The Medium is the Message -McLuhorse
Bubbling beside her party cannon, Pinkie Pie pranced into Ponyville Square. Bouncing, she exclaimed towards her co-Elements of Harmony, eyes fixating on a particular yellow pegasus, “Hi Fluttershy! And friends!”
Rarity waved at the oscillating equine and hummed, “Morning, dear.” Pinkie returned the greeting, grinning ear-to-ear. Hesitating, Rarity tilted her head. “But whatever is the occasion?” Frowning, she chided, “Usually, with surprise parties, the surprise isn’t what we’re celebrating.”
“Can’t say Ah know why we’re here, either,” Applejack affirmed.
Pinkie bounced. “But I can’t tell you – that’s why it’s a surprise!” She stomped her hooves against the pavement in anticipation, oblivious to the curious stares of the town’s passerbys en route to and from the market.
Rainbow Dash groaned, pulling out an unmarked calendar. “Well, It’s none of birthdays, or pet’s birthdays, or Ponyville anniversaries.” Exploding of anticipation, she shot skyward and yelled, “Just spill already!” Much to her chagrin, her words only encouraged the overexcited party pony.
Pinkie jumped, glancing between each of her friends. “I’m here…”
“Yes?”
“To…”
“Spill the beans, Pinkie!”
“Announce my love for Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie punctuated her declaration with a hop, staring at the blushing object of her affection.
Rainbow snickered. “Right. Got it. Some occasion…” Applejack and Twilight Sparkle each raised and eyebrow. Rarity’s lips pursed into a firm “o”, glee set in her eyes. And Fluttershy? Fluttershy was busy sinking down into herself, pink washed over her cheeks, evidently squishing herself in an attempt to go invisible.
Pinkie rolled her eyes at Rainbow affectionately, never one to be discouraged on a party-throwing mission. “You see, the other day in her cottage, I was just sipping oolong tea and spending some quality time with Fluttershy, and she was making me feel amazing! Like, she was telling me these stories about Angel’s conquest of the Everfree Forest –” She dropped down to a stage whisper, “He didn’t actually conquer the Everfree Forest–” and switching back to loud bursts, she continued, “And Fluttershy made feel like I was GLOWING from inside! Aaaaand I just wanted to make all of my best friends feel as amazing as she made me feel, so I knew I just had to throw you guys a party to celebrate!”
During the bubbly spiel, Fluttershy found herself a hiding spot crouched down behind Applejack, her faced obscured save for spots of green and pink forming a soft border around orange fur.
Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly at the surprise reveal. “Wow, Pinkie, it’s great you have such close friends who can make you so happy.” Lowering her eyebrows, pride set in her gaze, she affirmed, “Friendship truly is magic.” She flashed her princess wings. “You should write a journal entry about this!”
Pinkie giggled. “I totally should, Twi!”
Smirking, Rarirty interjected, “Tut tut, Pinkie, you never mentioned you and Fluttershy were such close friends.” Nudging her head towards the pink around Applejack, she whispered, “And here I was, teasing you about stallions this whole time.”
Incomprehensible muffled noises escaped the pinkish blob.
Applejack whispered, “Gotcha,” and then said aloud, “Ah’m real sorry, Pinkie, but while ah’m sure Fluttershy appreciates the effort, ah reckon it’s best I head back to the farm. Rainbow, Twi, Rares, c’mon.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Aww, it’s just getting interesting!”
Applejack lowered her eyelids and pitch in tandem. “Rainbow…”
The pegasus shrugged. “..Okay, yeah, never mind, it’s just getting weird.” She rolled her eyes, mumbled, and shot airward and out of sight.
Twilight bit her lip. “I’m afraid I have to concur. I do have some books that need sorting.” She paused, solemnly adding, “I’m sorry, Fluttershy.” Furling her brow, she trotted down the main corridor.
Applejack eyed Rarity suspiciously. In a tense whisper, she shot out, “C’mon!”
Rarity smiled warmly to her annoyed friend, humming. “Pish posh, I’m sure whatever it is, Fluttershy wouldn’t mind my presence, yes?”
Incomprehensible muffled noises escaped the pinkish blob.
Applejack huffed. “Fine.” The victorious unicorn smiled as Applejack trotted off in the opposite direction as Twilight, towards the outskirts of Ponyville, home to Sweet Apple Acres. In her absence, Fluttershy’s scared, squished body was revealed to the remaining two, Rarity – evidently proud of herself – and Pinkie Pie – smiling wide.
Rarity eyed the overjoyed pink blob affectionately, intrigued. “Well? Tell me everything, darling,” she said with remarkable emphasis. “And do not leave out any details”. She grinned daintily, as if to punctuate the forceful request with a dash of kindness, distracting from the nosiness inherent.
Pinkie tilted her head, a bit of joy giving way to uneasiness. “What do you mean? Fluttershy and I just, well, have a lot of fun together.” Her eyes shot open. “Ooo, hey, wait, do you want to hear about that one time where I thought Gummy was totally sick and maybe had a stomach infection, but Fluttershy said he just ate WAY too many cupcakes after his birthday bash?” She licked her lips. “That time was a blast!” Lowering her eyebrows, remnants of a grin cast over her lips, she whispered, “So many cupcakes, Rarity. So many delicious vegetarian lizard-flavoured cupcakes.”
“Eh-heh”, Rarity grimaced, picking up dirty laundry in her imagination. Coughing, she elaborated, “I meant more the stories of how, hm, how the two of you got together.” She winked. “I’m ever the romantic, you see.”
The earth pony frowned, fluffy mane starting to sit. “Together? Do you mean… ohhh.” She giggled, wagging her head from side-to-side. “Nah, it’s nothing like that, Rares. We’re just really good friends!”
The romantic unicorn blinked, repeatedly, “The best of friends, eh?”
Pinkie’s floof poofed back. “Yup! Flutters and I are best friends!”
“…Best friends indeed,” Rarity repeated, dazed by the anti-climatic revelation. Coughing her throat over-dramatically, she asked, “Like, ‘Lyra and Bon Bon’ best friends? Or –” her grin wilted – “like ‘Twilight and I’ best friends.”
Pinkie blushed. “Like you and Twilight.”
Rarity bit her lip. “Hmph.”
The duo left themselves in awkward silence, broken only be an incomprehensible muffle.
“Hm?” Rarity murmured.
“No.” Fluttershy mumbled, slightly less muffled.
“No.. what?”
“Rarity, I’m sorry. I know you’ve been waiting for years to see two of your friends get together, but Pinkie and I are not dating, and I don’t appreciate the suggestion we are.” Fluttershy responded, with growing assertion in each word.
The unicorn frowned. “Just so we’re clear, it’s perfectly okay that – if – the two of you are a couple, darling. You’re both such wonderful friends, and I just want you to know I’d be thrilled two of my best friends grow into something more than friends, yes?”
Fluttershy mirrored the frown. “But we’re not more than friends.”
Rarity scoffed. “Then why ever did Pinkie Pie invite all of us here for, if not a grand romantic gesture?”
The earth pony wheeled the party cannon over in front of the pair, and screamed, “Surprise!”
“Surprise?” Rarity repeated, in disbelief.
Pinkie tapped the cannon, and it went kaboom. Screaming at the top of her lungs over the confetti, she exclaimed, “Surprise – it’s platonic!”