There's a First Time for Everything

by Dubs Rewatcher

Rating: everyone
Tags: Pinkie Pie, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Fluttershy
Length: 6892

This Hearts and Hooves Day, Pinkie Pie is going to take Fluttershy out on a date, whether she wants to go on one or not.

It's Hearts and Hooves Day, and Pinkie Pie is going through her annual rituals. Distribute personalized cards to every resident of Ponyville? Check. Give out candy? Check. Sit in front of her bedroom window and eat lots of raw cookie dough? Mega-check. Everything has gone according to plan, and without a date to go on, Pinkie is ready to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

That is, until Pinkie realizes that every time she looks at Fluttershy her tummy feels weird. And if her Pinkie Sense is right—and it always is—that can only mean one thing: she is madly in love with Fluttershy.

This can only end well.

Written in a few hours for Equestria Daily's Super Happy Hearts and Hooves Lovefest Fanfic Event. Cover photo by Dasprid.

Published 2015-02-14 14:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-14 14:20:02 UTC

There's a First Time for Everything

The clock was just approaching noon when Pinkie Pie sat down in front of her bedroom window, a bucket of raw cookie dough at her side. She tore off a chunk of the dough and threw it into her gaping maw before leaning forward and jamming her face up against the glass. From her place on the top floor of Sugarcube Corner, she gazed down at the street below.

It was Hearts and Hooves Day, which meant only one thing to Pinkie: everything was about to get super-duper adorable.

Pinkie cooed as she watched Lyra stumble up to her marefriend, Bon Bon, and shakily hoof her a bouquet of lilies, only about five of which she had eaten in advance. Her heart fluttered as she saw Thunderlane and Flitter walking down the road, their wings entwined. She barely held back a squeal as Cheerilee and Big Mac nodded at each other from across the road.

This was the final step of Pinkie Pie’s annual Hearts and Hooves Day ritual. She had stayed up all night personally designing and writing out cards for each individual resident of Ponyville, and every member of her family. The morning was spent delivering the cards, along with boxes of chocolate ordered from Sugarcube Corner. Now it was time for her to sit back, relax, and enjoy the absolute cuteness of ponies in love.

And, of course, eat some raw cookie dough. She ripped off another hunk and tossed it into her mouth.

knock knock

Pinkie’s ears flicked up. “Come in!” she shouted through a pile of dough. Her bedroom door swung open, and Fluttershy walked in. Pinkie gasped and waved. “Hiya, Fluttershy! You want some cookie dough?”

Fluttershy gazed into Pinkie’s bucket and took a step back. “Uh, no thank you?”

“Suit yourself,” Pinkie sang, grabbing another piece. “So, what brings you to old Auntie Pinkie Pie?”

“I was just wondering if you still have that old storybook I lent you,” Fluttershy explained, walking over to Pinkie’s bookshelf. “A few of my animal friends have been asking for me to read to them lately, and that’s their favorite book.”

“Yeppers! It’s right there!” Pinkie jabbed a hoof at the top shelf, from which Fluttershy extracted a large, leather-bound tome. Pinkie grinned. “Thanks again for letting me borrow it, Fluttershy. The twins really loved it.”

“Oh, anytime, Pinkie.” Fluttershy slipped the book into her saddlebag and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Pinkie cried, freezing Fluttershy in her tracks. “You can’t just go—you only just got here! Come and join me.”

Fluttershy nodded and walked over to Pinkie’s window. Pinkie threw her face to the glass again. “Uh, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m watching everypony love each other!” Pinkie said. Fluttershy tilted her head, and Pinkie giggled. She grabbed Fluttershy and pulled her closer to the window. “Can’t you see it? Look, over there: Roseluck and Lotus Blossom are having their first date! And, uh—ooh, ooh, over there! Twilight is going to the post office to mail an anonymous love letter to that orange pegasus up in the Crystal Empire.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she does it, like, every day,” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes. “Not that I’m upset with her or anything. It’s absolutely fantastically terrific that she’s in love! I love it when ponies are in love!”

“Mhm.” Fluttershy smiled and looked out the window again. “I suppose it is rather nice.” It took her a moment to realize that Pinkie Pie was staring at her. She flinched away. “What’s wrong?”

Pinkie scoffed. “Nothing’s wrong—I’m just waiting for you to spill the beans, gurl-friend!” She wrapped a leg around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Who are you going out with tonight? Is he cute? Does he like brownies or cupcakes better?”

“The only place I’m going to be tonight is in bed,” Fluttershy said, slipping out of Pinkie’s grasp. “I’m spending Hearts and Hooves Night at home, reading to all my animal friends.”

“Whaaaat?!” Pinkie cried, throwing her hooves to her mouth. “But you’re, like, the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria! How can you not have a date?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I’ve never really been one for romance and all that. As far as I can remember, I’ve never had feelings for anypony—actually, I don’t think I’ve ever even been on a date.” Seeing Pinkie’s gasp, she looked away. “I guess it is a bit strange…”

Pinkie shook her head. “It’s not strange! In fact”—she took a few glances around the room and leaned into Fluttershy’s ear—“I’ve never been on a date either!” She moved back and smiled. “Papa never allowed any of us to have boys around the farm, and I’ve never had the time to find a coltfriend here. I usually just spend the night babysitting the twins while Mr. and Mrs. Cake go out.”

“That’s very kind of you!” Fluttershy said, patting Pinkie on the back. “And it’s nice to know that I’m not alone when it comes to dating. I always felt so weird because of it.”

“Aw, there’s nothing weird about it! Ponies who don’t go on dates are just as normal as anypony else,” Pinkie declared. With that, she picked up her cookie bucket and used her tongue to lick up the last of the dough. Fluttershy grimaced at first, but put on a smile just as quickly. When she was finished, Pinkie sighed contentedly and threw the empty bucket behind her. She turned to speak to Fluttershy again, but stopped short.

As Fluttershy gazed out the window, she became bathed in the light of noon. Her silky-smooth mane shimmered in the sun, lighting her entire body as if she were a goddess. Pinkie stared, lips hanging agape, eyes wide.

For a moment, everything seemed to fade out except for her, Fluttershy, and a sharp pain in the pits of her stomach. It felt as if hundreds of butterflies were swirling around and combusting in fiery explosions. She grasped at her belly—yet, as soon as she did, the fires were extinguished and the pain faded away. She gulped.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think so.” Pinkie scratched her head. “Huh. That was weird.”

“What was—“ Fluttershy started, only to be cut off as the bells of the clock tower chimed to mark midday. Fluttershy gasped and jumped up. “Oh, look at the time! Angel will be so upset if I miss his lunchtime again.” She pulled her saddlebags back on and moved to the door. “Bye, Pinkie! Thanks again for giving me back my book.” She stepped out.

“Bye!” Pinkie called, waving. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!”

The room went silent. Pinkie turned back to the window and resumed spectating—yet, she couldn’t bring herself to put as much joy into it as before. Her eyes flicked down to see Fluttershy leaving the building, coat shining just as brightly, and again her stomach contorted, only to go back to normal as soon as Fluttershy left the street. She frowned and let her entire body slump against the window.

She gazed up at the ceiling, breaths heavy. “Am… am I dying?”

“What was that, dearie?” Mrs. Cake asked from the hallway.

“Nothing,” Pinkie called. “I just think I might be dying.”

There was a pause. Mrs. Cake walked into the room. “Care to explain?”

“Something’s wrong with my tummy,” Pinkie said, letting Mrs. Cake trot up and stroke her mane. “It’s like, whenever I look at Fluttershy, I get all queasy and gross!”

“Whenever you…?” Mrs. Cake started, raising an eyebrow. At once, she grinned and chuckled into her hoof. “Oh, my. I think I may see the problem here.”

“What is it? Am I sick?” Pinkie grabbed Mrs. Cake’s shoulders and pulled her close. “How long do I have?! I don’t want to die!”

“You’re not going to die,” Mrs. Cake said, brushing Pinkie off. “However, you are sick—lovesick, that is.”

Pinkie furrowed her eyebrows. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“All I’m saying is that perhaps you have feelings for Fluttershy.” Mrs. Cake waited for Pinkie to react, but she just frowned. “Romantic feelings.” Pinkie stared. Mrs. Cake growled and rubbed her temples. “You want to date her, dearie!”

“Whaaaaat?!” Pinkie cried, bounding to her hooves. “Are you loco? That can’t be true! Fluttershy is my best friend, not my”—the word got caught on her lips—“marefriend. And besides, I don’t even like mares!” She paused and looked down at the ground. “At least, I don’t think I do…”

“Well, I’m certainly not a relationship expert,” Mrs. Cake said. “All I can tell you is that when I first met Carrot, I couldn’t eat for hours because I was so nauseous. It’s a bit strange to think about, but take it from a baker: sometimes your stomach knows things your brain doesn’t.”

Pinkie gazed down at her stomach. “My tummy does talk a lot. Maybe you’re right; hay, maybe this is a new Pinkie Sense! But, then”—she looked back up at Mrs. Cake—“what if I really do love Fluttershy? What am I supposed to do? You’ve been married for, like, ever; you gotta help me!”

Mrs. Cake rested a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder and smiled. “Say no more. You’ve come to the right mare.”

-=-=-=-

tweeeeeeeeeee!

Fluttershy jumped as the kettle’s whistling howl rang through the house, not being slowed by any amount of bookcases, walls, or even grizzly bears. Fluttershy finished bandaging the bear's leg and moved him to sit on the couch. “Just wait right here, Harry. I’ll be right back with your jasmine tea.”

She cantered across the house and into her kitchen, holding her ears flat to block out some of the noise. The room was filled with a fragrant fog; Fluttershy took a long breath as she grabbed the kettle with a wing and poured out two cups of tea. This was how she wished to spend Hearts and Hooves Day: at home, relaxing and taking care of her animal friends. Not lollygagging about on a date.

She grabbed both cups and turned to go back to the living room, but nearly dropped them when there came a banging at her front door. She put the two cups down and flew over to the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s Pinkie Pie!”

Fluttershy opened up. “Oh, hello, Pink—“ She was cut short as Pinkie Pie shoved an envelope at her. Fluttershy grabbed the envelope and looked it over. It was sealed with a pink wax heart. “What’s this?”

“You’ll see,” Pinkie sang, lidding her eyes. “Just open it!”

At that, Fluttershy eyed the envelope a bit more warily. Nevertheless, she ripped it open and pulled out the card inside. The front of the card was plastered with an ocean of silver glitter and felt hearts. As she opened it, a few candy hearts tumbled to the ground. She had to squint to read the text hidden under the sparkles.

It read: You make my heart soar higher than any pegasi! Will you be my special somepony?

A thick blush passed through Fluttershy’s cheeks. She forced out a chuckle and looked up. “Uh, Pinkie, this is very nice, but you already gave me my card, remember? You dropped it off this morning.”

“Yeah, but that was the kind of card I made for everypony!” Pinkie Pie pulled a jar of glitter out from behind her back. “Don’t you see all the glitter? That’s especially for you!”

“Uhm, okay.” Fluttershy’s eyes flipped back-and-forth between Pinkie and the words ‘special somepony.’ “If I might ask: why do I get a special card?”

“Because I’m in love with you, silly!”

Fluttershy’s wings snapped to attention. “What?”

“So, you wanna go on a date?” Pinkie asked, putting away her glitter bottle. She waited for Fluttershy to answer, but the pegasi could only muster a squeak. Pinkie clapped her hooves and cheered. “Super! I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?” Again, she waited. Again, a squeak. “Awesome! See you then!” Pinkie pranced away, humming as she went.

Fluttershy watched her go, every single part of her body shaking. With a gulp, she gazed down at the sparkling card laying on the ground in front of her.

So much for her relaxing night.

-=-=-=-

A few hours later, Fluttershy paced in front of her door, carving a path into the carpet. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” she muttered to herself as she walked. Her legs still shook. At the entrance to the foyer, Angel sat, nibbling on a carrot. He raised an eyebrow. Fluttershy groaned and turned to him. “You know that I don’t like being put into situations like this, Angel!”

Angel gestured in the direction of Fluttershy’s daily motivational calendar.

“No, this didn’t ‘have to happen sometime.’ It didn’t have to happen anytime!” Fluttershy cried, wings flaring. “I was perfectly fine with never going on a date. It was nice.”

Angel rolled his eyes. He hopped up to Fluttershy and climbed onto her shoulder, then offered her a smile.

“Hrm… maybe you’re right.” Fluttershy managed to fold her wings. “Pinkie Pie is my friend; maybe I’ll have fun. What do you think we’ll do?”

Angel shrugged. He mimed dancing across her back.

“You think she’ll take me dancing? Oh, I hope not. I have four left hooves.”

knock knock

“Oh, dear!” Fluttershy yelped again. Angel gave her wink and a pat on the back before bounding away. Fluttershy took a deep breath and forced her legs to stay still. “Okay,” she whispered to herself as she approached the door. “You can do this, Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. This will just be a nice, casual get-together.” As she put her hoof on the doorknob, she managed a chuckle. “I bet this isn’t even going to be a real date—she was probably just kidding.” She opened the door.

Pinkie Pie was wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. Each hoof was hidden in a polished black shoe. “Hi!”

Fluttershy’s face pinkened. All she had done to prepare was brush her hair; all of a sudden, she was feeling terribly underdressed. She built up a smile. “Uh, hello.”

Offering her hoof, Pinkie moved aside to let Fluttershy pass through. “Ready to go? The movie is gonna start soon!”

Fluttershy stepped outside, resisting the urge to recoil as Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around hers. “We’re going to see a movie?”

“Yep! I’m taking you out for a movie and dinner.”

“Isn’t it usually ‘dinner and a movie?’”

“Is it?” Pinkie asked, raising an eyebrow. She snort-laughed. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would you have dinner first? If you see the movie first, you can spend dinner talking about how awesome it was!”

“Oh.” Fluttershy looked away. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Yep. Now, come on!” Pinkie leapt into the air, taking a yelping Fluttershy along with her. “We gotta hurry, or we’re gonna be late!” She pronked down the road, dragging Fluttershy into every bounce.

As she flew up and down and up and down, only one thought rang through Fluttershy’s mind: This is going to be a long night.

-=-=-=-

Fluttershy shrieked as the squelch of spurting blood echoed through the theatre. Even with her ears pressed flat against her head, Fluttershy could still hear the screams of ponies being eaten alive by zombies. Shaking, she slumped down in her seat as far as she could go without her hooves touching the sticky floor and covered her eyes with her wings.

From behind her feathers, she took a few quick glances at the seats surrounding her; it didn’t seem like anypony else was there. That was good—she didn’t want anypony she knew to see her, lest she gain a reputation for liking these sorts of movies.

She sighed and turned back to the screen, just in time for a zombie’s head to be blown off of its shoulders. She could feel her face going green.

She was very nearly thrown out of her seat as Pinkie ran up from behind and leaped into her own seat, a tall jug of fruit punch and a massive tub of popcorn in tow. “Sorry I took so long,” she said, settling in. “There were a lot of ponies at the snack stand. I guess we weren’t the only ones who thought of a movie and dinner!”

Fluttershy frowned at the treats Pinkie had brought back. “That was your third trip this hour.”

“I know, right? All this stuff is so good, I just can’t get enough!” Pinkie grabbed a hooffull of popcorn and tossed it into her mouth, followed by a long swig of fruit punch. She wiped a few driplets of sweat from her forehead. “I got some extra ice this time. It feels like an oven in here!”

At that, Fluttershy furrowed her brows and looked up at the countless spinning fans that dotted the ceilings. She shrugged and reached for the popcorn, only to cringe as her hoof became coated in a sea of salt and fake butter. She looked around for something to wipe herself off with, only to realize that Pinkie hadn’t bothered to bring any napkins. Gritting her teeth, she used a wing to clean off her hoof—she could just preen later.

As she was wiping, another zombie was blown to bits, nearly causing her to rip out all her feathers. Heart racing, she leaned over to Pinkie. “Um, I don’t mean to be a bother,” she whispered, “but could we maybe see another movie?”

“Huh?” Pinkie said aloud, mouth full of popcorn. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not that this isn’t a good movie,” Fluttershy said as a pony onscreen revved up a chainsaw. “But when we were walking in, I think I saw the next theatre over showing a delightful nature documentary.” She smiled and tapped her chin. “It’s about the mating patterns of three-toed sloths. It’s bound to be very interesting—educational, too!”

“Does it have zombies?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Sounds kinda boring. I mean, look at this!” Pinkie said, turning back to the screen. She giggled as the lead actor cut through five zombies at once. “Ooh! That’s so cool!”

“Boring…?” Fluttershy repeated under her breath, cheeks going red. She pouted and crossed her forelegs, slumping into her seat. With a wing, she reached to grab herself some popcorn—only to hit empty air. She turned to find Pinkie Pie leaping back over her seat, an empty popcorn container clamped between her teeth.

Fluttershy slumped even deeper.

-=-=-=-

A few light snowflakes twirled through the air as Pinkie and Fluttershy trotted down Mane Street, the sides of which were flanked by deep snowbanks. The wind pierced straight through Fluttershy, and it might have done even more damage, had she not been wearing Pinkie Pie’s tuxedo. In what may have been Pinkie’s first romantic gesture of the night, she had offered it to Fluttershy right before they left the theatre. The sleeves were a bit baggy, and the coattails tickled her flanks, but it was better than nothing.

At her side, Pinkie didn’t seem to even notice the cold. The only change that Fluttershy had noticed was how Pinkie moved around: when they had left the theatre, she was bouncing along like normal. Somewhere along the way, she had landed and decided to just walk beside her date, so close that their coats brushed.

Fluttershy smiled and looked ahead. Yes, the movie had been awful. But maybe things were looking up from here.

“Hey, look over there,” Pinkie said, pointing a hoof across the street. “Is that Rarity?”

Fluttershy followed Pinkie’s hoof. Sure enough, just a few yards away, Rarity sat alone on the sidewalk, peering over a barrel. A scowl was etched onto her face. Fluttershy and Pinkie walked up to her. They stopped just a few steps behind her and waited, but Rarity didn’t notice. Fluttershy lifted a hoof. “Um, Rarity?”

Rarity yelped and spun around, back pressed against the barrel. Chest heaving, eyes darting between the two, she put on a toothy grin. “Oh, hello, darlings! What brings you here at this time of night?”

“Whatcha doin’?” Pinkie asked.

“Nothing important,” Rarity said, throwing a hoof. She took a quick look over the barrel before turning back and smiling even wider. “I’m certainly not spying on anypony. No, nothing like that!”

Pinkie and Fluttershy didn’t react. “Okay,” they said in unison.

Rarity’s smile broke. She fell to her knees. “Alright, you caught me, you caught me! I was spying! Please, don’t tell anypony! The Canterlotan Society for Sophisticated Ladies will revoke my membership for sure!”

“We won’t tell anypony,” Fluttershy said, helping Rarity off the ground. “We promise. Right, Pinkie?”

“Yeppers!” Pinkie chirped, nodding. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Promise!” She walked over to the barrel Rarity had been standing at. “So, who are you spying on?”

“Don’t look! He’ll see you!” Rarity grabbed Pinkie’s shoulders and pulled her back. Fluttershy and Pinkie shot her a look, at which Rarity could only sigh. She motioned for them to peer over her barrel, and jabbed a hoof out. “I’m spying on them.”

Fluttershy squinted. Pinkie pulled out a pair of binoculars.

Outside a café just down the road, two foals sat on a bench. Sweetie Belle and a colt Fluttershy recognized as Button Mash sat close together, eating cookies and talking. Every few moments Sweetie would let out a shrill giggle, at which Button would blush and rub his neck.

“Awwww!” Pinkie cooed. “How cute!”

“Yes.” Rarity narrowed her eyes. “Very cute.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the problem?” Fluttershy smiled. “They look like they’re having a good time.”

“Of course they do! That’s just what he wants you to think!” Rarity snatched away Pinkie’s binoculars and peered through them. “Darling, if there is one thing that I have learned in all my years as a mare, it is to never, ever trust colts. Especially not colts wearing propeller caps.” She snorted. “I had to learn that one the hard way.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy rubbed her leg. “So, uh, you’re just spending the night watching them?”

Rarity closed her eyes, but nodded. “Since I somehow managed to go the day without procuring myself a date”—she stopped to mutter a few choice curses under her breath—“I decided I would use the free time to protect my baby sister. This is her first date, and I’m not about to let that propeller-headed cretin ruin it for her.” She lowered the binoculars and looked at them. “If he tries anything, I’ll be here to stop it.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but closed it before she could say a word.

“So, why are you two out?” Rarity asked, adjusting the binocular’s focus. “Heading out to meet up with your respective dates, or…?”

A chill ran down Fluttershy’s spine. Her gaze fell to the ground. “Oh, um, uh, we just, uh—“

“We’re on a date!” Pinkie announced, wrapping a leg around Fluttershy’s rigid shoulders.

Rarity dropped the binoculars. Slowly, as if she were frozen, Rarity turned around. “You… what?” She flicked her gaze towards Fluttershy, who flinched away. “Is this true?” She waited for Fluttershy, face burning, to nod before swallowing and taking a step back. “I had no idea. When did you two, ah… become an item?”

“This morning!” Pinkie said, tightening her hug on Fluttershy. “When I found out I was in love with her!” Fluttershy sighed, but nodded all the same.

“I see.” Rarity moved her mouth around a bit, yet no words came out. She looked away. “I’m sorry, darlings—I just don’t know what to say! Congratulations, I suppose. Finding true love is certainly something to be happy about.” She gritted her teeth and took a long breath. “Celestia knows it’s rare these days,” she muttered.

“We’d love to stay and spy on children with you, but we gotta get going,” Pinkie said, letting go of Fluttershy. “We still have dinner to get to!”

A slight pink tinged Rarity’s cheeks. “Have a good time!” she called as they walked away. She waited until they were half-a-block away to pick the binoculars back up.

Fluttershy’s teeth chattered, and it wasn’t from the cold. That was not how I wanted to tell her about our date, she thought, frowning. Brows narrowed, she turned to face Pinkie. “Where are we going to eat?”

Pinkie shook with the effort it took not to squeal. “Only the single most amazingest restaurant in Equestria!”

-=-=-=-

Any sense of goodwill Pinkie Pie had built up in the past few hours disappeared instantly as a large glob of mashed carrots hit Fluttershy right on the muzzle.

She resisted the urge to growl as she wiped the baby food off of her face. At her side, Pound Cake let out a barking laugh, slamming his hooves against his tray table. Across the table from him, Pumpkin Cake giggled. A few flecks of crushed yams flew from her mouth.

“No throwing food!” Pinkie scolded, shaking her hooftip at Pound. “That’s very naughty!” She waited for Pound to go back to eating before nodding and digging into her own meal. Fluttershy stared down at her food: a mountain of steaming macaroni-and-cheese sat on top of a porcelain plate.

As it turned out, the “single most amazingest restaurant in Equestria” was Sugarcube Corner. Or, to be specific, it was the family dining room and a box of macaroni Pinkie had pulled out of the pantry. The smell of sugar permeated the air, giving everything a slightly sweet taste. Despite their date, Pinkie Pie still had to babysit of the twins while the Cakes were out. If she was upset with the arrangement, she didn’t show it; aside from a slightly flatter mane, she looked just as chipper as ever.

It would have been fine with Fluttershy—she loved the children very much, even if they could be rowdy at times—if it weren’t for the macaroni-and-cheese. She scooped up a forkful of the stuff and lifted it to her mouth, but couldn’t bring herself to actually taste it. Just the smell aggravated her gag reflex; it was like cheap sugar laced with chemicals. Three times in a row she went through this ritual, lifting the fork to her mouth and putting it back down. After the third try, she just rested her head on her hooves and sighed.

Pinkie frowned. She swallowed her food and leaned forward. “What’s wrong? Is it too hot?”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Fluttershy said quickly. She tried to force a smile, but all she could come up with was a shaky simper. “It’s just that, well—I guess I was expecting a little bit more. You know, since you are a professional baker and all.” She paused, eyes moving everywhere but towards Pinkie. “I was expecting something more, um… substantial?”

Pinkie nodded. “I get it. You should have told me you were so hungry; I figured that we had both filled up on popcorn at the theatre!”

Fluttershy’s forced smile fell. “No, not quite.”

“Do you want me to make more macaroni-and-cheese?”

“No, no.” Fluttershy sighed again. “Don’t trouble yourself.” She watched as Pinkie went back to devouring her cheesy pasta. She gripped the table and took a deep breath. Calm down, Fluttershy. This is her first date, too; go easy on her. She’s doing her best.

“I also didn’t want to eat too much because whenever I look at you, I get really nauseous,” Pinkie said.

Fluttershy’s jaw went loose. “W-what?” she sputtered.

“Whenever I look at you, I get nauseous,” Pinkie repeated, gulping down another hunk of macaroni. “Like, really super-duper nauseous.”

There was silence for a moment as Fluttershy stared at Pinkie, every section of her brain failing at once. When her mind finally rebooted itself, her first reaction was swift and immediate: she jumped out of her chair and slammed her hooves on the table. “Excuse me?!”

The twins stopped throwing food at each other to stare at Fluttershy. Pinkie stopped mid-chew and blinked. “Uh, Flutter—“

“I make you nauseous?” Fluttershy said, her eyes very nearly bugging out. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It just means that you make me feel sick,” Pinkie murmured, shrinking into her seat. “When I look at you, I want to throw up.”

Every part of Fluttershy’s brain was going wild. Her eyes stung with tears. She jerked her head to the side and tried to wipe them away, but couldn’t stop a few from rolling straight down her cheeks. She choked back a sob. Her face had turned a bright red.

Gulping, Pinkie rose from her seat and walked over to her date. “Fluttershy? I didn’t mean to make you sad, I was just—“

“You were just what?” Fluttershy interrupted, dodging Pinkie’s touch. “You were just being random? Just being Pinkie Pie?!”

Pinkie flinched back. “What? No, I was—“

“This night has been terrible!” Fluttershy shouted. She flared her wings and shot a glare right through Pinkie. “First you guilt me into going on this date by telling me that you love me. Then you took me to a horrible, violent movie and took all the popcorn and told me that what I’m interested in is boring. You told Rarity we were dating without even warning me. You gave me awful food for dinner and let babies throw mush at me.”

Fluttershy clenched her teeth. “And now you tell me that I’m so ugly I make you nauseous?!”

“That’s not what I—“

“You are so, so… mean! You are mean, Pinkie Pie! M-E-A-N, mean!”

Pinkie gasped. “That’s not true!” she spat, stomping up to Fluttershy. “I am not mean! My Granny always said that I was the kindest filly in the world!”

Fluttershy turned up her nose. “Well, she was wrong, because you are the meanest mare I’ve ever met.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

Mrs. Cake walked into the room, her face covered with makeup. “Oh, hello, Fluttershy! How are—“

“Am not!” Pinkie screamed, stamping her hooves on the floor. “I am not a meanie!”

“Yes, you are!” Fluttershy shot back, tears filling her eyes again. “All I wanted was to spend a peaceful night at home, and you ruined it.” She walked away, pushing past Mrs. Cake to enter the foyer. Pinkie Pie sped after her. Fluttershy rubbed her face again, but it was no use. She moved to the door and took one last look over her shoulder.

“This has been the worst night of my life!” she shouted.

Pinkie Pie’s entire body shuddered. A low whimper echoed from her throat as she took a few steps back, nearly crashing into the wall. The whimper only grew louder as Pinkie threw her head down and galloped away, out of the room and up the stairs. The slam of her bedroom door flew through the house.

Mrs. Cake’s mouth hung open. Fluttershy shared one bleary-eyed glance with her before storming out of the building. The wind whipped through Fluttershy’s hair as she stepped out onto the street. She stumbled down the road, headed home.

-=-=-=-

It would have only taken a few minutes for Fluttershy to fly home, but she couldn’t muster up the energy to stay in the air. So she trudged along the dirt paths, her wings hanging so low they were tinged brown.

Her route home took her through Whitetail Woods. Normally she would have spent the time observing any and every animal that passed by—but now, she could barely bring her eyes above the dirt. As she walked, her mind broke out into civil war. Part of her was still furious at Pinkie for ruining her night and completely embarrassing her. Her other half just wasn’t sure what had happened, and was trying to make sense of it all.

She was about halfway down the trail when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Whitetail Lake. Moonlight shimmered off of the water’s surface, casting bright beams through the woods. Tiny waves brushed against the shore, bringing out the soft patter of water against rock. Fluttershy stopped walking.

Ears flat, she stepped off of the trail and headed for the shore.

When she reached the edge of the water, she sat down. Her reflection was perfect—and it scared her. Her face was still flushed with pink, and bloodshot veins ran through her eyes. Every other strand of her mane seemed to be out of place. Her hooves and wingtips were covered with dirt. She closed her eyes and placed a hoof into the water, destroying the image.

“I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy jumped back, splashing water all over herself. She whipped her head around, looking for the new voice; it was coming from just a few yards down the shore, in a small, sandy alcove. She craned her neck over the water to see what was going on.

Two mares—it took Fluttershy a moment to recognize them as Bon Bon and Lyra—stood on the shore, side-by-side. Bon Bon was staring out into the water, but Lyra couldn’t take her eyes off of the other mare.

“I’m sorry,” Lyra said again. “Really.”

“Mhm,” Bon Bon murmured, not moving.

“I’m sorry I forgot to reserve a table at that fancy restaurant you like.”

“Mhm.”

“And I’m sorry that I ate, like, half of that bouquet before I gave it to you. I was nervous.”

“Mhm.”

Lyra paused and looked away. “And I’m sorry that I said I hated that new candy you’ve been working on. I didn’t realize how long you had been working on it, or that you had made it just for me. Seriously, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.”

A wave of heat passed over Fluttershy’s face. She felt like—hay, she was an intruder. She tried to make herself as small as possible before slinking away, back to the road home.

“It’s okay, Lyra.”

Fluttershy’s ears pricked up. She turned back around and resumed watching the conversation.

Bon Bon had moved closer to Lyra, so that their coats were brushing. “Lyra, we’ve been going out for almost two years now. Do you really think this is the first time you’ve done something that’s frustrated me?” No response came, so Bon Bon rolled her eyes and chuckled. “The answer is no, it’s not. You can be the most aggravating mare in the world sometimes—but that’s okay.” Bon Bon grinned and touched her head to Lyra’s. “That’s the mare I fell in love with. And I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

As if on cue, the two of them closed their eyes and kissed. At the other shore, Fluttershy could feel her heart skipping in her chest; the heat in her face had spread along her entire body.

The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but when they broke apart, Lyra had a wide grin on her face. “I seriously don’t deserve you.”

“No, you don’t. But c’est la vie.”

The two of them laughed as they walked off. Fluttershy listened until they were out of earshot. When they were gone, she sat back down and looked into the water again. She was just as disheveled as before.

Without a word, she jumped up and got back on the trail—this time, heading the other way.

-=-=-=-

taptap

Pinkie Pie’s head was buried under a mountain of pillows. She was trying to stop crying, but she knew that she couldn’t, and she didn’t want to make anypony else sad and start crying too. So she laid there, alone, listening to the sounds of her own whimpers.

taptaptap

Everything had gone wrong. The movie, the dinner—everything. Even Pinkie Pie felt like she had gone wrong; every bone in her body ached, as if they had been cracked open and stapled shut. Whenever she thought about Fluttershy—which happened about once every five seconds—a pang of nausea ran through her veins, swirling around her stomach like a sandstorm. She covered her eyes as another sob wriggled its way out of her throat.

taptaptaptap

With a groan, she lifted herself up and turned toward the source of the sound. At the window, a yellow hoof was hitting the glass rhythmically. Pinkie could feel herself going paler with every tap. Nevertheless, she fell out of the bed and dragged herself to the window. She flicked open the latch and stared out, eyes sunken.

Fluttershy stared back. “Can I come in?” Pinkie waited a moment before nodding. She stepped aside to let Fluttershy glide in, and closed the window behind her. The two were silent for a few moments as Fluttershy landed and folded her wings. Fluttershy turned to face Pinkie and gulped. “Listen, Pinkie, I—“

“I’m so sorry,” Pinkie said, her entire face quivering. She leapt forward and wrapped Fluttershy in a hug. “I’m so, so sorry! I swear, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I was just trying to be nice, and friendly, and a good marefriend, but I’m a failure, and I hate myself, and, and—“ She broke down into a long wail, burying her face into Fluttershy’s chest.

“Shhhhh,” Fluttershy murmured into Pinkie’s ear. She ran her hoof along Pinkie’s back in a wide circle, all the while nuzzling her neck. She held Pinkie like this until the crying stopped, replaced by mere shaking. Fluttershy rested her chin on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that you hate yourself. You are wonderful, Pinkie.”

Pinkie pulled away. Her cheeks were covered with red splotches. “I am?” she asked through heaving breaths.

“You are. And you’re my best friend.”

Pinkie managed a nod. “You’re my best friend, too.”

The two shared another hug, even tighter this time. When they pulled away, Fluttershy offered a smile. “I’m sorry for saying this was the worst night of my life—I really didn’t mean it. I was just upset.”

“And I’m sorry for making you upset.” Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof. “I spent the entire night thinking about what I wanted to do, without ever considering that you might not be having fun. I’m such a selfish marefriend.”

Fluttershy rubbed the back of her neck. “About that… Pinkie, you know that I love you. But I love you like a friend, not like a marefriend. I told you before: I’m just not really interested in romance! I’d rather spend my time starting friendships, not relationships.” Fluttershy managed to drag her eyes up to meet Pinkie’s. “Do you understand?”

Pinkie sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Yeah. I understand completely.”

The two nuzzled one another, laughing as one. Pinkie Pie leaned back and wiped her forehead. “Whew! I’m glad that’s over. Seriously, being a marefriend is hard work! I swear, getting nauseous all the time was gross!”

Fluttershy’s smile disappeared. “That’s right! What was that all about, anyway?” Her voice fell to a near-whisper. “Am I really that ugly?”

“What? No, of course not! You’re the prettiest mare ever!” Pinkie Pie pointed at her stomach. “For some reason, whenever I looked at you, my tummy would get all upset! Mrs. Cake told me that meant I was in love with you, so I just went with it.”

“Huh. That’s really weird,” Fluttershy said.

Pinkie giggled. “Yeah, I know, ri—“

Fluttershy stared as Pinkie slumped to the ground, grasping at her stomach. Sweat flew down her forehead in rivers. Her pink face turned a deep green. Fluttershy took a few steps back, ears flat. “Pinkie?” she sputtered. “What’s wrong?”

From her spot in the middle of the floor, Pinkie let out a low groan. She hefted her head up to look at Fluttershy and put on a smile. “Hey, could you maybe go get me my bucket?”

-=-=-=-

The next morning, Pinkie Pie lay in bed, a thermometer hanging from her lips and a giant icepack pressed against her head. Every few seconds she would moan at the ceiling, as if expecting some sort of response. Yet, every time, the ceiling stayed silent.

Knock knock

She tried to lift her head, but everything became a blur. She let her head fall back down onto the pillow. “Come in,” she said in barely more than a whisper.

The door opened and Fluttershy floated in. A large wicker basket hung from her mouth. She landed next to Pinkie and sat down. “How are you feeling?”

“Whatever the complete opposite of okie-doki-loki is,” Pinkie answered. She couldn’t even turn to look at Fluttershy. “I got food poisoning from my raw cookie dough. That was why I kept getting nauseous! Who would have thought?”

“Yeah,” Fluttershy said, rolling her eyes and smiling. She stuck her wing into the basket and rested a few cards on Pinkie's stomach. “I had all my animal friends make you Get Well cards. Even Angel made one!”

Pinkie opened one up and smiled. “These are awesome, Fluttershy. Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Fluttershy unloaded the rest onto Pinkie’s nightstand before hanging the basket on a wing and moving towards the door. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have to get going.”

“Where are you headed?” Pinkie asked through a cough.

“I’m taking Sweetie Belle out to lunch.”

“Really? Why?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Fluttershy said, scratching her head. “All she told me was that, after last night, she was looking for a new sister.”