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Chapter One: Why must you imply that, Rainbow?
“I'm not completely sure about this, girls,” Fluttershy, a pastel-yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane wearing a dress that looked like it was created out of nature itself, said. “Remember what happened last year?”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash, the cyan, rainbow-maned pegasus wearing a dress that resembled that of the Roman Gladiator era, replied. “We completely crashed the place, but we had a lot of fun anyways! I mean, just because they were too stuffy and uptight to have any fun doesn't mean we did anything wrong. If anything, we livened this place up to Ponyville standards of a party!” She looked around at the various well-clothed ponies standing and talking in the yard of Gala, drinking purple punch from wine glasses too small to be of much use. She cringed.
“Please, Rainbow, the Canterlot folk are not 'stuffy' and 'uptight.' They are regal ponies of high status,” Rarity, the fancy, white unicorn with an elegant purple mane and tail in a dress that was beyond posh and extravagant, complete with matching crown and gem-stud earrings, said in retaliation. “Personally, I'd absolutely adore to live here in Canterlot! The fame, the fortune, the stallions...” she trailed off, blushing slightly as she began fantasizing. I'm sure we all know which stallion she was most intrigued with. The two pegasi simply stared at her until she came back to her senses. “Oh! Sorry darlings, I suppose this isn't exactly the best time to talk about such things.”
Fluttershy spoke in such a way that it was barely audible, no more than a mere whisper. “Oh, um, it's quite alright Rarity...” She, too, was blushing, for different reasons however. She looked over the area, attempting to maybe find some animals to talk to and befriend, as she highly disliked being in such a congested and large area. Instead, what caught her eye was a convergence of ponies, all crowding around the side of the Gala. “Um, girls, what's going on over there?...” she asked hesitantly, curious yet afraid of going over.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash both looked over, not noticing the congregation of regal ponies until just now. “I'll go check it out,” the rainbow-maned pegasus flew up a bit higher and flew over the crowds, checking out what was happening. She flew back over and looked at Rarity, before saying in an almost mocking tone, “It's your soulmate, Rarity.”
“Yeah, your soulmate. Awesome, huh? Really though, it's some mare that almost looks like she could be one of the Princesses' nieces. Apparently she's dancing and everybody thinks its awesome.”
“Darling, I am not a fillyfooler.”
“Could've fooled me,” she said, just before breaking into laughter.
“Well, I'd never... Dash... where's Fluttershy?”
“I thought she was right here.” Dash looked over, noticing where Fluttershy once was is now vacant. She began looking around, before she caught a glimpse of the pink mane just above the crowd, supported up by a pair of pastel-yellow wings. “Oh, she's over there...” She took flight once more before flying over to Fluttershy. “Hey, Fluttershy!”
“Meep!” Fluttershy simply squeaked as her wings cinched themselves to her body, falling back down to the ground. “Oh, um, h-hi Rainbow...”
“Hey, what, you think her dancing is awesome too?” She looked down at the crowd in front of her, then up at the dancing mare, before bringing her attention back to Fluttershy.
“W-well, she definitely is, um, magnificent...” She blushed and hid behind her mane somewhat, obscuring part of her face.
“Okay, why are you acting so weird 'Shy?”
“N-nothing...”
“It's something to do with that dancer, isn't it?”
“M-maybe...”
Rainbow sighed. “Well... I'll be back in a few minutes.” She went back over towards where she last saw Rarity, catching her out of the corner of her eye talking to a stallion with a white coat and blue mane wearing a monocle, she quickly made a detour and landed next to her.
“I'm simply applauding Fleur's work! She's magnificently talented at dancing, her pose is stunning and her passion for what she does it just outstanding, Fancy Pants! I'm not sure how anybody could dislike her or her art.” Noticing Rainbow Dash next to her, she put her conversation on hold with an “excuse me for a moment, darling” and turned to her pegasus friend. “Have you found Fluttershy?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, she's like, totally blushing over that one dancer. I'm not sure what's gotten into her but she seems too embarrassed to say anything.” She looked over her shoulder, seeing Fluttershy was once more airborne, watching over the crowds. “It's like she's all over her. Even I'm not like that when I'm around the awesome Wonderbolts!”
Rarity laughed and looked at Fluttershy as well. “Darling, what you just explained to me are the indications of a crush.” She laughed again, this time at Rainbow's dumbfounded look. “What?”
“You're telling me this... dancer...”
“Her name is Fleur de Lis.” Rarity said, interrupting Rainbow's sentence.
“...You're telling me Fluttershy has a crush on this Fleur de Lis character?”
“It seems about right, darling.”
“But... what? 'Shy has a crush on some dancer from this uptight town? Why?”
“I don't know, Rainbow, but then again who does? Ponies fall for ponies and there's no real explaining it. It simply happens, sometimes with time and sometimes, like now, spontaneously.” She looked back over to the crowds, seeing they were slowly parting now. “The show must be over... come on, Rainbow, perhaps we can get Fleur to associate with us long enough to propose something.” Rainbow Dash nodded and the two of them began walking (and flying) towards the parting crowds, seeing Fluttershy still there.
“Oh, poor thing, she's so lost in her own thoughts that doesn't realize it's over with...” Rarity murmured to herself, shaking her head in sympathy. “I know what that's like.”
The two went around Fluttershy, through the now-parting throngs of ponies and ended up in front of a wooden stage, about half the size of that of a theatre stage. On there, however, was a unicorn. Just not any unicorn though, it was Fleur de Lis. The dancer. The sleek, tall, slim, pink-maned, white-coated unicorn with purple eyes and purple eyeshadow.
Dash hovered next to Rarity and whispered in her ear, “I told you she's your soulmate,” which earned a stern glare from Rarity. This simply caused Rainbow to laugh, almost obnoxiously.
Rarity motioned towards Fluttershy, and with Dash taking the hint and going to her, she began her ascent up the wooden stairs and towards the lavish unicorn.
“Excuse me, darling?” Fleur turned around, glancing down at Rarity.
“Oh, hello there. Did you enjoy my show?”
“Honestly, darling, I wasn't able to voyeur your act. However! There is something I must talk to you about...”
This received a raised brow from Fleur.
“And that is?” She asked, curious.
“See the pegasus over there, with the pink mane?”
“Ah, yes, I noticed she was one of the most intrigued watchers.”
“Quite.” Rarity paused, glancing back to see Dash talking to Fluttershy. “Well, what I wanted to ask you is... well, dear, I'm just going to say it. Her name is Fluttershy, she is a meek and shy pony... and I believe she has a crush on you.”
Fleur giggled. “A crush? On me?”
“Yes.” Another giggled was admitted from Fleur, interrupting Rarity. “I wanted to know if you would possibly take it into consideration to go on a romantic affair with her?”
“You mean a date?”
“Yes!”
“Well, I don't have another show for a while now... I suppose I could go on a date with this... Fluttershy.”
“Oh, thank you darling!” Rarity was gleaming with pride. “You haven't the slightest clue how ecstatic this makes me, or her! Please, follow me, I'd like for you to meet her.”
The two unicorns descended from the stage, walking towards the two pegasi that were now on the ground. Their presence was made known by a small 'meep' from Fluttershy as she hid behind her mane once more. Rainbow, on the other hand, just sighed and looked at the two unicorns.
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow Dash nudged her. “Come on, 'Shy, you gotta see this.” Fluttershy peeked through her mane with one eye, seeing the tall, slender unicorn.
“Darling,” Rarity began, “this is Fleur de Lis. The dancer.”
Fleur de Lis smiled, extending a hoof out to Fluttershy.
“Pleasure to meet you, Fluttershy,” Fleur said as Fluttershy gingerly took her hoof, helping her back up.
“Um, h-hi...”
Fleur giggled. “She is so shy! That's so adorable.” This caused Fluttershy to blush, but still she smiled all the same. “So, I'm here to take you on a date... how does tomorrow night sound, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy paled instantly, before blushing immensely. “T-that'd be nice..”
“Meet me here, at the gates tomorrow night. Until then, adieu.” And with that, Fleur walked away, back to the stage.
“G-girls... um, did she...”
The two others nodded.
Fluttershy squee'd softly.
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Optional: Chapter Two: Doing the Daily Rounds
Celestia's sun rose over the Everfree Forest, giving Equestria new light, much to Fluttershy's happiness. Just as the first rays of welcoming sunlight bathed the small woodland cottage, her alarm clock went off, waking both Fluttershy and Angel Bunny up.
“What time is it...” she rolled over and looked at the clock. “Seven A.M. …” She smiled. This was the day she was waiting for. The day after the Grand Galloping Gala. The day after one of the happiest days of her life. The day she was to see Fleur and go on a date with her. Simply the thought of that made her smile.
She rolled out of bed, landing softly on her four hooves, and looked over at the now-irate Angel Bunny, his fur looking like he took an electric shock. “Come on, Angel Bunny, it's morning...”
He glared at her and proceeded to throw a pillow at her, hitting her face with precision.
She just sighed. “Angel, do you want breakfast or not?” Before waiting for an answer, she turned around and began walking away, smiling to herself even more as she heard small footsteps trail behind her. He'd never be too stubborn if it meant he had his breakfast gone for any length of time. She walked down the stairs, and into the kitchen, calling out the various animals she took care of, reminding them to wake up for breakfast. Soon, an erratic menagerie of noises ranging from squeaks to chitters to, well, whatever sound bunnies make.
She walked over to her cabinets and took out an array of different animal feeds, and began going through her daily rounds of giving each animal their individual bowl and feed, except for Angel Bunny, who got a bowl filled with lettuce, cabbage and carrots. She looked around, checking to see if she missed any animal, and nodded when she saw that every animal was happily eating away. She walked out into her living room, checking the clock on her end table and saw that it was now 9 A.M. Two hours had passed due to feeding.
“I'll be back, my friends, I'm just going to be gone for today. Angel, I'm trusting you to take care of the house and the animals while I'm gone, okay?” She looked over at Angel Bunny for a response. He responded by rolling his eyes and nodding (okay, I could seriously put so much author's dialogue in here about how bloody horrible Angel Bunny is). She turned back around and opened the door, the sunlight flooding in as she walked out and closed the door, shutting it away once more.
“Fluttershyit'syouohI'msohappyforyouRainbowDashtoldmeeverythingandohmygoshreallyyou'vefoundsomeponythat'sjustsoamazinglyamazingIhavetothrowapartyforyoutwo!” It was Pinkie Pie, her pink-maned, pink-coated friend fairly dubbed the 'Party Pony of Equestria,' who somehow managed to say all of that in one breath.
“U-um, hi Pinkie...” Fluttershy said, completely thrown offguard by that. “Y-yes, I, um, I didn't exactly find somepony, but, um, I am going on a d-date with somepony tonight...”
“Ooh! Where? Where?!”
“C-Canterlot...”
“Ohmygosh that's like super-duper amazing! I have to go get prepared!” Pinkie Pie quickly darted off, leaving Fluttershy to pick herself up and dust herself off.
She sighed, not knowing or wanting to know what Pinkie was up to, and walked over to a new shoppe that had opened, The Pancake Shoppe. Opening the door, she noticed that her friend Twilight Sparkle, the bookworm of the six, was sitting at a booth writing something or another. She slowly trotted over.
“Hi Twilight.”
Twilight looked up from the notepad and book, her magic dissipating around them, causing them to drop to the table. “Oh, hi Fluttershy.”
“Um, mind if I sit with you?..”
“Of course.”
She got into the booth opposite of Twilight and looked over at her. “S-Sorry for causing you to lose your, um, concentration...”
“It's okay, Fluttershy, I was getting far too into it anyways. So, what brings you here?”
“Oh, um, I just came for some breakfast...”
“I came here for that too, but then I thought, 'why not bring my studies with me?' and I suppose I ended up becoming too engrossed in them to ever remember actually getting breakfast.” Twilight laughed awkwardly, embarrassed at her own obliviousness and forgetfulness.
Fluttershy giggled quietly.
“So, how about some breakfast then? My treat.”
“O-oh, that'd be nice...” She smiled at the generosity of her friend.
A waiter shortly thereafter came over, seeing the two of them unattended. “Excuse me, misses, have you been served yet?” A shake of the head came from both. “Well then, welcome to The Pancake Shoppe, can I take your order?”
Twilight milled over it for a few seconds before replying. “I'll have some plain pancakes with strawberry syrup, and a side of gems, preferably sapphire if you have them. Oh! And some coffee.”
“Gems?” The waiter looked at Twilight inquisitively.
“Yes, I have a baby dragon at home that is my assistant and I often bring him home gems as a treat.”
“Ah, okay. And you, miss?” The waiter said, turning to Fluttershy.
“Um, I'll have some blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup and some apple juice, if you have it...” Fluttershy shied away from the waiter, hiding behind her mane slightly.
The waiter wrote down the orders.“Of course. Your meals will be out shortly, ladies.” He turned and walked away, giving the order-list to what appeared to be the cooking staff.
“So, Fluttershy...” Twilight started, “What's this I've been hearing about you and somepony else?”
“O-oh, um, I'm kind of going out on a...” she blushed deeply. “date with somepony tonight..”
“I see. Well, I hope it goes well. I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet them, Princess Celestia had called me over to help with welcoming everypony to the Gala and then Princess Luna wanted me to stargaze with her, and I just couldn't deny a royal request to use astronomy!” Her recollection was quickly dismissed as the waiter came back with the two orders of pancakes, the coffee, the hot cocoa and the gems.
The two ponies quickly let out a content “mmm” as they smelled the pancakes' scent wafting over to them, and right after ending up right in front of their faces.
“Sorry, miss, but there were no sapphires. The closest we had were Lapis, I do hope you aren't disappointed.” The waiter said, a hint of worry in his voice.
Twilight looked at the bowl of small, light-blue gems, and shook her head. “I'm not disappointed, I'm sure he'll enjoy these all the same.” This caused a smile to appear on the waiter's face as he bowed and quickly dismissed himself from the table.
“Mm, those smell really good..” Fluttershy commented, taking a knife and cutting the pancakes open, removing a small piece and eating it.
Twilight did the same. “Mm, and taste good too...” They both elicited a contented “Mhm” as they ate in silence, save for the soft clattering of silverware against the table, too enthralled by their hunger to bother striking up conversation.
All Fluttershy could think of, is what was to come tonight...
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Chapter Three: Shyness and Grace are Always Intriguing
“Alright, Fluttershy. I'm ready when you are.” Twilight quickly flipped a page in her book, “The Big Book of Teleportation Spells.”
“O-okay, what do I have to do now?” Fluttershy quietly slinked over to where Twilight stood, looking at the small-font text and failing to make sense of it all.
“Just don't move, and it will work fine.”
Fluttershy simply nodded and stood still. “I'm, um, ready.” With that, Twilight flipped the book shut, her horn lighting up with a purple hue of magic, and pressed her horn to the pegasus's skull, the magic engulfing them both in a light glimmer. Within seconds, they slowly dissipated from the library.
All Fluttershy could think about during her disappearing, was how empty she suddenly felt.
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“Fluttershy.” A nudge. Twilight’s voice. “Fluttershy, open your eyes. We're here, nothing happened that wasn't supposed to.” She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, noticing that they were indeed in Canterlot. The castle in front of them was an immediate giveaway.
“O-oh, um, thanks Twilight... but what are you going to do while I'm with, um, my date?..” she blushed slightly at the simple mention of it, hiding her face behind her long mane.
“Well, actually, this gives me a chance to go visit Princess Celestia. It's been a very long while since I've actually talked to her personally, and it's a nice retreat from the library.” Twilight smiled, looking over at the Royal Gates, the Royal Guard pegasi guarding it ever statue-like. “And, I think it'd do some good for both the Princess and the guards to have a break from each other.”
“Oh, um, that's nice...” she looked away for a second, murmuring “I don't think I can do this.”
“What was that, Fluttershy?” Twilight inquired.
“I don't think...” her voice trailed off to an almost silent whisper.
“Come again?”
“I-I don't think I can do this, Twilight...” Fluttershy said, sighing.
“Why not?”
“B-Because. She's, um, different. More acquainted with ponies and talking to them... me, um, not so much...”
“Fluttershy, while it's true she's needs to be quite the extrovert to be able to do what she does, it doesn't mean you need to be afraid. It'll just be the two of you. Just relax.” Twilight leaned up against Fluttershy reassuringly.
“That's the Fluttershy I know.” Twilight smiled at her. “Now just remember to --” she was abruptly interrupted by the Canterlot Clock, booming as it hit 8 P.M. “Oh! It's already this late? I should go see the Princess now, Princess Luna is most likely beginning to raise the Moon, so Princess Celestia'll be free, and you need to find your date too.” She turned and began galloping towards Canterlot Castle. “And remember, stay relaxed!” she shouted.
Stay relaxed, she thought. Stay relaxed...
“I'm so nervous,” Fluttershy whispered to herself as she trotted towards the large gardens that the Gala was held in, “but I have to stay relaxed.” She made it a top priority to remain as calm as she could be. As she came up to the gates, she sat in front of them and began thinking of the things that have happened over the course of the day to help ease her mind. There was breakfast with Twilight, she thought. And Pinkie was being... Pinkie. Rarity had taken her to the spa and then personally did her mane, although she noticed nothing different with it, Rarity said it looked more 'proper' and 'prim.' Still seemed the same, regardless.
She was nudged softly. “Uhm, hello?” Nudge. “Hello?”
“Huh? O-oh, um..” Fluttershy turned to see none other than Fleur de Lis next to her. She must've spaced for what felt like hours. Blushing deeply, she smiled softly at Fleur. “H-hi.”
Fleur stifled a giggle the best she could. “Hello there.” She looked up, over Fluttershy for a moment, then back down to her. “So, shall we?”
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“So, Fluttershy was it?” A nod. She remembered her name; progress. “Fluttershy. Okay. Well, you're a very kind pony. I'd actually like to get to know you better, you're very intriguing from what I've seen so far.” Fleur smiled at Fluttershy from across the table, causing Fluttershy to blush yet again. “Maybe another date, even.” Another smile. Fluttershy blushed even deeper, almost creating a new shade of red for the colour spectrum. A waiter came by, and Fleur began ordering.
Oh, Celestia... I really did not do well, Fluttershy thought. Remain calm? I was a travesty... but I still made a good impression. That's... good. She considered another date... she blushed even more, on the brink of a new shade of red being created. Another date... with me. And her. And...
“Fluttershy?” The voice jolted her from her thoughts. It was Fleur. “Fluttershy, darling.”
“Huh? O-Oh, um, yes Fleur?” Fluttershy stumbled over her words, caught offguard.
“It's your turn to order.”
“Oh, um, right... I'll have, um..” She looked at the menu. It read in big bold letters on the top, “The Golden Griffon,” the name of the restaurant. Very posh, silk-covered chairs and mahogany tables manned by near-flawless staff. Outdoors, too. “Um.. the Autumn Salad.” It seemed nice enough by the picture.
“And your drink, miss?” The stallion, grey-coated and maned in a red jacket, asked.
She quickly scanned the 'Drinks' list and immediately saw the one thing that would always be a favourite. “Apple juice, please.”
“Of course, miss.” The stallion wrote down her order and walked away, towards another table.
“So, Fluttershy.” Fleur tried to seem shorter than she really was, seeing as she was at least as tall as two of the pegasus standing, and sitting didn't help it any. Her eyes glanced over to another couple, who were laughing hysterically. Most likely drunk. “How do you like our date so far?”
“Um, it's nice. I like it a lot.” Fluttershy smiled over at the unicorn, trying her best to not be as shy as normal. She pushed her mane out of her eye before continuing. “And, um, how do you like it? This, I mean...” she said, gesturing to the general area around them.
“The restaurant? I come here occasionally. The date? I'm enjoying it immensely, actually. I never thought it'd go so well.” She giggled. “I don't mean it in a bad way. But, the way you acted in the gardens at the Gala, I was expecting so much less in the way of cooperation.” She smiled. “One of the best I've had in a long, long while.”
Feeling somewhat better, Fluttershy tried making herself more of, what was it Twilight said Fleur was... an extrovert? “That's nice. I'm glad you're liking it...” She sighed contently, looking over to the side and noticing that the stallion from before was coming back, with two plates and two drinks.
Maybe the food will calm me, she thought to herself.
Maybe.
The stallion was shortly at the table, placing the two plates of food and the drinks – the Autumn salad and apple juice for Fluttershy, and what looked like a french cuisine and some red wine for Fleur. He took a small bow and walked away, leaving the two mares to themselves. Fluttershy looked over at Fleur, who was delicately eating away at the cuisine, and looked down at her own plate of salad. It suddenly looked very dull compared to Fleur's plate.
“What was that?” asked Fleur, taking a sip of the wine.
“Oh, um, nothing.” Fluttershy laughed awkwardly, trying to shrug it off. It seemed to work, seeing as Fleur went back to eating. She, too, began eating, and despite the salad's dull look it tasted like nothing she could get from her own gardens. She was often giving the best to the animals, leaving the sub-par for herself unless somebody was coming over, which was a very rare occasion.
The dinner continued on in silence, much to both Fluttershy's relief and fear. Relief that nothing more awkward could happen. Fear that nothing more awkward could happen. After all, in silence, doesn't it just stay that way until something worse happens?...
