It is a lovely morning in the peaceful little nation of Equestria, Celestia’s sun rising over the horizon a shining symbol of prosperity and good will. Just outside the tiny town of Ponyville, along the edge of the Everfree Forest, there sits a tiny cottage. It’s only occupant, amongst a collection of critters big and small scurrying about, is the kindly caretaker of the animals, Fluttershy.
On this lovely morning, on a day like any other, Fluttershy goes about her own personal checklist making sure everything is in place. In a way, she is channeling her inner ‘Twilight Sparkle’, a friend who proves to have quite the effect on the mare (Or perhaps… another sign of one of her own ‘personalities’ coming into play).
“Okay, let’s see…” Fluttershy observed. “List… ‘check’. Bits… ‘check’. Is that everything Angel?”
Fluttershy turns toward her fluffy, little bunny friend. The rabbit himself rolls his eyes before pointing to the salad. A salad Fluttershy just makes for him for his lunch.
“What’s wrong with it?” Fluttershy asked.
To say she is confused as to why Angel isn’t chowing down is quite an understatement. Usually he gobbles everything on his plate, especially salad. Heck, Fluttershy makes sure that ‘every’ vegetable he likes is in the bowl, so she can’t for the life of her imagine what’s wrong.
“TCH, TCH, TCH, TCH!!!”
“ANGEL BUNNY!!!” Fluttershy scolded. “You know better to talk like that! But… I suppose that does make sense. I forgot to put the cherry on top… but only because we don’t have any. I’m sorry, but I must insist you eat your salad without one.”
*BOOM!!!*
“EEEP!!!” Fluttershy squeaked.
A loud crash of thunder makes Fluttershy jump and hide straight behind the couch before hearing Angel’s response. Angel Bunny, though still upset about the missing cherry, hops over to his beloved master. Staring upon her with a rare case of sympathy, he pats along her mane hoping it is more than enough to comfort the frightened mare.
“Thank you Angel,” Fluttershy whispered.
Slowly with caution, Fluttershy picks herself up from the couch. She soon walks toward the living room window and dares a chance to look out.
“That’s odd…” Fluttershy thought aloud. “There weren’t supposed to be any storms in the Pegasi’s weather report today.”
Shaking her head, Fluttershy turns toward a frowning Angel Bunny.
“I’m sorry Angel, I don’t think I’ll be going to the market today,” Fluttershy explained. “It might rain, and when it rains, there’s thunder. And when there’s thunder, there’s lightning. I don’t need to remind you lightning is very, very dangerous.”
But Angel merely looks at her with heavy thumps of his foot. A manner that says, ‘I want it when I want it, when I say that I want it!’. In short, Angel Bunny wants a cherry right now and is not having it any other way.
A sigh escapes Fluttershy’s lips, knowing exactly what the white rabbit expects out of her. Even though she is very clear it is not wise to be out during the rain, not with a brewing storm… and the thunder… and the lightning that is to fry the insides of even the strongest pony. Just thinking of such a gruesome fate makes Fluttershy’s body tremble with fear.
“A-A-Are you sure you absolutely need a cherry for your salad?” Fluttershy asked. “Can’t I just get you the cherries tomorrow? Besides, I doubt the market’s even open—”
But an abrupt head shake from Angel Bunny cuts her off mid-sentence. Once more, Fluttershy sighs and proceeds to head toward the door. Opening it wide, she soon trots at a rapidly quick pace toward the marketplace.
“Oh Fluttershy, why do you let yourself do these things?” Fluttershy argued to herself. “Why do you always do what you don’t want to do? You’d think you’ve learned by now—”
*THUNK!!!*
“OUCH!”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Fluttershy apologized. “I-I didn’t mean to.”
She leans down to help whichever pony she happens to bump into, and sure enough it is none other than Ponyville’s resident party-pony herself, Pinkie Pie. The eternally happy, as well as energetic, best friend to Fluttershy… and ‘every’ pony she knows.
“Oh, it’s oki-doki-lokey artichoke, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Funny enough, I was just on my way to see you actually. But turns out you were already on my way or else we wouldn’t have bumped into each other and—”
“Oh Pinkie Pie, what is it that you need?” Fluttershy asked, staring at the sky nervously.
“Ooh… you’re good!!!” Pinkie Pie gasped, with a jaw drop. “How’d you even know I was coming over to tell you about the HUGE storm on its way? Coincidentally enough, I was asking myself how Ponyville could possibly have a storm on the way if we weren’t scheduled for some bad weather. I already figured you’d have absolutely nothing to do with the weather, as my bestest-best friend prefers to remain firmly on the ground. So then I was thinking that perhaps Rainbow Dash made an executive decision—”
“Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinke!” Fluttershy called out, nudging her shoulder.
“Yes Fluttershy?” Pinkie fluttered her eyelashes.
“First off, let’s call it a lucky guess,” Fluttershy spoke quietly. “Secondly… did you say a HUGE storm is on its way?!”
“Uh… pretty sure I just said that a couple paragraphs ago,” Pinkie said, face-hoofing. “I really need to cut down on my sugar consumption of the day… make that a week’s. Anyway, I love to stick around and chat some more, but I really better get going. See ya later Flutters!”
And before Fluttershy can utter another word, Pinkie Pie is already bouncing down the road like a rubber tiger on springs. But not before she looks back over her shoulder toward a rather nervous Pegasus pony.
“If I were you, I’d be getting home quickly! The rain could be coming any second!!!”
And Fluttershy just stands there, feebly waving a hoof while a twinge of fear remains on her face.
“Oh dear!” Fluttershy cringed. “I really must hurry if I’m to get to the market before it starts raining.”
Sure enough, a slight drizzle plops on her head snapping her back to reality. Fluttershy quickly starts to gallop toward the marketplace as quick as her legs can carry her. All she can rely on is the hope of getting there shortly before the sky starts pouring rain like cats and dogs falling from the sky. But the build-up of dark clouds shrouding the clear blue skies are a sheer sign that Fluttershy is playing a heavy gamble.
<>
Shortly upon arriving at the marketplace, Fluttershy slows down her pace to catch her breath. Eventually, she continues her way through the area before reaching the cherry cart itself.
“Now… if I can at least get Angel’s cherries, I’ll be okay,” Fluttershy informed herself.
Soon enough, she approaches the cherry cart as she takes out some bits from her bag. This draws the attention of the vendor running the cart.
“And what can I do for you ma’am?” The vendor asked.
“Um… I just need some cherries please,” Fluttershy answered quietly.
“Cherries, you say?” He grinned slightly. “And how many do you need?”
“Uh… two dozen please.”
“Righty ho,” The vendor spoke pleasantly. “Here you go ma’am.”
And with little to no trouble, the vendor hands Fluttershy a bag of two dozen cherries. And he even counts the number of cherries himself.
“That’ll be six bits,” The vendor spoke.
Satisfied with the price, Fluttershy graciously takes the cherries and hands the bits over to the vendor.
“Thank you very much sir,” Fluttershy said.
“Any day ma’am,” He tipped his hat.
Shortly after purchasing the cherries, Fluttershy looks up and spots that the clouds are starting to sprinkle above the town.
“I may be able to get the rest of my things before it really starts raining,” Fluttershy thought.
After running around and making the rest of her purchases, Fluttershy quickly gallops for home as quick as she can. But she does not get very far the moment it starts to rain.
“No, no, no!” Fluttershy yelled internally. “It can’t start raining yet! I’m not home! Ooh… why couldn’t I have been more assertive with Angel Bunny!”
*THWONK!!!*
Once more, Fluttershy runs straight into somepony. Only the pony is so strong, the collision knocks ‘her’ over instead.
“I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy apologized. “Ooh… talk about déjà vu, huh?”
“Eeyup!” The stallion said.
Picking herself up, Fluttershy looks up to the eyes of the stallion she runs into. And sure enough, it is none other than Big MacIntosh, or just ‘Big Mac’ for short, standing over her holding an umbrella. Seeing the poor pony tremble under the rain, he silently holds the umbrella over her damp head.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered.
“No problem…” Big Mac spoke, rather awkwardly. “I-uh… Pinkie told me-uh, that-uh… you-marketplace… rain.”
Poor Big Mac is not much for a conversation, least not in his older years. The soft-spoken stallion suddenly finds himself stammering just trying to put together an appropriate sentence for the kindly Pegasus. She merely looks up to him, seeing he is trying so hard to find words that fail to meet his lips.
“I-uh, thought, umbrella-rain…”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Fluttershy giggled. “Thank you for bringing an umbrella, Big Mac. I was hoping not to get soaked on the way home.”
“Uh-your welcome.”
<>
As Fluttershy and Big Mac walk home together on the pathway just outside town, Fluttershy can’t help but be glad to not get caught in the rain. Pinkie Pie surely knows Fluttershy’s original thought is walking through the cold rain, at risk of lightning striking her, and surely relays the message to Big Mac. Leave it to one of her best friends to ask Big Mac to provide a favor for her.
Eventually, the pony pair arrive safely at Fluttershy’s cottage shortly before the storm gets any worse. With a nod of his head, Big Mac bids Fluttershy goodbye and begins his own trek for home in Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy looks on as the wind sweeps her mane to the side before she turns back and enters the safety of her home.
“Angel, I’m back!” Fluttershy called out.
And sure enough, the white bunny sits in the same exact place Fluttershy last sees him. But soon as Fluttershy enters the house, he rushes toward her bouncing around in delight.
“Okay, okay, I get it!” Fluttershy chuckled, over his antics. “You must be excited for what I’ve bought from the store.”
Fluttershy opens her bags, placing a single cherry on top of the salad still sitting on the table in the center.
“Here you go Angel,” Fluttershy announced. “A nice big cherr—”
*BOOM!!!*
“EEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP!!!!!”
And Fluttershy quickly hides under the table, as quickly as the booming thunder bellows. Angel Bunny merely looks toward the Pegasus, shaking his head side-to-side.
“Y-Y-You better appreciate the things I do for you Angel,” Fluttershy stammered. “You walk out there during a storm, then you’ll see what I mean…”
