It was an early spring morning. Celestia's sun shone brightly down on a lonely figure singing in a meadow whilst picking flowers. She dropped her bouquet into a basket she had brought with her and inhaled deeply, breathing out with a small sigh. The pale yellow pegasus ceased her singing, picked up her basket, and trotted over to another part of the field where different flowers grew. She continued on in this way for most of the morning, her only company the bees humming busily and the butterflies fluttering all around.
As the sun reached its zenith the young mare picked up her basket, took one last glance at the peaceful meadow, and flapped her wings, soaring into the azure sky. Once airborne she set her course for a small village just over the crest of one of the hills that enclosed the valley. As the town came into sight, the pegasus caught sight of her destination and, keeping a firm grip on her basket, soared to it.
She alighted in front of a large tree with a balcony a few stories up, windows, and a large door set near the base. Gulping, she set down the basket and timidly knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a lavender unicorn. Her face lit up when she spotted her visitor and she embraced her heartily. "Fluttershy! It's so good to see you. What have you been up to?" Without giving her a chance to answer, the unicorn turned and called into the house. "Rarity! Fluttershy's here."
"Um, hello, Twilight", Fluttershy greeted her old friend quietly. "I have something for you." She nudged the basket with one hoof, pushing it closer. She dipped down and pulled a bouquet out. It was filled with lavender and white flowers. "They're for you and Rarity, because they, um, have your colors", Fluttershy explained. "I gathered them out in the meadow this morning."
Twilight Sparkle pulled her in for another hug. "They're beautiful, Shy, thank you. Rarity will love them." And she turned her grin to a white unicorn that was just descending the stairs and yawning.
Her dark purple mane, usually so neatly kept, was unkempt and ruffled and she blinked repeatedly. "Twilight? Darling? I was just in the middle of my afternoon nap. What is it?" she mumbled, finally reaching the ground floor.
Happily, Twilight stood aside, letting her marefriend get a look at their guest.
"Oh my stars, darling!" Rarity squealed, waking up instantly. "It's been too long", she lamented as she pulled the timid pegasus into an embrace. "You're looking quite well, I'm glad to see. I've missed you so much, dear. You really shouldn't have stayed away so long", she pouted.
Fluttershy stepped back and smiled. "I've been...busy."
Twilight stepped in, pawing at the bouquet of flowers. "Look what she made for us, Rarity", she said, calling attention to their gift.
For the first time, Rarity noticed it. She picked it up and inhaled their sweet scent. "It's beautiful. And it smells divine. It's perfect!" She grinned widely, twirling in a lazy circle, heady with the scent of nectar.
"Well, um, I should be going", Fluttershy said, stepping back from the doorway.
Twilight looked up in surprise. "Going? But you've only just arrived!" she exclaimed, begging her to stay with her eyes. "You could stay in our guest bedroom for a few days, right, Rarity?"
Rarity looked up from the flowers. "What? Oh, yes of course, darling. Nothing would be better", she assured them.
But Fluttershy was already shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, girls, but I just can't. I have to deliver the rest of my flowers", she said, glad of the excuse to get away from the two lovestruck unicorns. Without waiting for a reply, or even goodbyes, she grabbed her basket and was once again sailing through the sky. She tried to tell herself the tears were only from the wind, but Fluttershy had never been a good liar.
She tried to fix herself up a bit before arriving at her next destination, this being a large shop that looked as if it was made up of gingerbread and icing. Fluttershy opened the door, wincing as the bell rang, signaling her entrance.
Instantly, a preppy pink earth pony was bouncing at her side, enveloping her in a hug that could crush a bear. The basket went spinning out of Fluttershy's grasp, but the earth pony didn't seem to notice. "OhmygoodnessFluttershy!" she squealed, bouncing up and down,
"Pinkie Pie, what's with all the racket?" An orange earth pony with a country accent was coming out of the kitchen with a look of irritation on her face. "Y'all've....Fluttershy?" She broke off as she spotted the reason for Pinkie's excitement. "Howdy!" She joined Pinkie in the hug.
Fluttershy disengaged herself from the hug, blushing lightly. "Hello, Pinkie, Applejack. I have something for you." She looked around for the basket, spotting it near the base of one of the tables. She trotted over to it, picking it up and setting it on the tabletop instead. She pulled out another bouquet of flowers, leaving just one left in the bottom of the basket. This one was filled with tiger lilies and pink carnations, matching the colors of the couple they were given to.
"Oh, they're so pretty, Flutters!" Pinkie Pie squealed, squeezing them and burying her muzzled into them. She took a gigantic breath and then breathed out loudly.
Applejack took an appreciative sniff as well, closing her eyes and savoring the beautiful scent. "It smells real dandy, there, Fluttershy", she said, complimenting her friend. "Ya'll will stay here in Ponyville fer a bit, right?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I've just come to deliver the flowers, but I really should be going", she admitted, reaching for her basket.
"NOOO!" Pinkie howled, slamming into Fluttershy with another hug. "I don't want you to leave, Flutters." She nuzzled her happily. "You're so much fun!"
Ducking out from her friend's embrace, Fluttershy smiled slightly, reclaiming her basket and backing out of the door. "Goodbye." With that, she turned and was winging her way into the sky, a couple flower petals that had gotten stuck on her wings drifting down to the two earth ponies that watched her fly away.
As she flew, the yellow pegasus tried to prepare herself mentally for her next visit. Rainbow Dash had been her closest friend until she had joined the Wonderbolts a few years ago. After that, they had grown apart and she had had to be satisfied with letters and the occasional visits. This would be the first time she would see Dash and Dust together. She steeled herself, zipping up into Cloudsdale.
She came upon the two practicing with Spitfire and Soarin' on a track. They were racing through a familiar obstacle course, that Fluttershy remembered from her fillyhood. Clamping down on the basket, she came to a rest on the cloud that marked the beginning of the course and waited for the ponies to get back to the start. Spitfire and Soarin' zoomed past her, Spitfire giving her a wink as she raced off through a cloud hoop.
When Rainbow Dash spotted her, she slowed down, backpedaling with her wings and coming to a skidding halt on her cloud. She shook her mane out of her eyes, laughing as Lightning Dust landed beside her, showering Dash with puffs of cumulus. Rainbow flicked one onto Dust with her wing and both chuckled.
"Um, hi", Fluttershy said, averting her eyes as both pegasi turned towards her.
Rainbow trotted up to her and draped a wing over her, smiling. "Hey, Fluttershy, watcha up to? Great to see you up in Cloudsdale! Say, have you met Lightning Dust?" She grinned broadly at her marefriend who was looking at the shy yellow pegasus.
Dust saved Fluttershy from having to reply by nodding quickly. "Once. She's great, right, Dash?"
"I, um, have something for you", Fluttershy said before she could lose her nerve. She pulled the bouquet out of the basket, passing it to Rainbow Dash who stood up on both hindlegs, wings spread behind her for balance. She held the flowers in her forelegs and sniffed them appreciatively.
"Sweet", Dust commented, getting her own whiff. "We don't have many flowers up in Cloudsdale, so this is pretty awesome", she said, smiling at Fluttershy.
Kicking the cloud lightly, Shy nodded. "Yes, I know. I-I should get going now, I guess", she said. Before either could protest, she leaped off the cloud, letting herself drop below Cloudsdale before opening her wings again. Only then did she realize she had forgotten the basket, but she didn't care. It couldn't fill the hole in her heart.
