New Pony In Town

A meek yellow pegasus trotted nervously along the road into Ponyville. She wasn't looking forward to facing the crowds, but she did need to go and get something important, something she couldn't really ask Rainbow to -

“Oh, hi! What's your name? My name's Pinkie Pie! Are you new in town? You gotta be new! Cause I know everypony and I mean everypony in Ponyville and I don't know you? Do you live in that cloud house? I saw it arriving earlier today! Who was that blue pegasus who was helping you push it? Friend of yours?”

“Eep!” squeaked Fluttershy, backing away.

“You don't talk much, do you?” asked Pinkie, stepping forward right into Fluttershy's personal space*.

*To be fair, Fluttershy's personal space extended several times as far as most pony's personal space did

“That's okay, I talk too much anyway, so it evens out, right? What sort of cake do you want at your welcome party? I do welcome parties for everypony new! Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, red velvet, yellow velvet, pink velvet, orange, apple, carrot? Or would you prefer a different sort of cake? I can even do an ice-cream cake, if you want?”

“Squeak!” eeped Fluttershy, backing away more rapidly. Fortunately, her discomfort was finally noticed, and an angel with blue wings descended to save her.

“Hey!” said Rainbow, dropping to hover between Pinkie and Fluttershy. “Back off!”

“Ooooh, you're the other new pony! My name's Pinkie Pie! What sort of cake do you want at your welcome party? I've got all sorts of cake! Cupcakes, layer cakes, wedding cakes – that's not really suitable for a welcome party, though – pink cakes, purple cakes, orange cakes, even rainbow cakes...”

With a grateful glance at Rainbow, Fluttershy trotted rapidly away from the overly welcoming pink mare. She found herself hoping that none of the other ponies in town would be quite so... overbearingly welcoming.

*  *  *

Fluttershy had gone right around Ponyville three times. She had observed – from a safe distance – every single stall in the market, and has ascertained that none of them had what she needed.

There was, however, one building which most manifestly did sell cupcakes. A building that looked almost cakelike itself – ponies would walk in, and some of them would walk out holding cupcakes, so Fluttershy was quite sure that cupcakes could be obtained inside.

The problem was, behind the counter stood the aggressively friendly pink mare from earlier. She saw Fluttershy cautiously peering in through the doorway from across the street, and waved* again.

*This was a process involving both forelegs and a lot of jumping up and down. Fluttershy wasn't quite sure how the pink pony could do all that and keep her balance without wings.

Fluttershy squeaked nervously and ducked back out of sight... again.

“Darling, are you quite alright?”

“Eeep!” squeaked Fluttershy, looking around for the source of the voice.

A white unicorn mare smiled at her. The mare's purple mane was meticulously styled, not a hair out of place, and her smile was friendly, welcoming, and just a little concerned.

“Oh, my,” said the mare. “I do apologise, darling, I didn't intend to startle you. But you've been just standing there for the last twenty minutes, and I thought perhaps you could use a helping hoof...”

“mumble” mumbled Fluttershy into her mane, digging nervously at the road with one hoof.

The unicorn looked at her for a long moment, as if waiting for her to say anything else, but when it became clear that there wasn't going to be anything else, she continued speaking. “Well, say no more, darling, I know precisely what you need. Come along, my treat.” Accepting no argument, she marched off towards the spa, Fluttershy in tow.

*  *  *

Over the following forty minutes, Fluttershy heard about more-or-less a dozen stallions who were currently “without a special somepony, darling”. She learned her companion's name (Rarity) and profession (dressmaker). She learned that a spa treatment was really very pleasant and that, as long as you nod and smile, there are some ponies who really don't mind in the least if you don't say a single word for a full forty minutes.

“...and there we go, darling, you look absolutely gorgeous. Now, if I might be so bold, might I ask just who it was that you were so nervous about confronting in Sugarcube Corner?”

“Oh. I don't know her name,” Fluttershy whispered into her newly-combed mane.

“Her?” asked Rarity, raising an eyebrow.

“The pink mare. Behind the counter.”

“Ah, Pinkie Pie?”

“I wanted to get a cupcake.” said Fluttershy. “But she talked to me earlier and she's just so, so...”

“Oh, yes, quite. Pinkie Pie can be somewhat... overwhelming at first. But I promise you, she never means any harm.”

“I'm sure she doesn't. She's just, well, um... loud.”

“Quite, that she most certainly is. Well, then, darling, in that case... I'll tell you what. I shall go in and get you a cupcake.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure darling. But if I may ask one last thing – what is your name?”

“Oh, um, I'm... Fluttershy.”

“Well, I am very pleased to meet you, Fluttershy. If you'll just wait here a moment...”

“Um, okay.”

With one final understanding smile, Rarity trotted into Sugarcube Corner. “Pinkie, darling, what did you do to that poor pegasus? You seem to have quite traumatised her.”

“Oh! The yellow one? She's nice! She's new but she's kinda quiet. I said hello earlier, and then she was standing outside Sugarcube Corner for a while, but I don't think she really wanted to come in 'cos every time I waved at her she hid away again, and what does 'traumatised' mean?”

“Scared, darling.”

Pinkie gasped. “But – but I'm not scary!”

“I think you still owe her an apology, Pinkie. But not just yet. Later. Right now, I'd like a cupcake, please.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!”

*  *  *

It was evening when Fluttershy finally knocked on the door of Rainbow's cloud house. “Hey, Flutters! What's up?”

Fluttershy held out the cupcake between her forelegs, a single lit candle placed neatly in the centre.

“Happy birthday, Rainbow.” she said.