What Comes Next

Fluttershy's pace slowed as Sweet Apple Acres disappeared behind her. She would soon enter town, it was already dark but she could see clearly the bustle of the small town.

The last of the shops were turning off their lights, most had closed hours ago. The weather team was changing shifts. Rainbow Dash had told her there was going to be a sprinkle tonight.

As she drew nearer to Ponyville she could see in the windows of several houses the silhouettes of ponies going about their nightly rituals. She recognized a few of them. There was Daisy pacing around her living room. Aloe and Lotus were having a chat in their apartment above the spa. Poindexter and his friends were shouting at each other over a long table, no doubt another game of "Oubliettes and Ogres" gone awry.

As she reached the market she caught sight of Sugarcube Corner, a group of four familiar earth ponies chatting and laughing outside the front door, bathed in the soft glow of the porch light. Fluttershy was used to seeing the four together and instinctively crossed to the opposite side of the road.

It was too late. From the other side of the market square Pinkie waved at her and shouted, "Fluttershy, over here! We were just talking about you!"

It seemed that everypony was "just talking about her" today.

Fluttershy took her time crossing the square, she always felt a little bit shyer around this group. There were still several ponies in the market, though all the stalls were long closed. Berry Punch was giggling at her coltfriend on her doorstep. Across the street, Time Turner was walking closely with a pegasus who she recognized as the local mailmare, her nuzzling his neck, him turning a bright shade of red. A look of confusion struck Fluttershy as she saw three small pony shapes sneaking away from the rear window of the bakery.

Pinkie bounced up beside her, "Hey Flutters! I told the Cakes about your idea and they said that it sounded fantastic! If you can bring a big selection of the pet treats by tomorrow they will set up a display case in the corner and you should be in business. Isn't that great?"

Fluttershy gave her a soft smile, "That really is great Pinkie. I need something to take my mind off of things. This could be just the thing. Thank you." Her steps grew a bit quicker and her hooves rose a bit higher.

"They just had one teeny tiny problem. A lot of your pet food is meat flavored right?" Pinkie said, she had stopped bouncing and was trotting alongside Fluttershy, a happy spring in her step.

Fluttershy matched Pinkies pace, feeling the same spring. "Yes, is that a problem? If it is I can use a different recipe."

"Well, it's just, not everypony is as comfortable around that as you. Everypony knows that animals eat meat and all, but ya see… a bunch of our customers are cows and after word got around about Twilight's time through that mirror…"

Fluttershy winced. When Twilight came back with stories about the strange diet in that other world the relationship between ponies and cows had become a bit tense. Rumors circulated about curious ponies in secluded parts of Equestria making their own "hamburgers". Celestia only knows the media storm that would arise if anyone knew that Twilight had actually eaten one while she was over there (even if she didn't know what it was at the time).

"That's okay Pinkie, I have plenty of vegetarian recipes. But, uhm, is there some way to let ponies know that the non-vegetarian version is available?" They were arriving at the door to Sugarcube Corner. Fluttershy's pace slowed again when she saw the three ponies waiting for them.

"SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity's voice was strained. Peeking her head out her front door she squinted into the darkened town. Curlers were in her mane covered by a silk bonnet. She wore her monogrammed robe, unbelted. "I'M GOING TO COUNT TO THREE, YOU AND YOUR CRUSADER FRIENDS HAD BETTER GET BACK HERE!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up. "Rarity! Come over here, talk to us!" she shouted down the road. Like most places within Ponyville, the door to Carousel Boutique was nowhere close to out of range of Pinkie's voice when she wanted to be heard.

Rarity waved to the four. She quickly ducked back behind her door only to emerge a moment later, the robe replaced by a hooded cape trimmed in faux fur. The hood was less for protection from the cold as it was to keep others from seeing her with her curlers in. A slim pair of spectacles rested on her nose.

Carrot Cake had been listening intently to Fluttershy and Pinkie, grateful to have his thoughts off of the card game, this was not his best night. "Hey Fluttershy, I have been meaning to ask. Where do you get the ingredients for your pet food recipes anyway?"

"From a supplier." Fluttershy replied. "I don't know exactly how they work, but from what I understand it is all voluntary. It's a program where cows and pigs and the like can donate their remains, in exchange the company provides funeral services. It's kinda like being an organ donor."

"Wow, thats… I don't know what to think of that." Carrot was at a loss. "It's kinda morbid, but it must be nice for those that cannot afford funerals."

Cheerilee leaned in close and whispered, "I'll admit, I'm curious. What does it taste like?"

"What does what taste like?" Rarity asked. The four jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt?"

"Not at all Rarity." Pinkie said with an enthusiastic smile. We're talking about Fluttershy's pet food. Ya know, the meat flavored stuff."

Rarity blushed, "A-as long as you're already talking about it, I-I'll admit to a mild curiosity." Her words came hushed. Her eyes darting around, she made certain nopony else was within earshot. Looking up at her friends, she saw all four of them doing the same.

"Well, I did taste it once." Fluttershy started. Quickly waving her hooves, embarrassed, in front of her she added, "It was completely by accident!"

Looking to the others she saw intense interest in each face. All four sets of eyes wide and fixed on her. With a sigh she continued, "It's kinda salty, but a little sweet. It's also kinda greasy, almost like a potato. But it has noticeable hints of blood. The flavor was kinda pleasant, but having it in my mouth made me feel like I bit my cheek and was sucking on the wound."

The friends sat, silently contemplating her description. Carrot was visibly chewing on his cheek, his eyes fixed on the ground, staring at nothing, lost in thought. Rarity broke the silence. "How does one accidentally taste something like that?"

Fluttershy rubbed a hoof against her foreleg, "Well, it is really easy to mistake a cookie made for a critter with one made for a pony. I had them cooling on the counter at the same time."

The others nodded to each other in silent agreement, surely anypony could have made that mistake. Fluttershy sighed in relief. She glanced at Big Macintosh, catching his eyes he quickly looked away. Had he been staring?

Cheerilee was staring into space, still trying to imagine the taste Fluttershy had described. A trembling hoof poked her in the side, grabbing her attention. Carrot Cake was shaking, he tapped a hoof to his mouth and tilted his head towards the side of Sugarcube Corner. Cheerilee took the hint.

"Hey guys, we'll be right back. Just need to talk for a minute. In private." Cheerilee stated uneasily. The others gave her a permissive nod. Rarity waved a hoof her way, seemingly shooing her away.

Fluttershy waited till the two had rounded the corner then turned to Big Mac. "Um, I wanted to ask you something. I-if it's okay t-that is."

Big Macintosh cocked his head, curious. "Yeah?"

"I hear Cheerilee calling you pet names all the time…" She took a deep breath to steady herself. She had been too shy to say this, but tonight seemed different for some reason. "Are you two still dating?"

"Naw, she does that ta poke fun at me. Ah guess it can give some ponies tha wrong idea. But we were never really dating, t'was all just those fillies and that love potion." His cheeks darkened slightly. "Why do ya ask?"

"Oh, it's just that… well… I kinda…" Fluttershy's nerves left her as quickly as they had arrived. "Just curious I guess."

She turned to the street, desperate to look anywhere but back at Big Mac. As she flitted her eyes up and down the now mostly deserted street something caught her attention. Matilda was enjoying a nighttime stroll accompanied by Cranky. Cranky was rarely seen outside his home, but when he was it was always alongside his special somepony, or rather, somedonkey.

There were many things weighing heavy on her mind tonight, this one was something she didn't realize she had been worried about. Turning back around she opened her mouth to speak.

"Something wrong darling?" Rarity asked, her brow slightly furrowed. "You aren't acting quite yourself."

"I have to go," Fluttershy said as she began slowly backing away, "I haven't been home all day and Angel is the only one there who can fix meals. I have to make sure everything is alright."

"Don't be silly Fluttershy, I'm sure…" Rarity protested. However, no sooner had she begun Fluttershy was in the air flying as quickly as she could in the direction of her cottage at the edge of town. "Huh, well thats odd."

"Whaddaya mean Rarity?" Big Mac asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Fluttershy never flies like that. She's afraid of heights."

"Somethin' botherin' her?" Big Mac already had an idea what it could be. "Did ah say somethin' wrong?"

Rarity watched Fluttershy vanish behind the rooftops on the far edge of town. A light bulb come on in her mind. "Big Mac, didn't you ever notice how she acts around you? How she is always a bit more nervous, and she blushes constantly?"

"Oh." Eyes widening with sudden realization, Big Macintosh felt his knees growing weak. He sat his hindquarters on the welcome mat, feeling like he might faint. "You mean…?"

"Surely you can't tell me you have never noticed. It's pretty obvious." Rarity giggled, "And of course there is one sign you can't possibly miss."

"Huh? What sign?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and with another giggle said, "Not to be vulgar, but… it's her wings. Ya know," leaning back on her own rear she suddenly spread her hooves as far as she could, "pomf!"

Big Macintosh's face turned a dark red, remembering the times Fluttershy had come to the farm for one reason or another and they wound up talking. He had often admired her wings, never once had that thought crossed his mind.

Now it was all that would cross his mind.

"Now Rarity, Fluttershy is mah friend. Ain't polite ta gossip like that. 'Sides…"

"Hmm?" Rarity pressed.

Big Mac averted his eyes, focusing on a nearby lamp post. "Ah wouldn't wanna get in AJ's way."

"What is there to get in the way of? It's not like they could really be a couple. Besides, we elements have an image to uphold." Rarity scoffed and lifted her nose into the air.

"Come again? Ah don't follow."

"We're public figures, it would be positively unseemly to have a filly-fooler among us."

"Pardon me, but those filly-foolers are your friends. An it's not up ta you ta say who they can be with." Big Macintosh scowled.

Rarity frowned, rising to her hooves she snorted "Filly-fooler. Singular. Fluttershy is NOT gay, she was simply… out of sorts. If Applejack hadn't pushed her the whole incident would have never happened."

"You'd best watch what yer sayin. That's mah sister in case ya forgot." Big Mac took a step towards the mare who was much smaller than him.

"Exactly my point, what are you going to do when word gets out that your sister 'bats for the other team', so to speak?" Rarity poked her hoof at Big Mac's chest. She was surprised to find a puff of steam escape her mouth as the night air grew colder.

"Ah reckon ah'll mind mah own damn business. It doesn't matter what ah think 'bout who she dates, we're kin."

"HA! So you admit that you don't like it."

"What in all of Equestria is going on over here!?" Carrot Cake shouted, causing Big Mac and Rarity both to jump. "You two stop fighting before someone calls the authorities."

Rarity's nose wrinkled, "Good heavens Carrot, you simply reek. It is beyond me how you do any business with such a disgusting habit."

Cheerilee trotted up beside Carrot, shoving a small silver object into his apron pocket. "Thanks, if you find mine let me know. That lighter was a gift." The ember glowed brightly as she took a long drag off the cigarette dangling from her lips.

Carrot closed his eyes and sighed. "I always wash my hooves. That's not the point."

"Ya know those things will kill ya, why do ya think we don't got a Grampa Smith?" Big Mac added.

"Are you two doctors?" Carrot snapped. "Didn't think so. ANYWAY… If you are going to pick fights with each other you are going to have to go somewhere else. This is a business and my home."

Cheerilee craned her neck, looking around. "Hey guys…" She turned around, searching the darkness beyond the lamplight, "…where's Pinkie?"

"Over here!" an unmistakable squeal came from a nearby alley. "Guess who I found!" Pinkie emerged from the dark corridor followed by three small fillies.

Rarity growled, "Girls, why are you not back at the boutique?"

Sweetie Belle looked up at her, a devious grin plastered across her face, as well as the faces of the two other fillies. "You never started counting."