, a beautiful mare with lots of life. He had taken her, and in the course of one night ripped her self-esteem and soul to shreds!  But then came the reaction that was both heart-wrenching and relieving.  Fluttershy’s lips quivered, gently at first, but then more violently and then she too dropped to her knees and hugged him tightly.  It looked as if she had never cried so hard before.  “Yes,” she said barely through her choked up throat, “yes,” she repeated.  They kissed quickly and hugged each other tighter, as tight as they possibly could.  They comforted each other.  It was all they could do in this time of joy, sorrow, and confusion.  And so the two of them kneeled there in the far corner of the room and cuddled and comforted each other as they readied for the months ahead, as they readied to take them and the rest of their years on as something new, a family.

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                         Chapter 7                         
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Chapter 7
    Days later, a wonderful wedding ceremony took place and Fluttershy was wed to her fiancé.  Princess Celestia presided over the ceremony and gave her gifts publicly to the new couple.  Her first gift was a foal care kit courtesy of herself and Fluttershy’s other friends.  Then she had presented her second gift, a few words of advice.  “This is a truly beautiful day,” she had said to them, “always remember what happened here, and what happened in the days that led up to this event.  Yes, I know there will be some times where it may seem difficult and like there is no path out but the path that is filled with negativity, deceit, and depression, but when that day comes you will be prepared.  I know it to be so in my heart, and I know that you do as well.  Remember the tears of joy that you shed,” she took her hoof and gently dried Fluttershy’s eyes, “and remember the excitement that you felt when you turned the page that lead to the next chapter in your life.  It is this which will save you from yourselves.”  And then she had taken part in the festivities with the rest of them and then departed, leaving them to think long and hard about what she had told them.
    And then as if that wasn’t enough excitement and joy for one month, a few days later Fluttershy went into labor in the same place where it was all discovered.  Upon having a little get together at the library where they all, Fluttershy, Bass, and all the rest, conversed and merely enjoyed each other’s presence her water had broken.  That was a day which none of them would ever forget.  The hospital was too far away to get them there in time so it was deemed that the delivery must take place at the library.  Fluttershy and Bass were rushed up to Twilight’s bedroom as Rainbow Dash soared off with the task of getting the doctor there as soon as possible.  Rarity offered to do the delivery.  “These hooves and this horn can work some very intricately,” she had said.  She winked at Spike which prompted the dragon to pass out right there on the spot.  “Good,” she had said as she rushed into the bedroom, “now that way my little Spikey Wikey won’t be offering to help… or… scar himself for life.  Heh, heh,” she chuckled nervously.  The thought that she was about to deliver a foal had her on edge, for she knew that she would have to go off of guess work and Twilight’s expertise.
    Applejack provided the fresh, cool water that was occasionally dabbed on Fluttershy’s forehead and Pinkie Pie and Bass worked together as a pep squad.  Each stood on either side of the bed and held the shy little mare’s hooves tightly, for they could see deep in her eyes that she was scared and in pain.  When Twilight had begun to bark orders to Rarity, and Rarity had begun to work her magic, the two of them tightened their grip on her hooves and told her to “Push!  Push!  Come on girl, you’ve got it!”
    “I…I can’t do it…” Fluttershy said through a weak breath as she tried and tried to push her hardest.  It hurt so much and yet she couldn’t muster up the energy to cry.  She just felt so weak.
`    “No!” they had all shouted almost simultaneously, “you can do this!”  They tried their hardest to keep her spirits up and her consciousness there.
    “Come on Fluttershy, hang in there.  We’re almost done!” Twilight said to her.
    “That’s right darling, keep push- Wah!” Rarity exclaimed, “No!  It’s in my mane and all over my hoo- I mean that’s right, you’re coming along fine dear,” Rarity quickly corrected herself upon seeing the glare from Twilight.
    As the stressful, hurried, and confusing minutes ticked on, Fluttershy pushed, Twilight instructed, Rarity pulled, Applejack tended, and Bass and Pinkie cheered.  Finally, right at what seemed to be the climax of it all, the point in which it seemed like it would never end, Fluttershy successfully delivered her new, baby colt.  Twilight and Rarity gently took the newborn and wrapped it in some old blankets that used to be Spike’s and then gave him to Fluttershy.  Though she was tired and was literally on the brink of collapse, she couldn’t have been happier to have her new son placed in her arms.  Bass too couldn’t get enough of his son.
    The little colt was the spitting image of his parents, though he took mostly after his mother.  He possessed a yellow coat that went from head to hoof, beautiful aquamarine eyes, slightly tinted red wings, and a stub of a red mane with a single pink streak in it.  He was truly beautiful.
    It was in that moment too that it finally seemed to hit the both of them.  They weren’t just two ponies dating anymore, they weren’t just “more than friends”, they weren’t anything like that anymore.  No, seeing this little bundle of life that was a result of both of them, it showed and proved to them that they were a family now.
    There was to be no more loneliness and recession for Fluttershy.  Though she was still quite the shy, quiet, and naïve little mare that she had always been, inside she felt normal.  She felt just like anypony else and finally realized her potential to do things just as they did, unobstructed by personality if she just put her mind to it.
    Bass too had learned from his experiences.  He knew it was time, at least for now, for him to leave the wild party scene.  There were more important things in his life now.  He looked down into the crib at the sleeping foal and then smiled at Fluttershy.  She smiled back and the two of them cuddled their heads together.  “I love you,” Bass said quietly as he stared at the baby.
    “I love you too,” Fluttershy replied just as quietly as she too looked at her new son.
    And so there she had it.  On that day she discovered that she had discovered two types of inner beauty.  One was inside of her, and it always would be, deep in her soul, that begged to be shown to the world but pleaded not to be changed.  So she was a shy pony, there was nothing wrong with that.  She had been beautiful inside the whole time!  But then there was the second part of her inner beauty.  It wasn’t inside of her, it wasn’t in her soul, it wasn’t in her heart, no, it was right there, asleep in the crib.  The inner beauty she had here was the love for her foal and knowledge of the love that he would have for her.  Fluttershy had always known it, but somehow she always doubted it, and now she knew it to be true.  “Inside, we’re all beautiful in our own special way.”