Too Nice For Toys

by CherryrookHolloway

Shy's Little 'Helpers'

“So whaddya think you’re gonna get from the Hearths’ Warmer, Dashie?”

“Nothing, Pinkie. The Hearths’ Warmer doesn’t exist.”

“Whaat?! He totally does!”
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were helping Fluttershy with the last-minute preparations for Hearths’ Warming; checking all the hibernating animals were nice and cosy, searching out any slippery leftover fallen leaves, making snowmares. Although she was grateful for the help, Fluttershy wasn’t a foal; she knew her friends were there mainly to make sure of being on the Hearths’ Warmer’s nice list. Well, Pinkie anyway - she’d said as much herself. Dash, however, was in no way helping to please the Hearths’ Warmer, ‘cuz he did no way exist; Dash was helping ‘cuz she was such a great pony who helped out her friends all the time, right? Except when she was napping. Or pranking. Or practising new tricks. Or reading Daring Do. Or when she couldn’t be bothered. But apart from all that, she was undeniably, unquestionably un-not-help-y.

“He totally doesn’t. Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy, who had been cleaning the migratory birds’ empty perches was momentarily startled that she’d been mentioned. Remembered, even. After all, it was far too easy for her to be forgotten in the slightly overbearing presence of two such, um, loud ponies. Not that there was anything wrong with being loud of course. She opened her mouth to answer, but was pre-empted by Pinkie Pie.

“Don’t you listen to her, little Fluttie! She’s just can’t imagine a magical flying reindeer with an absolutely huge sack of gifts for all the good little fillies and colts in Equestria.”

“Huge?”

“C’mon Pinks, imagine how heavy that thing’d be. He wouldn’t get two hooves off the ground!” Dash said.

“Heavy?”

“Oh yeah? Then how do you explain the stack of presents everypony nice gets every Hearths’ Warming?” Pinkie countered.

Seemingly struck by a sudden thought, Pinkie looked round at Fluttershy.

“Nice if pretty much the same as kind, right? And you’re so kind, you had an element for it. I betcha gonna get a whole ton of presents all to yourself!”

“A-a whole ton? But won’t that make the Hearths’ Warmer’s sack even harder to carry.”

“It would if any of it existed.”

Pinkie and Dash spent the rest of the morning arguing. Normally, Fluttershy would have giggled quietly, but right then she was deep in thought.
* * *
Fluttershy paced. A whole ton of presents?! She could only imagine how hard it would be to fly across Equestria with that weight. She found it hard enough to get a sack of carrots from Golden Harvest’s market stall.

“What’ll I do, Angel? I can’t let the poor reindeer go to all that trouble over little old me.”

Angel slouched on the couch, watching her trot anxiously up and down.

“I’d offer to help, but I don’t know where he lives, and I don’t even think I could lift up an enormous sack full of presents. Oh, I’d probably drop it and break all the deserving little foals’ gifts, and that would be terrible, and…” she continued pacing and worrying.

Angel rolled his eyes. This was gonna be a long day.

Eventually, Fluttershy seemed to come to a decision.

“I know. I could show the Hearths’ Warmer that I don’t deserve anything at all. Then he’ll have just a few less presents to carry,” she said triumphantly. “…But how do I do that?” She continued dejectedly. “I’d have to get on his naughty list, and the only way to get on his naughty list is to be naughty, and everypony tells me I’m so nice… oh dear.”

Fluttershy looked at Angel for a second, before gently picking him, placing him on the floor and taking his place on the couch. They stared at each other for a further second, before Fluttershy leapt up into the air in a flood of tears.

“Oh, Angel! I’m so sorry! I don’t mean it, I was just trying to be naughty… oh, you can sit back down now.”

Angel slapped his little bunny forehead and hopped back into his rightful place.

“Oh, I know, Angel. I’m not going to help the Hearths’ Warmer if I apologise. After all, saying sorry is a nice thing. Maybe if I try to be mean to somepony who won’t mind so much…?”
* * *
Knock knock.

“Yeah, I’m coming already!”

Dash opened her door. A yellow and pink monster with a face made of paper and crayon greeted her with a terrifying roar that might, just might, move a feather. Slightly.

“Hay Fluttershy. Whatcha doin’?”

“Um… scaring you?” The monster replied hopefully.

“No you’re not. And ya do know Nightmare Night was a couple months ago?”

The monster did. It started shuffling sheepishly.

“What did I do wrong? Is there something wrong with my mask?”

Dash stared at her.

“Yeah… that’s it…”

“Oh… this being mean stuff’s much harder than it seems. I’ll never get onto the Hearths’ Warmer’s naughty list.”

Dash stared for a moment.

“You’re trying to get on his naughty list?”

Fluttershy nodded and told Rainbow Dash her plan.

“So, you’re kinda doing something nice, but by being naughty?”

The monster nodded.

“Listen, if you want somepony to teach ya pranking, I’m ya mare.”

“Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash, but if you, um, don’t mind me saying, you’re not normally so readily nice to me…”

“What? Nice? Who said anything about the Hearths’ Warmer’s nice list?! I’m not trying to get on his nice list, ‘cuz it totally, definitely does not exist! And neither does he!”

Dash pushed past the scary monster and started flying towards the town centre.

“C’mon, Shy! Let’s get prankin’ already!”

Author's Note:

One's first FiMfic (on here, that is). How fantastic to beginify with a Christmas- ahem, Hearths' Warming-y story.

Comments

[Grey_Mane]

For your first fix, I like how this is going so far, Flutters worrying about making the sack too heavy, trying to be naughty by moving Angel from his spot on the couch and then sitting in it, and by scaring Rainbow Dash with a meek roar. The way Fluttershy acts in here is pretty good.

And trying to do something nice by being naughty. Ain't that a strange little twist.

[VelvetHeart]

Oh dear, looks like someone forgot to close their italics!