Though Fluttershy loved the winter season, she had to admit it could be a rather lonely time of year. With so many of her animal friends slipping into hibernation, migrating south for warmer weather, or otherwise bunkering down through the chilly season, the secluded cottage she called home had found itself that much emptier.
The yellow pegasus looked out her kitchen window and scrutinized the surrounding woods. Snow blanketed the earth, icicles dangled from the trees' bare branches... and nary a critter was in sight. All the same as the last time she'd checked. A sigh slipped out of her muzzle, before she averted her eyes from the stillness of it all.
At least things weren't going to stay like this. Some ponies' pets were bound to catch the sniffles soon, unfortunate as it was, and it would be her job to make them right as rain. Others would need caretaking once their owners left to spend the holidays with relatives beyond Ponyville. Looking after them was always nice.
Alas, those upticks remained a week's worth of downtime away. Until then, there was little for Fluttershy do but sit, wait, handle whatever day-to-day minutia sparsely arose, then go straight back to sitting, waiting, sitting some more, and waiting some more. It was a meandering cycle, one she'd found far more bothersome than usual. Worse still, she didn't have the foggiest notion why.
Fluttershy closed her eyes and inhaled. She was being silly, feeling like this.
The lack of visual stimuli, if anything, only hammered home how silent it was. The harmonies of birdsong no longer reverberated from her living room, nor did the rumbly baritone of Harry the bear's snores. Even Angel, his grown-out fur comically puffy against the cold, had slowed his once-frantic pace as the days grew shorter, the bunny currently curled up atop a nearby table, napping. Yes, her cottage was indeed that much emptier. That much quieter.
That much lonelier.
Then again, she didn't really feel like going into town either. Surely if she got up and flew over there, she could find something to keep herself busy, but with all the noise and all the crowds and all the—
"I can help with that!"
Fluttershy jolted out of her musings, eyes snapping open, wings spreading on reflex. Her head darted around her kitchen, seeking the source of the sudden noise.
A familiar squeak made her look down. The ball of fluff that was presently Angel Bunny had risen from his nap, waving his paws to get her attention. He pointed to the chimney leading down to her oven. Fluttershy followed the finger, and right on cue, a cloud of dislodged soot emerged from the opening.
Her mind recombobulating, Fluttershy realized that the bubbly voice she'd just heard was unmistakable. She held her breath, waiting for a certain pink pony to come bounding out.
And come out she did. In a whirl of dust and a flurry of snow, Pinkie Pie emerged from the oven, skidding along the floor and coming to a stop right beside Fluttershy.
"Hiya, Fluttershy! Surprise!" Pinkie said, still on her haunches. She paused, looking over the dark smears staining her coat, her blue, yellow-polka-dotted scarf, and her matching striped beanie (if Rarity were here, Fluttershy thought, she probably would've praised the "cutie mark color coordination" or something... before fainting at the sight of it so soiled). Shaking like a dog, she shrugged off the grime in seconds.
Fluttershy felt herself relax, the tension in her body seeping away. The same could not be said for her cheeks, which flushed a shade of cherry red not too dissimilar from Pinkie's own mane. "Oh! P-Pinkie! Nice to have you, uh, drop in! C-Coming down my chimney..."
"I know, right?" Pinkie bounced. "That was so awesome! I was like 'Wheeee!' and I was all 'Whoosh!' and the chimney was like 'Whooooa, nopony's ever come this way before!', and then—"
"Um, Pinkie, sweetie?"
Pinkie paused, mouth open mid-recollection. Then she closed it and smiled, nodding.
The silence lasted mere seconds. Out of her peripheral vision, Pinkie spotted Angel in all his 'wintertime puffball' glory and immediately squealed. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, is that Angel!?!?"
Fluttershy giggled, smiling. "Well, of course, who else would it—?"
Before the pegasus could finish, Pinkie zipped past, scooping the hapless rabbit into her front hooves and cuddling him against her cheek. "Oooh, look at you, look at youuu! Sooo cute, and fluffy, and squishy, and—"
Pinkie kept going, rattling off every like-minded adjective that sprung to… well, to mind. Angel's expression remained discomfortingly torn through the bone-crushing embrace, the bunny unsure whether to sponge up the attention or save himself from being squeezed like a waterlogged rag. Settling upon the latter, he pushed against her forearms with all his might, eventually hopping free with a loud "POP!" and landing back on the tabletop.
"Yeah, uh, bunnies stop shedding in the wintertime. It's one of the ways they deal with the cold," Fluttershy explained, trying to get a word in edgewise. "So Angel ends up looking a little, well... puffier this time of year. You must not have seen him the last time you came over."
"Nuh-uh, but I'm definitely glad to see him now!" Pinkie said. "Aren't I, Angel? Aren't I, aren't I, aren't I?" She cooed, wiggling her hooves at an increasingly indignant Angel.
Fluttershy watched the whole ordeal, giggling softly despite herself. Pinkie's energy could be a lot to handle; she'd known that even before they'd started dating. And it was true that she wasn't exactly the most tactful pony in Equestria — the fact Fluttershy would have to come to Angel's defense in a minute was proof enough of that — but that was also part of her charm. A charm she'd found herself appreciating even more than she'd ever expected to. It was certainly preferable to the dull nothingness of moments ago, that much she knew.
Huh. Maybe that was why the silence had gotten to her as much as it had. They'd only been "a thing" for a couple of weeks, but maybe Pinkie's enthusiasm really was just that infectious.
Angel shot Fluttershy a look; as she'd suspected, he was clearly not sharing in Pinkie's enthusiasm. 'Can you please remind your mate I'm not a stuffed animal?' he squeaked, begging her to translate in the way only she could.
"He says it's, um, nice to see you, Pinkie," Fluttershy fibbed, subtly raising a let-me-finish hoof towards Angel before he could protest, "but please don't pick him up like that again. He doesn't like it."
"O-oh, right. Sorry." Pinkie lowered her hooves, blushing.
"It's okay." Fluttershy gave her a reassuring smile, and then looked to her pet. "See? Nothing to worry about, Angel. I'm sure she's learned her lesson."
'She'd better have. I've got a reputation to maintain. And a rib cage,' he huffed, somewhat awkwardly curling against the tabletop as he tried to force sleep back upon himself.
Fluttershy ignored the comment. "So, Pinkie, is this the only reason you came? To, um, see my animal friends?"
"Well, turns out that would've been a really good reason, but nope!" Pinkie shook her head. "I wanted to come and cheer you up!"
Fluttershy blushed deeper. She was grateful, and not the slightest bit surprised, but... "How did you know?"
"Pinkie Sense! It was all tingly, my limbs were going all over the place, and it told me, 'You should go make your super-duper-special somepony smile today! Well, every day, really, but today in particular!' and I turned right around and told it, 'Of course I will!'"
"I, uh, guess that makes sense," Fluttershy muttered. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, Hearth's Warming is just around the corner, so I thought maybe you and I could get Ponyville, ahem, Hearth's Warmed-up! Part of my 'Ponyville's Premiere Party Planner' duties 'n' all. Hang some decorations, give out some free cookies, get a gramophone or several going… You know, spread a little holiday spirit!" She beamed. "You in?"
Fluttershy chewed on the idea. It wasn't like she had any other plans, and, truth be told, she was in dire need of some holiday spirit herself. Admittedly, the thought of all that spirit reflecting back at its instigator — her — was a little daunting, but it wasn't just her, was it? There was Pinkie, right in front of her, all but promising to lead the way.
For the love of Celestia, that enthusiasm of hers really was that infectious, wasn't it?
"O-Okay, sure. Why not?" she acquiesced, nodding. "It sounds like it'll be nice."
Pinkie's own smile seemed to widen. "Aw, great! I knew you'd want to join!"
"Um, but where are we going to get all the stuff we'll need?"
"Oh, I have my ways," Pinkie replied, tapping the side of her nose. "We just have to run back to Sugarcube Corner and grab it all, and then we're off!"
"Sounds like a plan!" Fluttershy turned her attention to the lone non-equine in attendance. "Is that alright with you, Angel? It'll only be a few hours, but I know you don't like being left alone for too long."
Angel looked at her, then back at the pink pony who'd nearly crushed him. Pinkie winked, making him groan and roll his eyes, his features softening in a sense besides his fur's fuzziness. Fluttershy's most concise interpretation of the noise was 'Okay, fine, I suppose I'll manage,' though the bunny's tone did carry a tangible undercurrent of 'Thank the Moon Rabbit, you're letting yourself have a social life.'
If not the attitude, she certainly appreciated the sentiment.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Pinkie reached into her poofy mane, dug around for a bit, and pulled out an immaculately clean tray full of pastries, setting it down beside Angel. "A little something too, ahem, sweeten the deal. Those are for any other critters who might stop by," she explained, pointing to a particular group in the corner, "and the rest are all yours. It's got some high-quality grass, some nice hay, even a little carrot, but not too much because it turns out too much is actually pretty bad for bunnies..."
Angel gave the nearest one a sniff, then, deciding his inspection hadn't detected anything unsavory, took a bite out of its corner. A seal of approval was immediately stamped on his fuzzy face. 'Holy moly, that's good!' he squeaked, having barely swallowed the morsel. 'And also, like, weirdly fresh. Hey, I'm not complaining, but still, where'd she get those carrots from? At this time of year, in this part of Equestria? Who's her dealer!?'
Fluttershy snorted, then gave Pinkie a nod. "He says he likes it."
"I knew he would! So, is that a yes?"
Before Fluttershy could so much as wager a guess, Angel picked up the rest of the treat, then dashed out the kitchen. His baked reimbursement held above his head like a golden trophy, he scurried around a corner, vanishing from sight. It was the most gusto she'd seen from him all season.
"Yeah, that probably goes without saying," she said.
"Great!" Pinkie wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's withers, pulling her in tight, then pointed the other in the exact direction of the front door. "So, Fluttershy, whaddaya say we paint the town red and green?"
She was fully prepared to say yes, but right as she opened her mouth, her stomach growled. Loudly. In one fell swoop, she remembered why she'd entered the kitchen to begin with.
"Do you mind if, uh, you and I eat brunch first?"
Pinkie teetered to and fro on her hind hooves, the front two supporting several trees' worth of garlands, festoons, wreaths, and every festive foliage arrangement in-between. Piled atop one another in an evergreen-esque cone, the assortment rivaled the heights of several of the buildings they were meant to be placed upon. Fluttershy, flying overhead, anxiously tugged at her purple turtleneck. She wasn't sure how much it all weighed, though she did have to wonder just how jealous an ant would be if they saw her marefriend's Mareculean effort in carrying it. Fortunately, all the local colonies had already sealed themselves underground for the winter, so there wouldn't be any bruised egos on that front today.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only risk of bruising. As Pinkie stumbled forth, Fluttershy flew around the stack, defensively holding out her front hooves whenever it made a credible threat to topple over. She didn't know how much the stuff would hurt if it fell on somepony, but she wasn't keen to find out. It was tough going, but at least the concentration it required was keeping her mind off the puzzled looks all the passersby were shooting them.
"O-Okay," Pinkie wheezed, "this seems like a g-good enough spot to... let it go, let it go, let it g-OOF!"
Fluttershy froze as the pile lurched, jerking downwards at a length concerningly similar to Pinkie's own height. Thawing out of the shock once it began tipping, she pushed against it with all her might, narrowly averting a leafy landslide. "Pinkie! Are you okay!?"
Pinkie looked up at her, a blank look on her face. She turned back down to her front hooves and, with a quick yoink, pulled them out from under the pile. They were squished as flat as the pancakes she and Fluttershy had eaten half an hour ago. Unbothered, the party pony took a deep breath, and with a faint "Pop!', the pink discs at the end of her legs inflated back to their proper dimensions. "Yup, all good!"
Fluttershy touched down beside her marefriend, A sigh came out with a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Please, um, be more careful next time. That could've really hurt you for all I knew."
"I know. Sorry," Pinkie replied, looking down and pawing at the snow. "But it didn't! So no worries!"
Fluttershy couldn't help but grin. "So, what should we put up first?"
"The garlands, definitely. They're pretty simple, and I'm, like, ninety-five percent sure I brought enough to do the whole town," Pinkie answered, before turning to the pile and rifling through it. She pulled out several strips of the stuff and hoofed them over to Fluttershy. "But we can just do the town square for now. Put these along those building's roofs," she said, nudging her head towards one half of the town square, "and I'll do the rest. Okay?"
Fluttershy lifted herself off the ground, the garland dangling from her front hooves. "Sure thing!"
With that, she went to work. The process was relatively simple: find a nice place to stick it, tie the strand's end to that of the next, repeat. It was a little harder than expected to find spots that looked both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound, but she managed the best she could. After finishing the first building's set and giving it a quick tug to check its stability, Fluttershy looked around for her marefriend, hoping to see how see was coming along.
Pinkie was already on her third building. And that wasn't the only thing she was on.
Somehow, she had rolled her half of the garland into a massive ring, pushed it up onto its side, and was now standing atop it like a circus performer. Her hooves shuffled frantically as it rolled along the roof's perimeter, hugging each corner and laying out the garland behind her as it went. Once she'd gone the entire way around, the big circle — now minus one roof's worth of material — bounced up in the air like a carriage wheel that'd broken free of its axle. It landed on the edge of the adjacent roof, and the cycle began anew. Fluttershy watched, awestruck, as Pinkie continued on, bouncing the ring across the rest of the rooftops and leaving a trail of perfectly laid decorations behind her. Once it was all used up, she hopped off the last roof, landing in a large, convenient mound of snow.
"Tada!" Pinkie announced, before hopping out and shaking herself dry.
Fluttershy stared dumbly for a few seconds, then looked to her own garlands. When her gaze returned to Pinkie, the party pony was surrounded by a gaggle of ponies, all stomping their hooves in applause.
"That was awesome!" a colt cheered, bouncing up and down. "Where'd you learn to do that?"
"Oh, here and there," Pinkie replied, shrugging. "You know how it is. Now, who wants to come help me pick out which ornaments to put where?"
The colt raised his hoof, followed by several more ponies of varying ages. Fluttershy couldn't hear what exactly was said after that, but Pinkie nodded and the whole crowd began following her lead.
It was all so baffling.
"FREE HEARTH'S WARMING COOKIES!!!" read the banner Pinkie had quickly written onto, then hung atop the two poles at each side of her table. Well, less "written" and more "drawn in the most unnecessarily colorful crayons she could find." And by "find", of course, she meant "pull out of her mane". Still, the tidings were clear, and the cookies brought along with them were clearly delicious.
Fluttershy could attest to the latter point. She watched the crowds flock around Pinkie's stand, grabbing a cookie each and going about their business. Some stayed behind, chatting with the party pony and asking for second, third, fourth, and in one case, even eighth helpings. It was the kind of attention that usually had her running for the hills. Pinkie, for her part, was handling it with the same enthusiasm she'd maintained for the past two hours. Even as the line grew, the smiles she gave her customers never lost their sparkle.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy merely nibbled away at her own treat: a sugar cookie with the Fire of Friendship drawn on it in purple frosting. She was staying close enough that Pinkie could call her over if the crowd got too rowdy, but far enough away to avoid the hustle and bustle herself. It wasn't ideal, but it was enough to let her appreciate the festivities without letting them overwhelm her.
"Aw, horseapples!" a pony piped up. "I'm one spot behind the last cookie!?"
Pinkie gave away that last cookie — its gray-coated recipient thanking his lucky stars as he trotted off — then sadly nodded. "Sorry, everypony!" she announced. "This batch is all out! I'm gonna have to whip up some more!"
The crowd collectively groaned, and the mare who'd come up one spot short sighed. "Aww, that's okay, I guess. I don't wanna put you to any trouble. Just wish I coulda gotten some of this stuff sooner."
The crowd began to disperse, and Fluttershy let out a sigh of her own. It was an unfortunate way for things to end, but it was inevitable that they'd run out sooner or later. And really, wasn't that the entire point of doing this? If they ran out, then it meant she and Pinkie (well, mostly Pinkie) were doing their jobs. At the very least, the pause would give them time to recuperate and prepare for—
Wait. Why had Pinkie just winked at her?
The party pony smirked, her sense of showmareship bubbling to the surface as she prepared to spring the trap. Just before there was even the slightest chance somepony could have left earshot…
"…So it's a good thing THE SECOND BATCH JUST FINISHED COOLING!!!"
She reached under the tablecloth and slammed the tray down atop it. The scent of fresh, hot cookies washed over the plaza.
"Whaaaat?" Pinkie grinned. "You thought I was gonna run out, just like that? Eenope, this party pony comes prepared! Now, who wants some cookies?"
The ponies, their moods immediately perked back up, re-formed the line in a flash. The mare who'd come up just short was the first in line, and the first to receive the piping hot second batch.
"Aw, heck yeah!" she cheered, immediately taking a bite.
Pinkie beamed. "And there's plenty more where that came from! We are gonna start prioritizing the ponies who haven't gotten any yet, though. And if you try to fake us out and get a second serving before somepony else's first" — her voice dramatically lowered an octave — "I'll know."
…And then she immediately brought it back up. "But I trust nopony'll try that. Enjoy the treats, and happy Hearth's Warming!"
The line proceeded without a hitch, the ponies all happily getting their share. Fluttershy looked down at her own half-eaten cookie, a small, proud smile on her face. The sight of her marefriend making others happy never failed to warm her heart.
…Though she wasn't entirely sure where that second batch had come from. It definitely hadn't been there when they'd set up the table, nor was there an oven to bake it in. Nonetheless, there it was, and there was the baker, eagerly providing for the masses.
It was all so utterly baffling.
Fluttershy lowered the record onto its player, delicately placing the needle at its edge. Across the way, Pinkie did the same, just as she had for the other two gramophones in the four-cornered arrangement.
"I think that's about it," Fluttershy muttered, taking a step back and looking at the machines. She had to admit, she wasn't the biggest fan of loud music, but Pinkie knew what she was doing. She'd even been careful to pick a spot of town where the sounds wouldn't carry over and disturb other ponies, so that was a plus.
"Oh, there you are, Fluttershy!" a familiar voice called. "You're just the pony I was looking for!"
"Huh?" Fluttershy perked up. Turning, she spotted a certain lavender unicorn trotting her way. "Oh! H-Hey there, Twilight!"
"Hello to you too!" Twilight replied. She stopped for a moment to adjust her saddlebags, then eyed the unusual setup. "What are you doing over here, anyway? Is this some sort of event, or…?"
"Kinda? Pinkie wanted to spread some holiday spirit. I'm just helping her, um, help. You know how it is."
"Ah, makes sense. You two make a great team!"
"I'd like to think we do," Fluttershy agreed, glancing at her marefriend. "I'm still not entirely sure what this is all about, though. Having four gramophones set up like this is, uh, a little strange, isn't it?"
Twilight leaned in, examining the one Fluttershy had set up. "Hmm... you're right, that is pretty odd. Just one of these should be loud enough, but this one's not even set at full volume. What's the point in having four separate—"
Her eyes widened, and she immediately shot back upright. Pinkie zoomed past her, rapidly turned the gramophone's crank, then just as quickly made for the next. As they all whirred to life, the sounds emanating from each overlapped and meshed together, the harmony slowly rising, filling the space around them.
"Ohhh," Twilight gasped, the pieces falling into place, "I've heard about these! The four records are all part of one song, but their instruments are split between each. You're supposed to play them at the same time on four different gramophones so it sounds like it's coming from all around you. Like a heartsong!"
Fluttershy looked between them, then at all the nearby ponies whose ears were twitching in curiosity. "That sounds... really expensive."
On cue, the skeptical side of the scholar took over. "The advertisements claim it's for four or more ponies who want to bring their gramophones to a party together," she offered, weakly, "but yeah, the company's probably more than happy if ponies pay the price of four records instead of one. Or just end up buying three more gramophones for themselves."
"Well, Pinkie's making the most of them, I'd say."
"Honestly, I'd say it too. I mean, just listen! They're all in millisecond-perfect unison, and all without the usage of simultaneous telekinesis" — one of Twilight's ears began twitching, and not to the tune of the music — "her hoof was practically a tornado while she was twisting that crank, the half-second she spent doing it wasn't anywhere near long enough to jumpstart a gramophone of that make or model, the—"
"Uh, Twilight?"
"R-right. Sorry. Got caught up in the science." Her ear returned to its relaxed, usual slant. "I keep telling myself not to do that with her, but..."
Fluttershy gave a nod. "But you can't help it."
"It's hard not to be confused by the things she does sometimes."
"Believe me, I know." Fluttershy blushed a little. "Anyway, you said I was 'just the pony you were looking for'?"
"Right, right." Twilight paused, thinking over her words. "I got a letter from Princess Celestia this morning. She wants to know if us and the rest of the girls are, well… interested in something."
"Oh? What kind of something?"
"Something like this." Twilight pulled the letter out of her saddlebags and levitated it over to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy grabbed the paper and scanned it. "She wants to know if the six of us could" — her eyes widened — "if we could star in the annual Hearth's Warming play in Canterlot!?"
"Yeah. She says it's supposed to represent the magic of friendship through the ages. Elements of Harmony, Fire of Friendship, you get the idea. Nopony's going to expect top-tier acting out of us or anything, but still, it's a pretty big honor!"
"That is a big honor!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "A really big honor..." Her voice softened, her mind filling itself with a whole entire theatre's worth of ponies. Ponies all staring directly at her. "Too big an honor," she squeaked, putting Angel's to shame.
"Oh, nonononono! You don't have to, if you're not comfortable. She says there's no obligation," Twilight tried to reassure her, frantically tapping at that part of the letter. "That's why I wanted to tell you about it first," she explained, sighing. "I know how hard it can be for you to face crowds."
"O-oh. That's okay. I'm sorry, I just panicked. But it's fine." Fluttershy took a breath. "It sounds like a lovely idea. Besides, I probably still owe her for Philomena. And for the Gala. And probably for something else I'm forgett—"
"Fluttershy," Twilight cut in, "she doesn't hold either of those against you, and I'll bet the same applies to whatever else comes to mind. And that's me saying that! Ms. 'Turn-all-of-Ponyville-upside-down-so-she'll-have-a-letter-to-send-her', remember?"
"I, uh, do." Fluttershy took a second, her gaze wandering off to Pinkie. She was chatting with a few ponies on the opposite side of the setup, some of whom were already dancing to the tune. The whole atmosphere was warm, jovial, and above all, inviting. Yup, she'd take Celestia up on that offer in a heartbeat.
"Just think about it a little. And don't be afraid to say no, alright?" Twilight insisted, pulling her back to reality. "The last thing any of us want is to force you into something you're not okay with. Okay?"
"Yeah. Okay." Fluttershy's eyes locked on the letter, her brow furrowed in what was either determination or trepidation. She wasn't quite sure which.
The music faded out. The moment the records stopped spinning, Pinkie darted over to the nearest gramophone, swapped out one song for the next, and spun the crank just as rapidly as before. Then she swiftly went through the rest, repeating the process. The silence lasted, at most, two seconds, replaced by a bouncy little tune led by strings, piano, some sort of wind instrument, and a nigh-obligatory sleigh bell.
Fluttershy and Twilight shared a glance. The former couldn't help but chuckle. The latter's eye twitched.
"Do I need to close my eyes and count to ten?" Twilight muttered. "Is there some weird breathing technique I can use? Why do I keep letting this get to me!?"
"Maybe because — and I'm just speculating here — it's just so, well, Pinkie," Fluttershy offered, smiling. "But that's what makes it so special."
"You're right about that." Twilight shrugged her shoulders. "Welp, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
She galloped away, leaving Fluttershy behind. The pegasus watched her join Pinkie's little group and immediately start dancing along, her hooves, mane, and tail happily flailing about to the perfectly synchronized rhythm of the fourfold music. She smiled at the sight.
And yet it was all so utterly, utterly baffling.
This late in the year, Luna's moon was rising sooner than ever. It hung large in the sky, casting its light down upon Ponyville and adding an extra glow to the town square's new decorations. It was a beautiful sight.
Pinkie and Fluttershy, however, had long since left it behind, having returned to the cottage for a well-earned rest. Pinkie, as always, still had one last burst of activity in her: she bounded into the living room, sliding two cups of hot chocolate onto the table. Beneath it, Angel had plopped onto his back for yet another nap, a few crumbs still clinging to his cheeks. Though Fluttershy wouldn't know for certain until she found the tray's hiding spot, she suspected he'd helped himself to more than just the treats Pinkie had meant for him.
"Well," Pinkie began, "I'd call today a rousing success!"
"It was, wasn't it?" Fluttershy smiled.
"Yeah, and you were a big help! It was a lot more fun than if I'd done it all alone."
"There was this study Twilight mentioned to me once, actually." She stared up at the ceiling, trying to recall its contents. "Something about how special experiences are more meaningful when you share them with ponies you love, or something? I can't really remember. Breaking things down like that is her thing, not mine."
"Makes perfect sense to me!" Pinkie sipped her hot chocolate. "So, think you'll do that play you two were talking about?"
Fluttershy blinked. "You heard about that?"
"Yep! I figured you needed a bit of privacy, so I didn't come back 'till a few minutes after. I didn't hear the whole thing, but the part about the play seemed neat. I'd be up for it!" She paused, then rubbed a hoof sheepishly. "O-Only if you were, of course."
"I... I'll need to think about it a little longer."
"Well, no matter what, I'll support you. We're a team, right?" She reached over and ruffled some of the pink hair in Fluttershy's mane. "If you wanna do it, I'm right there with ya. If you don't, that's okey-dokey with me."
"Thanks, Pinkie."
Pinkie nodded, then took another sip. For a brief, peaceful moment, neither of them said a word.
"Actually," Fluttershy started, "could I ask you about something?"
"Of course you can, Fluttershy!"
"It's, um, something I've been wondering about. Today was really nice, don't get me wrong, but… so much of what you did just doesn't make any sense to me."
Pinkie tilted her head. "Is this about the Pinkie Sense and all that stuff? Fluttershy, I told you and the rest of the girls: it's totally fine if you don't understand—"
"No, it's not that," Fluttershy interjected. "It's not about the Pinkie Sense, and it's not about how fast you can bake, and it's not even about where you put all that stuff you pull out of nowhere. All of those are things I've gotten used to, and they're part of why I love you."
"What is it about, then?"
Fluttershy shifted slightly. "It's… it's about the way you make other ponies happy."
"What's so confusing about that?"
"It's not that it's confusing, it's just that I don't get how you're able to do it. To throw all these events together so easily, to bake dozens and dozens of batches without tiring out, and even just the way you talked to everypony and made them feel included. It's all just so amazing, and it's such a huge part of who you are, and…" She swallowed. "I can't do any of that."
"That's not true, Fluttershy," Pinkie countered. "You make other ponies happy all the time!"
"But not in the same way you do. I mean, look at me! I can't put myself out there and face crowds like that, or bake a bunch of treats for them all, or, or… any of it. You've done all of that and more, all in one day, and you do things like that almost every day."
Pinkie walked around the table, not saying a word, but nodding for Fluttershy to go on. She did just that. "With all this time we're spending together, I thought maybe I'd finally understood how you do it. Maybe I'd figure out how to do it too. Maybe it'd start making sense." She chuckled weakly. She hadn't even touched her hot chocolate yet. The hot chocolate Pinkie had made just for the two of them. "But then, when I was watching you today, I just felt more confused than ever."
Pinkie frowned.
Fluttershy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Pinkie. I probably shouldn't be dumping all of that on you like this."
"Fluttershy," Pinkie said, scooting over and hugging her tightly, "I love you, and you're not dumping anything on me that I can't swallow. This is your home, and you're my marefriend, and if you're having problems, I want the scoop, okay? We're like butter and sugar, or cake and frosting, or a cup of hot chocolate and a marshmallow. Or two marshmallows. Or five, or fifteen, or however many you think we oughta be!" She giggled, that much more of her trademark goofiness peeking through.
Fluttershy hugged back. "You're right. Thanks, Pinkie. And I love you too."
The two embraced for a minute. Pinkie was the first to pull back. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd say you put yourself out there today. Like, a lot. You helped set everything up, and kept an eye on me when I was doing some crazy stuff, and you're not doing anything wrong for not being able to do everything I do."
"I'd still like to do more, though."
"And that kinda stuff's how you get there. Today was a pretty good day for that, you've had days like that before, and there's gonna be a whole lotta days ahead of us! You've got the rest of our lives to figure it out."
Fluttershy blushed at the mention of the word "lives". Plural lives. "Y-you're right, I do. We do. Thank you."
"And honestly, the way you just kinda let it all sink in? I think I could learn a lot from that." Pinkie smiled. "So I guess we'll both just have to have days like that, huh?"
Fluttershy laughed softly. "I guess we will."
"Good!" She paused, tapping the underside of her muzzle in contemplation. "Wanna know something funny I only just noticed? Like, really really just noticed?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Your mane's almost the same color as my coat. Well, yours is a bit paler, and mine's a bit redder, but they're still super close!"
Fluttershy looked back, her gaze lingering on Pinkie's pinkness for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I guess they are!"
"So when we cuddle" — Pinkie snuggled up against her, their bodies now pressed tightly together — "it's a little like we're melting into each other."
"Heh. Yeah, it is." Fluttershy chuckled, her worries that much farther away. "So that's what we'll try and do, huh? Melt into each other a little more going forward?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
Fluttershy nodded and leaned back in the sofa, pulling Pinkie in a little closer. She still didn't know where her marefriend's seemingly endless energy came from. Or where the things she pulled out of her mane went when they were out of sight. And, to be completely honest, the idea of putting herself in front of a massive crowd was still kind of terrifying. Even if that Hearth's Warming play was sounding more and more tempting.
But the way Pinkie made her feel — and the way she made Pinkie feel in turn — was one mystery she didn't need to solve. One thing she did understand.
One thing she did that was not at all baffling.
END.
Author's Note
For Jinglemas, snappleu requested a "Fluttershy x Pinkie" fic, and the hand of fate happened to drop that prompt right into my lap. I'd already been kicking around a basic premise starring the two, so I was more than happy to give the concept a festive, romantic twist for 'em!
Setting the story during Season 2, meanwhile, wasn't as important as I initially expected it to be, but I definitely enjoyed working within the mindset, down to the somewhat cliche "The Only Chapter" subtitle. I recently reread the leak of FiM's initial show bible from 2009 — a quick search should turn it up if you're curious — and I guess I got a little wistful over those halcyon years I never got the chance to partake in. Placing the story there avoided the need for some "Getting Discord out of the way" filler, gave me an excuse to write a little bit of pre-alicorn Twilight, and allowed the "Hearth's Warming Eve" episode to be a semi-befitting plot point, so I think it all came out in the wash. (At the very least, Fluttershy being this shy probably makes more sense closer to the start of the series than its ending anyway.)
There are a few things I wish I could've done better: for one, I lost a not-insignificant portion of the story's latter half at one point (I closed my laptop, worked on it from my phone for a while, then went back to my laptop and impulsively tapped Crtl+S before I could think to refresh out of the long-since-inundated earlier draft), and I can't shake the sense my recreations of the lost segments have lost some of their original oomph. Either way, hope you enjoyed the finished product, snappleu! Sorry it wound up being this far behind schedule.
Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season, and that you'll have a great New Year's Day and beyond. Take care!
–AP
