A Gift for Pinkieby Winter_SolsticeChaptersA 'Mitty' MomentA Pegasus on a Mission!The GiftA 'Mitty' MomentFluttershy sat by herself in a corner of the crowded Sweets shop, delicately sipping her chamomile tea. All around her, ponies were bustling in and out, buying cakes, donuts, special orders, hot drinks...it was very chaotic! And while most ponies were polite enough, or at least weren't overtly rude, there were more than a few who were...hmmm..."stressed?" so to Fluttershy's Fluttershy Eyes, spoke a little sharper than they should have to the staff. Through it all, she watched the pink pony serve each and every customer with a cheery smile, no matter how they treated her. The little yellow pegasus winced as the door banged open, a chilly breeze blew in, and her least favorite pony in Town barged into Sugarcube Corner. Pointedly ignoring the busy line, Spoiled Rich marched right up to the counter and declared, "I am here for my special order, clerk! Don't keep me waiting!" Pinkie put on her most professional smile and said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rich, but as you can see, there are many other customers ahead of you. If you'll kindly go to the back of the line, we'll serve you as soon as we can!" Spoiled looked down her nose at Pinkie and sneered, "Do you know to whom you are speaking?! My husband and I own this town! You all are quite fortunate we even bother to grace your grubby establishment with our business, as we could buy our products from the finest confectionaries across Equestria! Now, retrieve my special order At. Once! Or you'll never see another tenth-bit from us again!" Pinkie looked to be on the verge of tears, but she quickly smiled and braced herself, then began with, "I'm deeply sorry, but---" and that's as far as she got before she was cut off by Mrs. Cake. "Here you go, Mrs. Rich!" she said, hoofing her a large, elaborate, triple-layer cake. It was covered in intricate decorations, such as pony-angels that rotated and tiny stars that sparkled. "Just as you ordered!" Then she added, "Please remember, Mrs. Rich, this cake is extremely delicate! Do not spill any on yourself, for that frosting would take hours to get out of your fur!" "Please!" snorted Spoiled, "I am not some clumsy, Clouseau-type waiter! It's not like I'm going to fall face-first into it!" After throwing a bag of bits on the counter she turned away, but not before one last jab at Pinkie. "You might want to consider hiring some professional help, Mrs. Cake!" She turned away with another sneer and had almost made it to the door when she was tripped by a little yellow hoof. She fell face-first into her cake with a >SPLAT!< as the entire Shop went completely silent. She slowly stood up, now a complete mess, with an angel twirling merrily on top of her head, then looked around. "Who? Tripped? ME?!?" A quiet little pegasus took a sip of her tea, then calmly replied, "I did." Spoiled's eyes grew wide, and shaking with rage she growled, "How DARE you!" Fluttershy set down her tea and faced her squarely. "How dare I?' How dare you? You are so mean to other ponies, all the time, but why? You and your family have everything you need, and you could be so nice, but you're just plain mean..." Spoiled's face, underneath the cake, flushed red, and she spluttered, "Tha...That's not true! I am SO a nice pony! I---" Fluttershy just shook her head. "No. No, you're not. And everypony in Town knows it." She sighed. "I honestly feel sorry for you." Spoiled looked at her in horror, then she looked around at all the other ponies, and could see the Truth in their eyes! She WAS a bad pony! She WAS a mean pony! Oh, HOW could she have been so WRONG?! Hanging her head in shame, she said, "You're right, Fluttershy; I have been a bad pony." But then she raised her head, her face brightened, (under all the cake) and she declared, "But from now on, with Celestia as my witness, (placing a cake-covered hoof over her heart), I WILL NEVER BE A MEAN PONY AGAIN!" Then she marched out of the Shop with her head proudly held high! (covered in cake) There was a beat of complete silence, then everypony broke out into cheers! Pinkie came from around the counter, party cannon in tow, and shot off confetti and streamers! Triumphant music began playing! The ponies grabbed Fluttershy and hoisted her high over their heads, cheering, "FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!" "....Fluttershy? Fluttershy! You okay?" Pinkie waved her hoof in front of her face. Fluttershy startled and looked up. "Oh! Pinkie!" She looked around. "What happened?" "You've been sitting there for a while now, just staring off into space with a dreamy look on your face. What were you thinking of?" Fluttershy looked around. She must have been there for far longer than she'd intended, for the place was mostly empty. Only one or two ponies were still finishing their treats, and they soon got up and left. She looked at Pinkie. "I...must have fallen asleep for a few minutes." She looked around again. "Did...Mrs. Rich come in a little bit ago?" Pinkie smiled. "She sure did, and we took extra special jiffy care of her, just like we always do!" Pinkie paused and cocked her head. "Why do you ask?" Fluttershy dropped her eyes to her now cold tea cup. "Oh, I was just afraid she was...mean to you..." Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively. "Pbbbt! Mean customers don't bother me! I can always make a frown go upside down, silly!" But as she was turning away, her smile still seemed a bit...forced, and she let go a small sigh as she picked up a broom. The place was an absolute wreck, as there had been such a rush of customers the three of them, the Cakes and Pinkie, simply hadn't had time to keep up with both taking orders and bussing tables. The Cakes were in the back, taking care of the kitchen, which left Pinkie to do the entire dining area by herself. Fluttershy's Fluttershy Heart cracked a bit watching her. "Can...I help you clean up?" Pinkie looked back at her and paused in the middle of sweeping. "No, no..." she said after a moment, "we've got this! Hearth's Warming is in just a few days! I'm sure you have loads of stuff you need to do! You go enjoy your holiday!" Fluttershy nodded, then left. But just as she closed the doors, she was sure she could hear somepony beginning to softly weep. Author's Note For those readers too young to remember James Thurber, the 'Mitty' moment is a reference to his character in the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which is basically about a shy, unassuming man who constantly daydreams himself to be in various adventures. I thought it would an amusing side to Fluttershy's character in this short story. There was an excellent movie done recently involving Walter Mitty starring Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, but I thought I'd simply include a short video I found on Youtube for those that didn't want to sift through a two-hour long movie. ALSO, after thinking about it, I realize most younger readers won't get what Spoiled is talking about when she sneers about "not being a 'Clouseau-type' waiter." The joke is a reference to Peter Sellers' character Inspector Clouseau, from The Pink Panther movies of the 60s. He played a bumbling, stumbling, uber-overconfident French police detective that somehow always managed to solve whatever crime he was working on, despite his ineptitude! The Simpsons picked up on this in an early episode: A Pegasus on a Mission!From that moment on she resolved to keep an eye on her pink friend. And while Pinkie was right, in that there were indeed tons of things for Fluttershy to do before the holiday, she still made time to drop by the sweets shop at least once a day. What she saw the first day after seeing Mrs. Rich come in made her Fluttershy Heart sink even further. Some of the locals could be quite rude, but the tourists? Especially those snooty, stuck-up unicorns from Canterlot? They could be abominable. She'd just made it into Sugarcube Corner the next afternoon about an hour after lunch when she saw something that made her Fluttershy Blood boil. She never had any close dealings with unicorns (or Earth ponies!) before moving to Ponyville from Cloudsdale, and since then the only unicorns she considered close friends were Rarity and Twilight. So she didn't know how...elitist some could be. But as she stood there that afternoon in the Corner with her mouth hanging open, that view certainly changed! "I said fresh carrot juice, Miss!" exclaimed the tourist, as she deliberately poured it out onto the floor. "Now take this cup back and get me a proper beverage!" Pinkie's smile faltered a bit as she looked for a moment at the new puddle, then back up at her customer, but she soldiered on and said, "I'm super-duper sorry, ma'am, but that was fresh carrot juice! If you like, I can get you something else?" "Whatever!" huffed the unicorn, not bothering to look at her as she'd already turned back to her companions and continued her conversation. Pinkie took the cup off the table and left to go behind the counter without saying anything, just as another group of Canterlot tourists came in. The look in Pinkie's eyes as she took a moment to briefly stare at them would have been missed by anypony that wasn't already suspecting something was wrong. For many years, long after her founding, Ponyville had been largely ignored as a "backwater" hamlet. Her only distinctions were her proximity both to the Capital and the Everfree Forest, and her uniquely mixed population. But that was before the Return of Nightmare Moon, and the events that followed. Now Ponyville was hostess to not only the Elements of Harmony but her very own Alicorn Princess, complete with Castle! But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's perspective) this meant a much greater influx of tourists. From the perspective of a little yellow introvert, her feelings sat squarely in the former. And after being a model, for however brief a time, only made matters worse. There were still fresh billboards all over Equestria featuring her smiling face (for which she didn't get paid ONE Bit, due to some shady business maneuverings from a disgruntled Photo Finish), which sometimes made the simple act of going to the Market a stressful ordeal. For even in the off-season, at least once or twice a month, she would be buying groceries for herself or her animals or having tea with one of her friends, and a complete stranger would run up to her and insist on getting a picture! Over time, she'd gradually learned to live with it, but during any of the Holidays, it was particularly difficult. Which made her mission to look after Pinkie all the harder. So that was why it became extremely frustrating for her when she tried to enlist the help of her other friends. On her way to talk to Rainbow, she was stopped in the street by no less than three strangers who recognized her. "Say!" declared the first one. "I know you! You're in an advertisement right outside my window! I can't believe it's you!" The stallion turned to his buddies, as she tried to slink away. "Hey, guys! Look who it is! It's that pegasus babe from that billboard, 'Butterfly'!" "Ummm...my name's 'Fluttershy'..." "Right, right, 'Fluttershy!' Can we get a picture with you?!" Instead of waiting for an answer, two of them crowded next to her with one throwing his hoof over her shoulder, while the third snapped the picture. Just as the third one was moving in for his turn, they all heard an angry, "Hey! Jerks! Can't you see she doesn't want to be in your stupid pictures?!" They all looked up, only to see a very perturbed rainbow-hued pegasus hovering there. But instead of being frightened, or even indignant at her interruption, they all became excited. With stars in their eyes, they all gazed up at her in wonder. Finally one breathed, "You...you're Rainbow Dash..." Taken aback by their unexpected adoration, Dash hesitated. "Well...yes. Yes, I am..." Then she shook herself. "But that's beside the point! You guys are bothering my friend! Cut it out!" They were still staring up at her, then one managed, "Sure, of course, whatever you say! But...can we get...your autograph?" Soon, there was a crowd of tourists that surrounded Dash, all vying for her attention. Which also unintentionally pushed Fluttershy far to the back of the crowd. "Say! Isn't that...that...Wonderbolt...what's her name? Dash, something? What's she doing here?" one way off in the crowd asked. "Rainbow Dash! And you don't know a thing about her! She simply loves this backwater, hick town!" the other answered. Fluttershy startled and looked at the ponies who had spoken, but they took no notice of her. "Quiet, dummy! If that is her, she might hear you!" "You're the dummy! How many other ponies do you know with manes like that? I'm gonna go get her autograph!" Fluttershy sighed and eventually flew away. Going to see Applejack proved to be no more helpful. As soon as she landed, she could see the place was crowded, with dozens upon dozens of ponies she'd never seen before! But upon noticing they all had the same apple-themed cutie marks, she used her Fluttershy Brain to figure out they were all relatives of Applejack! They were all friendly enough, but when she tried to ask any of them where she could find her friend she got conflicting answers, as nopony knew where anypony was in the giant herd! Just as she had given up and was in the air flying away, she heard, "Fluttershy! Whoa, gal, come on back! Ah heard you was lookin' fer me!" She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to land. But just as she was about to tell her about Pinkie, at least six other ponies suddenly rushed up to Applejack and shouted, "Applejack! We're all out of fritters, the banjo player just got sick, we're startin' the dance in a few minutes, the sheep just got loose, Auntie Ester just started another feud with Auntie Goldie, what do we do?!?" Applejack shot a look of apology at her friend and called out over her shoulder as she rushed off, "Ah'm sorry, sugarcube; Ah gotta take care of this! But don't leave, Ah'll listen to whut you got to say as soon as Ah can!" And off they went. She watched her go, then heaved a Fluttershy Sigh, and flew away. This ended up being the result with each of her other friends: Rarity was swamped with work, and too busy to even see her, while Twilight and Spike had both been called off to Canterlot. Fluttershy eventually had to give up and went back to her cottage, made herself a cup of tea, and sat down on her couch, quietly thinking. All around her were her decorations, which her animals had helped her place: garlands looped along the stairs, tinsel hung from the ceiling, and a living tree had been placed in the center of the room, all sparkles, and twinkles. It was all very festive, but still, her Fluttershy Heart felt heavy. Then, she sat up and firmed her jaw. Pinkie still needed help, and if her friends couldn't help, then there was only one pony left who could! "And that would be me!" The GiftIt was Hearth's Warming Eve, and if she was going to pull this off, and make Pinkie happy, then she was going to have to use all of her Fluttershy Skills! After awakening at dawn, and feeding her animals, she rushed over to Sugarcube Corner to be one of the first customers in line. Then came to an abrupt halt in midair when she saw she wasn't the only pony with the same idea. Apparently, as she found out much later that evening, Hearth's Warming Eve was also the Town's yearly Procrastination Day (besides Tax Day, ...coughRainbowDashcough), and everypony of COURSE needed their "special orders" that they TOTALLY didn't forget to ask for in advance! So in other words, the Corner was swamped with bustling, anxious, impatient customers, who all wanted their treats now NOW NOW! Fluttershy watched with growing dismay as the Shop's staff became increasingly overwhelmed. She had never seen it like this, and looking around again, she soon discovered why: Still being the introvert and recluse she was, she'd nevertheless made the effort the past few Moons to get out more and make herself available to meet new ponies. This had worked out well for her, especially concerning her duties as an amateur veterinarian. Even so, as she scanned the crowd, she quickly realized she only recognized one out of every three faces...the rest were total strangers. That meant, as her Fluttershy Brain informed her, sometime in the past few Moons there had been a rapid influx of new residents, along with the obvious tourists. And they were all being Very Rude! Her Fluttershy Heart began beating rapidly, and she ground her Fluttershy Teeth. ...and that's when she snapped... It was a very subdued, quiet, and humble group of ponies that left Sugarcube Corner an hour later. They were in single file, holding some confection or another, still with stunned looks on their faces. Not all of them had exactly what they'd ordered, but ALL of them were only too glad to get something and leave...just so long as they never, ever had to incur the wrath of...her... She was still weeping softly when there was a quiet knock on her door two hours later. She briefly considered not answering it, but then she heard, "Fluttershy? It's me, Pinkie, and the Cakes. Can...we talk to you?" Her face flushed bright red, but she dried her eyes, went to the door, and reluctantly opened it a crack. She looked out at them, and sure enough, it was Pinkie, and both Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Seeing the concern in their eyes only made her feel more ashamed, so she almost closed the door again, but Pinkie stepped forward and put her hoof on the door. "Please, Fluttershy! We really just want to talk to you! Let us in...please?" Fresh tears poured down her face, but she turned away and let them in as she made her way over to her couch and sat facing away from them. They all took seats opposite her and sat quietly, giving her all the time she needed. After a few minutes, in a shaky voice, she whispered, "You...you must think I...I'm a bad pony..." Mrs. Cake's hooves flew to her mouth as she began to cry herself, as she said, "No, dear! We don't think that at all! What you did was very brave! We have never had anypony stand up for us like that!" Mr. Cake chimed in. "In our line of work, sweetie, we get rude customers all the time, but we are not allowed to be rude to them. We have to remain professional!" And here he broke into a broad grin. "But now, everypony will think twice before being openly rude to us again, thanks to you!" Fluttershy still hung her head in shame. "But...but how can I ever face anypony ever again?" She sighed as she turned tearful Fluttershy Eyes up at them. "They...they must all think I...I'm a...crazy pony..." Pinkie got up from her place and sat next to her, then gently took her hoof in hers. "Please don't think that, Fluttershy..." she said. "All of us have been wanting you to become more assertive...what you did today did far more good than harm..." She gave her hoof a squeeze. "I'm super-duper proud of you!" Fluttershy wiped her tears away and looked at her. "You...you really mean that?" Pinkie gave her a Pinkie Smile. "Of course I do, silly!" Fluttershy looked around at the Cakes, then back at Pinkie. "Thank you. Thank you all." Then she squeezed her friend's hoof back. In a timid voice, she said, "Can...can I talk to you...alone?" The Cakes, well known for their discretion, heard this request and stood. "If there's anything we can do for you, Fluttershy, please don't hesitate to ask!" said Mr. Cake. Mrs. Cake closed the distance and gave her a hug. "Happy Hearth's Warming, dear...thank you again." Then she smiled up at her husband as they both turned and left, closing the door quietly behind them. Once they were gone, Fluttershy fidgeted with her hooves as she worked herself up to speak. Seeing she was having trouble, Pinkie "The Tactless Wonder" Pie, said, "Ooo! Your face is turning red! Are you embarrassed about something else?" Fluttershy winced at her directness but soldiered on. "I...I just wanted to say..." and here she looked at her, "I'm glad what I did helped the Cakes...but..." Pinkie leaned forward eagerly. "Buuuut...?" Fluttershy held her gaze. "...but I didn't really do it for them..." Pinkie's eyes grew wide. "Really? Oh, I love guessing games!" She started bouncing on the seat. "Let me see: was it...for Twilight?" Pinkie shook her head. "No, no...that can't be right...she wasn't there!" Her face brightened. "OOO! I know! It was for the twins! Their parents have been under a lot of stress this holiday, so you did it to help them out! Is that right?! Huh? Is it?!" Fluttershy Sighed a Fluttershy Sigh. "No, Pinkie, it wasn't for any of them." She turned to her and took both her hooves in hers to stop her bouncing. "It was for a very, very dear friend of mine, who has been under a great deal of stress, but didn't want anypony to know it..." Pinkie stared back into her eyes. "Oh?" Then her eyes grew wide as realization dawned. "OH!" Her face changed and grew softer. "You...you did that...for...ME?" Her eyes grew misty. "How...did you know...how I was really feeling?" Fluttershy blushed and looked away. "It's...it's important to me," and here she looked up again, "that you're...happy." "...oh my..." Her Fluttershy Heart beating like a rabbit, she mustered her courage and quietly said, "If...if you don't mind...I'd like to give you...one more...Gift..." Pinkie warmly smiled back and whispered, "I'd love a gift from you, Fluttershy..." Fluttershy closed her Fluttershy Eyes, leaned forward... ...and... ...gave her... ...a sweet... ... Fluttershy... ...Kiss...
A 'Mitty' MomentFluttershy sat by herself in a corner of the crowded Sweets shop, delicately sipping her chamomile tea. All around her, ponies were bustling in and out, buying cakes, donuts, special orders, hot drinks...it was very chaotic! And while most ponies were polite enough, or at least weren't overtly rude, there were more than a few who were...hmmm..."stressed?" so to Fluttershy's Fluttershy Eyes, spoke a little sharper than they should have to the staff. Through it all, she watched the pink pony serve each and every customer with a cheery smile, no matter how they treated her. The little yellow pegasus winced as the door banged open, a chilly breeze blew in, and her least favorite pony in Town barged into Sugarcube Corner. Pointedly ignoring the busy line, Spoiled Rich marched right up to the counter and declared, "I am here for my special order, clerk! Don't keep me waiting!" Pinkie put on her most professional smile and said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rich, but as you can see, there are many other customers ahead of you. If you'll kindly go to the back of the line, we'll serve you as soon as we can!" Spoiled looked down her nose at Pinkie and sneered, "Do you know to whom you are speaking?! My husband and I own this town! You all are quite fortunate we even bother to grace your grubby establishment with our business, as we could buy our products from the finest confectionaries across Equestria! Now, retrieve my special order At. Once! Or you'll never see another tenth-bit from us again!" Pinkie looked to be on the verge of tears, but she quickly smiled and braced herself, then began with, "I'm deeply sorry, but---" and that's as far as she got before she was cut off by Mrs. Cake. "Here you go, Mrs. Rich!" she said, hoofing her a large, elaborate, triple-layer cake. It was covered in intricate decorations, such as pony-angels that rotated and tiny stars that sparkled. "Just as you ordered!" Then she added, "Please remember, Mrs. Rich, this cake is extremely delicate! Do not spill any on yourself, for that frosting would take hours to get out of your fur!" "Please!" snorted Spoiled, "I am not some clumsy, Clouseau-type waiter! It's not like I'm going to fall face-first into it!" After throwing a bag of bits on the counter she turned away, but not before one last jab at Pinkie. "You might want to consider hiring some professional help, Mrs. Cake!" She turned away with another sneer and had almost made it to the door when she was tripped by a little yellow hoof. She fell face-first into her cake with a >SPLAT!< as the entire Shop went completely silent. She slowly stood up, now a complete mess, with an angel twirling merrily on top of her head, then looked around. "Who? Tripped? ME?!?" A quiet little pegasus took a sip of her tea, then calmly replied, "I did." Spoiled's eyes grew wide, and shaking with rage she growled, "How DARE you!" Fluttershy set down her tea and faced her squarely. "How dare I?' How dare you? You are so mean to other ponies, all the time, but why? You and your family have everything you need, and you could be so nice, but you're just plain mean..." Spoiled's face, underneath the cake, flushed red, and she spluttered, "Tha...That's not true! I am SO a nice pony! I---" Fluttershy just shook her head. "No. No, you're not. And everypony in Town knows it." She sighed. "I honestly feel sorry for you." Spoiled looked at her in horror, then she looked around at all the other ponies, and could see the Truth in their eyes! She WAS a bad pony! She WAS a mean pony! Oh, HOW could she have been so WRONG?! Hanging her head in shame, she said, "You're right, Fluttershy; I have been a bad pony." But then she raised her head, her face brightened, (under all the cake) and she declared, "But from now on, with Celestia as my witness, (placing a cake-covered hoof over her heart), I WILL NEVER BE A MEAN PONY AGAIN!" Then she marched out of the Shop with her head proudly held high! (covered in cake) There was a beat of complete silence, then everypony broke out into cheers! Pinkie came from around the counter, party cannon in tow, and shot off confetti and streamers! Triumphant music began playing! The ponies grabbed Fluttershy and hoisted her high over their heads, cheering, "FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!" "....Fluttershy? Fluttershy! You okay?" Pinkie waved her hoof in front of her face. Fluttershy startled and looked up. "Oh! Pinkie!" She looked around. "What happened?" "You've been sitting there for a while now, just staring off into space with a dreamy look on your face. What were you thinking of?" Fluttershy looked around. She must have been there for far longer than she'd intended, for the place was mostly empty. Only one or two ponies were still finishing their treats, and they soon got up and left. She looked at Pinkie. "I...must have fallen asleep for a few minutes." She looked around again. "Did...Mrs. Rich come in a little bit ago?" Pinkie smiled. "She sure did, and we took extra special jiffy care of her, just like we always do!" Pinkie paused and cocked her head. "Why do you ask?" Fluttershy dropped her eyes to her now cold tea cup. "Oh, I was just afraid she was...mean to you..." Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively. "Pbbbt! Mean customers don't bother me! I can always make a frown go upside down, silly!" But as she was turning away, her smile still seemed a bit...forced, and she let go a small sigh as she picked up a broom. The place was an absolute wreck, as there had been such a rush of customers the three of them, the Cakes and Pinkie, simply hadn't had time to keep up with both taking orders and bussing tables. The Cakes were in the back, taking care of the kitchen, which left Pinkie to do the entire dining area by herself. Fluttershy's Fluttershy Heart cracked a bit watching her. "Can...I help you clean up?" Pinkie looked back at her and paused in the middle of sweeping. "No, no..." she said after a moment, "we've got this! Hearth's Warming is in just a few days! I'm sure you have loads of stuff you need to do! You go enjoy your holiday!" Fluttershy nodded, then left. But just as she closed the doors, she was sure she could hear somepony beginning to softly weep. Author's Note For those readers too young to remember James Thurber, the 'Mitty' moment is a reference to his character in the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which is basically about a shy, unassuming man who constantly daydreams himself to be in various adventures. I thought it would an amusing side to Fluttershy's character in this short story. There was an excellent movie done recently involving Walter Mitty starring Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, but I thought I'd simply include a short video I found on Youtube for those that didn't want to sift through a two-hour long movie. ALSO, after thinking about it, I realize most younger readers won't get what Spoiled is talking about when she sneers about "not being a 'Clouseau-type' waiter." The joke is a reference to Peter Sellers' character Inspector Clouseau, from The Pink Panther movies of the 60s. He played a bumbling, stumbling, uber-overconfident French police detective that somehow always managed to solve whatever crime he was working on, despite his ineptitude! The Simpsons picked up on this in an early episode:
A Pegasus on a Mission!From that moment on she resolved to keep an eye on her pink friend. And while Pinkie was right, in that there were indeed tons of things for Fluttershy to do before the holiday, she still made time to drop by the sweets shop at least once a day. What she saw the first day after seeing Mrs. Rich come in made her Fluttershy Heart sink even further. Some of the locals could be quite rude, but the tourists? Especially those snooty, stuck-up unicorns from Canterlot? They could be abominable. She'd just made it into Sugarcube Corner the next afternoon about an hour after lunch when she saw something that made her Fluttershy Blood boil. She never had any close dealings with unicorns (or Earth ponies!) before moving to Ponyville from Cloudsdale, and since then the only unicorns she considered close friends were Rarity and Twilight. So she didn't know how...elitist some could be. But as she stood there that afternoon in the Corner with her mouth hanging open, that view certainly changed! "I said fresh carrot juice, Miss!" exclaimed the tourist, as she deliberately poured it out onto the floor. "Now take this cup back and get me a proper beverage!" Pinkie's smile faltered a bit as she looked for a moment at the new puddle, then back up at her customer, but she soldiered on and said, "I'm super-duper sorry, ma'am, but that was fresh carrot juice! If you like, I can get you something else?" "Whatever!" huffed the unicorn, not bothering to look at her as she'd already turned back to her companions and continued her conversation. Pinkie took the cup off the table and left to go behind the counter without saying anything, just as another group of Canterlot tourists came in. The look in Pinkie's eyes as she took a moment to briefly stare at them would have been missed by anypony that wasn't already suspecting something was wrong. For many years, long after her founding, Ponyville had been largely ignored as a "backwater" hamlet. Her only distinctions were her proximity both to the Capital and the Everfree Forest, and her uniquely mixed population. But that was before the Return of Nightmare Moon, and the events that followed. Now Ponyville was hostess to not only the Elements of Harmony but her very own Alicorn Princess, complete with Castle! But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's perspective) this meant a much greater influx of tourists. From the perspective of a little yellow introvert, her feelings sat squarely in the former. And after being a model, for however brief a time, only made matters worse. There were still fresh billboards all over Equestria featuring her smiling face (for which she didn't get paid ONE Bit, due to some shady business maneuverings from a disgruntled Photo Finish), which sometimes made the simple act of going to the Market a stressful ordeal. For even in the off-season, at least once or twice a month, she would be buying groceries for herself or her animals or having tea with one of her friends, and a complete stranger would run up to her and insist on getting a picture! Over time, she'd gradually learned to live with it, but during any of the Holidays, it was particularly difficult. Which made her mission to look after Pinkie all the harder. So that was why it became extremely frustrating for her when she tried to enlist the help of her other friends. On her way to talk to Rainbow, she was stopped in the street by no less than three strangers who recognized her. "Say!" declared the first one. "I know you! You're in an advertisement right outside my window! I can't believe it's you!" The stallion turned to his buddies, as she tried to slink away. "Hey, guys! Look who it is! It's that pegasus babe from that billboard, 'Butterfly'!" "Ummm...my name's 'Fluttershy'..." "Right, right, 'Fluttershy!' Can we get a picture with you?!" Instead of waiting for an answer, two of them crowded next to her with one throwing his hoof over her shoulder, while the third snapped the picture. Just as the third one was moving in for his turn, they all heard an angry, "Hey! Jerks! Can't you see she doesn't want to be in your stupid pictures?!" They all looked up, only to see a very perturbed rainbow-hued pegasus hovering there. But instead of being frightened, or even indignant at her interruption, they all became excited. With stars in their eyes, they all gazed up at her in wonder. Finally one breathed, "You...you're Rainbow Dash..." Taken aback by their unexpected adoration, Dash hesitated. "Well...yes. Yes, I am..." Then she shook herself. "But that's beside the point! You guys are bothering my friend! Cut it out!" They were still staring up at her, then one managed, "Sure, of course, whatever you say! But...can we get...your autograph?" Soon, there was a crowd of tourists that surrounded Dash, all vying for her attention. Which also unintentionally pushed Fluttershy far to the back of the crowd. "Say! Isn't that...that...Wonderbolt...what's her name? Dash, something? What's she doing here?" one way off in the crowd asked. "Rainbow Dash! And you don't know a thing about her! She simply loves this backwater, hick town!" the other answered. Fluttershy startled and looked at the ponies who had spoken, but they took no notice of her. "Quiet, dummy! If that is her, she might hear you!" "You're the dummy! How many other ponies do you know with manes like that? I'm gonna go get her autograph!" Fluttershy sighed and eventually flew away. Going to see Applejack proved to be no more helpful. As soon as she landed, she could see the place was crowded, with dozens upon dozens of ponies she'd never seen before! But upon noticing they all had the same apple-themed cutie marks, she used her Fluttershy Brain to figure out they were all relatives of Applejack! They were all friendly enough, but when she tried to ask any of them where she could find her friend she got conflicting answers, as nopony knew where anypony was in the giant herd! Just as she had given up and was in the air flying away, she heard, "Fluttershy! Whoa, gal, come on back! Ah heard you was lookin' fer me!" She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to land. But just as she was about to tell her about Pinkie, at least six other ponies suddenly rushed up to Applejack and shouted, "Applejack! We're all out of fritters, the banjo player just got sick, we're startin' the dance in a few minutes, the sheep just got loose, Auntie Ester just started another feud with Auntie Goldie, what do we do?!?" Applejack shot a look of apology at her friend and called out over her shoulder as she rushed off, "Ah'm sorry, sugarcube; Ah gotta take care of this! But don't leave, Ah'll listen to whut you got to say as soon as Ah can!" And off they went. She watched her go, then heaved a Fluttershy Sigh, and flew away. This ended up being the result with each of her other friends: Rarity was swamped with work, and too busy to even see her, while Twilight and Spike had both been called off to Canterlot. Fluttershy eventually had to give up and went back to her cottage, made herself a cup of tea, and sat down on her couch, quietly thinking. All around her were her decorations, which her animals had helped her place: garlands looped along the stairs, tinsel hung from the ceiling, and a living tree had been placed in the center of the room, all sparkles, and twinkles. It was all very festive, but still, her Fluttershy Heart felt heavy. Then, she sat up and firmed her jaw. Pinkie still needed help, and if her friends couldn't help, then there was only one pony left who could! "And that would be me!"
The GiftIt was Hearth's Warming Eve, and if she was going to pull this off, and make Pinkie happy, then she was going to have to use all of her Fluttershy Skills! After awakening at dawn, and feeding her animals, she rushed over to Sugarcube Corner to be one of the first customers in line. Then came to an abrupt halt in midair when she saw she wasn't the only pony with the same idea. Apparently, as she found out much later that evening, Hearth's Warming Eve was also the Town's yearly Procrastination Day (besides Tax Day, ...coughRainbowDashcough), and everypony of COURSE needed their "special orders" that they TOTALLY didn't forget to ask for in advance! So in other words, the Corner was swamped with bustling, anxious, impatient customers, who all wanted their treats now NOW NOW! Fluttershy watched with growing dismay as the Shop's staff became increasingly overwhelmed. She had never seen it like this, and looking around again, she soon discovered why: Still being the introvert and recluse she was, she'd nevertheless made the effort the past few Moons to get out more and make herself available to meet new ponies. This had worked out well for her, especially concerning her duties as an amateur veterinarian. Even so, as she scanned the crowd, she quickly realized she only recognized one out of every three faces...the rest were total strangers. That meant, as her Fluttershy Brain informed her, sometime in the past few Moons there had been a rapid influx of new residents, along with the obvious tourists. And they were all being Very Rude! Her Fluttershy Heart began beating rapidly, and she ground her Fluttershy Teeth. ...and that's when she snapped... It was a very subdued, quiet, and humble group of ponies that left Sugarcube Corner an hour later. They were in single file, holding some confection or another, still with stunned looks on their faces. Not all of them had exactly what they'd ordered, but ALL of them were only too glad to get something and leave...just so long as they never, ever had to incur the wrath of...her... She was still weeping softly when there was a quiet knock on her door two hours later. She briefly considered not answering it, but then she heard, "Fluttershy? It's me, Pinkie, and the Cakes. Can...we talk to you?" Her face flushed bright red, but she dried her eyes, went to the door, and reluctantly opened it a crack. She looked out at them, and sure enough, it was Pinkie, and both Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Seeing the concern in their eyes only made her feel more ashamed, so she almost closed the door again, but Pinkie stepped forward and put her hoof on the door. "Please, Fluttershy! We really just want to talk to you! Let us in...please?" Fresh tears poured down her face, but she turned away and let them in as she made her way over to her couch and sat facing away from them. They all took seats opposite her and sat quietly, giving her all the time she needed. After a few minutes, in a shaky voice, she whispered, "You...you must think I...I'm a bad pony..." Mrs. Cake's hooves flew to her mouth as she began to cry herself, as she said, "No, dear! We don't think that at all! What you did was very brave! We have never had anypony stand up for us like that!" Mr. Cake chimed in. "In our line of work, sweetie, we get rude customers all the time, but we are not allowed to be rude to them. We have to remain professional!" And here he broke into a broad grin. "But now, everypony will think twice before being openly rude to us again, thanks to you!" Fluttershy still hung her head in shame. "But...but how can I ever face anypony ever again?" She sighed as she turned tearful Fluttershy Eyes up at them. "They...they must all think I...I'm a...crazy pony..." Pinkie got up from her place and sat next to her, then gently took her hoof in hers. "Please don't think that, Fluttershy..." she said. "All of us have been wanting you to become more assertive...what you did today did far more good than harm..." She gave her hoof a squeeze. "I'm super-duper proud of you!" Fluttershy wiped her tears away and looked at her. "You...you really mean that?" Pinkie gave her a Pinkie Smile. "Of course I do, silly!" Fluttershy looked around at the Cakes, then back at Pinkie. "Thank you. Thank you all." Then she squeezed her friend's hoof back. In a timid voice, she said, "Can...can I talk to you...alone?" The Cakes, well known for their discretion, heard this request and stood. "If there's anything we can do for you, Fluttershy, please don't hesitate to ask!" said Mr. Cake. Mrs. Cake closed the distance and gave her a hug. "Happy Hearth's Warming, dear...thank you again." Then she smiled up at her husband as they both turned and left, closing the door quietly behind them. Once they were gone, Fluttershy fidgeted with her hooves as she worked herself up to speak. Seeing she was having trouble, Pinkie "The Tactless Wonder" Pie, said, "Ooo! Your face is turning red! Are you embarrassed about something else?" Fluttershy winced at her directness but soldiered on. "I...I just wanted to say..." and here she looked at her, "I'm glad what I did helped the Cakes...but..." Pinkie leaned forward eagerly. "Buuuut...?" Fluttershy held her gaze. "...but I didn't really do it for them..." Pinkie's eyes grew wide. "Really? Oh, I love guessing games!" She started bouncing on the seat. "Let me see: was it...for Twilight?" Pinkie shook her head. "No, no...that can't be right...she wasn't there!" Her face brightened. "OOO! I know! It was for the twins! Their parents have been under a lot of stress this holiday, so you did it to help them out! Is that right?! Huh? Is it?!" Fluttershy Sighed a Fluttershy Sigh. "No, Pinkie, it wasn't for any of them." She turned to her and took both her hooves in hers to stop her bouncing. "It was for a very, very dear friend of mine, who has been under a great deal of stress, but didn't want anypony to know it..." Pinkie stared back into her eyes. "Oh?" Then her eyes grew wide as realization dawned. "OH!" Her face changed and grew softer. "You...you did that...for...ME?" Her eyes grew misty. "How...did you know...how I was really feeling?" Fluttershy blushed and looked away. "It's...it's important to me," and here she looked up again, "that you're...happy." "...oh my..." Her Fluttershy Heart beating like a rabbit, she mustered her courage and quietly said, "If...if you don't mind...I'd like to give you...one more...Gift..." Pinkie warmly smiled back and whispered, "I'd love a gift from you, Fluttershy..." Fluttershy closed her Fluttershy Eyes, leaned forward... ...and... ...gave her... ...a sweet... ... Fluttershy... ...Kiss...
