True Love

Chapter 1 Meeting

  Fluttershy awoke to her alarm clock which ringed loudly making her body jump from being startled from her pleasant sleep. She groaned lightly and dug her face into the soft pillow that adorned her bed and rose her hoof to her bed stand to shut the alarm off. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh as she forced herself up and threw the blankets from herself letting in the cool air.

  She rubbed her eyes with her hooves gently and let out a soft yawn as she looked out her window, the sun just rising from the mountains as Celestia rose it up into the sky, the glow from it quickly traveling through the lands of Equestria. Fluttershy did not want to wake up, especially since she was extremely tired from yesterday and ended up staying up an hour after her usual bed time. Angel was to blame for her lack of sleep, he was an Angel but sometimes he was just an arrogant little brat.

  Fluttershy's mane was in a mess of pink strands, her fur slightly ruffled up in certain places, and her eyes struggled to stay open. With a deep sigh she pushed herself off from her precious bed cushion that she had to leave and stumbled slightly from how fast she moved off of it. She slowly walked to her bedroom door, out the hall and to her bathroom  which was left from where she left her room.

  She yawned again and grabbed her tooth brush which stood in a small toothbrush holder and grabbed a tube of tooth paste and opened it, squeezing it slightly to get some of the tooth paste onto the brush before closing it again and turning on the sink for just a second to run the tooth brush quickly over it to moisten it before she placed it in her mouth and brushed her teeth and gums nice and well. Afterwards, she rinsed her tooth brush and mouth before wiping her face and hoof on a towel to wipe off the water. She then closed the bathroom door and locked it to relieve herself.

  After she came out, she headed back to her room and walked over to her vanity mirror. She opened one of the wooden drawers and picked up a plain brush and started to brush her messy mane. She cringed slightly when the brush would get caught on a knot and pull hard against her head as she started from the bottom to the top.

  When she finally got every knot out, she placed the brush back into the drawer and closed it before opening another drawer which held a small basket with holders. She left her vanity and went to her dresser next to her bed and started to take a few items from it like a coat brush, a hoof brush, hoof clippers, face wash, ect. She went to the basket and placed the items inside and picked it up with her mouth and headed back to the bathroom. She gently placed it on the bathroom counter and was about to start closing the door when her stomach growled.

  She looked over at her stomach as it growled again and looked down at the stairs.

  "Well...I guess I should have some breakfast before I head into the shower." She told herself casually as she turned to head down the stairs in a trot.

  Her animals were already starting to waken and started chattering for food, begging there owner for something to eat. Fluttershy had stopped walking as the animals that had slept inside now started surrounding her, immediately expecting there care taker to feed them.

  "Excuse me guys, but I'm gonna get something to eat really quick and then I'll feed you ok?" She told them sweetly with a smile.

  The animals grumbled in disappointment and started to drag themselves away, all except Angel who was glaring at his owner, obviously upset that his owner wasn't feeding him right away. Fluttershy just flashed a smile at him and walked past him and into the kitchen. Angel followed Fluttershy with crossed arms.

  Fluttershy went to her kitchen cupboards and brought out a small pot and took it to the sink, filling it slightly with water before placing it on the stove on high. She went to the pantry an opened it, she grabbed the end of a bag of oat meal with her mouth and brought it over to the counter, placing it down next to the stove. Angel hopped onto the counter, now holding his food bowl and a fork in his paws and started tapping the food bowl with the fork to get her attention.

  Fluttershy looked over at the hungry bunny and shook her head at him.

  "Sorry Angel, but I got to eat. I don't have time to make you some food right now, just be patient please." She said patting him on the head and walking over to the other side of the kitchen where her utensils were to grab a spoon for when she had to mix the oat meal.

  Angel rolled his eyes in annoyance and hit his bowl again, longer and harder. Fluttershy looked back at him and frowned.

  "Angel bunny, you need to be patient. I'm busy right now, just go sit down and be a good boy for mommy okay? I'll try to be quick."

  Angel threw the bowl and fork down like a spoiled baby and growled at his agitating owner. He looked around and saw the bag of oat meal, and to 'punish' his master for not feeding him when he wanted, he hopped over to the bag and kicked it over with his foot, making it fall to the side and onto the stove, the bag opening and spilling a small amount right onto the fire from the stove, quickly burning it, the air filling with it's burnt essence.

  Fluttershy gasped and ran over and picked up the oat meal quickly before glaring at Angel. "Angel! You need to be more careful! This is the only breakfast I have for this and next week! I don't want to waste it!" She accused the stubborn bunny.

  Angel opened his mouth and pointed at it with his paws and Fluttershy sighed and groaned in slight annoyed by the bunnies behavior.

  "Okay, okay.....I'll make you some food." She finally said, which made Angel perk up and smile, jumping around excitedly.

  She quickly pulled out some veggies such as carrots, celery, beats, along with some spinach to make his food with. She quickly grabbed her cutting board and a knife and cut the veggies into small slices before going to pick up the bowl that Angel had thrown to place the veggies and spinach in. She mixed it up a bit with a fork and sighed as she placed the bowl of food next to the anxious bunny hopping on the floor.

  "There you go Angel, now please just calm down and be satisfied for once." She said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

  She sighed and walked back over to the stove which she had turned off before she left to make Angels food so that the oat meal wouldn't burn more. She grabbed a towel and held one end of it and gently swept the burnt oat meal that was surrounding the stove burner away and onto the counter so she could throw them away. She sighed once again and placed the pot of warm water back on the stove and turned it on.

  Fluttershy grabbed the open bag of oat meal and closed it before picking it up with her mouth to put it away in the pantry. As she closed the pantry door, she jumped when a loud clang was heard behind her. She spun around and gasped before groaning and rubbing her temples with a hoof.

  Angel was glaring at her again, his face slightly stained pink from the beats in his food. She had forgotten that he was stubborn when it came to when she tried to make him eat beats. Every single time she tried to, he would refuse and kick his bowl across the room, making a big mess for her to clean up as the beats stained anything it hit.

  Fluttershy ran to the kitchen sink and grabbed a small wash cloth and rinsed it wet before rinsing it out and quickly picking the bowl up and grabbing all the pieces that fell from the bowl back in and wiping any stains up with the cloth as she did. After she cleaned it, she glared at Angel as she went to rinse off the wash cloth before placing it down and walking over to Angel with the bowl.

  "Angel. I have tried to be patient with you but you are making this harder than it needs to be. Now....I want you to eat all your food 'now', if you toss it again your gonna leave me choice but to use....the stare!" She said the last part bending down and getting right into the bunnies face.

  Angel squeaked and immediately started chomping down the contents in the bowl of food, making Fluttershy smile and nod in satisfaction.

  "Good boy Angel. Now make sure you eat every last but of that salad!" She said as she walked back to the now boiling pot of water.

  She went to grab the oat meal from the counter then she realized that she had put them away. With a giggle at her silliness and a roll of her eyes, she went to the pantry to bring out the oat meal again. She finally got it into the pot and stirred it for a few minutes before setting it to the side and getting a bowl from the top cupboard on her right just right above the stove. She scooped the oat meal into the bowl, placing the pot in the sink and rinsing it with water before grabbing another spoon from the drawer and taking her oat meal to the table.

  She just had plain old oat meal everyday for breakfast and lunch. She didn't have the money to buy much at all, especially since there have been more and more animals that have been needing her care. She has quiet a few bills to pay as well.

  Her job in taking care of animals really hasn't gotten her much, and she was too scarred to ask her friends for money. She didn't want to take anything from them or have them take care of her problems.

  Fluttershy sighed at her oat meal as she raised a spoon full and rose it to her mouth, blowing on the steaming hot oats, and right as she was about to take a bite.

NOCK NOCK NOCK NOCK NOCK NOCK

  She jumped, dropping her spoon, causing the oat meal to fall off and land on her right foreleg, the hot oatmeal burning her skin making her squeak and fling her arm up. She jumped when she heard the knock again and sighed in disappointment as her stomach growled. Could she just enjoy her breakfast for once?

  "FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY YOU HOME!" Called the familiar voice of Rainbow Dash.

  Fluttershy got up from her chair and hovered over to the front door. She unlocked it before just slightly turning the knob before it burst open from Rainbow Dash knocking again really hard. Fluttershy squeaked and fell back onto the floor.

  "Oh! Fluttershy there you are! You need to come, Twilight says there's a letter from Celestia!" She said grabbing the shocked pegasus under the arms and carried her out.

  "Oh but I was just about to eat-......oh.....never mind..." She sighed in defeat as her stomach growled once more.

  Everypony was at the castle in Ponyville where Twilight waited patiently for everyone to sit down on there thrones before she began. She smiled as a slightly grumpy Fluttershy took her seat and Twilight used her magic to lift a scroll with the royal seal on it. She cleared her throat before re-positioning herself in a more comfortable position.

  "I'm sorry to bother you everyone, but I just couldn't wait to tell you all!" She said with slight excitement in her voice.

  "What is it Twi?" Applejack asked, getting anxious to know what was going on.

  Twilight smiled bigger. "Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna have invited us to the galla! She's given each of us a free ticket and has asked if we would be able to help prepare the galla again for them!" She said happily.

  Her friends seemed happy but at the same time they didn't really know how to react.

  "Well....that's nice of them but....I don't know. I mean the last Gala we've been to," Rarity giggled awkwardly. "Well....it didn't go so well." She said plainly. "And the one after that...." Rarity faced palmed in her hoof on just the thought of what Discord did the last Gala

  Rainbow nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think I'll have the time. I'm supposed to be practicing for this years transferring of water to Cloudstale next month."

  Twilight frowned. "Well last time didn't go well but that doesn't mean that this one will. I have a good feeling it's gonna be better than any other Gala there will ever be."

  "And what is that?" Applejack asked.

  "Because we won't only be helping prepare the Gala, but we will also be hosting it. So that means we can make it more exciting then the last one." Twilight said.

  Pinkie jumped up with a smile. "Will it be better than a strawberry, cherry, chocolate swirl cupcake?" She asked bringing out the cupcakes from nowhere and eating one before appearing next to Fluttershy. "There sssooo good!" She slurred, sighing in delight as she took as bite of another cupcake.

  "Want one?" She asked, leaning the tray of cakes to her, and Fluttershy felt her stomach growl again at the sight of the sweet cakes.

  Fluttershy smiled and was about to grab one when Pinkie suddenly zoomed off.

  "Actually Pinkie I would....like.....I was gonna....oh whatever..." She sighed with another grumble of her stomach.

  "Come on guys it will be nice to get out of Ponyville for a while. We haven't had much bonding time for a while since we've been so busy lately. I think it's a very good idea to go." Twilight encouraged.

  They started to feel better about going after Twilight's words. They really haven't been doing much bonding in a while so it would be nice to have some time to be around each other for the Gala.

  "Ok, I'm going. But! Only if I get to design our dresses!" She announced in delight and now squealing in her seat.

  "Oh shoot alright!" Applejack said with a roll of her eyes.

  "Ok! I wanna go! I'm gonna blast everyone away with this Gala!" Pinkie said enthusiastically.

  "Um.....I don't know. I haft to take care of my animals." Fluttershy said, a hoof up on her chin in thought.

  "It will be fine Fluttershy, I can have Spike take care of them for you, I've already talked to him about it and he said he didn't want to go. And don't worry....he will actually take care of them this time." Twilight giggled the last part.

  "Oh but I don't want to be a burden!" Fluttershy protested.

  "Oh nonsense Fluttershy, we're all always haply to help out a friend." Rarity said walking over to Fluttershy and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sure your animals will be just perfectly fine in Spikes care."

  Fluttershy thought on it for a moment before nodding slowly, slightly unsure. "Alright I guess I'll go. But are you sure Spike can take care of them, I mean there's more animals then before."

  "Yep, pretty sure!" Twilight said. "Now, you gonna come Rainbow Dash?"

  Rainbow winced and rubbed her arm, a small blush coming to her face. "I don't know guys, I don't think I want to go."

  "Why ever not Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked.

  "Yeah, why not Dashie!?" Pinkie asked as well, resting her forelegs on the arm of her throne, while her head rested on her hooves as she smiled, waiting for the answer.

  Rainbow blushed and tried to hide it but failed.

  "Is it because that Wonderbolt Soarin?" Rarity cooed.

  Rainbow's blush only increased at the mention of the very stallion she had a crush on, which caused everyone to smile at her.

  "No! Why would you think that!?" Rainbow barked and glared, refusing to look at anyone in the face.

  "Oh come on Rainbow Dash we've seen how you act around him. You totally like him!" Rarity laughed.

  Rainbow frowned and gulped down the lump in her throat. "Is it really that obvious?" She asked awkwardly.

  "Yeah, it's pretty obvious." Pinkie said jumping up and down on a blue balloon.

  "So you going Dash? It won't be the same without you there." Twilight asked.

  Rainbow thought for a moment then sighed. "Oh ok.....but You better not make me wear a pink dress Rarity!" She warned the white unicorn.

  "Oh don't worry dear, I already have plans for your dress, and you can rest assure that it won't be pink." Rarity giggled, secretly crossing her hooves to the side.

  "Alrighty then, lets all head to Rarity's so we can get to work on the dresses." Twilight said with a nod of her other friends who began to follow.

  Rainbow groaned as she stood still for Rarity to make a few measurements for her dress before she started to work on making it.

  Twilights was going to be a light blue dress with simple lace straps, the chest had a purple star with sparkles around it, the collar was black with a dark blue hue to it. The train was layered from the same light blue from the chest and a dark purple, around her waist was a black sash, her shoes were purple, fading into black with a pink star on the base, sparkles along it. She had her crown along with it, wrapped in a black ribbon with a dark purple hue.

  Applejack's dress design was a light red dress with cream straps that went down along the arms in ribbon and lace. A red sash was around the middle and the dress train was tinted with red and orange. A small crown made out of red roses that could be woven into a braid to put in her hair, her shoes were simple and small cream slippers with an apple imprinted on the front of her front hooves.

  Pinkie Pie's was a bright light blue with only one strap that went all the way down in lace on the left foreleg, leaving the other bare. Her dress train was layered with the blue and a hot pink, little mints were along the back of the dress along with pink sparkles. A hot pink sash was around the stomach and the collar was a darker blue with pink tinted at the end of it. A hair clip in the design of Pinkie's cutie mark was for her hair, along with a small sparkling light blue candy crown with pink gems.

  Rarity was a purple dress with white laced straps. The collar was white and faded into purple, her train was mixed with gradient white, a soft pink, and purple. She also had a white crown with purple gems embedded in it, along with a pearl necklace and a ruin of a bright purple to go on her forehead, her shoes were white fading into a light purple, a red gem embedded in the center.

  Fluttershy's was a soft teal, it had sleeves similar to Pinkies, there was only a sleeve on one foreleg but on the right instead of the left. It was lace and ribbon along it and a pink rose was rested on the shoulder where the sleeve began. Her dress had a small trail of teal and a silken baby blue fabric layered together, a baby blue sash went around the waist and the back of the dress was open, revealing her yellow back. A pink butterfly necklace was around the neck and she had a teal ruin on her head. Her shoes were light blue slippers which faded into a teal and a butterfly of a lighter shade of teal was embedded on it.

  Rarity was designing Rainbow's but was having quite a hard time finding something well to go with her multi colored mane, she had told Rainbow as an excuse, not showing the real plan she already had for her dress.

  "Wow Rarity these dress designs look awesome!" Pinkie jumped excitedly. "When are we gonna be able to try them?!"

  "Most likely in just a couple days. It will take a lot of work to get these done, especially with all the detail I put on them." Rarity answered.

  Fluttershy was holding a paper of her dress design from every angle and frowned at it.

  "Um Rarity....doesn't this dress seem like its a bit too much? I mean it is very beautiful but.....I don't know...." Fluttershy whispered the last part with a grimace.

  It looked very beautiful, it just seemed way to fancy and it looked like it would attract a lot of attention from how bright the colors would stand out. She didn't want to be stared at by all those ponies because the dress was so fancy.

  "Oh it's perfectly fine Fluttershy. You need to stop worrying. You'll look absolutely stunning in it when I finish it! Why I bet every stallion will faint at the sight of you!" Rarity said, giving Fluttershy a reassuring smile.

  Fluttershy gulped and replied with a quiet 'okay' but that was exactly what she didn't want. She didn't want stallions running after her or anything like that. There was only one stallion she didn't mind following her around. Fluttershy blushed as she thought of her crush.

  "Is it too hot in here for you Fluttershy?" Twilight asked in concern.

  Fluttershy blinked and shook her head.

  "Hmm? Oh no I'm fine." She replied, giving a smile.

  "Are you nervous?" Twilight then asked.

  "Maybe a little."

  "Don't worry, all of us are gonna be there to help you if you need us." Twilight placed a hoof on Fluttershy's right shoulder with a reassuring smile.

  Fluttershy returned the soft smile. "Thank you Twilight."

  Twilight did a quick nod with a 'mhm!' Before walking away.

  "Ugh! Rarity are you done yet! I feel like I've been here for hours!" Rainbow complained.

  "Sorry Rainbow Dash, just a few more minutes. I just can't decide what to do for your dress. I want to do something that will make your mane stand out from your dress, and something that will bring out your eyes." Rarity mumbled as she held up a few scraps of fabric with her magic next to Rainbow neck while tilting her head and pursing her lips.

  Rainbow just groaned and tapped her hoof on the floor.

  Fluttershy was looking at her dress design and she started to wonder if Discord would be there too. She wasn't sure if he would be since he doesn't stay in Canterlot, but she was hoping that he would be. She wanted him to see her in this dress if it looked good on her. She felt the need to impress him and knowing that there's a possible chance that he would be there made her start to feel excited to go to the Gala.

  Would he wear a suit? He would look so handsome if he did. She found herself biting her lip and she had to hold back a squeak as she thought of her Draconequus friend. She was just gonna have to wait and see, but she was really, really hoping he would be there.....and maybe just possibly....he would ask her to dance?