Love Is Immortal - A Twishy Story

Chapters

Chapter 1: Dreaming About You
Chapter 2: The Perfect Pony For Me
Chapter 4: Warmth Amongst Each Other
Chapter 5: Fantasy Of Everlasting Love
Chapter 6: In The Months That Passed PART 1
Chapter 3: Mutually Assured Affection

Chapter 1: Dreaming About You

The Dream

A yellow pegasus with a pink mane stood in an open green field that stretches out as far as the eye can see. This field is littered with butterflies and flowers in a bright array of colors, creating a rainbow of wings and petals. She couldn't be more content to be here, listening to the happy sounds of birds and rustling trees, despite neither of those things being physically present. However, she doesn't question this and continues to enjoy the peaceful ambience that surrounds her.

But something was missing. Something that could make this wonderful place even better. As if answering this thought, a lavender unicorn materializes into the field with a flash of bright purple magic, not too far from the pegasus. She yelps a bit and jumps back at first, but quickly calms down and approaches the new figure. However before she can get close enough, the unicorn grows a pair of wings and flies off into the horizon, leaving the poor pegasus all alone.

It was only then when she realized how lonely this life truly was. This field may be wonderful, but what's the point if she wasn't sharing it with somepony she loves? Now slumping down on the ground, the pegasus cries softly into her front hooves. The landscape around her begins to morph, the grass darkening into a deep shade of blue and the flowers becoming thick vines. Everything is closing in on her, the sounds of birds and trees gone. There's nopony to help her, and there isn't much time left before she would become fully engulfed in this wave of volatile nature, growing more and more out of control as she cries onto the now tangling grass with absolutely no escape, her worst fears coming to life as she...

Fluttershy

I open my tear-filled eyes as my sleep is interrupted by Angel Bunny smacking me in the side of the face. I let out a soft cry of pain. My eyes begin squinting out of instinct, still very tired and wanting more rest. The sun is shining brightly through my window, indicating that I woke up late, something I rarely ever do. Angel taps his foot expectantly, a clear sign that it's time for me to feed him RIGHT NOW.

"Ok, ok, I'm getting up..... just.... give me a second...." I start to drift back off, my eyes shutting closed. Angel smacks me again. I let out a soft "eep!" and jolt right out of bed in an instant. My face hurts a little bit, but I really did need that.

I let out a soft yawn, some tears still lingering in my eyes from the dream. Or was it a nightmare? I couldn't really tell. Either way, I thank Angel for the wake-up call and make my way out of my room and into the kitchen to fix up some food for all of my little and not-so-little critters.

"I am so, so sorry to all of you for waking up late. I just haven't been able to get much sleep since all of that complicated stuff with the summer sun celebration and Twilight's coronation...." I get lost in thought for a second. "Twilight....... Oh, I know I should tell her how I feel.... and I was going to! But it's just.... her being a princess now makes this so much more complicated than it used to be, and she deserves somepony so much better than me...."

I slump to the ground, prompting many of my animal friends to rush over to me in sympathy, comforting me. I manage to work up a soft smile. "Oh, all of you are just so sweet.... Let's get you precious ones fed, shall we?" I pick myself up off the ground, and finish preparing breakfast for all of the animals. I then fly around the house, giving them all their food.

Angel Bunny is always so picky about his meals being perfect, so I always prepare and give him his food last so that the other animals don't starve to death while I'm feeding him. Angel obviously isn't happy with this arrangement, but if his standards weren't so high I wouldn't have to do it like this.

After giving Angel his meal and then finally feeding myself, my next task is to tend to my garden. I head outside and water my flowers as fast as I can, not wanting to be seen by anypony in my current state. I take a bit of extra time to water a lavender flower that I've had ever since I moved into the cottage, since it's so special to me. It always reminds me of Twilight whenever I look at it, which never fails to put a smile on my face. I still don't know why it hasn't wilted after all this time, but it's not like I'm complaining about it or anything.

I head back inside from caring to my flora, and I go to sit down on the couch and just rest. These past few days have been so confusing.... I almost wish that everything could go back to normal, back when things were simple. But that just wasn't going to happen, was it?

I... I love Twilight so much. I've just been sulking on my couch for about an hour now, unable to get her out of my mind. "Maybe she'll feel the same way?" I think to myself, hopefully. No. That would never happen. Why would a princess like her ever want to be with some nopony like me? If I told her my true feelings, at best she'd laugh at me and at worst.... well.... I don't want to think about that. I shake my head frantically to try and rid myself of these invasive thoughts and then curl up into a ball.

"Maybe I just don't deserve anypony...... At least I'll always have my animal friends..." I look over to all of the woodland critters, most of whom have now gathered by the couch trying to cheer me up. It wasn't working, but I really do appreciate the gesture oh so much.

They always look out for me, and try to get me back up and going when I'm down in the slumps. It's so sweet of them, but it's just not the same as having a special somepony. Somepony I can love and trust with all my heart, giving them unconditional affection whenever they need it. "sigh... I won't ever find somepony, will I? At least not one who likes me back..."

I feel a tap on my shoulder as Angel hops onto the couch and starts communicating with me. I can always tell what he's saying from his foot taps. "You're right Angel.... I really should do something to keep my mind off of it....... Oh I know! I'll make some tea! That always helps clear my thoughts. Thank you so much Angel, I really don't know where I'd be without you." I give Angel a little nuzzle and then slowly fly back to the kitchen to start preparing the tea.

Oh but which one to choose? There's just so many options. I have earl grey, rooibos, peppermint, blueberry, lavend- .....I think I'll skip that one for now. I decide on a nice rooibos with honey and milk, one of my personal favorites. I start up the kettle and set out my favorite mug with a cute moth pattern on it. Once the kettle starts whistling I pour the now boiling water into my mug, and start the steeping process of the tea. "You know what, Angel? Maybe today won't be so bad after all."

Twilight

"Let's see here..." I levitate one of the many books littered across the library floor over to my face and read the cover. "The Mare's Guide On How To Find The Perfect Stallion" Ugh, pass. I send it over to the bookshelf of books that I never plan to read. I've never really been interested in romance, and most stallions just don't connect with me very well. Right after I put it into the shelf of shame where it belongs, Spike bursts out from under a mound of books, scattering them across the ground.

"Spike, I need you to stop fooling around. This is serious!" Spike looks at me with a puzzled expression.

"What's so serious about sorting books? Seems pretty unimportant to me." I let out something halfway between a scoff and a sigh. He NEVER understands why things like this are such a big deal.

"Because Spike, I'm a princess now. And if somepony walked into a princess's library and the books weren't even organized by subject, name, color, shape, texture, smell AND taste, that princess should be stripped of her title and thrown away into the Everfree Forest!!!" My heart is pumping out of my chest and I'm starting to shake with anxiety.

"Twilight, I think you might need to calm down a little bit." This remark snaps something inside of me.

"What are you talking about?! I AM PERFECTLY CALM!!!!!" It was at this moment that I realized I am not, in fact, calm. I take a few deep breaths like Fluttershy taught me to do, and focus back into reality. I notice that my new wings flapped out in my outburst, blowing away some books in the process. I slowly lower them to my sides as I more constructively criticize Spike's behavior.

"Spike, you have been running around the Library begging me for gems that I'm saving for my spells, knocking over books and being a general nuisance. I need to get this stuff sorted now that I'm back here, and you aren't exactly being very helpful with that."

"Well, it seems like you've got the whole 'knocking over books' thing covered with your wings." He points to the pile of books left in the wake of my rage with an innocent smile on his face.

"Spike, please don't do this to me today.... The past few days have already been really stressful with the coronation and everything, and I really just can't put up with your whole 'thing' you have going on right now." I have a look of absolute desperation, but he doesn't seem to care.

"Heheh, I can tell! You were fuming!"

"SPIKE, I AM GOING TO-" I stop myself, and take an exasperated breath. "-go out for a walk. I should probably get a bit of fresh air... and maybe I can find some help with sorting the books, since SOMEpony isn't being very cooperative right now." Spike perks up, clambering onto one of the piles of books sprawled across the floor.

"Ooooooooo- If you're going to Rarity's, be sure to ask her to make me a-" I didn't hear the rest of his request, since I closed the door on him before he could finish.

It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining and there's just the right amount of wind. As soon as I started my stroll around Ponyville I knew that I made the right decision to get some fresh air. Now, who to go to first? Hmmmmm... Applejack is always super reliable, but Rarity does live closer. I could also go to Pinkie, but she's likely to cause even more problems than Spike. I guess I'll go to Rarity first, though she's probably slaving away at a new design or something like that.

I make my way over to the Carousel Boutique, moving at a nice slow pace to absorb all of my surroundings. On my route to the Boutique I pass by Cafe Hay and take in the nice scent of fresh coffee and pastries, taunting my nostrils. A few ponies gawk at my wings as I pass by and bow down out of obligation, but I ignore them. I never asked to become an alicorn and while the wings are definitely nice, I'm not really a huge fan of the status that comes with them. Things were just so much simpler before, and everything's been changing so fast. Lost in thought, I find myself at Rarity's ever-fancy residence and invite myself in.

"No Opalescence, down! Get off of that dress, it's for-" The award winning cat rips through a rather expensive looking outfit, and Rarity winces in agony. "...Never mind. sigh, I suppose I'll have to repair that one later......" Looks like I'm not the only one with domestic issues right now. Rarity glances over, and notices me in the doorway.

"Oh Twilight! I was so busy dealing with... this that I didn't see you come in! So sorry if you visited for a makeover, but it appears that my schedule has suddenly gotten a lot messier." Rarity gives Opalescence a glare rivaled only by that of Fluttershy, and the cat licks her paws in pride.

"No makeover today, I was just wondering if you'd like to help me sort out the library, but it seems like you've got your hooves full at the moment..." Rarity rolls her eyes.

"Oh, I would've loved to help if it wasn't for this furball, but here we are." Rarity's eyes light up as she looks over at my wings, her pupils filling with inspiration. "That does remind me though, I simply must design you a new dress for those wings! I'll get to work on it right away, now that you're a princess you just have to look as presentable as possible at all times!"

"No it's fine Rarity, I really don't need-" She cuts me off by stuffing a hoof in my mouth.

"Bup bup bup! Don't say another word, darling. This is a fashion disaster that I absolutely have to fix immediately! Come back, say, tomorrow and I'll have something workshopped for you." It's pretty obvious that she just wants the opportunity to tailor a dress for a princess, but I reluctantly nod my head and make my way out of the Boutique as she starts frantically drawing up a design.

I guess Rarity's a bust.... I'll go to Applejack's next. She's who I wanted to ask first anyways. But as I trot my way over to Sweet Apple Acres, a certain pink pony catches me by surprise with her sudden appearance. "Hey Twilight! Whatcha doin'? Is it something fun?"

"Hey, Pinkie.... I'm just trying to find people to help with some book sorting." I immediately realize the error I just made. Pinkie starts to get this massive grin on her face. Oh no.

"Oooooooooo- can I come?! We can have a book party!" I look at her with my head tilted, confused at her proposition.

"Um... Pinkie, I don't know if-"

"There'll be book cake and a book piñata and we'll make book forts and have a book cold war and-"

"PINKIE! I'm sorry, but this isn't going to be some fun party. I really need to get the library sorted, and one of your fiestas is going to do the exact opposite of that!" Pinkie looks a bit disappointed, and I start to feel a little bad for shutting her down so fast.

"Awwwwwwwww..... Okie dokie lokie! Let me know if you ever want to have that book party!" She bounces away, as happy as can be. She sure perked up fast. Anyways... with that distraction out of the way I finally reach Sweet Apple Acres, home of the best apple-based goods in Equestria. Applejack and Big Mac seem to be setting up support sticks on the sides of some of the apple trees.

"Come on, Big Mac! We gotta git all of these supports up before tommorah night!" I walk over to her, not quite sure what she's doing.

"Hey there, Applejack. What's all this fuss about?" She looks over at me, sweat trickling down her face.

"Oh, hi Twilight. Ah was just preparing tha weaker trees for that rainstorm next night. Ah heard from tha pegasi that they plan to have a biggun! If ah don' get all of these here supports up, the trees could be in real danger." Big Mac affirms this with a simple "Ayup."

Applejack takes a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "Ah, but where are mah manners? What did yah come here for, Twilight?" I was so distracted by what she was saying that it takes me a few seconds to respond.

"Oh... I came to ask for help at the library, but it seems like you're also pretty busy..." Applejack winces apologetically, clearly wanting to help.

"Ahm so sorry, ah really am. But this is somethin' that ah gotta do as soon as ah can, so ah really can't help yah out there."

"No it's fine, this is clearly way more urgent. I'd offer to help if my own schedule wasn't so tight right now..." She shakes her head, silencing my guilt.

"Ah, don't you worry yerself about it. If yah need somepony ta help at the library, maybe Rarity could provide some assistance?"

"Already asked her, but she's busy. Seems like everypony has something going on today." Applejack thinks for a second, clearly still tired from the hard work she's been doing.

"Mhm..." A support beam planted by Big Mac clatters to the ground nearby, grabbing Applejacks attention. "Welp, guess ah gotta deal with this." She says, with a bit of disdain. Big Mac gives a guilty smile in response. "Good luck on finding help with yer book stuff!"

"You too!" Why did I say that? Whatever, I ignore Applejack's snicker at my lunkheaded response and turn to leave. Let's see, who's left? I don't even need to ask Rainbow to know that she wouldn't be interested, so that just leaves.... Fluttershy.

Sigh, I really didn't want it to come to this. Recently I've been starting to get a strange feeling in my stomach around her. I don't know what it is, and I've never felt anything like it before. I meant to do some research on it before seeing her again, but I've just been so busy and never got the time. I guess I'm out of options though, so I take a deep breath and make my way over to Fluttershy's cottage.

Fluttershy

I take a sip of my tea. The temperature is just perfect, the boiled water mixing with the cool milk. Oh, this really was just what I needed. I smile gingerly, finally feeling like myself again. Just then, I hear a knock at the door. Good thing I made enough tea for two, company would honestly be very nice right now.

"I'll be right there!" I yell out softly, as I walk over to the door. However, I was not prepared for a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes to be staring back at me upon opening the door.

"Oh..... hi..... Twilight.........." My voice trails off as I cower, hiding behind my wings. Twilight smiles softly at me, melting my heart into a puddle of goo.

"Hey there, Fluttershy." Her voice is so beautiful, I feel unworthy in its majestic presence. "Sorry to bother you like this, but I was just wondering if you could help me out with something." I attempt a response, but all I can formulate is a tiny little whimper of a squeal. Twilight looks at me with genuine concern. "Are you okay there, Fluttershy? You don't have to come help if you're not feeling well." I try to respond once again.

"No..... I'm.... I'mreallyfine......" I take a deep breath, in a vain attempt to calm my nerves. "I just.... wasn't expecting you here......." I take another deep breath as I move my wings out of the way of my face. ".....But I'm okay now. What.... what did you need help with?" Twilight's look of concern quickly changes back into one of friendliness as she hears that I'm okay, and fully moves inside of the cottage.

"Oh, I needed some help with sorting the books back at the Golden Oak Library. It's an absolute disaster over there, and Spike is being....." She lets out an exasperated sigh. "...less than helpful. I love the little guy, but he can be a bit much sometimes." I hung onto every word that came out of her beautiful mouth until she stopped talking, small red blushes appearing on my cheeks as I run my hooves through my mane.

"Oh..... I....... Iwithcouldprobablyhelpthat..... I mean...... Yes.... of course I'll help you, Twilight." I give her a soft smile. "Oh, but before we go would you like some tea? I had just finished making some and I'd hate for it to go to waste...... if you're okay with that........" Twilight beams at me with the prettiest expression in the history of ponykind.

"Oh, of course I'd love to have some of your tea! You always make the best stuff, you've got to tell me how you do it at some point." I was not mentally prepared for such a nice compliment from her, and I practically melted on the spot.

"Oh it's..... it'sreallynothing........... I just use all of the fresh ingredients from my garden......." Twilight takes a seat on the couch.

"Ah, that explains it!" I fetch a mug for her and gingerly pour some of the remaining water into it, doing all of my usual steps for preparing the tea. I softly drift back to the living room, my mug in my hoof.

"All right, it should just be a minute now. We can head to the library right after, if you like." Twilight nods in agreement.

"Thank you, Fluttershy..... Oh hey, is that the mug I gave you for your birthday?" She points her hoof at the moth pattern mug I'm holding.

"Oh..... yes...... I suppose it is....... I..... just think it's cute......" Twilight laughs lightheartedly, causing that blush to reappear on my face.

"I'm glad you like it. When I saw it in the store, I just knew I had to get it for you." I was going to respond, but I ended up just getting lost in her sparkly eyes. Those eyes are just so pretty, they shine such a nice hue of purple and just exude pure compassion and friendliness....... I could look at them for hours.......

"So Fluttershy, what have you been up to lately? I haven't really seen you for the past few days, not since the summer sun celebration." This question snaps me back to reality, and I'm a bit hesitant to respond. I really haven't been doing much, mostly because I've just been thinking about her and how much I want to admit my true feelings. But of course I'm not going to tell her that.

"Oh..... you know......... not...... much........." Twilight gives me another warm smile. Sweet Celestia, I love her so much.

"Oh, well then this is a great opportunity for you to keep yourself busy! Sorting through books really isn't as boring as it sounds." I give her an appreciative nod, and then go to grab her tea for her. She pats the cushion seat directly to her side, beckoning me to sit next to her. I'm glad she was focused on her tea, because I'm sure my face went fully red from that.

I take my seat in close proximity with her, sipping my tea with glee. I want to spend the rest of my life with her so badly, but I'll need to find the right opportunity to express that. For now though, I'm perfectly content just being like this.

~End Of Chapter 1~

Chapter 2: The Perfect Pony For Me

Twilight

I'm getting that strange feeling in my gut again, and I'm sure it's not just Fluttershy's absolutely divine tea. It's so weird.... I've just never felt like this before. It doesn't feel bad in any way, just.... odd. I would tell her about it to see if she knows what it might be, but I really don't want to worry her.

She seems so happy sitting next to me sipping her tea, and nothing should ruin that. Seeing her happy always cheers me up, she's just so cute. And the way the sunlight from the window is washing over her, basking her in radiance.... I think the only word to describe it is "beautiful".

Actually there's a ton of words I could use to describe it, come to think of it. Gorgeous, pretty, magnificent, breathtaking, glorious, visually pleasing.... wait that one was two words. Am I allowed to use two words for this? I'm the one who made the rules for this, so who's to say that I can't? My own conscience, I guess. But why should my conscience care about something as trivial as this? I'm sure it will now since I thought about it, but-

My train of thought gets cut off by Fluttershy talking. "-really nice. We should do-" Crap. I missed the beginning of her sentence, I hope that part wasn't necessary. "-soon. What do you think, Twilight?" Oh no she's wanting me to respond. Why is this making me so nervous? Just ask her to repeat herself. No, I can't do that! If she knew that I wasn't listening, she'd think I was a terrible friend!

Uhhhhhhh.... just nod and hope for the best? I silently nod my head with a grin on my face. Oh, I think she liked that. She's smiling. "Oh, I'm so glad that you agree." Quick, say something before she thinks that you're weird!

"Hahaha, you too!" Oh no. I can clearly tell by the way she's looking at me that I had said the wrong thing.

"Um.... th.... thanks?" As much as I wanted to savor it, I quickly gulp down the rest of my tea to escape this awkward situation.

"Well! We should uh... probably get going to the library now? Those books won't sort themselves!" She quickly nods in agreement, clearly also wanting out of this conversation.

"Oh, of course. We wouldn't want to start too late...."

We walk up to the cottage door together, and Fluttershy sweetly says goodbye to her animal friends before leaving. As we enter the great outdoors she takes a deep breath, savoring the fresh air around her. I guess she really hasn't been out much lately.

The warm summer breeze lightly rustles her soft fur and pink mane, and that feeling in my stomach is starting to return. Wanting to keep my mind off of it and also feeling bad for butchering our previous conversation in cold blood, I try to start up some light chatter as we make our way over to the library.

"Sooo..... how have you been doing? Has the cottage recovered from that whole thing with the Everfree Forest?" As I speak, she lets out a tiny squeal in surprise. Seems like she was lost in her own head, but she quickly recovers and responds to my question.

"Oh..... yeah..... that......." She ponders for a moment, doing what I can only assume as reliving bad memories inside her mind. "The cottage itself is back to normal.... as you saw........ but a lot of the animals still haven't mentally recovered from it." I give her a sympathetic nod.

"The library got hit pretty hard as well. It's actually the reason why it's such a mess over there, I've just been so busy with all this princess stuff that I haven't been able to actually do anything about it." Fluttershy visibly cowers a bit at the word princess, I don't really understand why but I ignore it.

"It's not all that bad though, sorting through books means that you get to read stuff that you never would have otherwise. And besides, it also means that I get to spend some time with you, which is always a treat." If the last sentence made her cower a bit, this one both physically and mentally destroyed Fluttershy.

"I- wha- you-" She's stammering really hard, and she does her best to hide her face from me for some reason. "I didn't- I........ thank you........" Her wings are outstretched, and I swear that I can see a bit of blush on the part of her face that she wasn't able to cover with her hooves and mane. "That...... that means a lot to me. It..... it really does."

Fluttershy seemed to be in a really good mood after that, she just kept on smiling as we made our way through Ponyville. We stayed pretty much silent for the rest of the walk. I wonder why that made her so flustered? It's normal for friends to compliment each other like that, right? Was it normal? Was I being weird?

What I said was true, Fluttershy is always a delight to hang out with. She's just so kind and sweet. She also seems to at least partially share my social anxiety issues, though hers are definitely more pronounced. Before I know it, we reach the library. I open the door for her, and I can hear her gasp as she walks into the absolute warzone that is my home.

"Oh my...... you really weren't kidding when you said it was a disaster in here." I follow in behind her, just in time to see her look around at all of the books strewn across the floor. I let out an embarrassed chuckle. It really is an irredeemable mess. It actually looks worse than when I left it, thanks to a certain purple dragon. "Thank goodness I came to help, I can't imagine how long this would take to do on your own."

"Yeah..... you better get comfy, because we're going to be here a while." I pick up the first book that catches my eye off the ground with my magic. "Let's see here.... Spells For Nature And How To Use Them. Hey, this one sounds interesting!" I flip open the book to a random page, reading it off. "The eternal flower spell is a very powerful spell that can extend the lifetime of a flower infinitely, and is commonly used alongside a time travel spell to preserve nearly extinct species of-" I get cut off from reading the rest of it, as I hear an all too familiar burp and the book turns to ashes in my hooves. "SPIKE!!!!" My tone is filled with pure rage directed at the little reptile.

"Sorry Twilight.... I've been holding that one in for a while and I couldn't help it anymore." He looks genuinely guilty about it. Ugh, now I feel bad for yelling at him. "Oh, hey Fluttershy! Did you come to help deal with this literature landfill?" Fluttershy gives me a look of concern as she can see what I've had to deal with all morning.

".....Yes Spike. I'm here to help with the library." She flies over to him. "But you're just such an adorable little dragon that I won't be able to help until you head upstairs and go to sleep. Could you do that for me?" She has this really soft and genuine sweetness in her voice as she talks to him, like her words are laced with honey.

"Hahaha..... Okay Fluttershy....." That seemed to do the trick, as the little rascal promptly went up to the stairs and into the bedroom. Fluttershy turns around and smiles at me, prompting me to get that feeling in my gut once again. I catch myself staring at her, and I shake my head to refocus.

"All right, let's get these books sorted. I don't expect us to do them all today, so I hope you don't have any plans for the next couple days."

"Oh, no, I don't think I had anything planned....." She thinks for a second, as if debating whether to say something or not. "Actually.... I was wondering if.... tomorrow..... you.... you mightwanttogooutwith........?" She sulks into the floor as her voice gets quieter, before becoming completely unintelligible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What were you trying to ask me?"

"Oh........ it...... it wasn't very important........ just forget about it.............." I give her a confused glance.

"All right then." I decide not to press it further, since she's clearly uncomfortable. We start sorting out the books and making some light conversation. As we chat it almost feels like there's some sort of tension in the air, but I can't quite put my hoof on what it is. It doesn't bother me though. I just love talking with her, she's so pleasant to be around and it makes want to be a better pony just for her.

The whole time she's been here I've been getting that odd sensation. I secretly skimmed through a few books on related topics as we sorted through them trying to find an answer as to what it could be, but to no avail. About 7 hours later, I look out the window and am shocked as to how late it's gotten.

"Oh wow, it's evening already?! It only feels like you got here a couple of hours ago." Fluttershy looks up from a book she was looking through, and changes her focus right on me. It makes me feel all fuzzy to have her look at me like this, and that feeling inside me is burning hotter than it ever has before.

"I guess.... time flies when you're having fun? I really did enjoy my time with you here Twilight, even if we barely made a dent into this mess." I give her a lighthearted chuckle.

"I enjoyed this as well. Same time tomorrow?" A smile softer than all of the pillows in Equestria appears on her face.

"I would love to." There's that feeling again. I can't ignore it anymore, I need to tell somepony about it. I really didn't want to worry her, but maybe she'll know something about what it might be.

"Fluttershy, there's something that I've been wanting to tell you." All of a sudden, her face perks up with hope and anticipation.

"Yes?" This was.... not the reaction I was expecting. Why does she look so happy? I start to advance towards her, my eyes lost in her visage.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but recently I've-" I don't get to finish my sentence however, as I trip on a pile of books landing right on top of....

Fluttershy

Twilight's right on top of me. I lay sprawled on the ground with my back against the floor, my wings splayed out to my sides. Twilight's face is inches from my own, and I can feel her breathing both from her mouth onto my muzzle and from the fluctuations in her chest against mine. I usually hate it when somepony is this close to me, touching me. But with her it feels..... nice, soft. I feel safe and protected, despite her having crashed into me only moments prior.

Neither of us say anything. We're both in shock, but I swear I can see a bit of..... happiness on Twilight's face? Is she also enjoying this? We just spend the next minute staring into each other's eyes, absolutely bewildered with one another. I want to break the silence so bad, tell her I love her and then kiss her right on that beautiful muzzle of hers. But as much as I want to, I can't. I'm such a coward.

I have the perfect opportunity to tell her how I feel being offered to me on a silver platter like I'm in a fairy tale, but I'm still too scared to say anything. Oh, why am I like this? Why can't I just be more confident? Twilight breaks my thoughts by clearing her throat and finally getting up off of me. I secretly wished that she would never get up, and just stayed on me like that forever. I guess all dreams have to end eventually.

"I'm uhhhh..... really sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I just-" She pauses for a second. "Sorry." I try my best to hide my disappointment as I respond.

"It..... it's really fine....... I'm not hurt or anything." That was a lie. I may not be hurt physically, but the emotional damage from that is something I'll be feeling for an entire week.

"I uhhhh... can probably finish the rest of this myself with Spike finally calmed down." She looks really guilty. Does she feel bad for staring at me for so long? Oh no, she probably thinks that I hate her. I..... I have to do something about this. Before I can speak, she continues talking. "Thank you so much for your help..... I wouldn't have made this much progress without you."

"No.... no problem......." Quick Fluttershy, say something! Ask her out! If you don't do it now, you might never get another chance! Seize the moment! "Hey....... Twilight.......... would you...... like to....... I was...... wondering if.......... you...... want.......... would you........ with me....... dinner..........." My voice chokes up, and I can't form a complete sentence.

"Yes? Were you trying to ask me something?" There's no going back now. I brace myself, and finish the question.

"Would....... wouldyouliketogooutfordinnerwithmetomorrow?" I gasp for air, breathing heavily. She looks shocked. Oh no, did I offend her? Oh no oh no oh no oh no. She's going to hate me, or laugh at me, or both. "Ummmmm...... nevermind....... you don't have to if you don't-" She cuts me off with a smile.

"I would love to, Fluttershy! A dinner does sound nice." I let out a big sigh of relief. I can't believe it. She actually said yes. Does.... does she really care about me? "Besides, it would help get my mind off of all the other stuff I've been dealing with recently. Meet together here at this same time tomorrow?"

"Y- y- yeee....." My response turns into a soft squeal. My voice is failing me, but I couldn't care less. She said yes! She wants to do this! Barely able to contain my excitement, and wanting to leave before she can change her mind, I blurt out "Seeyouagaintomorrowcantwaitthankyoubye!" and bolt out the door without even seeing her reaction.

My mane whips by my face as I run like the wind, not taking a single moment to look back at the library that I escaped from. I'm panting from exhaustion as I gallop through Ponyville, happy tears streaking past my face and splattering on the ground in my wake. A few ponies gasp as they see me run by, surely expecting there to be something frightening chasing me. But there's nothing behind me to fear except for my own decisions, and the looming anxiety of going on a date with the pony I've loved for so long.

I stop at my cottage door, gasping for air. I slowly let myself in, absolutely exhausted from the run here. I say hi to all of my animal friends and feed them their dinners, before collapsing on my bed. "I did it." I say to myself. "I asked her out." I'm too euphoric to even think about the many possible negative outcomes of this situation, at least for now. I curl up on the bed and slowly fall asleep in happiness, not having even eaten dinner myself. "Tomorrow is going to be a fantastic day."

~End Of Chapter 2~

Chapter 4: Warmth Amongst Each Other

Twilight

I've been waiting with anxiety for multiple hours now, terrified and excited for the night to come. My chat with Rainbow did little to steel my nerves, though it did help a microscopic amount. It almost sounded like she knew something that I didn't, which is pretty strange. I brush my mane for the umpteenth time, still unsatisfied with how it looks. Of course now that I actually care about it, I can't seem to get it to look right. Or maybe it always looked like this, and I just hadn't noticed it? Whatever, what matters is that it's not good enough for Fluttershy. My ears perk up as I hear a gentle knock at the door. She's here.

"Coming!" I yell out, loud enough for her to hear outside of my residence. I'm still not fully ready, but it'll have to do, considering that I'm now fully out of time. I race over to the door, straightening out my mane one last time on the way there. I open the wooden entrance to my home, and am greeted by an absolutely breathtaking yellow pegasus. Is it just me, or does she look even prettier than she normally does?

"Wow, you look.... gorgeous." I notice her blushing deeply at this remark, despite her best attempts to hide it.

"Th-thank you..... You're really pretty as well...." Aaaaaaand there's that feeling again. Except this time it's accompanied by a new feeling, a burning sensation in my cheeks. I really need to get this checked out. I just stare at her for a solid minute or so, my words losing me. The evening sky is illuminating her presence, though to me it feels more like she's the one illuminating it. The blue of the atmosphere behind her seems to bend around her delicate body, shaping it's way to extenuate her looks even more.

"Are you.... ready to go?" She says, her cheeks flaring up again for a split second.

"Oh! Ummmm... yes!" This was a lie. I am not ready at all, but I don't really have much of a choice at this point. "You can lead the way, I guess. Since like, you know where we're going and I don't, haha." Celestia, why am I so awkward? At least she doesn't seem to mind, and directs me out the door as we begin our walk. She starts to make some idle chatter at me while we make our way over to wherever we're going, which honestly catches me off guard a bit.

"I..... I'm oh so glad you agreed to this..... I really didn't think you would want to......"

"Why wouldn't I want to? You're so pleasant to be around, a nice dinner between the two of us just sounds heavenly." She responds to this with an adorable little squeak, before giving an actual verbal response.

"I..... I really....." She takes a deep breath. "I really like you, Twilight."

"Aw.... I like you too, Fluttershy. So, where are we eating?" We've already passed by a couple of restaurants that I had expected us to stop at, and we're starting to approach the edge of Ponyville.

"You'll see. It's a pretty new place, I haven't actually eaten there myself."

"I'm sure it'll be great there." This is already going a lot better than I feared that it might have. We're both smiling, and the anxious tension seems to have melted away from between us. The evening air is really refreshing, especially after all that stressful prepping I did before this. We take a turn at the outskirts of Ponyville, and stop at a place by the Great Valley River.

The sign on the establishment reads "The Earl Graze". It's an outdoor restaurant, chairs and tables lined on a patio-tile floor. The seats look like ones you'd find in a garden, metal with a flower pattern on them. The tables also seem to have a metal frame, but with a glass countertop. There are long rectangular white planters placed across the patio, with a thin layer of grass coating each one.

In the upper-left corner of the restaurant is the only walled off area, which I can only assume is the kitchen. It takes up a large amount of space, and is lacking a proper roof just like the rest of the place. It instead opts for a simple wooden cross-check pattern as a ceiling, which isn't going to keep anything out. As we step onto the patio, my nose immediately catches the delectable scent of tea and fresh herbs, which immediately puts a large smile on both of our faces.

"Wow..... this place is amazing." Fluttershy marvels at the establishment around her.

"Have you never even seen it before?" I thought she would've checked the place out with her own eyes before taking me here.

"Oh, no. But I do trust Rarity's opinion very much, and she was the one who recommended it for u-" She catches herself from saying something. "...for me." I ignore the slight hiccup in her sentence, and turn my attention towards the waiter now approaching us.

"Welcome to The Earl Graze, my beautiful mares." He has a bit of a sleazy tone to his voice, and I'm not sure how much I trust him. "I take it you have a reservation?"

"Uh.... um.... we.... we needed a reservation.....?" Fluttershy is starting to panic, clearly not prepared for this.

"No, you don't need a reservation, but I can't guarantee a table for you pretty ones if you don't have one. I can see if there's a table open but.... wait. Are you the Princess Twilight Sparkle?" I sigh. I just wanted to have a nice dinner without my royal status being brought up.

"Yes, that's me." I say, reluctantly.

"I am so sorry, your majesty! We'll have a table ready in no time!"

"Thank you, but you really don't have to treat me differently. I'm just like everypony else."

"As you wish, your majes- ...miss Twilight. Please, follow me." As we head over to the table, I notice that Fluttershy has calmed down a bit from the situation we were just in. We stop at a table with 2 seats, farther away from most of the other dining spots. "Please take a seat, I'll be back for your orders soon." As I sit down in the chair, I realize that it's not made of metal, but is actually some type of smooth dark wood. I rack my brain, trying to think of what species of wood this could possibly be before Fluttershy speaks up, interrupting my thoughts.

"So um.... what do you think you're going to order?"

"Oh! Right. Food." I look down at the menu seeing that it's primarily herbal dishes and tea, which explains the scent. I also notice that there's a flower pattern on the glass countertop, matching the ones on the chairs. I wonder what flower these are based on? I think they're modeled off of daisies, but the pistil is far too large for it to be anatomically correct. Whoever made these should really read up on flowers.

"Are you two lovely mares ready to order?" Crap. Fluttershy is ready, and I've just been analyzing the decor. Wait... is it just me, or is the waiter staring at Fluttershy? She doesn't seem to notice, so I don't say anything.

"Um..... I'll have the petunia palette...... and the Lavender Tea, please."

"A fine choice for a fine mare. And you, miss?" I may not have much social experience, but he's definitely hitting on her. Fluttershy is starting to look visibly uncomfortable, so I try to speed things along and get him out of here as soon as possible.

"I'll just have the same as her."

"Mhm. I'll be back with your food when it's ready. Feel free to enjoy the evening ambience while you wait." Much to Fluttershy's relief, he leaves. The sky is beginning to darken, from a combination of the sun setting and a swarm of clouds rolling in.

"That was.... something." Fluttershy nods, her body slightly shaking.

"Y-yeah........ I..... I'm really glad you're here with me.........." She looks down at the floor, hiding behind her mane. "I.... I just feel a lot safer when I'm around you......." That sensation in my gut is returning. I'll just follow Rainbow's advice, and tell Fluttershy what I like about her. Maybe that'll somehow help me figure out why I'm feeling like this.

"You make me feel so happy when I'm around you, Fluttershy. You're just so nice and kind, and you're really brave when you need to be." The results were immediate, she started blushing and smiling intensely without any hesitation. Seeing her like this..... it's making that fluttering in my chest go even wilder. I'm getting this urge to be with her, spend the rest of my life with her. Even if I don't understand this feeling, does that really matter? All I need to know is that it's not like anything I've ever experienced before, and I don't want it to stop anytime soon.

Fluttershy

Does..... does Twilight feel the same way I feel about her? She's been complimenting me a lot, and just the way she's looking at me...... It makes me want to say something. I want to tell her all of my feelings, and I want to do it now. I rally up all of the courage I have, take a deep breath and............ a squeak. All I could manage was a timid little squeak. Twilight cocks her head at me, baffled by my odd attempt at communication.

"I'm sorry, was there, um.... something you wanted to say?" Oh, why can't it just be simple..... I know what I want to say to her, it's just 3 short words. I love you. But no matter how hard I try, they just won't come out. My own vocal cords are my worst enemy. We sit in awkward silence for a few minutes while I mentally crumble, regretting all of my life decisions up to this point.

"Two petunia palettes and lavender teas for you two gorgeous mares?" The flirtatious voice of the waiter snaps me back to reality, and I struggle to respond. Luckily, Twilight has me covered.

"Yes, that's us! Thank you." He sets out our nearly identical meals in front of us, and takes his leave. The only thing different about our dishes is that mine appears to have some sort of paper slip on it, and Twilight takes notice of it.

"Hey, what's that thing on your plate? It looks like a note."

"Th-there's some writing on it....." I read the odd piece of paper, before squeaking in terror when I realize what it is. "Is.... is this an address?!" Twilight giggles.

"Looks like somepony has a crush on you." Twilight sees the distraught written all over my face, and quickly loses her playful tone. "Sorry! Bad joke. Do you uh.... want me to get rid of it for you?" I nod slowly. Twilight proceeds to crumple the note with her violet magic, and then tosses it into a nearby recycling bin.

"Th-thank you....."

"Aw, don't mention it Fluttershy!" She beams at me, a genuinely caring smile drawn across her muzzle. "So what do you say we start eating? I'm starving!"

"Oh.... yes, we probably should eat, shouldn't we....."

"I mean, it is a restaurant. Unless you wanted to come here to just look at the food, I guess." I softly chuckle under my breath, my previous anxiety being wiped clean. All that matters now is the beautiful pony in front of me, and absolutely nothing else. I take a bite of my food while watching her eat, completely enamored with everything about her.

"Wow, this is delicious!" Twilight ravages through her meal with gusto while I eat mine slowly, savoring every nibble.

"Yeah it's..... actually really good." By the time I'm halfway done, she's already finished. Twilight looks up from her now empty plate, staring directly at me. The evening clouds that are now layered all across the sky are hit with the light of the setting sun, painting them in a wide array of oranges, purples and pinks. As the chromatic lighting shines against the back of Twilight, everything else seems to melt away. What I see before me doesn't even look real, it feels more like something that somepony would paint on a canvas.

"You have.... really pretty eyes." My heart skips a beat, and I nearly fall out of my chair. I sit back up, my entire face smeared with the same shade of red as one of Applejack's prized crops. I toil to find any words to say, but eventually decide that none are needed. We stare at each other in complete silence for a couple minutes, but for once the noiselessness doesn't feel awkward. The only thing that shakes us from our trance is the loud, booming sound of thunder. All of a sudden, Twilight's pupils shrink to the size of a baby midge, as if she had just remembered something very important.

Before she could say anything, a torrent of frigid rain descends from above, drenching us instantly. Through the veil of endlessly falling water, I can see everypony else at the restaurant panicking and running for shelter. Without saying a word, I beckon Twilight to hurry after me as I flee the table. Together we gallop down the road, the storm battering down on us in a flurry of coldness.

Twilight lays her wing overtop of me as we rush towards my cottage in an attempt to protect me from the watery onslaught, unfortunately it only works partially. She can't see it because of the rain, but I'm crying my eyes out. Our date had finally been going well, and then some cruel rainstorm had to intrude on it. Once we reach my home, I scramble for the door to get it open as soon as possible. We burst inside and close the door with haste, our fur and wings soggy and damp. We immediately begin shivering from the coldness soaking through our bodies and collapse our haunches onto the floor, not wanting to give the furniture any water damage.

Neither of us speak, partially because our teeth are too busy jittering from the freezing temperatures and partially because neither of us can think of anything to say. What is a pony supposed to even talk about in a situation like this? I silently get up and grab a pair of towels from the bathroom, bringing them back over to the living room for both me and Twilight.

I dry myself off, wiping away the rainwater mixed with my tears, the rain still loudly crashing against the roof above our heads. Still a bit moist, we lie down on the floor, still shivering in discomfort. My cottage is admittedly not extremely well heated, relying mostly on the fireplace for warmth. I didn't think to buy any firewood, since I didn't consider that I'd be needing it during the middle of the summer. My mind wanders as the never-ending sounds of the storm reverberate throughout the domicile, echoing into my ears.

My thoughts adrift, I recollect the time when I first met Twilight. She was so nice and friendly, but I wasn't brave enough to even say my name to her. I could tell that there was something special about her as soon as I laid eyes on her, like some innate sense that this was the one. I'd never felt that way about anypony before, and my feelings for her only grew as we spent more time together.

I still feel awful for how I treated her during our first interaction together, I should've spoken up, said anything to her. She looked like she genuinely wanted to know me and I just.... went silent. Of course I opened up more after I saw Spike, but that's just because I feel a lot more comfortable around animals than ponies. Obviously I know now that Spike is essentially a young pony at heart, but at the time I thought he was just an animal that was capable of talking. I also loved having the opportunity to talk to a dragon, since any dragon larger than Spike would have me running away in tears. At least until Twilight gave me the courage I needed to confront one.....

A soft sensation at my side jolts me back to present day, and I look over to see that Twilight has moved right next to me, our flanks and wings touching. My cheeks burn a bright red, and I scoot in a little bit closer to remove some more of the distance between us. She's still a bit damp, but the warmth from her body heat courses through me, feeling better than anything I've ever felt in my entire life. A few moments later, I feel her shuffle herself yet closer to me, clearly also enjoying this heat that we're sharing.

Her warmth is so intoxicating, it makes me wonder how far I can push this. Not wanting to overstep her boundaries, I slowly drape my wing over her, acting as a blanket. Almost instantly, I hear a sigh come from beside me and feel a head rest at my shoulder. Blushing profusely, I dare not look over, as tempting as it is. Does..... does she really share the same feelings I have for her?

Twilight

This feels...... nice. That sensation in my chest is fluttering like mad right now, but I couldn't be happier about it. The warmth from Fluttershy's body is absolutely heavenly, and I can't help but move as close to her as I possibly can. I nestle my muzzle even more into her neck, feeling her soft fluff all across the side of my face. She definitely did a better job drying up than I did, her fur is nowhere near as damp as mine is, or at least it doesn't feel like it is. I can sense her breathing getting shallower through her neck, as if she's scared of something. Did I go too far? Oh no, I haven't read anything about this! I'm not prepared for a situation like this at all and she's going to hate me and--

....She turns her head and rests it on top of mine. It feels comforting, like nothing can hurt us so long as we're together. All of my anxious thoughts turn to dust, forgotten in the wind beneath her wings. Well technically she's not flying right now, but the metaphor still works. It's not like there's some rulebook on metaphors that everypony has to abide or they go to philosophy jail, is there? Oh wait, is there? I genuinely don't know, but I'd have to assume that-- wait, what is she doing?

Fluttershy shifts on top of me in a way so that her front half is draped over mine, with her flank still to my side. She lifts my wing up with her muzzle, and starts preening it. Oh shining Celestia in the sky, that feels so good. I whimper in pleasure as she nips at my feathers, straightening them out. Ripples of ecstasy travel through my body with each feather she preens, filling me with unsaturated euphoria. After an uncertain amount of time that I wish was longer, she shifts off of me and gestures for me to roll over onto my back. I oblige, turning myself hoof-side up and splay my wings out to my sides. Fluttershy then starts to slowly lay herself flat across my stomach and gets to work on my other wing.

The second time feels even better, mostly because of our soft barrels touching each other as she does it. This sensation of her caring for me with such gentle grace is just pure bliss. I let out a few more soft whimpers as she continues to preen me, everything else melting away. It's still raining, but I can no longer hear the sounds of water rapping against the roof. All I can hear is the cute little soft sounds she makes, as every fiber of my being is focused on her.

My mind starts to wander with thoughts about Fluttershy as she plucks at my feathers, eventually landing on the first time we met. When I saw her for the first time, I was absolutely exhausted from everypony else I had met that day. They were all just so.... much. Of course I grew to like them soon after, but I had nothing but contempt for them at the time. But with Fluttershy, I could immediately tell there was something different about her from the others. She didn't assault me with a barrage of words and welcoming, she was nervous and scared. In a way, I related to her.

This was the one pony I had met that day that I actually wanted to get to know, and not just because Spike had been pestering me about finding friends. I tried my best to be cheerful and friendly to her, but my lack of social experience got the better of me. I scared her off, and didn't even learn her name. That is, until she started talking to Spike. If I could go back and change one thing about how I handled that situation, it would've been how I treated her after that.

I felt bad about it almost immediately after I slammed the door on her, she was genuinely nice and caring, but my social exhaustion and jealousy towards Spike got the better of me. Of course I didn't feel awful about it for much longer that day, what with Pinkie's surprise party, but looking back on it now I feel absolutely terrible about how I acted. All of a sudden, I feel my self pity wither away as Fluttershy finishes preening the last of my feathers.

She lifts her muzzle from my wing, satisfied with her work. As soon as she does, I reach out to her and pull her right up close to me. She's now laying parallel on top of me, my eyes staring right into hers. It reminds of yesterday in the library when I fell on her, except this time the roles are reversed. I can feel our breaths colliding together in a chemical reaction between us, creating a new scent that I can't get enough of.

Eventually we roll onto our sides, still holding the same position as before except we now have equal altitude. I wrap my forehooves around her, pulling her in just a bit closer. Fluttershy shuffles herself a bit before curling up and nuzzling her face right into my chest. The sensation of her breath against my barrel is like nothing I've ever felt before, and it urges me to also wrap my hind legs around her, feeling as much of her as I possibly can.

The warmth that we've provided together has seared away any memory of us once being cold, replacing it with a new flame burning in our hearts. My eyelids start to feel heavy, and I can sense myself starting to doze off. But then for the first time since we entered the cottage, Fluttershy speaks, her words muffled into my chest but still intelligible.

"I love you, Twilight."

This is something I was not prepared for in the slightest. At first, I was confused. I don't understand why somepony would truly love me, let alone somepony as amazing as Fluttershy. But then the pieces start to fly together in my head, and I think I finally understand what that feeling I've been getting around her is. I close my eyes, and say one last thing before entering the world of blissful dreams.

"I love you too, Fluttershy."

~End Of Chapter 4~

Author's Note

This ends Act 1 of this fanfic, and I would like to personally thank you for reading it this far! There will be 3 Acts in total for this fic, each one exploring a different phase in Twilight and Fluttershy's relationship. I hope you look forwards to more, and have good rest of your day/night!

(also is nopony gonna mention how they never paid for that food?)

Chapter 5: Fantasy Of Everlasting Love

The Fantasy

The yellow pegasus once again finds herself in that field of which she could only dream of. It's such a nice place, but the loneliness of it has only grown more apparent over the years she's spent here. The butterflies that frolic around the flowers aren't ones for conversation, and the bird songs cry out from non-existent avians. She is completely alone, lost in the meadow of her own headspace.

The pegasus believes that nopony else will ever come here and stay with her, because she's not worth their time. As much as she wishes that this beautiful place could be shared, she knows that it's not meant to be. Even if she found somepony, they would just abandon her again. She lies down on the field in defeat, getting ready for it to consume her with sorrow once again. But this time, a lavender alicorn appears right next to her in a flash of bright purple magic.

She lies down next to the pegasus, draping her wing over her and providing comfort. The pegasus expects this figure to fly away at any moment, but that moment never arrives. This time is different from the rest, this time the field does not envelop her into darkness. The ground beneath stays bright and green, but to her the brightest thing there is the mare who's sitting right next to her. The two ponies stay together, side by side, until the field slowly vanishes into nothing but a dream that once was.

Fluttershy

As I regain consciousness, I can feel bittersweet tears welling up in my closed eyelids. I don't want it to just be a dream, I want it to be real. I keep my eyes shut and try to go back into that blissful fantasy, to no avail. But as I slowly become aware of all my senses, something feels off. My blanket feels a lot softer than it normally does, and my bed feels as hard as stone. I can also hear something above my head. Is that...... breathing? I lazily open my eyes, and am greeted with a sight that nearly makes me pass back out.

My face is nestled right into somepony else, a lavender alicorn to be exact. I let out a soft gasp in surprise, before looking around to make sure that this is real. Sure enough, it really is Twilight cuddling me. Memories come flooding back of the previous night, and how we huddled together for warmth. I also vaguely remember admitting my love right before I fell asleep, but I don't know what Twilight said in response, if she said anything at all. I guess I'll just have to wait until she wakes up, not that I mind being in her sleeping embrace for longer.

I lie there next to her for a good half an hour, no, the best half an hour. Every so often she'll make a soft little grunt or snort in her sleep, shifting ever so slightly. Even while she's asleep, Twilight is just so adorable. Eventually, I feel her shift even more than usual, followed by her perfect eyes slowly opening. Oh Celestia, her eyes are just so pretty..... She smiles warmly as soon as she sees me awake by her side, overcome with pure joy.

"Good morning, Flutters..... yawn...... How did you sleep?" My cheeks light up with a crimson glow as soon as she says that nickname, and I bury my face into her chest out of embarrassment while trying to respond at the same time.

"hhjhkjgskjfgskkghuerhigtihgrhgiehrgklehgighehgh" She giggles at my failed attempt to communicate.

"You're going to have to speak a little bit more clearly for me, Flutters." I squeak into her chest, provoking another playful giggle from her. I know she's just toying with me at this point, but I'm not mad at her. In fact, I'm actually kind of enjoying it.

"I can't believe that you're really here..............." I lift my muzzle from her chest so she can hear me better. "I...... I just need to ask you s-something...... something very important. If that's okay with you....."

"Of course it is, Fluttershy. You can ask me anything."

"O-okay....." I take a deep breath, which inadvertently gives me a good taste of her wonderful scent. Strangely enough, this seems to help calm me down. "D-do..... do you l-love me?" She giggles again, as if the answer to this is obvious.

"Yes, I love you. Did you even need to ask that?" I look up directly at her, not convinced.

"I mean like.... REALLY love me. Like.... more than just as a friend......."

"Fluttershy, we affectionately cuddled each other to sleep on the floor of your cottage. Any sense that this could just be a simple friendship with nothing more to it has been completely defenestrated." I can feel my heart skip multiple beats, and hope bubbles to the surface of my stomach.

"So does that mean....... we're marefriends now?" She kisses me on the forehead, sending me to the realm of absolute happiness, love, and joy for what feels like an eternity. Rainbows are going through my brain, intertwined with shining hearts.

"Yes Flutters, we're marefriends." She laughs at herself in embarrassment, her cheeks matching the same fiery colors as mine. "Honestly, I have no idea how I never noticed my love for you sooner. I had been getting this odd feeling around you for the past month or so, not knowing what it was. But last night when you confessed your love to me, everything just kind of clicked together." I shift myself up her body a little bit and nuzzle her cheek affectionately.

"What matters is that we're together now, and nothing is going to change that."

We spend the next 15 minutes just cuddling each other, feeling our bodies mix together in a beautiful harmony sung only by the most romantic of lovebirds. During our soft happiness session, I feel my tail subconsciously intertwine with hers, creating a spiral of pink and purple like none that the world has ever seen. The feeling of being so close and intimate with Twilight is absolutely indescribable, I don't have any words that would do it justice. I've never felt this much joy before in my life, and for once the nagging thought that I don't deserve it fades away into the background, drowned out by the pure warm affection I'm receiving from my new marefriend. All good things must come to an end though, and I have duties to uphold in the morning.

"I'm so sorry that we have to stop this early, but I really do have to give all of the animals their breakfasts." Twilight lovingly strokes my mane, gazing right into my eyes.

"I love you, Fluttershy." I giggle in response.

"I love you too, Twily."

Twilight

I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks after Fluttershy calls me that. This must some sort of sick revenge for me calling her "Flutters". I'll just have to think of a more embarrassing pet name to use on her later. I watch as she slowly gets up off of the ground and stretches her limbs, letting out an endearing little grunt. Celestia above, I love her. To think that I didn't even realize my true feelings for her less than 12 hours ago, and now I'm absolutely head over hooves for her.

I lie paralyzed on the ground for the next little while, simply watching her feed all of the animals. She's humming this happy little tune as she does it, her angelic vocations penetrating every corner of my auditory cortex. Is this what's been missing from my life this whole time? Somepony that I really, truly love? Of course I love Celestia, my brother, Cadence, my parents, and all of my other friends and family, but this feels..... different. I don't know how to describe it.

There's not really a logical, or even magical, explanation for what this love feels like. It's almost as if my heart has grown wings and is trying to fly out of my chest and into hers, but that doesn't make any sense. Hearts can't grow wings, at least not without major genetical modifications that I really would not be comfortable doing. And why would it want to leave my chest? It would definitely kill me, and would most likely kill her as well considering the size of the hole it would have to make in order join with her heart. Actually come to think of it, winged hearts would be a pretty cool name for a band, I should write that one down just in case I ever need to-

"Twilight, are you okay?"

"Gah!" I yell out in surprise, causing Fluttershy to squeak and stumble backwards. "S-sorry. I was just a bit lost in the maze of my brain there."

"N-no it....... it's fine........." She recovers from her shock, standing back up on all fours. "I had just finished with the meals for my little friends, and I was wondering if you're hungry as well. I..... I could make something........ if you want......." At the mention of food, I hear my stomach growl hungrily.

"That sounds lovely, Fluttershy."

"Oh no, it really wouldn't be. My cooking really isn't that good and-" I cut her off by placing my hoof on her mouth.

"I'm sure it will be wonderful, no matter how good you think you are." I pull my foreleg back, trusting that she won't further diminish herself for the time being. "If you'd like, I could help! I've learned a little bit about using my magic to make food, and I'd love an opportunity to practice!" This seems to brighten her expression.

"Oh that would be fantastic, Twilight!" She flies in for a hug, her forelegs wrapping around my neck in a soft grasp. After she pulls away, I follow her into the kitchen to start preparing. "So, um..... what would you like to make?"

"Hmmmmmm.... You know, I could really go for some nice pancakes right now." She nods in agreement.

"Oh, I love pancakes! I'll mix up all of the dry ingredients, and you can crack the eggs and melt the butter.... if that's alright........."

"Sounds good to me." I bring over a couple of eggs with my magic while Fluttershy starts to mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. I crack open the first egg into a small container, and look over to see how Fluttershy's doing. She's happily sifting the ingredients together, making sure that she's using the proper amount of each one. I find myself just staring at her, completely ensnared by her beauty.

The way her mane flows to one side, those soft little noises she makes while she's happy, everything about her is so perfect. I can't help but feel like I'm just not good enough for her, she deserves somepony better. Why did she fall in love with me of all ponies? What makes me so special, other than my royal status which she clearly doesn't care about..... I just can't for the life of me see what makes me worthy of her love.

"Twilight?" I jolt back to reality. "Are.... are you going to crack that egg? If you don't want to that's okay..........."

"No, I got it!" I hastily crack the egg, getting a bit of yolk on the countertop. I then cast a quick heating spell on the butter to melt it slightly, just enough so that it's no longer as hard as a brick. We mix together the wet ingredients with the dry ones, forming the batter. I use my magic to light a small fire under the frying pan, heating it up for the incoming pancakes. Fluttershy pours the batter onto the pan while I flip the pancakes with my telekinesis, baking in perfect harmony with her. After we're done, we stack up all of the pancakes onto 2 plates and slather them with syrup.

"Wow, this looks delicious!" Fluttershy nods in agreement.

"Imagine Pinkie's face if she saw all of these......"

"She would devour them all in under a second." We both giggle to ourselves and sit down to eat. After going through a few pancakes, I bring up an important question. "Hey Fluttershy...... how are we going to tell our friends about our relationship?" This seems to make her a bit nervous, but she ponders it for a second.

"Well..... Rarity and Pinkie Pie already know.......... so that just leaves Rainbow and Applejack." I recall my recent encounter with Rainbow Dash, thinking about what she said to me with an embarrassed blush on my face.

"Yeah, I think Rainbow probably knows as well. So just Applejack, then. We can probably make time to head over to Sweet Apple Acres today and give her the news." Fluttershy starts to shift in her seat uncomfortably.

"But..... but what if she doesn't approve? What if she....... hates us?" I can see panic swelling in her eyes as she talks, and she starts to hyperventilate uncontrollably. I clumsily fly over to her, and place a hoof on her shoulder consolingly.

"Relax Fluttershy, it'll be okay. I'll be right there with you the whole time, and I'm sure Applejack will accept us."

"You....... you can't know that." I heave out a heavy sigh.

"You're right. I can't. But I trust Applejack, and she would never do anything to hurt us, no matter what she thinks." Through my forehoof, I can feel Fluttershy's breathing get steadier as she calms down. She turns to me slowly, shifting her mane out of its defensive stance. After fully facing me, she places her hoof over top of mine, creating a sandwich of yellow and purple fur.

"Th-thank...... thank you, Twilight. I..... I think I can go...... so long as you're there with me."

"Of course I'll be there, Fluttershy. You won't have to do any of this alone, not anymore." I shift my hoof off of her shoulder, and her hoof slips off of mine in the process. We unanimously decide to finish our pancakes before heading over to Sweet Apple Acres. I don't want to admit it to her, but I'm also really scared about this. What if Applejack doesn't accept us? She'll never want to see us again, and the elements of harmony will be all out of balance, and it'll be all my fault! But no matter how terrifying it is, I have to be strong. For her.

We arrive at Sweet Apple Acres after a short stroll together through the crisp late morning air. Actually, what's the proper term for this time of day? Late morning? Pre-noon? Early afternoon? Wait that last one makes no sense, it isn't even noon yet! Gah! There should be term like "Brunch" but for time of day, it's infuriating that I can't think of one! Wait actually I think I've heard of one before, it's-

"Twilight!" Fluttershy grabs me right before I walk straight into an apple tree.

"Woah! Thanks for the save, Flutters." I look around and see that we've reached the farmhouse without me even noticing. It's eerily quiet, and I don't see any of the apple family around outside.

"W-Where is everypony?" I shrug in response as we approach the door. I knock 3 times, but receive no response.

"Is anypony there?!" I shout into the door, but still get nothing in return.

"I think nopony's home, Twily........ Maybe we should come back later?" I shake my head.

"There has to be somepony here, they wouldn't leave the farm unattended. I'll just go in and take a look."

"I don't know if-" Before I hear her objection, I've already opened the door. Everything seems normal, but I can sense that something is off. I walk inside, with Fluttershy meekly following me, quivering in fear. There's an eerie silence all around the house, with the only sounds being the floorboards creaking against our own hooves. It almost feels like it's a horror movie, and something is going to jump out at any-

Fluttershy

"SURPRISE!!!!!!" I scream out in terror and fall to the floor behind Twilight as a pink pony jumps out from the inside of a potted plant with the bang of a party cannon. My eyes dart around the room, overwhelmed with the sudden onslaught of bright colors in every possible direction. I quickly hide my face behind my wings while cowering on the ground, waiting for everything to just go away. Over the sound of my heart beating at the speed of a Wonderbolt hyped up on locoweed, I can hear some voices around me.

"Ah told y'all that we shouldn't have made it uh suhpraise party! Jus' look at the poor thing!

"Hey, it wasn't MY idea! This is totally Pinkie's fault!"

"Really, Rainbow? And you weren't the one who said that we should, and I quote, 'scare the feathers out of their wings'?"

"I was JOKING!"

"Yippee! We really surprised them good! Twilight is so excited, she's not even moving!"

Shaking like mad, I slowly peek out from my wings to see what's going on in the world outside of my social safety zone. Immediately I see a few ponies gathered around, which I quickly recognize as my friends. Twilight is petrified in place, eyes wide and mouth agape. Confetti is raining down as if a party hurricane had hit the place in a flash storm, and there's a large banner with multicolor text that I can't fully read with my feathers in the way. Yellow and purple balloons are infecting every corner of the room, appearing in places you would least expect.

"Wh-wh-what is all this?" My voice is muffled through my wings, barely audible enough to make out. That doesn't stop Pinkie from hearing me and bouncing right up to my face with vigor.

"Well obviously it's the celebration party for your new relationship, silly! What else could it be?" I take a more careful look at the banner, reading what it says. "Congratulations! You're Marefriends!" Twilight recovers from her paralysis just enough so that she can stammer out half of a response.

"H-how did you-"

"Well my tail was twitching and my eyes were jumbling and my left foreleg was rotating counter-clockwise and my nose was releasing some sort of strange blue liquid that tasted like strawberries, so that meant that two of my friends had fallen in love and were going to head over to Sweet Apple Acres and I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to throw a party for you so I told everypony and now we're here and maybe we can even finally have that book party I was talking about and oh it'll be so much fun I can be the pages and you can-"

"Ahm, ah book what now?" Applejack interrupts the Pinkie ramble, unsure of what's even happening anymore. Twilight sighs, her body no longer refusing to move.

"You don't want to know." I giggle at this, and then move up next to Twilight. The initial terror of this surprise party has worn off, and I can feel my rapid heartrate begin to slowly simmer down. I feel so much calmer when I'm around her now, which is a nice change of pace from the intense anxiety I used to get from just being in the same room as her. Twilight still makes me a bit nervous, but most of that fear has been alleviated now that I know she shares my feelings.

"So?" Rainbow Dash is looking at both me and Twilight inquisitively, hovering in the air. "Is it true? I'm not saying I don't trust the Pinkie sense, but she HAS been wrong before." Rarity nods in agreement.

"Yes it has been..... inaccurate at times, to put it lightly." I look over to Twilight, who catches on and nods her head to show that she's ready.

"Y-yes. T-Twi... Twilight and I.... we are officially in a relationship. I hope that's okay with you.........." I don't know why I even said that last part, I know for a fact that they're all going to be accepting of it if they attended this party. But before I can think of anything else, Twilight and I are immediately assaulted by an unrelenting barrage of hugs and congratulations. Tears start welling up in my eyes, I've never felt so accepted and supported before in my whole life. Especially not back at home........

Shaking that invasive thought out of my head, the others break off of us and shift their focus to the party at hoof. I've never really been very good at parties, so I kind of just stand awkwardly in the corner, rubbing my forehooves together and playing with my mane. It seems like everypony is really getting into the swing of it after that rough start. Rarity is putting on a light show with her magic, Rainbow Dash is having hard cider with Applejack in some sort of drinking competition, Pinkie Pie is throwing books at a piñata, and Twilight is....... where is Twilight? My internal question gets answered almost instantly with a peck on the cheek, followed by a loud cheer from our friends. I'm blushing so hard that I nearly pass out, only kept conscious by the thought that I get to spend the rest of the day with my lover if I stay awake.

Just when the party seems like it's starting to die down, Pinkie brings in this massive buttercup and lavender layered cake with a huge grin on her face. I'm not sure how she managed to bake that entire thing on such short notice, but I decide not to question it. It is Pinkie Pie, after all. The cake tastes absolutely fantastic, the swirl of the two flowery flavors dancing in unison on my tongue.

I look over to my side and see Twilight gorging herself on the cake, icing spraying out in the wake of her hunger. To some ponies this might be seen as immature or disrespectful, but to me it's just oh so charming. One thing I love so much about her is how she's not afraid to be herself in front of others, even if she does sometimes get embarrassed about it later. It makes me feel more confident about myself around her, like I can do anything and nopony will judge me for it.

Within about 20 minutes, the entire cake has vanished and everypony can feel the party coming to a close. Rainbow Dash had um..... one too many swigs of cider, and is getting carried out of the house on Applejack's back while mumbling something about being a "Vuntergolt". I really do hope she'll be okay, nopony comes out of a drinking competition against Applejack victorious. Other than maybe Pinkie, but I don't think she's ever challenged AJ. Come to think of it, I can never really tell if Pinkie is drunk or not at a party.

Speaking of Pinkie, she's now pleading us to stay for the "book burning". Applejack, returned from depositing Rainbow somewhere safe, evicts Pinkie from the premises without hesitation. Rarity takes her leave as well, but not before congratulating me and Twilight one last time on our new relationship. She was definitely the pony most excited about it in the party, she wouldn't stop talking about how cute we are together and how good our "aesthetic" is. Twilight eventually told her to stop, seeing how uncomfortable it was making me. Oh, I just love her so much. I want to give her something important, something to show just how much I care. It should be simple, but sentimental. As she trots up to my side to leave AJ's house with me, my gay little brain sparks with an idea. I know just what to get for her.

Twilight

That party was.... AMAZING! I don't even know how long we were there, but I can see that the sky is already starting to darken. But I don't care what hour of the day it is, I just want to be with Fluttershy for as much time as possible. I press up my side against her as we walk through Sweet Apple Acres, wrapping my wing over her. She responds by nuzzling her face against my cheek, leaving behind a red mark of blush. The romantic silence is only broken by her perfect voice, a voice that makes me feel heat all over my body every time I hear it.

"Twilight...... um..... if it's not too much to ask............ could we go back to my cottage? There's something I'd love to show you." I look over to my side, seeing her face smoldering with red-hot blush. "And maybe we could even..... stay the night there together again..... if you'd want that......"

"I'd love to, Fluttershy! It'll be nice to sleep together without using the floor as a mattress." She lets out a squee of delight, and then rubs up against my flank. I nibble a bit at her ear, which makes her giggle a little bit in response. Her laughs are so contagious, and I can't help but release a few chuckles of my own, my muzzle still right at her auditory receptors. This prompts her to crack up even more, causing an infinite loop of joy until we're running to her cottage together, laughing like little fillies the entire way. We ignore all of the strange looks we're getting from the ponies that we pass by, not having a care in the world about anything other than each other.

Once we get to the humble cottage we stop to catch our breaths, still lightly giggling at each other. The sun is setting, lighting up the sky in beauty only rivaled by the mare standing next to me. After composing ourselves, Fluttershy beckons me over to her garden, which is filled with a wide assortment of variously colored plants. I quickly realize that these are the plants she uses for her tea, and crack a smile as I take a good sniff of the amazing scent coming from them. This must be why she smells so good..... my cheeks quickly flare up at my own thought, and I silently scold myself for thinking like that. Luckily, Fluttershy distracts me by directing my attention to an absolutely stunning Lavandula Perennial specimen that seems to be in it's own special place among the foliage.

"This flower...... I've had it ever since I moved into the cottage. It.... it reminds me of you, Twilight." The purple petals bloom upwards on the sides of the stalk, forming an almost asparagus-like shape. Smaller flowers bloom on the insides of these petals, tucked safely in the little nooks and crannies of the plant.

"It.... it's gorgeous, I've never seen a flower like this before."

"Yeah...... It just starting growing out of this flower pot right after I moved in, I guess the previous owners must have left the seed in here before leaving. It's never once wilted, not even during extreme storms. I've done a bit of research, but I've never found out why." I look closely at it, and it almost seems to give off a faint glow. "It..... it's very special to me." Emotional tears are starting to well up in her eyes, and suddenly I realize what's happening.

"Fluttershy, no..... you don't have to-"

"No. Twilight, I want you to have it. This flower has lasted through so many years, and it still keeps on living. There's nothing that could possibly kill it, just like our love for each other. No matter what happens, I'll never stop loving you." Tears are beginning to form in my own eyes now, unable to handle new emotions like this. She picks the flower from the pot it's resting in, now holding it softly in her mouth. Her beautiful mouth.......... I feel a pull, but not a physical one. It's as if the forces of nature are pulling us together, and my own body is acting on it's own volition. In the last moments before I instinctually close my eyes, I can see her leaning into me. And then....... Oh Sweet Celestia~

This is...... something else. Feeling her muzzle against mine, her soft lips pressing into me....... it's like nothing I've ever felt before. None of the books I've read on this subject in my entire life could've prepared me for the real thing, this is not a sensation you can use words to describe. My body is acting purely on instinct, and for once I don't mind being unprepared. Kissing her is like fluently speaking a language I didn't even know existed, with our conversation consisting of nothing but pure love and affection.

Our maws slowly open for each other, and she rolls her tongue ever so slightly into my mouth and transfers the flower from her muzzle to mine. Even if it was just for a brief moment, the feeling of her tongue crossing over through the border of my lips is amazing. Eventually, our mouths part from one another and my eyes reopen. I'm gazing at her lovingly, with the purple flower now grasped in my mouth.

"Twilight I....... I want to be like this with you. Forever."

Forever...... for some reason this word makes me feel a bit nervous, like I'm forgetting something important. But seeing her here in front of me washes away all of my worries into the deep sea of my subconscious, where I hope they'll never resurface. I slowly nod my head, and give her my full reciprocation.

"Forever."

~End Of Chapter 5~

Author's Note

Just wanted to let all of you lovely readers know that Chapter 6 won't be done for a little while, likely more than a couple weeks. It's gonna be a bit longer, and will fill in a very large time gap of the story.

Also Pinkie is immune to alcohol, her constitution stat is too high :pinkiesmile:

Chapter 6: In The Months That Passed PART 1

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 3: Mutually Assured Affection

Twilight

I wake up, ready to face the day. I had decided the previous night that I would spend today making sure that my dinner with Fluttershy this evening will go perfectly. Just thinking about the dinner makes me a bit nervous though, and I don't really know how to approach situations like this.

I've never been invited out to dinner by a friend before, and I still haven't told her about that strange feeling I've been getting around her. I guess the best I can do is hope that it comes up in conversation tonight. For now, I've got to start preparing.

First things first, I've got to eat the most important meal of the day. I make myself a big bowl of Horseshoe Crunch (now with 40% MORE crunch, whatever that means), and then down a glass of some fresh apple juice that I got a couple days ago from Applejack. After my meal, I head to the bathroom sink to wash my mane and begin thinking aloud.

"Hmmmmmm.... what should I do to impress Fluttershy? I really want to show her that I care." I scrub my face, getting some soap and water out of my eyes. I've never really cared about my appearance at all, but today I have this urge to look as presentable as possible. Not really sure why, it's not like Fluttershy would have much of a reason to care about how I look. Besides, no matter how much I try I'll never look as pretty as her.....

"Hey Twilight! Whatcha' thinking about?" My thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a little purple dragon who had just woken up and decided to intrude on me in the bathroom. "Wait, are you washing your mane? What's the occasion?" He snickers.

"Good morning, Spike. I just.... wanted to look good today is all." He looks at me, clearly unconvinced.

"Well..... I'm off to go see Rarity, since somepony ignored my request." My mind wanders back to when I shut the door on him yesterday. I felt a little guilty about that, but he WAS being absolutely insufferable so I still think it was justified. Just then, I remember something important.

"Hey Spike, could you possibly ask Rarity about that dress design she was working on while you're there? I'm going to be busy today and don't know if I'll have time to go myself." He stops to think for a second, and a mischievous grin appears on his face.

"Hmmmm, I dunno..... You were really rude to me yesterday, so you'd have to do something for me....." I release a sigh of defeat, and reluctantly forfeit what I know he wants.

".....I'll give you the gems I was saving for spells." This seems to appease him.

"Deal!" He dashes out of the bathroom before I can change my mind, clouds of dust trailing behind him from his speed.

"Don't forget to eat breakfast!" I hear the library door open, and then close a few moments later, followed by silence. I release another sigh. "Well.... at least I'll have the library to myself now." I return to brainstorming on what to do for tonight.

What does Fluttershy like? I know she loves animals, but it's not like I can just sneak a badger into the restaurant. I mean, I probably can, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't go very well. I ponder for another few minutes, before reaching an epiphany.

Rainbow Dash! I should ask her what Fluttershy might like! She's known Fluttershy her whole life, if anypony would have an idea as to what she might appreciate, it'd be Rainbow. Actually come to think of it, she was going to give me some flying lessons today. I was so fixated on dinner with Fluttershy that I completely forgot about it!

I check the clock, which reads 8:23 AM. She should be over here in a bit over half an hour, I just have to think of a way to naturally bring up Fluttershy in conversation. I carefully walk past the minefield of books still scattered across the floor, and head to my favorite thinking spot in the library.

I sit on my couch for a while, contemplating how to ask Rainbow for advice. I don't want it to sound weird, it would just be a simple question. Drawing a complete blank, I hear an eager knock at my door and I realize that I'm out of time. I'm just going to have to wing it. I walk over to the door to answer it, but once I get halfway there a blur of cyan followed by a rainbow streak crashes through my window and into one of the bookshelves, spraying more literature across the room.

"Oof.... sorry Twilight, but you were taking too long! You had me waiting at that door forever!" She gets up off the ground, looking at me with a bit scorn in her face.

"Rainbow, you waited like 15 seconds. I'd hardly call that forever." Rainbow quietly laughs in a mix of embarrassment and guilt but not wanting it to show, less she harm her ego.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, are you ready for the flying lessons?!" She flies up into the air, her head almost bonking right into the ceiling. "Today I'm gonna show you how to successfully do a loop-de-loop and NOT pass out!" Her face is now shining with confidence, shedding away the guilt that it expressed only moments ago.

"That sounds great, Rainbow." I silently forgive her for her spectacular crash, and then follow her as she blasts outside through the window that she came from. Luckily the window was open so I didn't have any glass to clean up, unlike the last time she pulled this stunt.

After about an hour of training and failing to make it through a full loop without crashing, Rainbow says that it's time to take a break. I sit down next to her on a nearby bench and drink some water, trying my best to ignore the many bruises that I accumulated on my body. Rainbow hands me an ice pack, and then starts up some idle chatter while I recover from my minor injuries.

"So...... what have you been up to lately? Done any cool nerd things?" I give a lighthearted chuckle at that last comment before responding.

"Not much, I've just been cleaning up the library. You've seen how much of a mess it is in there."

"Heh, what could you possibly have been doing to trash the place like that? It's so unlike you, Twi." She has this air of smugness about her as she says this.

"Hey! It's not like it was my fault that the forest decided to sabotage my bookshelves!"

"Oh sure, pin the blame on the forest. Real mature of you." I raise my hoof in preparation to give her a rebuttal, but stop myself as it dawns on me as to what she's doing.

"......You're teasing me, aren't you." It's actually kind of embarrassing that I just now realized this.

"Pshhhhhhh, what?! No........" I laugh it off with her. Usually I'd be really upset about this sort of thing, but I've gotten used to it by now. Still giggling a bit, it hits me that this would be a good time to ask Rainbow about the thing I wanted to talk about.

"Oh actually Rainbow, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Ask away, your highness." She says those final words in a mock fancy accent while mimicking a regal bow, laughing to herself. I personally don't find it very amusing, but not wanting to escalate things I just ignore it and ask my question.

"So ummm... you know Fluttershy pretty well, right?" She straightens up and responds with some actual sincerity, for once.

"Yeah, I've known her pretty much my whole life. Why?" I suddenly discover that the ground is a very intriguing view.

"Well let's just say.... hypothetically.... you were to have dinner with Fluttershy at a restaurant.... as friends.... what do you think she would like?" I try my best to not make this sound awkward, but I clearly fail at that. I look over at Rainbow, and her face is plastered with pure shock. After she takes the handful of seconds she needs to register what I had said, her expression shifts to more of a knowing smirk.

"Ohhhhhh.... I get what you're saying....." I tilt my head, confused.

"Um, that I want to know how to make sure Fluttershy has a nice time?" She winks at me. Why did she wink at me?

"Riiiiiiiight, you want to give her a.... nice time and you need my advice." She raises her hooves to do air quotes as she says 'nice time', insinuating some ulterior definition that I'm apparently supposed to know about. "Don't worry Twilight, I understand what you're trying to tell me." She winks at me again.

"I'm starting to think that I don't understand what I'm trying to tell you..." Rainbow clearly notices the honesty in my voice, and changes her tone and expression completely. She's gone back to being bewildered by me, albeit not shocked into silence like last time.

"Wait, do you NOT realize what this is?"

"What what is? Do you mean my dinner with Fluttershy?"

"Uh, duh! What else would I be talking about?" Rainbow's flying in the air now, and she seems genuinely upset with me.

"I don't know! It sounded before like you thought there was something else going on!"

"Wow. Just.... wow. I had always pegged you as a dweeb, but I never thought you'd be this socially inept. Have you ever noticed all of the signs she's been sending you?!"

"What signs? Who's sending me signs?!" Rainbow facehoofs at this response. She mutters something under her breath about me being absolutely hopeless, but I can't quite make it out. She removes her hoof from her face, then lets out a deep sigh.

"So um... do you have any advice on how to act? In that hypothetical situation, I mean." She stops to think for a second.

"Well...... I know she'd like to hear that you enjoy her company, how much you like her, all that sort of stuff. She's pretty self-deprecating, as you might know, so she really does appreciate that positive affirmation." I was not expecting Rainbow Dash of all ponies to give such an insightful answer.

"That's...... actually really helpful. Thanks, Rainbow."

"Anytime, Twilight. You know that you can always count on me!" She flaps into the air and flexes her front legs, showing off both her muscles and her ego.

"I know that I can't count on you to wait for longer than 15 seconds." I giggle to myself, and steal the confident look off of her face.

"Hey! It's not my fault you were so slow!" She descends back onto the bench, her ego slightly damaged. "I do need to know, are you sure that this dinner thing with Fluttershy is just a friendly hangout?" I guess she saw through my obvious hypothetical situation excuse, I bet she doesn't even know what those words mean.

"Of course it is, Rainbow. Fluttershy and I have been good friends for years now, what else could it possibly be other than a casual get-together?" She stifles a laugh.

"Uh huh. A casual get-together where you felt the need to get advice from one of the other pony's best friends on how to act around them. And you're certain that there's nothing else going on?" Rainbow actually had a point. Why was I seeking out advice about this?

"I...... actually don't know why I asked you, or why I'm so nervous about it. I've known Fluttershy for so long, so why is it only recently that I've started to feel weird around her? It's like I have these butterflies in my stomach, I just don't know how else to describe it....." As soon as I finish talking, Rainbow launches a barrage of laughter.

"Oh Celestia, I just can't hold it in anymore! This is too good!" I look at her, dumbfounded. She cackles her rear off for another good minute or so, then clears her throat. "Listen. You'll figure it out eventually, and you'll be very happy when you do, trust me. For now, just focus on staying near Fluttershy so you can work out these feelings for yourself."

She wipes her eyes, clearing them of the tears of laughter that still lingered there. Considering that this is Rainbow Dash that we're talking about, I'm not sure I can fully trust her opinion on this. But nevertheless, I thank her and tell her that I should probably stop the flying lessons early today, to which she agrees.

Despite the talk with her being.... confusing.... I think it did help me calm my nerves just a little bit. My light bruises have also started to fade, so that's one other thing I no longer have to worry about. I'm more ready for tonight than I ever thought I would be.

Fluttershy

Why did I ask her out? Why did she yes?! Everything is going to fall apart and Twilight will hate me, I should never have said anything. Maybe I should just stay at home all day, and never leave my bed. It'll all blow over, and maybe if I'm lucky Twilight will just forget about it...... My thoughts get interrupted by an adorable little white bunny licking my face.

"Oh, thank you Angel. You're always there for me, aren't you?" I had woken up this morning in cold sweats from a bad dream and spent the last half an hour curled up on the bed, marinating in my own anxiety. I dreamt that everypony found out about my feelings for Twilight.

All my friends abandoned me, and everypony in town mocked me. I had to leave my cottage and move far away, but no matter where I went there were eyes all over me and laughing all around me. I couldn't escape the torment, and the entire time all I could think of is that it was my fault for having feelings for Twilight.

I reluctantly get out of bed, still shivering from fear. My animal friends huddle around me out of concern, and my anxious rattling settles down a little bit. My mind is still racing with all of the worst possible outcomes of the day, but I do my best to push down those thoughts and ignore them.

I make my way down the stairs and do my usual morning routine. I feed all of the animals, feed myself, and feed my anxiety with the constant thought that I'm not good enough for Twilight and that I shouldn't be doing this. I hit myself in the head trying to rid myself of this melancholy chorus, but it just won't go away no matter what I attempt. I breathe out a deep sigh and accept that I might need to see somepony to help me with this.

But who to go to? Rainbow's really supportive, but she's having flying lessons with Twilight today so she's definitely a no. I remember Twilight mentioning something about Applejack being busy preparing for some sort of storm, so she's also probably not available. That leaves Pinkie and..... Rarity. Of course! Rarity would be the perfect pony to talk to, she knows all about this relationship stuff. I perk myself up, say goodbye to the animals, and head out to Carousel Boutique.

It isn't quite as clear out today as it was yesterday, and there are a few clouds on the horizon. The air feels a bit more humid, not to the point of being uncomfortable but it's still noticeable. Despite this, the walk was still pleasant and gave me plenty of time to mull over my own thoughts. Before I know it, the boutique is within view and I speed up my pace to reach it as soon as possible. As soon as I arrive through the ornate doors, I'm greeted with an ecstatic smile from the fashionista herself.

"Why hello there, Fluttershy darling! I had just finished up a design right before you came in, your timing couldn't be any more perfect!" I try to say hello, but it turns into a mere squeak as Rarity rushes me over towards her design table and shows off the paper draft of a dress. I can tell from the sheer amount of eraser smudges on the sheet and paper balls in the wastebin that she's been working on this one for quite a while. "So, what do you think? Be honest, now." She looks at me expectantly.

"It's um...." I take a closer look. It's absolutely gorgeous, and lined with plenty of jewels. I can also see wings sticking out of the back of the blank pony sketch it's modeled on. "It's very pretty..... I take it this is intended for a pegasus....?"

"Thank you, dear. I know I can always trust you for a good second opinion." All I had said is that it was pretty... "And no, this is for Twilight. Poor girl doesn't have a dress for her new alicorn wings.... I just had to do something about it!" At the mention of Twilight, I instinctively blush and shrink a bit.

"Oh..... I...... I actually came here to..... to talk to you about her........" Rarity immediately forgets whatever she was thinking about and whips her face over to me in intrigue.

"Oh? Do tell." I try my best to remove my wings from my face as I respond.

"Well I....... kind of....... asked her........... ouduadiaoahiwfhkesngghghg..........."

"What was that? You're going to have to speak up, darling." I pull up my head slightly, now only looking halfway between the ground and Rarity.

"I....... I invited Twilight............ Twilight dinner.........."

"Once more, if you would. Just a little bit louder this time." I take a deep breath.

"IaskedTwilightoutonadateandIhavenoideawhattodo!" I gasp for air, relieved to have gotten that out. Rarity also gasps, but out of excitement instead of a need for oxygen. Her face begins to light up like a hearth's warming tree, her smile widening into something spectacular.

"Well, you definitely came to the right pony! I know every little thing about romance, and I can make this date absolutely perfect!" I can already see on her face that she's calculating the best way to make my date with Twilight as 'juicy' as it can possibly be.

"Um.... Rarity? I don't think Twilight even knows that it's-" She abruptly cuts me off, and I let out a little squeak.

"Now dear, don't you worry about a thing! I'll get this all sorted out for you! Oh this is going to be so much fun, I've waited so long for an opportunity like this!" I'm starting to regret my decision in telling Rarity, but there's no way to stop her now. "So, when did you say this date was?"

"It..... it's at dinner..... tonight. I...... invited her out. But as I tried to tell you, I don't think Twilight even realizes that it's a date......" She laughs at that last part out of amusement.

"All that means is that we'll have to make it even more romantic so that she'll realize how much she wants to be with you! It's simple, really." I give her a concerned look and partially hide behind my mane.

"But..... what if she doesn't want to be with me? She's a princess, and I'm just.... Fluttershy. Sigh......... there's no way I'm good enough for her...... she probably doesn't even like mares....." I slowly sink my head further into my mane as I speak, until it's almost completely obscured.

"Nonsense! I won't let you speak about yourself like that, darling. You are naturally gorgeous, your kindness knows no bounds, and Twilight couldn't ask for anypony better!" I slightly poke my face out from my mane, blushing and smiling. Rarity does always give good pep talks, at least when it comes to relationships. "Oh and this is just between you and me, but Twilight doesn't seem like the type to be into stallions....."

"You..... you really think so.....?" The hope on my face is fleeting, as it quickly drains away into sorrow. "But..... what if you're wrong? Twilight...... she'll hate me if I.... I..... tell her how I really feel. I..... really do value our friendship oh so much, and I don't want to ruin it for my own selfish reasons......"

"Fluttershy." Rarity's tone is much more serious now, while still holding the same compassion and care that it did before. "Love isn't selfish, in fact it's quite the opposite. It's a beautiful thing that a lot of us would do anything to experience, and your love for Twilight is no different. You want to care for her, be there for her. How is that anything but selfless?" I take a moment to consider what she said, battling her arguments against the ones ringing in my head.

"I........... you're right. And...... I know that Twilight wouldn't really hate me." I'm lying to both Rarity and myself. "She's too nice and perfect to end a friendship over something like that." No, she would. She'd see how much of a mare-kissing monster I am and leave me forever. She might even banish me. Rarity eyes my face, trying to get a read on me.

"I know that you're telling the truth here, but the expression you're wearing is telling me that you don't share this belief." My jaw drops in shock.

"H.... how did you....." Rarity chuckles.

"I've been around, dear. I can tell when somepony is lying to themselves. Listen to me, Fluttershy." She props up my muzzle with her hoof so that I'm looking at her directly. "You are great. Even if Twilight rejects you, it won't mean that you'll never find love. But if you never tell her, you'll just spend your whole life thinking about what could've been. Trust me on this, you'll feel so much better if you just bite the bullet." Tears are beginning to well up in my eyes, my bottled emotions rising to the surface.

"I...... I'm not strong enough...... I can't work up the courage......."

"That's why you're not going to be doing this alone, Fluttershy. I'm here to help you." Rarity's voice is a lot softer now, adapting to my current emotional state. "Telling her how you feel will be so much easier in a romantic setting hoofpicked by me, just let me handle that and then the rest will come naturally to you." I nod slowly and sincerely, removing her outstretched hoof from the underside of my muzzle.

"O-okay." Rarity beams at me, overjoyed to start planning the date.

"Now then, first we're going to have to pick a location. Hmmmmmmm...... I think you'd like that new place, Earl Graze I think it's called?"

"I've never heard of-"

"Don't worry, it'll be perfect for you. It fits your aesthetic just right, which will in turn boost the romance levels by a factor of around..... 3.2 times, I'd say." I stare at her in utter confusion, not understanding anything she's talking about. "Make sure you pick up Twilight at 7:00 sharp, with good pacing you'll get there and be able to eat during sunset, which will just be so romantic. It's an opportunity you simply can't pass up for anything."

"All right...... but what if I want to spend more time on the walk there? Oh, I just love going on nice, quiet strolls with Twilight." Rarity shakes her head in response, seeming almost upset by my romantic ineptitude.

"You'll have plenty of time to walk with her after dinner. It's much more romantic, and it would be the perfect opportunity for you to confess your feelings, since she'd be practically swooning for you after that dinner. Trust me Fluttershy, I know what I'm talking about here."

"Oh..... okay......" I sink my head to the floor as she continues.

"Now be sure to also pay for her food, but don't be too excited to do it either, just do it casually. Oh and also if you can offer her some of your food that would be delightful, she'd definitely love that. Also compliment her eyes, and look into her eyes longingly, with any luck she'll return the stare and-" Rarity's seemingly unstoppable train of thought gets interrupted by an overzealous pink pony falling from the ceiling and crashing into the ground.

"Ooooooooooooooh are we coming up with cool date ideas?! I can go next!" Pinkie Pie springs off of the ground with a massive grin on her face, while I'm doing the exact opposite of that. Rarity, after recovering from the shock of a sudden Pinkie invasion, attempts to converse with the pony of chaos.

"Um, Pinkie? Where did you come from?" Pinkie stops to think about this question, putting a hoof to her chin. She holds this position for a full minute of awkward silence, before suddenly going back to the enthusiastic demeanor she originally had.

"Well I think Fluttershy should bring lots and lots of balloons to the date to show her affection, but she shouldn't bring too many to the point where she flies away, she already has wings haha she doesn't need balloons for that the balloons are only for fun, but they have to be in purple and yellow to match the colors of the date so that way Twilight knows how much she cares, and then she'll be so intrigued that she reads up on balloons and then ignores Fluttershy the whole time and makes the date very awkward until-"

Pinkie quickly gasps for air, then immediately continues.

"-Fluttershy asks about the book and it makes Twilight realize how much she wants to throw a book party and then we all go over to the library for the biggest book party in all of Equestria, and it goes down in history as the wildest party ever conceived based off of literature and Twilight receives a medal of honor in which she'll notice it's the perfect shape to unlock the hidden temple of Azz' Gwohl leading to a secret treasure telling her that her one true love is Fluttershy and then they get married and have 15 foals and-"

I snap.

"STOP!" My heart is pounding out of my chest, my entire body filling to the brim with anxiety. Pinkie freezes in place, not moving a single muscle. Her mouth is still half open from the next word she was going to say, and her eyes are unblinking. I start crying on the floor, and Pinkie bounces up out of her stasis, looking genuinely concerned at me.

"Now look at what you've done, Pinkie." Rarity is glaring daggers into the pink pony, and Pinkie's mane deflates.

"I'm sorry Fluttershy, I just got a little bit excited......" I wipe the tears out of my eyes and look up at both of them.

"I just........ I don't want this dinner to be some huge romantic gesture. It would be nice for me to finally confess to Twilight, it really would, but I don't want to put her in a situation that makes her feel awkward. I'll try and see if she wants to be with me.... even though I doubt she will.... but I'm not going to revolve our entire night around it. It'll just be a nice dinner out with a friend, and whatever happens, happens." Rarity gives me an apologetic look, and Pinkie's mane starts to reinflate.

"I'm so sorry, dear. I was trying to get you to make this as romantic as possible, and I didn't even realize...." She trails off.

"Oh no, you were very helpful. Even if you got a bit obsessed there, without you I don't think I would even be going to this dinner in the first place. I would just be cowering in my cottage, waiting for this whole thing to blow over."

".....Thank you, Fluttershy. You really are kind beyond words. Twilight will be very lucky to have you, if she reciprocates your feelings." I blush, and give an appreciative nod.

"I still think that you should give her those purple and yellow balloons, but even without them I'm sure that you'll do just fine!" Pinkie is wearing her signature smile, one so contagious that I can't help but put on a very wide grin as well. "Welp! I have plenty of..... things I need to do. Ciao!" Pinkie drills into the ground, disappearing from sight and causing Rarity to gasp in horror at the gaping hole in her floor. Just then, the door to the boutique opens and a cute little dragon waddles in.

"Heyyyyyyy there, Rarity! It's your favorite dragon and..... what happened in here?!" Spike stares at the massive hole in the ground.

"Pinkie happened." Rarity has an edge of disgust in her tone, clearly enraged at the departed party planner.

"How did she....." Spike shakes his head. "....nevermind. What's more important is that I'm here to check on that design you made for Twilight. And also if we could... you know.... hang out......... that would be pretty cool as well." He does his best to do a cool 'leaning on the wall' pose, but falls over to his side due to a lack of wall. I rush over to him, helping him up while Rarity excuses herself to the bathroom, trying her best not to laugh.

"Are you okay, Spike?" Spike gets up, and dusts himself off.

"Of course I'm okay!" He looks a bit bruised, but doesn't want to show that in front of Rarity, not even realizing that she left the room. "Oh hey, Fluttershy. Didn't notice ya there."

"That's okay, most ponies don't."

"Wait, why are you here? Is Rarity also designing a dress for you?"

"Oh no, actually I came to her for..." I stop myself. "...advice." I probably shouldn't tell Spike exactly what I was here for, especially since he's not the best with secrets.

"Oh, cool. What kind of advice?" He looks at me expectantly.

"I uh.... really shouldn't say...."

"What was that? You're going to have to speak up."

"Oh, look at the time! I..... really should be going now." I briskly gallop out the door without even saying goodbye, leaving Spike confused. I feel a bit bad about doing that, but what was I supposed to say? I didn't want to lie to him. Anyways, I make my way back to the cottage to prepare for tonight. I take a nice hot shower, and then brush my mane. Twilight is still on my mind, but now I finally have enough courage to ask her that question I've been wanting to ask ever since I met her. I can do this.

~End Of Chapter 3~