The Lion and the Lamb

by CrazyChickenLady

Chapter Thirty-Five: It's Not A Date

Chapter Thirty-Five: It’s Not A Date

A couple of days later, Ponyville had finally calmed down from the scare that Smokey had inadvertently caused. Repairs were going nicely, and the residents had more-or-less readjusted back to their mainly humdrum lives. Fluttershy had kept Smokey out of town, not wanting to risk another uproar, but she was unable to come up with a plan of her own.

To that end, she decided to ask for advice from a close friend. While she could have asked any of her friends - with, she mentally amended, the possible exception of Pinkie Pie. She didn’t really want to know what inanity she would have to offer - , she felt that going to Rarity was the best option for matters of this caliber. She always seemed to know what to say.

That morning was the day that she had her weekly spa sessions with her. After informing Smokey of her plans, she left Chenoa in his care and cantered over to the spa to meet up with the unicorn.

Passing the entrance, the pale yellow pony nodded to one of the employees behind the counter with a small smile, trying to figure out how she would go about explaining to Rarity about this.

The alabaster mare was already waiting in the lobby, carefully examining one of her hooftips with scrutiny. For a second, she thought she spotted hairline cracks, causing her anxiety level to hit the roof, before realizing it was just her imagination. Her ears perked up at the sound of hooves clopping on the polished floor. Lifting her head, she spotted her good friend and welcomed her with a delicate smile.

“Good afternoon, Fluttershy. How have you been doing?” she questioned as the twins, Lotus and Aloe, escorted them.

“Oh, I’ve been doing fine.” Fluttershy’s eyes twinkled with an inner sense of calm. She always loved coming to the spa, even if she didn’t express it as much as her snow-coated companion. “I… I’ve been thinking about something that I wanted to ask your advice about. That is… if you don’t mind me asking.”

Rarity’s facial features betrayed her sudden piqued curiosity, wondering what sort of advice she could possibly need from her.

“I don’t mind at all, deary. If it has anything to do with children, I think Pinkie or Applejack would be better suited to ask for advice.”

“Uh… Well… No, I don’t need help with Chenoa,” the pegasus stated. “It… really… has more to do with Smokey.”

She blushed, a slight “eep” jumping from her as she did so.

Rarity raised her brows while she held still in order to allow one of the twins to begin wrapping her legs with strands of seaweed.

“What about him, darling?”

As the other twin did the same to Fluttershy, she went a little pinker in her face.

“I… want to spend some time with him. Just us. And Chenoa. And even the critters sometimes. We were going to have a picnic in the meadow, but we met a nice lady who… whose foal went missing. We agreed to help look, and we found him. He was fine, though, but…

“We, um, sort of got caught up in the chaos in town.” A brief pause. The memories of what happened were unpleasant, but she was sure a certain draconequus would’ve had the time of his life if he had been around. “And I want to know what we can do to… to have fun without bothering anypony.”

Ah, yes. The day of the pandemonium. Rarity remembered it well. Thanks to a careless pony, she ended up having to replace her front door. Though to hear the appearance of Smokey was the causation of the bedlam was troubling to hear since he was such a nice creature. Showing up again, even if it was just to spend time with Fluttershy and Chenoa might carry the same results.

“I’m not sure… Unless you somehow manage to turn him invisible. Although, seeing you talk to somepony you cannot even see would get others to start talking.”

“Yes, I imagine I’d get a few stares,” the rosy-maned mare said, going silent for a moment then brightened up with a giggle. “I don’t suppose we could ask Twilight if there was a spell that could turn all three of us invisible? Then that way we could…

“No, because then we wouldn’t be able to see each other…”

Rarity chortled, stepping into the warm mud bath brewing in front of her. Relaxing in the tub, she exhaled on a long sigh as her body was caressed by the soothing warmth. Suddenly, a thought jumped into her head.

“Fluttershy…? You… wouldn’t happened to have been asked out on a date by Smokey, have you?”

“Hmmm?” Fluttershy picked up her head, having sank into the sloppy mud herself. Blinking, she blushed. “Oh! … No. No, I haven’t been. This is just… a small get-together. Between friends.”

Rarity, being the romantic sort, was skeptical. As the most beautiful mare in Ponyville, she knew she had her share of admirers, and believed she was an expert in the field of males.

“Oh? Has Smokey made suggestions for your… get-togethers?”

“He did suggest going to see a movie. Or maybe just having a day at the park. Or having dinner. I just want everypony to see Smokey isn’t a bad dra - erm - pony.” She risked a glance at Aloe and Lotus, not wanting to scare them and cause them to panic as they exited the room to give their customers privacy. “If this keeps up… we’ll probably be limited to nature walks.”

The unicorn heard all of the options, but her ears latched onto ‘movie’ and ‘dinner’.

“Fluttershy, if I know a thing or two about boys - which I do - , is that when they ask somepony out to dinner or a movie, he is definitely interested.”

“Oh… You… really think so? Because he didn’t… really mention it being a… a date. Just… parental bonding.”

“He’s just being shy. Men usually are when they ask a lady out,” Rarity declared in a confidently knowledgeable tone.

Despite her best efforts, the pale yellow pony’s wings popped open slightly, rustling against the seaweed wrap, but settled down almost immediately. This information slightly disturbed her. She had never thought of Smokey in that way… At least, not seriously.

“No. Really? But… it seemed like… such a simple request…”

The unicorn slid deeper into the mud, her muscles loosening further.

“Of course it did. Stallions… boys are simple when it comes to their intentions.”

Fluttershy also sank lower, pursing her lips. This didn’t really seem like something her red-scaled pal would do. Though, if that actually was the case…

“What should I do, Rarity? I… I don’t think I’m ready for something like this. I… I never thought…”

“Not ready? You two get along so well! And you both already have a child!” Rarity chimed as excitement coursed through her nerves. Fluttershy, one of her best friends, has a potential boyfriend! “Go along with it. You don’t want to slip up, do you?”

“Oh, but I--” The pale-pelted pony ceased, blushing deeper. “You make it sound as if we didn’t adopt her.”

She couldn’t help but giggle lightly, her wings bristling, but she tried not to make them pop out again.

“Uh… Alright. I… I’ll try, I guess. I… don’t want anything… bad to happen.”

“Of course not. How often do you find a male who loves animals like you do?” Rarity queried rhetorically.

Rarity actually had a valid point. When Smokey wasn’t loving on Chenoa or his animals, or being sweet with her and any of her friends who decided to visit when he was around, he was doing so with the other animals - petting, cooing, cuddling, and kissing them when they would allow them to. He even got into a playful wrestling match with the bear.

“I… not often, I suppose… Then again, I don’t… really know very many stallions that well.”

“Exactly! You mustn’t let this one slip through your hooves. Even if he is a little… different. Try going at a late hour when there aren’t many ponies around,” Rarity suggested.

“A late hour?” It made sense. Being out late at night would likely reduce, if not eliminate, the chance for bedlam to erupt. Eyes opening wide, she beamed. “Oh, Rarity, that’s a good idea! I didn’t even think of that!

“But… what places would stay open late? I’ve never really been… out on the town, so to speak.”

“You just leave that to me, sweetie.” If she didn’t have cucumbers over her eyes, the purple-haired mare would’ve flashed a quick wink to her pegasus friend. A plan was already stewing within her mind. After all, it wasn’t often Fluttershy went out with a male. In fact… she never recalled a time where she actually did. “Fluttershy? Is this your first date?”

“It’s… not a date,” she gently reminded, her ears rotating back and pressing against her skull. She opened her mouth to continue, her voice a little stronger this time. “We’re not doing anything special, we’re just… spending time together… Getting to know each other better. That sort of thing.”

“Now, now. What if Smokey is expecting it to be a date? Spending time together and getting to know each other IS what you do on a date,” Rarity reasoned nonchalantly, lifting a hoof out of the mud as if to examine it.

Fluttershy stared down at the sloppy brown substance, sitting back against the edge.

“Well… I suppose you have a point,” she sighed, unable to come up with any other counterpoints.

“Don’t fret. It’s not that difficult. Just remember your manners and play along,” the unicorn said, placing her hoof back down. Suddenly, she bolted upright, the slices of cucumber flying right off her eyes. “I know! I shall make you a new dress! Something that will be sure to impress Smokey!”

“Oh! Um… That… won’t be necessary, Rarity. I mean, I really appreciate it, but… I just want this to be a simple affair.”

“Nonsense! You want to impress him, don’t you?” Rarity asked, glancing over at her expectantly.

“Yes, I do, but I mean… it’s just a simple get-together. Just a simple film and probably a hayburger and fries. It’s… not like we’re going to go anywhere fancy.”

Again, Rarity sat up. This time, she wasn’t expressing any enthusiasm for this idea.

“A hayburger and fries? Oh, no, no, no! You want to go some place nice to wow him!”

“But…” Fluttershy frowned, her eyes a bit wide. She went quiet, uncertain of what to do or say as a rebuttal against Rarity’s insistence. She really didn’t want to go for somewhere high class - she wasn’t sure if she had the bits for it, and she knew Smokey would insist on trying to pay, or at least break even, and he definitely didn’t have the money for such a place either.

Rarity was so insistent, and she just couldn’t damper her spirits. In fact, it looked like her feelings were beginning to get hurt, and she didn’t want to do that.

“Don’t worry. Just follow my advice and nothing will go wrong,” she assured the winged equine, reclining back again.

“Oh… Well… okay,” Fluttershy relented, bowing her head. “If… if you say so.”

She didn’t want to trust her, but she also didn’t want to not trust her. Rarity had experience in this area - and she was really the only one of her friends with any practical knowledge of this particular situation. The only other pony with any semblance of help she might have been able to turn to was probably Twilight Sparkle, and even she wouldn’t be of any service outside of whatever she’d prattle off from a book that Fluttershy was capable of reading herself.

Well, no… Applejack might. Might. It was doubtful. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were right out. They would be no help at all with this.

Author's Note:

Have a new chapter early! I was in the mood to write! Hope everyone had a happy Easter! I know I did! :D

Comments

[Samurai_Shippo]

Ah ya this is getting good.

[Bast]

Rarity is a good choice until she starts getting excited or into the notion and then she overplays everything xD. Poor flutters has no idea what she is getting into, wonder how smokey will respond

[redraptor369]

Just follow my advice and nothing will go wrong

Everything will go wrong