> A Kind and Prosperous Couple
>  by Israel Yabuki
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Making A New Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot High School it's been through a lot of crazy adventures over the past couple of years, but now everything has become more peaceful and quiet. And that's just how a certain girl liked it. And that girl was none other than the Element of Kindness herself: Fluttershy. She, along with her best friends, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity had just finished their junior year a few months ago and are now seniors, and couldn't wait for the day when they graduate.

The girls kept talking about what their plans will be after they graduate. Applejack was already planning on continuing the family business at Sweet Apple Acres. This was a choice she made on her own, even after her parents told her she should pursue her own dreams. But Applejack insisted on keeping the family tradition going... especially after Grand Pear and Granny Smith passed away from natural causes.

AJ and her family were devastated when they lost their grandparents. But no one was more devastated than Apple Bloom and Pear Butter. And this all happened a month ago. But now, Applejack made peace with her grandparents and is keeping her head held high. As for Rarity, she was planning on expanding her business as a dress designer all over the world. The other girls, however, weren't exactly sure what to do when they graduate, but they would think it over throughout their last years as high school students.

Fluttershy had a plan set for herself: To turn her animal shelter into an animal sanctuary, with plenty of room for the animals to roam around and not be cramped up in their cages. But it'd take a lot of hard work and money to create something as beautiful as that.

Just now, the bells rang at 8 A.M sharp and every one of the girls went to their designated classes; Fluttershy's first class was English class. When she walked in, she noticed that she was the only one who had just arrived before anybody else did. "Ah, Ms. Fluttershy, right on schedule," said Mr. Whooves in his British accent. "Go ahead and take a seat and we'll wait for everyone else." And so Fluttershy sat at her desk, waiting and watched as more and more students came into class. Most of which Fluttershy knew their names by heart, but... there was one particular student she had never seen before.

A young man with cream yellow skin just like hers. Except he had hazel eyes and this messy silver hair that covered up the right side of his face. He had on a blue, long-sleeved shirt and light tan pants with dark brown, laceless shoes and had this strange logo on his shirt. From what Fluttershy could see, it looked like some kind of wheel with 7 other circles inside it, all with different symbols.

For all she knows, he could probably be new to the classroom, but didn't look like a freshman. "Alrighty then, everyone, welcome to English Class," Mr. Whooves said. "Now, before we get our books, we have a brand new student here who has graciously joined us in our class. Everyone, I'd like you all to give him a warm Canterlot Wondercolt welcome and make him feel at home. Go on then, young man, come on up to the front of the class and introduce yourself, don't be shy." he gestures to the boy with the long, silver hair, making him stand up and leave his desk.

He walks up to the front and faces the class, clearing his throat. "H-Hello everyone. My name is... Israel Yabuki, I'm 17 years old and a senior in high school. I transferred to Mr. Whooves class because I feel like I wanted to put myself to the test with and improve my vocabulary. It's a pleasure meeting you all and I look forward to being able to work with all of you," he said, before bowing.

'Oh, so he's the same age as me. That's nice to hear,' Fluttershy thought to herself. Most of the class gave this new student a light applause before Yabuki sat back down in his desk. 'He seems nice, but... why do I get this strange feeling that he's all by his lonesome?' Fluttershy thought to herself again. 'Hmm, maybe I could introduce him to my friends and maybe that'll cheer him up.'

"Very good, Israel. Wonderful! Now then, since we got that settled, I'd like you all to please follow me and we'll go get your textbooks from the library," Mr. Whooves said. "Come along now, class, single file line." 

And once again, everyone got up from their desks and formed a line as instructed. Fluttershy ended up standing in the middle of the line behind the new student. As everyone walked out, she could hear Israel making some kind of sound. It was quiet, but she still heard it: he was humming a tune. Fluttershy chose not to disturb him and listened to the melody of his angelic humming.

Soon, they arrived at the library entrance and stopped, except for Fluttershy. She was so lost in Yabuki's humming, that she wasn't paying attention and ended up bumping into him.

"Oh!" he said in surprise and looked behind him, staring directly at the timid animal lover. "Hey, what happened, did you get sidetracked or something?" he asked, a little concerned, but not too concerned. Fluttershy backed up a bit to give him a little bit of space.

"S-Sorry, I didn't... mean to bump into you," she said, a little quietly.

Israel tilted his head in confusion and then patted her shoulder. "It's fine, you didn't mean to. You just try to be a little more careful, that's all," he said before turning to face the front of the line. Fluttershy lifted her head in surprise, seeing how he was just as kind as her. She sighed and headed inside the library with the rest of the class, going to pick out an "English Grammar and Composition" textbook.





Everyone had gotten the textbooks they were looking for and brought them back to class. Mr. Whooves instructed all of the students to turn their pages and began reading out the words in the first chapter. Fluttershy had made sure to jot down some of the info in her notes, getting most of the info down.

For the duration of the class, Mr. Whooves gave out his simple lectures, teaching the kids new words, what they meant and how to use them in sentences. Because Wednesday was the first day of school, there was no homework for the first week. And when class was over, Fluttershy took her textbook with her and walked straight out into the school hallway, heading towards her locker. She put in her lock combination and placed her book in the locker before running to her heading to her next class: Advanced Algebra.

Turning the corner, she once again didn't look where she was going and accidentally bumped into Yabuki again, sending them both tumbling down onto the ground.

"OOF!" he grunted. Fluttershy gasped and picked herself up and helped Yabuki back up on his feet. "Now that's what I call a real adrenaline rush," he said as he stood up, dusting himself off.

"Oh dear, I am so sorry!" Fluttershy said, a little bit panicked.

"Don't worry, I'm okay. Though, you sure packed a lot of power in that tackle of yours. I take it you're running a little late and heading off to another class?" he asked. Fluttershy nodded. "Alright then. Just try to be a little more careful next time. See you later miss... uh... what was your name again?"

"F-Fluttershy," she said.

"Fluttershy," he said in a soft tone. "That's a beautiful name. Well, I'll see you around." After waving goodbye, he walks into the direction of the gymnasium. Fluttershy was a little disappointed because his class schedule was probably slightly different from her own. But she prayed to herself that she would be able to see him again soon before looking at the clock up on the wall. 

"Uh-oh, only 2 minutes left!" Fluttershy gasped. She instantly raced down the halls and headed off towards her Advanced Algebra class.





Math, and science class were both just like English class: heading into the library and getting textbooks before hearing the teachers' lectures on each problem the class had to solve. But soon, it came time for P.E and much to Fluttershy's surprise, Israel Yabuki was in this class. As much as she wanted to say hi to him, she had to wait as coach Spitfire showed up soon after everyone was present and accounted for.

"Alright class, ten-HUT!" Spitfire shouts. Every student who heard her, they all form a row. "Nice hustle, now before we work up a sweat, we'll begin with roll call!" The coach gets out her clip board and pen and calls out the students by their first name instead of their last name. One by one, each student answered with either "here," or "present," among other things.

After roll call, she addressed the students. "Alright you guys, listen up. Today's the first day and it's time to get in a nice little warm-up, so everyone grab a partner and follow me lead, we're getting started with some training exercises, is that clear?" The students all nod. "Good, now partner up so we can get press on ahead!" Everyone follows her instructions, finding their partners and awaiting their next instructions. Fluttershy sees all of her classmates paired up, except for her... and Yabuki. 

"Y-Yabuki?" she asks, getting his attention. "Everyone else's is partnered up, do you...?"

"Sure, sounds like a great idea," he shrugs, being okay with it. So, he and Fluttershy partner up and regroup with the others listening to coach Spitfire's instructions. For the first part of the warm-up, she tells each of the students to start with 50 east sit-ups while their partners keep their legs from spreading apart or lifting up in the air and then have them switch tasks. In short, if Yabuki finishes his 50 push-ups, he has to keep Fluttershy's legs straight when she has to do her sit-ups.

Everyone wastes no time in starting off their exercise. During this time, Fluttershy strikes up a conversation with her gym partner to make it less boring. "Yabuki, if you don't mind me asking you this, I'd like to know how long you've been studying in Canterlot High."

"Umm... for about 3 years now, why do you ask?" he asks, curious.

"Well, I've... I've just never seen you around before," she says.

"Oh, well, I make it a habit to blend in with the crowd while I zoom past them without them noticing. I don't really do so well in big crowds, so I always try to stay as hidden as possible," he explains, still doing his sit-ups.

"You mean... you don't have any friends?" she asks.

"Actually, I do have two very good friends who've stuck with me since my Junior High School Graduation and have always been there for me. If you met them, you'd love 'em," he says. "Their names are Soarin and Cheese Sandwich, they invited me to a party they were hosting at Soarin's dad's house."

"What are they like?" Fluttershy asks. 

"Soarin's a big of show-off and he's got a heck of an appetite when it comes to apple pie. Cheese Sandwich is a party animal who's also got this funny side that makes me break out in a giggle fit. I think he made me crack my ribs once from laughing too hard. We had 2nd and 3rd period classes earlier. Though, they decided to do some teasing with me because I... bumped into you earlier," he says, blushing. "They asked me if you were my girlfriend and I cannot tell you how embarrassed I was when they said that."

"I'd probably be embarrassed, too, if my friends teased me for thinking I had a boyfriend," she says, blushing and hiding her cute face.

"So, what about your friends? What are they like?" he asks.

"Oh my, where do I even begin? Well... they're like sisters to me. But I think my best friend is Rainbow Dash, because when I was just a little girl, I was always picked on by other boys and girls for being too shy and not being able to stand up to them. But, Rainbow Dash defended me, telling them to back off. Since then, she's always been there for me and same with the other girls: Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle," Fluttershy explained.

"Oh, you mean those girls who call themselves the Rainbooms?" he asked. Fluttershy, up until now, forgot about the previous events that took place during her junior year. For someone who always keeps his head on the down-low, Israel still had the displeasure of witnessing the events that had befallen during the Fall Formal, Battle of the Bands, the Friendship Games and possibly other recent events. It makes Fluttershy wonder if he's been mentally scarred and maybe that's the reason why he's so distant with everyone else in this school besides his two best friends.

"Mhmm, they're the ones," Fluttershy confirms right as Israel did his 50th sit-up. "Oop, looks like you're finished, guess it's time to switch."

"Looks like it," he agrees. Soon, the two switch up and now Israel helps keep Fluttershy's legs straight and then she starts with her sit-ups. "You know, maybe if we got the time, we can introduce our friends to each other, does that sound like a good idea?"

"Oh, that would be nice," Fluttershy squees as she's doing her sit-ups. "But you know, I was kind of wondering if... maybe we could be friends, too."

"Yeah, of course," Israel nods. "So, what do you and your group of friends do?"

"Well, Twilight and Sunset have just started dating during summer vacation after Twilight had a bit of a harsh break-up with her ex-boyfriend, Timber Spruce. Rarity tried to hook up with the Principal's nephew, but he was so rude that she left him and started dating Applejack just recently,"

"Four of your friends are dating each other?" Israel's eyes widened to this surprising news. Then for a few brief moments of silence he thinks it over and then... "I guess that explains why I've seen these two girl couples giving each other pecks on the lips and having quiet lunches together out by the bleachers. If you ever see those two happy couples, tell them I'm happy for them and that I said "hi,"

"I will," she nods before sitting back up. "How many was that?"

"That was 37, keep it up, just 13 more to go," he encourages. Fluttershy smiles and continues her sit-ups, still striking a chat with her new friend. She's definitely going to look forward to lunchtime. After all, building bigger friendships with others was something she always seems to enjoy.
> A Fun Chat at Lunchtime
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a difficult time in P.E after everyone in Spitfire's class worked up a good sweat. But after a quick shower and changing back into their regular clothes, the students couldn't wait to go and grab some food for lunch, including Fluttershy and her newest friend. After they got back into their regular clothes, they walked over to the cafeteria together, striking up a friendly chat, enjoying each other's company. Mostly, they exchanged their info about what they liked to do in their spare time, what their hobbies were, their favorite places to go to during vacation and what food they liked to eat.

Fluttershy mentioned how much she loved baked potatoes and caesar salads. Israel wasn't surprised about the fact that his new friend, Fluttershy being a vegetarian, but he didn't mind it at all. His all-time favorite food was a tasty pepperoni pizza. He calls it "God's eternal gift from above," which made Fluttershy giggle.

She even learned that Israel liked Raging Waters as his favorite vacation spot. A theme park like that was quite a ways from Canterlot City, but Fluttershy considered going there next summer. Fluttershy mentioned how she liked going to Camp Everfree to pay a visit to all of the animals that lived there and tell them stories about what she'd been doing while she was in school. Israel hadn't been to Camp Everfree ever since Gloriosa was rescued from those out-of-control geodes that she used in order to try and save the whole camp with.

Just the thought of those piercing eyes staring directly at him gave him shivers down his spine. Just mentioning about that event that happened a few months ago before summer vacation made Fluttershy feel concerned for Yabuki and if it affected him in any way.

"Israel, I'm... really sorry you had to go through that event. Does it perhaps haunt you in your nightmares and wake you up at night, screaming?" she asks, but Yabuki shakes his head. Fluttershy breathes a sigh of relief, "Alright, sorry if I sound a little worried. It's just how I am sometimes."

"That's understandable. I'd be worried, too if you were in my boots," he says. Fluttershy felt her smile light up a little from her Yabuki's kind words.

Their conversation comes to a halt once they enter the cafeteria. Fluttershy and Yabuki both get themselves a tray and grab some food from the counter. Though it does look delicious, the food just doesn't feel the same as it did when Granny Smith was still preparing everyone's meals. Her cooking always brought a smile to everyone's faces, but with her gone, the food just feels empty.

Fluttershy sighs and takes her food with her. "You miss Granny Smith don't you?" Israel asks.

"Yes. No one likes to lose their loved ones, especially not someone as caring as Granny Smith. But the important thing is she doesn't have to suffer anymore and she'll remain in our hearts forever. Do you feel the same way about that too, Israel?"

"100%, Fluttershy," he nods. 

Fluttershy and Israel then grab their lunches and walk over to a table with Fluttershy's group of friends. "Oh, here we are, want to come sit with us?" Fluttershy asks.

"Sure, I don't see why not," Israel agrees.

The two take their seats with the other girls. "Hi there, Fluttershy. Who's this guy you're talking to, is he like a new friend of yours you just made?" Sunset asks.

"Why yes. His name's Israel Yabuki," Fluttershy says.

"Strange, I don't quite recall him ever seeing him any other times. Is he a new student?" Rarity asks. Fluttershy shakes her head left and right. "No? How come?"

"He doesn't feel comfortable around big crowds. He spent 3 whole years blending in with the crowd, trying his best not to get noticed," Fluttershy said.

"But why would he want to stay hidden? He doesn't seem like a bad guy to me. And he certainly doesn't look like he would harm a fly," Rarity points out. "Israel, was it? Is there any particular reason you don't feel comfortable around big crowds? Maybe if it's bothering you, we can help you out."

"That's very kind of you and I do appreciate it. But there's no need to trouble yourselves. I've got some very good friends of my own during my time here in Canterlot High," Israel insists.

"Oh, that's nice. Who are your friends and how did you meet them?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah, tell us," Pinkie asks, feeling excited.

A-Alright, but it's hard to find out where to start," Israel says, thinking to himself. "Umm... back when I was at my Junior High School graduation, I met this guy who went to the same school I did back then. but we didn't see each other until minutes before the ceremony begun. We were chilling in the computer room, watching YouTube videos and talking amongst each other, having a blast. To this day, he and I are still buddies and I wouldn't trade him for anyone else. His name's Soarin and he's a really good guy."

"Awesome, what's he like?" Rainbow asks.

"He's an athletic knucklehead and a bit of a pig, but he's reliable when you're in a tight jam. There was this one time when I got confronted by Flash Sentry, trying to force me into getting back Sunset, otherwise he'd... uh... maybe it's best I don't describe it. But anyways, just as I was about to refuse, Soarin showed up and scared him off when he pinned him against the locker, telling him the following: "You lay a hand on my buddy and you'll be seeing stars for a week!"

"Wow, I guess friendship is expressed in many ways," Twilight says.

"I guess Flash hasn't accepted the fact that I'm dating Twilight now. Sooner or later, he's gonna have to move on with his life and find some other girl," Sunset says. Just then, Sunset realizes something. "Wait, I think I remember you from my junior year back when..."

"When you were still recognized as a bully?" Israel asks

"Y-Yeah, that brings back a painful memory. I said the most awful thing to you," Sunset hides her face in her hands before saying what she had said back then. "I still remember it plain as day: You're smart to avoid being noticed, because no one would care if you exist or not." Her body starts trembling with every word that comes out of her mouth.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But look at you now, you've changed. You're a much better person and because of how you showed remorse for your misdeeds, I can't hold a grudge against you," Israel says with an understanding smile.

Sunset slowly peeks out from her hands and looks at Israel. "R-Really?" she asks. He nods and leans over to pat Sunset on her back gently. "Fluttershy, you've made a really interesting friend. So, Israel, was it, who are these other friends you've made in your life?"

"Care to tell us?" Applejack asks.

"Sure. My other friend is like the Class Card. His name's Cheese Sandwich. I met him during my freshmam year right here in Canterlot High. He threw a "Welcome to Canterlot" party for me and some other students. He could clearly tell I was a little bit lonely and wanted to be friend. Soarin took a liking to him as well. Anytime I wasn't hanging out with Soarin outside of school, Cheese and I would hang out at my house. Our neighbors see us as the "Friendly Neighborhood Trolls," Israel says.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Pinkie says.

"You'll be even more surprised when you get to meet 'em soon," Yabuki replies. 

"Where are they right now?" Fluttershy asks.

"Soarin's probably getting in a good jogging exercise before coming to lunch. Cheese Sandwich is probably in the hallway, rummaging through his locker to find his friend, Boneless," Yabuki says.

"Boneless, who's that?" Rainbow asks.

"A rubber chicken," Israel says. The girls all stare at each other, confused. "I don't know why, but he talks to it like it's alive or something, so I try not to question him... or his "Cheesy" senses."

"What are his "Cheesy" senses like?" Pinkie asks.

"I'm not sure how they work, but sometimes, certain parts of his body shake, like he's having a spasm attack and the cheese sandwich sticker on his shirt starts making these accordian noises. And every time that happens he gets all like "Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo, that was a doozy!" Why do you ask?" Israel asks.

"That sounds similar to Pinkie Pie's "Pinkie" senses," Sunset says. 

"Wow, I had no idea. I'm both impressed and a bit disturbed," Israel says. He and the girls laugh it up as a joke and continue having their friendly chat while eating their lunch. It carries on for a few more minutes until eventually, everyone notices two guys coming up to them. One of the guys had a Canterlot Wondercolt jacket over his black shirt and wore blue jeans. His skin was pale blue while his hair was dark blue and slicked back and had green eyes similar to Israel's hazel green eyes.

The other guy had dark brown, curly hair and green eyes just like the other two. His skin was slightly tanned and wore a yellow t-shirt with a cheese sandwich sticker on the front. He, too, wore blue jeans and gave off a more goofy vibe to them.

"Hey, what took you guys so long?" Israel asks. The girls assume the two other boys are his best friends Cheese Sandwich and Soarin. "You didn't strain yourself, did ya Soarin?" he asks. Soarin shakes his head and waves his hand, gesturing he wasn't hurt in the least.

"Nah, I'm used to it," Soarin replies.

"And I had to go and get Boneless," Cheese says, patting the rubber chicken on his shoulder. "The poor little guy was getting lonely from being in my locker all day. So, I assume these lovely ladies are your... girlfriends?" Cheese puts on a smirk and quirks an eyebrow teasingly.

"What?!" Israel asks, a little loud.

"Hah! You always said you had high standards for choosing a girlfriend, but I didn't know all of these girls met all of your expectations, little buddy," Soarin laughs.

"Guys, knock it off! They're my friends!" Israel shuts his eyes tightly, unable to hide his blush.

"I'm sure they're just playing," Sunset replies. "But sadly, I'm already dating someone." Sunset grabs a hold of Twilight and gently pulls her to her side. "And she's the best girlfriend I could ever ask for. The same can also be said for Rarity going out with Applejack." she gestures to the happy couple on the other side of the table, whom began holding hands.

"Wow, I did not know that," Israel says. "Well, as they always say, love knows no boundaries. So now what, you guys want me to sit with you at another table or..."

"Actually, we want to know if you're alright with having two more people. Plus, all of the other seats are full and this is the only one that we could find that's available," Soarin says, chuckling nervously. 

"Well, we got plenty of room here, grab a seat!" Rainbow says, patting a spot on the table. Soarin and Cheese happily take their seats with their buddy and the girls afterwards.

"Your friend here told us a lot of good things about you two. Tell me, is it true you saved him from getting a beating from Flash that one time?" Rainbow asks. "I want to know if you actually made him pee his pants when you confronted him!"

"I could definitely smell it on him before he bolted out of there," Soarin confirms.

"Oh-ho wow! I wish I could've seen that! That would've been hilarious!" Rainbow laughs. The other girls either rolled their eyes or gave a small chuckle.

"So, Cheese, was there anything you three did that was funny?" Pinkie asks.

"That's right. Gather around everyone and listen closely," Cheese says. When the girls all gave him their attention, Cheese clears his throat and begins to tell his story. "It all began a couple of days before summer vacation was about to come to an end that Soarin, Israel and I wanted to do something fun! We went to go have a party and sing a little karaoke at the mall. When we were eating, Israel and I had a little competition to see who can launch their food the farthest and we had to use spoons do it."

"Ooh, what happened?"

"Cheese won, hands down. I launched one of my swedish meatballs onto Soarin's head by accident. But Cheese launched his WHOLE ORANGE halfway across the restaurant and it landed in someone's plate of mashed potatoes, splattering it all over their shirt and face!" Israel finishes. 

"Y'all didn't get into too much trouble, did ya?" Applejack asks.

"Actually, we only got off with a warning. But only because that very same guy with the potatoes tried to pick a fight with us and boy was he mad," Cheese says. "The guy kept rambling on about how he's had enough of a rough life as it was after his girlfriend dumped him before summer vacation even began."

Twilight blinks in surprise. "Did he happen to have forest green hair and tan skin?" she asks.

"Yeah, he sort of gave off this "over-bearing," "over-confident" vibe. Why do you ask?" Cheese asks.

"That... was probably my ex, Timber Spruce," Twilight says.

"Yikes, sounds like you two didn't get along too well, huh?" Israel adds.

"At first glance they had chemistry between each other, but Twilight learned he was only interested in showing her off and making others feel bad," Sunset says.

"Well, boys, it sounds like we can only describe this guy with two simple words, am I right or am I right?" Israel asks Soarin and Cheese. Both of them put on confident smiles and quirk their eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asks.

"Altogether now," Israel says.

"One... two... three... WAIFU STEALER!!!" the boys shout in unison before laughing out loud.

Fluttershy and they other girls couldn't help themselves but laugh up a storm when they said that. Sunset and Twilight have been having trouble describing Timber, but their new friends knew exactly what to say. Perhaps Fluttershy was right, Israel and his friends are really something.
> Hidden Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time later after lunch was over, everyone left to go to their next classes. Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had cooking class to go to next. Twilight had to go to physics class while Sunset went to drama class. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Soarin left for video production class. Fluttershy, Rarity and Israel's next class was art class, a specialty that Israel enjoys the most out of almost everyone.

"Israel, if you don't mind me asking, what do you plan on making when you get to art class?" Fluttershy asks, in which Israel strokes his chin.

"I'm not sure. I'll see what we get there," he responds. "What about you?" Fluttershy's response was the same as Israel's, so until they arrive, none of them knew what to make. They make it to class in a short time and take their seats, waiting for their teacher to come in and the rest of the class. As soon as everyone is present and accounted for, the teacher greets himself to everyone. He looked to be in his late 40s or early 50s, had this wacky black hair and grey skin with bushy, white eyebrows over his red eyes. The area around his red eyes were yellow and he wore a yellow and brown shirt and had on some red pants.

"Hello to all you fellow students! Welcome to art class. My name is Discord, I will be your new art teacher from here up until near December. Any questions?" he asks.

Fluttershy naturally raises her hand. "Mr. Discord, what's our first assignment going to be?" Discord immediately chuckles, leaving the angelic animal lover confused.

"Please, my dear. No need for the "mister." You and everyone else can just call me Discord," he said.

Clearing his throat, Discord then says, "To answer your question, my dear. You and everyone else in the class are to go to pick a painting easel and paint a picture. It can be anything at all, so get creative as you can as long as it's appropriate for me to display. And when December rolls around, you can either take your art home with you in a portfolio, or you can just leave them with me. Now then, everyone please get to your easels and show me how creative your minds are!"

Fluttershy almost stumbles to the ground with everyone pushing and shoving to get to their easels, but then, Israel steps in and shoves everyone away from her. "Come on, guys, show a little class and apologize to Fluttershy for pushing her around right now," he says with his arms crossed.

The class mostly muttered their apologies, then got to work on their paintings like they don't care. Israel rolls his eyes and turns to Fluttershy. "Y-You didn't have to do that." she says while Israel dusts off her dress, cleaning her up a little bit. "But I do appreciate your help."

"What are friends for," he replies. Fluttershy smiles and squees at him, causing him to blush a bit. "Hehe, do you always make that adorable sound?"

"O-Only when I'm happy," she confirms. Israel chuckles and gives Fluttershy a tiny boop on the nose. She blinks in surprise and giggles before heading to her easel. Discord watched the whole thing, chuckling to himself at how well the two young teens were getting along. Soon, everyone was now working on their paintings, some were rushing to get theirs done so they could have some freetime to kill, while others were taking the time to create their pictures and making sure they were done just right.

5 minutes in and Discord's curiosity hits him like a ton of bricks. He wanders around the classroom, checking out what kind of pictures they're painting. His first candidate was Fluttershy. She had already painted the head and face of a bunny rabbit with its eyes closed and a smile on its face.

"Ooh, lovely piece of art. Keep up the good work," Discord says, startling Fluttershy. "Oopsies, my apologies, I thought you knew I was here." 

"It's okay. I, umm... thank you. That's my pet. His name's Angel Bunny. He makes me happy because he likes to cuddle when he's asleep. He's so cute!" Fluttershy cups her cheek, flashing a cute smile.

"I'm sure he is. Keep up the good work," Discord walks away and sighs to himself. "That young lady could probably sell her art and make millions... if that was her choice." he said quietly to himself. "Now then, let's see what the other students are currently making. Moving around the classroom once more, Discord checked painting after painting after painting. Some were pictures of memes as some students put it, others were either making video game characters or cartoon characters, but most of them were either elementary school leveled or even middle school leveled.

Soon, Discord walks up to Israel Yabuki. He hesitates to see what he's making for some strange reason, but then shrugs off whatever was bothering him and approaches the young man. Discord blinks in surprise at the picture he was painting.

In the 20 minutes that have passed, Israel Yabuki was painting a portait of a smiling Fluttershy. The detail he put into her was astounding. "Well, well, well. Seems like you're growing attached to that young lady. Care to share why, young man?" Discord asks.

"Hmm?" Israel asks, not turning his attention away from his painting. "Well, I can't exactly explain why or how, but there's just something about her that makes me smile."

"Is she your girlfriend, by any chance?"

"N-No, we're only good friends."

"Aww, come on. Surely you two get along so well, don't you?"

"We just barely became friends today."

"Oh, I see. Best to be on the safe side and be friends with her huh?" Discord asks. Israel nods. "Well then, I'll leave you to your painting and best of wishes to you and your dear friend." After their little chat, Discord leaves his student alone and walks over to his desk. With a sigh, he stares up at the ceiling. 'That boy has grown so much and just look at where he is right now. What could make me more prouder...' Discord thought to himself as if there was something deep he shared with Israel he didn't want to talk about.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, was nearly finished with her masterpiece. She finished painting her sleeping bunny, now she's beginning to pain his comfy little bed. Fluttershy couldn't stop smiling and squeed with joy, which then makes her friend, Israel jump.

The boy turns to Fluttershy and sees her adorable expression. He smiles and then adds something to his painting to make it more perfect. It doesn't take long for Fluttershy to become curious of what Israel was painting, but couldn't really see what he was painting. What she does know is that whatever he's painting makes him really happy and she felt happy for him.

Soon... "Alright class, time's up. Sign your name on your pictures so I'll know who's painting belongs to who and then go ahead and form a single-file line," Discord says.

Everyone follows their art teacher's instructions, then line up at the door, getting ready to leave. Fluttershy looks back to see Yabuki is behind her by 3 people. It's gonna be hard talking to him like this, so she waited patiently for the bell to ring so that she can ask him about something.

Right on cue, the bell soon rings. "Alrighty class, take care, I'll see you all tomorrow!" Discord says. Mostly everyone waves goodbye and walks out of the classroom.

Now was her chance to act. "Israel, can we talk for a second?" Fluttershy asks.

"Sure, what's up?" he asks.

The two start chatting as they're walking towards their lockers. "I was wondering, what kind of picture were you painting earlier, I'm very curious. O-Of course, y-y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Well... I think it'd be better if I showed you. When the time is right, that is," he said.

"Oh, okay then. What's your next class?" Israel checks his daily schedule to find out. 

"It says here, my next class one is drama class," he says.

"Oh, that's nice. Did you choose to be in that class because you want to be on stage?" she asks. Israel nods before closing his locker. "I hope things go well for you in drama class. I'll see you later, I've got cooking class to go to, wish me luck."

"Good luck, Fluttershy. OOH, wait! Before I forget..." he says, making her stop. "Do you think maybe tomorrow we can take a walk around campus at lunch and maybe have a nice, friendly chat?"

"Of course. See you then." After saying their goodbyes, both of them head off to their respective classes. Still, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was growing inside of them. Yabuki was really taking a liking to his new friend and vice versa, yet they were unsure of whether or not it was just as friends. Either way, they still enjoyed each other's company and wanted to enjoy it even more.





By the end of the day, everyone was finally heading home. Fluttershy and Israel weren't on the same bus together, but at least they'll see each other tomorrow. 

After Fluttershy arrived at home, her parents welcomed her back. "How was school, sweetie?" Mrs. Shy asks, in which Fluttershy gave her a bright smile. Mrs. Shy definitely knew that today's first day of school was more than just a good day.

"It was great. I made a new friend," Fluttershy replies.

"Oh, that's great, pumpkin. What's your friend like?" Mr. Shy asks.

"Yes, do tell, sis," Zephyr adds.

"Well, he's really sweet and kind. His name is Israel Yabuki. I never saw him in school up until now because he spent most of his time hiding in the crowd. He's a little shy around new people, but he does have two other friends he made before me. He's also an artist and he likes being on stage," Fluttershy explains.

Both of Fluttershy's parents gave each other uneasy looks. "Umm, Fluttershy, dear... we're very happy for you, but... are you sure he's..."

"Are you sure that friend of yours isn't just using you to get to your other friends?" Zephyr asks, quirking an eyebrow at his older sister.

"What? No! Israel's not that kind of guy!" Fluttershy says, slightly igitated.

"You sure that's what he wants you to think, sis? Think carefully on this," Zephyr persists. Fluttershy became more annoyed by the second. Her parents weren't making it easier on her either and thought it would be best if she only hung out with the girls instead. Fluttershy continues to argue with her family for who knows how long, telling her parents over and over to stop assuming the worst.

Fluttershy loves her family no matter what, but it's arguements like these that push her buttons and almost makes her want to burst into tears. Sure, she's made a few friends over the years, but all of them were mostly girls, but Israel was someone they didn't feel easy about.

It made her sad. It makes her feel like they're controlling who her friends should be. To her, that's like keeping a child from growing up into an adult. Anyways, once the argument was over, she ran up to her bedroom, crying into her pillow while her precious pet bunny watched her with concern. Angel Bunny usually thinks only about getting attention and being petter or getting his next meal. It's only on rare occasions that he truly starts to worry for his caring owner and this happened to be one of those times.





Meanwhile, at Israel's house, the bus had arrived and dropped off the young man. He stepped off the bus and waved to the driver before heading inside his house. He unlocked the door and went inside, then closed the door behind him and locked it before taking a sigh of relief.

The house was still empty, which meant his mom was still at work. He threw his stuff onto the couch and went over to the kitchen where his mom left a note on the refrigerator. On the note it read... "Be sure to vaccum the living room, clean your room and do your homework. I'm heading out with some friends after work, so I left $20 on the table for you so you can order a pizza. Love you. Signed mom." 

"Looks like it's gonna be a while before I tell her about my eventful first day back at school. I'd better get started on fixing up my bedroom before she hounds at me again," he says to himself. 

First, he walks over to the dining table and takes the $20 bill with him before heading into the direction of his bedroom, only for his smile to disappear when he came upon a door in the hallway that had a sign saying "keep out," which is one rule he's not going to break. Just looking at the closed door sent shivers down his spine and brings up the terrible event from four years ago. An event he'd like to forget.
> A Friend In Need
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, after most of the classes have been completed, lunch period arrived, but Fluttershy didn't even touch her food even when her stomach growled for its daily meal. She was still pondering about the argument she had with her parents and little brother. All these thoughts filled her mind full. And with her stomach empty and her mind was full, it was hard for her to concentrate on anything else. Of course, this made her friends worry and they couldn't stand to see her in this state.

"Fluttershy, what's the matter? You don't seem like yourself," Sunset asks. "You've hardly touched your food. Did you catch a cold or something?" Fluttershy looks over at her friend, then back at her lunch. "Fluttershy, if there's anything bothering you, you know you can always tell us. We're here for you."

"I'm fine, I just... lost my appetite," Fluttershy replied. Sunset and the girls just looked at each other with concern for their timid and kind friend. They didn't like seeing her looking so down. "If you girls don't mind, I think I'm just gonna go outside for a little bit." Fluttershy grabs her lunch bag and takes it with her outside the cafeteria, leaving her friends to worry about her even more. Israel, who was sitting at a different table, could see that something was troubling Fluttershy.

"Uh guys, 'scuse me, but I gotta go talk to Fluttershy," he said, talking to Soarin and Cheese.

"Ooh, looks like someone's got a bit of a crush on the butterfly girl," Cheese joked, but Israel wasn't laughing at all, not when Fluttershy was looking so down.

"Cheese, I'm being serious," Israel said.

"Relax, buddy. If you want to talk to her, go on and do it. We're not your mom or dad. You do what you think is right, no harm, no foul," Soarin said. Israel nodded and took his lunchbox with him out of the cafeteria to look for his good friend.

"Alright, where did she go?" Israel asked himself. He looked down each end of the hallway. Not knowing where she is, he just takes a wild guess and runs down the hall towards the exit.

Thankfully, he picked the right way and spotted Fluttershy sitting by the broken statue. Israel walks out of the school and towards Fluttershy. The timid animal caretaker didn't seem to notice Israel walking towards until she heard him sitting down right next to him. "Israel? Why aren't you having lunch with your friends, aren't they gonna get mad if you leave?" she asked concerned.

"My buddies are more chill than you might think. I came out here because I was worried about you. Why did you wander off like that?" He asked.

"I just... needed to get some air, that's all," she said, dodging the question. Israel didn't buy it, but he didn't want to be so pushy with her, so he just let it be.

"Well, if you want to talk about it, just let me know, I'm right here," he said.

The two of them soon ate their lunch together. Fluttershy's appetite finally caught up to her and she began eating her meal, quenching her hunger. As she ate, she glanced over at Israel again. She didn't like the way her family wrote him off like that and never gave him the chance. They just don't understand him as much as she might and as much as his own friends do. The fact that he chose to come out here and check up on her says a lot about him, which makes her want to know more about him.

"I-Israel?" Fluttershy asked. "If you don't mind, could you tell me more about yourself?"

"You mean like my whole life story, or just a few simple things about me?" He asked back.

"Just the simple things, like why were you always trying to hide yourself?" She asked.

"Oh, that. It's because I was diagnosed with aspergers when I was 7 years old," he said.

"What? But you look so... normal."

"In my world, the word "normal" doesn't exist. Granted, I do get uncomfortable when I'm around large crowds, hidden secrets I'd rather keep to myself, but I still manage to live a normal life. I've got some good friends, my grades are high, not like Twilight and Sunset, but I manage to keep up. In a way, my autism is sort of like a double-edged sword. It's a blessing and a curse," he explained.

"That's interesting. Also, does it bother you when your hair gets in your eyes?" She asked.

Israel felt the bangs over his left eye while explaining. "Sometimes, yes. But I like long hair. Whenever I see people with long hair, I feel kind of envious. That's why I decided to grow my hair out back in Sophomore year and so far, I haven't cut it ever since."

"Hehe, but you won't be able to find a job if the interviewers can't see your face," she giggled.

"You could be right, but I wouldn't worry too much. I'm planning on having a talk with my homeroom teacher to see if they can arrange a meeting in helping me getting a job. The school program works wonders when you know how to work around it." His optimistic attitude was enough to even make her smile. Then, an idea popped into Fluttershy's head before she reached into her backpack and pulled out her pet bunny, Angel.

"Israel, do you like animals?" She asked.

"Are you kidding me? I love animals," he chuckled. "I even have a pet dog at home."

"Would you like to pet my bunny?" She asked, handing her pet to him.

Israel gently held Angel in his hands. Angel tilted his head, his nose twitching as he was sniffing Israel. "Aww, what a cute little fluff ball. What's the little critter's name?"

"Angel. He's friendly around other people," she said.

"Aww, hi there Angel. You're such a cute little guy," he said, trying not to die from the cuteness. Angel let Israel pet him and then nuzzled under his chin. "Another thing you gotta know about me, I can never get tired of cute things, not one little bit." Meanwhile, as he started stroking Fluttershy's pet bunny's chin, making Angel thump his feet on his lap rapidly, Fluttershy soon felt a slight jolt go off inside her.

She couldn't explain it, but it had something to do with her friend, Israel. For some reason, every time she looked at him, her heart would skip a beat. Before she could panic, she asked, "Umm, I-Israel, could I have my pet bunny back, please?"

"Hmm? Oh sure," he then looked down at the still smiling bunny. "Sorry little guy, but it's time for you to be with your mom now, but I hope to see you again, yes I do." He gave Angel one last gentle hug and then handed him over to Fluttershy, who put him in her backpack. "You sure he'll be able to breathe in there?"

"Sure, I always make sure he has enough space to breathe before I get to class. My animal friends just get so lonely when I'm at school all day," she said.

"My dog always misses me when I go to school, but I could never bring him with me. My mom's got a sharp mind and she might get mad if I brought my dog here. If there's one thing you gotta know about my mom, it's that mama bear can even scare her own cub," he said, shivering. "But other than that, she's a really great mom and she works very hard to provide for the both of us."

"That's so nice of her. She must be exhausted after spending so many days working at... umm... come to think of it, where does your mom work?"

"At the traffic court. She handles processing the payments received from some of the bad drivers and she's a natural at what she does. The only problem is her boss," he explained. "She's constantly taking on tasks that are more than she can handle and when the pressure gets to her, she takes it out on my mom, always trying to keep a watchful eye on her. I tell ya, she's a real pain in the neck. She tells my mom how to do things a certain way and when she does, she throws a fit saying "No, that's not how I showed you!"

"Sounds like she's making life hard on her," Fluttershy said.

"That's not the half of it. Mom's trying to get away from her by working hard to get a promotion and her boss got even more obnoxious by saying "Oh, I'm coming along with you. Isn't it great that we're gonna be together just like we've always been? Mom can only hold onto her composure for so long. So now, mom's given up on the idea of a promotion and plans to get a new job. However, she's keeping her current job so we can keep a roof over our heads and fresh food in our bellies. That's pretty much the gist of what our lives are like, but why don't you tell me more about your family?" he asked.

"I... I'd tell you, but... I'm not sure if now's a good time. Y-You understand right?" Fluttershy asked, which Israel nodded in agreement to her.

"Sure. I understand," he replied. Fluttershy felt slightly guilty in having him talk about his family, but she wants to keep her family a secret. Or in this case, her family being so negative about him. After what felt like forever and having finished their lunches, the 5 minute bell rang. Israel got up and helped Fluttershy get back on her feet and she was grateful for that. "I guess I'll be seeing you soon. If you need anything, let me know, I'll be heading off to class now, so see ya."

"Umm, i-i-if it isn't too much trouble..." she called out. Israel stopped dead in his tracks and turned back, "Would it be, you know, umm... possible if we could... walk home after school?"

"Hmm, I suppose I could do that, where do you live?" he asked. Fluttershy then gave him her address and told him how to get there. "Okay sure, I'll see you later on today." Fluttershy squealed in happiness, making Israel grab a hold of his chest. "Sweet mother almighty, that was so cute!" Fluttershy followed it up with a cute head tilt, then giggled adorably, nearly causing him to have a heart attack. "Okay, you should know by now that I have a soft spot for cute things, right?" He said, regaining his composure.

"Y-You think I'm... cute?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"Yes! Oh sweet lord the cuteness is too much! I... I gotta go before they write me as tardy! See ya later!" Israel panicked as he ran back inside the school. Fluttershy was left to ponder what Israel had said to her and began 2nd guessing about her  As she left to her own class, she quickly felt her cheeks heating up.

"I… I didn't know I was that cute," she said to herself. But even after what Israel said, she still had certain doubts about her natural looks. Fluttershy had trouble with learning to embrace the fact that she just might be just as cute AND beautiful than she thought, maybe even a little bit more. Getting her mind back on track, she entered the school and walked the halls, finally arriving at her class.





A couple more hours of struggling with their remaining classes, the bell finally rang and every student rushed out of the buildings, ready to head home. Most students were either gonna go home and relax, take a nap, or even play video games or watch TV. Only a handful of the hard-working students were planning to get their homework done and catch up on some studying to boost their already good grades.

However, there were still a few of them who stayed at the school grounds, just to talk about random things or even talk about plans for what they'll be doing on the weekend. 

As for the Mane 7, they stayed behind, talking about Fluttershy's current predicament. "You know, Fluttershy, if there's anything that's bothering you, you can always talk to us," Sunset said, comforting her friend. "That's what friends do for each other."

"I know, but I'm not sure how to handle this," Fluttershy said, rubbing her shoulder.

"If you tell us what the problem is, maybe we can lend a hand," Rainbow said. "So come on, what's the matter that's gotten you so bummed out?"

"I… well… you see… oh, there's no way to explain it in minced words. I told my parents about Israel yesterday and they're accusing him of using me when they didn't even give him a chance to prove himself. I'm just not sure how I can make them see that he's not all that bad of a guy, I'm just stumped," Fluttershy explained.

"So, that's it, huh?" Applejack asked. 

"Maybe there's a way for you to talk them out of it, like maybe invite him over to your house with your family for a nice dinner one day. And maybe invite his parents, too, so they'll know you're telling the truth about him being a very nice guy," Sunset said. "I'm sure this little get-together will help resolve the matter and end this silly feud between them and Israel."

"I hope you're right, Sunset," Fluttershy said.

"Anyways, if you need us, we're gonna be heading home ourselves. I've got a sweet date with my bed and pillow and I don't wanna keep 'em waiting," Rainbow said, stretching her arms and body.

"And I've got get to Sugar Cafe as soon as possible. My boss is expecting me to put in an extra hour since one of the girls called in sick," Pinkie said before zooming off in the blink of an eye.

"We're gonna get going, too. Twilight and I are gonna do some studying at my house," Sunset said, taking her girlfriend by the hand, "You do what you gotta do, Fluttershy."

"I will… thanks, girls," Fluttershy replied.

"And Ah gotta git home to harvest some apples, as usual," AJ said.

"I'd better get back home and get to work with my homework as soon as possible so I can finish my latest line of ensembles before the week is done," Rarity said as she and AJ went their separate ways. Now Fluttershy was left at the front of the school entrance, waiting for Israel to show up and walk her home.

Speaking of which, she could see Israel walking out of the school right now with his two best buddies by his sides, Cheese and Soarin. He seemed to be chatting with them about something. His two friends then noticed Fluttershy and had huge grins on their faces making Israel looking confused at them. They turned him around to show him exactly what they were grinning about. Jokingly, they pushed him forward and yelled at him for the entire area to hear “Go get her tiger!” They laughed and headed off to their homes.  

"Oh ha-ha, really funny, guys," Israel said. He shook his head and approached Fluttershy. "I didn't keep you waiting too long. Did I?"

“Don’t worry, you didn’t Israel.” Fluttershy assured him. “My friends only left a few minutes ago.”

"I see. Well, let's get you back home, shall we?" he asked.

“O… okay.” The two friends left Canterlot High together. Fluttershy figured that maybe she could liven the mood by striking up a conversation. "Your friends sure have a sense of humor."

"That's one of the joys of having buds by your side. I'd say your friends tend to bring lots of joy in your life, too, from what I can tell.” 

Fluttershy giggled, “Yes, that’s true. Especially Pinkie Pie. She always knows how to bring a smile to my face. Even when I have a bad day sometimes.” 

"Something tells me she'll get along well with Cheese. He's always got a pretty good idea on how to make everyone smile. He loves to party a lot, too."

“Really?” Fluttershy asked intrigued “Pinkie also loves to party… a lot… well maybe a little too much. But I think she and Cheese would get along too.”

"Who knows, maybe one of these days, they'll plan a sweet party at the school one d-- wait a minute, there are a couple of parties I'm sure they'll love to prepare!"

“Hmm, maybe Cheese can join ‘The Party Planning Committee’ at school.” Fluttershy suggested. “They organize all the festivities at Canterlot High. That might be a good start for him and I’m sure Pinkie and Cheese would be a great team together.”

"I'll definitely recommend it to him. By the way, do your friends tease you about me the way mine do?"

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, they only told me that you’re a sweet guy and that you’re a really fun guy to have around with them.” She then frowned a little. “Unlike previous year, things were hard for me and all my friends when we turned against each other.”

"How come? What made the previous years so hard for you?"

Twirling her fingers, Fluttershy thought if this a good time to talk about it or not. She barely met him just yesterday, but something tells her that she can trust him. Getting her confidence back, she decided to tell a part of what happened in her previous year. Since it might be a little overwhelming and he might not believe it if she tells him everything.

Fluttershy sighed, “I was… bullied by Sunset Shimmer and she was the reason that me and my friends broke up. I was on my own for a few months.” She looked down at the ground. “Those were not pleasant memories.” 

"What? She got to you and your friends, too? Here, I thought everyone else had it bad in their previous years, but this is quite the news. I just don't get why she acted this way."

“When she came first to Canterlot High, she was nothing but a sweet innocent girl.” Fluttershy explained. “But, as time moved on she won the crowns of all the Fall Formals and the Spring Flings. She became more and more popular that it got to her head. She felt like she could rule the school. Until Twilight came along.”

"Really? I thought she didn't enroll into CHS until the Friendship Games."

Fluttershy blinked at him. “Oh, right. I haven’t told you about the ‘other Twilight’. Well there was another Twilight that came here the previous year. She looks similar to the Twilight you’ve met. Except the Twilight I’m talking about is from…. An alternate world.” 

"An alternate world, eh? Hmm… you know, after seeing Sunset turn into that raging she-demon, that would explain why you and the girls started floating in the air like that during the Fall Formal last year."

“Y- you’ve seen that?” Fluttershy was surprised at this.

"I almost got turned into one of those zombified teens that year, but I hid in the school because I didn't want to get involved or get hurt."

“Then I’m happy that nothing bad happened to you.” Fluttershy said in relief. “Then you might already know that Sunset is also from that Alternate world?”

"Oh, that explains why she knows the other Twilight so well."

“After me and my friends defeated her, she saw the error of her ways. She was so heartbroken of all the things she did to everyone here at school.” Fluttershy said. “So, Twilight asked us to help her in setting things right and in the end it paid off. Sunset became one of our closest friends and I am very proud of her.”

"That's certainly some real good news. I could tell she changed her ways back then when I found this little letter in my locker from her. To this day, I still have it with me and I memorized it exactly. It said "To Israel, I was wrong to question your existence like that. I was wrong to bully you like I did with everyone else, so I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me." And you know, coming from a forgiving family has its benefits for me and her."

"I see. Oh, look, we're here!" Fluttershy said, pointing at her house just a short ways away. Israel and Fluttershy walked together to the front door. Gently, Fluttershy knocked three times and waited for someone to open it. 

Moments later, the door opened and out came Fluttershy's younger brother, Zephyr Breeze. "Nice to see you made it home safe and sound big sis--" he said before he saw Israel standing next to her. “Now, who are you?” He pointed over at Israel rather accusingly. “Are you that boy that’s after my Big sis?”  

“Zephyr!” Fluttershy intervened.

"What? I'm just making sure you're not hurt. You might be my big sis, but a little bro's gotta look after you, too," Zephyr said.

"So, you're Fluttershy's brother, huh? Nice to meet you, I'm Israel," he said, extending his hand out for a nice and, friendly handshake, but Zephyr didn't return his nice greeting.

"Oh, so you're Israel," Zephyr said. "Yo, ma, pa, come on out here! Big sis brought that boy she told you about!" he called out.

It became apparent that he wasn't getting a handshake, so Israel put his hand down. "Is he usually like this?"

Fluttershy sighed. “I’m afraid so. He can be overprotective with me whenever I'm around guys."

“Maybe it’s better I leave?” Israel suggested. “Since you’re brother doesn’t seem to like me all that much.”

At that moment, Fluttershy’s parents arrived at the front door. “Son, what’s all this commotion?” Mr. Shy asked before spotting Fluttershy and Israel. “Oh…”

“Dear, what’s the matter? You’ve become so quiet all of a sudden.” Mrs Shy said and she then noticed the two as well.

“Mom, dad… Zephyr. I want you all to meet my friend, Israel.”

"Hello, everyone. Pleased to meet you," he said, going for another handshake. However, even her parents were hesitant with shaking his hand, so retracted it once more. "Okay, I can see you don't fully trust me yet."

"Fluttershy, dear. Why don't you come inside now?" Mr. Shy said, avoiding eye contact, but keeping a smile.

"Mom, dad, he's trying to be nice by introducing himself! The least you can do is show a little more interest and respect for him, too," Fluttershy said, disappointed.

"It's alright, Fluttershy. I'm just gonna head home now. You all have a nice evening," Israel said before turning and heading the other direction. But then…

"Wait, Israel!" Fluttershy called out. Israel turned around to face Fluttershy and her family. "I hope you don't mind, but… would it be alright if you would… join my family for dinner one of these days? You can even bring your mom, too."

"What? There's no way my big sis can be serious about this!" Zephyr said, shocked.

Fluttershy stared at her little brother with a rather peeved look, making Zephyr chuckle nervously. “Uhm, if you think that’s a good idea then fine by me, sis eheheh.”

Mrs and Mr Shy had shared a doubtful look but they decided to at least try, maybe their daughter was right. “I guess one dinner at our home could be a good idea.” Mrs Shy then said. 

“If you think it’s a good idea dear then I’m going along with it.” Mr Shy replied. “One dinner with Fluttershy’s new friend and family might be… interesting.”

Fluttershy’s lips curled up a little at hearing her parents words. “Thank you mom and dad.” She then looked back at Israel. “What do you think? Want to join me and my family at dinner one of these days?”
 
Scratching the back of his head, Israel had some doubts about this. He tried to make a first good impression at Fluttershy’s parents and her younger brother and they almost instantly disapproved of him hanging around their daughter. But seeing that cute looking face of Fluttershy, how could he possibly say no to her?

“Alright, a dinner with your family sounds really nice.” Israel then said. "I'll let my mom know about this, too. I'll be seeing you soon, Fluttershy." So, by waving goodbye, he jogged back to his house.

Fluttershy happily waved back, little did she realize that her cheeks were starting to turn red.

“Sis, if you keep blushing, your head will turn into a tomato.” Zephyr teased, leaning against the door. 

“Zephyr, please, just get inside and let me have this moment.” Fluttershy said in a peeved tone. 

“Oh fine!” He pouted and headed back inside with Mrs and Mr Shy following him.
> Dinner For Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time after Fluttershy came home and Israel went home, she went straight up to her room, getting started on her homework. While she was working, her adorable pet bunny rabbit, Angel hopped up on her bed, onto her lap, giving her his adorable smile. Fluttershy was in such a very good mood, she felt like she should share the news to Angel. Thanks to her geode, her pet can understand what she's saying.

"Angel, this might be the break we're looking for. Israel and his mom being our guests at dinner. We just gotta wait until he works out a day when he comes over. Isn't that great?" Fluttershy asked, petting her bunny.

Angel happily nodded in agreement and jumped up and down on Fluttershy’s lap. Of all the boys Fluttershy has met, Angel thinks that Israel is one of the nicest guys she has met. "You like having him around, too, huh? Does he make you happy?" she asks. Angel nodded happily and thumps his feet rapidly. "Oh, it's because he called you cute and stroked you under your chin. I'd be happy, too, if he petted me like that."

Right away, Angel put on a sly smirk, raising an eyebrow at his owner. He then raised his paws and formed a heart with them, making Fluttershy blush at his gesture. “W-what? Oh no Angel. Y-You got it all wrong, I-I don’t feel that way about him… Well maybe, but I’m not ready yet. You know we shouldn’t rush things in life, they need to come natural that’s when the feelings for each other are the most sincere.” 

Angel shrugged at Fluttershy and hopped off her lap and jumped onto the nearby pillow to have himself a well deserved nap, curling up into a ball. Fluttershy was thinking about what Angel did. Maybe Angel had a point, maybe there is something more than just their friendship. She tried to focus back on her homework but it was hard with Israel and his mother coming over for dinner. 

“Wait a minute,” she said to herself. “Israel told me so much about his mother, but not his father!” That got herself thinking why he hasn’t mentioned him. “Maybe I should ask him tomorrow at school and then we can talk which day would be best for him to come over for dinner with his mother.”

Speaking of which, back at Israel's house, he had gotten started with the chores, cleaning up the house while his pet dog, a white maltese poodle with big brown eyes, was chilling on the couch, curled up in a ball. Israel was working at a breakneck pace so he could get a head start on his homework.

Soon, he turned to his pooch with a smile. "Hey Bentley, guess what?" he said, getting his pooch's attention with a big smile and a wagging tail. "Remember that friend I told you about?" However, unlike Fluttershy, Israel's dog can't understand much of what he's saying, aside from the usual words "treat," "sit," "dance, puppy, dance," and "sleep" throughout their every day routine lives.

"She's invited me over for dinner. She's just waiting for when I arrange the day with my mom. If you could see her, you'd be wanting snuggles from her more than anyone else," he said. "But, it's going to take some time before her parents and brother warm up to me."

His dog merely rolled around on the couch, flashing his belly at his owner and kicking his hind legs, wanting a belly rub. "Ah, Bentley. Such a spoiled brat," he said, giving his pet what he wants.

Later on, after he finished his chores and got to work on his homework, his mom came home. She had beautiful, silver hair, which was done in a bun and it was much smoother than her son's. She also had bright yellow skin like him, but her eyes were brown. And she and wore a burgundy woman's business suit.

"Wow, the house looks great, Israel. Thanks," she said.

"It's my job, after all," he chuckled. "How was work? Your boss giving you a hard time?"

"Not today. She's learning to take it easy now."

"Cool. By the way, I gotta tell you something." His mom gave him her full attention as she was putting away her jacket in the closet over in the hallway. "Remember my new friend I told you about yesterday?"

"Fluttershy?"

"Yes. She said that she wants us to come visit her house for dinner someday. She wants her family to see I'm not as bad as they write me out to be."

"How do they know you're bad if they haven't met you?"

"I did meet 'em when I walked Fluttershy home. They have their doubts about me, which is why they're uncomfortable with me hanging around their daughter. But Fluttershy wants to resolve the matter, which is why she invited the two of us over for a nice family dinner. She got permission from her parents, too. So, do you want to take her up on her offer?"

His mom thought about it and sighed a little. "Only because she's going through these lengths to get you on her family's good side. But not this weekend, I have to get ready. Ask her if she's okay with having us over next weekend on Saturday."

"I will. Thanks a bunch."

"You're welcome. I'm gonna get started on some dinner as soon as I get done changing out of these clothes. We're having scallop potatoes with chicken and pasta."

"Sweet! My favorite!" His mother chuckled and she headed upstairs to change her clothes. Israel resumed his homework right away, this way he'd have more free time to play some of his old video games.





The next day, the sun was rising. It was morning and 1st classes were about to start. Fluttershy and her friends had all arrived a little early just to catch up on what's been going down. They were currently talking about their evenings after they finished their homework. Fluttershy told them that Israel walked her home. She also told them how her brother and her parents reacted when they met him. They couldn’t understand why her brother and her parents were having these doubts about Israel. 

"So it's that bad. Did you invite Israel and his parents for dinner?" Sunset asked.

“I did,” Fluttershy said with a small smile. “But it’s only him and his mother. He hasn’t told me anything about his father yet or why he doesn't talk about him.”

“Well that’s a good start.” Applejack said. “Why do you think he hasn’t spoken anythin' about his dad?”

“Oh! Maybe he’s in the army and he’s on a superduper top-secret mission!” Pinkie chimed in.

“Or he’s a businessman and is currently on a business trip.” Rarity guessed.

"It could be any one of those possibilities," Twilight said. "Maybe one of these days we'll get to meet him."

“I’ll ask him when I get the chance.” Fluttershy said, she then noticed Israel entering the school along with his friends Cheese and Soarin. "Oh, that's him right now." Fluttershy wasted no time in running up to to him and the dynamic teasing duo. "Hi there, Israel!"

"Hi Fluttershy," he said.

"Aww, this is such a precious sight. I can hear the wedding bells already, you sly dog," Soarin said, giving him a noogie and chuckling a bit.

"Ow! It's not like that, we're just friends!" Israel replied, chuckling.

"We know, we just can't help ourselves. Anyways, I'm gonna go see if the Party Planning Committee will let me in. Thanks for recommending it to me, buddy," Cheese said before bolting off at high speeds.

"I'll meet you at the cafeteria for lunch. You take care now," Soarin said before heading off to class.

"Ah, those guys. You can't live without them," Israel said.

"Friends to the end. So, Israel, did your mom say she was okay with it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, but she's not gonna be available until next weekend."

"Okay. So… about the dinner... are you, by any chance, inviting your dad over to join us?" Just then, Israel's eyes widen, then his smile went away. "W-What's the matter, did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just… my dad won't be joining us. I'll tell you about him next weekend."

“Oh… okay then.” 

The bell rang, signaling the first classes are about to start. For today's class schedule, Fluttershy would be in physics class with Twilight. She had studied hard for this class as it was one of the hardest subjects in school, but it was 2nd nature to Twilight, being the lovable bookworm she's always been.

Fluttershy joined her friend and sat down beside her in class. While waiting for the teacher to arrive, Fluttershy told Twilight how Israel reacted when she asked him about his father.

Scratching her chin Twilight came up with some of her theories. “Based on what you told me, it could be that his parents are divorced or maybe, but I hope not! His father died when he was very young.”

“Oh my! I hope not.” Fluttershy gasped. “That would be awful for Israel.”

"I know. A son growing up without a loving father is one of the worst things that could happen. And most children who do grow up without a dad are usually the boys." Twilight said.

"I'd be pretty devastated if I grew up without my dad."

“Me too.” Twilight agreed.

The teacher arrived and class started. Fluttershy and Twilight quickly grabbed their notebooks and their pens, ready for their first class of today.





Time flew by quickly as the days passed and hours of studying were put to the test of nearly every single student down at Canterlot High. Some of them aced their school work with flying colors, some barely made it by the skid of their teeth, some not so much. And with the studying finished for the weekend, Fluttershy and her friends made good use of their free time by hanging out by the Sugar Cafe.

Surprisingly enough, Pinkie and Rainbow have been feeling in a much better mood lately. 

"Girls, you wouldn't believe the sweet day I had!" Rainbow said.

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie exclaimed.

“Care to enlighten us then darlings?” Rarity asked, taking a sip of her herbal tea. 

"Okay, get this! During soccer tryouts, Soarin swept through the field and scored almost 20 goals without even breaking a single sweat! I think we might be well on our way to victory when the soccer tournament starts within a few weeks, girls!" Rainbow said, trying to contain her excitement.

"And we just made Cheese Sandwich an honorary member of the Party Planning Committee! He's got so many ideas lodged in that noggin of his, that we might just be all set until the day comes when we all graduate out of Canterlot High School!" Pinkie exclaimed.

“Wow, that’s really impressive.” Sunset said surprised.

"Ah shouldn't be surprised. Those friends o' his are makin' a name for themselves." AJ said.

"I couldn't agree more Applejack. That reminds me, today's the day, isn't it? The day Israel and his mother come over to your house for dinner, right?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, that's right. My parents are making dinner right now while Zephyr is cleaning the house.” Fluttershy replied, feeling both excited and anxious. “I would be surprised if he actually did it.”

"Typical Zephyr." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

"But I won't lie, I am worried that he might open his mouth and say the wrong things. Which is why you should join me for dinner, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said. "At least Zephyr will have someone to distract him while my mom and dad are warming up to Israel."

"PASS!" Rainbow exclaimed, making the girls laugh. “Not funny girls!” She pouted with crossed arms.

"Come now, Rainbow Dash. Where's your sense of humor?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, it was just some harmless fun. No need to make a big deal out of it," Sunset said.

" ‘sides, this is nothing compared to all the pranks you pulled on us over the years, hmmm?” Applejack said with a smug look on her face.

"Okay, you made your point. But changing the subject, is Israel really not gonna say anything in particular about his dad until dinner?" Rainbow asked.

"Afraid so. He seemed really upset when I asked him about his father. I think something really bad happened to him when he was young." Fluttershy said. "But that's not why I invited him over for dinner. I just want my parents to see the good in him, that's all."

"Ah pray for ya that everything will work out between ya family and his.” Applejack said. 

“I hope so too, Applejack.” Fluttershy's eyes dart up towards the clock. She gasped when she realized how late it was and needed to hurry on home right away. "Uh-oh, I'd better get home right away. Israel and his mom might already be there!" 

"Alright. You take care, Fluttershy. See you soon," Sunset said as she and the rest of her friends waved Fluttershy goodbye as she stormed out of the cafe.

Back at Fluttershy’s home, Zephyr, surprisingly finished with all his chores around the house. Sighing in relief, he waved some sweat from his forehead. “First and last time I’ll ever do this.” Zephyr grumbled. “Can’t believe my big sis got mom and dad to convince me to do all the cleaning.” He narrowed his eyes. “She’s good.”

"I know it's not a lot of fun, sweetie, but it does help build character," Mrs. Shy said.

“Also, it might help you in finding what you really want to do in life.” Mr Shy added. “I know it helped me finding the right wife.” Winking cutely at his lover.

"Honey, you're such a tease," Mrs. Shy giggled, blushing and turning away,

“Ugh, maybe I should’ve just stuck with the hairdressing instead of coming back here.” Zephyr complained as he witnessed his parents flirting with each other. “I’m gonna head upstairs until little sis is back from her friends.”

"Alright, just don't be upstairs for too long. You don't want your dinner to get cold like last time." Mrs. Shy said.

“No mom,” Zephyr groaned and closed the door to his room.

"Dear, do you still feel uneasy about Fluttershy's friend and his mother coming over? What if we were just being paranoid about him over nothing?" Mrs. Shy asked.

“I am… Honestly, I'm not sure honey.” Mr Shy sighed. “He didn’t really look like a bad person, if I'm being perfectly honest about all this. But, looks can be deceiving.”

"I know, but perhaps think we should give him a chance like Fluttershy wants us to. If she has an open mind about him, we should try to as well."

"Perhaps you're right, honey. I suppose I will try." Moments later, during their conversation, the front door opens up and in walks their daughter, Fluttershy.

"Sorry I'm late, mom and dad. Did Israel and his mom show up?" Fluttershy asked after closing the front door and running into the kitchen.

"No, Fluttershy. But they should be here soon," Mr. Shy said. "But, I am a bit curious to know how you came to meet him in the first place."

"During the first day back to school, I met him during English class.” Fluttershy explained. “He told our class he wanted to test himself and become better in his vocabulary.” 

"Oh, so he's a hard-working student." Mrs. Shy assumed. "I had no idea."

"So how did you two become friends after you met him?” Mr. Shy then asked.

"It was in P.E when we were helping each other warm up for our daily exercise. At first, I assumed he had no friends, so I asked if I could be his first. But when I learned he had two other friends he met in his previous years, I felt so relived and I was happy for him. Even if I wasn't his first friend, I still feel very glad that I got to be his good friend nonetheless."

“What are his friends? Are they alright?”

“He has two friends, Cheese Sandwich and Soarin. He told me that they're his bestest friends and they always love to tease each other.” Fluttershy said. “Much like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie who sometimes tease me and the rest of my friends.”

"That's certainly something," Mr. Shy said. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

“That must be them! I’ll go get the door,” as Fluttershy happily made her way to the front door.

Opening the door, Flutterhsy was greeted by the sight of her good friend Israel, who was holding a very beautiful bouquet of flowers. Next to him was standing a woman who looked similar to Israel. Fluttershy assumed that this was his mother, who gave her a kind smile.

“Good Evening, Fluttershy!” Israel greeted and gave her the bouquet of flowers. “Here, these are for you and your family, as a thank you for inviting us.”

"Oh, that's so sweet, thank you," Fluttershy said, giving off a squee as she accepted the bouquet and let her friend and his mother inside. She lead the two over to the kitchen after she closed the front door. "Everyone, our guests are finally here."

"Ah, you must be Israel's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Yabuki," Mrs. Shy said.

"The pleasure's all mine, but sadly, I'm not married and there's no need for formalities. You can just call me Christina and leave it at that," Israel's mother said.

“And I am Fluttershy’s father. It's very nice to have you two over” Mr. Shy offering his hand. Christina gladly accepted it and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm very glad you all invited us here. My son spoke a lot of great things about your daughter over the past week.”

Mr. Shy smiled, “So did our daughter about your son, many good things.”

"I'm sure she has. Though, I never thought that his friend would be such a very beautiful and kind young lady, especially adorable to boot." Christina said, proudly, making Fluttershy blush.

"She's always been a sweetheart since the day she was born. Anyways, why not have a seat and I'll serve you each a nice, hot plate of my famous meatloaf." Mrs. Shy said. The two guests gladly took their seats at the dinner table and then without a warning…

"Zephyr, come on down, son! Our guests are here and dinner is ready!" Mr. Shy called out.

"I read ya loud and clear, pops!" Zephyr called back, followed by the sound of footsteps running and soon, Zephyr made his way to the dinner table. "Sorry I'm late, I had to-- oh my!" he said when his eyes landed on Israel's beautiful-looking mother. "I thought he was bringing his mom, not his big sister!"

Israel and Christina laughed it off like a joke. "You're certainly a charmer. But I actually am his mom, I just look younger than most women my age," she said.

"Oh, I had no idea! I wish I was born earlier so I would've had the chance to marry you," Zephyr said, smirking, making her laugh even harder.

"Whoa there, tiger. You obviously don't know my mom as well as I do. She's a woman with high standards and if you don't fit her standards, you don't got a shot. I'm not trying to be rude, it's just a fact." Israel said, leaning over to pat Zephyr gently on the back.

"That's the thing about Zephyr, he's always been a hopeless flirt," Mrs. Shy said, setting each plate down on the table as everyone sat down. Mrs. Shy had cooked up a meatloaf with a caesar salad with some drinks, like water, apple juice and fruit punch. “Well let us not sit here with our empty stomachs, everyone enjoy!”

"Mmm, the food looks tasty." Israel said before grabbing a fork and taking a bite out of the food. "It even tastes great, too!"

"Aww, thank you, Israel. So, Fluttershy told me how much of a hard-working student you are when you enrolled in English class on the first day." Mrs. Shy said before taking a bite out of her caesar salad. "Tell me, do you plan on heading off to college someday?"

"I might. I do have goals of wanting to be an animator, voice actor, or even a game designer. I'm not sure what to go with, exactly," Israel said before munching on another bite of his meatloaf.

“I will tell you this, buddy. If you took up a career as a hairstylist, I could give you some helpful pointers, maybe even more," Zephyr bragged, brushing his hair with his fingers.

"That's… nice, but I think that career is more your specialty. I'm sure you'll make a fantastic career out of it one day. Who knows, you might make an early career out of it," he encouraged before chomping on some of his caesar salad.

“Absolutely! When I graduate, mom, dad and my big sis will never need to pay for another hairstylist. They got me then.” Zephyr continued. "By the way, why didn't your pops join us? Did the man get caught up in his work?"

Sadly, Israel's smile went away again just like last time. "Zephyr, I don't think he--" Fluttershy says before she's cut off.

"No, it's alright. I did say I was gonna tell you during our dinner. Anyways, here it is: My father was never around, not even when I was born." Israel said.

"WHAT?! Why would that loser not want to be around for you?" Zephyr asked.

"The thing is… when his dad, Brandon Fedrico and I were young, mostly around the time when we were still in our early 20s, we had an on and off relationship. When he found out I was gonna have Israel, he didn't hesitate to leave me alone to fend for myself.” Christina said. 

"Oh dear, that's just cruel," Mrs. Shy said. "I'm so sorry he did that to you."

"Psh, his loss, my gain. I don't need that bum in my life, even if he wanted to get back in my life now, he's gonna have to live with this big mistake." Israel shrugged. "That's why when I have kids of my own, I'm gonna make sure to take care of them like a real loving father would do."

Fluttershy was shocked to hear the story about Israel’s father. He may not show it but Fluttershy could tell that it hurt Israel on the inside. She felt sorry for him, she just wanted to go over and hug him. 

"Does it still hurt when you think about it?" Mrs. Shy asked, concerned.

"Sometimes. But he didn't completely walk out on me. There were times when he came to visit me and other times, I went to visit him and play video games. The last time I saw my dad was when I was 12. He had invited over to one of his relatives' graduation party close to where I live. After that, he broke all contact with me." Israel said, then following it up with something that really got to Fluttershy. "When he hugged me, I thought he'd never let me go. He made me laugh, told me he loved me, then one day he just never came back."

“That’s rough for you, buddy.” Zephyr said with a remorseful look. “I had no idea that you had it that hard.”

"It wasn't all bad. My mom and I have a lot of family that helped raise me since I was an only child and I've got lots of cousins by my side, too." Israel replied. "So really, I don't care if my dad walked out on me, because he's missing out on seeing me grow up."

"He gets his "never-give-up" attitude from me," Christina said.

“Israel is also very determined.” Fluttershy added. “If only someone else here in the family would take a page out of Israel's book and learn from it,” as she looked at her younger brother.

“What?” Zephyr shrugged at her, making Fluttershy sigh.

 "You know, on some days when he came home, he'd be so exhausted, he'd collapse on the couch and take a nap and snore louder than his grandpa. Running 6 laps, doing the bleacher miles can take a real toll on my son's body when he pushes himself so far," Christina said.

"You'd be exhausted, too, if you had to run up and down those steps in circles. My legs were aching all over during those days and they won't be the last time." Israel said.

"But from what I heard from Coach Spitfire, she said that you gave 120% and ran so far, you looked like you were running a relay race. She said you beat the record by a second." Christina said, hugging her son.

"If he's running that much, does that mean he's trying out for a sports team?" Mr. Shy asked.

"No, I do it just to keep in shape." Israel replied. "I want to maintain my figure, so I push myself extra hard when I'm running the track."

“120%? You might give Rainbow Dash a real challenge Israel,” Fluttershy said, impressed. “She’s always tries to go 100% whenever she can. It would be very exciting to see you both running to find out who’s the fastest runner on the track.”

"With that geode of hers, she'd beat me before I can even run one step. Plus, if you hadn't noticed, she's more athletic than I'll ever be," Israel chuckled.

“Yeah and besides, no one at CHS can ever hope to beat my Dashie!” Zephyr boasted. “She’s just way too awesome to be beaten by you.”

"Zephyr, mind your manners, young man. It's not polite to insult our guest like that. Remember, he runs to keep in shape, not to race others." Mrs. Shy scolded, waving her finger.

"My bad. By the way, do you have plans for the upcoming talent show in a few weeks? You never know, you might just wow the crowds with whatever kind of talent you've got." Zephyr said, lighting up Israel's eyes again, thus making Fluttershy smile at her brother.

"You bet your hairstyle, I do. I've got a thing for singing in front of large crowds," Israel replied.

"I didn't know you could sing," Fluttershy said.

"You should hear him when he's in the shower," Christina said.

"Mom!" he exclaimed, hiding his face in his hair.

“No need to be embarrassed about it dearie,” Mrs. Shy said. “Fluttershy is also a great singer.”

"W-Well, I… I guess you can say that… I mean, I… I do also write songs," Fluttershy said, nervously twiddling her fingers while blushing adorably.

“Come now Fluttershy, we’ve heard you sing before when you were at the animal shelter.” Mr. Shy added. “I came to pick you up and heard you sing. It was beautiful.”

"I know perfectly well that she can sing. I heard her while she was performing with her friends." Israel said.

"So, are you in a band?" Mr. Shy asked.

"No, I'm a solo singer. I leave the music part to either Cheese Sandwich or a karaoke machine." Israel said. "I'm a huge fan of karaoke."

Fluttershy's parents looked at each other, putting on these warm smiles, then back to Israel. "Have you ever thought of singing a duet with a partner, Israel?”

“Sometimes,” Israel said while taking a bite of the meatloaf. “But if I wanna sing a duet up on that stage, then it’ll have to be with someone special,” looking at Fluttershy. 

Seeing the meaning behind it, Fluttershy blushed a little. Flattered by the compliment he gave her. Everyone soon finished their dinner. Zephyr, though reluctantly had to clean up the table and wash the dishes while Mr. and Mrs. Shy went to take the dessert from the kitchen. 

"You know, Israel. I believe we owe you an apology. When we first met you, we had our doubts, but because Fluttershy saw the goodness in you and learned about your kind-hearted nature, we feel more at ease. We're sorry we ever doubted you and hope you can forgive us." Mrs. Shy said, coming back to the table.

"Of course I forgive you. You were just trying to look out for Fluttershy. It is your job as parents to look out for the wellbeing of your children." he said.

Hearing those words, Christina smiled proudly at her son. Her little boy has become so strong. It seems like only yesterday that she held him in her arms. Now he’s nearly an adult and he’s starting to have feelings for someone who truly cares about him. 

"And I'm glad you took a chance with my son, Fluttershy. You're one of a kind," Christina said.

Fluttershy squeed when she smiled. And soon, with dinner finished, everyone happily moved onto dessert while they were enjoying each other's company.
> Big Plans and Surprises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days after a nice dinner at the Shy residence, Fluttershy's family finally felt comfortable enough to keep letting her hang out with Israel. It was like a big weight was lifted off of her shoulders and she was happy to spend more time with him. She told the girls about how the night went. They were all relieved to know that there wouldn't be any conflict between her and Israel anymore. But it came as a shock when they found out about why Israel's father wasn't around to look after him. And right now, Fluttershy and her friends are in the cafeteria just as she explained everything.

“Wow Fluttershy, that must’ve been hard for him. Growing up without a father,” Applejack said.

"It was a real challenge for him and his mom, but he said he doesn't care that his father abandoned him and his mother because he still had a great childhood. He said he'd rather live with a loving mother, than have a heartless father in his life," Fluttershy said with a sad smile. "It surprised me that someone with autism could be so strong-willed, even after everything he went through."

"Autism? You mean he wasn't a normal guy to begin with?" Sunset asked, thus making her feel worse about what happened in her previous years. "Oops. Now I really feel like a jerk for what I did to him back when I was such a bully to him and everyone else."

“Come on now, Sunset!” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “You didn’t know that back then. Besides, you said you were sorry and you even wrote an apology letter to him. If he's forgiven you, then he's forgiven you. You should know that everytime I see him, he’s always happy, especially when he's hanging out with his friends and even hanging around with you too, Fluttershy. He really seems to like you.”

Fluttershy couldn't stop herself from blushing and squealing. "G-Girls, I told you before, he and I are… j-just friends, nothing more, nothing less. Remember, we've barely just started out as friends for a whole week, so we're still taking it a bit slow," she stuttered a little.

"Come now Darling,” Rarity said. “You know how Pinkie can be sometimes. She’s only teasing you to have a little bit of fun, Fluttershy, dearie” as she winked at back at Fluttershy.

"Plus, if y'all should know. Pinkie's been hangin' out with Cheese Sandwich all weekend. Ah can see a real romance bloomin' between those two already," AJ said.

"He does have a knack when it comes to planning parties. How can I not like him?" Pinkie said, looking up at the ceiling, slightly blushing a bit.

"Ya know what else ain't surprisin'? Rainbow Dash an' Soarin practicin' soccer in the park over the weekend and grabbin' a couple o' smoothies," AJ added. Now it was Rainbow's turn to blush and boy, was it a deep one when Soarin was brought up in front of her.

"Hey! Don't go blabbing stuff like that! He and I are… just… well… okay, so I like him a lot. But can you blame me for liking this guy? The dude's got mad skills!" Rainbow said before crossing her arms. Her cheeks puffed up and her face was still as red as a tomato.

"Speaking of which, where are those boys anyways?" Twilight asked.

"Good question, I don't know. Maybe they're just about to start putting away their stuff in their lockers. I'm sure they'll be here soon," Sunset said.

"Actually, I overheard them talking in the hallway and said they needed to prepare for the talent show, probably coming up with some ideas on what they should do,” Rarity remembered.

"Prepare? Hmm, how are they gonna prepare? Maybe I'll go check on them," Fluttershy said. After finishing up her meal, she then packed her lunchbox. The other girls decided they would follow her since they were mostly finished with their lunches. So, they put their lunch trays away and followed Fluttershy out of the cafeteria.

The girls wandered the halls of the school, searching high and low for any trace of the boys. All of a sudden, the girls hear this soulful, beautiful music coming from the Music room. Fluttershy shushes the girls and gestures them to follow her quietly. They do so and tip-toe towards the lovely music and find out the students who were playing such a lovely melody.

There, inside the music room, was Soarin on a guitar, Cheese Sandwich playing the piano and Israel Yabuki singing and making bodily gestures while singing.

Fluttershy gasped quietly so she wouldn't disturb them.

“Well I’ll be,” AJ whispered to her girlfriend. “Israel really has some talent when it comes to singin'.”

“Indeed, dear Applejack,” Rarity agreed. “It soothes my ears.” The fashionista then noticed the reactions of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. “Would you look at those two.”

Applejack noticed how Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin playing the guitar with her mouth open in surprise while Pinkie’s eyes fell in a trance by Cheese Sandwhich’s piano skills.

Sunset was impressed with the song Israel, Soarin and Cheese were playing and singing. “I think we might have a little bit of competition with the next talent show, Twilight.”

“I wouldn’t say that Sunset,” Twilight corrected. “It’s a talent show we're doing just for fun, not a competition we're trying to win, but you're right, I think they definitely should join the show. With amazing piano and guitar skills and amazing singing, that will certainly get the attention of the entire school.” Sunset agreed with Twilight as they kept listening to the song the boys were playing.

As for Fluttershy, her whole perspective on Israel changed. Her cheeks heated up and a bright blush filled her cheeks while nearly turning her into a ripe, red tomato. She couldn't take her eyes off of him or get over his singing, like it was a part of his life. And the more he sang, the more her heart would skip a beat and gave her a slight case of jelly legs.

As the song ended, the boys were greeted with applause from the 7 girls. The boys looked at the open doorway and humored their private audience with a bow.

"You heard all of this, didn't you?" Cheese asked.

“Yipper dippers!” Pinkie said excitedly, “your song was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!”

“Truly amazing!” Rarity praised.

“You boys really have an amazing talent when it comes to music,” Twilight added.

Soarin scratched his head a little. “Well, I wouldn’t know about that, we’re just fortunate.”

"You guys should've been in the Battle of the Bands!" Rainbow said, excited.

"What, that let-down competition? No way, not with all the hate being spreaded like some virus," Cheese said, backing away from the thought of that incident. "We were lucky enough to escape that tournament while we still had our heads on right!"

"Yeah, we kinda bailed on that so that we could play our music out in the town square. The people over there were a whole lot more friendly there," Soarin said.

"Changing the subject, what are you girls gonna do for the talent show?" Israel asked.

“We’re gonna rock the stage with our awesome band called ‘The Rainbooms’!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with her fist raised in the air.

“It would be totally awesome to see you girls perform on the talent show,” Soarin said. “Be sure you pick a song with a solo in it, Rainbow. I love your guitar solos. They’re like 20% cooler then my favorite guitarist.”

“Hehe, thanks Soarin!” Rainbow Dash blushed as she tried her best to hide it. "But I gotta give the girls a turn, otherwise, I'd be making the exact same mistake as I did during the Battle of the Band."

“I’m still amazed that you always got so much energy left after playing the drums, Pinkie Pie. You gotta tell me the secret to how you do it. I could use some of that energy for the talent show.” Cheese Sandwich added, making Pinkie Pie smile and giggle a bit.

“Can’t tell you that silly!” Pinkie replied. “It’s a secret…” She whispered that last part in his ear.

"And I'm curious of what kind of neat song Fluttershy wrote that she has in store for us. Right?" Israel asked, turning his gaze towards the timid animal care giver, who had her gaze fixated on the boy. "Uh… Fluttershy, is something the matter?"

“Huh?” Fluttershy shook her head, making the hearts in her eyes disappear. “Oh um, yes I am writing a new song for the talent show… but it’s not finished yet.” 

“That’s alright Fluttershy, I’m sure you’ll get it done before the talent show comes,” Sunset encouraged with a gentle pat on the back. “And if you want, we'll help you out.”

"T-Thank you, Sunset," she replied.

"Well, we're gonna get in on some more practice before our next class starts. We've still got a lot of songs to choose from and so little time,” Cheese said.

"I can't wait to see what you boys have in store! I'll be cheering you on!" Pinkie said.

"U-Umm… g-g-good luck, I-I-Israel," Fluttershy said, twiddling her fingers.

"Yeah, you too, Flutters," Israel replied, trying to keep his composure as Fluttershy expertly laid down the cuteness even more than before. With that out of the way, the girls gave the boys their privacy while they heard them play more songs. The girls took this time to hang out by the statue out in the front. While hanging out at their usual spot, they got to thinking about what to do for the talent show.

"You know girls, I've been thinking. Should we do our own performances for the talent show or play together as a group like we always do?" Sunset asked.

“We formed a band so we could perform together,” Rainbow Dash said while knee-kicking her soccer ball up over and over very easily. “Shouldn’t we stay together?”

“Hmmm,” Twilight tapped her chin. “We can still perform as a band on the talent show and those who want can sing solos or duets with a partner.” She then looked at her girlfriend with a suggestive look.  

"To be honest, I am thinking about maybe singing a duet with Cheese," Pinkie said. "But then again, he is already rehearsing and planning to sing with the other two boys."

“You won't know the answer unless you ask him Pinkie,” Sunset advised.

"Hmm... you know, maybe it wouldn't hurt to perform on our own. It's clear that some of us have other plans for the show and I think it's only fair we split up for the time being and do our own rehearsing, but it'll just be for this special occasion," Rainbow reluctantly agreed.

“That’s actually really mature of you Rainbow Dash and I must say, I do approve of this idea.” Rarity said, looking at Dash with a proud smile.

“Me too,” Fluttershy agreed.

“Me three!” Pinkie chimed in.

"Only one problem. We might not get to do a duet with the boys. It's just as Pinkie pointed out, they've already got their own small band ready," Rainbow said.

“Aw, bummer!” Pinkie pouted. 

“Ah’m sure we can come up with somethin’,” AJ encouraged. Sadly, the bell rang as it was time for the next classes to start, so the girls agreed that they’ll think of a solution after school is over.

And of course, the boys in the music room, left immediately after putting everything back to the way it was and proceeded to their classes.





The very next day, 30 minutes before 1st classes start, Sunset, Twilight and Fluttershy got themselves an early start and arrived at the school before everyone else. They gathered around the statue, waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive. Sunset and Twilight already came up with an idea for their duet while Fluttershy was nearly done with her latest song.

After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash arrived, looking pretty shocked about something. “Girls, you're not gonna believe this, but Soarin had an accident at soccer practice last night!”

"He did? What happened?" Sunset asked.

"Okay here's what happened. During practice, one of his teammates accidentally kicked the ball way too hard and made it land on one of the bleachers. Soarin went to go get it and when he did, he lost his footing and fell off the highest part of the bleachers and landed on his arm. His shoulder bone ended up popping out of place and it even cracked his forearm a bit!" Rainbow explained.

"Oh my! Is he going to be okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, but the doctor said that he won't be able to practice soccer for another 3 weeks. He also won't be able to play his guitar either," Rainbow confirmed.

“So, that also means that Israel and Cheese can’t perform without their guitarist. That's gotta be a tough break for them considering how hard they've been practicing,” Sunset realized.

“Which, also could give us an opportunity,” Rainbow Dash said while scratching the back of her head.

“You mean, asking the boys if they want to sing a duet with us instead?” Fluttershy assumed.

“Exactly!” Rainbow pointed out.

"Well, you'll get your chance when lunch arrives or if they show up early,” Sunset said without realizing that Pinkie Pie stood suddenly behind her. 

“Did I hear it right? Soarin had an accident? How terrible!” Pinkie shouted, making Sunset and Twilight yelp in surprise while Rainbow had a little laughing fit.

“It’s true Pinkie. Rainbow Dash just told us what happened to him,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Oh my gosh! Poor Soarin, now he and his friends can’t perform,” Pinkie said, lowering her head in sadness and almost let her hair deflate, until... 

"But, on the bright side, you get a shot at asking Cheese to perform a duet with you," Twilight pointed out, thus putting her smile back on her.

Pinkie gasped, “How did I not thought of that?!” She held her hands against her cheeks in excitement and hugged her friend happily after it. “Thank you Twilight! I’ll go ask him right away!”

“Pinkie, he hasn’t arrived at school yet,” Sunset said. “It’s still early, he's probably still finishing his breakfast and might not be available to talk until lunch,” as she checked the time on her phone.

“Aaw, I guess I'm in for a long wait.” Pinkie said.

“Well, we can't change someone's lifestyle.” Twilight agreed.

A short while later, Rarity and Applejack arrived at school. "Good morning, everyone. I do hope we didn't keep you all you girls waiting for too long, dearies," Rarity called out.

"Mah little jewel here had to grab some items last minute. Ah gave her a hand so she'd have a better chance an' so we can beat the first bell," Applejack added.

“Just some extra make-up in case I lost some of it during school. Nothing more my wweet Apple-pie,” Rarity said while fluttering her eyes at her girlfriend making AJ chuckle and peck her on the lips.

“So, did we miss anything before we arrived?” Rarity asked.

"Well, you won't believe this, but apparently, Soarin had an accident during practice and broke his arm, so he won't be able to play his guitar or play soccer for a few weeks," Sunset said.

"Oh dear, that's positively dreadful. Surely, the poor dear will okay, right?" Rarity asked. Just then, the girls were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Thankfully, my arm's not completely disabled, so I'll be able to move it in no time if I take it easy," Soarin said before letting out a chuckle. The girls turned and saw Soarin, accompanied by his two favorite pals. His left arm was wrapped in a cast.

"Good Morning ladies!” Cheese Sandwich greeted them all with a small bow.

“Good morning Cheese,” Pinkie greeted back at him with a teasing tone in it.

"As you girls can see… our buddy here had a bit of an accident. His meathead teammate, Bulk Biceps kicked the soccer ball a little too hard and it landed in the bleachers." Israel said.

"What, are you kidding me?" Sunset asked in disbelief that it was Bulk Biceps.

"Nope. Honestly, what is up with that big oaf?" Cheese asked.

“Even though he’s so bulky, the poor guy doesn’t know his own strength,” Soarin said. "And don't even get me started on the times that meathead got fired from so many jobs,"

"It ain't his fault his dad was stupid enough to tell him to use his body and not his head. His dad should've help balanced his lifestyle a little better. Not to be rude, but Bulk looks like he missed leg day like some of those poorly animated cartoon characters from some of the TV shows," Israel said.

"If he bulked up his legs, he might've kicked the soccer straigh into the stratosphere. And he'd even be tall enough to join the Basketball team instead," Soarin joked, making the others laugh.

"All joking aside, we won't be able to rehearse if you can't play guitar. So until then, we're stumped and probably won't even get to perform in the talent show while you're recovering?" Israel asked.

Fluttershy decided to step in. “Um, we might actually have a solution for that, Israel.”

“Oh? What do you have in mind Flutters?” he asked.

“W-well me and the girls had decided that we wanted to try something else for the talent show that's kinda different than the things we usually do.” Fluttershy explained. “Instead of our band performing, we were wondering if you and both of your friends wanted to sing a duet with a few of us. Given the situation that you and your friends are in, we'd be more than happy to practice with you… i-i-if you want to of course.” She twiddled her fingers nervously and blushing once again.

"Hmm... you know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. How about it, boys?" Israel asked.

"As long as I can sing alongside Dash, I don't mind at all," Soarin said.

"I'll perform a duet with Pinkie Pie for the talent show. You don't mind a duet, do you, Pinkie?" Cheese asked, putting on his biggest smile.

"Guess that leaves you and me, Flutters… if you'd like," Israel added.

"I'd love to sing a duet with you," Fluttershy agreed. "The only real challenge is finding the right song. But we'll worry about it when lunch starts later on."

"Sounds fair enough. I can't wait for when that day finally arrives," Israel replied, still giving Fluttershy the biggest and most brightest smile. Fluttershy's heart raced over a thousand miles just from staring at his big smile, causing her to hide her face in her hair to keep him from seeing her blushing.

The other girls picked up on Fluttershy's reaction and giggled at how cute it was. "Okay, we'd better take Fluttershy with us for now. We still got a lot of work to do. And it's not just the rehearsing that's on our agenda at the moment, I guarantee you that,” Twilight said, taking Fluttershy by her shoulder.

“Alright then, we’ll see you girls at lunchtime as usual!” Israel and his friends waved the girls goodbye before they went to their own class.

“Well, someone here is quite smitten kitten,” Rarity chuckled. 

"Hmm?" Fluttershy asked, not paying attention. Her gaze was still fixated on Israel, who was already inside. When he turned the corner, walking out of sight, Fluttershy still kept her gaze on him as if he was still there.

“Wakey, wakey Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash said and snapped her fingers in front of her friend. 

Right away, Fluttershy snapped out of her trance. "Huh, what? 

“You were staring at the spot where Israel was standing, Darling,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy blushed after she heard that and gave a cheeky smile. “Sorry girls, I was just speechless when he showed me that adorable, genuine smile of his. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts.”

"Oh, I can understand that, Fluttershy. I can clearly see you're falling for him. I saw the way you reacted when you smiled at him earlier," Sunset said.

“Y-you did?” Fluttershy stammered. 

"I saw how you were blushing and hid your face when he smiled at you," Twilight added.

Fluttershy's face got more flushed by the minute. She couldn't squirm out of this one and sighed in defeat. "Oh alright, I admit it now… I actually like him now. It happened yesterday when we all heard Israel, along with his friends, rehearshing a song for the talent show," she admitted.

"Ah knew it was only a matter of time before you started growin’ feelings for him.” AJ said.

"Maybe you should go and talk to him, see if he'll return your feelings. I'm sure Israel feels the exact same way about you too, Fluttershy," Twilight said.

“Oh, I don’t know, Twilight. I don't want to rush things with him,” Fluttershy said. “And besides, what if he doesn’t feel the same about me? What if he prefers more confident girls or smarter girls or girls who are much more prettier than me?” Fluttershy's insecurities were getting the better of her, nearly causing her to bawl out her tears, had it not been for the girls quickly intervening. 

“Whoa, slow down there Fluttershy. You’re overthinking it too much," Sunset said.

“I think he has the ‘hots’ for you Flutters,” Rainbow said. “He did accept your invite to come over for dinner at your family’s house with his mother, right?” she asked. Fluttershy nodded at her.
 
"And plus, you're the only one, besides Soarin and Cheese, whom he hangs out with. You both share a passionate fondness for animals, he has a sense of humor and he has a soft spot for only the cutest girls. And you, dear Fluttershy, seem to fit the bill perfectly," Rarity said.

“You girls really think so?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

"We know so, darling,” Rarity assured her friend.

Their words of encouragement gave Fluttershy a glimmer of hope again. She admitted that she has a crush on Israel, but she needs to find out if this crush is just a simple ‘crush’ that she'll get over or if it’s actually true love that she’s feeling for her dear friend. 

Before she can fully gather her thoughts, the bell finally rang. Their 1st classes for today were about to start and they didn't want to be late. The girls quickly gathered all of their books and belongings, packed them in their backpacks and headed off to their respective classes. 

5 more minutes went by, the bell rang again and mostly all students were all accounted for. And in Fluttershy's homeroom class, Cheerilee was about to give her lecture. As she began, Fluttershy currently didn't have her mind focused on the teacher at the moment. A few seats away from her on the far left of the classroom, she can see Israel's eyes perfectly focused on Cheerilee. 

She couldn't stop herself from looking at her notebook and back at Israel, drawing every detail of his beautiful face, his glancing yellow skin, his glistening, hazel green eyes and his long, silver hair. She was so fixated on him that she didn't notice Cheerilee glaring at her.

“Fluttershy, can you repeat what I was saying?” Cheerilee asked, sternly.

Fluttershy nearly dropped her pen after being called out by her teacher. “Um….W-well, I uh...“ she stammered, then hid her face in her hair out of embarrassment. "S-Sorry Ms. Cheerilee." 

"Ms. Fluttershy, please pay attention next time, do I make myself clear?"

“Y-yes Ms. Cheerilee, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” Fluttershy promised.

Cheerilee nodded in approval and turned her attention back to the rest of her class and quickly proceeded with her lecture right away. Fluttershy decided to play it safe and reluctantly puts the drawing of her crush away in her backpack and paid more attention to her teacher for the rest of her class. 





Time passed by as usual and soon, lunch came by and mostly all of the girls left to go and practice for the talent show after finishing their lunches. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Israel hung out at the usual spot by the statue, eating the lunches they made back home.

"Fluttershy, which song do you think we should sing? I'm kinda stumped," he said.

"Umm...I was actually thinking about the latest song I’ve written in my notebook. Would you like to see what kind of song I've written?” Fluttershy asked, handing her notebook to Israel. “I finished writing my song yesterday back when I got home. What do you think about it?”

"Let's see…" he said, opening the notebook up, then blinked in surprise. "Whoa… Fluttershy, you never told me you could draw so well. Is that… me?" Suddenly, Fluttershy's face turned red as a ripe tomato. She quickly swiped her notebook back and turned the page to where her song was at and then gave it back.

"That was the wrong page, here you go!" Fluttershy said, handing it back. Israel read the lyrics to her song, nodding his head, admiring how well-written it was. "Well… is it good?"

"Good? It's more than good. It's like you've written a masterpiece," he praised.

“Really?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

"Of course. You're an amazing songwriter. I'm surprised you don't work in the music industry. People far and wide would want to come and see you perform with all these amazingly written songs," he praised.

"Well… I do try," Fluttershy said, blushing again and smiling shyly.

"And succeed. Fluttershy, your friends are lucky to have you around. Speaking of songs, should we come up with a song to sing for the talent show, or do you wanna talk about something else?" he asked.

"Well… I was wondering about something else," she said.

"Alright, what'd you wanna know?"

"Umm… Israel… m-m-may I… may I please spend the weekend at your house?" Fluttershy asked really fast, trying not to chicken out.

"Spend… the weekend with me? At my house?" he asked, making Fluttershy nod. "Hmm… I don't see why not, but we're gonna have to ask our parents first. If they say yes, then first, I'll take you home so you can get packed and then you call me when you're ready. This will also give me a chance to cook some tasty meals for us and do all kinds of neat stuff."

“I can’t wait to see what you'll been cooking,” Fluttershy said in delight. “If our parents agree with me staying over at your home during the weekend, I bet we’ll also be able to find a great song.”

“And we can even practice together so we'll be prepared.” Israel added enthusiastically.

"That sounds wonderful! Oh, before I forget," Fluttershy then pulls out her phone. "Would you mind handing me your phone so I can put my number to your contacts?" she asked.

"Sure, hang on," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, giving it to Fluttershy. She dialed her number in his contacts and even added her name on it. "Okay, here you go, Israel." She hands him back the phone, letting him take it and dial up her number.

"Thanks, Flutters, but can I take a picture of you too?” Israel asked hopefully. “If you call to me, I want to see that adorable face of yours.”

“Um, ok but only if I can take a picture of you too then,” she asked, turning red as a tomato again.

“Deal!” Israel smiled. He opened up the camera app on his phone and took a picture of the cute little angel in front of him, who had a blushing smile. "Aww, you look so cute."

“T-Thank you, Israel,” Fluttershy said shyly.

"Alrighty. You can snap a picture of me now," he said, putting on his brightest smile. Fluttershy brought up the camera on her phone and aimed it at Israel. She snapped a photo of him and saved it to her contacts. 

"There we go," Fluttershy said.

"So, Fluttershy. This is kinda random, but what kind of movies do you like to watch?" he asked.

"Oh, any movies that have animals in them," Fluttershy said. Right on cue, her pet bunny popped his cute little head out of her backpack. His eyes locked on Israel and hopped over to him, nuzzling under his chin. "Aww, Angel Bunny missed you,” she smiled at the affection Angel was happily giving him. “So, Israel, what are your favorite movies you love to watch?"

"Most of them are Disney movies, like The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Aladdin, Hercules, Peter Pan, Robin Hood and there are other movies besides those. Movies like The Karate Kid, Herbie: Fully Loaded, etc etc." he listed.

“What about music? What kind of music do you listen to?” Fluttershy then asked.

"Oh, I'm an old-fashioned guy when it comes to songs. I'm all about soulful love songs. Especially the ones from the 70s, 80s and 90s like I Swear, I Will Always Love You, Right Here Waiting, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You… you get the idea," he said. "What about you, any songs you like to listen to?"

“Mostly calm and relaxing songs. One of my favorites, ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from Celine Dion. There also some Disney songs that I love to sing.” 

"Really, I love that song! It's so beautiful, I even have it on my ipod at home." he said. "What kind of Disney songs do you like to listen to?"

“Can you feel the love tonight, Hakuna matata, Love will find a way, A whole new world. Goodness! I can go on forever with my favorite songs. There’s so many songs that I love.”  

"Fluttershy… if I knew you had this much amazing taste in music at the beginning of my freshman year, I'd want to hang out with you a whole lot more." he said. "Also… how would you like to sing A Whole New World for the upcoming talent show?" he asked.

“I would like that very much Israel,” Fluttershy agreed. “I think it would be the perfect song.”

"Great! Now that we got that settled, let's enjoy the rest of our meal," he said. Fluttershy giggled and continued to eat her lunch with Israel for the remainder of their lunch break. Within a few more minutes after finishing their delicious meals, the bell rang. Being the punctual type, Israel packed his lunch box back in his backpack and picked himself up very quickly. "Oop, gotta go. Cooking Class is about to start. Later, Fluttershy."

"Good luck, Israel," she said, getting up. Israel also got up, but then catches her off-guard when suddenly, he gave Fluttershy a small peck on the cheek, making her yelp and blush deeper.

"Thanks. And I'll make sure I don't forget about our weekend freetime. See ya, Flutters," he said before running off, leaving Fluttershy to slump back against the statue and slowly descend onto the ground.

Her hand slowly touched the cheek Israel kissed and blushed even deeper. "Oh… my," she said, trying to hold back the urge to squeal.
> Weekend Funtime
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a few more busy school days over and done with, the students left the school grounds, anxious to finally relax and enjoy the their time off. At the moment, Israel was walking home with a big smile. Knowing that Fluttershy wanted to spend a whole weekend with him at his house got him in a very good mood. His mind was also focused on his little "parting gift" he gave to Fluttershy.

He wasn't aware of the fact that she actually had a big crush on him, nor did he realize that he was beginning to fall for her as well. His mind was already filled with a few ideas and plans on what they could do together during the weekend and all the delicious things he could cook for her. Of course, all of this can only get started if his mother agrees to allow Fluttershy to stay over at their house during the weekend. 

Getting more and more excited, Israel quickened his pace to get home faster. His efforts were well worth it, finally reaching his house. He took out his house key and unlocked the door, heading inside. His mom won't be back for another 2 hours, giving him plenty of time to fix up the house before she arrives.





Meanwhile, Fluttershy was walking home with her friends, Twilight and Sunset. They had a friendly chat, nothing that was too important, just talking about what they were going to do for the weekend and how excited they were for talent show.

"Sunset, Twilight? What are you planning on doing for the talent show? Are you planning on performing a duet like most of the others, or do you both have something else in mind?" Fluttershy asked.

The couple glanced at each other before they smiled and looked back at their friend. “We’re going to sing a duet together, it's one of our best talents,” Sunset replied.

“That sounds wonderful!” Fluttershy smiled.

“Though, we still need to practice if we want our performance to be perfect. But luckily, we've still got a couple of weeks to find the right song,” Twilight blushed.

Sunset pulled her girlfriend closer to her in comfort. "It makes me smile whenever you think positive.”

"Well, I learned to think positive thanks to you," Twilight said, nuzzling Sunset. “So Fluttershy, what are you and Israel going to do for the talent show?” she asked.

"We talked about it and we decided to sing ‘A Whole New World’ together. And you're not gonna believe what he did to me when the bell rang for lunch to end," Fluttershy said.

“Do tell us,” Sunset smirked.

"Okay… he… he… he… he kissed me on the cheek," she said, blushing.

“Really?!” Twilight exclaimed, feeling happy for her dear friend.

“Mhm, it was completely unexpected,” she placed her hand on her cheek where he kissed her. “I can still feel his warm, soft lips on my cheek.” Fluttershy said, dreamingly.

"Aww, that's so sweet. See? I told you he had a soft spot for you," Sunset added.

“I guess he really does,” Fluttershy then realized something. “Goodness, I haven’t told you girls yet. But I’m spending the weekend with him.”

"You're really spending the weekend with Israel?” Sunset asked, surprised.

“Mhm, we’re going to practice our song for the Talent Show at his house. He also told me he was also going to cook dinner for me.” Fluttershy happily explained.

“Sounds like you’re gonna have an amazing weekend with him from what I can tell,” Twilight said as she then held hands with Sunset. “So are we, aren't we, honey?”

"Hehe, you say that like we're married or something… sweetheart," Sunset rebutted before planting a kiss on Twilight's soft, cute cheek.

"Would that be so bad to be married? At least, some time after high school?" Twilight asked.

"You two are such a cute couple. And I'm happy for you two," Fluttershy said. 

"Yeah. Ever since Twilight and I found out we had a thing for each other, it's given me a whole new perspective on life and I'm happy about that. By the way, Fluttershy, if Israel's cooking for you, I'd say you two are pretty much set when you get married one day. Normally I'd warn you not to rush things, but you already know how to pace yourself with just right," Sunset said.

"Mhmm. Although he invited me, I still have to get an approval from my parents to let me go over there and I also have to get his mom's approval," Fluttershy said.

“That shouldn't be a problem since your parents and even your brother have accepted him,” Sunset said, patting Fluttershy on the shoulder. “Although, I can’t speak for Israel's mother, but I think she’ll allow you to stay for the weekend since she knows you’re the friendliest girl anyone's ever met.” 

"Thanks, Sunset," Fluttershy replied before seeing her house come into view. "Oh, I think this is my stop. I guess I'll see you girls later."

"Alright. Take care, Flutters. And tell your friend we said "hi." Twilight said as she and Sunset continued walking down the sidewalk while Fluttershy walked up to the front door. Fluttershy unlocked the door and entered her house, then locked the door back up. "Mom, dad, Zephyr, I'm home.”

Zephyr was the first one to greet her. “Hey there big sis! How was school today?” he asked, running down the stairs and jumping in front of his older sister.

"It was nice. Where are mom and dad?" she asked.

"They're chillaxin' up in their bedroom. Work's left them both wiped out," Zephyr said.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm going to talk with them," she said, heading upstairs. Fluttershy walked down the halls and towards the master bedroom. Fluttershy knocked on the door and called out from the hallway. "Mom, dad, can I talk with you two for just a moment?"

"Hmm? Sure dear. Come on in," Mrs. Shy called out from inside her room. Fluttershy opened the door and saw her mother reading one of her favorite books while her father was lying on the bed, barely getting comfortable on his soft pillow before looking up at Fluttershy.

"What seems to be the trouble, sweetheart?" Mr. Shy asked.

“Uhm,” Fluttershy was a little nervous to ask her parents. If it were her friends, then her parents were quick to allow her to go, but with boys? That’s something she’s about to find out. “Would it be okay with you if I can… spend the entire weekend with, umm…“ She bit her lower lip a bit, “Israel?” 

As expected from her dad, his eyes widened with shock and fell off the bed. He picked himself back up and looked straight at his daughter. "Fluttershy… this is so sudden! Are you sure you don't want to spend the weekend with the girls instead?"

"Honey, she's a growing young lady, almost an adult. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to see her spending the weekend with the nice young man," Mrs. Shy said. 

“Besides, the dude really showed his true colors when he came over for dinner with his mother a few weeks ago, so he's not all that bad,” Zephyr added, standing in the door opening. “I don’t see the harm in it either and big sis here can take good care of herself,” He ruffled her hair a bit, much to her annoyance.

Mr. Shy pondered a bit. His wife was rigt about Fluttershy becoming an adult. Sooner or later he's gonna have to let his precious daughter go. She has met someone who is very kind and patient. His wife's already approved of him and even his son likes Fluttershy’s new friend. 

“Alright then Fluttershy. If this is really what you want, then I won't stop you. You may go ahead and spend the weekend with your friend, Israel.” Mrs. Shy said. “Just call us if something ever happens and we’ll head over there as soon as we possibly can.”

"Honey, exactly how are you okay with this?" Mr. Shy asked, slightly skeptical and worried.

"It's simple, honey. The day Israel came to our house for dinner, I took one look in his eyes and could tell he had a pure, innocent vibe about himself," Mrs. Shy said. Mr. Shy blinked, knowing how accurate his wife's perception is when she senses someone's true nature just by looking into their eyes.

"Okay… you win, honey. Fluttershy, if you really want to stay over the weekend at Israel's house, I won't keep you from your happiness any longer. Just make sure his mother is okay with it," Mr. Shy said.





Speaking of which, back at Israel's house, the hours passed and his mom finally came home from the traffic court with this big grin on her face. The moment she came home, though, she went straight to her room to change out of her work clothes. His mom was getting ready to go out with her friends for a bite to eat.

"Hey, mom, you got a sec?" he asked from outside her room.

"What do you need, mijo?" she asked from inside, still getting dressed.

"My friend, Fluttershy wants to come over for the weekend. Are you okay with me having her over and cook dinner for the two of us?" he asked.

"Fluttershy? The girl you're always hanging out with?" she asked, which he confirmed. There was a long pause before she gave him her answer. “You sure about this,mijo?” 

"Yeah, she really wants to come."

"Well… alright. But just don't get into trouble with her. And make sure to clean up the messes when you're done eating your meals, okay? And please, keep this house clean," she said.

“I will, mom. I promise,” Israel said.

"Alright then, just make sure she has permission from her parents, too." she said.

"I'm way ahead of you on that." Israel then walked away from his mom's door and pulled out his phone, then dialed Fluttershy's number. He waited patiently for Fluttershy to pick up while he sat on the couch. On the 2nd ring, he heard that sweet, angelic voice of hers.

"Hello," said Fluttershy.

"Hi Flutters. I've got some great news. My mom's letting you come over," he said.

“That’s wonderful news, Israel,” Fluttershy replied. “My parents are ok with it as well, even Zephyr agreed to let me stay me with you. And my mom says she’s willing to drive me to your house.”

"Great! Then I guess I'll prepare dinner right away."

"Wait, before you go… do you think you can type in your address? I forgot to mention that, since I don't know exactly where you live."

"Right, of course. Just a second," Israel then typed in his address in a text message. After he finished, he sent the message straight to Fluttershy. "There you go, I sent it.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you in half an hour,” Fluttershy said. “I can’t wait to see what you’re cooking for us.” 

“I can’t tell you that Flutters. It’s a surprise,” Israel teased her a bit.

"Hehe, okay then. I'll be patient. See you then," she giggled.

"Later, Flutters," Israel and Fluttershy then both  hung up. Israel sprang up from the couch and ran into the kitchen, getting all the ingredients needed for the fun-filled weekend.





Moments later, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," Christina said. She ran up to the front door and opened it up while Israel was still cooking, seeing the ever-so lovely Fluttershy, carrying a suitcase filled with her clothes and other things. "Oh, hello Fluttershy."

"Hi, Christina. May I come in?" she asked.

"Sure, make yourself at home. My son's in the kitchen and I'm about to head out. Now, you two make sure to keep the house clean while I'm out with the girls. If I'm not back by tonight, I'll let you know, that I'm at my friend's house, so take care you two," Christina then left as her son and Fluttershy bid her goodbye. She closed and locked the door before heading out towards her car and driving off.

"That's mom for ya. Sometimes, she needs some time away from parenting," Israel said, putting on some of the finishing touches to his dish.

“So, what are you cooking for us, Israel?” Fluttershy wondered.

"Come on over here and see," he said as he served himself and Fluttershy a plate and set them both on the table and then he sat down. Fluttershy walked over to see what he made. Her eyes widened when she saw some fettuccini in alfredo sauce with a side salad and a slice of garlic bread.

"Wow… you cooked this all by yourself?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know how you don't really like meat, so I wanted to make something that I knew you would enjoy, so I made some tasty pasta.”

“Thank you, Israel. I really appreciate that,” Fluttershy said as she sniffed her nose, smelling Israel’s fettuccini with alfredo sauce and the fresh garlic bread. “It smells delicious.”

"And what's a nice dinner without a nice, relaxing movie?" he said, running over to a cabinet right next to the TV, opening it up to reveal all sorts of DVD and Blu-Ray movies. "So, Fluttershy, which movie would you like to watch to start off the night?" he asked.

“Hmmm,” she overlooked each movie Israel had until her eyes stopped at one of his Disney movies. “I’d like to watch the movie, Aladdin. If you’re ok with that.”

“Good choice!” Israel agreed. “Robin Williams’s voice acting as the Genie is absolutely amazing and we can even practice our song for the Talent Show!”

"Yay," she said, following it up with a giggle just to push his buttons. Israel clenched his heart in reaction to her cuteness and almost fell to the ground.

“You’re really cute when you do that, Fluttershy.” 

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned red once again and looked away to hide her blush. Israel quickly proceeded to put in the movie that Fluttershy chose, then turned the TV on, changing it to the right channel. After that, he brought the remote with him to the table with Fluttershy. After saying their prayers they started eating, enjoying Israel’s fettuccini with alfredo sauce. Fluttershy also took some of the salad and two slices of garlice bread. 

“Wow, this is really delicious, Israel,” Fluttershy said after taking a bite. 

“I’m glad you like it, Fluttershy,” he smiled back at her. “Oh, look! The movie is starting.”

Soon, as the movie played, both Israel and Fluttershy remained silent and kept eating their dinner while they were enjoying each other's company. Fluttershy kept giving Israel the occasional glances due to her unrelenting infatuation towards him. And sometimes whenever Fluttershy's attention was focused on the movie, Israel would look at her a couple of times. Each time he looked at her, he thought she was becoming more and more beautiful and adorable by the second. 

As the movie went on, Israel and Fluttershy replayed some of the scenes between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine before letting the movie keep going. They sang all the songs, knowing each and every one of the lyrics to each song by heart. The two friends were laughing at some jokes and references from other movies and actors that the Genie did in the movie . 

When the movie came to the scene with the magic carpet ride, Fluttershy and Israel sang along with Aladdin and Jasmine, slightly struggling on certain parts of the song where the characters sang over each other, but still managed to sing it good. The 2 then looked at each other, smiling at how well they both sang.

"Very good, Flutters. As expected from a member of the Rainbooms," he complimented.

"Aww, you're so sweet, Israel. I liked your singing, too. Though, it's gonna take some time to perfect our performance for the Talent Show,” Fluttershy advised. 

“I couldn’t agree more Fluttershy,” Israel replied. “And I think I have something that we can use to practice with once the movie is over.”

"Oh? What'd you have in mind?" Fluttershy asked.

“You’ll see,” he winked at her. “You’re going to love it.”

They continued watching the movie as they were at the part were the evil Jafar was putting his plan in motion to get rid of Aladdin once and for all. When they were at the part where Jafar started to laugh maniacally due to his plan being a huge success, Fluttershy grabbed Israel’s hand firmly.

“T-that laugh of his always gives me the shivers,” Fluttershy said.

"I get what you mean. His laugh makes him sound like some old nutcase. But if senior psychopath was actually real, I'd do everything in my power to keep him away from you," he said, unknowingly making himself out as some lone hero to her.

“As my friend, Rarity would put it; you’d be my knight in shining armor then?” Fluttershy giggled.

"Aww shucks," he replied, blushing a bit. "I'm no knight in shining armor, but I do what I can in order to get the job done right, Flutters. Also, I'm starting to think there's no off-switch on that cuteness of yours, you precious little cutie-pie, you." Israel gave Fluttershy a gentle squeeze on her cheeks, causing her to squee and almost gave him a heart attack. "Hnnng!!! See what I mean?"

“I guess it just comes naturally,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I… can’t really help it Israel. It's just... part of who I am... and how I usually act.”

"There's nothing wrong with being yourself. In fact, I like you for who you are, inside and out. And I wouldn't have it any other way," he said sincerely.

“Do you mean it?” Fluttershy asked with her eyes widened. 

"Yeah, of course. And by the way, I want to thank you, Fluttershy."

“Me, for what?” Fluttershy asked.

"At the beginning of our senior year, I wanted to thank you… for wanting to be my friend when you thought that I was all by myself and had no friends," he said.

“Oh, well, you’re welcome, Israel,” Fluttershy blushed a little. “Would you believe me if said I was very shy when I just started High school?”

"Yes, I would. But there's nothing wrong with being shy when starting your first day of school. I used to be like that until the end of middle school," he explained.

“I guess we have more in common than I thought at first,” Fluttershy giggled. 

"Guess so. Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed the food," he said before getting up from his seat. He grabbed his empty plate and Fluttershy's, putting them in the dishwasher with all the other dirty dishes as well as the pots and pans he used after putting all of the leftovers in bowls for later. "Why don't you go on ahead and keep watching the movie while I get these dishes all cleaned up for tomorrow."

"Okay and thank you for treating me. It was delicious," she said before getting up from her seat. She let him do his business and was about to head into the living room. But then, something piqued her curiosity when she glanced down the hallway.

She walked down the hallways and stopped in front of this door that had a "Keep Out" sign nailed into the door, making Fluttershy more curious. Fluttershy tried to turn the knob, but it was locked.

"Israel, what does this door lead to? Is this your room?" Fluttershy called out.

"What are you talking abo--" he asked as he was peeking out from the kitchen. He stopped when he saw her looking at the door that gave him chills. "Whoa, don't go in there, Fluttershy!" he said in a panic, running towards her and then guided her gently away from the door. "I'm not upset, but we don't have any business going inside that room, trust me on this."

"But… why? Is that your room?" Fluttershy asked.

"No, my room's over there," he pointed at the open door on the far left end of the hallway. "That room there… is… well, it's, well uh…" Israel seemed hesitant, like he was hiding something. Fluttershy noticed it, but she thought it would be better not to press or force Israel to tell her what’s behind the door.

“If you don’t feel comfortable telling me then I understand,” Fluttershy said and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Just know that I’m here for you, Israel.”

"Thank you for your understanding, Fluttershy. All I can say is that the one who lived in that room… well… they sort of had to walk down a different path years ago," he said.

"I understand. Come on, let's just go watch the movie and have a good time," Fluttershy said, taking him by the hand, escorting him back into the living room. The movie was near the end, where Aladdin was about to set the genie free with his final wish.

As the two friends saw how overly happy the genie was after he was free, they both laughed happily for him. “You know, you gotta admit, the friendship between Aladding and the Genie is truly magical and heartwarming if you think about it,” Israel smiled.

“Don’t forget the magic Carpet, along with Abu, that cute little monkey and Rajah the tiger, they all share a strong friendship between Aladdin and Jasmine.” Flutteshy added. 

"She's got more courage to have such an exotic beauty for a pet," Israel replied before a bark startled him, "Santa Maria, what in blazes?!" he yelped. Israel looked towards his right and saw his pet dog, Bentley, standing on his hind legs, wanting to be picked up onto the couch. "Bentley, you little scamper, come here." He picked up his white maltese poodle and laid him on his lap. His gaze switched from his owner to his friend and gave her the puppy-dog eyes and a cute smile.

“Aw, who’s this cute little guy?” Fluttershy cooed.

"This is Bentley, my dog. My mom found him as a rescue at a firework stand. He used to be called Piccolo Pete, but we changed it to Bentley because it suits him. He and I have been buddies for a long time. I even let him sleep on my bed with me every night to keep each other company. He's als pretty spoiled, constantly demanding belly rubs from me 24/7," Israel explained while petting his pooch.

“Yes, I do like them belly rubs. They make my doggy day,” Bentley told Fluttershy.

Fluttershy chuckled at what Israel’s dog just said to her. “You are one cute, little rascal aren’t you?” she ruffled his head a little bit, causing him to wag his tail.

“Eh, Fluttershy? Who are you talking to?” Israel asked, confused. 

“I’m talking to Bentley of course. He just told me that he indeed loves all of the belly rubs you gave him and how they make his doggy day.”

"Ooh, and treats! The treats he feeds me are so good! He also makes my food taste like gravy. It's so yummy, I gobble it all up so quickly," Bentley said.

"How do you know what he's saying?" Israel asked.

"My geode allows me to talk to animals. I used to be able to understand animals without it, but now, with my geode, I can talk to them directly," Fluttershy said, showing her geode. "And he also said you feed him nicely every single day because of how you make his food taste like gravy."

“Really now?” Israel was surprised that Fluttershy can actually talk with his dog. It felt good to know that he treats Bentley well, especially if it's coming from his own dog's mouth. But Israel already knew that from all the affection Bentley gave him. He held his dog in front of him, who gave him a dry look.

“Yes, really, now let me go. I wanna sit on the cute girl's lap, if you please?” Bentley asked.

“He said that he wants to sit on my lap now.” Fluttershy translated for Israel.

"Alright, you cute little cotton ball, here you go," Israel said, setting Bentley on Fluttershy's lap and kept watching the rest of the ending of Aladdin, watching him and Jasmine share one last kiss before riding their magic Carpet straight into the night.

Soon, the moon started to move in the movie and revealed Genie's face, laughing. Then suddenly, Genie him peeked out from under the screen saying "Made you look," before hiding from everyone's eyes.

"Hehe, he's always a laugh. I just wish I could've met him in real life. Rest in peace, our dear friend, Robin Williams, you were a barrel of laughs to all of us," he said, a bit down.

"I know of a way we can cheer you up. How about we practice singing?" Fluttershy asked.

"Alright. I think I have Just Sing somewhere in my room. Let me just go look for it,"

“I’ll be staying here, taking care of Bentley.” Fluttershy said while giving him a good scratch behind the ears making him kick one of his back legs.

“Oh that’s it, right there miss Fluttershy.” Bentley sighed in relief, sticking out his tongue.

Israel chuckled at his dog, seeing him so relaxed around Fluttershy. She really does have a way with animals, whether they are domesticated or not. He left the living room and went to his room, looking for the game as quick as he possibly could.

He looked through his game drawer, rummaging through all the games he had, old and new and finally found it buried deep in the center. "Gotcha, you little devil!" He said before closing up the drawer and walked out with the game case. "Here it is, you two cuties."

"Oh, is that the game you were talking about?" Fluttershy asked.

“Yup, I thought this would be a fun way to practice our singing with this game. It’s basically some sort of a karaoke game we can play together.”

"Ooh, I love karaoke. But, uh… how are we going to sing if we don't have mic?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not a problem. There's an app on my phone that allows it to act as a microphone. I downloaded it some time ago after I bought the game," Israel said.

“I didn’t know you could do that with your phone,” Fluttershy said in amazement. 

“Then let us test it out and I’ll even show you how it works,” Israel chuckled. “I haven’t really had the chance to play this game in a while.” He went to the TV and started up his PS4 that was lying underneath. Afterwards, he inserted the disc and and changed the channel to his PS4. He got out his PS4 controller and selected the ‘Just Sing’ game and backed up. 

"Uh, Israel, which app was it that you downloaded?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll show you," he took out his phone and showed her the app he downloaded. "Here, this is the app that you're gonna need to download." Fluttershy nodded and selected the Play Store app on her phone and downloaded the app he showed her which one to download. After everything was set up, both friends began their game, choosing different songs to sing. "Alright, who should go first?" he asked.

"How about you go first? I don’t know the game so well,” Fluttershy suggested. “It always helps me when I see someone else doing it first.”

“Fine by me, Fluttershy,” Israel smiled and selected a song from the list on screen. One particular song caught his eye and picked that song without hesitation. As soon as the music began to play, Fluttershy was in for quite the show.

Now, Fluttershy had already heard him singing before with his friends, but there was something about him singing now that sparked something inside her. She continued listening to his beautiful singing, trying her hardest to ignore the feeling of her heart fluttering. But she just couldn't, it felt as though the boy she's crushing on is expressing his true feelings to her.

She closed her eyes and pictured herself and Israel together on a dance floor, both dressed in nice clothing and dancing as they stared lovingly at each other's eyes. Fluttershy was living a fantasy world she only wished would last forever and ever.

But sadly, the song came to an end and she opened her eyes to see Israel smiling at her. "So Fluttershy, tell me, did you like the song I sang?" he asked.

Fluttershy continued staring at him dreamingly, she was so caught up in the song that she didn’t realize that the song had come to an end.

“Eh, Fluttershy?”

“Hmm? Oh!” She shook her head as she was back in the present. “That was amazing, Israel. It was such a warm, welcoming song and you sang it with your beautiful singing voice.”

"Aww, thanks Flutters. Now, let's hear that lovely voice of yours," he said. Fluttershy quickly grabbed her phone and stood up to finally take her turn. She looked through each song and finally chose one she knew that Israel had never heard about. And when the music started, his world was turned upside down.

Fluttershy's singing was even greater than that of an angel. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when she started to sparkle the more she sang. Next thing he knew, he felt his heart fluttering and tears 3454 slightly swelling up in his eyes. He didn't know then, but he knew now… he was falling in love with this amazing girl and wanted to spend every waking moment with her. With a smile on his face, he kept listening to Fluttershy's beautiful voice as she took off with her singing.

Israel had never felt so much love towards a single girl in his life. Fluttershy seemed like she was the only one who ever touched his heart and it was only from this one song. His mind trailed off, thinking of the future he could have with Fluttershy, like going off to college with her, saving up to move into their very own house… and eventually getting married.

After the song ended, he was brought back to reality. "Well… how did I do?" she asked.

Israel was complete speechless after hearing Fluttershy’s angelic voice sing such a beautiful song. He stood up and grabbed her, making her squeal a little as he spun her in the air and gave her a big hug once she was set back on the ground safely.

“That… was so beautiful that I…I just…. Can’t find the words to describe how amazing you were Fluttershy, you were just simply incredible,” Israel said in complete surprise.

“You really think so?” Fluttershy said shyly. 

“I don’t think, Fluttershy. I know so!” Israel stated firmly in his voice. “Beside taking care of animals, you also have a great musical talent in you that’s waiting to come out.”

"Oh… my… t-thanks, Israel. T-That's very… s-s-sweet of you," she stuttered, feeling more shy than ever as her crush was praising her. "S-So umm… w-w-what else should we do?" she asked.

“The game has only just begun, how about we sing some other songs? Who knows, there might be some duet songs that we can sing if the audience wants an encore,” Israel suggested. He then searched through the song list and soon came across one particular song. "Here we go. You ready Fluttershy?”

“With you? Always.” Fluttershy said. Israel nodded and selected the song. The music soon started and right away, both Israel and Fluttershy began their amazing duet. 

Fluttershy has a beautiful voice and Israel is an amazing singer. Together they sang their duet as if they were combined as one musician. The music, the lyrics, it was like they’ve sang together for years. To make it even more fun, the two friends started dancing along with the music. They were having a wonderful time together as they sang their hearts out. 

Though, neither of them knew that they had feelings for each other, they still enjoyed each other's company like there was no tomorrow. Later, after the song came to an end, they sang a lot of other songs they liked, constantly praising eahc other. Some were duets and some were solo. They continued their singing until their voices got tired and decided to watch some other movies while eating popcorn and drinking soda.

"You know… that was the most fun I've ever had in a long time," Fluttershy said.

"Me too, Fluttershy. Me too…” Israel replied. “What about your friends? Surely you had some amazing times together with them as well.”

"A few. There was one in particular where we got minor on-screen roles in the Daring Do movie and got to see it at the Canterlot Cinemas and with best seats in the house," she said.

"What, really?! Oh, you lucky girl!" he said, facepalming himself while smiling.

“And what about you Israel? You must have some good times with your friends Soarin and Cheese Sandwich as well didn't you, Israel?”

"Actually… there was this one time back in our junior year when we got to record our favorite songs and put them in our own CDs. Although, we didn't record it here at CHS, it was at another school in a different city, probably 45 minutes away. I still have the CD here," he explained.

“Oh, wow! Maybe you and your friends should consider a music career,” Fluttershy suggested. Israel chuckled when she brought that up.

"That's what my family tells me all the time. Although, it's still just a hobby to me, I don't mind performing for small events like talent shows. But when I get into college, I'm gonna weigh out my options with different classes, like theatre, music and maybe even law," Israel said.

"Law? You mean, you want to be a lawyer?" Fluttershy asked.

"No, more like a detective. But I'll worry about that after I've finished high school. For now, I'm gonna keep enjoying my high school days… and enjoy your company, too," Israel said, gently stroking her hair.

Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled into Israel's shoulder while watching one of his movies. About halfway through the second movie, they were both getting a little tired. Israel put the movie on pause and went into the hallway, then opened up one of the closet doors, taking out a blanket and some pillows. He came back to the sofa and gave a soft, fluffy pillow to Fluttershy. After making themselves comfortable, Israel puts the blanket over them so that they could stay warm and get some rest.





The next day, it was now 8:30 A.M and Israel was the first to wake up. He looked around and saw that his mom did not get home last night. He can guess that she spent the night at one of her friend's house because it got so late and she must've gotten too tired. When he turned his gaze towards Fluttershy, his heart skipped a beat when he saw her snuggling into him, still sleeping soundly. Her peaceful, adorable smile brought so much joy to him the more he stared at Fluttershy, making herself cozy. He nuzzled Fluttershy, making her sigh happily in her sleep and bringing up those fuzzy feelings in him again.

'What a perfectly beautiful little angel,' he thought to himself.
> Canterlot High's Got Talent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weeks passed by and Fluttershy and Israel had the best weekend of their lives. The spent the majority of their amazing weekend just hanging out, playing board games, watching TV shows and movies, practicing their songs and even taking a stroll in the park once. But when the day came for their fun to end, they were disappointed, but would still see each other back in school.

As the weeks passed, Fluttershy and Israel had devoted all of their free time into practicing their selected songs for the Talent Show just as much as their friends did. Another thing that happened over the weeks was Rainbow Dash and Soarin going out. It was no surprise to everyone that they'd eventually make their relationship official, but it did surprise them that they'd get together so quickly.

Cheese and Pinkie also started going out together. Everyone was happy for those two, including their own parents, since they make each other smile and laugh most of the time. Israel had never been more proud of both of his friends that they finally found their sweethearts. Now, his two friends started teasing him that he still wasn’t together with Fluttershy, while it was clear that the two of them have feelings for each other.

At the moment, everyone was gathered together in the school cafeteria, talking amongst each other about the Talent Show. Precisely at 6 PM, tonight, they would be getting on stage and performing in front of their friends and families with their special talents. Israel and his friends, along with The Rainbooms were discussing who will go first with their performance and who's going to be saved for the finale. Rainbow Dash got a swelled head and bragged about how she'd wow the crowd with her guitar skills.

"I'm hoping it's me and Soarin who steal the spotlight. I want us to ‘wow’ the crowd right from the start so they'll never forget an awesome event," Rainbow said.

"That's not how the talent show works, Rainbow Dash. The selections are completely random, so we won't know until the show starts. Besides, everything doesn't revolve around you and you can't always get what we want your way, life doesn't work that way," Rarity said.

“Yeah Dashie!” Pinkie chimed in. “This isn’t like ‘The Battle of the Bands’ like previous year. We’re doing this show just for fun, nothing more!” Just mentioning that awful competition brought shivers down the boys' spines, making Pinkie cover her mouth suddenly. "Oopsies, sorry. I forgot, you boys didn't stick around for that event since you didn't like that competition."

"Ah don't think any of us wanted to be in a competition. But it was a different story fer us, because we didn't have a choice, we had to perform so we could stop the Dazzlin's," Applejack stated.

"Changing the subject, have you two decided what you're going to do?" Sunset asked.

"You betcha. Rarity an' Ah are planning' to sing in style. She went an' designed some nice dresses for me and her when we sing out there," AJ said. "She's really outdone herself."

Rarity giggled. "Oh darling, you flatter me," she said.

"Can't help it, Rares," AJ said before pecking her precious jewel on the cheek.

"Cheese and I are going to perform some tricks and dance to some sweet beats I picked," Pinkie said, pulling her boyfriend in and nuzzling his shoulder.

"Sunset and I are going to perform a regular duet and use a karaoke machine. What about you, have you planned out your part in the talent show?" Twilight asked both Fluttershy and Israel

"Well, during the weekend at Israel’s house, we came up with three songs that we would like to sing together as a duet for the talent show,” Fluttershy replied.

“Sounds like fun!” Sunset agreed. “What songs are you two going to sing?”

"Well, our first one is ‘A Whole New World’ from the movie: Aladdin. If we get an encore, we're gonna sing this song called ‘Strangers’ by Scratch21 and then if we get one more encore, then we're gonna sing If ‘I Never Knew You’ from Pocahontas," Israel said. Everyone got wide-eyed with smiles all around from the classic variety of songs they’ve picked during their weekend at his house.

"Ooh, not a bad choice of songs. If this whole talent show was meant to be a competition, you two little lovebirds would have it won before it even started," Soarin said, chuckling afterwards. Rainbow Dash gave Soarin a light jab on his arm.

"Hey, you're only supposed to be praising us if it was a competition, babe," Rainbow chuckled. "But you are right about one thing though, Fluttershy and Israel picked some cool songs.”

"Yeah, but we were having a bit of a struggle to find the right song for our 2nd encore since there were some duet songs I couldn't quite sing within range or memorize. It was only after we started watching Pocahontas on Sunday that gave us a lucky break," Israel explained.

"Oh, if you don't mind me asking… did you two snuggle together when you slept?" Pinkie Pie asked, getting giddy, wanting to find out.

Fluttershy and Israel looked at each other with blushing cheeks. “No comment,” Israel said, though their facial expressions were a give away. 

“Oh my gosh! You two did snuggle together!!!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I KNEW IT!!!!”

“Pinkie hush! We don’t need the entire school looking at us.” Sunset said. 

Thinking quickly, Cheese pulled a cupcake out from his girlfriend's poofy hair and put it in Pinkie’s mouth, quickly stopping her from doing anymore damage.

Pinkie nommed happily on her tasty sweet, getting frosting all over her cheeks. "Good thing this cutesy party planner loves sweets so much," Cheese said, gently patting his girlfriend's head.

"Back on the subject, I hope you all do very well tonight. I can't wait to see what songs you'll all be performing, best of luck to all of you," Twilight said.

"You too, Twilight, darling. Same to all of you," Rarity said. 

Moments later, after eating their lunches, the bell rang and everyone got up from the tables and headed outside of the cafeteria towards their lockers to get things ready.

It was unfair to Fluttershy and her friends, even Israel, that they weren't in the same class together, but it couldn't be helped that their schedules were different. As they were heading off to their classes, Soarin and Cheese talked amongst each other about their friend.

"Hey, Soarin. You know, this is his first time singing with a cute girl, but do you think he's gonna get jitters when the talent show starts?" Cheese asked.

"You want my honest opinion?" Soarin asked, earning a nod from Cheese. "Here's what I think: There's some people who have no fear. To him, this is just one more challenge. He follows his heart. That's what sets him apart and will make him a true CHS icon."

Cheese snickered. "You watched the First Pokemon Movie again, didn't you?"

"Eh, why not? But my point still stands. I know Israel and he's never one to back down from a talent show if it means he gets to sing," Soarin said. Cheese shrugged and soon, they went their seperate ways, heading for their respective classes for another boring lecture.





The school day concluded once again. While some students were heading home, others were staying behind to set up the stage for the talent show tonight. Fluttershy and her friends, same with Israel and his buddies, were helping out with getting the equiptment set up along with the stage.

It was 5 minutes before 6 PM and a huge crowd filled the football field of CHS, all gathered in front of the huge stage that was set up for the Talent Show that was about to begin. Many parents have all gathered together to see their children perform their amazing talents.

Meanwhile, behind the stage, many of the performing students were preparing themselves, tuning their instruments just right, practicing their dancing steps or just mentally getting into the zone.

"Alright, places everyone, the show's about to start, so make sure you're all set and ready to go when I call out your names, is that clear?" Principal Celestia said.

All the students, including Fluttershy, Israel and all their friends agreed with their Principal. Some of them were getting a little nervous since they were about to perform in front of a huge crowd, especially in front of people other than their own families out there.

When the lights focused on the center, Celestia walked out and grabbed the mic. "Good evening everyone and welcome to Canterlot High's annual talent show. How many of you out there are ready to experience the wonderful show of a lifetime?" she asked.

The crowd loudly showed their enthusiasm. Celestia was pleased to see how excited everyone was.

"Wonderful! I can honestly say that it's a real honor for all of you to come down here to see how hard our CHS students, your children, have worked to show you how far they've come. So, without further ado, I'd like to announce our very first act for tonight's show. Please give a warm Canterlot welcome to our very own dynamic party planning duo: Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich!" Celestia announced.

The crowd erupted in applause as soon as Vinyl turned on her DJ set in the back along with the neon spotlights. A familiar song started to play as Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich rolled up the stage with Pinkie dancing on a giant beach ball and Cheese showing his dancing moves on a giant cheese wheel. They also rolled around on the stage while the audience clapped along with the beat.

At some point, they both rolled off the stage and bounced on the railing of the bleachers where the audience was sitting and enjoying the show. Pinkie and Cheese rolled down to the bottom and landed safely on their cheese wheel and beach ball, they rolled in the center of the football field, receiving more applause before Cheese's wheel bumped against Pinkie's beach ball and fell to the ground.

But luckily for Cheese and Pinkie, they rehearsed this part of the show and he leaped onto Pinkie's beach ball and danced with the party-thrower extraordinair. As the song was coming to a close, the two lovebirds rolled back over to the stage and leaped off the beach ball. Cheese landed safely on-stage and Pinkie surprisingly landed on his hand with only one foot.

After that, the audience applauded heavily for the amazing show they saw. Pinkie's parents and sisters clapped the most for her amazing work. Cheese's mom and dad clapped for him a whole lot as well. Cheese then helped Pinkie down gently and then the two took a bow, holding hands before running backstage.

With the dynamic dancing duo finished with their performance, Vice-Principal Luna walked out on-stage and grabbed the mic while Pinkie and Cheese went backstage. "Truly astounding, if I do say so myself. I can tell that all of you enjoyed that splendid performance. Now then, for our next act, we have our top-ranking althletes, Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Come on out, you two," Luna said, stepping to the side while Rainbow and Soarin walked out on stage, big smiles of excitement.

"What's up everybody? This is Rainbow Dash here with my boyfriend, Soarin. Have we got an awesome song for all of you!" said the air-headed rainbow rockstar.

“She’s a Rockstar, She’s rocking this stage. Our girl is the best!!!” Yelled Rainbow Dash's parents through their megaphones, making the girl groan in embarrassment. The crowd laughed a little at the cute support that her parents were giving her. Soarin decided that it was enough embarrassment for his precious Dashie and tried to get the attention back on the stage.  

"I hope you'll all enjoy what we have to offer," Soarin said. The audience quieted down and soon, Rainbow Dash rocked her guitar and the two awesome love birds sang their sweet tune.

With Rainbow rocking the guitar, Soarin made due with just singing since his arm was still busted from practice weeks ago. Rainbow's and Soarin's parents cheered happily for their children, although Rainbow's parents cheered for her the loudest. Their friends in the back couldn't stop dancing to the beat and neither could the other performers stop themselves from dancing to the beat.

A few of the audience members either bobbed their heads to the beat or even did a little dance, enjoying the beat and how amazing they could sing. And with each second that passed, Rainbow and Soarin felt like they were growing closer towards each other. It was blatantly obvious from the way she and her sweetheart were constantly looking at each other.

By the time their song had come to an end, everyone cheered for them, especially Rainbow Dash's over the top, yet highly supportive parents. She and Soarin shared a small hug before taking a bow and heading backstage before Celestia stepped out again.

"I can see they've already sang what they felt for each other from their souls was true, am I right or am I right about that, ladies and gentlemen?" Celestia asked over the mic, receiving applause and a few laughs from how well she cracked a joke. ”I couldn’t agree more with you all. Now, for the next show, give a warm round of applause for our very own happy couple, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer!” 

Right away, everyone clapped their hands for the happy couple that walked up the stage. Twilight and Sunset happily waved at the crowd and they saw Twilight’s family along with Shining Armor, Cadance and cute baby Flurry Heart resting in her mother’s arms. 

"Hello everyone! Tonight, my girlfriend and I will be performing a special song that I'm sure some of you have heard about. Anyways, sit back, relax…" Twilight paused.

"And enjoy the show," Sunset finished. With a snap of her fingers, she gave the signal for the song to start.

From backstage, Israel gasped with joy. He knew this song from a few years ago and loved how awesome it sounded with Sunset and Twilight singing it. And the reason why is because when Sunset and Twilight sang it, they took the song to a whole new level. Cheese and Soarin could see their friend geeking out and danced along with him and even sang along with Sunset and Twilight from behind the stage.

Whether the audience could hear the people backstage singing background or not, they were already receiving a whole lot of praise from them and Sunset and Twilight couldn't stop staring at each other with loving smiles throughout the entire duration of the song.

Everyone backstage even started dancing along with the Dynamic Troll Trio. But just like every other song, it had to end and right as it ended, Sunset and Twilight held each other in their arms. The audience erupted with cheers and applause for the happy couple. It got even louder when Twilight and Sunset shared a small kiss before walking backstage.

Luna once again stepped out on stage and grabbed the mic. "Now that was truly one of the most lovely sight to behold for one of Canterlot High's #1 sweethearts. Even I was moved by their performance." The crowd cheered along in agreement with the Vice-Principal. "Now then, if everyone is ready, for our next act, we have a talented young man who's got a lot to say about a special someone in his life. Everyone, put your hands together for Canterlot's very own… Epsilon Wolf!"

Sure enough, the crowd clapped their hands as a young man with blue skin, silver hair and golden yellow eyes stepped out on stage. "Thank you everyone. It's so nice to be here. Now, I'd like to dedicate this song to the one girl who's captured my beating heart. The girl who brings me so much happiness in my life. To my dear Sunny Flare, if you're listening to this, then here's a song that tells you how much I love you," he said on the mic, making the crowd go "aww," feeling touched by his love confession.

Soon, his song began to play and Epsilon took it all the way to the house. Everyone in the crowd remained silent out of respect for this young man's beautiful singing. His classmates backstage were enjoying the way he was putting so much emotion into his performance. For the couples, it was a wonderful feeling that got them dancing with each other.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin looked at each other and smiled as they hold hands together. They looked back at the stage with their cheeks turning red. Pinkie and Cheese also held hands while sharing a delicious chocolate bar together. Applejack held Rarity close to her as the fashionista rested her head on the apple farmer's shoulder while Twilight and Sunset were slow dancing behind them. Fluttershy was humming to the song as Israel quietly sang along with Epsilon so as not to disturb him or his performance. While he was singing, Israel looked over at Fluttershy. With each word he sang, he sang it for Fluttershy.

He simply couldn't get over how beautiful she was to him and how much he loved this wonderfully, beautiful angel so much and just wanted spend every waking moment with her. But there were times when he wished that he wasn't so shy about confessing his love to her. It's one of the many curses of his aspergers he wished wouldn't get in the way oh him. And soon, as the song concluded, Epsilon received a big round of applause from the audience for his astounding performance. He took a bow before going backstage while Principal Celestia walked back out again.

"Ah love, it takes us all back to our teenage years, am I right?" Celestia asked, receiving some applause of agreement from the crowd. "I thought so," she smiled.

Time went on and so far nearly everyone who signed up to perform had wowed the crowd with their many special talents. Some of them danced, like Pinkie and Cheese, others told 5 minutes of jokes and others did some impressive magic tricks. As the talent show progressed, Israel and Fluttershy patiently waited for their turn to arrive and so did Rarity and Applejack. Before they knew it, Luna gave her big announcement.

"Now then, for our next act, please welcome our Caramel Apple girls, Rarity and Applejack!" Luna said before stepping out of view. The lovely fashionista and charming farm girl stepped on stage, both wearing fabulous dresses from their Equestria Land performance.

"Good evening to all of you," Rarity said.

"Mah gal and Ah have a special performance that we'd like to share with y'all. So everyone just sit back, relax yerselves an' enjoy the show," AJ added.

AJ and Rarity got themselves ready just as the song played. Soon, their voices rang throughout the entire football field. As they sang, they both stepped forward on the stage so the crowd could see their beautiful dresses in full glory. 

The two lovely ladies gave each other loving looks as they kept singing. Their families and friends were awestruck by how amazing their daughters/sisters were performing to elegantly. Their friends danced to the beat like they didn't have a care in the world. Some of the audience members moved their bodies to the beat as well like they were at a big party. 

This was even better than live concerts in other cities, in different states. Best part… it's free and the students were the real stars of this show. These Caramel Apple girls could even form their very own duet girl band, taking their performance across the world. Soon, the song ended and Rarity and Applejack received thunderous applause from the crowd and bowed to them before they kissed each other and ran backstage, feeling hyped up from their performance.

Celestia came back out once again and grabbed the mic. "Truly an upbeat performance. Ladies and gentlemen, this talent show has been a real treat. But we're not done just yet, because for those of you who know these two, we've saved the best for last. These two students are here to soothe your cares away with a beautiful, melodias song they've practiced day and night for weeks. Everyone, please give a big round of applause to Canterlot High's very own… Israel Yabuki and Fluttershy!" she said.

“Well, that’s our cue. Are you ready Fluttershy?” Israel asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Fluttershy said, smiling with glee.

They both walked up the stage, getting a lot of cheers from the crowd and their friends. Soarin and Cheese gave their best friend a big ‘thumbs up’ telling him that everything is going to be great!
 
"Hello everyone. And thank you for coming here tonight. You've all seen a lot of amazing performances from our good friends backstage. Well now, it's time for me and Fluttershy to soothe your hearts with a calm and blissful melody we've saved just for you," Israel said.

"Without further ado…" Fluttershy paused, then allowed the song play. Israel started things off with a bang as he began his part of the song. Fluttershy could tell he was actually pouring his feelings onto her. And when Fluttershy's part came up, she took it to the house, bringing the audience to tears from how lovely the two sounded together.

Many of the people in the audience leaned on their partner's shoulder as they embraced their own love for each other throughout the song. Same could be said for their friends backstage. Israel and Fluttershy even danced together to give their performance more emotion.

Just like all the other performances, the audience clapped for them after it came to a close. But then, before they could head on backstage...

"ENCORE!!!" someone from the crowd shouted. Many other audience members clapped and chanted for an encore as well. Their families, friends and even their friends' families wanted to hear an encore from the two wonderfully gifted singers. Fluttershy and Israel were astonished by this. 

"Okay, if that's what you guys want, then we'll be happy to oblige." Israel said on the mic. He snapped his fingers, signalling for the next song to play. When it began, their performance took off once again.

Almost everyone in the audience had their hands placed over their hearts. The song had a beautiful melody while giving off a heartbreaking vibe. It was enough to drive nearly everyone to tears, including their friends as the song was pulling at their heartstrings hard. Israel and Fluttershy were using just about every ounce of strength to hold back each other's tears. This song was that powerful. 

Such compassion between two of these amazing singers was difficult to ignore. Some of the audience members even assumed they might be a couple and had an immense amount of love for each other that would never wither away, not even if time came to an end.

But they were only half-right. Soon, their song came to a close and at the last part of the song ended, Israel and Fluttershy hugged each other while shedding a small tear. The audience clapped loudly from yet another brilliant performance from these two talented singers. Israel and Fluttershy bowed and were just about to head backstage, only to hear someone call out to them again.

"DO ANOTHER ONE!!!" shouted another audience member. Israel and Fluttershy blinked in surprise from someone wanting another performance. The audience agreed again and chanted "encore." This was probably the first time these two have ever received two encore requests from everyone.

"Alright then. But this is our last song. So, if you want to record this, now's your chance so you can take it home and listen to it whenever you like or share it with your friends and family. Now, if you’re all ready… here's me and Fluttershy's very last performance for tonight," Israel announced..

As their final song started to play, both Israel and Fluttershy looked at each other while they began singing. 

The crowd, all their friends and even the Principals of CHS felt so touched by their final song tonight that some of them took their phones out. But, instead of recording the duo, they put on the flash lights and waved their arms up in the air with the beautiful song Fluttershy and Israel were singing. 

Their friends backstage held their sweethearts in their arms and danced to the beat. Meanwhile, in the crowd, Israel's loving mother was the only one who recorded her son and Fluttershy as they continued singing, shedding tears of happiness at how much her son has grown and how happy he was. Her entire world was shining so brightly just from seeing him doing the thing he loves with the girl he loves so much. She couldn't wait to send this to everyone in her entire family.

She knew he was on his way to greatness. Fluttershy's parents and brother felt the same thing for the sweet young lady who used to be such a shy and distant girl. Her parents held hands and leaned into each other lovingly while her brother smiled proudly at his big sister and how much she's grown. And finally, their final song came to a close and the audience poured on the biggest cheer while Israel and Fluttershy took one final bow, satisfied with their magnum opus. Celestia and Luna were still in tears from how lovely they sounded and how their teamwork lit up the hearts of everyone around them.

In all the excitement and celebration, the other performers backstage ran up on-stage with their friends and all held each other's hands and did a group bow. After the applause died down, Celestia and Luna both walked back up on the stage.

"Everyone, thank you so much for coming here tonight. I'm sure a lot of you were moved by your children, our students and their magnificent performances," Luna said.

"We will all remember this night for many days to come in our lives. And so, in conclusion, thank you all for coming and we hope to see you again someday. This now concludes the CHS annual talent show. Goodnight everybody and have a nice, relaxing weekend," Celestia added. 

Everyone clapped one last time before the audience in the bleachers all stepped down and exited the football field, heading out towards the front of the school, waiting patiently for their children to finish putting away their instruments and cleaning up everything. 

Fluttershy, Israel and all their friends were helping each other with cleaning up the field, even Epsilon was helping along with some other students who performed earlier on.

“I have to say Darling, you and Israel were the real stars on the stage,” Rarity complimented her friend, brushing all the trash together.

“You two totally rocked it!” Rainbow Dash said in agreement, while carrying two bags of trash.

“Thank you, both of you,” Fluttershy replied while blushing.

"Maybe we should've brought you into our band. You've got some very nice vocals, Israel. This world needs people like you more often," Sunset added.

"Me? In your amazing band? That's a nice offer, but I think I'll stick with performing in my own band with my buddies Cheese and Soarin," he said.

"That's okay, we understand. Though, it would be pretty cool to play that last song for the high school prom that's coming up soon," Twilight said.

"Oh, that's right! The prom is coming up as well and it might be our very last one!" Pinkie said, excited and nervous at the same time.

"Hey, she's right. And if it's gonna be our last prom, then what do you all say we make it a prom night to remember after we all graduate? I've got some awesome dance moves I've been dying to show off!" Soarin said, posing like some dancing star.

"Okay, hold your horses there, Bruno Mars," Rainbow joked. "The prom isn't until 3 more weeks, so we've got plenty of time before then. Now, let's get this mess cleaned up before Celestia and Luna eat us up for breakfast for not finishing this up." The group agreed with Rainbow and they continued cleaning up the field, knowing just how scary Celestia and Luna can be when they're angry.

It lasted at least half an hour before the whole field was completely clean. Once everyone was finished, everyone headed off with their respective parents back home. However, before Israel and Fluttershy left, they embraced each other in a warm hug.

"I'll see you next week on Monday, Flutters," he whispered in her ear.

"I'll be sure to text you when I get back home," Fluttershy replied. After 30 seconds of hugging, they separated and headed back home with their parents, basking in the afterglow of that amazing show.

But the fun is barely beginning as the CHS Prom draws near and nearly every student at CHS have some very big plans for their lovely dates.
> This is the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time after the talent show, life resumed back to the way it was with everyone spending their weekends relaxing at home or exploring the city and going to their favorite hangout spots. During the weekdays, hours of studying and preparing for tests made most students anxious about passing. 

The main 7 had focused on doing hours of studying groups together and they even invited Israel, Soarin and Cheese Sandwich to join them in order to help them pass their tests. The couples of the group were allowed to study together under strict rules: Not distracting each other with flirts, winks or kissing. Everyone agreed with it and even signed a contract that Pinkie magicly pulled out of her hair. 

It has been very busy the past few weeks with the finals, but it was worth it in the end. Today was the day of their test and time was almost up. Luckily for Israel, he sighed in relief as he placed his pencil down on the desk, waiting for class to finally let out. He just finished answering the last question of his final exam, but it sure took a lot out of him just to finish it. He then stretched his arms before he started overlooking it in case he missed a question or answered a question wrong. 

After double checking his final exam, he then noticed that Fluttershy, who was sitting next to him was also done with her exam, too. She looked up at him and gave him a kind smile. Israel gladly returned a smile of his own and gave her a thumbs up, hoping that her exam went well. Fluttershy’s smile grew wider as she also gave him a thumbs up to assure she prevailed in the end.

So, now that they were finished, they turned in their exams and went back to their desks, waiting for the sound of the bell to go off. Fluttershy and Israel currently had a lot on their minds.

'I've waited this long, just gotta wait a little while longer. When prom night comes, I'm going to tell her and I'll have no regrets whatsoever,' he said in his mind.

"Just gotta wait a teensy bit longer, then I'll put my plan into action…" Fluttershy also said in her mind, determined and ready for this big night.

"I'm going to confess my love to him/her," both said simultaneously inside their heads. Yup, it seems like Fluttershy and Israel were getting one more day closer to wanting to make themselves an official couple. They weren't gonna let their shyness get in their way anymore.

The prom was drawing near and there were still some things that needed to be done before going there. For instance, there was the decorations, refreshments, snacks and everyone had to find the right outfit to wear for their big night. Last but not least, make sure you have a date for the prom itself. 

Before they knew it, the bell finally rang. "Alright, everyone. Put down your pencils and pens. The test is over and you may now head out,” Ms. Harshwhinny said. 

Everyone quick stood up from their desks, then grabbed their backpacks and folders before heading out of the classroom, stretching their tired backs. While out in the hallways, Israel walked up to Fluttershy to ask her something very important. "Fluttershy… since the prom is tonight, I was wondering… would you like to come along with me as my date?"

Fluttershy was taken aback by that question. But, she happily said "Yes, I'd love to," and gave Israel a big hug and he hugged her back, whispering in her ear. 

"I'll see you later on tonight." This made Fluttershy giggle and nod before heading towards her locker. Israel went over to his own locker, rummaging through his stuff. "That's one part of my plan done successfully. Now I just hope I can keep it together when the prom starts. Keep your head in the game, Israel. You can do this," he told himself before heading off to another class.





Later that day, after finishing their last two classes and returning home safely, Fluttershy, Israel and their friends were relieved that the exams are finally over. All that’s left is graduation and prom.

Back at their homes, the two good friends were in their rooms, fixing up their suits and dresses, getting ready for their last big night of the year. At Fluttershy's house, she had finished putting on her cute cyan blue and golden yellow prom dress with matching knee-high boots. Angel was brushing her hair along with Ms. Shy who was smiling down at her daughter.

"Fluttershy, you have no idea how happy I am for you and Israel. I hope you and Israel have a wonderful time over at the prom tonight," she said lovingly.

"Thanks, mom. I'm really excited for tonight. But I'm also nervous, since this is the first time a boy has ever asked me to the prom in years. What if when we're dancing, I accidentally step on his foot, or what if I trip and everyone laughs and points fingers at me?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't think that will happen, sweetie,” her mother assured her. “I think it’s more likely he will step on your foot or trip on his own feet,” she winked at her daughter. 

"Hehe, mom, that's not very nice," Fluttershy giggled.

"I know, I was just kidding. There's no need to be so nervous. This is your big night and I want both you and Israel to have as much fun as you can," Mrs. Shy said. After she and Angel finished brushing her daughter's hair, Fluttershy looked at herself in the mirror and twirled around to get a better look at herself.

"Perfect. Are you ready for the prom?” she asked.

“I-I am,” Fluttershy said rather nervously.

Meanwhile, back at Israel's house, he was fixing his necktie after combing his hair. His mother, Christina, peeked inside of his bedroom, checking out how handsome her son looked. "Look at you, all dressed up and ready to go for your big night." she said, getting his attention.

"I never thought I'd be using this monkey suit for anything other than family celebrations, but I ain't gonna complain about it one bit," he said, gesturing about his white suit and matching golden yellow necktie.

"You should be happy. I'm still shocked you asked her out. Did you remember to check if you still have the tickets you bought for you and Fluttershy?" Christina asked. Israel took the tickets out of his chest pocket to show he still had them. "Good. Then just let me get changed and we'll head out."

"Alright. Thanks, mom," he replied. Christina then left hig room and walked back to her own room while Israel headed down the hallway and entered the living room, resting on the couch. "Okay, Israel. This is the night you tell her how you feel. Just stay calm… don't lose your head… she's probably just as nervous as you are about tonight, so it's normal to be nervous." he told himself. Israel took a few slow and deep breaths to calm himself down for tonight’s big prom night. After a few more minutes his body finally seemed to relax as he took some fresh mints out of his pocket, he then sprayed some cologne on his neck so that he would smell fresh and clean for Fluttershy and all of their friends.

His mother finally came down as her son spended his time watching some of his favorite cartoons on TV while she was getting ready. “I’m ready whenever you are, Mijo,” 

"Alrighty then," he said, turning off the TV. He then followed his mother out of the house. She locked the house up and then hopped in the car with her son. She turned the keys and started up the engine. After warming up the car, Christina drove her son back to CHS.

The ride lasted for 5 minutes and right away, Fluttershy's family arrived at the same time Israel did, parking their cars near the front of the school. Israel stepped out first and then saw how beautiful Fluttershy looked in her beautiful prom dress. He was astounded by her beauty as he kept gazing at her. 

Fluttershy looked at him and how he was staring at her in amazement. She blushed as she couldn't find the words to tell him how handsome he looked in his proper and clean, white suit. 

They both stepped closer to each other without breaking eye-contact. Both of them were blushing at each other, unable to wipe the smiles off their faces. Israel scratched the back of his head with a cheeky grin while Fluttershy simply smiled and held one of her arms. “You look amazing,” they said simultaneously. Israel chuckled at that while Fluttershy softly giggled.

Trying to calm his nerves, Israel straightened himself and gave a small bow to Fluttershy and held out his hand to her, which made her blush even more. “Shall we go inside then? Everyone's waiting for us.”

Fluttershy kindly took Israel’s hand in her own. “I would love to.” The two then quickly said their goodbyes to their families as they walked hand in hand towards the entrance of the school. They made their way to the gymnasium. Upon arriving at the entrance, they met Bulk Biceps, who was guarding the door.

"Tickets please," he said. Israel took out the two tickets and handed them to him. Bulk Biceps moved to the side and let them inside. Surprisingly, their friends made it there before them and were being accompanied by their dates wonderfully amazing dates. Fluttershy also noticed that most of her friends were wearing the same dresses they once wore during the Fall Formal. 

"Hey, look who's here!" Rainbow said.

“Glad you two could make it,” Soarin added.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. You guys are looking real sharp," Israel said, smiling.

“Thanks bro, Rarity made these for us,” Cheese said, while checking out his tuxedo. 

“And now that we’re all here, let’s Paaaaaaaaaaartyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!” Pinkie yelled at the top of her lungs, causing the other students to cheer at Pinkie's enthusiasm. “Hit it, Vinyl!”

Vinyl gave Pinkie a thumbs up and cranked the music up and everyone quickly started dancing to the beat. The girls immediately recognized this familiar song as they all smiled at each other.

“Oh, this song sure brings back some good memories,” Rarity said. “Wouldn’t you agree darlings?”

"You bet it does!" Rainbow replied. Her eyes looked over at the boys who were already dancing to the beat like they don't wanna stop. "Hey check out the trio," she said, pointing at them.

The girls all watched with amazement at how Israel, Soarin and Cheese danced so well. They got so excited that they joined them in a big circle, dancing with them. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were definitely going to remember this night for the rest of their lives.

After nearly an hour of dancing and singing along to so many amazing songs, the group decided to get some refreshments. Israel and Fluttershy were drinking some delicious punch made by Pinkie Pie and Cheese, while Applejack, Rainbow and Soarin drank some sweet apple cider made by the Apple family. Twilight, Sunset and Rarity were happy with drinking some juice while talking about their past adventures here at CHS.

“So yeah, the Friendship Games ended up in a tie, much to Principal Cinch annoyance.” Sunset explained to the boys before a thought came to her. “It got me wondering actually,“ as she looked at the guys. “Where exactly were you three when this was all happening?” 

"I was dealing with an obnoxious Indigo Zap who kept asking me "ARE… WE GONNA... WIN?" and I was getting all mad, telling her "Get out… of… MAH FACE!!!" And this was happening in the gymnasium when we were having some snacks and some refreshments. This is gonna sound messed up, but I held a grudge against those Shadowbolt girls," Israel said.

"Mostly Sugarcoat because she flat out called him a doormat. How low can she be?" Soarin said, patting his buddy on the back to try and cheer him up.

"If you thought those two were bad, then you obviously never had to deal with Sour Sweet. She flat out swatted my hand away from her when I was trying to get a handshake during the 2nd part of the Friendship Games, but man was she cold. Why are private high school students such a downer?" Cheese asked.

"I dunno, but nothing was more low when that Cinch lady forced Twilight to release the magic just to win the Friendship Games and uphold her reputation," Soarin said.

"As much as I was scared, I felt sorry for Twilight for being used and abused by her classmates and like that with no signs of remorse whatsoever," Israel added.

Twilight was grateful for the compassion that Israel and his friends gave her but she felt she had to say something about her former classmates. “I know it won’t change much about the way you see them, but when I was saved by my lovely Sunshine here,” she gave a wink at Sunset. “Some time after the games, The Shadowbolts also saw the error of their ways and were genuinely sorry for how they treated me back at Crystal Prep. I still get some apology messages from some of the girls, too. I think they’ve learned their lesson and they’re trying to become better people after we made our video clip of ‘Dance magic’ together.”

"Well… as long as they're genuinely sorry, I suppose I can forgive them. But I'm not so sure I can trust the other students at Crystal Prep," Israel said. "Oh and before I forget, you're lucky you've got Sunset by your side to keep you happy, Twilight. Somehow, I had this feeling deep down that she was truly the right woman for you and it looks like I was right about that."

"Thanks, Israel. It means a lot coming from you," Twilight said. Then, suddenly, a random question popped up in her head before she asked him, "By the way, just out of curiosity, has there ever been a time when you thought about marriage in your early childhood? You know… during grade school or middle school?"

"Uh… well, as random as I find it, it's kinda interesting. See, it was back during middle school when I was 9 years old that my homeroom class assigned us with a simple, fun activity about whether or not we wanted to get married some day in the distant future. I think out of all the kids there, I was the only one in the entire classroom who didn't want to get married. But now… I'm having second thoughts," Israel replied.

"And as messed up as it was, the girls got offended, saying stuff like, "Why not? Do we have cooties, or are you too busy playing video games to care about marriage?" Soarin said. "Israel was a total loose cannon when he told them "If all you do is nag like an old lady, then what's the point in getting married?"

"Whoa, I had no idea Israel was such a mouthy little guy.” Rainbow Dash added. "Maybe one of these days, you can give lessons to kids who are having trouble with bullies."

"We'll see about that. There's still plenty of time before I decide what I want to do after high school. Tonight, I want to have a good time with all of you, my friends,” Israel replied with a smile. 

Vinyl Scratch decided a change of music would be nice since she got some requests from the couples, she started playing a beautiful slow dance for all the lovebirds of CHS. The first song was a familiar song Israel and Fluttershy recognized immediately.

"Sounds like it's our time to shine, Flutters. Would you like to dance?" Israel asked.

“I would like that very much, Israel,” Fluttershy replied smiling.

Smiling back at her, Israel gently took her hand and placed his other hand around her waist as the two slowly started their slow dance. Their friends started their slow dance as well with their lovely partners.

But the ones who were standing out above the rest were Israel and Fluttershy. This was their moment to finally express their feelings for each other. And so, Israel stroked the soothing locks of Fluttershy's hair and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Fluttershy…" he said.

"Y...Yes, Israel?" she asked, feeling her face heat up.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now," Israel said.

"Uh-huh?" Fluttershy nodded, hoping he's gonna say what she wants to hear.

"These past couple of months have been the best I've ever had. Ever since I met you, I felt so lucky when you said that you wanted to be my friend. But as time went on… I couldn't help but want to be closer to you as more than just a good friend. So, Fluttershy… what I'm trying to say is… I… I… I love you… so much," he said as his heart beat faster by the second. "I've loved you for quite some time."

At that moment, Fluttershy's world lit up like the 4th of July. The boy she's been crushing on for the last few weeks admitted his love for her.

"I...Israel, I… I love you too. Ever since I saw you and your friends practice in your band for the very first time out in the music room. You've got such a kind and forgiving personality that I couldn't resist. I've been wanting to tell you, but I didn't know if you felt the same way. But after finding out your true feelings for me, I can finally say this again… I love you, Israel," Fluttershy confessed, rubbing his cheek gently.

"Fluttershy…" Israel said.

"Israel…" Fluttershy replied back. Their dancing slowed down even more before they slowly leaned in and finally planted their lips together. They even wrapped their arms around each other, embracing each other with their newfound love as boyfriend and girlfriend.

They felt the warmth of each other's soft lips as they held it for at least 30 seconds. They were so focused on each other that they didn't notice that their classmates were staring, making "aww" sounds. Their friends were also happy for them now that they've made it official.

Soon, as the song came to an end, so did the kiss and everyone around them started clapping. "Alright folks, let's give another big hand for tonight's newest and cutest couple, Israel Yabuki and Fluttershy!" Vinyl said happily over the mic. Their classmates cheered for them even more, making the new couple blush and wave timidly at everyone from their support. "Now then, let's kick it up with another dance for all you lovely lovebirds out there, so partner up and get ready!"

Once again, Vinyl played another song and all the couples got together and began their slow dances, including Israel and Fluttershy. Now that Fluttershy was accompanied by her new, loving boyfriend, she felt less nervous about everything. She felt more light on her feet as she and Israel danced gracefully around the dance floor.

Fluttershy leaned in and rested her head on Israel's chest, sighing in relief. She felt so happy and safe around Israel and she couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend. Israel slowly and gently stroked her soft locks again, then the two looked at each other again, smiling before leaning in for another kiss.

"You're such a wonderful dancer, Flutters," Israel whispered to her. While they continued to dance, others occasionally glanced at the new couple.

“It’s great to see my best friend finally being together with the girl of his dreams,” Soarin said while slow dancing with Rainbow Dash.

“Totally!” She agreed. “When we were still in middle school, I always looked out for Fluttershy. I can tell that Israel will look after her now that I have you, Babe.” Her fingers crawled up to Soarin’s cheek, holding his face close to her as they shared a passionate kiss.

"Aww, it does my heart good to see our Fluttershy growing up so fast. I still can't believe she's found her handsome knight in shining armor," Rarity said while she danced with Applejack.

"She ain't gonna be as shy an' meek as she used to be. Love's a real powerful force, way more powerful than magic an' a whole lot more complicated to understand. An' you an' Ah are livin' proof, ain't dat right mah beautiful lil' sugar dumplin'?" AJ asked her precious jewel.

“You’re such a flatterer, darling,” as she teasingly pushed Applejack softly on her chest.

"Hehe, y'all are real cute when yer bein' ladylike," AJ replied before gently mashing her lips with Rarity's, rubbing her cheek with tender love and care. 

"You gotta admit, there's lots of smiling faces all around, Pinkie Pie. Is this how you envisioned our final prom night, my sweet, cutesy cupcake?" Cheese asked, playfully pinching her cheeks.

Pinkie Pie giggled at the affection that Cheese Sandwich gave her. “Absolutely, everything here is just as I imagined it, my little Cheesey! We managed to provide enough snacks and drinks, we have an awesome DJ and all my friends are here, even you, too. We even have our own bouncer!!! Isn’t that right Bulk Biceps?”

“YEAH!!!” he shouted 

"Now to make this night even more special…" Pinkie said. She grabbed her boyfriend's necktie and pulled him in for a sweet, tender kiss. Cheese's eyes shot wide open, but slowly closed them and kissed his sweets-loving girlfriend back.

As for Sunset and Twilight… "I can hardly believe all of our friends found happiness with their special someones after all the adventures we went through. It's a miracle to see them so happy like this," Twilight said.

"This is only the beginning, Twilight,” Sunset replied. “Who knows what the future has in store for everyone outside of CHS, including those two love birds.” she gestures to Israel and Fluttershy

“The possibilities are endless and I wish them nothing but true happiness.”

"You know, you're a true friend for showing so much support for them. And while they're all enjoying their happiness, I'm gonna make sure I enjoy my happiness with you. I can already hear the wedding bells when I look deep into your eyes, my sweet Twilight Sparkle," Sunset flattered, nuzzling Twilight nose-to-nose.

Twilight felt her cheeks heating up from the way her girlfriend smothered her like that. "Come here you cute bacon-headed cinnamon roll," she replied, pulling Sunset in for a kiss.

Finally, once the song comes to an end, Vinyl takes the mic once more. "Alright, gather around and lend your ears you awesome lovebirds! We've got another special announcement for you that Principal Celestia would like to tell you about. Take it away, girl!"

And right away, the spotlight focused on the principal on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for coming to this wonderfully spectacular event. First off, for all the seniors here who graced us with their presence, I hope that this prom night will be one that you'll always treasure." 

Every senior who did attend, cheered their hearts out in agreement to Celestia's speech.

"Wonderful. Then, without further ado, I believe it's time for us to crown this year's annual prom king and prom queen of Canterlot High. You've all cast your votes and the results are in," Celestia said, getting out two envelopes before clearing out her throat. "The winner… for this years prom queen goes to… Fluttershy!"

“Eeep!” Fluttershy quickly hides behind her boyfriend. 

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong? You won. You’re the queen of the prom,” Israel comforted her.

“T-that’s just it, I don’t want to go alone on stage in front of the entire school!” 

"And what better way for a prom queen to celebrate her big night, than to enjoy her night with her wonderful prom king… Israel Yabuki!" Celestia said.

"WHAT?!" Israel asked, surprised with wide eyes as the students erupted with applause. "Well, this is certainly the first time I've ever been crowned king of anything," he said before looking at his girlfriend, chuckling nervously after they both found out this big news. "Uh… shall we, my queen?"

Fluttershy’s stagefright washed away as her partner offered his hand. She gladly took it and followed him up onto the stage with Celestia. "Take pride in this, for you've truly earned the right to celebrate after everything you two have done for CHS. I'm proud to call you our students," Celestia praised.

While their attention was focused on Celestia, Luna placed the crowns on Fluttershy's and Israel's head before receiving applause from their fellow classmates and friends.

"You know something, Fluttershy?" Israel asked.

"Yes, Israel?" she replied.

"This might be our last prom night, but I'm glad I got to enjoy it with you," he said.  

“Me too, Israel. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she leaned in gave him a kiss on the cheek. The entire crowd and the staff awed at the cute couple.

"Now that we have our king and queen, let's kick this party into overdrive. So everyone get down on the dance floor and shake it like there's no tomorrow!" Celestia said. All the students cheered, Vinyl started up the party with more sweet beats and Fluttershy and Israel soon joined their classmates in another dance.

“You all did this behind our backs didn’t you?” Israel asked all his friends.

“Girls, did you put our names in for becoming King and Queen of the prom?”

"It wasn't just us, we convinced the entire school to vote for you for certain reasons. Israel, you've been trying to blend in with the crowd, trying to stay hidden and not let anyone know about you. After what you and Fluttershy pulled during the talent show, we figured you deserve to make a name for yourself after the way you impacted them with just being you," Soarin said.

"And let's face it. Everyone was moved by your amazing performance. No other guy here in school has the same kind of sweet voice that you do, not even that blue-haired buffoon," Cheese said.

"Cheese, I'd rather not talk about that guy," Israel chuckled.

"And normally, I would've tried to run for prom queen, but considering my new relationship, I don't think it's the right thing for me anymore. So we nominated you as the prom queen because you're sweet, kind and let's face it, you've got a knack for being cute," Sunset said.

"Oh… my… uh, thank you, Sunset," Fluttershy replied, blushing.

“The night’s still young, what do you say we go and dance the night away y'all?” Applejack suggested, wrapping her arm around Rarity. 

"An excellent idea my dear Applejack. They’re playing another one of our songs!” Rarity squealed. “Let’s all dance till all our feet hurt!” The group couldn’t agree more with that as they all made their way to the dancefloor once again and danced together for hours into the night.





After the party had ended, nearly every single student went home and the only ones that were left were Canterlot High's newest couple. Fluttershy's parents and Israel's mother had arrived outside the school, getting out of the cars to get their kids and drive them home safely. They quickly noticed their children holding hands and wearing these crowns.

"Ooh, has my son finally won himself a girlfriend?" Christina asked.

"That's right, mom. I've got the cutest, sweetest, most caring girl by my side and I’m gonna make sure she stays happy for as long as I live," he said.

"Aww, that's so sweet. Our precious little girl finally has a boyfriend!" Mrs. Shy said, excited for her daughter, speed walking on over and hugging Fluttershy.

“Yes, mom, I finally found someone who I love with all my heart.” Fluttershy replied sincerely. “And he’s the best boyfriend a girl could ask for.”

“I can see that sweetheart,” Mr. Shy said and then looked at Israel. “Now Israel, I know you're a young man with a big heart, but promise me you’ll take good care of her. She’s our precious little angel.”

“You have my word, Mr. Shy. She's in good hands," Israel replied, nuzzling Fluttershy.

"Alright then, now say goodnight to Fluttershy and let's go home, mijo," Christina said.

Israel nodded and gave his girlfriend one last kiss on the lips for tonight. "I'll text you once I get home or call you, whichever you prefer." he said. 

Fluttershy nervously rubbed her arm as her beautiful pink hair started to hang over her eyes a little. “Um…actually, I was hoping if you could…. Perhaps…. Stay over at my house…. you know, for tonight?”

"Hmm… sure, as long as your parents and my mom are okay with it," he said.

“I don’t know, mijo, this is really all of a sudden,” Christina tapped her chin a bit.

“Fluttershy, I know you and Israel are happy together and I'm proud you're happy, but don't you think that you might be rushing things a little too fast?” Mr. Shy reasoned.

Fluttershy firmly shook her head at her parents. “No, I’m sure of this. I trust Israel and you also allowed me to spend the weekend with him a couple weeks ago.”

"She does have a point, Christina. She told us about all the good things they did. The singing, movie-watching and even making her a delicious dinner,” Mrs. Shy added.

"Well, alright then. If you trusted my son to look after your daughter, then I'll leave it to your daughter to look after my son and make sure he's in good hands,” Christina sighed. “Now, as for you, Israel, I expect you to be on your best behavior, young man!”

"I will, mom. I pinkie promise!" Israel said while doing the hand gestures of the Pinkie promise.

“Good, then I’ll pick you up at Fluttershy’s home tomorrow morning at 10 AM,” Christina then hugged Israel, then walked back over to her car.

“Thank you, Christina,” Fluttershy said before walking over to Israel and hugged him tight. “Yay!”

"Again… so cute," he whispered into her ear, making her giggle. Soon, Israel leaves with Fluttershy and her parents over in their car. “Thank you for letting me stay at your home tonight, Mrs. and Mr. Shy."

"It was no trouble, sweetie. So why don't you tell us how the prom went. Did you and Fluttershy have a good time, what's the story?" Mrs. Shy asked.

"Yup, though it left the both of us speechless when we were crowned as the prom king and queen this year and this was our first time, too... and our last time," Israel said.

"Oh my, that is surprising. By the way, Fluttershy, how did you two become official?" Mr. Shy asked, looking over his seat with a proud smile

"We were having our slow dance. Our song was playing over the stero and Israel confessed, telling me how much he truly loved me.”

“And then she told me how much she loves me and how long she's loved me,” Israel said, winking at her, making Fluttershy blush again.

"Oh, that takes me back to the day when my husband confessed his love for me. He was so nervous, he thought he was gonna wet himself," Mrs. Shy said, embarrassing her husband. "I'll always remember the feeling of his lips touching mine when we danced at our first prom night."

 "You mean, you shared your first kiss during your prom night too?" Israel asked. Mr. Shy nodded. "Wow, that's gotta be a major coincidence if I ever heard one. But I'm very happy for you two."

"That's nice of you to say that, dear. It's been nearly 22 years since we had our first kiss. I remember that day all too well and it was the happiest day of my life,” Mrs. Shy said, dreamingly   

"And yet you two look like you're still young as springtime," Israel complimented. "Perhaps my deadbeat father could learn a thing or two about parenting from you two."

“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Shy said. “You can be quite the charmer. You know that? It’s no wonder that my dear Fluttershy fell for you.”

"I've learned to show respect to others. Though I didn't know that I was that charming. Before I met Fluttershy, I never had any luck with other girl's heart because I they said that I didn't have the kind of… extra something they were looking for," Israel explained.

Fluttershy gently placed her hand over Israel and looked at him in compassion. “Maybe those girls were wrong about that extra something they were looking for. But I do know that I want you for who you really are deep down inside of you, Izzy. I don’t need that something extra that can't be found. All I want is to be with you, love you and be happy with you.” 

"Aww… you're sweet, Flutters," he gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. 

"And you say I'm cute, Izzy?" she replied with a giggle.

“You’re so cute that I can’t find the words to describe you,” he said, making Fluttershy giggle again.

“I find you cute too, Izzy.” Fluttershy complimented him. “You’re always so kind with words and always know how to make a girl feel special.”

"Listen to you two. The next thing you know, you'll be hearing wedding bells," Mrs. Shy said

“Eh, it’s a little too early to think about that Mrs. Shy,” Israel chuckled.

“Indeed, honey, don’t be such a tease.” Mr. Shy replied. “They’re still young and have plenty of time to think about other things besides marrage. We need to be patient, that's all,” he winked at her.

"And our lives are just beginning. As soon as high school is over, I'm heading off to college. I've got lots of big plans to study for so many career choices,” Israel said.

“Me too, I really want to become a veterinarian!” Fluttershy chimed in.

"Ooh, that's a good career. I've been thinking about wanting to become a game designer, maybe a voice actor or a detective when I get older. I haven’t decided yet.” Israel replied

“That’s ok Izzy, no matter what career you’ll choose I’ll always support you.” Fluttershy said and rested her head happily on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. That means a lot to me,” Israel smiled. “You're such a sweetie.”

Within due time, Fluttershy's parents parked in front of their house and got out. The young couple followed her parents inside the house, walking hand in hand. Once inside, Fluttershy escorted Israel upstairs towards her bedroom where he would be sleeping. Though, he hesitated if this was a good idea with her younger brother and parents home.

Fluttershy gently placed her finger on Israel’s mouth. “It’s ok, my parents and Zephyr are fine with you sleeping in my bed with me. As long as we only snuggle,” she winked.

“Well, if your family is okay with it then so am I,” he replied.

“Wonderful, just give me 5 minutes so I can change clothes. Maybe while I'm busy getting ready, you can go and brush your teeth in the bathroom,” Fluttershy suggested.

"No problem. A lady needs her privacy after all," he said, letting Fluttershy tend to her business inside her room, closing the door and locking it. Israel then walked down the hall. He found the bathroom door right next to Fluttershy's room and let himself inside. Reaching the sink, he realized at the last minute that he didn't have the time to bring his toothbrush. "Okay, I blame myself for not being aware of that.”

Luckily, he found some mouthwash on the sink next to the toothbrushes. “Hmm, guess I could always use this as a sort of backup plan.” He took the bottle, opened it and poured a small bit in a clean cup. As he cleaned his mouth with mouthwash and rinsed it out, he took another look at your teeth.
 
Satisfied with seeing his pearly whites, he walked out of the bathroom and waited in the hallway next to his girlfriend's bedroom door. He hummed to himself, basking in the afterglow of the best night he had with his beautiful angelic lady.

A few minutes passed and the door of his girlfriend’s bedroom opened up a bit. “I'm all dressed up, Izzy, you can come in my room now,” Fluttershy said on the other side.

"Coming, Flutters," he replied. Israel stepped inside her room and checked out the decor. The wall was colored light green like a fresh grassland on a beautiful spring day. Her bed was white and had yellow and pink checkered blankets on it. Next to her bed was a cute little bed where her pet bunny always sleeps. Of course, her cute little fluff ball wasn't sleeping there at the moment. No, little Angel Bunny had run up and started nuzzling against his owner's boyfriend's leg.

"Aww, looks like someone misses his friend," Fluttershy said.

"Aww, hello there, Angel. Did you miss me, my little buddy?" he said, picking up the little bundle of joy and cuddling him in his arms. Angel nuzzled into Israel's chin with a cute smile. "Angel you are such an adorable little bunny rabbit, yes you are."

"Even now, you're such a cutie,” Fluttershy said as Israel started to rub Angel’s belly, making him laugh and thumped his feet like Thumper.

"Izzy, you have such a wonderful way with animals. Maybe if you'd like, I could even hire you to work or me as an animal caretaker if you ever decide to pursue that goal," Fluttershy said.

"What can I say, Flutters. I just love adorable little animals and I just might take you up on that offer if I ever make my final decision for college.” 

“Come here,” she took off a part of her blanket for Israel to join her in her cozy bed.

Looking at his girlfriend, who he didn't realize until now that she had on light green pajamas wit cute butterflies on it and was sitting down on the far side of the bed, patting a spot next to her for him. "Oh, y-yeah, I'll be right there, my precious little flutter butter," he said. 

Israel carefully placed Angel on his bed. Then, he took off his shoes and then his suit jacket, but left on white tank top, and his trousers before joining his lover in her bed shortly after. Putting the blankets over him, Fluttershy crawled over to Israel and held him close.

"Goodnight… Izzy," Fluttershy whispered.

"Goodnight… Flutters," he whispered back. He planted another kiss on her, then cuddled with his sleeping beauty, sighing as he drifted off to sleep with her.
> A New World to Explore
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, as the sun rose high into the sky, Fluttershy is awoken by the sounds of birds chirping outside her window. She stretches her arms and sees her boyfriend still sleeping soundly with his hair all feathered out. She giggled at how messy he looks and then kissed him on the cheek.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," she whispered.

“Mmmmh.” Israel yawned and fluttered his eyes open. “Good morning, my dear Flutters. Did you sleep well?”

"Yes I did and I had my big, cuddly teddy-bear to keep me company," she said, hugging him close to her and nuzzling him.

"Flutters, you're just way too cute. What did I ever do to deserve such a cutie like you?" he asked, hugging Fluttershy back and nuzzling her.

“By being yourself. That’s how I fell in love with you,” Fluttershy said sincerely. “I’m so glad I met you at school. Don’t ever change for me.”

“As your boyfriend, you have my word,” as he kissed her on the head.

“Thank you.” 

Their little moment was then interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. "Fluttershy, Israel, are you awake? Breakfast is ready, so get yourselves ready, okay?" Mrs. Shy called out.

"Coming, mom," Fluttershy replied. “Come on, sweetie. Let us get some breakfast.”

“Right behind you Flutters.” The two got out of bed with Israel going to the bathroom to freshen up and to give Fluttershy some privacy so she could get dressed.

The cute couple then walked down the stairs, walking hand in hand to the living room where the rest of Fluttershy’s family were already eating their breakfast.

"Ah, there you two are. Did you two sleep well?" Mr. Shy asked.

“We did, Mr. Shy,” Israel said.

"So sis, I'd like to take this time to offer my sincerest congratulations to you for finding yourself a wonderful guy. And by the looks of it, he's a real winner," Zephyr said, gesturing to Israel. He smiled at Zephyr's compliment.

"Thank you, Zephyr. So what's for breakfast?" Fluttershy asks.

"We've made some French toast, fresh English muffins with butter, some hash browns and some refreshing, filtered water and orange juice as our drinks of choice. I wasn't sure what you liked, Israel, so I hope this'll do alright," Mrs. Shy said.

"I actually love French toast, so there's no need to worry," he assured.

"That's nice to hear. Come, sit," Mrs. Shy said. Israel and Fluttershy both sat down with her family and served themselves a plate full of her mom's delicious home cooking. Fluttershy and Israel both poured themselves a cup of OJ and started eating this delicious breakfast.

“It’s delicious Mrs. Shy,” Israel complimented. “Thank you for this amazing breakfast.”

“You’re welcome, dear. I’m glad you like it.” 
 
“You got that right, our dear mother is the best cook there is,” Zephyr said proudly and then tapped his chin. “Hmmm, maybe I should try going to a cooking school and try my hand at cooking some fine cuisine."

"It ain't as easy as you think, Zephyr. Cooking takes time to learn. There's lots of ingredients you need to use and measure precisely. Add too much or too little and your food won't come out right or taste right. Cooking is sort of like art or being a hairstylist, meaning you have to manage your time perfectly to make it in the way you envision it, but if you want to, then it's your choice. And if you devote yourself to it, you might be amazed at the masterpieces you'll create," Israel explained to him.

"Well said, my boy," Mr. Shy said. "Exactly how long have you been cooking?"

"Ever since I was 10 years old. It all started with a simple grilled cheese sandwich. Now, I can cook homemade enchiladas, different kinds of pasta, pizza, omelettes, etc etc.” 

“He even made some enchiladas when I was spending the weekend with him,” Fluttershy leaned in. “It was delicious!”  

"Is that so? Then why don't you study to become a chef? You've obviously got the makings of one, young man," Mr. Shy said.

"You know… I might just do that. I might even want to open up a restaurant one day. But until then, I think I'll focus on cooking for my family and friends. You guys included," he replied.

“Aaw, thanks dear. That’s very sweet of you,” Mrs. Shy said.

"You know, it's very hard to find a youngman like you nowadays. It may be a little too soon, but I'm happy to say… welcome to the family," Mr. Shy said. 

"R-Really?" Israel asked surprised. "Gee, that's very nice of you. This is the first time I've ever had a father figure in my life. Guess now I know what it feels like."

"You should be happy. Pops here is a definite improvement over that deadbeat old man of yours, wherever he is," Zephyr said.

"Zephyr Breeze, mind your manners," Mrs. Shy said.

"It's okay, Mrs. Shy. Like I said, my dad wasn't there when I was growing up, so having Mr. Shy as my father figure… feels a whole lot better.” 

“Regardless, it was unheard of coming from Zephyr.” Fluttershy added and pointed firmly at her little brother. “You should learn to think twice before you say something like that. You could unintentionally hurt someone else’s feelings.”

“Alright, alright big sis,” Zephyr waved his hands up in defeat. “No need to go all ‘bossy’ on me.” 

"I wonder if this is what it's like to be around a younger brother. It's a pretty amusing feeling. I think I might get used to this," Israel said to himself quietly. 

The family continued eating their breakfast while sharing some stories and plans for the future. Israel got to know Fluttershy’s family better and they learned a little more about his family. Israel, as it turns out, had 2 uncles and 1 aunt and 2 loving grandparents who live in a different town from Canterlot City.

His grandparents are alive and well. They’re enjoying their retirement at their humble home. His uncles are both married and have kids to watch over and take to school. As for his aunt; she looked after him like a big sister while his mom was still studying at college when he was a baby. She has a place of her own and has one child.

He had lots of other cousins, uncles and aunts, but they were all living in several other cities in different countries, but all were just as loving as his family. In short, his family was extremely big.

Some time after breakfast was finished, Israel hung around for a little bit longer until his mom drove by to come and pick him up. She knocked on the door while Israel was in the living room with Fluttershy and her family, watching TV. Mrs. Shy got up from the couch and walked towards the front door, opening it to reveal Israel's mother.

"Is my boy all dressed up and ready to come home?" Christina asked.

“He is all dressed and is ready to go,” Mrs. Shy replied. “Although, it might be hard for those two to be separated from each other,” she gestured to her daughter clinging to Israel while they were still sitting on the couch.

“That’s true, but they’ll see each other again later on today,” Christina chuckled. "Mijo, time to come home. Say your goodbyes," she called out.

He looked over his shoulder and nodded, then turned to Fluttershy. "I'll see you later, Flutters. I had a great time with you and your family," he said, hugging his girlfriend.

"I'll see you soon. Thanks for keeping me company," she replied before kissing her boyfriend goodbye and letting go of him. He got up from the couch and gave Fluttershy's parents a handshake and a hug. He even got a handshake from Zephyr as well.

"Stop by anytime you want, big man," Zephyr said.

"And I wish you luck with your career, Zephyr" Israel replied before leaving with his mom. Mrs. Shy waved goodbye to the two before closing the door.

"What a wonderful boy," Mrs. Shy said.

“Yes, you're right, dear. And all this time, I misjudged him. Now, I have no doubts that he'll continue to bring joy and happiness, not just to our daughter, but to our entire family," Mr. Shy said, hugging his wife.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that, dad. When I first met him, I knew that there was something special about him,” Fluttershy said. “He’s so sweet, a great singer and also an amazing cook. It feels so amazing that you all finally see how much he means to me.” 

"I do realize it. Which is why I'm already accepting him as part of our family," Mr. Shy stated. Fluttershy was filled with so much joy that she jumped up from the couch and ran towards her dad, hugging him. Mr. Shy hugged his daughter and so did Mrs. Shy. Zephyr also joined into the family group hug, excited for his sister. Things were really starting to look up for everyone.





The months rolled by, tests were aced and many friendships were spread throughout the entire school thanks to the help of the Rainbooms and the Friendly Neighborhood Troll Trio. Hours of studying and glory have all lead up to the following Friday on a beautiful spring day in the month of May. On this day, families and friends were gathered at the CHS football field for one important event. And that was the day their children were turning the pages in their lives.

In the gymnasium, the seniors were gathered together, wearing matching dark blue gowns with matching caps. Fluttershy and her friends were there, talking amongst each other.

“So, here we all are,” Sunset said. “I can’t believe that our time here has flown so fast. To think that a year ago I was a bully to you all and now, I’ve changed for the better. I met you all, my friends.” She smiled at them and then pulled Twilight next to her. “And of course I found the girl of my dreams,” she quickly gave her favorite bookworm a kiss on the lips. “I wouldn’t change it any other way.”

Blushing from the unexpected kiss from her loving Sunshine, Twilight wanted to say something to everyone as well. “To think I spend about 3 years at Crystal Prep Academy, thinking I would be better off alone then I would’ve never met you all. You all thought so much about friendship, love and how important it is in life. So, what I’m trying to say is: thank you! All of you.” Their group of friends all ‘awed’ at their words. But each of them also wanted something to say.

“You know I said it a lot of times that I’m totally awesome.” Rainbow Dash proudly pointed at herself, inflating her ego. “But having you all as my friends and you of course as my boyfriend,” she gestured to Soarin, standing next to her. “That’s even more awesome than myself. You all make my life 20% cooler,” Rainbow admitted, Applejack saw the sincerity in her eyes.

“To be honest, I always thought hard work pays off and oh nelly! Was I right. I worked hard for school and at home, on the farm and I always thought to do things alone, that I don’t need somebody else’s help. But I’m glad I was wrong, I’m glad I’ve met ya’ll and my precious jewel here. You’re more than just ma friends, y'all are family.” Applejack said, her eyes were starting to get a little wet as Rarity dried her eyes with a handkerchief. 

“When I first started High school here, I would’ve never expected to have friends with so many different styles and personalities,” Rarity then began. “Now, we’re all friends with each other and I enjoyed every moment of it no matter how dangerous some moments were during our adventures and how…. Dirty. But for you all, darlings, I would cross the seas, climb mountains just to see you all again in the years to come. With my sweet apple pie at my side, I’m willing to do anything.”

“Oh, oh, me next, me next!!!” Pinkie jumped up and down excitedly. “Bringing a smile to everyone's face has always been a life goal to me, no matter what silly things I have to do for it. If it wasn’t for my dear Cheese Sandwich, my parties would’ve been fun at first but as time passes by I dare say booooring. Thanks to you, Cheesy wheezy, I learned to think outside of the box when it comes to planning and organizing parties. And of course, my best friends, you all supported me through thick and thin. These years at CHS with you all were the best years of my life!!!”

"I never thought I would wind up where I am today. Surrounded by so many good friends who hung around with me since the beginning of the year. All my life, I thought I was going to live my life in constant fear and rely on Rainbow Dash to bail me out when I'm in a tight spot. But having you all here with me had changed my life for the better. Including you, my precious sweetheart," Fluttershy said to Israel.

"I've lived a life of being a very shy little boy, thinking I would never fit in with the crowds. But when I laid my eyes on a certain pink party girl, I knew that I had found my calling and hoped to unite with her one day. And it looks like I got my wish and as an added bonus, I've got two best friends I wouldn't trade for anything in the world," Cheese said.

"All my life, I thought that I would find happiness in the world of Soccer, working my way up the ranks to get into the World Cup. But I was wrong. Because by the end of my junior high school year, I found something much more valuable than a chance to join the Soccer league: friends and a stunningly awesome girlfriend. I've got all the happiness I could ever ask for and would gladly lay my life down if it ever came to that," Soarin said, holding his girlfriend next to him.

"As for me… all my life, I've been alone. Cooped up in my room, not caring about anything except for watching my favorite TV shows, playing video games and on some occasions, watch these crime shows with my mom, just because. Growing up, I thought that I was gonna tackle the world on my own and didn't care if I was going at it alone. But meeting these two," Israel gestures to Soarin and Cheese, "And all of you, including you," he gestures to Fluttershy, "It changed my life for the better. I don't regret ever meeting such amazing pals… and a sweet, loveling girlfriend."

Moved by each other's speeches, everyone in the group gathered together for a group hug. Soon, a few moments later, Ms. Cheerilee walked in on the seniors, calling out to them. "Alright, all the seniors please follow me in a single file line."

"Well, guess that's our cue, let’s go everyone. A big moment in our lives is about to happen," Israel said.

The group of friends joined their fellow students to form a single line and followed Cheerilee  outside to the football field. The stage was already set up with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna giving a short speech to her students' families and friends. 

"Ladies and gentlemen. I'm very pleased you all came here on this momentous day. For 4 long years, these students have endured many challenges, overcome obstacles, but most of all, they prevailed as a team… as a family. Canterlot High will never forget the joy these students brought to us. It is a sad day to CHS to have to let go of our beloved students, but we are very proud that they'll finally achieve their goals and venture forth into the adult world. So it is with great honor that my sister and I congratulate these outstanding students on their graduation," Luna said.

The audience roared with thunderous applause, cheering for their children. "And now, without further ado, it is now time to award our seniors with their diplomas. When I call your names, please step forth," Celestia said.

Clearing her throat, she announced the first student, “Trixie Lulamoon.”

A girl with violet eyes, azure blue skin and long light blue hair with stripes walked over to Principal Celestia with a proud look on her face. “Trixie knew she would graduate,” as Celestia shook her head, smiling. “Was there ever any doubt?” She winked at her Principal before walking back to her spot on the stage.

“Octavia Melody,” 

A beautiful, grey skinned girl with long dark hair made her way to the Principal. Most of the students know her due to her giant cello she loves to play in the music room and sometimes play a duet with her roommate Vinyl Scratch. 

Smiling at her Principal, her diploma was handed over to her and with a big smile she thanked both Celestia and Luna before she headed back to the rest of the students.

“Cheese Sandwich,”

"Oop, that's me. Be right back, buds," Cheese said before party boy walked up to Celestia. The students at CHS know he's got some pretty impressive party-planning skills just like Pinkie Pie, which is a shame that Cheese and Pinkie have to move on, same with their parties.

Celestia smiled at him and gave him his diploma before shaking his hand and allowing him to walk back and sit down with his friends.

“Rainbow Dash.”

Her parents were already cheering for their daughter from the field with their megaphones and their fan shirts on. Even Scootaloo was cheering for her idol. Rainbow's face flushed with embarrassment, but she played it cool and waved to her parents, forcing a smile before walking to Celestia. 

Celestia handed the rainbow rockstar her diploma and offered her congratulations. Rainbow Dash thanked her principal before joining her friends once again.

Celestia continued calling the names of every senior, including Wallflower Blush, Epsilon Wolf and the cute couple: Lyra and Bon Bon. Nearly everyone got their names called and soon, all that was left were Fluttershy and the rest of her friends, along with her boyfriend.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

The cute bookworm of the group, nervously stood up and walked to her Principal to receive her high school diploma. 

“Congratulations Twilight, you received A+ on all your tests, you have a very promising future ahead for you.” Celestia complimented her student as she gave Twilight her diploma. 

“Thank you, Principal Celestia, I promise you I’ll make good use of future challenges and I’ll do anything to make the world a better place for everyone,” she said determined.

"I'm sure you'll do CHS proud on your next journey just as you always have," Celestia said.

Twilight smiled one last time at her Principal before walking back to her seat. She could see her parents and her big brother waving at her proudly and she shyly waved back at them before sitting down.

“Sunset Shimmer.”

The bacon haired girl slowly stood up as she hesitantly walked to her Principal. Celestia noticed her uncertainty and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I can’t believe that my life at CHS is over after this.” Sunset said. “Since my first time coming here, I've mostly been focused on ruling the school. But because of all of you and Princess Twilight's help, I now know there are more important things that matter. All of you gave me a second chance so that I could become a better person.” 

Celestia gently placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, “And look what an amazing young lady you have become Sunset. You’re kind, smart and like Twilight you have many possibilities for the future. Whatever you choose, we're all very proud of you and you’ll always be welcome here at CHS.”

Sunset wiped her tears away and hugged her Principal, the crowd all ‘awed’ at that cute moment between them. Celestia then handed her diploma, “I’m proud of you Sunset.” She said before Sunset smiled back at her and went back to her seat.

“Soarin.”

“Well, now it’s my turn.” Soarin said before standing up. Rainbow quickly gave him a ‘thumbs up’ as he made his way to the Principal.

"You sure helped bring CHS to victory these past 4 years. I pray you'll become an even more amazing athlete. Congratulations," Celestia said. 

"I won't let you down, Celestia," Soarin saluted her as she handed him his diploma. After shaking hands, Soarin went back to his friends.

"Applejack."

The apple farmer stood up from her spot and walked over to her principal. "AJ, you were the very definition of a hard-working, honest and healthy student that set a perfect example to our school for these past few years. May your family's business keep growing bigger and bigger. You always did have the best apple treats and drinks."

"Mighty thanks, Principal Celestia. Ah promise to keep makin' CHS proud and continue to produce some o' the best apples in all o' Canterlot City."

"I know you will," Celestia hands AJ her diploma and hugs her before she took her seat next to her beautiful diamond. "Pinkie Pie."

In an instant, everyone's favorite party girl winds up from point A to point B in a mere second, smiling directly at her principal.

"How did she do that?" Israel whispered.

“Sweetie, it’s Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it.” Fluttershy whispered back.

"Pinkie Pie, CHS will surely miss your creative mind and your amazing parties. Even though we have to part ways, just remember that you will always hold a special place in our hearts. Congratulations, Pinkie Pie." Celestia then hands her the diploma, which she happily takes before hugging the principal.

After that, she hopped back over to her friends making those ‘boing’ sounds and then sat down next to Cheese.

"Rarity."

"Oop, that's me. I'll be back in a minute, darlings," Rarity said as she elegantly walked to her Principal.

“Rarity, you always manage to inspire others to show them their inner beauty. Every dress you made for your friends was always so astounding. You asked nothing in return, you just wanted to help and show everyone what a generous lady you are.” Celestia told the fashionista and gave her diploma. “You truly are a diamond in the rough.”  

"Thank you, dear Celestia," Rarity replied before hugging her principal. Celestia hugged her back as well and then let the fashionista sit with her apple sweetheart.

"Fluttershy."

Though nervous, the gentle animal caretaker stood up and carefully walked over towards Principal Celestia. “Fluttershy, you are truly the kindest student I’ve ever met. With your kindness to others and to animals, you might change the world into something better someday. You have a heart of gold!”

Hearing those gentle words coming from her principal made Fluttershy all teary and hugged her dear principal one last time. “T-thank you Principal Celestia. I-I”ll do my best.”

“I know you will dear and I know that you won’t be alone.” She winked, making Fluttershy blush as she knew who her Principal was talking about.

After releasing each other from the hug, the two went their separate ways, with Fluttershy sitting back next to her boyfriend, with her diploma in her hands. 

Celestia announced the final senior that is about to receive his diploma. “Israel Yabuki.” Right away, the young man with long, silver hair stood up and walked up towards his principal. "Normally, the students with the highest scores in their exit exams make the speech, but since you're the last one and seeing how much you've accomplished, I'll make an exception. Tell the people what you have to say."

"Thank you, Principal Celestia," he replied before looking at the audience, clearing his throat. "Friends, family, my fellow CHS members, you might not have known me that long, but I'm still glad you got to nonetheless. These past 4 years were hard for me, hard for all of us, actually. I remember back when I was just a little boy and how I thought I was better off alone. But then when I stopped to think about it, it wasn't true at all, because along the lines, I realized that I had something that was irreplaceable."

The audience waited patiently for him to continue as he paused.

"And that was my best friends," he gestured to the girls and his troll friends, "My loving family," he gestures to his mom, grandparents, aunts and uncles. "The people who care about me and the people I love. They had my back for a long time and I don't regret having so much kindness and support in my life. So it's with great pride and honor that I say… thank you, everyone. Thank you for guiding down the path you believed was right for me and for loving someone who was almost a nobody in high school. I wouldn't have made it this far without you all… including my precious little angel."

He turned towards Fluttershy and winked at her. She winked back at him and blew a kiss at him. Israel caught it and turned back to Celestia, who gave him his diploma.

"Congratulations, Israel Yabuki. We will all miss you very deeply," Celestia said before they shook hands with each other. He sighed and walked back towards his friends and girlfriend, sitting back down on his chair. "And now, with the graduation ceremony coming to a close, we have two more special surprises for all of you. Tonight, There will be one final performance, the Rainbooms and the Troll Trio will sing their farewell songs before we say our final goodbyes to each other."

Thrilled with the surprise, the audience cheered loudly. What better way for everyone to end a graduation ceremony than with a couple of music performances.

"You heard her. Let's give them a show that's 20% cooler!" Rainbow encouraged the girls. Pinkie leaped out of her chair, squealing like a cute little fangirl. Luckily for them, their stage was already set up as well as their instruments were all ready for them.
.
"Good luck out there," Israel said.

"Won't need it," Rainbow replied. “We have each other to rely on.” 

Israel chuckled, at Rainbow’s reply as he walked to his girlfriend to give her a quick little kiss on the cheek. “You’ll do amazing, like always my dear Flutters.”

Fluttershy blushed at her boyfriend as she held her tamborine close to her. Israel walked off the stage as the Rainbooms performance was about to start. 

“And now, without further ado, here are The Rainbooms!!!” Celestia announced and walked away from the stage. The crowd started cheering as Twilight began playing on the giant, black piano with Sunset sitting on the lid.

The song continued with each of The Rainbooms singing their part of the lyrics. Fluttershy sang with her animal friends after Twilight and Sunset. Rarity was next with her fashionable clothes, then Rainbow Dash came up, rocking out hard and in her prime. Applejack came after Rainbow Dash, playing on her bass followed up by sweet sugar Pinkie Pie. 

Together they sang about their friendship. How it will never truly be gone and that it will only become stronger through the ages. They will still have their challenges in life but with their friendship, together they will overcome it no matter how difficult it will be. 

Once their song came to an end, the audience roared with applause. The girls all took a bow before Sunset grabbed the mic. "Thank you everyone. We're glad you enjoyed our last performance here. And remember, we may have to part ways, but we've still got our friendship." she said. "Now, without further ado, it's time for the boys here to sing their farewell song. Come on up here!"

"You heard 'em, buds, let's show the crowd what we're made of," Soarin said.

"Way ahead of you," Cheese said.

"Ain't no better time like the present," Israel said. The Troll Trio stood up and walked up on stage while the girls stepped down with Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy giving their boyfriends a good luck kiss on their cheeks.

After getting their instruments all tuned up, the boys played their tunes, slowly building up the tempo until Israel started singing. He added some dancing to his amazing singing. The audience clapped happily to the beat. 

Everyone can understand the meaning behind this song. While high school is over, there's still a whole other world to explore and so many things to discover, hidden talents waiting to be unleashed. In short, this was only the beginning of their lives.

All the seniors danced to the beat of this awesome song, even the girls. Their families and friends couldn't have been more proud of them for enduring so much in these past 4 years. And soon, once the song came to an end, everyone in the entire football field cheered on for these three boys. They took a bow before they were ambushed by their girlfriends. Fluttershy tackled Israel to the ground, hugging him. When he picked himself up, Fluttershy gave him a surprise kiss on the lips.

"Well, it looks like we've kicked things off with a bang. Congratulations, seniors of CHS. Good luck in your next chapter of your lives," Celestia said. With one more thunderous applause, all the seniors threw their caps up in the air, celebrating the 4 years of agonizing work they endured and ready to set out into the world.
> The Start of a Stronger Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

High school was over as the Rainbooms and the Troll Trio went their separate ways. Sunset and Twilight decided to further their education at Canterlot University with their dear friend, Fluttershy and her boyfriend, Israel Yabuki.

Pinkie and Cheese continue to work at Sugar Cafe and hope to one day work their way up and become the next owners of it. Soarin and Rainbow Dash also got jobs as well. They were working as young gym instructors while training to one day enter the Olympics.

Applejack continues to work at Sweet Apple Acres with her family. Rarity kept working over at her shop: Carousel Boutique, while sometimes visiting her girlfriend.

As for the cute couple themselves, they were in their second year at college right now. With Fluttershy studying to be a veterinarian and Israel was studying how to fix computers and designing video games. The two also shared an apartment, close to Canterlot University, where they study together.

It wasn't a big apartment, but it was all they could afford with the money they make from their part time jobs. Israel works part time at a grocery store while Fluttershy still works at the animal shelter.

Little did Fluttershy know that Israel has a surprise for her. He saved some money to buy her a special gift. Now, he’s waiting for the right moment to surprise her. He has a small box that he hides under his pillow. In it, was a silver ring with a butterfly on it that represents Fluttershy’s cutie mark.

Fluttershy was currently working in the library, reading some textbooks on the different kinds of ways to heal animals. Israel was in a classroom, working on a water-damaged laptop. He has some spare parts that needed to bring the laptop back into working order.

As he was fixing it, he noticed that he had to replace the hard drive since it got a short circuit due to the water damaging it. “Whoever did this had better watch out next time with their drinks. Water and electricity don’t exactly go well together.” Israel sighed as he finished screwing in the last screw. “There, it should be as good as new now.”

Afterwards, he turned on the laptop and saw the boot up menu. Now all that was left was to install the software. The software itself was all in a usb and it was supposed to take at least an hour to install Windows 10, plenty of time. “Maybe I’ll check how my sweet Fluttershy is doing on this lovely day.” Israel grabbed his phone and send her a message on how she’s doing.

Fluttershy finished reading her latest book in the library that was twice as big as the one back in CHS. She also made a lot of notes from the book and from the others books she read. “That will do it for today,” she said in relief and started packing her backpack, ready to go home. 

Her phone vibrated as it was on silent mode. She checked it and she received a message from her loving boyfriend, asking how’s she been today. Fluttershy quickly replied to his message. 

“I’m fine, sweetie. I just finished studying for today at the library. I’m going back to our apartment now. Do you need something from the store nearby?”

Israel texted back, saying, "I'm gonna need some fresh cauliflower. I need it as an ingredient for our special dinner tonight."

Fluttershy texted back in reply, "Okay, sweetheart. Are you doing okay with your assignment?"

"Yes, I just gotta install the Windows 10 into this laptop and I should be good to go. And be sure to meet me at the beach later on today." He texted.

“Getting fresh cauliflower from the store and meeting you at the beach later on today, you got it Sweetie!” Fluttershy texted..

"Good. See you then, Cutie-shy," he replied back, making his girlfriend blush and giggle.

Finishing her text, Fluttershy continued packing her stuff and headed out to the store to buy the necessary ingredient that her boyfriend needed. While she was there, she also bought some carrots for Angel now that he has found a mate, she needed to buy some extra since Angel is going to be a papa very soon. 

She had a lot on her mind while she was shopping, like how secretive Israel was acting lately ever since their first year semester ended and all the time and energy he used, working overtime and during their previous summer vacation.

And because of those long hours, it was hard for him to stay awake during most days. She appreciated how hard he works, but Fluttershy also told him to take it easy or he'll reach a breaking point. 

Luckily, he took her advice when classes began again, so he managed his time between work and studying more efficiently. Of course, like every couple, they sometimes have some arguments here and there between each other. But in the end, they always forgive each other and manage to work things out between them as their relationship only grew stronger out of it.

Getting everything she needed from the store, Fluttershy made her way to the cashier. “That’ll be $4.79 then Miss.” The cashier replied.

Fluttershy opened up her light-green purse and paid with a 5 dollar bill. “You can keep the change, sir.”

“Thank you, Miss. Have a nice day.” He thanked her for her kindness.

“You as well, sir.” Fluttershy waved him goodbye and left, heading back outside towards her apartment.

After Windows 10 got installed into the laptop that Israel fixed, he did one final check-up to make sure everything worked perfectly. And of course, his teacher came up and saw the handiwork he's put into the laptop.

"Well, I'll be. It's like it never got wet in the first place, very well done, Israel." He praised. "Keep up the good work and maybe I'll recommend some clients who'll pay top dollar to have you fix their computers."

"That's nice. But fixing a laptop that took water damage is only step 1 of this whole lesson. There are other problems I might face that'll require extra special care." Israel replied, keeping it modest and professional.

"Well said," the teacher said and turned his attention to everyone in the classroom. “Alright everyone that’s it for today. You're all free to go, so put the laptops away and I'll get to work on grading your assignments."

Doing what was asked, Israel puts the fixed laptop away and packed his stuff, ready to head out and start cooking dinner for his dear Fluttershy. He was planning to surprise her with a delicious vegetable terrine and after, a trip to the beach. 

"Okie dokie, now... to get this little guy taken care of and my precious little angel," Israel said, rubbing his growling stomach. It was still hard to believe that over a year has passed. He missed his mom, but knew that he had to move forward in order to make her and his entire family proud. He didn't want to rely on his mom for the rest of his life.

He can recall the last time he and his family invited Fluttershy over for Thanksgiving. His uncles teased him for scoring an adorable young lady with his "natural charm." His grandparents and aunt, on the other hand, were very kind and sweet with Fluttershy and approved of her right off the bat. 

During Christmas, their families all got together in the banquet hall of Sugar cafe. Pinkie and Cheese, with the permission from the Cakes allowed them to celebrate Christmas all together. It was a nice, cozy party, Israel’s uncles instantly liked Fluttershy’s parents as they shared stories about their loveable children. His aunt was talking with Zephyr about his future, that he should focus on one specific subject instead of giving up so quickly and changing careers choices all the time. Fluttershy’s grandparents and Israel’s grandparents told each other stories on how they met their lovers and what they all did during their younger years.

When the party came to an end the families gathered in front of the giant Christmas tree to make one big happy family picture.. 

Those fond memories still linger in his mind. And the big surprise he has for Fluttershy later on is gonna really make another wonderful memory, if she says ‘yes’. Putting his plans in motion for today, Israel left the classroom with his fellow students, determined to give his lover a wonderful dinner and headed home.

He moved at a quicker pace when his stomach growled again. He soon arrived back at his apartment in half the time. Grabbing his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Israel headed inside the bedroom and set his stuff down before coming back into the kitchen.

"Did classes go alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah. All that work I put into fixing that laptop gave me quite an appetite. I hope you're hungry, Fluttershy." He replied and started to wash his hands.

“I always have room for your delicious cooking skills, Sweetie.” Fluttershy said and placed the Cauliflower on the counter.

"Perfect! Then sit back, relax and watch as I try out this new dish I've been practicing for weeks to make," Israel said, getting his ingredients ready and starting with the preparations right away.

“I’ll set the table for the two of us,” Fluttershy offered.

"Good idea. And once you're done, you can relax and grab a drink," he said. 

After neatly setting the table, Fluttershy took a glass of water and watched some TV in the living room. She was currently watching ‘Wildlife Watch’ on National Geographic. Today, it was the life of the meerkat tribe in Africa. Fluttershy always found these little animals adorable, not as adorable as Angel but she remembered that she was allowed to pet one at the local zoo when she was younger. It was the first time that she found out that she could connect better with animals instead of people. 

Fluttershy also watched these videos to learn more about other animals in the world. As a veterinarian, she wanted to take care of other animals beside the animal shelter. She hopes that one day, that she could open up a sanctuary for all animals, big and small where they could rest and play together in peace. 

While watching TV, her nose caught the scent of piping hot vegetables. She likes the scent and looked at Israel to see what he was cooking up that smelled so delicious. 

She turned back towards the TV and kept watching her favorite program while humming a beautiful tune to herself. Angel then hopped onto her knee as he impatiently tapped his hind leg with a grumpy look. “What is it, Angel?”

Opening his mouth, Angel pointed at it while rubbing his tummy with his other paw. “Oh, you’re hungry,“ Fluttershy immediately stood up and held Angel up in her hand. “Now, don’t you worry, momma hasn’t forgotten you. I’ll go prepare your salad for you and your lover right away, my cute little fluffy bunny.” She coed.

"Look who's talking, my cutesy sweetheart," Israel said, referring to his girlfriend. She giggled from her boyfriend's sweet comment.

“We’re not the only ones who are hungry, Sweetie. Angel needs his food too.” She softly scratched him behind the ears making Angel tapping his hind leg again in enjoyment.

"If Angel has a boy who can do that, we're naming him Thumper." Israel commented. Angel nodded rapidly, agreeing with him.

Soon after some time passed, "Okay, Flutters, the food is ready." He said. Both lovebirds went into the bathroom, washing their hands before heading back into the living room. Israel went into the kitchen, grabbing a couple of plates and served him and Fluttershy a plate full of his vegetable terrine.

When her eyes met with his dish, she gasped at how delicious it looked. “Sweetie, this looks so amazing. Thank you!”

“Anything to make sure my sweet little angel has a full stomach.” He winked at her and took a seat. “Shall we dig in?”

"Oh yes, very much," she said, smiling. She and Israel cut their dishes one piece at a time, taking one delicious bite after another. Fluttershy squirmed when the taste of Israel's vegetable terrine hit her taste buds. "It's so good, where'd you learn to cook this dish?"

"I had some help with my cooking teacher. She's had some experience with how to cook French cuisines. She told me about this 9 vegetable terrine and how to cook it. It took me 2 weeks to perfect the dish and it was well worth the effort," Israel explained. 

“It certainly is,” Fluttershy agreed. “I haven’t had a vegetable terrine that tasted so heavenly before.”

Well enjoy it as much as you like, because after dinner, I've got a special surprise for you at the beach," Israel said.

“Now, you’re making me curious. I’ll try to hold it in until we get there,” she said. 

"That's good," he replied. No other words were said and soon, they continued to eat their meals and enjoying each other's company. Fluttershy still wondered what Israel has in store for her and why it's so important. Whatever he has planned, she's confident it's gonna be one spectacular surprise.

When they finished eating and washed the dishes, the couple quickly checked on Angel and his lover. The 2 little rabbits had finished eating their salads that Fluttershy made earlier and were now resting on their big, comfy pillow together. Smiling, the couple quietly closed the door as they went outside to get to the beach. Starting the engine of their 1998 Chevy Camaro, Israel took the wheel as they drove onto the street with their destination: The beach.





It was 6 PM and Israel and Fluttershy finally arrived at the beach. Some of their University classmates were also out by the beach either relaxing or catching some waves. But because they didn't bring their swimming outfits, they weren't gonna get wet today. Still, the weather was nice enough for a short, friendly walk on the beach.

So, they exited the car and locked it so no one would try to steal it or even think about it. They made their way to the beach, walking hand in hand with a gentle breeze blowing through their hair.

Enjoying their quiet and peaceful moment together, the couple decide to take out their shoes so they could walk a little through the water since it’s now low tide. Fluttershy heard some seagulls flying by all yelling “mine, mine, mine” at each other. She giggled at the silly birds as Israel looked at her confused.

“What’s so funny, Flutters?”

"The seagulls are all shouting "mine!" at each other, it's so silly," she giggled.

"I see. I wish I could hear them talking, but that's your specialty. I bet they're arguing on who gets the last bit of seafood," Israel joked. Fluttershy laughed even harder as he was correct in his assumption.

“You know, Sweetie, I think we should do this more often. Going to a quiet and relaxing place like the beach to unwind a little bit from our work and our studies,” Fluttershy said. “Just the two of us.” She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, you're right. As much as I like to work, a little time off never hurt anyone. Best part is that I got you by my side, Flutters. You cute little angel," he replied, rubbing her cheek. Fluttershy nuzzled into her boyfriend's hand, sighing adorably.

“I wonder how our friends are doing so far?” Fluttershy asked after walking a couple of minutes quietly. “Sometimes we see Twilight and Sunset at the university. But as for Rainbow Dash or Rarity? I haven’t heard from them in a while.”

"They're probably busy with their jobs. Rainbow has been so busy training some people at the gym while trying to be prepared for the Olympics. Rarity's had a lot of clients come into her shop lately and barely has enough time for Applejack. I'm sure they don't mean to be so busy, they just can't help that." he explained.

“I miss them,” Fluttershy said with a frown look. “We spent so much time together with all of our friends. I really miss those times with us all.”

"We can try to get in touch with them so we can hang out all together. Just like old times." He replied.

“That would be wonderful!” 

"Great. But first, there's something I gotta say to you before we have our reunion," Israel said, piquing her curiosity.

“What is it then, Sweetie?” Fluttershy wondered.

"Fluttershy… we've been going out for over a year now and brought our friends and families together as well. I've never been more happier about being with the kindest, most adorable woman in all my life. You brought smiles to everyone and for that… I feel like now is the time to ask you…" he paused, kneeling down on one knee, pulling out a small box. He opened the box, showing a silver ring with a butterfly on it. 

Fluttershy gasped as she knew what her boyfriend was going to ask her next. It made her eyes all teary. 

"Fluttershy, will you marry me?" He asked.

Fluttershy stood still, her mouth trembled a little as tears started flowing down her adorable cheeks. She looked at her kneeling boyfriend with the beautiful ring in his hands. “Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! A thousand times YES!!! Of course I'll marry you!!!" She yelled while hugging her boyfriend tightly.

The other people on the beach witnessed the young couple and cheered for them with claps and whistles. Israel took the ring and placed it on his fiance's finger. Right afterwards, she pulled him in for a big kiss on the lips.

As both lovebirds stood back up, they held the kiss a little longer before separating. "Just wait until our friends hear about this. They'll be so happy to hear about our engagement."

“Yeah, Pinkie will be all over our faces in excitement and Rarity wants all the details on how I proposed to you. Applejack will probably give us a pat on the back saying ‘knew you 2 would marry one day’.” Israel said that last part with a southern accent, making Fluttershy laugh a little.





The next weekend the entire gang was together again and they were all enjoying some snacks at the Sugar Cafe. Israel and Fluttershy just told them all about the proposal and their engagement.

As they predicted, they got the exact reaction from 3 certain girls. "EEEEEEH!!!!! OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!!!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"My goodness! That's so romantic! Tell me, where and how did you propose to her? I'm simply dying to know!" Rarity said, excited.

“I knew you 2 would marry someday,” Applejack said while tapping Fluttershy and Israel gently on the back. "Congratulations, both of you.”

"Looks like you were right all along about their reactions, sweetie," Fluttershy giggled.

"I still can't believe you two are engaged. That's totally awesome!" Rainbow added.

 “It’s also a big step in your lives” Sunset said.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? Marriage is a very large commitment.” Twilight asked.

“Oh, believe me Twilight. I thought about it, a lot of times actually,” Israel explained. “I wouldn’t have asked my angel to marry me if we both didn’t feel ready for it. I listened to my heart and it told me we were ready for the next, huge step in our relationship and I don’t regret it one bit.” He kissed Fluttershy on the head after that.

“Well, I think I speak for all of us here, if you 2 need some help in planning your wedding we’d be more than happy to lend you a hand,” Soarin offred. “Right fellas?” 

“I'd love to design your lovely wedding dress, darling and of course for you a nice fitting tuxedo, Israel.” Rarity said.

“Me, Cheese and Applejack would be more than happy to make sure you’ll have a great catering and entertainment on your wedding party..” Pinkie chimed in.

“Soarin and I can take care of the music,” Rainbow added.

“And Twilight and I can organize everything for your big day, if you’ll have us of course.” Sunset suggested.

"Good idea. And Fluttershy and I will hand out invitations to all our friends and family. I've already decided when the wedding will take place and where it'll be held," Israel said. 

"Do tell," Cheese said.

"I've decided… it'll be on Christmas day at the Canterlot Grand Church." Israel said.

"Whoa! You sure do plan big," Soarin said. "Have you decided on who should be your best man for the wedding?"

"Not yet. You guys have been my buddies for years, so it's kinda hard for me to pick just one of you," Israel replied.

"Oh! Israel, would it be alright if Spike was to be the ring bearer?" Twilight asked

"Sure, but… who's Spike?" Israel asked.

"He's my pet dog. I want him to be a part of the wedding and see him walk down the aisle in his cute little suit while carrying the rings.

"Well, I do love dogs, so I suppose there's no harm in letting him join the party," Israel said.

"I guess the only thing left is to figure out who will be Fluttershy's bridesmaids," Sunset said. 

"You can all be my bridesmaids. There's no harm in that," Fluttershy offered her friends.

“Thank you so much, darling, that’s really generous of you.” Rarity replied happily.

“As long as you don’t let me wear any frilly, girly stuff at the wedding I’m all up for it.” Rainbow Dash added.

“How about you guys?” Israel looked at his two best friends. “Do you wanna be my best men at my wedding?”

“Like you even have to ask, dude.” Soarin replied before bowing. “It would be an honor.”

 "Hold on, what about the flower girls? Who's gonna fill in that role?" Fluttershy asked.

Applejack scratched her chin a bit. “Ah’m sure ma little sis and her friends wouldn't mind being the flower girls for yer wedding, Sugarcube.”

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea. They'll look so cute in their dresses," Fluttershy said.

"And I'm sure I can count on you two to make our wedding cake, right?" Israel asked Pinkie and Cheese.

"Yup-a-roonie," Pinkie said.

"Then it's settled. I can't wait to see you all at our wedding. You guys are the best pals I could ever ask for," Israel said.

"How can we ever thank you," Fluttershy said.

"How about… a group hug?" Pinkie suggested with open arms. “Hugs are always gooood!!!” Right off the bat, everyone joined in and hugged each other. Everyone was excited about their two friends getting engaged and couldn't wait for the day when they would finally watch them unite in holy matrimony.

"I can't wait to attend the bachelor party, too," Soarin said.

“That also gave me an idea, girls, Soarin could you please join me real quick in the back of the cafe?” Cheese asked them. “There’s something we should discuss for the future husband and wife here.” He winked at Israel and Fluttershy before the group joined Cheese, away from the couple where they couldn’t hear them.

Fluttershy held Israel’s hand while looking at each other, a little confused . “What do you think they’re talking about?” She wondered.

“I honestly don’t know, Flutters.” Israel replied. “Maybe they’re just planning something special for us.” The group of friends already came back to them with all big smiles on their faces. 

"Ooh," Pinkie said. "Boys can be so secretive, am I right?"

"It's not all that different from you girls being so secretive," Israel chuckled.

"True. But anyways, congratulations on your engagement, you two," Twilight said.

"Thanks, Twilight," Israel replied. He gave his fiance one more hug, then a kiss on the cheek, making her giggle. Today was a great day, but it was only getting a whole lot better from there.
> A Kind and Prosperous Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Fluttershy and Israel told their friends about their engagement at Sugar cafe, it didn’t take long for their classmates to hear this wonderful news. A new week has started and the happy couple was heading to the cafeteria for some lunch together. When they arrived, they're suddenly bombarded with cheers from their classmates. They were confused about why they were being cheered on, until they heard these comments.

"Way to go, lovebirds!" Yelled a fellow classmate.

“Congratulations to both of you!!!” Yelled another student.

"Let's hear it for their engagement! Hip hip…!" Yelled another one.

"HOORAY!!!" everyone shouted. Israel chuckled nervously while Fluttershy hid her face behind her long, pink hair. 

“Well, I certainly didn't see this coming. Did you, sweetheart?" Israel asked.

"N-No, but… I feel kinda embarrassed to be praised by so many people like this. I don't know if I can handle all this," Fluttershy said, timidly.

"Aww, there there, Flutters. If you want, we can always eat somewhere else. The whole campus has plenty of private spots to eat our food," Israel implied.

“T-that would be nice, thank you, Sweetie,” Fluttershy smiled.

Nodding, Israel takes his fiance by the hand and takes her to get their food. Israel pays the cashier after getting his bacon double cheeseburger and Fluttershy getting herself a nice vegetable burger. Afterwards, he takes Fluttershy with him to a special spot on campus under a large tree by the fountain, which was at the center.

Israel and Fluttershy bite into their burgers, sitting close and snuggling each other. "You know something that I just noticed, Flutters?"

“What did you just notice then, Izzy?” Fluttershy wondered.

"Nearly everyone knows about our engagement except our families. How do you think they'll react when they hear that we're gonna be husband and wife soon?" Israel asked.

"I'm sure they'll be just as happy as our friends are. Granted, Twilight was kinda worried, thinking we were moving a bit too fast. But she did come around," Fluttershy explained. 

"I suppose you're right. Still… I just hope that when we do get married, I won't be such a disappointing husband. I know it sounds silly, but I can be really insecure about myself sometimes," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Izzy, sometimes even couples argue. We've argued sometimes, too, but we worked out our differences in the end. If I wasn't sure about marriage, I wouldn't have accepted your proposal, but I agreed to marry you because I know you'll be a wonderful husband. You gave me courage, hope and most importantly… you gave me love," Fluttershy said before giving him a tender kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Flutters. I promise you… I won't let you down," he replied, holding her hand.

“I know you won’t, Sweetie and I promise won’t let you down, ever.” She gave him a lovely kiss on the lips. “I love you, Israel Yabuki.”

"I love you too, Fluttershy," he replied.





Soon, came the day of the bachelor and the bachelorette party. Neither Israel nor Fluttershy knew about it because their friends had kept it a secret from them. They wanted to surprise them with a special get-together at Equestria Land.

Fluttershy was on one side of the amusement park with all of the girls and Israel was on the other side of the park with all the guys. Fluttershy and all the girls were dressed up in special gowns, celebrating their timid friend's engagement.

"I'm just so proud of you, honey. You've made us all so proud," Mrs. Shy said, hugging her daughter, crying tears of joy. Fluttershy hugged her mother back, feeling so glad her mother is supporting her. 

"I'll say. I never expected you would get engaged and to my son, no less. I'm really glad he's found himself a future bride who's so sweet with him. Now, I need you to promise that you'll take good care of my mijo," Christina said.

"Oh, daughter dear, no need to worry. She's a sweetheart. She knows exactly what she's doing and she's got a bright future ahead of her just like Israel. True, he's gotten himself into some tight spots, but he's a strong, young man and he's got this lovely young lady to keep him company, too," Israel's grandma said.

Her name was Eva, she's been married to her husband, Eddie for years, never divorced even once, the living example of a kind and prosper couple. A proud mother to her 2 boys and 2 girls.

"Thanks, Eva," Fluttershy said.

"I still can't believe he came up with the money to buy that nice ring for you. I thought he might've had to sell his gaming system and video games just to get that thing," Israel's aunt Yvette joked. 

"Yeah right, he'd rather give up pizza than to sell his games, the little brat," Christina joked. The girls all laughed it off, as did Fluttershy.

"But in the end, he spent most of his summer vacation, pulling in as many overtimes as he could, saving up every penny just so he could propose to me properly," Fluttershy said, showing off the ring on her finger.

"Tell us, what are your plans for after you get married? Are you planning on having kids? You gonna move into a nice house?" Israel's aunt Suki asked. She was married to his uncle Richard and a mother to her 2 sons and 1 daughter. She's what her family calls a tough mama.

"Well… not yet. We still need to finish college. Then, after we graduate, we're gonna find some decent jobs and then we'll save up for a nice house and raise some bundles of joy," Fluttershy said, receiving nods of approval from her friends and family.

Meanwhile with the guys, they were all laughing their hearts out when Israel told them the struggles he endured to save up and purchase Fluttershy's ring. Every single man their group was wearing a tuxedo.

"Jeez, dude, you're a regular workaholic," Soarin chuckled.

"You need to slow down your engine or you'll wind up breaking down faster," Cheese said.

"Yeah, take it from me, mijo," said an older male voice. Said voice came from Israel's grandpa, Eddie and he was a jolly, kind and loving grandpa and just as supportive as his wife. He likes to joke around, but still shows love to his family. "I'll need your strength for cutting my grass, hehe."

"Hah! Well I'll keep that in mind, grandpa," Israel replied, smiling.

"And I'm very proud of you, too," Mr. Shy said. "I know you'll always keep caring for my daughter the way you're doing now, so you have my utmost blessings."

“So am I,” Zephyr added while ruffling Israel’s long, silver hair. “If you need me to give your hair a little makeover, I’d be happy to give you one. Free of charge of course.” 

"Well, at least now I know who to turn to," Israel chuckled.

"Mijo, you've went and made us all proud. Just be sure not to take her to a bunch of pizza restaurants every day for dinner," his uncle Eddie Jr said. He was also a father to his 1 son and 2 daughters, but his wife, Lorraine divorced him some time ago and now he's re-married to his new wife, Marie, who's just as kind.

"Relax, Tio Junior, I know how to get by. I'm cutting back on the pepperoni," Israel chuckled.

"You'd better. A woman's a lot more important than pizza. Oh and just between us, I wouldn't tell her about… that room," his uncle Ricard whispered. Richard was married to his aunt Suki and has two sons and one daughter. Just like his uncle Eddie Junior and his grandpa, they all have one thing in common that Israel's dad can never begin to comprehend: being a devoted father.

"Shh, don't mention that room on a day like this," Israel whispered back. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure I got it all covered, so there's no need to worry." he said aloud.

“So, are just gonna stand here and joke around all day or are we gonna have some fun in that rollercoaster over there?” Soarin asked the group. “Rainbow Dash told me you should at least try it once, it’ll be totally awesome.”

"He's right. We've got the whole day to have fun, so let's take this party to the house!" Cheese exclaimed, raising his cup of fruit punch. All the other guys, including the groom-to-be, shouted with glee and ran over to the rollercoaster.

Meanwhile, the girls decided to go to the haunted house on the far left side of the park. Everyone was ready to get scared by the creepy things inside but Fluttershy had second thoughts about going in.

“Oh girls, I don’t know about this.” Fluttershy said doubtfully.

“Come on Fluttershy, the things inside that haunted house aren't real.” Christina assured her future daughter-in-law.

“She’s right, besides we’ll all stay with ya.” Applejack said comfortably, “We’re sticking with ya like caramel on a candy apple.”

“Especially if there’s candy apples in there!!!” Pinkie yelled while liking her lips. Everyone looked at her confused. “What? Those things are good you know!”

“Alright then,” Fluttershy sighed in relief. “If you all stay with me then I’ll go inside the haunted house then.”

“Now you’re talking, Fluttershy!” Rainbow pats her shy friend. “Let’s go in girls!”

The girls all went inside, all eager to get scared of all the creepy things that awaits them. After roughly 5 minutes the entire group ran outside screaming in terror. Fluttershy was the last one out while shrugging her shoulders like she wasn't scared at all. “It’s wasn’t all that scary, girls. Shall we do it again?”

“Enope!” Applejack quickly replied.

“Absolutely not!” Yvette agreed with Applejack.”I don’t want to get a heart attack from that giant spider that suddenly dropped on my face!”

“I’ll pass!” Rainbow chimed in.

“Me too,” Sunset said.

“Me three!” Pinkie added.

"Listen to ourselves, we're quaking in our heels, yet she's unfazed," Eva said.

"If she's been watching scary movies with my son, it's no wonder she's not scared," Christina said.

"So, what are we gonna do next? Any suggestions?” Twilight asked the group.

"How about the Ferris Wheel?” Rarity offered. “That will give us a nice view of the entire park and who knows? We might see the boys somewhere, too.”

"Oh, that's lovely," Fluttershy said.

"Well then, what are we waiting for, ladies?" Pinkie said, zooming off towards the Ferris Wheel and the rest of the girls followed her close behind. 

“Now, hold on!” Applejack stopped everyone. “Is anyone here afraid of heights?”

"I am," Christina said, laughing. "But I'll still ride the thing. Wait for me, girls."

Back with Israel and his friends, they were on the big rollercoaster that was about to descend for the third time.

"Get 'er done! COME ON, RUSTY!!!" Israel exclaimed excitedly in a southern accent. Right as he said that, the right quickly rode down the ramp. "WEEEE-HEEEEE!!!" He shouted again.

The other boys shouted excitedly with the groom-to-be. All but Zephyr Breeze who was not feeling so well. “Ooow, why did I ever agree, for a third time?” He moaned as he tried to hold it in. His cheeks were starting to turn bright green. 

"Hang in there, Zephyr, this ride will be over sooner than you thi-i-i-i-ink!!!" Cheese said, hitting some bumpy parts of the ride.

Later, after the ride finished, Zephyr rushed out of the ride and dunked his head in one of the nearest trash cans, making those retching noises. Mr. Shy was with his son, patting him gently on the back, comforting him. 

"Okay that's on me. My bad," Israel said.

"Mijo… next time… we're riding it one time only, because I almost lost my lunch," his uncle Junior said.

"Can we ride something more relaxing now?” Soarin asked, still feeling a little dizzy. “I don’t want to end up like Zephyr over there.”

“We can go to the Ferris Wheel, next if you guys want,” Israel suggested. “It’s calm, slow and has a great view on top.”

"I thought you were scared of heights," his uncle Richard teased.

"Ferris Wheels are an exception, Tio," Israel replied, smirking.

“I’m all up for it,” Cheese said, the rest of the group were quick to agree too.. 

“The Ferris wheel it is then!” Israel said, “let’s go everyone!”

With everyone recovered from the rollercoaster ride, they make their way towards the next Equestria Land attraction. 

With the ride still going, the boys got in line and waited patiently until they each got their turns and rode the Ferris Wheel up to the top. Each of them were chilling out and basking in the joy of the view of the park and the city.

"Oh yeah, this is the life," Israel said.

"You said it. I've been dying to get some pictures from this amazing view!” Cheese replied while taking pictures with his phone.

“Just chilling and relaxing, no worries.” Soarin said, placing his hands on the back of his head, enjoying the view some more.

Suddenly, their thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the girls from down below, waving and calling out to them. The boys chuckled, waving back at their friends and beloved family. 

The boys even shouted in excitement, making the girls laugh. All of them were having a wonderful time at their favorite theme park. After their ride was over, it was now time to get something to eat as the sun was about to set. 

Soarin and Cheese had recommended the delicious spaghetti for Israel and Fluttershy. They even had the generosity to pay for their food, even if Israel did have some cash leftover. So, after waiting for a few minutes, the spaghetti was brought to their table.

"Well, cheers to us, Flutters," Israel said.

"Yep. It does look delicious," she said. After taking a bite, their taste buds tingled, like they were singing and dancing to this delicious flavor. Next thing they knew, Cheese had gotten out his accordion and started playing. On top of that, he also started singing.

Soarin even got out his guitar and performed with Cheese. It caught the engaged couple off-guard and wondered if they planned all of this. They found it pretty amusing, yet nice that they were making their party extra special.

The couple kept eating until their plate was nearly finished. They slurped up one of the spaghetti noodles and wind up connecting their lips without paying attention. Fluttershy blushed and let go, turning away with a flushed smile, hiding her cute face in her hair. Israel, being the gentleman she is, gave the leftover spaghetti to Fluttershy. She looked at her fiance with her twinkling, teal eyes, smiling happily at the man she's happy about marrying.

Suddenly, after Soarin and Cheese finished their singing number, Fluttershy's and Israel's families all sang together to complete this lovely night. Israel was surprised to think that his buddies got his and Fluttershy's family involved.

Settling in the mood, Israel and Fluttershy sat closer together, holding hands, Fluttershy nuzzling into Israel's shoulder. For it seemed like the heavens are right on this lovely Bella Notte.





The months rolled by and all the preparations were finally put together. It was a beautiful Winter day, with the snow falling gracefully, covering the entire city in a blanket of snow. Everyone who was invited was eager to see two lovebirds join in holy matrimony at the wondrous Canterlot Grand Church.

In one part of the church, Fluttershy was in a dressing room, wearing her beautiful white wedding dress with spring green trims. Her friends and bridesmaids were all there to help her as she was getting cold feet as Rarity was fixing the wedding veil.

"Look at you, darling. You're simply divine. I'm so proud of you, Fluttershy dear. To think that you're finally getting married," Rarity said. "Aren't you excited darling?"

"I… w-well, o-o-of course I am. I just… I feel like I'm gonna mess up when I walk out onto there and… everyone will laugh at me or something. What if Israel saw me and… and…" Fluttershy is stopped by Sunset.

"Fluttershy, he won't laugh at you. He loves you very much. You two have been going out for quite some time and I'm sure he's feeling the pressure about getting married, too. It's normal for couples to have cold feet when their wedding day has finally come. Ask yourself this: why did Israel ask to marry you?"

"B...Because he loves me?" Fluttershy asks.

"That's right. And do you know why he loves you?" Sunset asks.

"I… w-w-well, I…" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Because you were there for him. You offered him friendship, you got him on your family's good side and also… you gave him your love and he returned it because he found out how much you mean to him. So don't worry, I'm positive he would never do anything to hurt you," Sunset said.

"Y...You're right. Thanks, Sunset. Thank you… all of you, for being such amazing friends," Fluttershy said. The girls all gave the bride a big group hug, some of them shedding tears of happiness and joy.

While they were having their tender moment, the groom was going through some cold feet of his own, taking deep breaths and looking at himself in the mirror. "Okay, just relax, Israel, you didn't come this far just to flake out on Fluttershy," he said to himself, slapping his cheeks lightly.

“Whoa, there man, don’t do that to yourself,” Soarin said.

"Sorry. I just never felt this kind of pressure before. It's way different than singing in front of an audience, you know?" Israel asked. "I'm supposed to be excited that I'm getting married, but here I am, getting weak in the knees. If Fluttershy saw me right now, she'd probably laugh like it was some bad comedy. What kind of groom am I to be scared of something like this?"

"Relax, even grooms get cold feet. My dad was the same way when he married my mom. Couples go through this sort of thing every time when they're about to get hitched. Plus, if I know Fluttershy better than anyone, she's sensitive about how others feel and I have a feeling she would never laugh at you if she could see you right now," Soarin said.

"He's right. She's just as kind and caring as you are. Chin up and hold your head up high, this is your big day. Plus, it was a real genius idea for you to book your wedding on Christmas, buddy," Cheese said, looking outside, at the city of Canterlot, covered with snow and fresh sparkling snowflakes were falling from the sky. 

"Yeah… come to think of it… I wanted it to be on Christmas, because there's something about the Winter snow that always makes me smile," Israel said.

"You always did have a different perspective from other people, Israel. And that's what we like about our buddy," Soarin said before checking his watch. "It's time for us to head back."

"Well, good luck, Israel. Now put on a big smile, get out there… and marry that beautiful Christmas angel," Cheese said, giving him a bro hug, same with Soarin before the best men walked out with the groom after he finished fixing his black and white tuxedo. Israel looked out at the audience, seeing the smiling faces of his friends and his family. 

He could also hear the sound of a man bawling his eyes out, making him chuckle. He can only guess that it was Twilight's older brother, Shining Armor. He always did have a soft spot for weddings. But he never knew why, though.

Moments later, the orchestra began their special symphony once it was time for the bride to come.The doors opened and as the flower girls, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came in, scattering the pedals, Fluttershy followed them close behind with her father walking next to her. She was holding a special bouquet specially made from her dear friend Wallflower Blush.

Fluttershy felt her heart racing a million miles, but out of joy and excitement. She saw her handsome groom looking at her wide eyed at how beautiful she looked. It made Fluttershy blush a little as she came closer to him. 

"What a perfectly beautiful little angel," Israel whispered quietly to himself.

As the two were at the altar where Israel was waiting for them, Mr. Shy let go of his beloved daughter and took his seat next to his loving wife on the front row. 

The orchestra finished their song and the priest cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite this man and woman together in holy matrimony. This young couple has agreed to take the next big step in their lives, knowing full well that it is not to be taken lightly. Marriage is not just the joining of two people, but two souls, two worlds into one family."

As he continued, Israel and Fluttershy did not take their eyes away from each other. They felt so happy that they both were standing here today, ready to be married. Gone were the doubts, they felt only love and compassion for each other. 

"Fluttershy, do you take Israel to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor and nurture through sickness and in health, rich or poor, good times and bad for as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked.

"I do," Fluttershy nodded.

"Israel, do you take Fluttershy to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and nurture through sickness and in health, rich or poor, good times and bad for as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked again.

"I do," he replied.

The priest nodded and called for the ring bearer afterwards. Quickly, Spike, all dressed up in his cute little doggy tux walked up, holding a pillow in his mouth with the two rings on it while the crowd went "aww." Spike loved the attention, but kept walking until he was directly underneath the couple. They grabbed the rings and placed them on each other's left hand while Spike watched.

"By the power vested in me in the city of Canterlot, I now pronounce this couple… husband and wife." The priest said. "You may now kiss the bride."

Israel approaches Fluttershy and lifted the wedding veil before pulling his wife in for a kiss, sealing their bond forever and ever. Fluttershy kissed him back, receiving applause from their friends and family. After separating their lips, Fluttershy tossed her bouquet towards the bridesmaids and her friends.

“MINE!” Rarity yelled and pushed nearly all her friends aside, she jumped up to catch it but only managed to tap it. The bouquet fell in another direction…. Right in Sunset’s hands. 

Holding the beautiful flowers now in her own hands, Sunset looked up at her lover, who was blushing madly at her.

“It looks like we know which one of us is going to marry next. Still, that was a good try my precious jewel.” Applejack comforted her pouting girlfriend. “I know how you feel right now. But trust me, our special day will happen one of these days, Ah promise.”   

“I know, dear Applejack and I’ll look forward to that day. I just hoped that I could’ve at least caught that bouquet.” Rarity said as she still felt a little sad but she managed to smile a little at the comfort her girlfriend was giving her.

"Someday ya will," AJ said before kissing Rarity on the lips. Meanwhile, Israel and Fluttershy kept staring at each other as they walked down the aisle, receiving applause from their friends and family. Shining was crying again and this time Zephyr was crying along with him. They both hugged each other and continued their wailing.

Shortly after their marriage, everyone went back to Sweet Apple Acres. The married couple traveled in style in a nice limo. Inside, they looked out their windows, watching the snow fall gracefully down to the ground. Christmas decorations were hung in nearly every place and what made it even more magical was the giant Christmas tree set up near the town square.

"Just look, Flutters… it's truly a Christmas miracle," Israel said.

"Mhmm, it's so magical. I still can't believe it… I'm finally married," Fluttershy said, nuzzling into her new husband's shoulder.

"Same here… honey," Israel replied, nuzzling his wife back. "And I'm married to the cutest, precious little angel." Israel booped Flutters right on the nose, making her giggle. Israel could not handle the cuteness of his wife, so he pulled her in and cuddled her, kissing her cheek, then she hugged him back.

"Yay," she whispered in his ear.

“You’re so adorable when you say that.” Israel said with a blushing face. “It makes me want to hug you again and never let you go.”

“I love you, Israel Yabuki.”  

"I love you too, Fluttershy."

The rest of the trip, the couple said nothing and just cuddled until they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres with everyone else. They exited the limo and walked down the path. Right away, their friends and family applauded, welcoming and congratulating them on their marriage.

The couple, along with their families and friends went inside the giant red barn that was neatly decorated with Christmas decorations. In the back was a table stacked with presents for the married couple. In the middle a long table for everyone to sit down and eat all the delicious treats that were made by Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich and the entire Apple family. The wedding cake was all thanks to Pinkie and Cheese, with the help of the Cakes. The barn also had a big dance floor with a small stage on the left with a DJ set, thanks to Rainbow Dash and Soarin's help.

Everyone, made their way to the long table and took their seats with their name tag on it. With just about everyone finally seated, everyone continued to chat until it was time to eat, but first!

“Speech, speech, speech!!!” Pinkie yelled excitedly while bouncing up and down. 

 “Alright, alright sweet sugarbomb of mine,” Cheese calmed her down. “Just give them a chance to stand up.” Cheese then stood up and clinged a spoon to his glass a few times, getting all eyes on him. "Attention, good people. I would like to propose a toast for our newly wedded couple, Fluttershy and Israel. I've known Israel for years and have never been more proud of him to finally find himself a cute wife to call his own. I also want to thank Fluttershy for giving my buddy the happiness he truly deserved."

Fluttershy blushed and smiled timidly. Israel hugged Fluttershy while listening to his buddy's amazing speech.

"And most importantly, these lovebirds started listening deep inside their hearts to discover all that they could. Now… a toast to the newlyweds!" Cheese said.

The entire table raised their glasses of champagne or apple cider and clinked with everyone for the newly married couple. Soon after, the waiters arrived, serving the delicious food for the entire family. After everyone got their plate, the new family started to dig in. 

Some time after they finished their plates, it was time for the Wedding cake. It was a white, 5 layer cake, decorated with whipped cream, frosting roses and on top a miniature version of the married couple. Principal Celestia already licked her lips as she loves cake so much.

"Now dear sister. It's traditional for the newlyweds to cut the cake and have first serving," Luna said, holding her hungry sister back.

"I know… but it just looks so delicious!" Celestia said.
 
“You’ll get your piece of the cake like everyone else. Await your turn, dear sister.” Luna reasoned.

"Oh alright. It is for our former students, after all. Still, you have to admit, they did come a long way and accomplished so much in such a small amount of time.” 

“I couldn’t agree more with you… Tia.” Luna teased her older sister. “Seems like it was only yesterday since they graduated. You know, the one thing I could ever wish for… is to have them around for one last year."

"I know, sister. But children have to grow up and leave to start their own lives," Celestia reasoned. “Besides, haven’t you found someone you’d consider dating? Is it that History teacher from Crystal Prep perhaps hmmm? What was his name again? Sombra?” She elbowed her little sister teasingly.

“Speak for yourself Tia,” Luna remarked “What’s going on between you and our art teacher, Discord?" Luna asked.

"Oh, I guess I just have a thing for chaotic and creative art teachers," Celestia said. "I can already picture us making so many memories and eventually sharing them with our kids."

“Take one step at the time Tia, no need to rush things otherwise you’ll miss all the fun you’ll have before the big step,” she winked at her sister.

 "I know what I'm doing, Luna," Tia chuckled, while brushing it off.

After everyone ate a few pieces of the delicious wedding cake -with Tia eating 5 in total- Applejack walked over to the stage and took the microphone, tapping on it to get everyone’s attention. 

“Good afternoon everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the tasty food that me, Granny Smith along with my friends Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich all prepared for ya.” The entire table cheered in agreement, making Applejack smile that she received so much praise from her cooking skills. “But now it’s time to lose some energy on the dancefloor and I have brought y'all a very special guest to start things off.” 

“Wait a minute, the list I’ve made didn’t say anything about a special guest.” Twilight whispered in a panicking tone to Sunset. 

“I think it's a surprise for Fluttershy and Israel from the Apple family. No need to worry, little miss Adorkable,” Sunset whispered back. 

“How do you know that?”

“Because Rainbow Dash and Soarin also have no clue who this ‘special guest’ is, look!” Sunset pointed to the two a few seats away who were equally confused.

“Everybody! Meet my best friend Rara! Also, known as the one and only singin' sensation, Countess Coloratura!!!”

Nearly, every girl that was invited to the wedding started squealing as they couldn’t believe who Applejack just called.  

“Countess Coloratura, here for our wedding?” Fluttershy said surprised. “Oh my!”

"I've heard about her. She's one of my idols. I listened to some of her best songs," Israel said, holding in his excitement as best as he possibly could. 

A beautiful, young lady with light grey skin and long, dark blue hair, wearing a dark dress stepped up the stage, happily giving Applejack a hug before she took the microphone. “Thank you, Applejack and thank you all for coming over to this beautiful wedding of Fluttershy and Israel.” She then looked at the couple with a kind smile. “Fluttershy, Israel, allow me to congratulate you on your amazing marriage. May all your wishes come true and have a wonderful future of true love and happiness.”

Everyone ‘awed’ from the compliment that Rara gave to the two lovebirds. Soon, the barn went dark with only the spotlight on Rara still shining. A piano began to play as Rara started to sing her song for them. 

Israel stood up and offered his hand to his dear Fluttershy. “I believe that’s our cue for our opening dance, Flutters.”

She giggled at his gentleman’s attitude. “Don’t mind if I do, Sweetie,” as she gladly took his hand and made their way to the dancefloor.

They held each other and danced in rhythm with the beat, smiling at each other and having a wonderful time. Everyone else joined together, grabbing their dance partners and they all started dancing to the wonderfully beautiful song that Rara was singing. 

Rara performed so well, she might've even blown the roof off the barnhouse. When the song was done, Rara received applause from everyone and took a bow. 

"Thank you, everyone. Fluttershy, Israel, I hope life treats you kind and that you have all you dreamed of having. I wish both of you joy and happiness. But above all, I wish both of you everlasting love," Rara said.

"Thanks, Rara. We're glad you could come by for the party," Israel said.

"I agree. You just made our wedding day extra special, Rara," Fluttershy said.

"Hey guys, look up at the sky!" Rainbow said, pointing outside. “It’s the northern lights!!!”

“What?! Are you sure Dashie?” Pinkie bounced over to her to see it for herself and gasped at the beautiful sight. “It’s true everyone! Come out and look. It looks amazing!!!”

The guests all walked over to the entrance of the barn to see the northern lights themselves. Many were surprised at this. Some of them took out their cellphones to take pictures of this rare phenomenon in the sky. The couples under them, took their loving partners together and held each other close, looking up at the beautiful sky.

Fluttershy and Israel were standing in the middle of the crowd. They too were gazing at the beautiful colors in the dark, night sky. “It’s so beautiful, I feel even more happy and relaxed right now.” Fluttershy rested her head on Israel’s shoulder and sighed. 

"Me too, honey… me too," Israel replied. Wrapping his arm around his wife, he gazed back down into her sparkling eyes and gave her another kiss. She kissed him back, lifting one of her legs up doing so, feeling so happy.

As the Northern lights continued to shine throughout the city, the kind and prosper couple continued to embrace each other as they were now gonna finally live happily ever after.