Swept up

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Winter warm up.
Fluttershy's soloution to everything.
Socialshy
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Snowfall

Winter warm up.

Howdy, this is my first fanfic, so please be brutally honest, it's the only way i'll get better. Depending on the reaction I’ll continue this, I've already got a rough map of where'd i'd like to go, and I have to say...I'm pretty excited! Please Rate and Review, but most of all, I really hope you enjoy the story! Right off the bat, I want to say that this is humanized… Sort of. Pegasi still have wings, and unicorns still have horns. Alright! Go forward and read!

It was an unusually cloudy, gray day in ponyville. Wind whipped across the land as the Pegasi prepared to give the town the first snow of the season, but they didn't seem to be able to gather quite enough clouds to carry those carefully crafted snowflakes, so it had been delayed for at least a few days. Instead, the steel sheet hung over the land like a tarp, while on the ground at the edge of the Everfree forest, a fair-skinned, pink-haired, quiet girl stared out of the window of her birdhouse adorned home, and sighed quietly.

Her name was Fluttershy, and it was undoubtedly her least favorite time of year. She was not alone in this sentiment, as for many of the townsfolk this was the most...well, dull time of year. The Running of the Leaves had been completed, so the trees stood stark and bare, and the festivities and fun of the winter season and hearths’ warming had yet to begin. It was a strange limbo stage between autumn and winter, one that left even the most jubilant of the overall lighthearted citizens of Equestria little to celebrate.

The cold melancholy of the season struck especially hard for Fluttershy. Many of her animal friends had retreated south for the winter, and even more had begun their months-long hibernation cycle. Of course Fluttershy felt no ill towards the animals, more than anyone she understood their need to rest or move someplace warm, it was their best method to get through the winters, which, in Ponyville, were bare, cold, and provided little for them to eat.

Still though, she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely these days. She thought about visiting one of her friends, but certainly didn't want to impose or cause a fuss over her own silly loneliness. She knew they were all very busy, possibly preparing for their own winters.

She let out another soft sigh, lost in thought of what her friends were doing. 'Applejack must be checking apple stocks, making sure her fields are prepared for the coming months, and baking apple pies, fritters, dumplings... I would just slow her down. Twilight must be, as usual, in her own home, studying magic...I wouldn't think of disturbing her, I would make far too much noise. Rainbow Dash is up in the clouds, trying to start up the snow...I could help, but I'm not much of a flier, and If she needed my help up there, she’d ask for it. Rarity's not even home, she's away at a fashion show in Canterlot. Pinkie-pie is running the Sugar cube corner today... I wouldn't think of disturbing her at work... but a cupcake with a nice hot chocolate would be lovely, and I bet she'd appreciate the business...'

She pulled a simple sweatshirt over her bright yellow shirt to protect her from the bite of the outdoors, and, after saying a quick farewell to her agitated and suddenly awoken pet bunny Angel, took off outside. Angel rose out of his bed, scowling and with a blanket still wrapped around him, trudged over to the door, and slammed it shut behind Fluttershy to keep the chill air out of the house. He returned to his bed, and within moments was snoozing again.

After a few minutes, Fluttershy arrived in front of the frosted gingerbread looking store, and opened the door. As soon as she was inside, she let out a small gasp, for a large pink-haired blur had just zoomed out from behind the counter of the shop and was now standing uncomfortably close to her, a pair of blue eyes staring directly at the startled pegasus, and speaking a million miles a minute.

“HI! Welcome to the sugar cube corn-Ohmigosh hi Fluttershy! I didn't recognize you for a second because when I heard the door open I got so excited I was like * gasp * 'omigosh a CUSTOMER!' so I didn't look instead I ran but then I was there so I stopped running and started talking but while I was talking I looked and when I did it was you and then I said 'Welcome to the sugarcube corn' but this place isn't corn, silly! I just stopped in the middle of corner-”

“H-hi pinkie.”

“-because I was so excited to see you, we do have candy corn though if you were disappointed-”

“..N-no thank you pinkie, I...”

“-But I’ve gotta warn you I haven't resupplied since Nightmare Night so it might not be prime stuff it's still good though-”

“pinkie...”

“Come to think of it I don't think I’ve ever run out of-”

“-pink-”

“-I don’t think it ever goes bad! That reminds me of this one time with Roseluck when we-”

“um...-pin-”

“Needless to say, we ran out of icing, Bon-Bon was furious and there was a HUGE mess-”

“pinkie!”

“Oh sorry, did you say something?”

Pinkie pie tilted her head to the side and blinked as Fluttershy scuffed at the ground with her shoe. “Uhm, yes, sorry for interrupting and flying off the handle like that...” she squeaked apologetically.

Pinkie Pie grinned at Fluttershy and wrapped her into a hug. “I have no idea what you're talking about but I forgive you!”

After a few strangling moments, Pinkie Pie released her from the iron-grip hug, and Fluttershy stumbled back a bit, taking a few sharp gasps of breath. Pinkie Pie was a sweet girl and always meant well, but her way of going about things with such constant and unending exuberance was difficult for most other folks to keep pace with.

“Thanks...Anyway, I uhm, wanted to come over to... Since it's so chilly out I wanted to... well, buy a cupcake, and a hot chocolate, if that's okay.”

Pinkie's smile only grew wider. “Sure! Come on! I've got some super yummy ones, fresh out of the oven! Take a seat, I'll be back in a teensy second!” Pinkie gestured to a small cluster of tables in a corner of the shop populated by a few groups of chatting friends before she dashed into the kitchen. Fluttershy shrank away from the groups, and headed towards an empty table, settling herself down.

Soon enough, Pinkie trotted over to fluttershy and set a tray with her order, but just as Pinkie was about to open her mouth to say something, the door flew open, accompanied by a frigid gust of air and a group of windswept, disgruntled and shivering pegasi, led by a very frustrated Rainbow Dash.

“WHAT THE HECK was going on up there?! You were all acting like idiots! We've already had to push the snowfall back two days! This was something I was put in charge of, but you guys are slacking off up there!” She barked, causing the following pegasi to lower their heads sheepishly.

Rainbow dash sighed heavily and strode over to the table where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were chatting. Her pilot’s jacket was unzipped, and her hair was messier than usual. She pushes a lock of her hair away from her face, and nods at her two friends. “Hey Pinkie.., we're taking a quick break, and I was wondering if you had anything to, y'know... perk these guys up a bit, it's a mess up there... Maybe they just need a shot of sugar to keep up with me, I dunno…” She muttered, jerking her thumb towards the gaggle of pegasi. Pinkie nodded eagerly. “Oh! I sure do! I don't have any ready at the minute, not many people order it, but wait a few minutes, and you'll be going faster than ever!” With that, she dashed away again into the kitchen.

“Thanks Pin-..ah she's gone.” Dash turned to Fluttershy “Oh, hey Fluttershy!...everything okay?”. Fluttershy had shrunk back into her seat during Rainbow's rant, and still looked a little apprehensive... more so than usual, at least. “Um, h-hi Rainbow... Y'know, I could, uh, help you up there, if you want.” She offered.

Rainbow Dash smiled kindly as she mulled over a way to put this gently. “Aww, Fluttershy, I really appreciate it, but uh... I couldn't ask you to do that, I'm sure you're very busy... and-oh, here's Pinkie!” She said, thankful for the shift of focus.

“Alright, here we go! Coffee!” Pinkie announced proudly, carrying a tray of mugs filled with a hot, black, and alluringly-scented liquid.

“Coughy? This isn't going to make us sick is it?” Dash questioned, taking one of the mugs and sniffing it.

“Of course not silly! It'll wake you up! Careful though, It'll burn you if you're not careful. I think that's why Mrs. Cake said I'm never supposed to have any, she's always looking out for me!...Okay, everypony, take one, but remember, it's hot!” Pinkie cautioned, passing the mugs out to the Dash's coworkers, and they began taking tentative sips.

The reactions were mixed.“Well, it smells awesome” “I'm just trying to pretend it's hot chocolate.” “Yech, it's so bitter!” “I like it!” “Add some sugar or milk” “Do you have any cream?” “This is gross, and I am not a good pretender!” “It's good!” “I'm starting to feel a buzz...”

A few minutes later, Rainbow dash was tapping her foot rapidly enough to pass for a drumroll, her pupils constricted and darting around. “Oh man! Thanks Pinkie that stuff's great! Cmon, cmon cmon guys lets get up there and finish! While you guys get ready i'm just gonna fly around the shop a few times to, uh...stretch out, I'll be back before you can blink!”

With that, she dashed out of the store, leaving a faded rainbow blur in her wake. The rest of the pegasi sighed and took seats, muttering. “She's been running us ragged up there.” Blossomforth mumbled, reaching back to rub the end of one of her white wings. “We'd be done if she didn't have us doing everything so fast, she makes us rush and then we have to go back and fix it!” A few of them nodded in agreement as a solid rainbow streak suddenly appeared in front of the shop's window, followed by another and another in rapid succession.

Fluttershy was watching this and sipping on her cocoa, unaware of the slightly raised male voices nearby, “Go!” “Just do it you coward!” “Guys, it’s not that simple, I…” “Yes, it is!”

Suddenly, a Pegasus, one she had never spoken to before, stumbled over to her table, as though he had been shoved. “Uh...hey. Would it be okay if I sat here? Everywhere else is taken.” His wings, currently folded behind him, were navy blue, and his head was covered with a mess of untidy forest-green hair. His hazel eyes flicked up to Fluttershy, then to the chair several times as he shoved one of his hands in his pocket absently and ran the other through his hair. He was long and lean, almost lanky with his limbs, and even with them folded behind his back, a discerning eye would notice his wings that to be a bit large for his body. He was smiling, but there was a nervous air about him as he stood before Fluttershy, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

Fluttershy blinked, and squeaked out a response, sinking deeper into her chair by the second. The young man quirked an eyebrow. “Uhm...Sorry, I didn't hear that... do you mind if I sit here?” He repeated, tilting his head to the side, and losing a bit of his nerve. “I mean, it's alright if you don't want me to, I understand... no pressure, I get it, you don't know me, it was kind of weird of me to ask...but there isn't really anywhere to... y'know...” He said, trailing off, but standing his ground for the most part.

Then, Fluttershy spoke up just enough for him to pick it up. “...No...”

The young man’s face fell, and he backed away a few steps. “Oh...no? Okay, thanks anyway, I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to-”

“No, I mean I don't mind...”

“Oh...OH! Really? Cool!” He said, smiling and breathing a sigh of relief as he flopped down into the char across from Fluttershy. They sat together quietly for a few seconds, before he attempted to break the silence. “So! My name's Gust, what's your name?” He asked, voice shaking a bit. Fluttershy stuttered for a moment, and responded “I...I'm Fluttershy...” She mumbled, blushing and suddenly becoming very interested in her cupcake, without taking a bite. “Fluttershy, huh? Well it's nice to meet you, my name's Gust”

“...You already said that.”

Gust blinked and clapped a hand to his head, letting out a strained laugh. “Oh, right... You know, I've never seen you around Cloudsdale before, are you new in town? “

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh no, I don't live in Cloudsdale.” She said. “I live here in Ponyville, near the everfree forest, so I can be close to all the creatures.” A bashful smile grew on her face. “I-I really love animals. They're so sweet.” She said, taking another nibble of her cupcake. Gust raised his eyebrows. “Is that so? I've never heard of a pegasus who doesn't live in the clouds...that's actually pretty neat.” He said. “It must be kind of nice...leaves and grass rustling in the wind are my favorite sounds in the world. I never get to hear it much up in cloudsdale but I bet you get to hear it all the time, What kind of anima-” Gust was cut short as he let out a startled yelp, caused by the sudden, violent appearance of a very upset Rainbow Dash directly in front of him, still clearly on a caffeine high. Gust nearly fell out of his seat in shock.

“WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING DOWN HERE!? Everybody else is already back!” Rainbow Dash roared, causing Gust to shrink back and look around wildly. It was true, the pegusi had all flown back up into the clouds, leaving sugarcube corner much less populated.

Gust did his best to stammer out a response. “I-I'm sorry! I just got caught up! I'll be up in a flash!”.

Rainbow continued to glare at him. “You've got 10 seconds to get up there, after that... we do this the hard way.” She growled, a definite threatening tone in her voice.

“Yes sir-uh-ma'am!” He said, before turning to Fluttershy. “Uh, it was really nice talking to you and stuff...maybe we could meet up again? Same time tomorrow? I'd really like to hear about what you do.” Fluttershy turned slightly pink and nodded, causing Gust to grow an exuberant smile. “Really? Okay! Well I guess I'll see you then Fluttershy, I really should get going now or Rainbow Dash'll have my - whoah, hey!”

“Hard way it is!” Rainbow exclaimed as she took a hold of Gust's shirt collar. “Talk to you later Fluttershy.” With that she raced out the door, dragging Gust with her into the dark grey clouds as she took off.

End Part 1

Well… let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Fluttershy's soloution to everything.

Fluttershy watched as Gust and Rainbow disappeared back into the gray layer of clouds above, and couldn't stop herself from smiling as she finished her cupcake. 'I must be getting better at this whole assertive thing, I was so cool!'

It was then that Pinkie Pie zoomed next to her, an excited smile on her face. “Ooooo, who was that, fluttershy?” She asked, staring at where the pegasi duo had flown into the clouds. “I've never seen you talk to a boy before! What's his name? Do you like him? Did you just meet him? What's he like?”

The pale pegasus stuttered, unsure where to begin with the sudden barrage of questions. “Uhm, well...He needed a place to sit, and this seat was open...His name's Gust...wait.” She paused, eyes widening. “What do you mean 'Like'?”

Pinkie winked at Fluttershy mischievously. “What do you think I mean, silly? Do you like him or do you like like him?” She said, a teasing tone in her voice.

Fluttershy's face instantly went bright pink, and she struggled to form a coherent sentence. “I don't-We were just- eep!”

Fluttershy squeaked and hid her face behind her hair as pinkie giggled. “I'm just joking Fluttershy! Guys and Gals can just be friends! Besides, who knows if you'll ever see him again?”

“Uhm...” Fluttershy stammered and her blush deepened, her eyes determinedly glued to the floor of the bakery. “We're actually going to meet here again tomorrow...to talk.”

Pinkie's eyes widened and she gasped dramatically. “Fluttershy! YOU have a DATE!” Fluttershy's head whipped up to look at Pinkie. “W-what? No I don't! Stop teasing me, Pinkie! He didn't call it a date! He just said he wanted to meet up and talk to me, he probably just wants to be friends...right? Pinkie, right?!” Fluttershy's tone rose dangerously close to panic, as she stared desperately at Pinkie for reassurance.

Pinkie shrugged. “I don't really know. It sounds like a date! And what's more romantic than a cake shop? It's where I'D bring a date!... Maybe you should ask Rarity or Rainbow dash, I think they've both had boyfriends before, they'll be able to help you!”

Fluttershy nodded, clinging to her friend’s words. “Okay, I will...thanks Pinkie, wish me luck, please.” With that, Fluttershy threw some bits down onto the table for her snacks and darted out the door. “Good luck!” Pinkie called after her as she collected the bits and skipped from the table to the counter of the store.

Fluttershy's mind raced as she dashed across town. “Okay, Rainbow Dash should still be up in the clouds...I don't know how long that will take, I'd better head over to Rarity's.” However, she skidded to a stop as comprehension dawned on her. She let out a small frustrated squeak “Oh No! The fashion show! Rarity won't be home until tonight, at the earliest!” She paced back and forth wringing her hands together, her breath quickening as she began to truly panic. She had to talk to someone, someone intelligent, someone who always had a new idea...Then it hit her. “Twilight! the library!” She wheeled around and sprinted towards the library as fast as her stumbling feet would take her.

A violet-haired girl was curled up inside a tree. But this was no ordinary tree. This large, hollow tree served as the Ponyville library, holding hundreds of books that spanned countless subjects, all stowed away neatly. All save for one. The pony, who went by the name of Twilight, was intently reading a copy of “A unicorns unified collection of pyrotechnics: How to light up the skies next summer!”. The purple horn on her forehead began to glow softly with a purple luminescence as she flipped the page quickly, hands free, with magic, but she was careful not to damage the paper. She had to admit it was a fascinating read, and the author, Flashbang Fizzle, really knew his stuff. His theories on disintegration and color dispersion were-

Her thoughts were cut short by a loud rapping on the door. Twilight set the book aside and sauntered over, a bit annoyed with being interrupted on what was supposed to be a quiet day of study. All pretense of annoyance disappeared, however, when she opened the door to find a clearly panicked, tousle-haired Fluttershy panting at her doorstep.

“Twilight! Oh thank goodness! I didn't know where else to turn! I need your help!”

“Fluttershy? Come in come in! is everything okay?” Twilight asked, growing concerned. “What's wrong?”. She moved out of the way for Fluttershy to enter. Fluttershy followed her in hurriedly, still panting a bit. “Twilight, it's awful, just awful!” She moaned.

Twilight's heart began to race. “Fluttershy, please, tell me what's going on, is everyone okay?”.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and began to speak. “Everypony's fine Twilight, except for me...I...I...”

“What fluttershy? Please tell me.”

“I...I have...”

“A cold? You look fine Fluttershy, maybe a little pale but-”

“Ihaveadate!” she blurted out.

Twilight blinked, her panic replaced by confusion. “Uh...come again?”

Fluttershy sighed and set herself on the library's couch “I have...a date.”.

She regaled the entire story to twilight. When she had finished, Twilight sighed, a sympathetic smile on her face as she put a consoling arm on on Fluttershy's dainty shoulders. ”I'm not going to lie to you Fluttershy, I don't have much experience with these things...but it certainly sounds like a date to me.”

Fluttershy squeaked in panic, collapsing and pushing her face into the couch. “What am I gonna do, Twilight?” She said, voice muffled by the cushions. “I-I don't know the first thing about boys! Or dating!”

Twilight gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder. “It'll be okay, Fluttershy, he's not going to hurt you!... Tell you what, we'll do what I do when I have a problem. Study it! There's an entire shelf of romance and love life books here, how about we pick some out and flip through them, see what we can find out? ”

Fluttershy lifted her head a bit, and then nodded...at least, Twilight thought she had nodded, it may have just been Fluttershy teetering on the decision of leaving the safety she found within the couch cushions. She was willing to take what she could get. “Yay! Study buddy! Spike! Come down for a minute, please?”

A small amount of rustling could be heard upstairs, and soon a bleary-eyed purple baby dragon descended down the stairs, yawning. “What can I do for you Twilight?... Oh, hey Fluttershy, didja loose something in the couch?”

Twilight tilted her head to the side. “Spike, what were you-”

“I wasn't napping! I was just-making my bed! And that made me look at it, and you know how I get when I look at my bed, it just looked so warm, and comfortable...”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and interrupted the dragon's rambling. “It's quite alright, Spike, I was just hoping you could grab us some books...from the romance section.”

Spike made a face as though he was about to vomit. “Eww! Why the heck would you need some of those books, Twi?”

Twilight sighed. “They're not for me, per se...We'll talk about it later, just help me look...” Twilight turned to the yellow pony on the couch. “Fluttershy? Would you like to help?” She asked gently.

Spike looked from Twilight to Fluttershy, comprehension dawning on his reptilian features. “Wait, they're for FLUTTERSHY? Quiet, so-shy-it's-in-her-name Fluttershy?”.

The only response Spike received was a dejected meep from Fluttershy as she finally pulled herself off the couch and shuffled over to the row of books.

They spent the next few minutes looking through all the titles, Fluttershy blushing, Spike pretending to wretch, and an increasingly excited Twilight smiling as she used her magic to levitate and look over the books. “You know, this could be fun! It's kind of exhilarating to delve into a new subject like this, and we already have the perfect vehicle to test our findings!” Fluttershy groaned, shoving a book with a man and woman in a passionate embrace on the cover, back into the shelf.

Soon, they had a stack of books, and Fluttershy sat with Twilight on the couch, reading intently. “Hmm...” Twilight mused. “It seems that boys like it when you play 'hard to get'”.

Fluttershy raised her head from her own book. “Is that like a game or something?” She asked.

“No, I don't think so.” The studious young woman responded. “It seems like the girl pretends to not like the boy, and somehow that makes the boy like her...more? No, that can't be right... That's ridiculous, I must have misread it or something...” Twilight mumbled, flipping a few pages back to reread the beginning of the chapter, her purple eyes narrowing as she peered at the text.

“Uhm...Twilight?” Fluttershy chimed. “It says here that, um, men like it when you're honest... maybe I should just tell him that I don't want to date him?”

Twilight flipped a page in her book. “I don't think so Fluttershy, you've got to go through with this one date. I know it's nerve-wracking, but at the end of it you can explain the misunderstanding. It wouldn't be fair to just stand him up... besides, you said he was nice, right?”

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “Yes, he was, bu-”

“Well, just tell him at the end of the date that you 'just want to be friends'. It seems like a lot of girls do that...”

“Does it say how the boys handle it?”

“Well, I think it's safe to assume he won't be happy”

Fluttershy's eyes widened. “Oh no, you mean he's gonna be mad at me?”

Twilight shrugged. “Probably not angry, more sad or disappointed than anything... but he'll get over it! It's not like you're breaking up with him or anything, you have to be a couple first. It says so right here.” She says confidently, circling a passage in the book with her finger.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don't want to make him sad either! Do you think he'll cry? I hope he doesn't cry because I-I'll start crying and-! Maybe I should bring some tissues, just in case.” She muttered, wiping one of her eyes.

Twilight couldn't help but smile at her friend. “I... doubt he'll cry, Fluttershy.”

They talked for hours, long enough that the sky went from gray to nearly black, the sheet of clouds now blocking out Princess Luna's nighttime display. Fluttershy had managed to calm down a bit, and was sipping quietly on a cup of tea Twilight had brought her. “Thank you very much for all your help twilight, I feel a bit better... I still wish I didn't have to do this tomorrow, but at least now I have a plan, and after that, maybe I'll have a new friend.”

Twilight smiled at her friend, “You're most welcome Fluttershy, and please tell me how it goes, I must say it's an interesting subject.” Just then, a knock came from the door...no, not knocking, frenzied battering. Twilight sighed on her way over to answer. “A little late for a visitor to show up... I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses.”

Her eyes widened as she swung the door open to find four girls, four of her friends, Pinkie Pie, bouncing a little on her feet, Rainbow Dash, hovering and peering into the library, A freckled young woman with green eyes and blonde hair, and an elegantly dressed, purple haired unicorn standing at her door. “Uh, hey girls...what's going on?” Twilight greeted.

The unicorn, Rarity, spoke first, her usual perfectly placed attire slightly askew, as though she had been running, and her hair slightly frazzled. “Twilight, have you seen Fluttershy? I need to speak to her immediately! She wasn’t home, so we thought we’d check here.”

“Oh, she's in there, sugarcube.” the orange pony with blonde hair pointed out.

Rarity sped past Twilight and over to a startled Fluttershy before nearly instantly wrapping the pegasus into a crushing hug. “Oh, Fluttershy, DARLING! You've found yourself a lover! I knew you would, but this soon I would have never- But enough about that tell me about HIM! What was it like? What's his name? Was it Love at first sight? I just can't believe it....ohhhh Fluttershy!” She squeezed Fluttershy tighter, until the country girl, Applejack, split the two up.

“Alright, now, let's give the girl a chance to talk...and, y'know, breathe.”

Upon noticing that Fluttershy was panting, Rarity's smile diminished a little. “Oh, my apologies Fluttershy, I guess I got a little carried away.”

Fluttershy returned a shaky smile to her horned friend. “It's okay Rarity...What's going on? Why are you all here?”

Applejack chuckled and leaned against the couch. “Pinkie Pie told us everything. Looks like you've done went and got yerself a boyfriend.” She winked at the pegasus, who slumped against the couch and pulled her knees up to her chin.

Rainbow Dash drifted over the Fluttershy, smiling slyly. “Uh...sorry about earlier, I didn't know I was interrupting anything like...that.” She said a bit sheepishly.

“It's alright.” She mumbled, reeling a bit from all the attention. “But...Twilight and I have been talking. I don't want a boyfriend right now, I'm just going to tell him that I want to just be friends.”

Rarity seemed to physically deflate. “Oh, Fluttershy, you'll break the poor thing's heart!”.

“I-I'm still going to go on the date!” Fluttershy responded quickly. “I'm just going to kindly explain that there was a misunderstanding, and that a relationship of that nature is...not something I'm looking for right now.”

Rarity brightened up a little bit. “Oh! So you're still going on a date with him then? Well, darling, I must insist that you allow me to help you get ready for it!”

Fluttershy stared at Rarity, but couldn't bear to disappoint her any further. “I...okay.” She conceded, sighing.

Rarity squealed with delight and pranced towards the door. “Alright! I expect to see you at my house at 9 o'clock sharp! You'll look even better than you did at the Gala! Goodnight!” She said, leaving the library.

“Welp, I reckon I should be headin' home too. Good luck tomorrow Fluttershy, whatever happens, just be honest with the fella, y'hear?” She said, giving fluttershy a firm clap on the back. With that, she followed Rarity out the door.

Rainbow dash went over to Fluttershy again, and, unsure of what else to do, gave Fluttershy an awkward pat on the head. “Just...be sure to let him down easy okay? The last thing I need is Gust acting all mopey. He spaces out enough during work...” She muttered, gliding towards the door.

Finally, Pinkie Pie bounced over to Fluttershy. “I'm so so excited for tomorrow! I don't think i'll be able to sleep! Don't you worry about a thing, Anty Pinkie Pie's gonna take care of everything at the bakery! Hay, I'll even wait on you!” She bounded away and out the door, humming all the way.

When the door had closed, Twilight trotted over to her friend. Fluttershy let out an exhausted moan and slumped onto her side, eyes closed.

“Fluttershy, if it would make you feel better, you could stay here tonight. We could have a quiet little sleepover! I've grown quite good at them!” Twilight offered brightly.

Fluttershy rose to her feet slowly, and turned to her friend with a grateful smile. “You've done a lot for me already Twilight, Thank you very much for the kind offer but I think i'll just head home. I want to make sure Angel bunny is covered.”

Twilight smiled and nodded in understanding, and Fluttershy made for the door, yawning

When she finally made it home, Angel Bunny was already asleep, curled in his bed next to a few remaining bits of carrot. Fluttershy smiled and draped his blanket over him, before curling into her own bed. As she snuggled in, she sighed. “Well…Maybe it could be fun.”

END PART II

Socialshy

The grey light of morning poked through the blinds of Fluttershy’s window and landed on the quietly snoozing girl’s face. She stirred, groaning softly as her mind began to slowly wake up, despite the protests of the rest of her body.

She chose to keep her eyes closed, just for now… another minute, that’s it. She rolled over and snuggled into her blanket, throwing the heavy cloth over her head and yawning. Then, the events of the day before filled her mind, and her eyes flicked open. She sat bolt upright, and looked to the clock. It was half past eight. She let out a small gasp. She was supposed to be at Rarity’s in half an hour!

She scrambled to get out of bed, but in her haste, her legs became tangled in the blanket, and she let out a fearful squeak as she toppled to the floor with a light thud. She picked herself up, relieved that no one had been there to see that particular faux pas and rushed to the bathroom to begin her morning routine. After a quick brush of her hair, a splash water on her face, a thorough brushing of her teeth, and a self-conscious glance at herself in the mirror, she scurried downstairs to leave Angel a snack before she left. She had neglected to tell Angel of the events that had transpired, (strange because she usually shared most everything with the rabbit) but if things went as she planned them to, there would be no need to tell him and risk getting him riled up over nothing.

After a large carrot had been carefully slipped next to the sleeping bunny’s bed, Fluttershy set off for Rarity’s boutique, relieved that she had made such good time after waking up so late. She shivered as a gust of wind whipped at her, the days certainly were getting colder and the grey sheet of sky remained above, without a hint of sun or a trace of the overdue snowfall.

As she walked, Fluttershy mused that she should have worn a sweater… But there was no time to go back, she was almost at Rarity’s.

As she crossed the ponyville square, Rarity's home and shop finally came into view. It's name, Carousel Boutique, was easy enough to understand, the outside of the building was a renaissance-esque, gilded structure, with a second floor dedicated to rarity's living space, and the first floor hosting her business. Fluttershy paused at the door, staring at it. She sighed, took a deep breath, raised her hand to the door, and knocked.

Fluttershy heard a gasp, something clattering down, and the fast-paced clicking of someone running... in heels. The door swung open to reveal a giddy, broadly smiling Rarity. She let out a girlish, squealing giggle, took Fluttershy's wrist, still raised from knocking on the door, and pulled her inside.

"Good Mooooooooorning, Fluttershy!" Rarity sang, turning to face Fluttershy and looking her up and down. "Oh, i LOVE what you're wearing! Casual, not too suggestive, perfect for a first date!... maybe a little light for this kind of weather, but it works! You'll be inside at Sugarcube Corner, yes?"

Fluttershy nodded slowly, craning her neck to see what she looked like in Rarity's mirror, she had only thrown her clothing on, and hadn't really thought about it. A pair of faded blue jeans and a yellow, ruffled-collar blouse was what she had chosen while half asleep, and she silently congratulated herself on not coming in her PJs. She smiled weakly at Rarity and nodded "Yes, Pinkie said she'd... wait on us." She shrugged, "I hope we're not troubling her, i feel bad enough as it is taking your time."

Rarity scoffed, and sat fluttershy down. "Nonsense, dear! I knew you would put yourself on the market eventually, and I just HAD to be apart of your first date!-... Circumstances notwithstanding." She added, winking at Fluttershy. "Now... let's get you ready..."

The next few hours were ones of incredible delight for Rarity, and for Fluttershy... utter discomfort. She felt like she was modeling for Photo finish again as her eyebrows and wings were plucked of any loose ends, her hair washed and styled, and her nails painted. Rarity spend a good twenty minutes debating over which blush to use, and another 10 applying "To create the illusion you aren't wearing any blush!" she exclaimed brightly to Fluttershy's meek questioning.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to poke a hole in this arguement, but Rarity had already darted away, and was shuffling through her perfume cabinet. She returned with about 8 bottles and told Fluttershy to hold out her wrist. Fluttershy whimpered.

Four Hours later, Fluttershy was slumped in her chair, a dazed expression glossing her face, as though she had accepted that this was how she'd die, when suddenly, Rarity spun her chair around to face a mirror. Fluttershy gasped. Her hair, usually quite flat, now landed in gentle, elegant curls around her shoulders and down her back. Her teal eyes seemed brighter, the perfect amount of makeup and mascara complementing them and causing them to stand out. Her newly-glossed lips parted in shock, and she reached up to touch her face, hardly believing it was her reflection.

Rarity popped up beside her, smiling into her reflection. "What do you think darling?" She asked, giggling excitedly. "Quite gorgeous if i do say so myself."

"Oh, Rarity, I... Wow." Fluttershy breathed "Talk about a makeover."

"Well you were a wonderful subject, dear, i just did a bit of tweaking!" Rarity said, making a sideways glance at the clock. "Oh! Look at the time! You'd better get going soon!" Rarity said, pulling Fluttershy up and heading towards the door. "Now, a few things to remember; Don't put up with him if he isn't a perfect gentleman. He should hold doors for you, listen when you speak, and afford YOU every courtesy. If he doesn't, let me know..." She said, the final 3 words coming out slowly and threateningly.

Fluttershy nodded. "I- I don't think that'll be a problem Rarity... He did seem kind of sweet."

Rarity shrugged. "Just making sure you know." She said innocently.

With that, Fluttershy headed towards sugar cube corner, Rarity waving her away. "Good luck darling! Come by when you're done, i want to hear all the details!." She called, retreating back into her home. As she closed the door, she sighed and slumped against the door, sniffing and dramatically dabbing at her eyes. "Little Fluttershy is growing up!"

Fluttershy arrived at Pinkie's home, relieved for the warmth of the bakery to replace the growing cold outside. She looked around, noticing the bakery was rather populated, when she heard someone calling her.

"Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy turned, to see Gust, waving her over to a table near the corner of the shop. Fluttershy smiled and headed over, beginning to feel her cheeks warm up. "Hi-hi Gust..."

As Fluttershy approached, Gust seemed to get a better look at her, and his eyes widened, he reached up to feel his own hair- as wild, tangled and messy as ever. He ran his fingers through it in a vain attempt to make himself more presentable, but stopped and sprung to his feet as Fluttershy approached. "H-hi!" He said, his voice strained slightly. "You look- uh, here, let me get your seat." He said, dashing to the other side of the table and pulling out her chair.

Fluttershy's blush deepened as she took a seat, murmuring a quiet "Thank you." She watched Gust as he retook his own seat, and pushed himself in rather clumsily.

The silence of their first meeting returned, but was mercifully and nearly instantly broken by Pinkie as she bounded over to their table "Hey you two!" She said brightly. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Or SCG! for short! No one ever really calls it SCG though, but i think if i keep saying it enough it'll catch on! Anyway, would you two like anything?" She asked brightly.

"Uh- sure." Gust said, and looked over to Fluttershy. "Ladies first?" He offered, smiling weakly. Pinkie Pie turned to Fluttershy, and winked playfully at her.

"What'll it be, miss?"

"Oh, uhm..." Fluttershy paused, looking from side to side as she thought. "I think i'll have... Just a cup of hot chocolate, please. With a little bit of cinnamon."

Pinkie pie nodded, then turned to Gust. "Well? What about you?"

Gust blinked. "Uh... I'll take a sarsaparilla, please."

Pinkie beamed. "Ooooooookay! Sassy and a hot choco! I like you style! Be right back with those!" With that, she darted off.

Gust watched as she left, then turned back to Fluttershy, chuckling. "Man, she is on a permanent sugar rush or something, huh? Always a ball of energy."

Fluttershy nodded. "It's like my friend Twilight says, 'She's just being Pinkie Pie.'... I don't mind, she's always been nice to me as long as we've been friends."

Gust blinked. "Oh! Are you two friends? If so, i hope you know i didn't mean anything by the sugar rush comment- It was a compliment really! It's every time I've seen her, she's bouncing around in here. And I-"

Fluttershy interrupted him, waving his apology away. "Oh, no, I know you didn't mean it like that- You were just making an observation." She said. "She's proud of it anyway; It's just who she is."

"Alright" Gust said, smiling and sighing in relief. "I just didn't want you thinking i was-... You know. So, anyway... What's it like living near the forest? What kind of animals do you take care of?"

Fluttershy smiled again, sitting up a little straighter. "Oh, all kinds!"

With that, she went into the story of her cutie mark, and how she discovered her affinity with animals. She explained her wide variety of animals, from chickens to bears and toucans to seals, otters, squirrels, and bunnies, pink flamingos, kittens, and everything in between. His eyes widened quite appropriately as she regaled the tale of the manticore in the forest.All in all, Gust was an excellent audience. He listened with rapt attention, both of them barely noticed when Pinkie returned with their drinks, which they sipped on as time went by.

"Wow..." Gust breathed, draining the last of his second drink. "So you really know your way around animals huh? What were you and your friends doing in the everfree forest anyway? I don't think i'd want to set foot in that place." He said, grimacing at the though.

Fluttershy explained the return of Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna, though she understated her own role in that particular escapade, instead relegating almost all of the credit to Twilight and Princess Celestia.

"So you're, like, a national hero!"

Fluttershy blushed brightly, shaking her head. "Oh no, i wouldn't go so far as that... I was just nice to a manticore, really..." She said, but unable to hide her smile.

Gust grinned. "You don't give yourself enough credit! You marched into the everfree forest and saved the world from eternal night! That's something to be proud of." He says, looking at Fluttershy with a mixture of admiration and amusement. "Look at me, for example. I just help plan the weather in Equestria, and occasionally do some mail runs. Not much of that would matter if it was perpetually midnight, would it? Doesn't make much difference if the sky's clear or not if we never get to see the sun."

"I...guess you're right!" Fluttershy said, sipping her hot chocolate.

"There you go!" Gust said.

"But don't say that about yourself either- Your job's just as important as mine, taking care of the animals wouldn't be possible if there was no sunshine, or rain, or... really, animals need a lot of things provided by weather. It's all apart of nature's cycle, right?"

Gust shrugs. "I suppose that's true, but I've never been 'the hero' or anything, you know? Always kind wanted to-"

Just then, Pinkie Pie appeared. "Hey again! Can i get you two anything else, or are we all set?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Gust said, then looked to Fluttershy. "Uh- how about you, i mean?" He amended. "Anything else you want?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm fine." She said, smiling at Pinkie. "How much do we owe you?"

"Let's see..." Pinkie said, biting her tongue as she did the math. "2 sassies is... Carry the hot chocos..." She stood there for a few seconds, before a small ding could be heard and she snapped out of it. "Eight bits!"

Fluttershy nodded, and reached into her pocket, but Gust interrupted.

"No, no, I got it." He said, bulling out 10 bits and laying them on the table. "Keep the change, Miss Pie."

Fluttershy blinked, looking from Gust to the bits several times. "Are... Are you sure?"

Gust nodded, waving away Fluttershy's question. "You pay for plenty of things for animals, I'm sure. Just uh- Think of this as my treat!" he said, smiling again at fluttershy.

Pinkie grinned widely. "Aww yeah! Tip! Thanks a bunch! Have a good night you two!" She said, gathering the coins up and skipping merrily away.

Fluttershy returned Gust's smile, and stood up. "Well, I suppose we should get going, huh...?"

Gust nodded, sighing and standing up. "Yep... Hey, this is probably gonna be one of the last days without snow on the ground, i don't suppose you'd... like to-... to take a walk? With me?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment. "Well... I really should be getting home to Angel Bunny... I want to make sure he's eating." She said truthfully.

"Oh... Well, maybe i could walk you home?"

Fluttershy remained silent, staring down at her shoes. "I..." She started then trailed off, squeaking softly into her hair.

Gust scratched the back of his head, and kicked softly at the ground. "Uh, y'know, if you want...If not, it's really okay. Just thought it would be fun"

"...If you want to...I mean, i want you to, i mean-... Yes." She said finally and simply, her blush growing by the second.

Gust couldn't help it. His face broke into a large smile, and he walked over to the door, opening it for Fluttershy. "Lead the way, then!" He said, and with that, they headed out into town, just as the street lights flickered to life.

Fluttershy walked right beside Gust, and shivered as a sudden sharp wind cut down the street they were walking down. She grabbed onto her mostly-bare arms, and tried to keep herself from shaking.

Gust noticed this, and stopped. After a brief moment of consideration, he pulled off his flight jacket, and presented it to her. "Here. You're shaking."

Fluttershy blinked. "Oh, no, i couldn't- then you'd be c-cold." She said, shivering again as yet another breeze ran across them. He didn't move, still holding out his jacket to her as he shook his head.

"I'll be fine, i was a little warm anyway." He lied, giving the jacket a little shake. "C'mon, it's warm."

"B-but it's too big for me..." Fluttershy protested weakly.

"Button it up and roll up the sleeves!" Answered Gust cheerily. "...Look, I'm not gonna wear it now, it's already off. Either you wear it or neither of us do." He said rather flatly. "Cooome ooooon..." He said in a high, sing-song tone, brandishing it again. "

Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle as Gust dangled the coat in front of her and sang. "...Oh, alright then. If you don't mind."

Gust shook his head, "Not at all!" As he helped her put it on. It was almost comically too large for her small frame, but after some coordinated sleeve movement she got her hand through, and several rollings later Fluttershy regained use of her hands. Gust beamed. "See? Perfect fit!" He said, suppressing a laugh as Fluttershy smoothed it out, and allowed her wings to find their way out through the holes in the back.

Fluttershy laughed softly again as they continued walking together, out to the outskirts of town and towards Fluttershy's home.

This is... nice. Fluttershy thought as they continued down the road. and not 'I don't really like this' nice... Really Nice! They slowed to a stop as they reached the gate of her house, and turned to face each other, both their faces a bit pink... from the cold, of course. "Well..." Fluttershy said, glancing up at Gust, then back down to the ground. "There's something i need to say to you..."

Gust smiled. "Oh? Like what?" He asked, tilting his head.

He's so sweet, you can't just...

No! you said didn't want this! You have to tell him.

Gust began to grow concerned as Fluttershy merely stood there, slilently arguing with herself. "E-...Everything alright?" He asked, nervously reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder, an encouraging smile on his face.

"I wanted...to tell you"

"Tell me what?"

Break it off!

No!

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and began to speak. "I wanted to tell you... I've had a really good time, but..."

Gust's hand began to slowly slip away from her shoulder, and his smile faltered oh so slightly.

"...But we have a lot more to talk about. We should do this again."

Gust gaped at her. "Wha-... Really? You mean it?! I... Mean... Yeah! We should! Definitely!" He said, unable to hide the enormous grin on his face.

"I do... How about this next sunday?"

"Sunday, yeah, sure! I actually know this really nice cafe in town... maybe we could go there?"

"I'd like that... Same time as today?" Fluttershy said, pulling his jacket off and handing it to him. "You learned about me- I still don't know all that much about you."

Gust took his jacket with shaking hands. "Yeah... Sunday, then... Cafe... Same time... S-see you then."

Fluttershy opened her gate and backed into it, walking briskly backwards as she wiggled her fingers in farewell. Gust returned the gesture awkwardly, and took off, beating his wings to launch himself into the sky. As Fluttershy closed the door, she thought she heard a distant cheer.

She wandered through her darkened house until she found her couch and flopped down on it, sighing contentedly, when she suddenly began to hear a rhythmic thumping. For a moment she thought it was her heart, but as she looked around, and noticed a small, fluffy white bunny, tapping his large foot and scowling.

"Oh... hello Angel."

Angel's expression, as usual, was incredibly effective at what he wished to convey, and at that moment, with Fluttershy perched on her couch, staring down at the bunny, it was clear. 'Who was that? Where were you? What's going on?! you have some serious explaining to do!'

Fluttershy bit her lip, anxiously picking up the little bunny and hugging him. Angel struggled, but Fluttershy held firm to her little friend. "Oh Angel... We need to have a little talk." With that, she set the rabbit down on the couch beside her, and sighed. "That... was Gust. He's a very nice boy and..." Her cheeks grew rather pink "We went on a little date today..."

Angel's jaw dropped. He then began shaking his head and waving his arms across his body. No, I forbid it!

Fluttershy raised her eyebrows. "You... You can't tell me who i can and can't spend time with, mister!... And I-I'm not saying things are going to work out with him but-... but they might! And if they do, I-I'll be spending lots of time with him, so...so you should get used to the idea of that happening!" Fluttershy said.

Angel merely folded his arms and turned away from the pegasus, nose thrust into the air.

Fluttershy huffed. "Don't you back-sass me! I think a certain rabbit is getting grumpy just because he's getting ready for hibernation!" She said, mimicking Angel's action, turning away from the rabbit and folding her arms. They sat like that for a few minutes, both silently fuming.

"Now... I'm going to go over to Rarity's. I want you to stay here and think about your attitude." Fluttershy said, rising from the couch and heading over to the closet. After throwing on a heavy coat, Fluttershy bustled out of her house and made her way to Rarity's. As she traveled, her mind went over the events of the day, and she couldn't help but smile at the thought. She found herself skipping slightly as she made her way to her friend's home, the dark, bitterly cold night seeming just a bit brighter.

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Hey everyone! A warning to anyone reading this chapter as it's released, i added a bit to the end of chapter 3, so be sure to go back and read that before you read this. Just scroll down to the end of the story and read the last few paragraphs, they were originally going to be for this story, but in the end, i decided it would flow better if they were in chapter 3. Alright! back to your regularly scheduled story!

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Rarity leaned back, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. She looked at the clock... It was already dark out, and no word from Fluttershy. Rarity had promised herself that she would stay up until Fluttershy had come by, but with all the travelling she had done the past few days, the surprising amount of energy required by the fashion show itself, and getting up early for Fluttershy that very morning, Rarity had been running herself ragged. She felt under her eyes anxiously, terrified that bags would form and cause unsightly wrinkles... At least it was almost her spa day, she was sure that a little time with Lotus and Aloe was just the thing she needed to wash away the last few days' stress.

Fluttershy rapped her knuckles gently against Rarity's door, glancing at the clocktower as she did so. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt; She was stopping by Rarity's a bit late, what if she had Sweetie Bell over and she was sleeping? Her thoughts were cut short as the door swung open, much like it had that morning, to reveal Fluttershy's purple-haired friend, who's face broke into an exuberant smile at the sight of her.

"Fluttershy! my dear, there you are! Out a little late i see." Rarity beamed, allowing Fluttershy to walk in, this time of her own volition. As Fluttershy entered, Rarity examined her. Still rather well put together, even if her cheeks were a bit pink, most likely from the cold. They sat down together at Rarity's table, Rarity setting out a few chocolates and popping one into her mouth. "Alright darling! Dish. What happened?"

Fluttershy took one of the chocolates as well, and in short order, explained the events of her outing with Gust. Rarity listened intently, occasionally asking for deeper details but otherwise remaining a quiet, yet reactive audience. Fluttershy explained that most of the talk was focused on what she did and what she liked, and that he seemed very complimentary of what she did.

Rarity giggled. "Oh, so he's one for flattery. I must say i find nothing wrong with that... Anyway, dear, go on."

Fluttershy obliged, explaining that after Gust had paid for their drinks-

"What was the tip like?"

"Uhm... it was eight bits, and he left ten..."

"Not bad, not bad..."

-Gust had offered to go for a walk with her, but they settled on him merely walking her home instead. When Fluttershy mentioned Gust had given her his jacket, Rarity melted. "Ohhhhh that is the most adorable-! It's like something out of my stories!" She squealed, bouncing in her seat giddily and sighing.

"...Your Stories?"

"Uh- Ignore that. Continue, continue!"

Fluttershy blinked at this little outburst, blushing, but forged onward with her story, ending it with them arriving at her gate."

"So..." Rarity prodded, leaning forward slightly "Is that where you broke it off? How did he take it?"

Fluttershy's blush deepened, and she turned her gaze to the floor as Rarity's eyes widened. "Ah-actually... I decided to... That we're gonna... see each other again. On Sunday."

Rarity gripped the table, and slowly to her feet. "Fluttershy." She said, forcing her voice to remain even. "If you are playing some sort of joke on me, i need you to tell me. Right now."

Fluttershy shrank back into her seat. "Uh, I'm not... Sorry"

Rarity remained quiet for a moment before, at a speed that would have put Rainbow Dash to shame, sped over to Fluttershy, picked her up, and wrapped her in a tight hug, bouncing up and down with the energy of a super ball. "OHHHHH MYYY GOODNESSS FLUTTERSHYYYYYY!" She squealed, embracing her friend.

Fluttershy squeaked in shock as she was gripped by her friend. "R-rarity... Can't... breathe..."

Rarity blinked, and looked at Fluttershy's strained face. She laughed nervously, and set her down, causing Fluttershy to wobble dazedly on her feet. "Sorry about that, dear... But ooooh my goodness I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed, resisting the urge to embrace her friend again. "What made you decide to see him again?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "Well, I... I don't really know... I just... I liked the way he talked to me and treated me... He let me say whatever i wanted to say, and... and he liked what i had to say, I-... He made me feel... Like i was really special and safe and- I don't know... " She stuttered, smiling at the thought and shaking her head, her blush reappearing.

Rarity sighed dreamily, lost in the romance of the situation. "Oh, Fluttershy, I'm just thrilled for you~"

Gust landed squarely on the doorstep of his house. The cloud-constructed structure was rather small, but with great, wide, arched windows, giving the building an open-air feel. The architecture of the home fit in well with the surrounding city of Cloudsdale, with many Ionic pillars supporting the upper deck of the house. Humming to himself, Gust clicked open the door and slipped inside. As he fumbled around for the light switch, he heard a sudden clattering from the kitchen. His entire body froze, tensed... no one else should have been in here. Wings spread slightly, he moved over to the other room with a surprising display of stealth... until he tripped on a tiny tuft of cloud and fell flat on his face.

The silhouetted figure was standing before the fridge was rusting through, but froze, much as Gust did, as he heard the muffled thump of the young man hit the floor. He peered around, unable to see the figure who had suddenly fallen to the floor, and called out, slightly unnerved, with a muffled voice. "Guuft?"

Gust sprang from the floor and barreled at the intruder, who only had time to raise his hands in a futile attempt to halt the charging pegasus.

"Wai-ooff!"

For a few moments they wrestled wildly, until the intruder spat something, and began shouting in a hoarse, choked voice. "GUST! GUST! IT'S ME! GET OFF ME, MAN!"

Gust froze, still holding onto the other man in an awkward headlock. "...Coffee?"

Gust stood up and flicked the light on. There, laying on the floor, a tarnished sandwich in hand, normally straight black hair tousled, and dark brown eyes staring, absolutely bewildered, was... Gusts' roomate, Coffee Klatch. They stared at each other in total silence for a few moments, before coffee finally broke the silence, still on the floor. "...WHAT IN TARTARUS IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Gust flinched at Coffee's shouting, and reached down to help Coffee up "Sorry! Sorry!...I thought you were headed out on a business trip, I didn't think anyone would be home, i heard a noise, and..." He muttered something that sounded a bit like. "Burglar..."

Coffee rolled his eyes, grasping Gusts' hand and lifting himself up. "For quite literally the hundredth time, that's not until tomorrow, Gust..." He took Gusts' outstretched hand and hopped to his feet, wincing as he stretched his cream-colored wings. "I'll give you this..." Coffee groaned. "You've got quite a tackle, pal..." Coffee was a good deal better built than Gust, stockier and thicker with muscle, though he was a good deal shorter.

Gust smiled sheepishly. "Thanks..." He said before blinking. "Wait a minute... What were you doing eating a sandwich in the dark?!"

It was Coffee's turn to look a bit embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head. "Well... You know i'm a late night snacker... And worker... And, uh, liver... I was finalizing some of my travel plans for tomorrow, and well... I got hungry..."

Gust quirked an eyebrow. "And you decided to make it... in the dark."

Coffee Shrugged "I wanted to see if i could! Gotta challenge yourself, man!"

With an exasperated sigh, Gust clapped a hand to his face. "I'm beginning to feel less guilty about decking you now."

Coffee chuckled, throwing his hands into the air. "Alright, alright... We'll split the blame 70-30..."

"Me with the 70?"

"Well, YEAH. You came at me like a linebacker, dude."

Gust grinned and rolled his eyes as he made his way over to their couch and flopped down onto the plush cloud-formed furniture. "Fair enough." Coffee joined him, still munching on what remained of his sandwich.

"So. How'd the thing go? With... Shutterfly?" He asked, ripping off another chunk of bread with his teeth.

Gust had to force down a smile, and merely gave a nonchalant shrug. "Fluttershy. And pretty good, I guess... We're meeting up again on Sunday, so..."

Coffee blinked, swallowing down the last of his sandwich before grinning widely and pelting Gust's shoulder with a series of rapid punches. "I! TOLD! YOU!" he shouted triumphantly, laughing as Gust winced and returned a blow in kind.

"I told you man! I told you if you talked to her she'd like you! Thank Celestia we shoved you over there, otherwise you would've sulked the rest of the day about it!" He laughed, clapping Gust on the back. "Can't wait 'til the others hear about this..." He sighed contentedly, leaning back, occasionally guffawing as Gust's face grew hot.

Coffee nudged Gust with his elbow. "Hey, c'mon man, we're just looking out for ya, you know that! You're the only one of us who hasn't EVER had a girlfriend yet- You said you wanted us to help you so... We kinda had to throw you off the cloud, see if you could fly, y'know?"

Gust looked over at his friend. He and Coffee had been friends since flight school... He wouldn't do wrong by him. Not on purpose, anyway. "Alright, alright... I appreciate it. Where you headed this time to sell?"

Coffee grinned. "I'm gonna go for it. I'm gonna crack the Canterlot nut. By they time I'm done there, every single high-end unicorn in that city's gonna be drinking Crazy Klatch's Canned Coffee Concoction Culinary Component! I'll be the face everyone's glad to see in the morning- Oh! I could rework that into some kind of slogan! Be right back, I gotta grab a pen!" He said, hopping off the couch and sprinting into his room.

Gust called after the speeding pegasus. "You know, you can't sell any of your stuff if you drink it all! How many cups did you have today?"

"...Only five! It's not my fault it's delicious!"

"Well, you made it, so technically-"

"No one asked you!"

Gust sighed, moving into a lying position on the couch, grinning to himself.

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Woo! Sorry for the short chapter everyone, but life kinda hit me like a ton of bricks this week! With any luck i'll get another chapter VERY soon (read: less than a week) But until then, enjoy this chapter!

Snowfall

The next day, Gust was walking through Ponyville, a noticeable spring in his step. He would be going out with Fluttershy again tomorrow, and was beginning to think he really had a shot at making things work with her. Even the weather's continued refusal to cooperate, and Rainbow Dash's day-long tirade on that fact as they had worked today, could not dampen his mood. Again, she had called the attempt off. In his opinion, it was obvious that they simply didn't have enough clouds from Cloudsdale, and that to continue to attempt to work the uncooperative clouds with insufficient resources was utterly futile. Granted they COULD make it snow, but it wouldn't be reach required quota for the first snowfa-

Gusts thoughts were cut short as he was suddenly lifted, via magic, "What the?-" he blurted as he was pulled into a dark alleyway and thrust into a corner, crumpling as he hit the wall. He looked up, and staring down at him were 5 girls. A blond haired, freckled country girl, an apologetic looking, bookish girl with lavender hair streaked with red and pink, her horn still glowing with purple light, a stunningly dressed purple-haired woman, and, two he recognized, Rainbow Dash, and the poofy-haired girl from the sweet shop, Pinkie Pie.

The blonde was the first to speak up, nudging the purple-haired girl and chuckling. "Ah think you overdid it on the magic, Twilight. We said to get his attention, not kidnap the feller"

The purple-haired girl, apparently Twilight, rubbed her arm, grimacing and shrugging. "Sorry... I thought he was going to pass by too fast or not notice, and i panicked." She said, her horn glowing again as she raised Gust to his feet. "Sorry about that."

Gust, still pressed tightly against the wall of the alley, looked warily at the surrounding women, and swallowed hard. "Rainbow-... What's this all about?" He asked. "It's not my fault that we couldn't get the snowfall down today! And even if it was, your solution is to jump me in an alley?! The fact of the matter is that we don't have enough clouds! Maybe if the snowflake producers would pull as much overtime as you're making-"

"I'm not here to talk about that." Rainbow interrupted, raising a hand. She began pointing to the other girls surrounding him. "These are my friends...That's Applejack, if you're gonna get mad at anyone, she's the one. This was her idea." She said, pointing to the blonde as she tipped her hat in greeting, still laughing softly.

"Pinkie Pie." Rainbow continued, pointing to the pink-haired girl bouncing on her heels and waving rapidly. "But you probably know her already."

"Twilight, the egghead who threw you like a rag doll." The bookish girl winced at the comment, but grinned sheepishly at Gust anyway.

"And the fancy one's Rarity." Rainbow finished, jabbing her thumb at the fashionista, who was eyeing Gust intently, as though she was silently examining him.

"H...hi?" Gust said, raising a hand bemusedly in greeting. "It's nice to meet your friends and all, Rainbow, but... Why?"

Rarity cut in. "Well, dear, it seems that we have gained a mutual acquaintance in the past couple of days. Our friend Fluttershy." She said, her voice even and calm as she approached him and began brushing the dust off his coat. "We just wanted to meet you and... Have a little talk about her."

Gust blinked, and felt his face turn a deep red. "We... We just had drinks! It's not like we're a- a couple or anything!.. Well, not yet anyway. But even if we were, what's the big deal? I-...I'm a pretty nice guy." He said, ruffling his wings behind his back in agitation. He was never a fan of being the center of attention, and with five apparently judgmental girls staring directly at him, questioning his relationship... It was enough to make him wish he could turn invisible on the spot.

Applejack took a step forward. "Now now, we're just lookin' out for our friend. Truth be told, you're the first feller she's really spent time with."

Twilight continued. "We just wanted to talk to you... Fluttershy is very sweet, but she is also, for lack of a better word... Delicate."

"And by that we mean she's super DUPER sensitive!" Pinkie added. "She just about burst into tears when a bird she had known for less than a day exploded!"

Gust blinked "Explode-?"

Rainbow Dash cut him off. "We just wanted to let you know this, from the beginning, if you keep dating her, and then, later, decide to... y'know, break it off, let her down as easy as possible. Otherwise, there will be... Problems. You could turn her off dating forever."

"FOREVERRRR!!!"

"Not now, sugarcube..."

Rarity stepped towards Gust, ice in her stare. She poked a well-manicured finger into his chest. "Do you understand? An absolute gentleman! I won't have some ruffian sullying my friend's romantic outlook because he decided to be an uncouth!-" She poked him. "Unkind!-" She poked again. "Uncaring-" Poke. "Brute!" She pulled her finger away as Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Eaaaasy there Rarity, we're not here to scare him off." Twilight said, glancing apologetically again at Gust, who was currently rubbing a spot on his chest where Rarity's nail had slightly dug in.

Rarity took a deep breath and closed her eyes, smoothing over her hair. "...My apologies sir, that was most uncalled for. Everything Fluttershy has told me so far has indicated that you are, in fact, a fine young gentleman."

At this, Gust perked up, could not hide the exuberant smile pulling at his face. "She talked about me?" He said, shrinking back as Rarity stared him down.

"Yes, she did... Rather highly, and if you know what's good for you, you'll keep up that performance... Or else."

Gust swallowed. "Or else what?" He questioned, doing his best to keep his own voice free from shaking.

Rarity smirked wickedly, as the other girls watched on, growing slightly uncomfortable. "We'll make your life a living tatrtaurus..." She said, flipping her hair as she sauntered out of the alleyway Rainbow and Pinkie followed, both throwing Gust slightly apologetic glances, so only Twilight, Applejack, and a visibly shaken Gust remained.

"I promise you, Rarity's not usually like that" Twilight said, pulling a notebook and quill out of her pocket. "Also... I was wondering if i could get your symptoms."

Gust blinked. "Symptoms? Oh, no, I'm not sick... these shakes are just from... This whole ordeal." Gust said, forcing what he hoped was a convincing smile.

Twilight giggled and shook her head. "Not that, i meant love! I'd love to sit down with you and get a detailed interview about it's nature, and how you feel it effects someone, from being with the object of your affection to everyday life... Don't give me that look! I'm observing from a merely academic standpoint... Begin!"

Gust merely stood before Twilight, who blinked up at him, her violet eyes staring up at him expectantly, until she was pulled away by Applejack.

"Twilight, just send a letter to your brother! You know, the newlywed? I think he'll know a might bit more 'bout love than a feller who said he's not sure that Fluttershy's his gal yet anyway! Go on, get!" Applejack barked at Twilight, who huffed and trudged moodily out of the alleyway, muttering about impediments to the advancement of science and magic. Applejack turned to Gust, smiling kindly at the young man and removing her hat. "Ah... I'm awful sorry about this... I just wanted us to have a little frank discussion with you about Fluttershy, not round you up and give you a start... Don't let our bad behaviour reflect on yer perception o' Fluttershy... She's great, and... Well, very special to all of us.You'll be the first boyfriend she's ever had if'n it works out."

Gust allowed himself to relax, a one-on-one conversation with the girl who came of as the most level-headed of the five was much more comfortable with him. "...She'd be my first girlfriend too." He admitted, re-folding his wings behind his back. "I've never been good with girls, but Fluttershy is just so...Kind. I had to talk to her."

Applejack raised her eyebrows, eyeing Gust up and down. "Your first girlfriend? Huh... " She remained silent, merely staring at Gust, who began to feel his discomfort re-settle. "...Well, I reckon I've held you up long enough. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I gotta say, you don't seem half bad so far. You take care now."

With that, she placed her hat back on her head, turned heel, and strode out of the Alleyway. Gust remained, running a hand across his face and groaning. "No one told me about this part of a relationship..." He complained, following suit with the girls and shuffling out of the alley.

Two days came and passed, until finally, Sunday... It happened. The citizens of Ponyville awoke and looked upward to find tiny flecks of ice, floating peacefully down onto their streets, roofs and yards. Children shouted with joy and raced out, catching the flakes on their tongue and cheering for that most awaited day. The first snow of the season. Near the outskirts of town at Fluttershy's home, she was beginning her own morning routine, still in her pink-butterfly-embroidered pyjamas as she brushed her hair and chatted with Angel.

Angel was clearly still miffed at Fluttershy, sitting in the edge of her bed, arms folded and staring daggers at Fluttershy. 'I can't believe you're going through with this...'

Fluttershy turned, noticing the disgruntled bunny's expression. She sighed, moving towards her closit "Angel, we've been through this. Gust is a really nice guy, and... Well, I like him. Don't you want to see me happy?" She asked, hoping a dose of guilt would temper the rabbit. She selected two long-sleeved shirts, comparing them in front of the mirror in her bedroom. "Which one do you think? I like the frills on this one, but we're just going to a cafe, and this one's a bit more casual.

Angel rolled his eyes, crossing his arms again and huffing. 'I. Don't. CARE.'

"The blue one, you're right!" Fluttershy said, ducking into the wardrobe to change. When she emerged, she was fully clothed, sporting a warm, navy blue shirt, along with a pair of slightly baggy jeans held up by a tan felt belt. "There we go, nice and causal..." She said, assessing her choice in the mirror, as she turned, she took a glance outside, noticing the flakes falling. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed, watching as the snow began to dust the ground outside. "First snow of the season! Angel, come look!"

Angel sighed, forlornly looking out at the snow. He knew what it meant. A few more days, and he would no longer be able to resist the primal call of hibernation... He was fortunate to have a cozy nook, practically soundproof, in Fluttershy's home to go through the winters in, but even so, the rabbit found the entire hibernation cycle rather boring. He wished he had better dreams, at least.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, had dived into the deepest part of her closet, and emerged with a winter coat, woolen cap, and gloves. "I'm gonna go see the girls- we said we'd go sledding when the first snow started- Twilight's never been anywhere with such perfect hills, and we can't wait to show her!- as long as we don't go too fast..." She added, biting her lip nervously. "Anyway, be good, Angel! Your breakfast is on the table!" She said, darting down the stairs and out the front door.

Fluttershy landed softly at Sweet Apple acres, near the southern field. The trees, just like the trees all over equestria, were stark and empty. That, however, was not her reason for being here, instead, she was here for the five girls nearby, waving her over. Fluttershy trudged over to her friends, smiling brightly. "Hi girls! Great job on the snow, Rainbow."

Rainbow dash smirked, flexing her wings. "Oh, this? Yeah, it's pretty good." She said, remaining aloof and looking upwards at the sky. Rainbow was rather lightly rather dressed for the weather, with only a pair of gloves and a track jacket added for warmth."Just wait 'till tonight. It's gonna get HEAVY." With that, she pulled her sled, or, more accurately, her luge, up to the slope of the snow-covered hill. "Care to help me try this baby out with a little contest, Applejack? Or do you think that old-fashioned thing will get caught in the snow?

Applejack scowled, clad in an obviously home-made, apple-patterned sweater and her usual hat, despite it's utter inefficiency for that kind of weather, as she clutched the wooden toboggan protectively. "I'll have you know Applebloom worked mighty hard on this here sled, and it can whoop your store-bought fancy-pants little number any day! You're on!"

With that, they both piled into their snowbound vehicles, and Pinkie appeared before them, donned in a thick pink coat, earmuffs, and a checkered flag raised in a mitten-clad hand. "One for your marks, two for the set, three for the ready, and four! to! GO!" She cried, throwing the flag down, and cheering along with Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy as Rainbow Dash and Applejack took off.

At first, Applejack got caught a commanding lead, kicking off her sled with one powerful shove of her foot. Rainbow Dash, however, was not far behind for long and with a powerful flap of her wings, quickly made headway to closing the gap.Noticing this, Applejack kicked at the ground again, picking up more speed as the two went blindingly fast down the slope.

Applejack landed at the bottom of the hill first, skidding herself to a stop as Rainbow whizzed by and continued for a good 30 yards before stopping. Rainbow caught up to Applejack as she was moving her way back up the hill. Both of them smirking in triumph.

"What'd you think of that AJ? Told you i would beat ya!"

Applejack blinked. "What in tarnation are you talkin' about, Rainbow? I reached the bottom first! I won!"

"Yeah, but MINE went way further!"

"That wasn't what we were wagerin' on."

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

They continued to bicker as the others sighed, accustomed to their usual petty competitions, and knowing they'd be over it in a matter of minutes.

As twilight examined the available sleds, testing to see which one was the most aerodynamic, thus "Yielding the lowest differential between force and speed, inversely, the one with the most efficient work/fun generation build!" Rarity strode over to Fluttershy, coated in a lavish faux fur ensemble. Once she had explained that to a panicking Fluttershy that it was, in fact, faux, Rarity displayed her sled. It was lavishly designed, but the decorations caused it to jut out at odd places, making it seem... less than ideal for sledding, and giving it the look of a parade float more than anything.

"It's... nice, Rarity." Fluttershy said, suddenly becoming very interested in the snow around her boots.

"Thank you darling!... By the way, when's your meetup with your gentleman friend?" She asked, raising her eyebrows playfully.

"N-not for a few hours."

"Are you going like that?"

"Uhm, yes?"

"Oh..."

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing!... maybe take the hat off? Your hair is going to get all frizzy."

"...But it's cold out."

The rest of the outing went as well as it usually did between them. The six friends spent a long while laughing, sledding, and racing. Fluttershy would only go down if she was accompanied by someone, and never with Pinkie, who insisted on flipping herself over halfway down the hill and rolling the rest of the way down. Afterwards, she would pop up, covered in snow, claiming to be a powdered doughnut.

Fluttershy clung to tightly to whoever she was riding with time after time. After they had all worn themselves out, they huddled together and made their way to Applejack's home, where warm glasses of cider awaited them. (Rainbow was especially enthusiastic about this treat.)

They sat together at the large table in the kitchen of the Apple family home, Snow-flecked and raw-faced, swapping stories, joking, and simply enjoying each other's company.

"So then I said to him..." Applejack said, pausing for dramatic effect and smirking as the five of her friends leaned in, excitedly waiting for the punch line. "I said; 'Next time, let ME buy the tractor!"

The table burst into laughter,which only redoubled as cider squirted out of Pinkie's nose, though Rarity appeared a bit off-put by this.

"Well girls, I should get going. Angel's been under the weather, i have to go and check up o-"

"Darlin'." Applejack interrupted, raising a hand to interrupt her friend. "We all know where you're going, Rarity told us the other day."

Rarity smiled sheepishly. "Aha yes, well... What can I say? I'm a gossip." She said, growing slightly ashen faced and taking a long, quite un-ladylike draw from her mug.

Fluttershy's felt as though her face were about to catch fire. She stood, rooted in place, the immense pressure of all of her friend's eyes pressed directly on her. She squeaked as Applejack placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Now now, sugarcube, quite a few of us have had guy friends here, not a thing to be ashamed of- We're all happy for you! So, just go, be yourself, and have fun on your second date."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added, giving Fluttershy's arm a playful rap with her knuckles. "Gust's a pretty good guy, too- Really was a big part of making sure this snow happened today!... Just don't tell him I said that." She said, patting Fluttershy on the back.

"Oh!" Twilight suddenly perked up, pulling out a sheet of paper. "If you could find the time to just get him to fill out this questionnaire- All he has to do is check the corresponding box, see, and-"

Rainbow snatched the piece of paper out of Twilight's hands. "No paperwork on dates, Twilight." She said, "Anyway, Fluttershy, what're you waiting for? Go have fun!" She said, shooing the pink-haired pegasus out the door.

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Another chapter down! A lot's gonna be dropped in the next chapter, stay tuned!