Green Is Your Color

“Only a matter of days until I’ll meet… Him!” Rarity swooned.

“Him?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, Him! I made up a little song about it while I was in the washroom. Would you like to hear it?”

“Um, sure?”

Rarity cleared her throat and extended a hoof. “At the gala, all the royals, they will meet fair Rarity! And they’ll see I’m just as regal at the gala~! I will find him, my Prince Charming, how gallant he will be! He will treat me like a lady, tonight at the gala~!” After extending the last high note as long as she could, Rarity giggled to herself and started coming up with another verse as she sewed.

Fluttershy mumbled some faint praise. The melody was nice, but she didn't find herself saying anything else. After some time working in silence, she came up with something. “Um, Rarity, what about the pegasus stallion you met from Cloudsdale?”

“Oh, Clear Skies? He was no longer interested after the failed fashion show,” Rarity explained.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy whispered. “We messed up your date?”

“Don’t worry about it one bit,” Rarity brushed off. “We’re going to the Grand Galloping Gala, and I’m going to find my prince!”

“Right,” Fluttershy mumbled. “Still, I’m sorry I was so selfish, only thinking about my own silly fears during your fashion show-”

“No more apologizing, darling!” Rarity waved off. “Your fears of modeling were not silly and I’m glad you’ve overcome them. Now, speaking of that first fashion show, which dress are you going to wear to the gala?” Rarity asked.

“Hmm?” Fluttershy glanced at the green dress she was working on and the multiple finished copies hanging on a rack nearby. “These are all for Hoity Toity, aren’t they? I thought only the original one was for me.”

“Well yes, but what I meant was, do you want to take this design or the one with the bird’s nest?”

“Oh, I didn’t know that was an option. Um… it’s not very suited for a formal event in Canterlot, is it?” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly. “I know it looked a little… strange to any normal pony.” She let out a little giggle. “I specifically wanted it to be something a model would never wear! I can’t go to the gala in that.”

“Au contraire!” Rarity exclaimed. “Out of all the dresses our friends made, yours shined the most. Sure, it may not be high fashion, but we aren’t going to a fashion show. The most important thing is for you to be comfortable in your dress, and I saw you strut down that runway as confidently as Rainbow Dash during that first fashion show, regardless of what the crowd thought. And wasn’t the bird’s nest designed for the birds in the garden?”

“Hmm,” Fluttershy thought as she continued sewing. That other dress was cozy and practical, but it wasn’t what she needed. There was only one night for the gala, when all the flowers were in bloom and all the animals would be out and about. She needed to be bold, and the dress Rarity had designed her was meant to be bold. “I’m still going with your design,” she decided. “It’ll be perfect for the gala.”

“I’m honored!” Rarity mused. “Once we are done with all these other dresses, I’ll patch yours up and make it extra special!”

Fluttershy smiled, resuming her sewing. “How about you, Rarity? Which dress are you taking?”

“The one that you finished, of course!” Rarity answered.

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Even if it’s not perfect?”

“It is most certainly perfect to me,” Rarity declared. “All these copies are made in a rush, but yours was made with time, love, and couture. The dress you made is the most special. It means a lot to me.”

Fluttershy paused the sewing machine. “That means a lot to me, too.” She scooted over and gave Rarity a warmth-filled hug.

After a sleepover one night and an all-nighter on the eve, Fluttershy and Rarity sent off the dresses to Hoity Toity’s boutique in Canterlot just in time. Fluttershy got some urgent rest then caught up with all her chores that she had fallen behind on ever since Rarity’s failed fashion show. Before she knew it, she was back outside Rarity’s boutique where Pinkie Pie was bouncing on a trampoline.

“I. Can’t. Believe! Grand! Galloping! Gala! Is. Tonight!”

“I’m ready,” Twilight announced, closing her book.

“For what?” Rainbow asked.

“Come on, Spike,” Twilight instructed. Spike placed an apple in the middle and motioned for everypony to stand back. Everypony gasped as Twilight turned the apple into a carriage fit for royalty. “And that’s not all,” Twilight said. “Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?”

Fluttershy’s face fell behind her mane. “A-actually, Twilight… I’m not very comfortable with you casting a spell on them.”

“I promise they’ll be safe.”

“Well…” Fluttershy shook her pink curtain. “I just don't think it's a good idea. Sorry.”

Twilight groaned. “Then how will we get to the gala?”

“Oh, whatever shall we do?” Rarity exclaimed, holding a hoof to her forehead. The others stared at her and she put on a mischievous look.

Rarity strutted down Mane Street and locked onto two chatting stallions, one with a gray coat and the other gold. “Excuse me, Lucky Clover, Caramel,” Rarity said. “My friends and I are going to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot tonight. Would two strong and handsome stallions such as yourselves be interested in pulling our carriage to the gala?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

The two stallions glanced at each other with goofy smiles. “Sure thing, Rarity.”

“Marvelous!” Rarity tithered. “Come right this w-”

“Uh, that ain’t necessary, pardners,” Applejack interjected with a hoof in Rarity’s mouth. “It’s an awful long walk to Canterlot. We’ll just take the train.”

“Oh,” Twilight said, wearing a silly smile. “Right.”

Rarity spat out Applejack’s hoof and pushed the offender away. “But what about showing up at the castle in that divine carriage!” Rarity whined. Applejack glared at her. “Fine, have it your way.” She waved off the stallions with a dazzling smile.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “How bout we bring an apple with us and Twilight can turn it into a carriage once we get off in Canterlot?” she offered.

“Actually, I don’t think I can pull off that spell again for another week. And now that I think about it, the carriage could’ve turned back into an apple before we got home. I really didn’t think this through,” Twilight chuckled, rubbing her neck.

Twilight spotted Princess Celestia past the grand entrance of the castle and galloped in; this set off a chain reaction as all her friends ran off to make their dreams come true. Fluttershy took to the air towards the castle’s private garden, ready to meet new friends big and small.

She found the garden right away. The flowers were all in bloom, and they certainly lived up to their reputation of being the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. However, there wasn’t an animal in sight. The garden was currently occupied from left to right, front and back, with ponies sitting on cushions and socializing.

This isn’t what I imagined, Fluttershy thought. She blinked a few times and scanned the premises again, but still didn’t see any animals frolicking about the garden. She fluttered from bush to bush, tree to tree, but couldn’t find a single little critter. She settled down and closed her eyes, swiveling her ears around, but all she could hear was high class chatter, and not a single animal sound. She couldn’t take much high class chatter and promptly folded her ears, slumping down.

With a shake of her head, Fluttershy took to the sky once more. She scanned the garden grounds below her again; it occurred to her how rare it was for her to be the only one in the air for all to see, but the promise of new animal friends kept her flying high. She saw so many wonderful blooming flowers, she saw Applejack smiling at a stand full of apple-themed treats, she saw Rainbow Dash talking with the Wonderbolts, but she couldn’t see any animals!

Fluttershy was about to drop back to the ground in dismay when something velvet with golden gleams caught her eyes. Rarity strode through the crowd of other finely-dressed ponies looking all prim and proper and composed. She was simply stunning in that dress, the dress Fluttershy had made! Fluttershy watched with a proud smile as Rarity drew attention from ponies all around. But then Fluttershy realized Rarity was on a deliberate course towards a white stallion with blonde hair standing by a rose bush.

“Miss Fluttershy?” a polite voice called from below.

Fluttershy peeked down and noticed a blue stallion with a bright orange mane smiling up at her. She touched down, wiping off the pout that she didn’t know she was wearing and offering a small smile. “Um, hello?”

The stallion gave her a bow. “A pleasure to see you again. And what a lovely dress you have tonight.”

Fluttershy beamed. “Thank you, sir. My friend Rarity made it for me. She owns Carousel Boutique in Ponyville.” After a moment of hesitation, she struck a modest pose, stretching one leg to show off the green pleats.

“So I’ve heard,” the stallion remarked. “So I’ve heard indeed. I work with Hoity Toity quite often. Believe me when I say he could not stop raving about Rarity’s dresses.” The stallion took a step to the side which led into a fancy twirl and flourish as he moved to admire the rest of Fluttershy’s dress.

“Oh! You’re the ballet dancer!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I never got your name.”

“Perfect Pace, at your service,” he introduced with a smooth twirl. “I also heard from dear Hoity that you no longer intend to be a model, and that your nervousness on stage was no act of coyness. My sincerest apologies for making you uncomfortable on stage.” He dropped eye contact, put on a serious expression, and bowed his head.

“It's okay, Mr. Pace. You didn't know,” Fluttershy reassured. “I only modeled because Rarity wanted me to, but she was supposed to be the star, not me. I'm really happy everypony likes her dresses. She worked so hard on them.”

“It truly shows,” Perfect Pace remarked. “And please, just ‘Pace’ is fine, I insist! Now it would be my great honor to get to know the real you. If not modeling, what do you love to do, Miss Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy giggled. “Just ‘Fluttershy.’ I take care of animals around Ponyville. Communicating with animals is my special talent.”

“How intriguing!” the ballet dancer remarked. “Would you accompany me to the ballroom? I would love to learn more.”

“Oh, sorry. I came to the gala to see the animals in the garden. I'm in the middle of looking for one. Have you seen any animals around?” she asked, perking up at the chance of help.

“Erm… I’m afraid not. What kind of animals do you seek?”

“Absolutely everything!” Fluttershy exclaimed with a flap of her wings. “I've heard there’s loons and toucans and bitterns, oh my! Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that can really buzz! Blue jays and red jays and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingos!” She settled back on the ground and scuffed a hoof. “But I haven’t seen any creatures at all so far, and I’ve been looking for a while.”

Perfect Pace tapped a hoof to his chin. “While I too have yet to spot any such creature tonight, I do recall such rumors of their existence.”

“Yes, so I have to keep looking,” Fluttershy said determinedly, flapping her wings again. “It was nice talking to you, Perfect Pace!”

“Uh, yes. A pleasure talking to you, Fluttershy,” the stallion called after her.

Fluttershy flew around from tree to tree some more with no luck. She finally decided to walk through the garden on the ground amongst the high class ponies. She evened out the ruffles in her dress, feeling a warm sense of security. In Rarity's dress, Fluttershy wasn't a model to be laughed at; she was a lady who could walk amongst high society, a lady who would find what she came for.

After a few laps and a bit of wandering, Fluttershy at last found something. “Oh my, a meadowlark!” she couldn't help but voice, scampering after the fast flying little avian. Fluttershy followed the yellow bird past the outskirts of the garden, where it disappeared around a corner of the castle.

Fluttershy peeked around the corner and gasped. There weren't any firefly lamps or cushions set up here. There weren't any exotics flowers in bloom, just ordinary trees and bushes. There were two plain wooden doors in the castle wall serving as the back exit of the ballroom. This small section of undecorated, wild greenery, forgotten behind a corner of the castle, housed the most exotic animals Fluttershy had ever met. Right away, she spotted a toco toucan with a bright green and red beak perched on a branch, a spider monkey swinging from tree to tree, and even a wallaroo hopping about.

Unable to stand still any longer, Fluttershy leaped into the air and soared towards the trees wearing a huge smile. Her dress rustled in the air as she flew. Immediately, all the animals flew, hopped, swung, or otherwise scampered away. Fluttershy froze in mid-air, drawing her front hooves back in shock, her tail swinging below and her dress flapping like an errant cape catching a harsh draft. She had never seen so many animals move so fast before - so fast away from her.

Fluttershy closed her jaw and gently touched down, careful not to step on her dress. She shook her head; it had been a very long time since she had accidentally scared an animal, let alone a whole flock of friendly animals. She let out a breath, releasing all the tension in her body, and resolved to try again. She fluttered after the birds, holding out her hooves for them to perch, but all the birds wanted nothing to do with her. She sat down on a branch and hummed a sweet tune, hoping some creatures would approach her, but none came. Venturing further into the greenery, Fluttershy spotted a bunny making eye-contact. Bunnies were perfect; she had the absolute most experience befriending bunnies. She crouched down low and calmly approached the bunny with a serene smile and no tension in her frame, her dress dragging along the uneven grass.

Within moments of her friendly approach, the bunny hopped away, disappearing into a bush. Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she hung her head, her mane tangling up with her shoe straps. What was happening? How could these animals all want nothing to do with her? It dreadfully reminded her of Flight School, where everypony would laugh at her for not being able to fly or even talk, including the teachers. It reminded her of the runway, where everypony would laugh at her and make comments about her without ever looking at her like a pony, where she was just a model for their entertainment. Her friends had told her those other ponies weren’t being very nice and it was their loss. But these were animals! Friendly woodland creatures! Animals never judged or laughed at others, and animals never ran away from Fluttershy!

The blue butterfly necklace felt heavier around her neck. It also started to feel damp. Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw her tears soiling the wonderful dress that Rarity had made for her. With a sniff, Fluttershy lifted herself up and checked herself over. The dress had gotten a little frazzled here and there, but it still shined pristinely with its wonderful green shade and accompanying floral and butterfly patterns. The dress was a reminder to be bold. Be bold like Rarity. If Fluttershy could talk to a famous, handsome ballet star, then surely she could make friends with some new animals! And that’s what she was going to do!

“You do the pony pokey! You do the pony poke! You do the pony pokey and that’s what it’s all about! YEAH!” Pinkie squealed at the top of her lungs.

Rarity picked herself up from the floor, where she had lain after Prince Blueblood’s refusal to hold open the door had led to it slamming her in the flank and sending her sprawling. It was nothing a battle-hardened mare from Ponyville couldn’t handle, but how dare that lout treat a lady in such an uncouth fashion! She prowled after the prince, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Before she could, the doors across the ballroom swung open.

“Okay, all you high-class ponies,” Applejack announced, trotting forward with a magnificent cake perched atop her apple cart. “Here’s a highfalutin apple cake for all your hoity toity taste buds!”

“Stage dive!” Pinkie Pie screamed, leaping into the crowd. The only thing that caught her was the edge of Applejack’s cart. The cake catapulted over the stage and descended towards…

“Ah!” Rarity screeched at the top of her lungs. She crouched her legs, about to leap away, when something wrapped around her barrel. Her hooves were lifted off the ground, and the next moment, she felt the sweet, fragrant goodness of cake and frosting across her entire face.

Rarity’s hooves hit the ground and she stood stock still, trying to process whether the rich, fluffy, apple-infused cake on her tongue was real. She must’ve already passed out for some reason or another; there was no sound. Wasn’t there loud music a second ago? Yes, surely she had fainted long ago from the prince’s uncouth antics, and surely she hadn’t just been used as a pony shield from delicious cake. Perhaps she was still taking a nap on the train to Canterlot to recover from working herself to the bone on Hoity Toity’s dresses, and this was all a lucid nightmare of her hidden fears that she would not qualify as a lady?

The cake and frosting dribbled down her ears, restoring Rarity’s hearing. Yes, the music had stopped, but there were clearly murmurs bouncing about the room. Rarity opened her eyes and looked down, some frosting dripping off her mane and splatting over her glass slippers. The front of her velvet dress was utterly ruined. The extra weight on her back surely meant the entire dress was ruined too; she didn’t dare to look.

She whipped around in one motion, feeling some weight flying off. There stood a unicorn with a blond mane and a clean white coat. A growl emanated from Rarity’s throat the likes of which the Everfree Forest had never heard before. “You are the most uncharming princes I have ever met! In fact, the only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain!”

“Ew!” Prince Blueblood shuddered. “S-stay back! I just had myself groomed!”

Rarity looked behind her at her ruined dress and grinned. “Afraid to get dirty?” She galloped two steps forward and swung around, the loose cake bits in her dress spraying onto the prince’s coat. Then her two backhooves bucked him in the chest, sending him into the large ornate pony statue in the center of the ballroom.

“This is my chance!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, streaming under the falling statue with a rainbow contrail. “Yes! Whoa…” she yelped as the statue started tilting on her back. She stumbled from side to side, knocking a pillar over, which knocked over the next pillar, and the next. Rainbow collapsed, and the statue shattered in two at the neck.

Twilight Sparkle stared in shock from the grand entrance to the ballroom. Applejack was soothing Pinkie Pie, who was lying flat on the hard ground. Rarity was coated in cake. Rainbow Dash lay in a pile of rubble. Twilight didn’t dare to glance at her mentor beside her, Princess Celestia. “Well, it can’t get any worse…” she mumbled.

The very next moment, the backdoors in the corner of the ballroom flew open and a horde of animals flooded the premises. A very ragged Fluttershy at the doorway heaved heavy breaths. “You’re. Going to LOVE ME!” the pegasus screamed.

Twilight started hyperventilating, coming up with a dozen things to say to her mentor. “Run,” Princess Celestia suggested instead. Twilight nodded and gestured to her friends to come. With a sheepish smile to Princess Celestia, Twilight bolted down the stairs with her friends in tow. To Twilight’s surprise, Rarity quickly overtook her.

“Ooh! Rarity, your glass slipper!” Pinkie called out. “Now your prince is sure to find you!”

Rarity shrieked and galloped back up the stairs, slamming her hoof onto the slipper and almost certainly chipping something. “Let’s go!” she cried, grabbing Pinkie Pie by the dress and soaring down the stairs four steps at a time.

Twilight ran past the castle gates and hid behind the fence, counting her friends as they followed her out. “Wait! Where’s Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s hooves carried her back to the dreaded, abandoned corner of greenery, where she promptly hid inside a large bush and buried her face in her hooves. No creature came to check on her. She doubted anypony - or any creature - wanted anything to do with her anymore.

“Fluttershy,” a familiar voice eventually reached her wilted ears. “Fluttershy, could you come out from there?”

The pegasus didn’t budge, unwilling to part her tearstained face from her forelegs. The sound of moving branches filled the vicinity and a purple mane and velvet dress entered her periphery. Fluttershy started burrowing deeper into the bush.

“Tell me what’s the matter?” Rarity asked softly. Fluttershy stayed silent for almost a minute besides the occasional sniff before finally mumbling some muffled response into her hooves, prompting Rarity to move closer. “Pardon?”

“They hate me,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“The party goers may have some distaste for us, but it’s hardly something we can’t overcome-”

“No, not the ponies, the animals. They hate me,” Fluttershy cried.

“Oh,” Rarity voiced, realizing it was worse than she thought. “What happened between you and the animals? Please talk to me, darling,” Rarity urged, fully settling down next to Fluttershy.

“I finally found all the animals but they all ran away from me. Animals never run away from me. Why did they want nothing to do with me? It’s like I lost my special talent. There’s something wrong with me,” Fluttershy whispered, her voice barely audible near the end.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Rarity soothed, easing Fluttershy’s face up.

“There is,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“I don’t know why these animals ran away from you, but you have plenty of friends back home who love you just the way you are, animals and ponies alike.”

“Why does every new creature that I meet from outside Ponyville never want to be my friend?” Fluttershy sniffed. “All the foals in Cloudsdale made fun of me. All the fashion ponies made fun of me. Even these animals in Canterlot run away from me. I must be a horrible pony.”

“You are a very lovable pony,” Rarity soothed, brushing Fluttershy’s mane. “How others think or act is out of your control. Believe me, I know,” Rarity sighed. “There’s no reason to let the actions of others make you think you aren’t your wonderful self.”

“I’m not thinking about what other ponies think anymore,” Fluttershy mumbled. “I didn’t mind getting laughed at for wearing that silly bird’s nest at your fashion show.”

“Good. Now-”

“But this time it’s the animals who hate me! Animals have always loved me…”

“Animals have thoughts and opinions of their own, don’t they?” Rarity brought up. “That’s what you told me before letting me adopt Opal. That’s what you tell everypony when you entrust them with a pet.”

“Yes,” Fluttershy murmured.

“So, these animals could have some reason to avoid you. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you, not at all!”

“But what could possibly make them want to avoid me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe all these animals serve an evil prince whose special talent is to stamp over other ponies’ dreams,” Rarity chuckled. “The point is, those animals are not important. You are important. We have each other, and our friends, ponies and animals alike. Always remember your friends, how much you care about them,” Rarity said, lifting Fluttershy’s chin with a hoof, “and how much we all care about you, darling.”

Fluttershy met Rarity’s eyes through the tears and pink blinds, seeing the sincerity behind those sapphire orbs. She felt a warm feeling in her heart that slowly spread across her whole being, returning life to her limbs.

Feeling Fluttershy starting to rise, Rarity smiled and worked her way out of the bushes. “Feeling better?”

“A lot better,” Fluttershy said with a tiny nod. “Thank you.” Rarity offered a hoof to her, and Fluttershy took it with her own green-clad hoof. “Wait, did your slipper fall off?” Fluttershy asked, glancing into the bush’s depths.

“Eheh, it won’t be in there, darling,” Rarity mused. She cast a wistful glance out the garden towards the castle.

“Did you…” Fluttershy slumped, using her mane for cover. “Did you leave it behind for your prince to find?”

“Oh no. Quite the opposite. I destroyed it to make sure the prince would not find it,” Rarity said matter-of-factly, turning her snout up.

“Oh… s-so… your night didn’t go as planned either?”

“It most certainly did not!” Rarity stomped, glaring at the castle.

Fluttershy felt a sinking feeling. She knew she should not have had any thoughts about hoping Rarity wouldn’t find her prince; she was such a horrible friend! “I knew the dress I made wasn’t going to be good enough. I’m sorry, I just wanted…” Fluttershy trailed off. “You should’ve taken one of the other ones you made,” she mumbled.

“What?” Rarity voiced, turning to the friend she had come to cheer up and was doing a horrible job at. “Fluttershy, no! That’s not it at all. The dress you made was wonderful! Is wonderful! In fact, I should be apologizing to you for ruining it!”

Fluttershy perked up and finally got a proper look at Rarity. Her purple mane was clumped up with what seemed like frosting, her shawl was drenched, and the velvet dress was stained with cake. Leaves and twigs stuck to the cake stains, which made Fluttershy realize what lengths Rarity had gone to find and comfort her.

“Prince Blueblood was simply a horrible, undignified lout,” Rarity continued. “Don’t you worry one bit, Fluttershy. You did a wonderful job on my dress. Honestly, nopony has made me a dress before! You are more important to me than any prince.” Rarity leaned forward and wrapped Fluttershy in a hug, then started idly brushing the twigs out of Fluttershy’s mane.

Fluttershy felt the warmth double in her cheeks as she rested her head on Rarity’s shoulder. She didn’t have her mane to hide behind as Rarity was tending to it, but maybe she didn’t need to hide? She felt… nice.

“There you are, girls!” Twilight called out with the others in tow. “Let’s get out of here before anypony notices us. I know a donut shop down the street where we can lay low.”

“Ooh! I could really use some sweet indulgences right now!” Rarity exclaimed, trotting after Twilight. She beckoned to Fluttershy, who smiled warmly and followed.

“So Fluttershy, what’s the deal with all those animals?” Rainbow Dash asked, giving Fluttershy a little nudge with a wing.

And just like that, the feelings of dread resurfaced. “They h- didn’t like me,” Fluttershy mumbled, staring at her scuffed shoes.

“What? Ain’t never thought I’d hear the day a critter didn’t take kindly to ya,” Applejack responded. She winced as she recalled Fluttershy’s scream when the doors flew open. “Did ya do something to ‘em?” she dared to ask.

“Well, I, um, I may have tried to trap them in a box, and a net, and my bare hooves…” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m a terrible pony! Maybe I shouldn’t be around animals at all anymore!”

The others exchanged confused glances. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation,” said Twilight. “Why did you set traps, Fluttershy?”

“Well, when I first found all the animals, they were all avoiding me. But I really wanted to befriend them, so I tried harder and harder…” Fluttershy’s voice shrunk smaller and smaller as she described the chases, the traps, getting caught in her own net, and finally the final rampage that drove all the animals out of the hidden enclosure and through the backdoors of the ballroom.

“It’s okay Flutters, we all make mistakes!” Pinkie said. “Like diving from a stage! My ribs are gonna be all bruisy-wuisy for days!”

“Yeah, and, uh, bringing a cake into a ballroom, I guess,” Applejack shrugged.

And bringing you girls to the gala, Twilight regretfully thought. What will the princess think now?

“See, it’s no big deal, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, waving a hoof, only to see Fluttershy was no longer at her side. Rarity looked back and saw Fluttershy standing still. “What’s the matter, darling?” she called over her shoulder.

“N-nothing,” Fluttershy mumbled, but the pegasus didn’t move.

Rarity followed Fluttershy’s line of sight to an adorable kitty on the side of the street with several burrs stuck on its back that it was trying to claw off. “Well, don’t just stand there, dear. There’s an animal in need of your help!” Rarity encouraged.

“I d-don’t know if I should anymore…”

“You can do it, I know you can!” Rarity urged, pushing Fluttershy along.

Fluttershy cautiously approached the cat, who noticed and hissed at her. Fluttershy looked past the claws and into the kitty’s eyes, feeling its needs. “It’s okay, I just want to help,” Fluttershy said soothingly, instinctively releasing all tension in her frame to convey her earnest intent. The cat calmed down and meowed, lifting its back to show the bothersome burrs.

Fluttershy leaned down and picked the burrs off one by one. The kitty hissed at first, but soon kept quiet as Fluttershy worked. Once Fluttershy was done, the cat rolled around with a happy meow, gave Fluttershy a lick on the foreleg and scampered off. Fluttershy had a radiant smile on her face, as if discovering her special talent again.

“See, Fluttershy? You are special, and some fussy animals in a royal garden isn’t going to change that about you,” Rarity reminded. Fluttershy darted over to Rarity and gave her a tight hug.

“Alright, enough with the sappy stuff. I’m starving!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Those ‘hor de vors’ barely put a dent in my stomach.”

“I know from experience,” Applejack chuckled. “That’s why I made sure to bring plenty of apples.”

“Hey Rares,” Rainbow Dash called. “Gimme some of that cake.”

“Ew, gross!” Twilight interjected. Pinkie started a laugh that evolved into a chorus of laughs as the group of friends trotted down the street.

Fluttershy admired Rarity as she followed. Rarity’s mane and dress were a mess, but she was wearing Fluttershy’s dress, with the twigs as a reminder of how she found Fluttershy in the garden. Fluttershy couldn’t think of a more beautiful look.