"Hi!" chirped Pinkie Pie..
Eliciting a small "Eep!" from the Pegasus, Fluttershy reflexively flared her wings and shot into a tree. The leaves rustled to the rhythm of her quivering as she securely knotted her legs around the branch.
"Sorry Flutters," The Earth Pony apologised and tilted her head upwards, her magenta pink curls bouncing to the sudden movement. "Did I scare you?"
Looking down, Fluttershy's nervous system began to relax but only for a moment as a fire began to burn her cheeks as she processed the reality of the situation. The rose locks of her mane curtained her face, when she attempted to conceal her embarrassment from view. "Oh, it's alright Pinkie," assured Fluttershy gently, looking from left to right before drifting to the ground. "After all, you didn't mean to."
Pinkie leaped into the air and cheered. "Great!" Briskly, she surveyed their surroundings and then grinned at Fluttershy. "What were you doing before I interrupted you?"
Fluttershy peeked out from behind her shield and gestured towards the red and white checkered blanket that rested in the grass. "I was setting up for a picnic."
"With you animal friends?"
Retreating back to the safety of her confinement, the burning in her cheeks still present and powerful, Fluttershy stammered, "N-no, actually. I w-was..." She trailed off, drawing a circle in the dirt.
"On your own?" Pinkie quickly completed the sentence, her tone lacking a little less optimism. "Why?" She pressed and bent forwards, their muzzles touching as she gazed into Fluttershy's teal blue eyes.
For a second, Fluttershy peered at Pinkie's set of sky blue eyes. They were pretty... like everypony else's. She inspected a small pebble nearby the instant the thought flashed into her mind. "W-well, they sent th-their apologies, but, "Fluttershy paused and bit her lip. "They weren't able to come."
Wrapping her forelegs around her neck, Pinkie embraced Fluttershy. "Aww! There's no needed to be upset." She stroked Fluttershy's mane, causing said pony to blush even harder. "Everything will be as sweet as frosting soon." She started to drool at the mention of frosting. "Mmm, frosting! And that's one of the sweetest things I know of. Well, besides you of course!"
Rapidly, Fluttershy blinked as she processed the information. Had she heard that correctly? "Uh, Pinkie," She whispered, barely audible. "Please could you repeat what you just said? Um... that is if you want to, of course."
Pinkie unhooked her clutch on Fluttershy and whipped her tail into the air. Like a tornado, it rapidly revolved, lifting the mare so only the tips of her hooves brushed at the ground. Her legs retracted and Pinkie floated in the direction of the blanket. She tapped the closed basket twice. "Whatcha got in here?"
"Oh!" Fluttershy's face lit up, embarrassment forgotten along with the question. "A variety of sandwiches, different fruit cookies and cake-"
Popping out of Fluttershy's mane, Pinkie hung her head upside-down from where she was perched, and stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Did you say cookies and cake?"
Fluttershy's mouth fell open and a flabbergasted look graced her features. How did- oh right. Don’t question 'Pinkie Logic', especially if you want to retain your sanity. Out of the few things she desired to keep, her sanity was definatly one of them.
"Yes?" She clarified, confused.
Pinkie put her hooves together, pleadingly, and puppy-dog-eyed Fluttershy. "Can I have some?"
"Of course!" Fluttershy said, astonished by her friends actions. "You have no need to ask though, Pinkie. You're one of my best friends and what's mine is yours." She smiled, expecting Pinkie to be there, but thin air received the gesture. "Um... Pinkie?" She squeaked and frantically searched her mane for any sign of the Earth Pony mare.
"Over here, silly!" Pinkie's voice called. Following her ears, Fluttershy found her standing -no, bouncing- by the basket and waving. "Now, come on! Those superbly scrumptious cookies and cakes aren't gonna eat themselves." She chortled, but her expression suddenly became mystified. "But what if they could?! Imagine this; breaking headline, 'World in Dire Malnutrition With the Lack of Cookies and Cakes Due to them all Eating Themselves'!..."
A sigh of relief escaping her lips, Fluttershy jovially trotted over to the still ranting Pinkie Pie. From many experiences, she had learnt to tune out the shenanigans she often plunged into. She approached the basket and flipped one of the flaps open; one everything was set, Fluttershy gracefully lay on her side while Pinkie sat on her haunches.
Her gaze flickering towards the plate filled with cookies and cupcakes, Fluttershy slid it towards Pinkie. The party pony's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. Her hooves blurred as she snatched one at random. Peeling back the wrapper, there were fresh teeth marks indenting the surface before it was even bit into.
Fluttershy watched Pinkie slowly chew the mouthful, a glint of hope visible in her eyes. "So... um... what do you think?"
Silently, the taffy Earth Pony gulped and licked her lips. "Weeelll," She said, elongating each letter. "I'd say that it is guaranteed to be scrum-didely-umchus!" Pinkie jumped in to Fluttershy and embraced the Pegasus mare. "But nowhere near to you."
"Wha-"
Fluttershy was interrupted when a hoof was placed on her lips, mid-word. Pinkie stroked her mane and crooned. "Shh..."
Instead of protesting, Fluttershy succumbed to the warmth. She closed her eyes, wrapped her hooves and wings around Pinkie's body, smiling contently. Change felt like it was in the future; and though she was not quite sure what it would entail, she had a weird feeling that it would be something positive.
But right then, she was happily living in the present.
