Super Shy

by Severith

Honestly

Super Shy

Chapter 4: Honestly

“Apples! Get your apples fresh from Sweet Apple Acres right here!” an orange earth pony with blond hair and a brown cowboy hat called out to ponies trotting around the streets of Ponyville.

Me, being one of the ponies passing by, stopped to check the humble pony’s apple stand. I definitely lacked apples. Those delicious food items always seemed to disappear overnight. The apple family at Sweet Apple Acres knew just the right way to grow apples.

Yesterday’s events still lingered on my mind. Only that craving for something like apple nourishment pushed me out of my home this morning. Otherwise, I would have been content to reside in my dwelling all today to try to wash away the failure and embarrassment from another day's worth of interactions with Fluttershy. Maybe it had ended on a decent note, but I had still made a fool of myself. I doubted Fluttershy wanted anything to do with me.

I just wanted some freaking apples to eat today! Nothing more!

“Howdy partner,” the orange mare with three red apples for a cutie mark greeted me. “How are you today?”

“Oh, fine I guess,” I mumbled a bit as I browsed the scrumptious red apples.

“Hmm… I don’t mean to be rude or bothersome, but you look mighty familiar,” the mare said, squinting at me.

“Uh, what do mean?” I glanced up at the mare. “I do live in Ponyville, you know.”

“Well, I figured that,” chuckled the earth pony. “I mean, you fit the description of a stallion one of my friends told me about.”

That statement caused me to drop the apple that was in my hooves. Oh great, is this another friend of-.

“Fluttershy talked about a stallion she bumped into one day then saw at the market the next day,” the apple pony explained. “You look just like the one she was talking about.“

“Oh, hehe,” I chuckled a little while bashfully kicking at the ground with my hoof. “Well… um… yeah, but-”

“Well isn’t that just a delight!” the orange mare smiled, interrupting me. “I know Fluttershy said she was too shy to say anything, but I have a feeling you two would get along just fine! In fact, I should introduce you two!”

“Um, I’m not so sure if you need to,” I commented, frowning. “I’ve already-”

“Nonsense!” the mare stopped me once again. “I’m sure she would be happy to meet you.”

“It’s just…,” I trailed off. Memories of the last encounters with Fluttershy floated through my mind. I inwardly cringed from all the awkwardness and failed conversations I had had with that shy mare. How could I explain this to this mare? “Nevermind.”

“What is it, sugarcube? You seem a bit lost,” the earth pony squinted at me. “ Ya know, I have been might busy with my chores that I haven’t seen her in quite a while, but I do know that my big brother, Big Mac, told me that there is a Ponytones concert tonight! I know Fluttershy loves their music! How about you go to the concert with her?”

“What?” I exclaimed, incredulously. “Nonono, I can’t ask her! The last-”

“Ah see, you’re just as shy as her,” the mare grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask her for you! Just be sure to show up later tonight, and I’ll introduce you two.”

“I-”

“I promise it will be okay,” the orange pony cut me off yet again. She smiled reassuringly at me.

I sighed. This mare was clearly not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. I might as well take her up on her offer. Fluttershy was a nice pony, but every date had gone awry at some point so far. Thinking about it too, we had not really talked about anything or gotten to know each other that much. All I remembered were the embarrassing moments.

“So, is that a yes, you will be there?” the apple pony questioned me.

“Sure,” I muttered dully. I might as well…

“Yeehaw! I can’t wait! I know you two are gonna have a good time. Fluttershy is a great pony once you get to know her. Well then we’ll see you later!”

“Yeah…,” I weakly smiled. I handed over some bits for a couple of apples. Then I trotted back to my house, that small smile widening even though my thoughts swirled with pessimism.

It’s just going to go as bad as the other dates! What am I thinking! I thought to myself. Why do I keep agreeing to these things? I just hope I don’t make a fool out of myself this time… No! This time will be different! I’ve got another chance to make a good impression! Hehe, I guess I’m pretty lucky Fluttershy has so many friends… or that could be a bad thing. Whatever. Though it is odd to be going on a third date in three days with her. How convenient that there is a concert tonight…

My thoughts continued to ebb up and down throughout the day as I lounged about my home. I found myself glancing at the clock every other minute. I alternated between anxious fretting and hopeful happiness about the future date. I could not decided if I wanted to be excited or nervous to see Fluttershy again.

This time, I knew the date would probably not work out like I expected for the better or worse.

* * *

The sun slowly set in the distance when I finally decided to wander outside. A slight breeze ruffled my mane. Another beautiful spring night was settling into Ponyville and I had been confining myself in my home again.

“Hmm,” I sighed to myself while looking around me. “Today could have been a perfect day to read underneath my tree. But…” Shaking my head, I trotted off to the edge of Ponyville. “At least this concert thing is outside.”

As with all of the other dates with Fluttershy, I had contemplated avoiding the situation. I still did not want to stand up her even if she did not exactly know I was going to meet her. I wondered how Fluttershy would feel when I showed up practically unannounced. Hopefully, she would not be mad at me. She would probably be annoyed a little though.

The newest (to me at least) friend of Fluttershy’s seemed nice enough. The name of that earth pony with a cowboy hat and apples for a cutie mark eluded my mind. I know she had something to do with Sweet Apple Acres, but I had never interacted enough with her to remember her name. Regardless, she seemed like an honest, caring pony. Hopefully that meant she would not affect our ‘date.’ This was more of a meetup to me anyways.

This would make three dates in three days. I had barely learned anything about Fluttershy other than the fact that she was shy like me, and she was kind. Despite that, I still wanted to see her again. I had enjoyed the small moments we had shared together, ignoring the disasters that Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash had caused. I was looking forward to another chance to see that kind, lovely mare. Maybe this time I could make a better impression…

Sighing to myself again, I glanced around me. Other ponies walked in the same direction as me. I assumed they were also heading to the Ponytone concert. This would be the first time seeing them. They were starting to become popular amongst the residents of Ponyville.

The babble of voices reached my ears as I rounded the corner to the concert area. Many ponies were gathered in front of the small stage and more ponies were joining the crowd. I estimated about twenty or so ponies were assembled here for the concert.

Nervously, my eyes scanned the crowd for the telltale pink flowing mane of Fluttershy. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed those lovely locks of hair off to the left side alongside the apple pony with the cowboy hat from earlier. The two ponies were happily talking with two other ponies who wore a nice shirt and bowtie. Gulping, I shakily trotted to the group.

On my way, I observed the two new ponies. One was a pure white unicorn mare with a magnificent purple curled mane and tail. On her flank, was a cutie mark of three purple diamonds. The other pony was a big, red earth pony stallion with a cutie mark of a green apple.

Hmm… maybe I should wait. I thought, second guessing my initial idea to approach the group. I don’t want to bother them.

So I veered off to the right and snuck into the crowd. I continued glancing over at the Fluttershy and the others while thinking about going over there, but I still could not bring myself to interrupt them. Obviously, Fluttershy knew each of those ponies otherwise she would not be talking to them. I would hate to butt into their conversation since I barely knew her. Though I did catch myself watching that red stallion more closely than the others. A tinge of jealously floated through my mind alongside the thoughts of regret and disappointment.

I know I’ve seen him before. I pondered. He’s that big, strong stallion that lives at Sweet Apple Acres. I’ve heard so much about his toughness and stuff. I wonder… does Fluttershy like him or…? She seems happy right now. Maybe… he’s probably better for her anyways. I don’t know… I don’t even know if I like her or… whatever.

I shook my head, trying to clear the negative thoughts from my mind. I knew it was pointless to delve too much into what I was seeing, but I could not resist. That orange mare had asked me to come here, so that had been a good sign. Still…

Sighing, I hung my head. Those thoughts continued to swirl around my mind. My bubbling optimistic mood had changed to a sad, depressed state. So I decided to forfeit this evening and head home.

“Hey! There ya are!” I heard a southern drawl call to my direction.

Looking up, I saw the orange earth pony beckoning to me with a smile. The white unicorn and stallion were also smiling my way. Fluttershy did glance at me, but quickly diverted her attention to her hooves though a smile was on her face alongside the familiar redness on her cheeks from blushing.

“Um, me?” I questioned, pointing a hoof back at myself.

“Yeah! Come on over! We’ve been waiting for ya,” the orange mare answered.

Cautiously, I trotted over to the group of four ponies. They eagerly waited for me to approach them. The white unicorn eyed me, curiously with an intrigued smile. The giant red stallion stoically stared back at me. Fluttershy smiled to herself and looked in my general direction while avoiding eye contact.

“Uh… hello,” I meekly greeted the group.

“So this is the stallion you talked about, Fluttershy?” the unicorn inquired, grinning.

“Mmm,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Glad you could make it,” the orange mare said.

“Yeah…,” I mumbled.

“Well, let me introduce everypony,” the orange mare offered. “Of course, you know Fluttershy. This is Rarity.” She pointed at the white unicorn, then pointed at the stallion. “This is my brother, Big Macintosh. And I don’t recall ever giving you my name. I’m Applejack.”

“As much as I would like to stay and chat, Big Mac and I must be going,” Rarity stated. “The show will be starting soon. It was good to meet you! I hope you enjoy this lovely evening.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac added, bowing his head briefly. Then he and rarity trotted to the back of the stage. The whole time, Rarity kept her eyes on me.

With those two gone, a familiar awkward silence descended upon the remainder of the group. Fluttershy and I obviously avoided any eye contact from each other. She kicked at the ground with her hooves. I shuffled my hooves. Applejack looked between the two of us with a constrained smile..

“Hehe, well she’s right, after all,” Applejack commented. “Why don’t we find a spot, then?” She led the way to the gathered crowd in front of the stage.

Fluttershy and I lagged behind for a second. I waited for the shy pegasus to follow her friend, but she stayed put for the moment. I shrugged and started to turn.

“Um… I’m sorry Rainbow was so mean to you yesterday,” Fluttershy said quietly, glancing at m.

I stopped. “No, it’s okay,” I answered. “I’m not mad at her or anything. I guess I just wasn’t her type of pony.” I chuckled lightly out of nervousness as I led the way behind Applejack.

“Yeah.... she’s just… really competitive,” Fluttershy chuckled also as she tried justifying Rainbow Dash’s previous actions.

“Yeah,” I responded lamely, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

The three of us found spots near the front of the stage and on the left edge of the crowd. Applejack stood nearest the group of ponies while I lined up to her left and Fluttershy on my left. We stared up at stage where a blue curtain hung, covering the main area. The ponies around us continued talking amongst themselves as we waited for the performance to start.

“Sooo… you like the Ponytones?” I asked Fluttershy.

The yellow pegasus inhaled deeply with enthusiasm I had never seen. “Oh my gosh! I love the Ponytones! I’m one their biggest fan!” Fluttershy beamed at me, her eyes wide in excitement. “I love to sing their songs. Rarity has just the best voices and Big Mac’s deep voice is so good. You know, I’ve been thinking about asking them to help me with a fundraiser.”

“Oh that’s-” I started to say, a little taken aback by Fluttershy’s sudden enthusiasm. Still, this new side of Fluttershy brought a genuine smile to my face. Unfortunately, the ponies around us shushed me as the curtain on the stage rose. I shut up lowered my head in embarrassment.

Everypony turned their attention to the stage where four ponies now stood. From left to right, there were two ponies, a mare and stallion both earth ponies, Rarity, and lastly Big Mac. They all smiled out at the crowd gathered before them. The fans all cheered for the arrival of the performers.

To my left, I glimpsed Fluttershy beaming with excited eyes. Her wings flapped idly.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts!” Rarity announced. “Without further ado, I present the Ponytones!”

Everypony in the crowd stomped their hooves and cheered for the group of ponies on stage. I smiled while looking up towards the performers. Fluttershy enthusiastically clapped her hooves together and beamed widely with eyes wide in amazement.

To begin, Rarity blew her tuning instrument. Then Big Mac followed that up by beginning their song. After the initial introduction, Big Mac sang, “Everypony’s saying you should learn to express your voice.” The tune sounded familiar to me, but I could not quite recall from where I had heard it. Anyways, the whole crowd erupted in cheers at the conclusion of the song. Then everypony began to disperse while talking to each other. The three of us hung around at the left side of the stage.

“Whoowee, those Ponytones sure are somethin’,” Applejack commented.

“Yeah, that was a good show,” I added, nodding in agreement

“Mhm. They really are lovely,” Fluttershy giggled. She hummed softly to herself.

All of a sudden, a memory resurfaced in my mind. Watching Fluttershy tonight had reminded me of how she had skipped and sang to herself before she had seen me. “Hey Fluttershy,” I started a little nervously.

“Yes?” she smiled at me curiously.

“Um, you like to sing, don’t you?” I continued, trying not to fumble on my words.

The shy pegasus nodded just once while glancing to the sky.

“Well, I… I think you have a great singing voice,” I blurted out quickly while also glancing to the sky and not making eye contact. “I remember hearing your singing several days ago.”

Fluttershy responded by blushing and attempting to hide behind her flowing pink mane. A proud smile adorned her face.

Applejack now turned her attention to her yellow friend. “You can sing, Fluttershy? You never told us,” the apple pony said.

“Really?” I wondered aloud. “You can sing just as well as those Ponytones.”

Fluttershy continued to stay silent while retreating behind her mane.

“Wow! That’s impressive Fluttershy!” Applejack gushed. “You should talk to Rarity about-”

“No!” Fluttershy exclaimed suddenly, emerging from her hiding place for a second. “I mean, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just…” She trailed off.

“Difficult to sing in front of ponies?” I suggested.

“Mhm,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Well, you wouldn’t be alone, I imagine,” Applejack tried to reason. She looked towards the edge of the stage. “Look! Here comes Rarity and Big Mac. Why don’t you ask them?”

“Please please please don’t!” Fluttershy begged with her back to the two approaching ponies. Her eyes were wide and frightful.

Applejack hesitated. She stared at Fluttershy’s pleading eyes before saying, “I… I suppose I won’t say anything. I’ll let you ask, if you really want to. But you really should say somethin’! You might be scared, but I know you can get over your fears.”

“Thank you, Applejack,” Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s just… I can’t”

“I know,” I mumbled softly, looking at the ground. “It’s not easy being the focus of everypony.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a warm, knowing smile spread across Fluttershy’s face. She looked directly at me, but I could not return her gaze.

Then Big Mac and Rarity rejoined our group. Fluttershy pleaded one last time with her eyes towards Applejack who rolled her eyes at the shy pegasus. The two show ponies completed our group circle.

“Did everypony enjoy the show?” Rarity asked, batting her eyelashes.

“Oh yes, it was great,” Fluttershy answered softly.

“You were all fantastic!” Applejack added. “I thought you all sounded great. Though I think you could also you an extra voice to make your group even better!”

“Hmm, I do feel like our quartet could be better if we had another talented singer,” Rarity pondered aloud.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac stated.

“Ahem,” Fluttershy cleared her throat, eying Applejack.

“Well, um, you four are really starting to get popular,” Applejack changed the subject. “That was the biggest crowd of ponies for one of your shows I’ve seen.

“Yes it seems our little entourage is growing in popularity,” Rarity agreed.

I listened to the conversation while smiling nonchalantly. Unfortunately, I usually failed to add to a conversation in a group of ponies. I always hated to interrupt anypony with my thoughts, so I just kept my comments to myself. For the time being, I idly stood by near Fluttershy while the others talked about stuff. My lack of contribution always made me feel uncomfortable as time passed the more I thought about it. Especially in situations like this, I felt left out or out of place since I did not know anypony besides Fluttershy, and I barely knew Fluttershy to begin with.

The others continued to talk about the performance and other stuff. Rarity seemed to dominate the conversation while Applejack responded and Fluttershy added small comments. Big Mac just stood upright, proud, and silent beside Rarity. I had never heard him speak other than his ‘Eeyups’ and singing from the performance.

Though, I could not help but notice that Fluttershy only had eyes for Rarity and Big Mac. The more I stayed silent and just observed Fluttershy out of the corner of my eye to my right, the more I contemplated the implications of her gaze. My mind started to wander and compare myself to the big stallion who possessed a deep, resonant voice. I started to become jealous of him. How could I compete with his skills? Fluttershy clearly liked ponies with a good singing voice, and I lacked such an ability. My demeanor drooped more and more as my mind dwelled on the better attributes of Big Mac. I began to realize that I did not really belong with this group of ponies.

Unfortunately, this was not going like I hoped. The more they talked, the more I just wanted to go home. So I attempted to slowly back away. All I needed now was an excuse, and I could escape this group. I figured Fluttershy would not want to talk with me anyways.

“Exactly,” Rarity nodded.

Noticing a slight lull in the conversation, I interjected timidly, “Um, I think I’m actually going to be going now.”

All eyes turned to me, freezing me in place.

“What? Why are you leaving so soon, sugarcube?” Applejack questioned me.

“It’s just… um…,” I mumbled, failing to think of a valid excuse. “I don’t want to bother you…”

“Oh, it’s quite alright darling,” Rarity tried to reassure me. “We don’t mind your company.”

I sighed softly while gazing and kicking at the ground. “I’m sorry. I just need to… get to bed early tonight,” I attempted to lie. “Gotta wake up early tomorrow.”

“Oh. Alright then,” Applejack said. “Glad you could make it out tonight!”

“Yes, it was great to meet you!” Rarity smiled at me.

“Um… bye,” Fluttershy added softly.

With that, I turned around and trotted away briskly with my head down. I hoped to put this pointless night behind me.

Comments

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In a way it was pretty nice this time, I just was a bit sympathetically towards his feelings in the end, and he haven't done anything that made him look like a total idiot this time, or at least he wasn't made look like it. I still waiting for something that he can do better than her, so that everyone has a special skill I don't exactly mean his Cutiemark only.

Not sure if Fluttershy was really interessted in him, that she would more or less ignore him that much, but I would understand if she was a bit distracted a bit from the show, but then again she was just talking with fans and I don't exactly see the reason to have a (fangirl moment) fangasm right now.

However I got at least a "date", where Fluttershy didn't only looked like the Alpha, or in which he was made look like a wimp, much more even than Fluttershy even if she is one of my favourites.

I think I said everything......

[Texus]

I would like to have a new chapter please.