Fluttershy woke up as the sun’s rays were peeking over the horizon. Though she had always been a morning pony, on this particular morning she rose with a spring in her hooves: It was her turn to bring the main course for the girls' weekly picnic.
For days, Fluttershy had been wracking her brains, trying to find the perfect dish for her friends. A dozen times she'd found one, and a dozen times she'd discarded the idea.
Until two days ago, when a familiar craving took hold of her.
Though Fluttershy was raised in Cloudsdale, her mother actually hailed from the southern Gryphon territory of Beaxico. Beldora was as native to those arid lands as a pegasus could be, and it showed in her passion for cooking. The normally soft-spoken pink pegasus turned into a singing, dancing firestorm when it came time to enter the kitchen, and make no mistake; she was the master and commander of her kitchen. May Celestia have mercy on the souls of anypony stupid enough to challenge her in her element. That love of cooking was passed from mother to daughter, albeit without the more intense aspects. Well, without most of them, anyway.
Fluttershy knew that cooking would take up a good portion of the day, so she quickly and efficiently straightened up her home and fed her animal friends. It hadn’t taken very long, just a couple of hours. When the time came to feed Angel Bunny, Fluttershy found him on the dining table, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Oh! You didn’t think I forgot about you, did you, Angel?”
The white rabbit huffed and twitched his nose. making his displeasure clear for all to see. Well, clear for Fluttershy, anyway.
Fluttershy hunched a bit, trying to make herself smaller in the wake of the bunny’s mighty stare. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long. But look! I made you a nice salad!” she turned and grabbed the salad from the countertop, setting it delicately on the table next to the irate bunny. Angel sniffed at it surreptitiously for a moment, before giving a nod of grudging approval and diving right in.
Fluttershy smiled as he went to town on his crunchy breakfast. “Now Angel, I need you to be a good bunny and keep an eye on the other animals for me. I’m going to be really busy for the next few hours.”
Angel looked up from his breakfast, his arched eyebrow showing equal parts curiosity and irritation.
“I’m making enchiladas for the picnic today.”
The rabbit stopped mid-chew.
~~~~~~~~
Fluttershy stood in her kitchen, taking stock of the items that lined her counter.
Vegetables? Check.
Oil? Check.
Spices? Check.
Wine? Hmmm, better wait for that one.
Having a glass of wine while cooking a big meal was something she picked up from her mother, but she wanted to get into the swing of things before she indulged. She set the bottle to the side and checked the stack of tortillas she pulled out of the fridge. The comal she used to make them was a simple affair; a homemade piece of cast iron that had been beaten and shaped into a flat circle, the handle just an extension of the pan itself. It sat to the side of the stove, a now-dry towel still wrapped around the handle. Fluttershy unpinned the towel holding the tortillas and smiled as the scent of masa hit her.
She opened the cabinet and pulled her pans out. She set the oven to preheat, waited for the click of the pilot light, then turned a burner on. After that, she went to work chopping the onions, garlic, and jalapenos, throwing them expertly through the air and into the bowl as she went. Traditional Beaxican cooking called for chicken as well, but as a vegetarian, Fluttershy opted for her mom’s customized recipe. Avocado had a rich, buttery flavor that seemed to enhance the texture and flavour of every other ingredient. She began humming to herself as she carved up the avocado and added it to the waiting vegetable bowl, mixing the vegetables and spice with an uncharacteristically confident smoothness. “hmm hm hm hmmm, Canta y no llores.”
The pegasus danced lightly to the other side of the counter and grabbed the enchilada sauce she whipped up the day prior. It wasn’t as good as her mom’s, but it would do the trick. Fluttershy just didn’t have the time or patience to stew tomatoes for days on end, so she bought the pre-made tomato paste and added her own flair to it. She emptied the small jar into one of the pans, her eyes watering slightly as the diced chiles and jalapenos began to steam and bubble immediately. Fluttershy turned the heat down on the burner, then lowered the wooden spoon into the pan and stirred the sauce. Humming escalated into full-on singing as she periodically brought the spoon to her mouth, adding a pinch of whichever spice she deemed necessary.
Ӈguila que abandona,
cielito lindo, su primer nido,
Si lo encuentra ocupado,
cielito lindo, bien merecido.”
She stopped singing as her hoof hovered over the cilantro. After thinking it over for a moment, she decided to add a small amount. A very small amount. Once, on a trip to Manehatten, she was taken to a Beaxican restaurant by Rarity, who was convinced that their food was the most authentic she had ever eaten. Fluttershy left thoroughly unimpressed. Though she hadn’t voiced her displeasure to her friend, everything from the corn chips to the margaritas tasted like they had been bathed in cilantro. Idiotas. Her mother would have cursed somepony out.
The wine on the counter was becoming more tempting as Fluttershy waited for the beans. With a shrug, She picked up the wine and removed a glass from her cupboard. I might as well relax for a minute. After pouring herself a generous amount of the purple liquid, she took a small gulp from her glass and shivered in delight as the fermented grapes sent a mild warmth down her throat that settled in her chest.
With a sigh, Fluttershy set her glass on the counter and hoofed up her spoon, humming softly.
~~~~~~~~
Angel knew he was flirting with disaster. The normally aggressive bunny knew what Fluttershy was like when she was in the throes of “latin passion,” especially when she began a glass of wine, but it was a risk he had to take. The taste of the seasoned concoction waiting to be rolled into the delicious corn tortillas was too tempting to resist. He slowly crept up and peered over the edge of the kitchen counter. Fluttershy was busy watching the beans. Good. Hopping up as silently as he could, Angel dipped a paw into the bowl and brought it to his maw.
It was heaven. Celestia's tears could not have tasted as amazing. The bunny's eyes glazed over in sheer ecstasy as the subtle tastes and textures hidden behind the perfectly measured heat rolled over his tongue in waves. He smacked his lips and prepared to --
"Ai! Pendejo!"
Angel snapped back to reality in an instant, just in time to see a fuming yellow pegasus. Her left eye twitched as she brandished a spoon with a fury that would make even a demon of Tartarus quietly find something else to do. He uttered a frightened squeak as he bounded from the countertop and ran for his life. he felt as much as heard the spoon leave Fluttershy's hoof, and he turned a corner sharply, eyes clenched in prayer.
The impact of the wood upon his forehead told Angel that his prayer had not been answered. Celestia had always been prejudiced against rabbits, the whore. As he fell back, two thoughts came to his mind. First was the slight wonder at how Fluttershy had managed to make the spoon fly around a corner. The second, and far more prominent thought, was made up of two simple words. Worth it.
~~~~~~~~
Fluttershy snorted in anger. mierda! She took another gulp of her wine and grabbed a fresh spoon from the drawer. The pegasus felt a twinge of guilt at clocking her Angel with the kitchen utensil, but it disappeared quickly as she looked into the bowl, frowning at the not so-tiny-furrow he carved in her mixture. Madre del dia, I hope he’s proud of himself.
He was, of course.
She stirred the beans a final time and switched the pot for an oiled pan. While the oil was heating, Fluttershy grabbed the enchilada sauce, stirred it once, and lined the bottom of her baking dish. The saucepan was set aside, and Fluttershy moved to the stack of tortillas, gathering them and setting them next to the pan. Her mother had taught her how to fry and flip a tortilla with her hooves; a skill that she mastered over the years, and only after frying her own hoof a time or two.
Every tortilla was lightly fried, filled with the veggies, beans, and cheese, and expertly folded and placed into the baking dish. Fluttershy began singing again as she worked, even giving a little flap of her wings to keep the beat. She briefly considered making a salsa as a side to the enchiladas, but stopped as she remembered Twilight’s reaction to it last time.
”It tuh-tastes like… Burning!”
She giggled mischievously at the memory; some liked it hot, and some lost the ability to speak when the heat was on.
After the last enchilada was in the dish, Fluttershy smoothed the remaining enchilada sauce from the pan on to them, and finally topped them with a sizable helping of cheese. She smiled at the waiting dish before picking it up and setting it gently into the oven. With a click, she set the timer and downed the last of her wine. Okay, time to clean up. She had some time before lunch would be ready, but she found that she could hardly wait. The girls were going to love it.
~~~~~~~~
“So-- nguh… Hungry..”
Rainbow Dash lay on her back, her face locked in a grimace of pain as she grit her teeth against the agony in her stomach. “G-girls… I’m not much longer for this world.”
Applejack rolled her eyes at Dash’s theatrics, and chomped lightly into an apple. “Fluttershy’ll be here any minute. Calm yer waters.”
Rarity finished laying the plates down on the picnic blanket and shook her head. “Honestly, Rainbow. Must you be so dramatic?”
The pegasus moaned weakly and stretched a hoof to the sky. “Mama, I’m comin’ home!”
Pinkie just bounced in place. “You live here in Ponyville, silly! You are home!”
Twilight looked up from her book, her eyes half lidded. “You’re not dying, Rainbow. Fluttershy’s just running a bit behind schedule.” A few months ago, a statement like that from Twilight would have her friends concerned about the state of her sanity. Lately, though, the unicorn had eased up on her strict scheduling. That is to say, she started adding margins of error to her planning. A small step forward, but a step nonetheless.
“See, Dash? If Twilight can stand the wait, so can you.” Applejack casually tossed an apple at the cyan mare, bonking her lightly on the snoot.
“Ow!” Rainbow sat up and rubbed her face with a hoof. “What was that for?”
The farmer smirked. “Just somethin’ to fill yer face while we wait.”
Dash flopped back down on to the ground. “I don’t need an apple! I need food!”
Applejack’s smirk soured into a frown. “What’s wrong with an apple? It’s good eatin’, ya daft filly!”
“Girls! There is no need to raise your voices at each other!” Rarity moved to step in between the two mares, before the ball got rolling on yet another argument between the two.
“It’s bunny food! I need food food!”
“Food--food? Ooh! I love this game!” Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves together. “I can’t wait--wait to see what--what Fluttershy’s bringing!” She giggled and grinned.
Applejack snorted in irritation. “Bunny food? So now my apples ain’t good enough for ya?”
Rainbow got to her hooves, matching Applejack’s glare with one of her own. “That isn’t what I meant, A.J. There’s just a time for apples, and a time for a real meal.”
Pinkie raised her hooves in triumph. “Ha! You both lose! You guys didn’t repeat your words!” As soon as Pinkie stopped talking, she gasped and brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, no! I didn't either! I lose too!” She smacked herself lightly in the forehead. “Head in the game, Pinkie! Head in the game!”
Applejack’s eyes flashed, and her accent started to thicken. “A real meal?! Ya’ll weren’t complaining last week when ya came to dinner at the farm! Or were ya just there to drink enough cider to knock out a minotaur?”
Rainbow felt her face flush in embarrassment. “Sh--shut up!”
“Girls!” Twilight’s voice carried all the weight of a royal command. The two bickering mares turned to look at the unicorn, their eyes wide and their argument forgotten for the moment.
Twilight took a deep breath and smoothed her mane with a hoof. “Fluttershy is coming.” she pointed a hoof toward the base of the hill, where a butterscotch-coloured pegasus could be seen hovering up the hill, a glass baking dish in her hooves. Rarity sighed and muttered thanks to Celestia, and even Pinkie stopped chastising herself to look down the hill.
“Finally! I’m about to collapse from…” Rainbow trailed off and began to sniff the air like a dog. “Are those… No way. Aw, yeah! It’s time for the enchilada dance!” She began to dance lightly from hoof to hoof, singing her “ Enchilada Nom Song, Version VI.” After a moment, she stopped and looked at Applejack, lowering her head. “Look. Sorry I insulted your apples. I guess I let my stomach get the better of my brain.”
Applejack smiled and mussed her friend’s mane with a hoof. “No worries, Dash. I know how ya get when yer hungry. Sorry I called ya a featherbrained idjit.”
Rainbow scrunched her face up in confusion. “You didn’t call me a featherbrained idjit.”
The cowpony had the decency to look embarrassed. “Oh. Well… Sorry I was thinkin’ it.”
Dash looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she should be offended. In the end, she shrugged. “It’s all good. There’s nothing that can’t be solved with some good grub.”
Fluttershy made it to the picnic area and landed softly, placing the dish on the blanket. “I’m so sorry I’m late, girls. The food took a bit longer than I thought it would, and I had to make Angel an icepack for his forehead.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were about to devolve into another of their arguments.” Twilight shot a look at the mares, who pawed at the ground.
“Oh, no! I… I hope it wasn’t because of me.” Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Rarity dismissed her fears with a wave of her hoof. “Of course not, dear. You know how those two get when left to their own devices.”
“Yeah! we’re just glad that you made it here okay! Rainbow was even dancing!” Pinkie laughed and started to mimic her friend’s antics. “Aw, yeah! Aw, yeah! Nom nom nom tiiiiime!”
Rainbow scoffed. “You know what? I don’t even care that Pinkie is making fun of me. I smell heaven!” She hovered above the foil covering the dish and took a deep breath. A shiver ran down her spine. “Oh, yes. Come to Mama.”
Twilight laughed and sat down at her place on the blanket. “They smell amazing, Fluttershy.” a hint of trepidation found its way into her voice. “Um… did you make salsa?”
Fluttershy chuckled lightly. “No. I know you girls don’t care much for super spicy food, so I just made the enchiladas.”
Pinked snorted. “Speak for yourself. I love spice!” She bounced to her place as everyone sat behind their plates.
Fluttershy removed the foil from the dish, and the aroma increased tenfold. Rainbow was visibly drooling, and even Rarity’s practiced expression had a hint of hunger to it.
The timid pegasus placed a spatula lightly in the dish and smiled. “Dig in, everypony.”
Soon, the air was filled with sounds of clinking cutlery and chewing. Rainbow Dash’s eyes were practically rolling around in the back of her head. “Ohf my luna, thish is sho damn taeshty!”
Rarity’s eyes widened as she swallowed a small bite. “Language, Rainbow! And as good as the food is, that’s no excuse to talk with your mouth full.”
Rainbow swallowed her food loudly. “Whatever." She turned to Fluttershy. "Flutters, you've outdone yourself. These are orgasmic!”
Fluttershy flushed and the other mares stopped chewing to look at the blue pegasus. Dash brought another bite to her mouth, but stopped as she felt their stares on her. “What? Word-A-Day calendar. Don’t judge me.” With that, her fork went back to her mouth.
Pinkie chewed her mouthful happily and swallowed. “These are really good, Fluttershy! but I think they’d be even better with some hot sauce!”
Fluttershy gasped. “Oh! I can’t believe I forgot to bring out the sauces! I’m sorry.” She moved to the basket. “I have chipotle and chile garlic sauces. Which would you--”
Her words were cut off by an enthusiastic Rarity. “Oh! Did you bring the cilantro, dear? I love cilantro!”
Fluttershy’s left eye twitched.
Author's Note
So, two things:
As Mexican as I am, I don't speak Spanish, unless you count swear words. If the Spanish is wrong, let me know.
Also, I apologize for the misleading title. There was no way I could get Echiladashy to work. I tried.
Hope you enjoyed!
