The Park

Another glorious day was ahead of the denizens of Ponyville. The clear blue cloudless sky and the rolling emerald hills were doused with warm rays of sunshine, all combining to create the most magical looking day ever. Ponies played in the parks and others took the time to bathe in the sunlight or have a quiet picnic in the shade of a tree, no matter what they were doing, it was all because of the sun. Of course, none of this would be possible without the weather patrol. Those hard working pegasi were the driving force behind any sunny day. Everypony was grateful for the effort they put into moving around the clouds every day.

The main bulk of the pegasus power in Ponyville came from the colourful pony, Rainbow Dash. She was without a doubt the best cloud cleaner around. She was also the laziest too, but since it took her on average ten seconds to do a whole days work, she could afford to be. Although it was fleeting, the beauty of watching the multicoloured mare paint the sky as she collected the clouds was almost unmatched.

Rainbow dash sat on a cloud and thought about her plans for the day. She pictured her mental checklist in her mind.

“1. Clear away all the clouds over Ponyville. Check!
2. Save the fluffiest cloud for myself. Check!
3. Sleep on it. Check!

Hmm, looks like Ive done everything I needed to do today... Awesome!”

As Rainbow Dash mentally scrolled through her meagre list of objectives, she realised that she would most likely get bored very quickly if she failed to find something to do. She racked her brain trying to think of what she would like to do most. Almost instantly, a metaphorical lightbulb shone above her head.

“Fluttershy! She’s always great to hang out with, I should go and visit her.”

A few seconds later, she was gone, speeding off into the distance and destroying her last remaining cloud with her take off. She really had no idea what she wanted to do with Fluttershy, but they always found something to keep themselves occupied on days like this, whether it be telling stories, going for a walk or visiting their other friends. Fluttershy was without a doubt, the friend that Rainbow Dash felt most at ease with. She neared the familiar tree cottage at a blinding pace, breaking hard enough so she stopped just inches away from the door. Seemingly unfazed by her close encounter, Rainbow casually knocked on the door.

“Fluttershy, it’s me Rainbow dash!” She yelled, not even giving the door a chance to open.

Slowly, the door creaked open to reveal Fluttershy. The yellow coloured pegasus embodied the very essence of shyness. Her flowing pink mane rested on her face, obscuring one of her large cyan eyes. Unlike Rainbow Dash, who proudly displayed her wings by spreading them out wide, Fluttershy kept hers pinned close to her body making her look more petite than her friend. She spoke with a tiny voice that only trained ears could discern.

“Oh, h-hello Rainbow Dash, what brings you here?”

“I finished all my chores today and I thought we could hang out.”

Fluttershy silently questioned what chores Rainbow could possibly have, but thought it would be good to get out of the house and away from Angel, who had been demanding that she make him a triple carrot lettuce sundae, something she had never heard of until today.

“That sounds wonderful. What did you want us to do?” She asked.

Rainbow Dash hadn’t thought that far ahead, even though she was the fastest flier, she wasn’t much of a quick thinker. She stood with her hoof to her chin for a while before smiling at Fluttershy.

“I know!” She said with exuberance “Let’s go to the park! I’m sure we can find something fun to do there.”

Before Fluttershy had time to argue, she was whisked off her feet and into the air. She didn’t mind Rainbow’s enthusiasm, she found it to be one of her more endearing qualities. Plus, she was fond of the park.

All around, playful ponies littered the park. Everywhere you looked there was a group of adorable fillies playing jump rope or a line of sunbathers relaxing on the ground. It wasn’t long before the two newcomers had found a ball and begun a playful bouncing game. It also wasn’t long before Rainbow’s competitive side shone through, and she was spiking the ball down hard enough to form craters in the ground. One particular bounce sent the ball into the branches of a faraway tree, trapping it.

“Rainbow Dash, could you try and be a bit more gentle.” Fluttershy said with the slightest hint of frustration in her voice.

Rainbow Dash gave a guilty chuckle. “Sorry, I guess I got carried away there.” She knew it wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. Slowly, she glided towards the tree that was keeping the ball captive.

Fluttershy sat on the ground and watched the ponies having fun. She found it easy to get lost in the gentle warmth of a day such as this one. So easy, in fact, that she didn’t notice a frisbee rocketing towards her face, sending her down into the ground. After rubbing her head with her hoof a few times, she regained her composure and looked at the foreign object, a small light blue disc with a picture of a thundercloud on the front. As she examined the disc further, the sun was eclipsed by a figure standing behind her.

“Ahem, excuse me?” The figure said calmly.

Fluttershy quickly pivoted to see Thunderlane. The dark pegasus seemed much taller than she remembered, though she had only ever watched him from afar. It was only up close that she noticed how brilliantly his light blue contrasted his black coat. She felt all tingly with his golden eyes fixed upon hers, so much so that she forgot to reply to him.

“Uh, it’s Fluttershy right?” Thunderlane asked. His voice reduced Fluttershy’s response to a series of nods and squeaks. Thunderlane tried to make out what she was saying, but gave up after a few tries. “I think I may have hit you with my frisbee.”

Fluttershy glanced at the disc and then back to him, then back to the disc again, then back to him. It seemed that this awkward silence would have gone on forever if nothing was said. With a forced smile, Thunderlane tried again.

“...Can I have it back, please?”

Bells rang in Fluttershy’s head as she finally pieced together what was happening. She timidly squeaked out a vague apology before handing him his frisbee, a huge blush plastered on her face.

“...Thanks. Sorry I hit you by the way.” He said as he flew back to the area he came from. Fluttershy started hyperventilating on the floor. Rainbow Dash, having collected the ball, stared at the yellow bundle on the ground.

“Uh, Fluttershy, What happened?” She asked, concerned. Fluttershy jumped onto her feet.

“He talked to me! It was the first time he said anything to me ever and I acted so dumb! Oh, I can’t believe it, I’m so embarrassed!” Rainbow Dash was surprised by Fluttershy’s yelling, which was around normal speaking level. She shot her friend a quizzical look, but Fluttershy had buried her face too deeply in her own mane to notice it.

“Who are you talking about?” Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy peeked out of her mane to whisper “Thunderlane”, before disappearing again. Rainbow Dash was still perplexed.

“I don’t get it. Why are you so upset about Thunderlane? He’s just a regular colt.”

Fluttershy leapt out of her hair and swiftly dragged Rainbow dash behind a nearby bush.

“You don’t understand. I’ve kind of had... feelings, for him for a long time.” She whispered to her friend, who stared blankly at her. “...You know... ‘Special feelings’.” More blank looks came from Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy sighed at her clueless friend. “A crush. I’ve had a crush on him.” She finally confessed.

It all immediately clicked for Rainbow Dash, though the feeling of understanding was soon overshadowed by the realisation of what Fluttershy had just said. The blue pegasus gazed over the bush to where the stallion in question was standing, looking at him with judging expression.

“Thunderlane, what’s so great about him?”

“W-well... I’m not sure.” Fluttershy thought out loud. “I’ve never really spoken to him besides today. But whenever I see him, I get all embarrassed.” Fluttershy looked down at the floor in self pity, before a sudden realisation came to her. “Hey, Thunderlane works in the weather patrol right?”

“Uh, yeah?” Rainbow replied, not sure what significance this had.

Fluttershy stared at her in hope. “And you’re in the weather patrol too! So you must know a lot about him! What’s he like?” Fluttershy rested her head on her hooves and looked to Rainbow Dash like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

Rainbow dash was startled at Fluttershy’s unusual display of excitement. She really didn’t socialise with him that much since they both worked in different zones, so she knew nothing personal about him.

“He’s nothin’ special. He’s faster than a lot of the others but I don’t know what his clearing time is. I’m surprised that you like him, from what I’ve heard, he’s got a bit of a temper.”

A temper? Fluttershy could not believe that an amazing stallion like himself would ever even think of being mean to another pony. After grilling Rainbow a little more, Fluttershy rested her chin on the bush and stared forlornly at the object of her affection. The sight of her pitiful friend sent a wave of guilt through Rainbow. She felt like she had to help her, even if she thought she could do better.

“Hey Fluttershy, what if I set you two up on a date?” The blue pegasus asked innocently.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she turned back to face Rainbow Dash. “What! No, no, I couldn’t do that, I-I can’t even talk to him. Besides, he probably thinks I’m weird anyway.”

Rainbow thought hard for a second. “Okay, how about this? I talk to him a little and see what he thinks about you, then you can decide what you wanna do. Sound good?”

Fluttershy looked to the ground. She liked the idea of finally having a real conversation with Thunderlane instead of staring at him from various hiding places, though she expected the real thing to be an awkward mess of incoherent whimpers. An anxious expression graced her face.

“Okay Rainbow, i-if you think it’ll work.” She murmured, keeping her head down.

Her response was met with unsure eyes from Rainbow Dash, although Fluttershy couldn’t see them. Rainbow certainly didn’t want to pressure her into doing something she didn’t want to, a part of her didn’t want to talk to Thunderlane either, but she brushed her worries aside and assured herself that this would be good for her friend.

“Okay Fluttershy, I’ll talk to him tomorrow, but for now lets just get back to playing!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, but can we go somewhere else. I don’t want him to see me again.”

Rainbow sighed at her timid friend and led her out of the park.

Telltale rainbow streaks zipped across the skies of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash, having finished early yet again, decided to fulfil her promise to her friend and talk to Thunderlane. She zigzagged through the air and kept her eyes peeled for her target. Eventually, she found him as she was passing over a field on the outskirts of town. He lay on his back with his wings spread wide, clearly enjoying the sun. Shooting down towards him, she slowed into a dominant pose in front of him, snapping him out of his peaceful daydream.

“Woah! Watch it Rainbow dash!” He exclaimed. Rainbow Dash merely rolled her eyes. “What do you want?” He asked in an annoyed tone, clearly upset at missing valuable sun time. He wasn’t too fond of Rainbow Dash either, due to the fact that she could clear all the clouds in Equestria in the time it took most ponies to do one sector.

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment.In all the time she spent searching for Thunderlane, the thought never crossed her mind as to what she would actually say to him. She could be blunt and tell him that Fluttershy liked him, though she didn’t envisage that plan going down too well with Fluttershy. There was also the option of beating around the bush, which seemed the favourable out of the two. Rainbow dash sauntered up to Thunderlane and casually crossed her legs.

“I was just in the area and I thought I’d say hey.”

Thunderlane looked puzzled. “You’ve never been eager to talk before. Why are you even out here anyway? Aren’t you clearing the south side today?”

“Hey, I’m allowed to be friendly to ponies! And besides, I thought I’d take a break to fly around a little, you know, keep myself alert.” Rainbow tried to keep an air of nonchalance and aloofness. She decided to move the conversation forward. “So...I saw you in the park yesterday... Talking to Fluttershy.” She said, shooting inconspicuous side glances to Thunderlane.

“Uh, Yeah. I was getting my frisbee back.” Thunderlane was obviously confused and more than slightly annoyed with the chatty pegasus.

Rainbow decided that the whole cautious approach wasn’t fast enough. It was time she got to the point.

“So what do you think of Fluttershy?”

The stallion was clearly taken aback by the blunt and quite frankly, random question. “What do I think? What do you mean by that?”

Rainbow, still trying to keep a modicum of discretion, felt that she shouldn’t be too upfront about it. Even if he did like Fluttershy, Rainbow’s eagerness may have driven him away.

“Well, do you like her? Dislike her? Love her? Hate her? Feel any sort of emotion towards her whatsoever?”

“I-I guess... I mean, uh... She’s... Look, I don’t really know what you want from me. I’ve barely said two words to her!”

Rainbow huffed. “Just tell me if you like her!”

“Fine, I like her, she seems very friendly. Are we done here?” Thunderlane sighed exasperatedly.

The blue pegasus paused for a moment. Even if she did pester Thunderlane into giving her the right answer, it was close enough. She just had one more question to ask.

“Do you like animals?”

The inane questioning was getting to Thunderlane. With tensed wings and a deep inhale, he answered through clenched teeth. “Yes.” He didn’t really like animals, but he felt this was the easiest way to get her to leave him alone.

A smile grew on Rainbow’s face, just the answer she was looking for. After kindly thanking the stressed stallion, Rainbow sped off in a multicolour blur. The now solitary Thunderlane collapsed back onto the grass.

“Finally!” He said with a sigh.

Chirping and warbling permeated the air. countless unique species of birds twittered as they sat in their birdhouses, creating a tiny, feathered choir. Birds weren’t the only thing around. Squirrels and chipmunks and rabbits and badgers all skittered in a curious fashion on the floor. This cute critter cornucopia was Fluttershy’s home. The dainty yellow mare took care of each and every being in the house, usually nursing them back to health after an accident or a scuffle. In her eyes, these animals weren’t pets or patients, they were her friends, and it was her duty to care for them.

The pegasus in question had just finished feeding the last few hungry mouths looking for sustenance. She surveyed the barren cupboards and empty food bags. She could probably afford a mansion if she didn’t have to restock her supplies mostly every day. A new note on her checklist was made for more food as she made her way into her sitting room. As her light frame flopped on the couch, a knock came at the door, eliciting a soft groan from her. This was the first time she had sat down since the morning and it was already cut short. But, as ever, the courteous pegasus hopped up and trotted to the front door. There stood Rainbow Dash, sporting a light smile.

“Oh, hello Rainbow. I’m too tired to come out and play, b-but you could come in if you like?”

Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes at her angelic friend. She manoeuvred through the house and sat down on the couch, resting her feet on the coffee table. Fluttershy came in shortly after, elegantly perching on the adjacent chair with a warm smile.

“Is there anything I can do for you Rainbow?” She asked politely.

“Na, I just thought I’d tell you that I spoke to Thunderlane today.” She replied with a cheeky grin, knowing it would get a reaction from Fluttershy.

And as predicted, Fluttershy reacted. You could practically hear the sound of cogs turning in her mind as she tried to process every possible outcome of this conversation. Her warm smile gradually morphed into a frown of worry. Rainbow Dash was afraid that she may have broken her friends mind with her comment. After a long awkward silence, Fluttershy buried her face in a pillow with a pained squeal.

“...Uh, Fluttershy? What’s the problem? You don’t even know what he said yet!”

Fluttershy’s response was muffled due to her smothering herself with a pillow. Rainbow Dash was just able to make it out.

“I bet I already know what he said... I bet he forgot who I was. Or he did remember me as the pony who can’t even talk right, oh, I wish I could just fly away right now and never come back.”

Rainbow resisted the urge to tell her that she could indeed fly away right now. She sidled up to her friend and placed a hoof around her shoulder.

“Fluttershy, he said he did like you!”

The quivering ball of Fluttershy froze for a moment before a quiet ‘Huh?’ was heard. She slowly unfurled so just her eyes were showing from the pillow.

“Are you sure?” She said, to which Rainbow Dash gave a slight nod.

Rainbow was happy to see Fluttershy gradually take the pillow away from her face. She was smiling with pink blushes on her cheeks. She sat with a modest posture with Rainbow’s arm still wrapped around her.

“S-so, what did he say... Specifically?” she asked through her smile.

The blue mare grinned at the fact that she had made her friend so happy. “He said that he liked you and you looked friendly... Oh yeah, he also likes animals.”

Fluttershy was gone at the last word. She had zoned out into her own little euphoric world. Rainbow gave her a slight nudge, which only made her giggle slightly and smile wider. Eventually, an extra loud sigh from Rainbow Dash brought her back into reality, heavy blushes plastered on her cheeks.

“Oh... S-sorry Rainbow. I just never thought he would say that he thought I was nice. I was expecting something bad to happen...” she said. A quick hoof nudge from Rainbow Dash prevented her from slipping back into her dream world.

“Okay! Now for part two. You have to go up and talk to him, and ask him out on a date.” Rainbow ordered.

The goofy smile on the yellow mare’s face instantly disappeared. “W-what! I can’t do that! M-maybe this is the part where something bad happens.” She said covering her eyes.

“Oh come on, stop being a baby! He already said he likes you, So there’s nothing to worry about! And you both like animals, you have tons in common!”

Fluttershy pouted at her. “That’s only one thing. I can’t talk to him, I won’t be able to say anything, he’ll laugh at me, so will every-!” A swift hoof slap hit the panicking pony across the face, making her yelp and start to whimper as she clutched her cheek. “W-why did you do that?!” She said, blinking through tears.

“Because you need to relax!” Rainbow shouted. “You’re the best pony around and any stallion would be lucky to have you as their special somepony, but he’s not gonna see that if you’re so shy all the time! You need to be confident! Don’t worry about what could go wrong! Once you loosen up, he’ll see all of the awesome things that make you, you.”

Fluttershy sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. Rainbow had never said things like that to her before. “You really mean that?” She asked. A nod of the head gave her the answer. Happily, she wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and brought her into a hug so tight, Rainbow almost passed out. Fluttershy giggled and whispered in her ear. “You’re the best Rainbow.”

The midday sun soared over the floating city of Cloudsdale as all the pegasi went about their day. Most areas in Equestria had all three types of ponies living and working together, though this was an impossibility in the floating city. Due to the natural magic stored inside the pegasi, they were the only ones that were able walk on clouds and cloud based architecture. This was a gift that all pegasi were quite proud of, few even going so far as to look down upon the other races, though these types were scarce. Most were happy enough to help all equestrians with their cloud technology.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been strolling through the weather factories. They both walked with purpose. It was clear that they were looking for someone, and they were not leaving until they were found. Rainbow had been assured that she would find Thunderlane here by his brother, Rumble. The two scoured the area until finally, he was spotted by Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy started to panic. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea, h-he looks busy, we should go.”

Rainbow grabbed her friend by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Don’t back out on me now! Remember what I said. You’re the best pony around! Be confident!” Rainbow turned away from her friend to where Thunderlane was standing. “Thunderlane! Come here!” She yelled. Fluttershy turned to scowl at her friend’s bold yelling, but saw that she had left, kicking up a cloud of... cloud, as she went. Fluttershy frantically span around looking for her. She saw Rainbow’s head poke out from behind a pillar. “Confidence.” Rainbow mouthed before disappearing again.

Fluttershy turned back, instantly face to face with her dream pony.

“Yes?” Thunderlane asked politely.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak but only releasing a high pitched whimper. Sweat formed on her face as she looked to the ground and closed her eyes.

“Confidence! I can do this! I just need to be assertive. I’m best pony, I’m best pony, I’m best pony...”

Fluttershy looked back up to him with a charming smile, still mentally chanting. Thunderlane was confused at how long it was taking her to reply to him.

“Hello Thunderlane, I wanted to ask you a question.” She said with a bat of her eyelids.

This was definitely not the same fluttershy that Thunderlane was used to seeing. Even if he didn’t know her that well, he noticed a remarkable change in her tone of voice.

“Sure Fluttershy, what’s up?”

“W-well, I...” Fluttershy started, her confidence slowly draining in his presence. “I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?”

Thunderlane was nearly thrown back by the sudden question. He hadn’t expected Fluttershy to be the kind of person who asked people on dates. Fluttershy watched him with clenched teeth and a forced smile. The pressure welling up in her mind was nearly enough to make her pass out. She just wished that he would say something and put her out of her misery. She wished so hard that she didn’t notice that he actually had said something.

“Uh, Fluttershy? Hello?” He said, waving a hoof in front of her. She snapped out of it with a light gasp. “I said yes, I will go on a date with you.”

The dizziness Fluttershy was experiencing was fading. “Really!” she said in a light squeak. Thunderlane chuckled slightly.

“So where do you wanna go?”

“Uh... How about tomorrow at the Dandelion Diner.... If that’s ok with you.”

“That sounds great, I finish work at seven o’clock tomorrow, so how about I meet you then.”

“Okay.” She said still smiling.

Fluttershy waited for him to trot off before jumping and screaming in joy. This display was short lived as she saw all the working ponies staring at her with various concerned expressions. She smiled sheepishly and slinked over to where Rainbow Dash was hiding.

“That was awesome Fluttershy!” Rainbow dash said while flapping her wings excitedly.

“Did you see me?! I was so confident, I can’t believe he said yes!” Fluttershy replied, a hint of pride in her voice. “Now what happens?”

“Now you gotta get ready, and I know just the person to help you with that.” Rainbow Dash said with a grin.

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique.” Rarity beamed as she recited her store’s catchphrase, though her smile changed to a small pout when she saw it was only Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. “Oh, hello girls! Can I help you with anything?”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked down at the floor. Rainbow sighed and nudged her friend’s flank, an act which didn’t seem to be enough to get Fluttershy to talk. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but didn’t press the issue.

“Rarity, Fluttershy needs you to make her look all pretty and fancy.” She said, pushing the yellow pegasus forward closer to Rarity. The Fashionista’s eyes widened. Her friends rarely ever cared about their appearance as much as her, which left her little opportunity to try new ideas and styles on them.

“Really! I have so many different outfits that would look perfect on you! What do you think of a light cyan? Or maybe turquoise, that’s very in this season! What about your hair? We could restyle and give you a whole new makeover! Oh this is going to be so much fun!” Rarity failed to stifle a girlish giggle. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. “May I ask What this is for?”

Fluttershy traced a circle in the ground with her hoof. Looking away from Rarity, she mumbled an answer.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Rarity asked politely.

Another inaudible mumble came from the pegasus.

“Could you speak up dear, I can barely hear you.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath in and with blushes on her cheeks, she looked up at Rarity. “I’m going on a date.”

Rarity’s squeal of joy was high pitched enough to deafen both pegasi and send Rarity’s cat, Opalescence scurrying for cover. The two mares recovered to see Rarity still bouncing her hooves up and down in excitement.

“Fluttershy this is amazing! Who is the lucky stallion?” She said, giving Fluttershy a wink.

“Um, his name is Thunderlane.” She whispered.

“Well this Thunderlane fellow is going to be in for a surprise once I’m finished with you.” Fluttershy squirmed at Rarity’s words, not sure if she was ready to be a test subject. Her body language didn’t get past Rarity, who noticed the uneasiness in her friend. “Darling, If there’s one thing I know, it’s fashion. I’m going to make sure that you look absolutely fabulous for your date. Trust me.”

Fluttershy softened slightly at Rarity’s words. Before she could reply,a hoof grabbed her and dragged her upstairs.

“Come Fluttershy, we have much to do.”

Rainbow slowly trailed behind the two as they walked upstairs to get a special makeover.

Hours. Hours of makeup, of dresses, of hairstyles. The yellow pegasus could barely keep up as Rarity danced around her boutique as if she were on air, applying foundation and lip gloss, straightening shoulder lines and curling lengths of hair. They went through so many dresses that Fluttershy was amazed that Rarity even had the space to store all of them. She felt like her hair would fall out if Rarity applied the curlers or ribbons one more time. Rainbow Dash had long since fallen asleep, not being allowed to see Fluttershy’s transformation until it was complete, she had to wait outside.

Rainbow Dash was awoken from her slumber by Rarity, who looked up at her as Rainbow was sleeping on a cloud in the middle of the sunset coloured sky.

“Rainbow Dash, it is finished.”

Rainbow felt uneasy at Rarity’s abruptness. letting out a yawn, she leapt down and walked into the store.

Upstairs, there stood a large, ornate partition that Rainbow Dash guessed was hiding Fluttershy. Rarity shut the door behind them and walked over to the barrier.

“Now Rainbow Dash, feast your eyes on the New, Improved, Fluttershy!”

The partition was removed. Fluttershy stood in a long white dress. The pure, cloud coloured clothing was adorned with faint green swirls that formed small, leaf shaped patterns. On her head, she wore a butterfly shaped ribbon and multiple flowers in her hair. Her hair remained largely unchanged, though the ends were curled slightly more and it was a deeper shade of pink. Rainbow Dash looked at the figure in awe.

“Well? What do you think?” Rarity asked impatiently.

Rainbow struggled to find the words. A string of incoherent babble told Rarity all she needed to know.

“Oh I know! Doesn’t she look marvellous!” Rarity Said, clasping her hooves together as she stared at her creation.

Fluttershy was less sure of her new look. “Are you sure this is necessary? This seems a little much.”

Rarity frowned at Fluttershy. “Sweetie, when you step into the restaurant looking like this, everypony will be staring at you, I guarantee it!” Fluttershy shivered at the last words. Staring wasn’t something she was exceptionally fond of. A comforting blue hoof rested on her shoulder.

“You wanna impress Thunderlane right?” Rainbow asked Fluttershy, who silently nodded. “Well, Rarity knows everything about impressing ponies and if she says this will work, it will.”

“Rainbow... I had no idea that you regarded me so highly.” Rarity choked through tears. She quickly returned to the task at hand. “Now Fluttershy, since your date isn’t until tomorrow, you can leave the dress here and pick it up when you are ready. We’ll need to redo your hair as well.

Fluttershy mentally cringed at the thought of more hair curling and makeup. She didn’t let this be known to Rarity however, wanting to spare the unicorn’s feelings. After another few minutes, Fluttershy was back to her old self and her outfit was neatly arranged on a hanger. Her and Rainbow Dash both walked out of Rarity’s Boutique, thanking her for her generosity.

“Okay, are you sure that you’re okay with this? Remember, all the animals need to be fed at seven thirty and not a minute later, or else they get all huffy. I’ve already restocked the food supplies. The chicken food is outside, the bird food is in the top shelf in the kitchen and the rest of the food and the medicine is in the cupboards. Angel doesn’t like lettuce but if you cut some up and put them in his food he won’t notice, his favourite food is a cherry tomato sundae but he won’t eat it if it has too much tomato... Okay?”

Rainbow stood wide eyed at the yellow pegasus as she rolled off a long list of tasks for her to complete while she was house sitting. Rainbow was astounded that Fluttershy could possibly have time to take care of all of these things whilst still having time to play. Rainbow Dash was sure she would collapse into a coma of exhaustion if she had to do this everyday.

“And don’t forget, the chickens need to be put to bed early or else they won’t wake up in the morning. Are you sure you can handle this? maybe I should stay home? I’ll just canc-” Her worried speech was cut off by a hoof in her mouth.

“Fluttershy, relax. You’re gonna be fine! You have tons of time before you have to be there. Just go see Rarity, I’ve got this.” She said with a smile.

Fluttershy tried her best to protest but her words were lost as Rainbow pushed her out of her cottage door and slammed it behind her. Fluttershy whimpered slightly at the thought of going through with this. slowly, she trudged towards Rarity’s Boutique. Inside the cottage, Rainbow Dash peered through the window and watched the mare walk down the road. She sighed and turned around, seeing that all the animals in the house had come out of their homes and were staring at her with curious expressions. At the front of the animal army, stood Angel with a mischievous grin forming on his fluffy face. Rainbow had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.

Fluttershy approached the formal looking door of the boutique and opened it, hearing the familiar chime of the bell as it alerted the owner to her presence. Stepping inside, Fluttershy saw her dress from yesterday laid out on a dress form in the middle of the store. Rarity had obviously been preparing for her arrival. As Fluttershy examined the dress further, Rarity hopped down the stairs in an oddly childlike manner.

“Coming!” She stated happily. “ Oh Fluttershy! I was hoping it would be you. I’m so happy that you chose me to help you prepare for your first date.”

Fluttershy fidgeted, twitching her wings as she did. “Do you think it’s that big of a deal?”

“Of course it is dear! This is a wonderful occasion, but don’t worry because Rarity is here to help you, and I will make sure that this night will be magical.” Rarity’s eyes sparkled as she spoke so surely and confidently. “First thing’s first, we need to get you into this dress.”

After another bout of fashion and hairstyling which Fluttershy was convinced took way longer than it needed to, she was almost ready to go to her date, until a thought crossed her mind.

“Umm, Rarity?”

Rarity, who was tinkering with the flowers on Fluttershy’s hair, stopped what she was doing and looked at her. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Is there anything that I should do? I mean, I don’t know much about dating and I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

“Huh...” Rarity looked confused at what Fluttershy was trying to say, until finally it clicked. “ Oh, I see! You want to know the appropriate way to act in a dating situation, correct?” A confirmation nod was given to her. “Well, I haven’t been on a date before but the best advice I can give you is to be yourself. If he doesn’t like you for who you are then he doesn’t deserve you!”

Fluttershy felt better when she listened to Rarity’s comforting advice. Though she really hoped that he did like her the way she was. She would have worried about it more, but at that moment, a loud alarm came ringing from the clock on the table. Rarity looked over at it with what could only be described as an expression of horror.

“That can’t be the time! I’ve barely gotten started on your hair!” Rarity screamed.

Fluttershy glanced in the mirror. Her hair looked exactly the same as it was yesterday when Rarity styled it. To her, there was absolutely no difference. Obviously Rarity didn’t see that, as she was whizzing around the room, picking up numerous canisters of hair product.

“There’s just not enough time!” The unicorn cried in despair as she threw herself onto a fainting couch that had magically moved to her.

“Rarity, it’s fine.” Fluttershy said as she moved to her.

Rarity gazed up at the pegasus. It was then that she could fully appreciate all of her hard work. Fluttershy looked completely stunning, even if her hair wasn’t as complete as Rarity would have liked it to be.

“I guess your right Fluttershy, you do look beautiful.” Rarity had almost gotten lost in the yellow mare’s beauty, until she realised what she was meant to be doing. “Ahem, right, the date! You don’t want to be late now.” She said with a slight blush.

Fluttershy gently bowed her head to the unicorn. “Thank you for all your help Rarity.”

Fluttershy walked out of the boutique. Rarity, who could finally relax after all of her hard work, leant back on the couch and took in a deep breath.

“I do hope Fluttershy has a good time.” She said with a sigh.

Fluttershy waited outside of the restaurant. She had just arrived there, but the absence of her partner was already starting to make her nervous.

“Where is he? Did I tell him it was today, or tomorrow? No, no, I’m sure I said today. Then maybe... Maybe he does know and he’s not going to show up! Oh, I feel so embarrassed! Maybe I should just go home... Home! I wonder how Rainbow’s doing with the animals?”

Inside the cottage, Rainbow Dash went into the kitchen. The animals were definitely plotting something and she didn’t want to get on their bad side by forgetting to feed them. Especially that little devil in disguise, Angel. Looking in the cupboards, she spotted four brown bags among a wide assortment of colourful food.

“Woah, look at all this food! I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I made myself a sandwich... No! I’ve gotta keep my focus. I need to feed all these animals for Fluttershy... Maybe I’ll just have a little snack.”

Rainbow Dash dove into the cupboards and collected a wide array of goodies. She walked outside and collected a cloud, then proceeded to lay back on her makeshift chair in the garden and tuck into her food. Rapidly, Rainbow’s eyes began to feel heavy and her body relaxed. Having completely forgotten her previous task, the pegasus curled up and went to sleep.

Just as Fluttershy felt as if she was going to have a brain aneurism from sheer worry, a hoof tapped on her shoulder. Thunderlane stood tall in a black tuxedo and a bow tie. She didn’t like to think it, but he seemed out of place in a suit due to his mane being very prominent. Though she had to admit that he did look quite dapper, more so than she usually thought. The fact that he was now here did nothing to alleviate the worry she felt.

“Hello Fluttershy, you ready to go in?” He said calmly. Fluttershy wondered if he was feeling anything at all, if he was, he was very good at hiding it. She nodded and let him lead her inside.

The restaurant’s interior was very classy. The tables were covered with spotless white cloths and ornate candles were placed on each one. The walls were painted in a light maroon colour which complimented the glossed wooden supports around the restaurant. Fluttershy had never been in this place before, but she had passed by it on her way to the spa every week and wished she could go there with someone. It looked like this was finally her time.

The waiter pony looked quite proper. With a smile, he ushered the couple to a table and handed them two menus. Fluttershy was quite surprised at the fanciness of it all, places like these were usually found in Canterlot. She looked over at her date, who looked at her. She thought this would be her chance to show him how confident she was by starting the conversation.

“So, Thunderlane, tell me about yourself.” She said as confidently as she could, though her voice wavered slightly.

Thunderlane was unsure of what to make of all this. Fluttershy had never spoken to him for any significant period of time, being in Cloudsdale most of the time meant that he had only ever even seen her a few times, and now he was on a date with her. It made him wonder if she had wanted to ask him out before but never had the courage to do so.

“Well...” He said in a hesitant tone, not knowing what to say. “I work for the weather patrol, mostly clearing the fields over in the east.”

That wasn’t what Fluttershy was most interested in. “You must be able to tell me more about yourself. You don’t need to talk about the weather. What do you like to do besides work?” Fluttershy surprised even herself with her unusual talkative attitude. She was only like this around animals and her closest friends.

“I’m not really sure where to begin...” He started, Fluttershy’s constant gaze spurring him on. “I spend a lot of time with my brother when I’m not working.”

Fluttershy leaned in slightly, knowing she was getting closer. “What’s his name?”

“His name is Rumble.”

“What’s he like?”

Thunderlane started to ease up. “He’s really great. He’s one of the best fliers in his class at flight camp!” He said with a proud smile.

Fluttershy continued to listen closely as he described his brother and their home life. All her fears were melting away into nothingness. She felt that this was the best night ever and he was the perfect stallion.

Rainbow Dash awoke from her nap with a jolt. She had the odd feeling that she was forgetting something important. Shaking it off as a dream, she walked back into the house as it was getting cold outside. Still, the nagging sensation in her brain telling her that something was wrong persisted.

the pegasus passed through the door and immediately realised what she had forgotten. In the room, an army of animals were positioned on the floor, all standing and alert with their wide eyes fixated on the mare. Leading the wave, stood Angel bunny, holding an empty food bowl in one hand. His expression was cold as he threw the bowl at her feet. Rainbow Dash tried to back out of the door, but a ferret had slipped behind her and locked it while she was stunned. After a few tense moments of staring, Angel pointed a finger towards Rainbow Dash. The animal horde descended upon her.

Fluttershy and Thunderlane had been sitting at the table for a while now. Having finished their appetisers, they were waiting for their food and chatting about random subjects. Fluttershy was amazed at herself for being so extroverted and talkative. The last time she had acted like this was when she met Spike for the first time. Though she definitely felt different about Thunderlane than she did about Spike, she was sure about that. She mentally smiled.

“So far so good. I don’t know what I was worried about!” She thought.

Then the main course came. The waiter smoothly placed down two plates of delicious looking food. Fluttershy’s mouth was watering at the sight of her delicious meal. She began to tuck into the food, when Thunderlane spoke to the waiter.

“Uh, excuse me. This isn’t what I ordered.” He said in a slightly irritated tone.

The waiter gave him a look of slight condescension. “That is the tomato and garlic bruschetta as you requested, sir.”

Thunderlane scowled at the waiter. “No, I said no garlic!” He said, slightly louder than necessary, causing some ponies to look at him. Fluttershy was shocked at his sudden outburst.

“Oh, T-Thunderlane, it’s okay. I-I’m sure it was just a misunder-”

Thunderlane cut her off by placing a hoof in front of her, still not taking his eyes off of the waiter, who was obviously startled by his tone. “No Fluttershy, It’s not okay! He’s calling me a liar!”

The waiter pony decided to try to control the situation. “Sir, allow me to bring you a new plate... Without garlic, and please accept my sincerest apologies.”

Thunderlane growled at him as he pushed his plate to the side. Quickly gathering it up, the waiter dashed back into the kitchen. A foul glare was exchanged between Thunderlane and anypony who was still staring at him, forcing them to turn away. Fluttershy was lost for words. One moment her partner was the sweetest stallion she had ever talked to, the next he was yelling at a poor waiter over some silly mistake. It scared Fluttershy that he could be so mean. She now understood what Rainbow Dash meant when she said ‘temper’.

“...Thunderlane.” She said, barely above a whisper. “Don’t you think that was kind of... Mean?”

Thunderlane crossed his hooves together and huffed. “He called me a liar! You heard him!”

Fluttershy shrank back into her seat at his voice. She wanted to say something else, but the thought of him yelling again stopped her, she didn’t want him to be mad at her. She sat back and quietly munched on her food, avoiding eye contact.

Fluttershy’s mood dropped steadily after that incident. There seemed to be an endless amount of things that could set the dark pegasus off: No breadsticks, the water was too cold, his meal was undercooked. Every server that dared to venture over to the table was driven away by the stallion in a flurry of hostility. By the end of the night, no worker was confident enough to hand him the bill. A small waitress with green shoulder length hair snuck over to the table. Fluttershy was partially slumped down in her chair out of embarrassment and fear. The waitress tugged on Fluttershy’s dress, making sure to keep out of sight of Thunderlane. Looking down, Fluttershy gave a knowing smile and took the bill that the waitress had handed her, giving her a large tip in the process. Fluttershy wondered if Rainbow Dash was having a better time than she was.

The cottage shook with the sounds of shattering objects and angry animals. Inside, an assault was made on the colourful pegasus who had forgotten her duties. Rainbow Dash bucked her back legs, hitting a possum and sending it flying into the wall, breaking a clock and a shelf in the process. She turned back just in time to deflect a barrage of seeds and nuts from a group of chipmunks who were hanging from the ceiling.

“Okay, I’m sorry I forgot to feed you! can’t we just chill out!” Rainbow Pleaded. Her answer came in the form of a squirrel directly in her face.

Knowing it was useless to reason with them, she dislodged the squirrel and took off into the air. She praised her ingenious plan, until she realised that she was inside and the ceiling was only a few feet above her. With a loud crash, she was back on the ground again with a bad headache. Seizing their chance, the multitude of animals piled on her. Rainbow Dash was just strong enough to break free, flapping her wings out and blasting the animals into the walls, ruining the last little piece of the house that wasn’t completely broken. With lightning fast reactions, she bolted for the door with the rest of the critters in hot pursuit.

Fluttershy and Thunderlane walked out of the restaurant, every waiter sighing with relief as they went. Fluttershy was glad that the date was almost over, she didn’t want to see the service ponies suffer anymore.

“Fluttershy, would you like me to walk you home?” Thunderlane said in a deceptively charming voice.

Fluttershy looked at him nervously. “O-oh, that’s ok, really! You don’t have to do that!”

“No, no, I insist.”

Fluttershy tried her best to smile and walked beside him. After this night, she saw Thunderlane in a new light, and she definitely preferred him from afar.

Walking down the main road through Ponyville, Fluttershy looked at Thunderlane cautiously, as if he were about to start yelling at any moment. She sighed quietly to herself.

“He seemed so nice before. I don’t ever want to date again if this is what it’s like!”

A sudden rustling from a nearby bush startled Fluttershy out of her daydream, causing her and Thunderlane to stop in their tracks. Fluttershy hoped that Thunderlane was nice enough to protect her from whatever monster lurked inside the dark foliage. The rustling came to a halt as a small bunny hopped out of the bush and over to the couple. Fluttershy squealed in delight at the sight of the cute little animal. Stooping down low, she slowly ran a hoof over it’s head, causing it to move up against her.

Thunderlane rolled his eyes at the two. Seemingly able to sense his annoyance, the bunny hopped to his feet and rubbed up against them.

“Hey! Get away from me!” Thunderlane said, taking a step back. Fluttershy was confused, even the most evil people couldn’t resist the fuzziness of a bunny.

“He just wants to be friends with you.” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Yeah, well I don’t wanna be friends with him.” Thunderlane replied. The bunny advanced on his feet once more, trying hard to coax some affection out of the stallion. Thunderlane recoiled his foot, and swiped at the bunny, not hard by pony standards, but hard enough to launch the tiny animal back a few metres. Fluttershy gasped and quickly ran to the poor animal’s aid. The bunny looked up at Thunderlane with giant black eyes, mud around his face from where he hit the ground.

“Why did you do that?!” Fluttershy asked as she tended to the creature. “He just wanted to say hello!”

“Who cares anyway, it’s just a dumb animal.”

That was the point when Fluttershy snapped. The yellow pegasus walked towards the stallion with a look of pure fury in her eyes, which made Thunderlane flinch slightly. By the time she was directly in front of him, he was practically cowering in fear.

“Now listen here you meanie!” Fluttershy yelled with a fiery passion whilst pointing a hoof at him. “I know you have a short temper but that does not give you the right to be mean to ponies and hurt defenceless little animals! I want you to apologise to that poor bunny over there!”

Without hesitation, Thunderlane hurried over to the bunny and dusted him off. “I’m sorry, really!” He said, giving him a pat on the head.

“Good. Now I think it would be best if you left.” Fluttershy said in a stern tone. Thunderlane wasted no time, in seconds, he was high in the sky and flying away. Fluttershy strolled over to the bunny that she had saved and scratched behind his ears. “It’s okay, he’s gone now.” She said with a smile. In an instant, she had returned to her usual, kind self.

Fluttershy walked up to the bridge that was close to her house with her new bunny friend on her back. She left the creature on the bank of the small stream so it could have a drink and rest. Walking up to her door, she clasped her hoof to her mouth when she noticed Rainbow Dash slumped against the wood, breathing heavily and with cuts and bite marks over her body.

“Rainbow, are you alright?” She asked, clearly worried.

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment so she could get her breath back. “Yeah, I’m just swell... Hey! How did your date go?”

Fluttershy frowned. “ I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again, I think I liked him better when I didn’t know him.” She couldn’t help but feel sad after all her expectations were shattered.

Rainbow sensed her friend’s sadness. She got up and put a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s okay Fluttershy, I’m sure you’ll find someone else. Besides, I never liked him either.”

“What?” Fluttershy said, confused. “Why did you help me to get a date with him if you didn’t like him?”

Rainbow Dash giggled at her friend’s thought. “Because you liked him, and I wanted you to be happy.”

Fluttershy couldn’t believe that her friend would be that thoughtful and considerate. In one quick motion, she threw her hooves around Rainbow Dash and brought her into a tight hug. Rainbow Dash winced from her injuries, but returned the act of kindness.

“Thank you Rainbow Dash... You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

The hug lasted a long time, but finally, they pulled away. Fluttershy placed her hoof on the door handle, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash.

“Uh, I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” The pegasus said with a nervous smile. “hey, it’s still kinda early, you wanna go to my place and play some games?”

Fluttershy smiled warmly and nodded. The two pegasi flew off into the sky side by side.

“Hey, Fluttershy, just so you know, I’m never house sitting for you again.”

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