“Alright, Fluttershy. I'm ready when you are.” Twilight quickly flipped a page in her book, “The Big Book of Teleportation Spells.”
“O-okay, what do I have to do now?” Fluttershy quietly slinked over to where Twilight stood, looking at the small-font text and failing to make sense of it all.
“Just don't move, and it will work fine.”
Fluttershy simply nodded and stood still. “I'm, um, ready.” With that, Twilight flipped the book shut, her horn lighting up with a purple hue of magic, and pressed her horn to the pegasus's skull, the magic engulfing them both in a light glimmer. Within seconds, they slowly dissipated from the library.
All Fluttershy could think about during her disappearing, was how empty she suddenly felt.
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“Fluttershy.” A nudge. Twilight’s voice. “Fluttershy, open your eyes. We're here, nothing happened that wasn't supposed to.” She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, noticing that they were indeed in Canterlot. The castle in front of them was an immediate giveaway.
“O-oh, um, thanks Twilight... but what are you going to do while I'm with, um, my date?..” she blushed slightly at the simple mention of it, hiding her face behind her long mane.
“Well, actually, this gives me a chance to go visit Princess Celestia. It's been a very long while since I've actually talked to her personally, and it's a nice retreat from the library.” Twilight smiled, looking over at the Royal Gates, the Royal Guard pegasi guarding it ever statue-like. “And, I think it'd do some good for both the Princess and the guards to have a break from each other.”
“Oh, um, that's nice...” she looked away for a second, murmuring “I don't think I can do this.”
“What was that, Fluttershy?” Twilight inquired.
“I don't think...” her voice trailed off to an almost silent whisper.
“Come again?”
“I-I don't think I can do this, Twilight...” Fluttershy said, sighing.
“Why not?”
“B-Because. She's, um, different. More acquainted with ponies and talking to them... me, um, not so much...”
“Fluttershy, while it's true she's needs to be quite the extrovert to be able to do what she does, it doesn't mean you need to be afraid. It'll just be the two of you. Just relax.” Twilight leaned up against Fluttershy reassuringly.
“Um, o-okay... I suppose I could try...” she looked over at Twilight and gave her the best smile she could manage, emitting a small 'squee' in the process.
“That's the Fluttershy I know.” Twilight smiled at her. “Now just remember to --” she was abruptly interrupted by the Canterlot Clock, booming as it hit 8 P.M. “Oh! It's already this late? I should go see the Princess now, Princess Luna is most likely beginning to raise the Moon, so Princess Celestia'll be free, and you need to find your date too.” She turned and began galloping towards Canterlot Castle. “And remember, stay relaxed!” she shouted.
Stay relaxed, she thought. Stay relaxed...
“I'm so nervous,” Fluttershy whispered to herself as she trotted towards the large gardens that the Gala was held in, “but I have to stay relaxed.” She made it a top priority to remain as calm as she could be. As she came up to the gates, she sat in front of them and began thinking of the things that have happened over the course of the day to help ease her mind. There was breakfast with Twilight, she thought. And Pinkie was being... Pinkie. Rarity had taken her to the spa and then personally did her mane, although she noticed nothing different with it, Rarity said it looked more 'proper' and 'prim.' Still seemed the same, regardless.
She was nudged softly. “Uhm, hello?” Nudge. “Hello?”
“Huh? O-oh, um..” Fluttershy turned to see none other than Fleur de Lis next to her. She must've spaced for what felt like hours. Blushing deeply, she smiled softly at Fleur. “H-hi.”
Fleur stifled a giggle the best she could. “Hello there.” She looked up, over Fluttershy for a moment, then back down to her. “So, shall we?”
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“So, Fluttershy was it?” A nod. She remembered her name; progress. “Fluttershy. Okay. Well, you're a very kind pony. I'd actually like to get to know you better, you're very intriguing from what I've seen so far.” Fleur smiled at Fluttershy from across the table, causing Fluttershy to blush yet again. “Maybe another date, even.” Another smile. Fluttershy blushed even deeper, almost creating a new shade of red for the colour spectrum. A waiter came by, and Fleur began ordering.
Oh, Celestia... I really did not do well, Fluttershy thought. Remain calm? I was a travesty... but I still made a good impression. That's... good. She considered another date... she blushed even more, on the brink of a new shade of red being created. Another date... with me. And her. And...
“Fluttershy?” The voice jolted her from her thoughts. It was Fleur. “Fluttershy, darling.”
“Huh? O-Oh, um, yes Fleur?” Fluttershy stumbled over her words, caught offguard.
“It's your turn to order.”
“Oh, um, right... I'll have, um..” She looked at the menu. It read in big bold letters on the top, “The Golden Griffon,” the name of the restaurant. Very posh, silk-covered chairs and mahogany tables manned by near-flawless staff. Outdoors, too. “Um.. the Autumn Salad.” It seemed nice enough by the picture.
“And your drink, miss?” The stallion, grey-coated and maned in a red jacket, asked.
She quickly scanned the 'Drinks' list and immediately saw the one thing that would always be a favourite. “Apple juice, please.”
“Of course, miss.” The stallion wrote down her order and walked away, towards another table.
“So, Fluttershy.” Fleur tried to seem shorter than she really was, seeing as she was at least as tall as two of the pegasus standing, and sitting didn't help it any. Her eyes glanced over to another couple, who were laughing hysterically. Most likely drunk. “How do you like our date so far?”
“Um, it's nice. I like it a lot.” Fluttershy smiled over at the unicorn, trying her best to not be as shy as normal. She pushed her mane out of her eye before continuing. “And, um, how do you like it? This, I mean...” she said, gesturing to the general area around them.
“The restaurant? I come here occasionally. The date? I'm enjoying it immensely, actually. I never thought it'd go so well.” She giggled. “I don't mean it in a bad way. But, the way you acted in the gardens at the Gala, I was expecting so much less in the way of cooperation.” She smiled. “One of the best I've had in a long, long while.”
Feeling somewhat better, Fluttershy tried making herself more of, what was it Twilight said Fleur was... an extrovert? “That's nice. I'm glad you're liking it...” She sighed contently, looking over to the side and noticing that the stallion from before was coming back, with two plates and two drinks.
Maybe the food will calm me, she thought to herself.
Maybe.
The stallion was shortly at the table, placing the two plates of food and the drinks – the Autumn salad and apple juice for Fluttershy, and what looked like a french cuisine and some red wine for Fleur. He took a small bow and walked away, leaving the two mares to themselves. Fluttershy looked over at Fleur, who was delicately eating away at the cuisine, and looked down at her own plate of salad. It suddenly looked very dull compared to Fleur's plate.
“Oh well,” she mumbled to herself.
“What was that?” asked Fleur, taking a sip of the wine.
“Oh, um, nothing.” Fluttershy laughed awkwardly, trying to shrug it off. It seemed to work, seeing as Fleur went back to eating. She, too, began eating, and despite the salad's dull look it tasted like nothing she could get from her own gardens. She was often giving the best to the animals, leaving the sub-par for herself unless somebody was coming over, which was a very rare occasion.
The dinner continued on in silence, much to both Fluttershy's relief and fear. Relief that nothing more awkward could happen. Fear that nothing more awkward could happen. After all, in silence, doesn't it just stay that way until something worse happens?...