Today is the day. It may be the 201st, but you'll be darned if today isn't the day. Winter Wrap Up was a success, and spring has arrived. With spring comes the critters and creatures, and where there be animals, there be Fluttershy. Avast, me hearties, we be digging for love.
Inhaling sharply, you exit the comfort of your home and step into the busy streets of Ponyville. Heads immediately turn, most wearing broad smiles. This is no time to be smiling at strangers, however. Time's a wastin', and there is so much to do.
With quick steps, traversing the streets of Ponyville becomes easy, and your determined eyes soon find the familiar stand covered in flowers. There are far more than you know the names of, but with roses one could never go truly wrong.
"O-Oh! Hi, Anon!" Roseluck exclaims from behind the counter.
"Hello, Roseluck", you respond politely. "Uh, your face is quite red. Are you okay?"
"M-My face? It's, uh, heh, just some rouge. I wanted to try out a new look, you know?"
It's strange how nobody ever told you of her stuttering problem. It's like ponies didn't notice at all. Maybe they really just are nice enough to leave it be. Ponies sure are great. Especially Fluttershy.
"I'll take a bouquet of red roses, please." You grab the required bits and put them on the counter.
"Roses? My, they're so pretty", she mumbles while getting your bouquet ready. "Usually reserved for special someponies. Special..."
Roseluck turns around, bouquet in hoof and her face even redder than before. A rash, perhaps? Those could get quite nasty.
"So, uh, Anon?"
"Yeah?"
"You know, roses are only given to special someponies. So, uh, you got...?"
You sigh heavily. "No, not yet."
"R-Really?!" Her face lights up instantly, almost like a child being given a surprise present. What an odd pony.
Grabbing the bouquet from her, you continue. "There's only one for me. I've just never dared to approach her. What if she rejected me? She's perfect, you know. Beautiful, kind, smart, great with nature."
The light in Roseluck's eyes flares up, and she holds her breath sharply.
"I couldn't handle being rejected by someone like her. My life would be for naught if I didn't have her. It feels like I've known her for an eternity, and I want her to know. From the bottom of my heart, I want her to know that I love her. Do you know what I mean?"
"Ohhh, Anon... Yes. Yes I do, and I'm so glad you -"
"Right! I'm going to find Fluttershy! Thanks for the roses!"
A loud crash erupts from the stand as you turn around and leave. Hopefully none of the vases she has for sale were damaged. It wouldn't be the first time some moron knocked a few of them over. Poor Roseluck. Still, there's no time for idling by; finding the elusive yellow mare is priority number one.
As you jog through town, many heads turn to look at your bouquet. You hear many of the mares whispering amongst their friends; some even outright whistle at you. Roseluck wasn't kidding about these flowers, they're attracting quite the attention. It brings a smile to your face; Fluttershy ought to realise exactly what you mean when she sees these.
After just a few minutes and a dozen whistles later, you're on the outskirts of town. With Winter Wrap Up having occured only days prior, there are far more animals out and about than usual. Most of them are just lazily laying about, enjoying the sunshine, while others are gathering food. A particular squirrel is trying its best to crack a small stone. It's probably blind, or perhaps just stupid.
"There you go, mister."
That voice. That quiet, angelic voice. Your head snaps to the left. Target acquired.
"You sure looked hungry." Fluttershy pats a limping squirrel gently on its head. The little critter is happily chewing away at a cracked nut, which only fuels the smile on Fluttershy's face.
With that beautiful, fanastic mare in your sight, you gulp once. The shaking has already begun, but this time it will not get the better of you. Not today. Today will be different. You squint your eyes in determination and walk forward.
Each step is difficult, and a little voice in the back of your mind keeps yelling "ABORT MISSION", but you ignore both completely. Quitters never win, after all. They just quit, and there's no quitting the drug that is Fluttershy.
"H-Hey, Fluttershy." Your voice cracks completely as you grab the attention of her. God damn it, why couldn't your vocal chords work just this once?
"Oh, hello, Anon", she replies with a smile. Her smiles are the best in the world, even better than Pinkie's. They're so warm and soft, and they always make your knees go weak. It's as if her smiles are magically turning your body into warm butter.
"Uh, Anon?" Fluttershy gently prods your knee.
"Huh, what?"
"Are you okay?" She actually looks legitimately concerned with you. She cares! A surge of joy explodes inside your chest, and the smile on your lips widen to near inhuman capabilities.
"I'm great!" you exclaim loudly. Fluttershy cowers slightly together underneath you. "Everything is perfect!"
"That's good", she squeaks. "Uhm, are those roses?"
"Yes, yes they are." You present them proudly, as if you created them yourself. "They are indeed roses."
Fluttershy looks at them with a faint smile. She even inhales quietly, seemingling enjoying their lovely aroma.
"I didn't know you had a special somepony, Anon. I'm so happy for you."
You chuckle nervously. The shaking is starting to get the best of you. No more fooling around, lest the chicken in you rise and steal the spotlight.
"Well, I, uh. I don't."
Fluttershy raises an eyebrow in confusion. Her eyes alternate between the roses and your face. You let her at it for a few seconds, hoping she'll figure out this mystery on her own. The look on her face doesn't change, however. In fact, she only seems to get increasingly confused.
"Then why did you buy roses?" she finally asks, giving up on solving the puzzle.
"I... Uh... Well..." Finding the words in front of Roseluck was way easier. "I wanted to, uh... Give them... To you..."
Your hands shake violently as you hand over the bouquet. There is a split second of silence and immobilization from each of you, which is more than enough to instill every fear of rejection in your mind. Aborting this mission might have been the better option.
"Really? Thank you, Anon. That's so nice of you."
She took them! And she's even smelling them again! Mission re-engaged! She looks adorable with that smile on her face, too. She's even giggling. Oh, God, that giggle is heart-warming. Watching her with this bouquet is like overdosing on sugar and syrup.
"So, I wanted you to have them... Because I, uh... I like... I like you..."
The smile on her lips remains as she looks up at you. Your heart skips a beat. There's no sadness in her eyes, only joy. Could this be it? Is this the ultimate victory? She's opening her mouth. She's going to speak. This could truly be it. This could be the moment you've longed for. Right here, right now.
"Well, I like you too, Anon. You're nice."
The world goes silent, and there is only Fluttershy to be seen. A rocket soars through your stomach and all the way up to your heart. Upon impact it explodes, bursting into a million sparks of pure, unfiltered happiness. The shaking gets far worse, and Fluttershy notcies, but that doesn't matter. She likes you. You, the human in Equestria. This mare, this perfect mare likes you and accepted your apparently almighty bouquet of roses. This can only mean -
"YES! YES! YES YES!"
Fluttershy throws herself under the bouquet in shock and squeaks loudly. Though you hardly notice it as you jump around screaming in triumph.
"I HAVE A SPECIAL SOMEPONY! YES YES YES!"
Jumping around quickly drains your energy, and you lose your breath in seconds. It doesn't matter, though. Today is the best day ever, and losing a little steam isn't going to change that in the slightest.
"Oh, Fluttershy! I'm so happy I could burst!" you chuckle.
"Please don't", she whimpers. "I don't like loud noises."
"Finally! After all this time we're finally together! I can't believe it!" You can't help but laugh with utter joy. Everything is amazing.
Fluttershy immediately gets up and stares at you. Her eyes look silly, almost as if they grew twice in size. If you weren't laughing already, you surely would be now. It's strange seeing her with such an odd expression. She usually only smiles or cowers in fear. Truly she is the perfect mare.
"S-Special somepony...?" Fluttershy mumbles. Her eyes wander down until they meet the somewhat ruined bouquet on the ground. Upon seeing the leaves the colour of love, her jaw drops.
"Oh my..."
"Isn't this great Fluttershy?!" you exclaim with glee. "We can have nice dinners, watch your animals play, even go to the spa with Rarity!"
"I, uhm, have to go for a, uh, session with the bear family", she says quickly. "Special appointment. I completely forgot! H-Heh! Silly me! See you!"
The others always told you Fluttershy was a weak flyer; Rainbow Dash in particular. That mare is a dirty liar.
"Wait! Fluttershy!" you yell as you set into full speed, trying to catch up.
"Sorry! I really have to go!"
Catching up to her is impossible. Wings are no match for a measly pair of legs. Instead of wasting your strength, you simply give up and watch her cute, perk butt as she zooms through the air and out toward her appointment. She has a pretty darn good butt.
You look around. There's nothing here but animals. Some of them are staring at you. It's actually kind of awkward. They also need to learn some manners. Staring isn't very polite. Instead of waiting for them to quit it, however, you turn around and go back to the bouquet. It's still fairly intact. Fluttershy would probably like to keep it. With such an important appointment, it's no wonder she forgot it. Some animals might eat it, though, so it's probably best to bring it with you.
With the bouquet in hand, you continue walking back towards town. Fluttershy's appointment might take a while. Better kill some time. Killing time isn't going to be a problem, though. Life just go that much better. Infinitely better, actually. Fluttershy is perfect, and you're going to make damn sure everyone knows.
The bouquet isn't going to survive for long like this, however. It needs water, and it needs it badly. You aren't a flower man, so vases aren't to be found in your home. And there is only one place to go if one wants quality vases. Especially ones Fluttershy would like to have in her home.
"Roseluck!" you call out as you approach the stand once more.
The mare looks up. Her her was firmly placed on the counter, and they're quite red, just as her face was before. She is quite clearly sick. Poor thing, forced to work to earn money even when she's sick. She really needs someone she can fall back on.
"Oh... Hey..." she mutters. She scratches her eyes with a hoof and sniffs once. "You're back."
"You look horrible." Roseluck sends you a look. "No offense, of course."
"Right... None taken."
"Are you sure you aren't sick or something?"
"I'm not sick, I'm just..."
"What?"
"Never mind. What happened to the bouquet?"
You glance at the pseudo-wrecked bouquet and chuckle. "Oh, Fluttershy stepped on it."
"She did?!" Roseluck exclaims happily.
"Yeah", you laugh. "It was a funny accident. She liked it, though. And guess what else she liked?"
Roseluck's smile slowly turns into a frown. "Y-You?"
"That's right! I've got myself a special somepony!" You probably said that far louder than necessary, judging by the amount of heads turning towards you. You don't care, though. The whole world should know that you are taken by the best of all mares.
"Oh... C-Congratulations..." Roseluck mutters.
"Thanks! I've never been this happy in my life!"
Looking at you with a faint smile, Roseluck quietly asks: "Not even when we had dinner at Nova? That was fun... Wasn't it?"
"Oh, yeah, that was a blast", you agree as your mind wanders back to that evening. "We had so much fun."
"Yeah, we did", Rose chuckles. "R-Remember when you acidentally sprayed dressing on the waiter?"
"Hah! Yeah! He got so mad! Hey, remember that couple who were dancing awfully?"
Roseluck snorts as she attempts to conceal her laughter. "Oh, Celestia, they were horrible! I think the whole place was trying not to laugh!"
The two of you laugh in unison. Roseluck was such a great pony. Going out for a dinner like that again would be fantastic. Now you have a special somepony, though. Fluttershy probably wouldn't like you going out with other mares. Besides, going out to dinner with her is more important than friends.
"Hey, Roseluck?"
"Yeah, sweet- uh, Anon?"
"I want to save this bouquet. Could I get one of your vases? A blue one would be nice."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Sure..." She waddles over to the other end of her stand and grabs a vase. For some reason, she looks at it for a bit, mumbling something quietly. You've seen many things here in Equestria, but never ponies talking to objects like this.
Turning around, she walks back to you and puts the vase on the counter. "That'll be one thousand bits."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah, a thousand bits please."
"But that's insane!" you blurt out. "Aren't they usually like fifty?!"
"Nope. Vases are a thousand bits", she replies with a smug smirk. "But if you don't want to save that bouquet from dying, I can just put it back."
"But I don't have that kind of money!"
"Well, too bad then. I guess Fluttershy won't get her bouquet back intact, then."
You grumble and close your eyes in frustration. There's nothing in your home tall enough to contain flowers, and nobody else sells vases.
"Come on, can't you give me a friendly discount or something? Please?"
Roseluck sighs dramatically. "I'm afraid not. Business has been rough for a while. I need to pay my expenses, you know? I'm sorry, Anon."
You take a gander at the bouquet, feeling your heart drop a notch. Already the leaves are withering, and it's only going to get worse before Fluttershy is back from her appointment. You really want her to have this, not some dead image of it.
Behind the red leaves, you spot something purple. A pony. A familiar pony. Twilight! She's Celestia's pupil! She's got to have tons of money!
"Hey, Twilight!" you call out, immediately grabbing the attention of the intelligent unicorn.
"Oh, hey there, Anon- Woah. Hey, uh, it's not that I don't like you. I mean, I just don't like you in that way, you know? Heh. I mean, uhm, you're a good friend, but -"
"It's nothing like that", you interrupt, causing Twilight to sigh with relief. "I was just wondering if you could lend me some money?"
"Oh, uh, sure", she says with surprise. "How much do you need?"
"A thousand bits."
"WHAT?!"
"I know, right? Roseluck's vases are so expensive!"
"Anon, why do you need a vase so badly that you'd pay a thousand bits for it? I don't even have anywhere near that amount of bits." It's rare to see Twilight confused; she's usually always super smart. Still, a thousand bit vase is very curious.
"Well, I need it because I'm sure Fluttershy would want it alive and well."
"Fluttershy? What does she -"
"Because you see, I gave this to her, because I wanted her to be my special somepony. And can I just say how dumb that term is? It's something a pre-schooler -"
"You did WHAT?!"
"Well, she liked it, and now we're together, so I'm sure she wants it back before it withers. She had a special appointment, so she had to run. But anyway, can you lend me a thousand bits?"
Twilight's face is an odd mixture of surprise, confusion, and perhaps even some disbelief. She doesn't even respond. She just stands there with that look on her face and stares at you. Really, someone should teach all of these ponies some manners. They all stare far too much.
"You're with... Fluttershy?" Twilight asks quietly. "Really?"
"Yep! So you see, I really need that vase."
"But Fluttershy isn't even into- Never mind. Look, I don't have a thousand bits. Nopony here does. That is an insane amount of money."
You sigh and grunt in frustration. "Then how am I supposed to save this bouquet?"
Light bursts from Twilight's horn and the light falls directly upon the bouquet. In the blink of an eye, it's back to being in great condition. It looks even better than when you bought it.
"Hey, thanks", you say with a smile.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Roseluck screams from behind you. "UGH!"
Turning around, you manage to catch her disappearing behind the flower-filled counter.
"What's with Roseluck?" Twilight asks.
"I think she's sick. Business hasn't been going well either, apparently." You sigh heavily. It's sad to see such a good pony be in such a predicament.
"So", Twilight says, a serious expression claiming her face. "You're certain you and Fluttershy are, well, a couple?"
"Yep", you reply confidently. "She said she liked the bouquet AND me."
"Anon, just because someone says they like doesn't mean they want to be your special somepony."
You can't help but chuckle at her words. "You weren't there Twilight. I'm just giving you the short version. It was a magical moment that words can't describe."
"Really?" Twilight deadpans.
"Yes. I hope you find someone yourself, because experiencing such a moment is greater than life itself."
"You know what? I'm just going to leave you to it." Twilight sighs and shakes her head. "Just... be nice to Fluttershy, okay?"
"Of course I will", you laugh. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Twilight mumbles something about "being crazy" and turns to leave without even saying goodbye. It seems the only mannered pony in this entire town is Rarity, and she goes completely overboard in that aspect.
Well, Fluttershy has yet to return, so there is nothing left to do but wait. Granted, you could go get some lunch, but that means you might miss her return. That's not an option. Even if your stomach is grumbling. This also seems to be the best spot to wait. It's the centre of town, and Fluttershy is bound to come by sooner or later.
"Hey, Roseluck?" you call out. "Mind if I hang out with you a bit while waiting for Fluttershy?"
"YOU IDIOT!" she screams. Her scream is soon replaced by another loud crash. Hopefully she didn't just smash thousands of bits worth of vases. That wouldn't be good for her business at all. When she re-emerges from behind the flowers, she's rubbing her forehead and grumbling loudly.
"Fine! Sure! You can hang out here!"
"Thanks", you say as you walk up to the stand. "Maybe I can even help your sales a bit."
"And how in the world would you do that?" Roseluck asks unamused.
"Well", you chuckle as jokingly flex your muscles. "Any sensible mare wouldn't miss the chance to talk to moi."
"Tell me about it..."
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing." Roseluck sighs and leans her head against one of the poles of her stand. "So when will she be back?"
You shrug. "Dunno."
"You don't know?" Roseluck raises an eyebrow. "Isn't she your... special somepony?"
"Yeah, but she had this appointment, and she left in a hurry. I didn't get all the details, see?" you explain with a smile.
Roseluck grabs the sign on the counter and turns it around. Instead of the welcoming "Open!" it now simply says "Closed". She exits her stand and comes out to stand in front of you. You'd think she would need to stay open to make more money if she's in financial trouble. Ponies aren't too smart at times.
"Anon, did she actually tell you she wanted to be your special somepony?"
She's sending you a look. You don't like it at all. It's difficult to maintain eye contact when she's looking at you like that. It also makes you feel really uncomfortable deep down in your stomach, as if you ate something bad.
"Come on, quit staring at me like that", you finally mutter. "It's creeping me out."
"Answer my question", she says dryly.
"But it doesn't matter", you reply. "I know she's my special somepony."
"Did she explicitly tell you so or not?"
"Will you stop staring already?" you groan. "It's making me feel really awkward."
Roseluck takes a step forward, bringing her uncomfortable stare even closer to your face. You'd take a step back if you could, but with her stand in the way, there's no such possibility.
"She isn't interested in you..." Roseluck mumbles. She finally drops her stare, opting instead to look at the ground for bit while mumbling on.
"Hey, that's not true", you refute. "She said she liked me."
Roseluck looks back up, unfortunately still with the same expression on her face. "Anon, everyone likes you."
She looks around the plaza, spotting a familiar face. "Hey, Berry!"
A grape-coloured pony stops in her tracks and waves at Roseluck. "Hey, Rosie! What's up?"
"Do you like Anon?" Roseluck asks firmly.
"Could you not do that?" you ask. This is the most awkward thing you've been part of, and it's making your stomach churn even more than before.
"Of course! He's nice."
"He's nice?" you echo. "But that's..."
"Miss Mayor?" Roseluck calls out once more.
"Why, hello there Roseluck! How's business?"
"It's fine, thanks. Can I just ask: do you like Anon here?"
Everything in your body feels wrong. It's as if you don't really belong in this flesh. It all feels so distorted and twisted. Maybe you're getting sick. You knew you should have eaten more breakfast, or at least some lunch.
"Wait, you said business was going bad."
"Of course, dear! Who DOESN'T like Anon? He's such a nice... oh, what was it? Human! That's it."
"Pinkie!" Roseluck keeps going with her call outs.
"Please stop", you say. "I really don't... Can you just stop? Please?"
"Do you like Anon?"
"Pfft, duh! He's super duper looper ultra nice!" Pinkie says in a blur before prancing on down the street.
Your stomach feels horrible. So does your chest. It feels like someone lodged a boulder in there and buried your heart underneath it. Everything feels terrible.
Roseluck turns to face you once more, finally done with her interrogation of whoever passed by. The look on her face has changed completely, but it makes you feel even worse than the old one did. She looks so sad, so terribly sad. Even though she isn't a unicorn, it's as if she's transferring her sadness onto you.
"Don't look at me like that", you mutter. "Stop it."
"Anon, I'm so sorry", she says quietly. Slowly she walks forward, approaching you with gentle steps. "I'm really, really sorry."
"Stop it already!" You try moving backwards, but all you can do is press yourself against the wooden surface while she steadily approaches you.
"Come on, Anon", Roseluck says quietly with a weak smile finally appearing on her lips. "Let's go to my house and talk about it, okay?"
"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about."
"You don't have to lie to me. It's all right."
You pinch the skin on your hand as hard as you can and sniff once. With a deep breath, you manage to keep your lower lip from quivering too badly.
"I r-really like her, you know?" Your voice cracks ever so slightly, despite your best effort to keep it from doing so.
"I know you do", Roseluck says with a nod. "Come on. I'll make hot chocolate for us, just like when it's winter."
Looking to the ground, you take a few deep breaths. Today sure is ending up to be different. Way, way too different. You should have just kept your mouth shut. Today could have been just another day. Today sucks.
You look up, meeting the caring smile on Roseluck's lips. It's a nice smile. It takes a few chunks out of the boulder in your chest. She has a nice mane, too. Even from here you can smell the roses. It's good to have someone like her. She's always there if you need her. Friends like that are real keepers. Real keepers.
"With m-marshmallows?" you ask quietly.
Roseluck chuckles, and you can't help but chuckle a bit yourself. "As many as you'd like."
She nods her head in the direction of her home. "Let's go."
You smile weakly before beginning on the short journey to Roseluck's home. As you walk, some ponies whistle at the two of you. You don't really understand why. It doesn't bother you too much, but it's still strange. Looking down, you suddenly realise why.
"Oh, uh, here, you can have this back", you say as you hand the bouquet to Roseluck. "I don't need it anymore."
"Are you... giving this to me?" Roseluck asks before accepting it. She sounds happy, but only slightly so. It's almost as if she's trying to hide it. She can be weird like that sometimes.
"Yeah, I guess", you say quietly. For some reason, you can't help but smile, and she returns it in full before accepting the bouquet you bought from her.
"Thanks, Anon", she says with a hint of glee. "I love y- it."
"Hey, it's, uh, it's whatever", you say as you look away. Whatever it is, looking Roseluck in the eye today is proving to be difficult.
She makes a sharp turn right, and you stumble after her. You weren't really paying attention to the road. But here you are: Roseluck's home. It's small, but it's the cosiest place in Ponyville. It's also filled to the brim with flowers. In a lot of ways, it's a lot like going outside rather than inside. No other home has that quality, at least that you know of.
"What do you say? Ten marshmallows per cup?" Roseluck chuckles as she unlocks the door.
"I'll have what you're having", you say quietly.
"Ten it is." She opens the door with a loud 'click' and waits for you to go inside. "Make yourself at home. Everything that's mine is yours."
You smile and thank her for the inviting gesture. As you step a foot inside the door, however, she stops you in your tracks with a hoof. You look down at her, only to be faced with a very calm, but serious expression.
"Everything."
A faint smile crosses her lips, and it warms your body so delightfully. It's barely visible, yet feels like so much more. You wish every smile could be like this. The world would be a better place.
You don't respond, other than with a smile of your own. Words don't feel approrpriate, and Roseluck seems to get what you mean anyway. She lowers her hoof and nods you inside, finally letting you into her nice little house.
"Let's go make that hot chocolate, shall we?" she says, closing the door behind you and sealing off everything from just the two of you.
