Fluttershy felt her knees shaking as she trotted through the never-ending streets of Manehattan, the package for Coco over her back. She shuddered as she found herself hitting a dead end. The whole city felt like it could swallow her in a gulp. She turned around, and hurried back out to the streets. There was a loud honk; her legs buckled, and she jumped three pony lengths into the air.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” shouted a random pony as he drove by her, visibly shaking his front foreleg out of his cart.
"I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said, sighing. How did I end up getting roped into a trip to Manehattan? I hate crowds, and this whole city is crazy, and filled with pony after pony. Though she tried her best to stay out of the way, she took a long, deep breath and continued onward.
All she had to do was simply deliver the materials to Coco's designer shop, and then she'd be able to go home.
"Oh...I really don't like this place. How can ponies live here? And what about the animals?" However, she knew she couldn't let Rarity down. No matter what, she had to persevere and get this package to her friend Coco. It would be nice to see her again, Fluttershy hadn't really seen her since Rarity's last fashion show.
“Hey, lady! Watch it!” shouted an angry pony. The cart he was driving passed only inches in front of her as she realized she’d wandered into the street.
“Oh my! I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy bleated as her ears drooped to the sides of her face. Fluttershy bit her bottom lip. She really just wanted to go home, but in the back of her mind it was like she could hear Rarity in her head. “Darling, you know I wouldn’t dare ask this of you if it wasn’t DIRE. This package has to get to Coco as soon as possible, and I just can’t go myself. As much as I’d love an excuse to visit the wonders, I’m simply far too busy. Please, Fluttershy?
Fluttershy weakly made her way across the crowded streets, she could feel the sweat running down her face. She huffed.
“Where even am I?” She took the map out of her saddlebag and looked over it. It's hard to tell what these places were, the names were a little familiar to her, but really she couldn’t deny she was completely lost. “What am I going to do now?”
She sat back on her hindquarters, forehooves on her face as she sniffled, when she felt a hoof upon her shoulder.
“Fluttershy?” asked the soft voice behind her.
Fluttershy tilted her head back to see who was talking to her, and her eyes widened in surprise. She felt the instant wave of relief washing over her. It was Coco Pummel. Fluttershy found herself staring; Coco was an earth pony, with an off white coat and deep blue mane and tail. She had a purple hat with a red feather coming out of it upon her flank.
“Oh, Coco, I’m just miserable out here; there’s so many ponies, and all these street names. I...I’m lost,” Fluttershy sniffled.
Coco sat down beside her, wrapping a foreleg around her friend as she nuzzled against her.
“Ssshhh, it’s okay. Manehattan is a really really big place. I used to get lost too,” she began sweetly. “And then you and your friends came along and showed me that I had the confidence I needed all along. Things didn’t need to be the way they were.”
“That was Rarity. I didn’t really do much.” Fluttershy sighed.
“It wasn’t just Rarity, all of you helped me. But that’s not why we’re here now. I do believe you’re lost and need a helping hoof. Why don’t you tell me where you need to go?” asked Coco.
Fluttershy blushed slightly and pointed at her.
“Actually, I’m supposed to deliver this package to you. Rainbow Dash was supposed to give it to you, but she couldn’t make it, so I um...offered to come.”
“Really? Wow. I’m flattered you’d do that for me. That takes a lot of courage,” Coco said, leaning over and kissing her cheek in a friendly regard.
Fluttershy blushed slightly. “It wasn’t too bad,” she said. The city made her queasy, but somehow Coco’s presence seemed to ease that.
“Well, thank you for coming all the way here just to give me this. Why don’t you stay awhile? I’m sure you’ve had enough stress for one day. There’s a train that leaves in the morning, I’ll make sure you have a ticket.”
“Oh no...I couldn’t bother you like that. I don’t want to be a burden.” Fluttershy whimpered, trying to bury herself under her mane. She felt Coco putting a hoof on her head.
“Hey now, come on. It’s nothing. It’s the least I can do to make it up to you. I know this couldn’t have been easy for you. This city is a madhouse, and for ponies like us, it’s…” she began searching for the right word, tapped her hoof to her chin.
“Terrifying,” Fluttershy said, shaking. Her lips trembled as they curled up into a soft caressing smile.
Coco Pummel stood up, extending her hoof towards Fluttershy, her smile a welcome candle amongst the darkest of nights.
She gently took her hoof, and then got into a cart to head back to her house.
Once they arrived, Coco told her to relax and just enjoy her stay. Fluttershy felt tense. She felt divided. The city had left her shaken and uneasy, but then again, seeing Coco again never came around all that often. “Would you like some tea?” offered Coco as she was in the kitchen, stirring up a meal for them both.
“Oh, I’d love some,” Fluttershy said, happily clapping her forehooves together. It was rather nice here.
“What kind would you like? I have this really nice blend of herbal teas I found in the market the other day. Oh boy, you would have hated those lines. There were ponies everywhere! But the tea was worth the wait.” Coco smiled as she walked into the kitchen to grab the kettle, awaiting Fluttershy’s response as she poured the hot water into the kettle to boil it.
“Anything is fine by me, I like all tea. If it helps, green tea is quite good.” Fluttershy giggled, thinking of Discord and his wild tea parties.
“Alright. I do hope you enjoy it here, I know my place isn’t the nicest.” Coco said, blushing slightly. There were fabrics to every side of the room; it looked like quite the chaotic mess. She felt flustered that Fluttershy was seeing this, and that it might change her view on her. Coco smiled sheepishly as she admired Fluttershy from afar. It must be nice to feel so important. Coco sighed slightly.
Fluttershy felt her eyes drifting back and forth all over the room. “Oh dear...the poor thing,” she said as she got up off the couch, and began to organize the fabrics by color. She wanted her to relax, but she could feel how stressed the poor dear was.
Coco walked in with the tea cups on a tray, noticing how organized the room was.
“Fluttershy…” she began, “why did you do all of this? You’re my guest. I don’t want you to exert yourself for my sake,” Coco said, as her face flushed darkly. She found her lips curling upwards into a beaming smile; her eyes softened.
“Oh, I didn’t mind. It wasn’t much honestly,” Fluttershy said as she smiled at Coco, accepting the cup of tea and sitting back on her haunches. “You really do have such a nice place. I can’t even imagine ever wanting to leave here, if I lived here.”
“Yeah, it is nice, but it’s lonely too. There aren’t many ponies that are like you and the rest of your friends. The ponies here are selfish, and quite rude; it’s rather a delightful treat to talk to someone pleasant for a change.” Coco smiled, then took a sip at her tea before continuing. “What about you?”
“Well...um. I haven’t done much. It’s enough of a job just to keep Discord’s affec…I mean attention. He can be quite a hoof full.”
“I can only imagine. It’s probably stressful to have the Lord of Chaos around.”
“Oh no. Discord is a good friend. He’s really come a long way.” Fluttershy smiled, bobbing her head up and down, and letting out a happy yay of excitement. “However...if you think I’m stressed. I can’t even imagine what you must be going through. I’ve often helped Rarity in the past with her projects. I actually know quite a lot about sewing. Would you like some help around here? I understand if you don’t want it, I just thought it’d be nice,” Fluttershy said as she flushed darkly. Being here feels so calm. She almost forgot that she was in a giant city surrounded by strange, noisy ponies for a split second when enveloped by the warmth of a good friend and amazing tea.
“It’s not that I don’t need help. I’m a mess, I won’t lie, but I wouldn’t ask you to do this. You’re my guest, not my maid,” Coco shook her head, as she wrapped her forehoof around Fluttershy, and held her close.
“I know how hard it is to need help, and be afraid to ask for it. Let me help you,” offered Fluttershy.
“Well…” Coco stuttered, as she looked over to her now nicely organized fabrics. “I thought you wanted to go home?”
“I don’t mind staying a while longer. I just couldn’t leave you like this.” Fluttershy, shook her head. “That’s not what friends do.”
Coco and Fluttershy just held each other. Fluttershy realized in that moment, she didn’t feel so lost anymore. She had found comfort in a friend, and she felt like this was all meant to be. If Rainbow had come instead of her, she would’ve never offered to help her, and she wouldn’t have even bothered with girly things like dresses. Fluttershy closed her eyes, and smiled as she leaned against Coco. She didn’t know why, but everything in this moment felt right.
Fluttershy let out a shriek as the crack of thunder rolled through her bones, and she felt Coco pull her closer.
“Ssshhh….it’s just a little rain. You’re safe here, ” Coco said with a warm nuzzle.
“Oh...Coco. I’d be out there lost in the rain if not for you. Thank you.”
“Oh, any time. Any friend of Rarity’s is a friend of mine.”
“Um…” began Fluttershy, she hesitated slightly. Thinking about it, she and Coco had more in common then she first realized. It brought a warm smile to her lips, and after the day she had so far, being here with her felt nice. “I like you too.”
Coco flushed darkly as they turned to look in each other’s eyes, and for the first time, they both realized how much in common they had with one another. Leaning in, Coco made the first move, wrapping her forelegs around Fluttershy, and kissing her on the lips. Fluttershy blushed as she leaned into the kiss, closing her eyes, and holding onto Coco. The rain pelted down onto the pavement, and the lightning struck against the sky, Thunder roared, but was muffled by the intensity of their moment. None of that mattered as Fluttershy felt her heart thumping rapidly as she held Coco throughout the kiss. Breaking away, she blushed deeply, her cheeks a shade of cherry red.
“I...what am I going to tell Discord?” she asked herself.
“I’m sure if he’s really a good friend, he’ll understand. Besides...it’s only for a night, right?” asked Coco, thinking their emotions might be getting the better of them both.
“I wouldn’t mind if it was more,” admitted Fluttershy bashfully.
“Neither would I,” Coco replied as she pulled Fluttershy back against her, kissing her lips again. Fluttershy felt her spine arching in delight as she leaned back into the kiss, moaning, deciding she’d worry about everything else later. Right now, Coco needed her as much as she needed Coco. After all, what was more important than friendship?