“C’mooooooon,” Pinkie whined as she bounced impatiently in Fluttershy’s living room. “We’re gonna be late!” she pleaded, for the tenth time, to the closed door leading to Fluttershy’s room.
“I just don’t know,” came Fluttershy’s voice from behind the door. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too… obvious? If we do a couples costume, everypony will figure out that we’re together.”
“Well, they’re gonna find out eventually,” Pinkie told her. “At least let me see the costume. Pretty please?”
Fluttershy sighed and, finally, worked up the courage to step out and greet Pinkie. She had on the same costume she always wore on Nightmare Night, the long cloak, sharp wings, and pointed, batlike ears. She sold the vampire look well, especially with the fangs that poked out from her mouth.
Still, even though she’d seen the costume before, Pinkie Pie was enraptured. Her eyes sparkled and her ears perked up as her face broke into a wide grin, stretching from ear to ear. She could hardly keep herself on the ground, bouncing all around as she took in Fluttershy’s new look.
“I, um, take it you like it?” Fluttershy asked when she realized Pinkie was lost in ogling her.
“Do I ever!” Pinkie enthused. She stopped her bouncing in front of Fluttershy, their faces mere inches apart. “It fits you perfectly! Like, so super good. I’m half tempted to say you should just wear this all the time!”
Fluttershy blushed from the battering of compliments. “You’re too sweet, Pinkie,” she said with a smile.
Truth be told, Fluttershy couldn’t take her eyes off of Pinkie Pie either. Not because she was especially cute or alluring, not more than usual anyway, but just because Fluttershy was struck by how genuine Pinkie was. Everything she said, everything she did, gave Fluttershy the impression that she was seeing all of Pinkie Pie. A Pinkie Pie who didn't hold back, who wasn't afraid to show just how strong her emotions were.
Pinkie broke eye contact first, bouncing over to her slip into the unwieldy apple-shaped hat that served as her costume. “Where’d you find such realistic fangs, by the way?” she asked.
“Oh, um…” Fluttershy mumbled, “they’re not fake.”
Pinkie gasped. “That’s so cool! Why do you hide 'em? Can you suck up blood? Wait, what’ll happen if we… Oh! You’re not gonna, like, think I’m an apple and try to bite me, are you?”
Fluttershy giggled. “We’ll see. If you annoy me too much, who knows what could happen?”
A few minutes later, the two trotted side by side into the Nightmare Night festival. Lines of booths spanned the town center, with neon lights beckoning hopeful ponies to try and win prizes. Of course, any place like this is bound to be bursting with a cacophony of cheering and playing from children and adults alike. It was a wonderland for Pinkie, who could barely keep herself contained.
Fluttershy poked Pinkie to drag her attention away from the festivities. “Hey,” she said, “do you mind if we start with something… smaller?”
“Oh!” Pinkie gasped. “Of course! It’s all fun for me. Wanna go on a hayride?”
“That would be wonderful.”
Near the edge of the festival, the pair found the hayride and were shocked to see that they weren’t the only ponies along for the ride. Ponies have always liked a good hayride, sure, but on Nightmare Night there was just so much else to do. A full ride was a rare thing to see.
“Hi Pinkie, hi Fluttershy!” Sweetie Belle cheered as the two took a seat together opposite the trio of children. The wagon jolted forward as it kicked off down the road. “How are you liking Nightmare Night?”
“We just got here,” Pinkie replied. “So, I dunno!”
“You’re startin with a hayride?” Applebloom asked. “That’s kinda slow for you, ain’t it, Pinkie?”
“She’s keeping me company,” Fluttershy explained. Not thinking, she leaned up against Pinkie Pie and smiled. “I didn’t want to jump right in.”
Scootaloo’s eyes went wide in realization. “Hey, wait!” she said. “Are you two on a date?”
Instantly, Fluttershy’s face turned a deep red, and she quickly hid behind her hooves. Pinkie’s jaw dropped, her fur standing on end as she grasped for words.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both gasped, and Scootaloo stuck her hoof in her mouth when she realized what she had asked. “Rainbow Dash told me not to tell anypony,” she mumbled.
“A date?” Sweetie Belle repeated.
“Are y’all girlfriends?” Applebloom asked.
“How long have you been together?” Sweetie Belle prodded.
“Does anypony else know?” Applebloom pried.
“Have you kissed?” Sweetie Belle continued.
“Stop!” Scootaloo yelled, then stuck her hoof back in her mouth. Much quieter, she went on. “We’re not even supposed to know, you can’t go interrogating them.”
Pinkie giggled. “It’s okay, girls, it’s not your fault Rainbow Dash can’t keep a secret. Right, Fluttershy?”
With some effort, Fluttershy pulled her hooves away from her face and smiled at the children, although her blush showed no signs of leaving. “I’m just nervous,” she muttered.
“Why keep it a secret, though?” Applebloom asked.
Pinkie Pie thought for a second. “I dunno. I don’t really think it even is a secret, it’s just… something we haven’t told anypony.”
“It’s only been a few days,” Fluttershy added.
“Aww,” Sweetie Belle cooed. “That’s so cute!”
“She is, isn’t she?” Pinkie replied, smiling towards Fluttershy.
“Stop it!” Fluttershy said, giving Pinkie a playful shove.
Pinkie laughed. “What? I was just agreeing with Sweetie Belle.”
“You know that wasn’t what she said,” Fluttershy told her.
Pinkie shrugged. “Aw, who can keep up with all those details? I was prob'ly distracted by some cute pony,” she teased, accentuating it with a tap on Fluttershy's nose.
“That cute pony is going to be extra distracting when she decides to take a bite out of some apple,” Fluttershy retorted, punctuating it by poking Pinkie’s snout in return.
The three children looked at each other awkwardly. “Uhh, guys?” Applebloom said. “We’re still here.”
Fluttershy covered her mouth as Pinkie started to giggle. “She started it,” Pinkie said, earning her a glare from Fluttershy.
“Hey,” Sweetie Belle said, “you never answered my question!”
“Huh?” Pinkie replied.
“I asked if you two have kissed!”
The other two kids gasped and turned to the couple with sudden curiosity. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked at each other, then at the kids, then back at each other.
“That’s a no,” Applebloom whispered, but not quietly enough to hide her voice. Scootaloo snickered.
“Why not?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Pinkie and Fluttershy stared into each others eyes, pondering the question that neither of them had an answer to. They took turns stealing glances at the other pony’s lips, blushing and smiling. Almost subconsciously, they started leaning towards each other, closer and closer until—
The wagon lurched to a stop, sending the two ponies toppling over. They landed on the floor, Fluttershy on top of Pinkie, staring into each other's eyes. It wasn’t until the children started to giggle that they broke out of their trance and Fluttershy scrambled up and off of Pinkie. Pinkie picked herself up and chuckled at her frazzled girlfriend.
“Y’all are cute,” Applebloom said after her laughing had subsided. “I almost wanna stick around to watch you more.”
“Nah, you shouldn’t do that,” Pinkie told her. “Do you really wanna be stuck with a couple old ponies instead of enjoying the fair?”
“She kind of has a point,” Sweetie Belle said, and the other two nodded in agreement.
“Plus,” Scootaloo offered, “If we pop up later maybe we can embarrass them again.”
Laughing, they hopped off the wagon and walked away, shouting “Bye Pinkie! Bye Fluttershy!” behind them as they left.
“Well, that was fun!” Pinkie said.
Fluttershy smiled through her deep blush. “It was,” she agreed.
“And you’re super sure you’re ready for this?” Pinkie asked as the two walked into the crowded festival.
“Mmhm,” Fluttershy nodded. “As long as I’m with you, at least.”
Pinkie grinned and hugged her girlfriend. “I’m so happy that I make you happy.”
Fluttershy smiled back. “I’m happy you make me happy too. I know how much that must… well, make you happy.”
Pinkie giggled and dragged Fluttershy into the fair, wasting no time in zipping around to her favorite booths. Water guns, ring tosses, darts, all manner of games for Pinkie to fail spectacularly at. Fluttershy followed along, cheering quietly and then teasing Pinkie when she lost. Somehow, Pinkie managed to not win a single game, but she enjoyed Fluttershy’s jabs so much that her smile was glued on with no sign of slipping.
“One more try!” Pinkie gasped as the timer went off at the apple bobbing stand. So far she had amassed an astounding two apples, although it had taken her more tries than she would care to admit.
“You know, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, “I think it’s cheating if you end up drinking all the water.”
Pinkie huffed. “I’d like to see you try. I think I did pretty good at this one.”
Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Okay,” she said. “Move over, let me try.”
“Huh?” Pinkie stumbled aside as Fluttershy moved up in front of the bucket of apples. “Wait, really?”
“It seems fun,” Fluttershy replied. “Plus, if I do well I can tease you about it.” She turned her attention to the pony running the game. “Could you please start the timer?”
The pony nodded and twisted a dial. The instant the timer started to tick, Fluttershy’s eyes flashed and her gaze shot to the water. In her vision, the world blurred together, all the blues and greens and browns blending into a single mass. Through that haze, the red of the apples shined bright, beacons of color beckoning her towards them.
She wasted no time, shooting forward and snatching an apple in her teeth. As her fangs sank into it, a rush of adrenaline spread through her body. She spat it to the ground, then grabbed another, and another. Water splashed past her head, but she barely felt it. She moved like a machine, displaying unparalleled precision as she emptied the bucket, and a pile of apples quickly amassed next to her.
Once she had wiped clean all the red from before her, Fluttershy blinked and the world rushed back to her. She stumbled backwards from the dizziness, and Pinkie grabbed her to hold her steady. She let herself lean against her girlfriend, and soon the vertigo gave up its hold over her.
She grinned as she straightened herself back out. “Woah,” she said. “That was new.” She looked towards the pony operating the booth. “So, um, how did I do?”
The pony stared at her, slack-jawed. “Uhh,” he muttered, “you took, um… four seconds.”
Fluttershy hopped in celebration. “Wow!” she said. “Is that good? It sounds good.”
Pinkie gazed at her in awe. “It was great!” she shouted. “That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen! I’ve never even seen Rainbow Dash go that fast. You were, like… Wow, gosh Fluttershy, I don’t even have a word for how super amazingly great that was!”
Fluttershy blushed and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “Well, surely it couldn’t have been that good,” she mumbled.
“Uhh, miss?” the pony running the game interjected. “You get a prize.”
Fluttershy’s eyes lit up and she spun around, looking over the huge wall of toys and stuffed animals. So many choices, soft and cute critters galore, any one of which she would have loved. She saw one, though, and pointed at it without hesitation. “I’d like that one, please!”
The pony nodded and gave her the prize,and the two girls trotted away from the game. Once they were a ways away, though, Fluttershy stopped them and presented the prize to Pinkie. “Here!” she said, holding the present up for Pinkie to see. It was small, nothing grandiose, just a little stuffed butterfly. Fluttershy grinned behind it. “For you. So you can always have a piece of me nearby.”
Pinkie stared at the toy, then at her girlfriend, then back at the toy, and then without warning she grabbed Fluttershy in a tight hug and held her, refusing to let go. Fluttershy chuckled and hugged her back, melting into Pinkie’s embrace. They stayed like that until Pinkie was satisfied and pulled away, but still they held each other as they locked eyes. Pinkie’s smile now was small, not her usual toothy grin, but it was the brightest smile Fluttershy had ever seen on her.
“Aww, well if that isn’t just the sweetest thing I have ever seen,” a voice came from nearby. The ponies jumped and looked around to find Rarity walking up to them, dressed up to look like a gorgon in a completely over the top costume. She had even gone so far as to dye her mane to make it look like snakes.
This time it was Pinkie’s turn to be embarrassed, thrown off kilter by being caught in such an emotional moment. “Hi Rarity!” she said, waving, but her voice cracked halfway through saying it. “Um, fancy seeing you here!”
“Me?” Rarity asked. “It’s Nightmare Night, how could I miss such a wonderful opportunity to display my craft? If anypony is out of place, it’s Fluttershy. Oh, but I do just adore your costume, dear, you pull off the vampire look fabulously.”
“Thank you, Rarity,” Fluttershy replied meekly. She looked over at Pinkie, but saw that she was still flustered, so she went on. “Pinkie Pie is helping me feel more comfortable in the fair.”
“Well, that explains the hug,” Rarity said. “I must say, it is absolutely wonderful to see you two getting along so well lately. I think that being together is great for both of you.”
“T-together?” Fluttershy stuttered.
“Well, yes,” Rarity said, confused. “You know, spending time together. Friendship? My, with your expressions, I would almost think I had found out you two were…”
Rarity’s eyes went wide. She looked back and forth between them, their blushes, their smiles, their closeness, and it all fell into place. She opened her mouth to gasp, but Pinkie Pie jumped forward and shushed her.
“Shh!” Pinkie pleaded. “We haven’t told everypony yet.”
Rarity tried to whisper, but her excitement was plain to hear in her voice. “Why ever not? We would all be thrilled! I would think Pinkie would have thrown a party to celebrate the instant the first date went well.”
“Ooh,” Pinkie said, “good idea! Fluttershy, let’s throw a date party!”
“I don’t think those words can go together like that,” Fluttershy responded. “I would probably be okay with a small party, though. Just don’t invite the whole town.”
“No promises!” Pinkie teased.
Rarity chuckled. “Well, don’t let me hold you two lovebirds up. Go, enjoy your date! You deserve it, both of you.” Pinkie and Fluttershy smiled and turned to leave, but then Rarity spoke up again. “Oh! Hey, if you think Fluttershy is up for it, why don’t you two go through the haunted house? You never know what might happen in the rush.” With a wink, she wheeled around and left the two ponies on their own.
Once she was out of earshot, Fluttershy turned to Pinkie with a sly smile. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” she teased.
Pinkie huffed. “Well it’s your fault! Gettin me all worked up like that, geez.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Well, don’t expect me to stop anytime soon.”
“Fluttershy?”
The ponies stood outside the town hall, decorated in all manner of dark and creepy imagery. Dark fog shrouding the open door, spiderwebs dangling all over, the sound of children inside screaming in fear. There, manning the entrance to the haunted house, stood Rainbow Dash. Her costume was ambitious, combining a torn up Daring Do outfit with zombie makeup, but it got the idea across.
“Hiya, Dashie!” Pinkie called as the pair walked up.
“H-hello,” Fluttershy whispered nervously.
“Got stuck with a job this year, huh?” Pinkie asked.
“Pshh.” Rainbow Dash waved her hoof nonchalantly. “As if being in charge of the scariest place in town is just a job. This rules!”
“It just seems kinda… organized, for you,” Pinkie said.
“Fair enough.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “But anyway, like I was sayin: Fluttershy?”
“Hello,” Fluttershy repeated. She gave her friend a shaky smile.
“Yeah, hi. The heck are you doin here?”
“We’re gonna do the haunted house!” Pinkie said, answering for Fluttershy. “Rarity said we should.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
“Uh-huh,” Rainbow Dash responded. “Pinkie, does she know what you’re draggin her into?”
“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said softly, answering for Pinkie. “She pestered me for the entire walk over here, making sure I was ready.”
“I wasn’t pestering!”
“She was pestering.”
“Well, if you’re sure you’re good,” Rainbow Dash said. “Have at it. Just, uh, yell out for me if it’s too much, and I’ll turn on the lights, alright?”
“Thanks Dashie!” Pinkie shouted, and she pulled Fluttershy through the wall of fog.
Fluttershy braced herself for the coming world of darkness, but it never came. Past the fog, the ponies found that they could actually see fairly well. It was still dim, of course, but they could at least make out the shapes of everything around them.
The path forward was lit on the sides by dim strips of light, and it weaved in and out through a maze of oddly placed furniture. Chairs thrown haphazardly together, a couch perched precariously on its side, dressers and drawers and boxes, all casting shadows that could be hiding anything at all.
Fluttershy’s chattering teeth threatened to drown out the spooky music playing in the background, so Pinkie nuzzled into her, and Fluttershy calmed down. Together, they started moving down the path, past the dens of untold terror that lurked around every corner.
“Um,” Fluttershy whispered, “Rainbow Dash wouldn’t make this too scary, right?”
“I dunno,” Pinkie whispered back. “She can be kinda ruthless.”
Suddenly, there was an ear splitting crash behind them as a pile of chairs toppled over. Fluttershy yelped, and the two ponies whipped around just in time to see a shape dart back into the shadows. Fluttershy wrapped her shaking legs around Pinkie and clung to her, and Pinkie had to suppress a giggle as she turned Fluttershy around and urged her further down the path.
Fluttershy pressed up closer than ever against Pinkie as they moved further in. They soon turned a corner and found themselves in an entirely new space, no longer the twisting graveyard of discarded furniture. Rather, they found themselves in a plain, straightforward hallway. Paintings and decorations lined the walls, a plush carpet covered the floor, but it was otherwise nondescript.
Nervously, they stepped into the hallway, but nothing seemed to happen. They pushed onwards, and nothing continued to happen, just a normal walk down a normal hallway. Fluttershy kept close to Pinkie as they travelled through the darkness.
Then there was a crash from beside them. Fluttershy jumped, and Pinkie shrieked, which made Fluttershy jump even further. Fluttershy was floating in the air, pulled into herself defensively, when Pinkie started to giggle. Fluttershy stared down at her, tense and confused.
“Oopsie,” Pinkie laughed out. “I, uh, think I knocked over a vase.”
Fluttershy let out a breath and landed again. “You know,” she said, “Rainbow Dash is going to be upset if you outscare her just by being klutzy.”
“Aw, I’m not worried,” Pinkie replied. “I’m too cute for anypony to get mad at me.”
Fluttershy chuckled. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.”
Soon enough the hallway ended, letting out into a grand hall. It was massive, incredible spacious, and beyond anything else, it was dark. They could see almost nothing, they could hardly even see the walls. Just them, a void, and far away, the fuzzy light of the exit.
As they tried to adjust to the darkness, the light in front of them started to shift and warp. Darkness stretch over it, drowning it out. Straining their eyes, they saw that it was being eclipsed, shrouded by some form. The shape of a pony.
Then the shape started to run at them.
Fluttershy shrieked and vanished. A yellow blur traced her path, past the shadow and out the exit, where she’d flown away in an instant. Wind blew Pinkie’s mane into her face, and she started to laugh. She trotted out after Fluttershy, whispering “Good one, Dashie,” to the shrouded pony as she passed by.
Fluttershy stood outside, panting, her wings stuck out and ready to fly away at a moment’s notice. She yelped and jumped as Pinkie walked up to her, then sighed and started to calm down, staring at the ground and breathing deeply to center herself.
“You okay?” Pinkie asked her gently.
Fluttershy raised her head. Her mane was a mess, her costume was practically falling off, and she had a big, toothy grin plastered on her face.
The sight of Fluttershy, so frazzled yet so happy, made Pinkie’s heart skip a beat. It was the most amazing sight Pinkie had ever seen. Before she could think, before she even realized what was happening, Pinkie Pie shot forward and kissed Fluttershy.
It shocked Fluttershy beyond anything else. Her eyes went wide, her ears perked up, her wings shot back out, and most of all, her heart raced. Her mind was fuzzy, and she didn’t process it until Pinkie had pulled away and Fluttershy saw her smile waver. Quickly, before Pinkie could worry, or think she’d done something wrong, Fluttershy jumped forward and kissed Pinkie back.
Both ponies seemed out of breath when they pulled away, their breathing heavy as they stared into each others eyes. No words came to either of them, no way to express the feelings surging through them, but they could both see it in the other’s face. The wide eyes, the flushed cheeks, the perked ears. Their mouths, agape, struggling to find a way to show something that goes beyond a smile.
“Woah,” Fluttershy breathed out, breaking the silence. There was a beat, and then Pinkie’s giddy smile crept back onto her face, and soon she was giggling, and soon after that Fluttershy was giggling too.
“Woah?” Pinkie asked between chuckles. “That’s all you’ve got?”
“I don’t see you coming up with anything better,” she responded. Eventually, her laughing died down, and she let out a happy sigh as the adrenaline left her body. “Pinkie, I… thank you.”
Pinkie moved closer and nuzzled against Fluttershy. “You too,” she said back, softer than ever. They sat like that for a moment, and then they kissed each other again.
