Fluttershy and Alexander

As morning rose Fluttershy set off into town, she was meeting her friends today and didn’t want to keep them waiting… which meant she couldn’t spend the morning with Alexander.

He said he didn’t mind, since he knew how important her friends were to her and could never hold them against her. She was grateful he was so understanding, now she just hoped she wasn’t too late for their meet-up…

In Ponyville, her five friends were gathered outside of a quaint deli waiting for her to arrive…

“Where is she? Not like Shy to keep us waiting,” Rainbow Dash said, already growing impatient with nothing to do. The blue pegasus was hovering lazily through the air around them, wondering what was taking their friend so long.

“Relax darling, she will be here. No need to worry,” Rarity said, trying to reassure her.

“Yeah, ah think she's been plenty busy lately, what with the swamp stuff and all. So we can give’er a break if she’s a little late,” Applejack said.

“If you say so… still want to know what she’s running around so much for,” Dash said.

Rarity smirked. “I think she’s been spending time with that new coltfriend of hers,” she said, wondering what the reaction would be.

“Oh… that guy. What was his name again?” Dash said. She had only seen the earth pony around once or twice, never even talked to him herself yet.

“Oh! That’s Alexander!” Pinkie Pie said.

It was no surprise that Pinkie knew the answer, she knew everypony in town, and was only too happy to talk about them, especially what kind of parties and such they liked.

“Alexander? What kind of name is that?” Dash said. She had never heard such a weird name for a pony, and she’d seen some weird stuff by this point. Mutant plants, changeling hives, and a draconequus for starters.

“Sounds fancy,” AJ said.

“Sounds distinguished,” Rarity said.

“Sounds funny to me!” Pinkie said, adding a giggle at the end.

“Alexander? Like the ancient warrior?” Twilight Sparkle interjected. She had been reading one of her books while waiting, but hearing such an old name sparked her interest.

“Huh? Ancient warrior? What you talking about Twilight?” Dash said. She might regret asking something that could get her a history lesson, but ancient warrior at least sounded like it could be interesting.

“Yeah, let me see if I have…” Twilight trailed off as she rummaged through her books.

“Here it is!” she said, pulling a book titled Greco-Pegasi History and Culture from her saddle bag.

“Oh here we go…” Dash said, regretting her question already.

“Ahem. Alexander Basileus was a pegasus general from back before the three pony tribes formed Equestria. He was known for his bravery, tactical genius, and his limitless drive to achieve his goals,” Twilight started, pausing only to see if the others were paying attention.

“Because of these traits he was both feared and respected by the other pony tribes, who he would often challenge and defeat for territory. Thus his name became synonymous with power and determination. However, it is also said that his drive was so great that once he set his sights on a goal nothing could deter him from it, for better or worse. In his last great campaign, meant to conquer all of Equestria before there even was an Equestria and bring it under Pegasi rule, Alexander Basileus exhausted himself and fell ill. He never recovered and passed away not long after, sparing the other tribes from his conquest,” Twilight finished.

The others just stared at her, trying to parse what she just told them.

“...Okaaaay, so if that’s where the name comes from, how does that make it any less weird? So he’s an Earth pony named after a Pegasus?” Dash said. Twilight’s history lesson only made her more confused.

“Well… it is a very old name. That kind of naming convention fell away by the time the three tribes joined together. So almost nopony has a name like that any more, even Celestia and Luna’s names are not as old as his,” Twilight said.

“Wait a sec, so y’all are telling me that a Pegasus wanted to conquer Equestria sooo much that it killed him? Ain’t that a bit… crazy?” AJ said.

“Yes, that does seem somewhat… excessive,” Rarity added.

As Fluttershy turned a corner to see where her friends had met, she overheard the tail end of their conversation. “What’s excessive?”

“Oh! I just got done explaining the origin of your, uh, coltfriend's name. It’s actually really interesting, want to hear it?” Twilight said.

“No!” Dash shouted. “I mean, just let her read it herself, no need to repeat it. Heh heh…”

Twilight looked disapprovingly at Rainbow, but conceded that it would be faster to just let Fluttershy read it herself and waved her over.

Fluttershy read the passages that Twilight pointed out. “Oh my… I had no idea.”

“So, Fluttershy dear, is he anything like that?” Rarity said. She was mostly teasing, surely nopony was quite like that in this day and age.

“Um, sort of,” Fluttershy said. That raised some eyebrows. “I mean, he doesn’t go out and conquer anything-” ...Unless I count? “-or something like that. But I think he’s smart and driven… I don’t think he’d drive himself to death though, he has more sense than that.” The thought of it was kind of disturbing to her, how could anypony be that obsessed?

“Heh, Alexander could totally be a warrior, all tough and stern. Hehehe,” Pinkie said, trying to break some of the tension that was building.

“Okay, seriously. Who is this guy you’ve been seeing? Except for you and Pinkie none of us know anything about him!” Dash said.

“It is kind of odd, I’ve only seen him once myself. Everything else I’ve heard from Pinkie…” Rarity said.

“Yeah, can’t say I’ve ever laid eyes on him myself come to think of it,” AJ said.

Fluttershy started to look nervous, Alexander was almost as antisocial as she was and she respected that and hadn’t pushed him to meet her friends. So without even realizing it she had basically been hiding him from them.

“Awww guys, what’s to know? Fluttershy and Alexander love each other and are happy together! So what’s with the third degree?” Pinkie said.

Fluttershy looked at her friend in shock and horror. The rest looked at Pinkie with a mix of confusion and curiosity, wondering if they had heard that right.

As far as any of them knew, Fluttershy had just been dating for a while, what was this talk of love all of a sudden?

“What?” Pinkie said. Completely oblivious, at least until she looked at Fluttershy’s expression. “Oh…” Pinkie popped up next to Fluttershy and whispered, “Was I supposed to keep that on the down low?”

Fluttershy just kept staring, only adding disbelief to her current expression.

“Wait, wait, wait. So is Fluttershy just dating this guy, or are you telling me she got laid?” Dash said. She had jumped right to the only logical conclusion she could think of for Pinkie’s statement.

“Rainbow Dash! That is no way…” Rarity started to reprimand Rainbow Dash for her lack of tact, but then she noticed that Fluttershy’s irises had shrunk to tiny dots and she was blushing so hard her whole head was red. “...Oh dear.”

Fluttershy shut down, she was not ready for this. Even as her friends collected themselves enough to start gently prodding her and trying to snap her out of it, Fluttershy stayed stunned from sheer embarrassment.

“Well, not going to get much out of her like this…” Rarity said.

“Shouldn’t be tryin’ to get anything out of her to begin with, or did you forget that lesson about gossip?” AJ said.

“I’m not trying to ask her about that or anything, I just want to know more about this stallion that swept our delicate Fluttershy off of her hooves…” Rarity said, having one of those fairytale moments of hers.

“Right, well I think we should leave well enough alone. It’s Shy’s business and nopony else's.”

“No way! I want to know what this guy’s deal is more than ever! Pinkie!” Dash said.

“Eep! W-what?” Pinkie said. She felt soooo bad for spilling that they were in love, and to have Dashie guess something so embarrassing from it too. Would Fluttershy ever forgive her?

“Hold on,” Twilight said, trying to stop this from getting too far out of hoof. “We shouldn’t pry into our friends personal lives, that’s not the right thing to do…”

Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that.

“However…” Twilight started, making Pinkie gulp. “...We do have the right to know at least a little about this Alexander. So Pinkie, if you would like to tell us some about him it would be appreciated. Nothing too personal though, just the basics, OK?”

Pinkie sighed again. “Okie dokie, where should I start?”

The others were now listening with rapt attention. Even AJ found herself wondering, despite not quite agreeing with this.

“How about from the beginning? When did you and Fluttershy meet him?” Twilight said.

“Oh! That was my first day in Ponyville!” Pinkie said.

“Wait… first day?” Twilight said.

“Yeah! I was going around town meeting everypony! Learning their names and birthdays and having so much fun!” she said.

“Pinkie…” Twilight said. She was trying to stop her before it was too late, but it was no use…

“I got done meeting everypony, or at least I thought I did! But then the last pony I talked to remembered the Doctor that lived at the edge of town! So I rushed off to meet them! And then I rushed back because I had no idea where they lived and needed directions! Then I rushed off to meet them! And when I got there I bounced into the door and said ‘Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?’ and then, and then…” Pinkie rambled.

Pinkie actually stopped by herself, and seemed to be thinking, which surprised her friends.

“He looked really surprised, and… kind of sad?” she said. “Why would he be sad? I never figured that out.”

Fluttershy came to during Pinkie’s story. “I know why,” she said. She had asked him how he met Pinkie once…

“You do? What was it? Why was he sad?” Pinkie said.

“...I’m not sure I should say,” she said.

“Is it personal?” Twilight said.

“Kind of… I don’t think he’d be angry if I told anypony. If Pinkie asked him he’d tell her himself,” she said.

“OK, in that case, you can tell us if you want,” Twilight said.

“...Pinkie,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah?” Pinkie said.

“You remind him of his mother. That’s why he was sad when he first saw you,” she said.

“Huh? Why would that make him sa-” Pinkie stopped, it clicked in her head, and she deflated a little. “Oh...”

“But, he says seeing you now cheers him up a little. Even if he doesn’t show it,” Fluttershy said. She smiled at Pinkie, and Pinkie puffed right back up and hugged her friend.

“Aw thanks! I’m glad you’re not mad at me,” Pinkie said.

“Hold up, I’m glad you two ain’t angry or nothin’, but some of this don’t add up…” AJ said.

“Huh?” the others said, except for Twilight, who seemed to have picked up on the same thing AJ had.

“Pinkie, if you met him as a filly when you first got to Ponyville, and he was already a doctor. How old is he?” Twilight said.

“Oh… I have no idea! He won’t tell me, so I just keep putting random candles on his birthday cakes,” Pinkie said.

The others stared, that was definitely odd.

“Fluttershy, how about you? Has he told you anything?” Twilight said.

“Um, I never asked him… I never even thought about it, he doesn’t look much older than us,” Fluttershy said. He really didn’t, but if Pinkie’s story was true, then he had to be older than them.

“...OK, he probably doesn’t like talking about it is all. And besides, he would only be in his 30s or 40s. If he is a doctor then he would likely be in his late 20s or early 30s by the time he finished med school after all. And if he met Pinkie when she was still a filly, then he would have to be in his late 30s or early 40s by now,” Twilight said.

“...He doesn’t look 40,” Fluttershy said. She had never thought about the fact that Alexander must be older than her… Does that even matter? She would have to ask him sometime.

“Well, it’s not really important, so let’s get back to the main topic. Fluttershy, when did you meet him?” Twilight said. The others didn’t really agree that it wasn’t important, but didn’t make a fuss.

“Oh, Pinkie took me with her when she was checking up on him once… that’s all,” she said.

“...That’s it?“ the others said in unison.

“Come on! You’re telling me all this started cause you tagged along with Pinkie one day? What?” Dash said.

“Um, yeah. He must have liked me or something, because he invited me to share lunch with him a couple days later,” she said.

“And you went with him?” Rarity said. It seemed unlike Fluttershy to go with somepony she barely knew.

“I… didn’t want to be rude, that’s all. He seemed sincere, and he didn’t mind that I barely talked. He just wanted to get to know me is all…” she said.

“Well then, speaking of getting to know somepony… Let’s meet him!” Rarity said.

“What?” the others said.

“Yes! We have more questions than answers right now, so why not get those answers straight from the source and meet him ourselves?” Rarity said.

“That’s… not a bad idea actually. No better way to get to know a pony then ta meet ‘em after all,” AJ said.

“I think that’s up to Fluttershy and her friend. What do you say? Can we meet him?” Twilight said. She smiled at Fluttershy, doing her best to put her at ease.

“I don’t know, he’s not very social… It might bother him, but… I’ll see. I do want him to meet you all too,” Fluttershy said.

“Great! We can finally meet this mysterious stallion of yours, won’t that be just wonderful?” Rarity said.

“Whatever, I’ll just be glad to know what his deal is, finally!” Dash said.

“OK, then it’s settled, we’ll all mark a day to meet Alexander.”

Far away at the edge of town, Alexander had a sudden sense of foreboding, “Huh, I wonder what that’s about?” He said, looking around his home for signs of disturbance. “Hmm… guess it was nothing.”

Alexander went back to his studying, none the wiser…