//------------------------------//
// A Day Out Can Be More Taxing Than Anticipated 
// Story: My Little Mages: After Effects 
// by dracone 
//------------------------------//

	Fluttershy took a look at the paw of a squirrel that was waiting patiently for her as she examined it. “I’m sorry,” said the yellow clad druid in her usual soft voice, “but I can’t seem to find what’s causing your paw to hurt, are you sure it’s not something else.” The squirrel did some chittering for a minute or so, Fluttershy took a glance at her own hands for a moment before saying, “did you try picking up anything bigger than usual or taking a load bigger than you normally do?” The squirrel chittered again. “I think I know what’s wrong, you just have a sore paw, give it a rest for a few days and it should be fine, and if not I have a salve that should help you, but it’s only for extreme cases of pain.”
Once Fluttershy headed into her cottage, which seemed to be a weeping birch, the squirrel gave the white rabbit that had been sitting next to the yellow-clad druid an angry look. The rabbit said nothing and just gave it stern look. Just as the two were beginning to size each other up Fluttershy returned with a small jar that contained the cream-like salve. She gently rubbed into the Squirrel’s paw, “Now, don’t go using it for the next couple of days or you’ll make it so we’re back to doing this whole thing again.” The squirrel chittered and scurried off.
Fluttershy gave a smile before heading back inside to do some inventory. Angel gave the birds that were eating the seed that had been set out for them with suspicion before heading back into the cottage himself. As expected there was a small tray of leafy greens next to a small cup of carrot juice in the usual spot. The white rabbit gave the dish and cup a quick sniff to make sure they were not unappetizing then proceeded to down them.The sound of a pen on a pad told him that Fluttershy was writing down a list of things that were close to needing a restock or were completely empty from the abode.


****************************

A few hours after her morning home routine Fluttershy was walking the market. She needed to get more seed for the birds, more nuts and berries for the squirrels and chipmunks, the wasps and bees needed more nectar and pollen (for some reason they weren’t satisfied with the flowering plants she had at the cottage), Harry (the bear) seemed to want to try some kinds of fruit so she was going to need to get some, and on top of all that she needed to restock her personal food supplies.
She did not like going to market, it wasn’t that the rest of others were ever truly cruel to her, but she knew she was often on the shorter end of any deal no matter what anyone said. And she knew why, the Magiville open market was place mostly ran by haggling, and Fluttershy was terrible at it. She took out her bit bag and looked inside, she didn’t have a lot of bits, hopefully just enough. The yellow clad druid flashed back to her last visit to the market, then gave an involuntary shiver when she recalled what happened when she had accidentally spilled her bit bag, thankfully at the time there were some crows and ravens nearby help her get most of what had been dropped before the frenzied mob made a dive at the glittering coins like they were hungry fish that had just had some fruit fall in the pond. (Well to fair that’s how she remembered it, it was more like three kids noticing a change to get what was to them some pocket change).
When she got to town it looked like the shopping craze either hadn’t gotten into the swing of things, or had just recently died down, either ways she was grateful that she didn’t have to deal with large crowds on her shopping excursion. Unfortunately that relief was short lived, almost every stall she managed to line up for got sold out, mostly because people kept cutting in front of her and she didn’t do much in terms of asserting herself. By the time half her allotted shopping time had elapsed she only managed to get about an eighth of what she had on her list and spent almost a quarter what she had thought she would in the process.

She dipped her head in defeat when she heard, “Fluttershy, Darling, what brings you to market?” It was Rarity and with her was Pinkie Pie, both with bags full of goods.

Pinkie Pie skipped over to Fluttershy, “Yeah, you normally don’t come here, and if you were low on food you would go to Sweet Apple Temple and get what you need from Applejack.” Pinkie Pie commented, looking over Fluttershy, “and if you needed medical supplies for your animals you would get the surplus from the town veterinarian.” Pinkie Pie then saw the bag of food Fluttershy had, “Things you can’t get from Applejack?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Also, I cannot always rely on Applejack’s help, and she has other things to take care of, I cannot rely on her charity all my life.” Fluttershy said trying to sound like things were better than it was for her.

Rarity gave Fluttershy an ‘I can’t believe that and you’re lying to yourself’ look, but said nothing. “So, what do you need help getting?” Fluttershy reached to get her list and almost dropped her bag, but Pinkie Pie managed to catch it. Rarity looked the list over. “Darling, you should consider arriving close to dawn. But perhaps Pinkie and I can help you get the rest.” She looked up as saw another resident with one of the items Fluttershy. “Sometimes you’ll have to make deals with other patrons of the market.” She closed one of her eyes and as she returned the list, “Everyone has their price, the trick is to know the currency, dear.” holding up her right index finger. She walked over the person, a man about her age. “Excuse me, darling, but would you be able to help out a poor girl with getting a few items.” She said faltering with the male patron.
“Um, well, I am not sure.” he said nervously, as if he thought he was getting ripped off but was not sure about to handle the scene.

Rarity noticed the man’s hesitation, “You see my friend here,” she then gestured to Fluttershy, “is in need for some of asparagus and she arrived after they were all sold, I know it’s first come first served, but could you find it in your heart to part with what what she needs. Such an act of generosity is highly commended.” Rarity continued as she closed the distance and batted bedroom eyes at him as she placed her hands over her heart.
“Well… maybe…” the man said still in doubt, but after receiving a kiss on his right cheek. He froze-melted with a satisfied grin on his face
“You are a marvelous man, Now there is the matter of the exchange. You’re a winter, so how about a jewel-coloured scheme suit for your next date.” Rarity offered looking the man over.
“Well actually I could use a new suit, but you what about…”
“Normal rate minus the price of the asparagus, do we have deal.”
“Deal.” The man said as he offered his right hand to the enchantress.
“Deal, shall we Pinkie Promise it, you know the one?” Rarity asked. The two crossed their hearts with their right hands crossed their hands in front of their chest making wings and moved them to make them flap. They then brought their right hands up and covered their right eyes, all the while saying “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” The man then handed the asparagus over. “So how does tomorrow one hour after midday, sound for the measuring?” Rarity asked. The man nodded and headed off. Rarity then turned back to the Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. As she placed the asparagus in Fluttershy’s bag. “See.” 
Pinkie Pie then took Fluttershy’s list, “I’ll help you with this. Watch and learn.” Pinkie Pie then skipped towards a booth with one of the items on the list. 
The shop vendor looked around warily, he knew what a Pinkie Promise meant, especially when you took the pink clad mage who seemed to have made it her personal thing, “I’m sorry, but I can’t make a promise like that,” Pinkie gave him an annoyed look, “but I can vow to honor this deal for the day, if I did more than that my reputation as merchant could possibly take a hit.” Pinkie gave curt nod before throwing down the coins and picking up her gains and skipping over Fluttershy to deposit her purchase in the druid’s bag.
At the next stall, which was selling a variety of berries being operated by a woman in a cranberry red dress with blueberry colored hair, Pinkie acted as a shopping assistant by prompting Fluttershy with a variety of odd queues that got increasingly bizarre as the negotiations continued. In the end she managed to get four small bags of various berries not usually found around the town’s area for a little under half the original asking price, after being prompted to get more berries from Pinkie. After she had finished and was setting everything in her shopping bags she heard and saw Pinkie somehow manage to negotiate a preorder of four carts worth of various berries for only about fifteen bits.
The next stall had Rarity acting as an aid, her prompts were much more subdued and less odd than Pinkie’s. The stall in question was a soap and lotion establishment, seeing it reminded her how low and out she was on cleaning materials for some of the animals she looked after. That experience ended with her getting twice as much as she was initially after for half the price she would have for her original goal.
The practice would have continued on until her bags were filled, but Pinkie managed to direct her towards a stall selling bags, and as a test to see how their help had stuck they had Fluttershy buy the new bags herself. They were thoroughly disappointed, yet unsurprised, when Fluttershy just took the asking price for the three large bags she asked for, although the merchant had been so disappointed her her haggling skills he had given her an extra medium sized bag for free along with a note that told her about some seminars on business and assertiveness along with their dates and locations, one of which would be happening near Magiville soon. After that she was dragged around shopping for another solid hour.


*********************************

Fluttershy was finally back home, spending time with her friends had made her shopping experience more productive than most would think. The yellow clad druid gave a sigh of defeat as she set her bags down in the kitchen, she always had problems with her assertiveness, she took a look at the note again as she put everything away on instinct, even managing to navigate the near hectic post shopping house with such practiced ease that anyone watching would have believed some kind of rehearsed act. The note said someone named “Iron Will” would be giving a motivational course on assertiveness near Magiville in a few weeks.
Fluttershy decided if she didn’t have anything pressing going at that time she would take a look at the whole thing, but probably wouldn’t stay for the whole show. Fluttershy wasn’t like most other people, her lack of assertiveness did seem to allow her to see things in a bit more realistic manner. It had been her input that had managed to get Rainbow Dash to work on doing the elementalists current job, mostly by acting as a ground for Rainbow’s almost storm-like expectations. The two had known each other since before the rest of their friends had entered their lives, just as she had acted as a ground for Rainbow Dash it had been Rainbow that found ways to nudge Fluttershy outside of her comfort zone. There was time before the seminar.
Speaking of the azure clad elementalist Fluttershy felt she should let Pinkie know a few things about Rainbow, after all Rainbow’s big day was drawing ever closer. Fluttershy shivered at remembering Rainbow’s attempt to plan her own birthday party, the results were still cringe worthy after all the time that had passed since then. She turned her attention to her animals, most of whom were already eating, to see Angel sizing up his deep green salad and glass of an odd green liquid, said liquid was several blended fruits and vegetables, Fluttershy had tried the mix and had found it to be tasty so she figured she would share some with Angel. After giving the drink a tentative sniff and quick taste test of both his salad and the drink he got to work on consuming salad and beverage.