//------------------------------// // Enter Flutterdoll // Story: The Threads of Love // by frenettek314 //------------------------------// "Ah, another absolutely amazing afternoon!" alliterated one pristine pink party pony, otherwise commonly known as Pinkie Pie. Throughout the open-wide streets of Ponyville bounced the super duper party pony herself as she gleefully smiled and waved at every single pony she came across. Now if you were new to Equestria, you'd think it would be absurd to expect one pony to be bouncing around with an endless burst of energy while greeting everyone in their path - but to Pinkie Pie and anypony who has known or heard of the famed Element of Laughter, this was a typical afternoon. As Pinkie silently hummed a tune in thought, she imagined all the possible amounts of fun she could have with her friends this glorious day. As she strolled along through a cool crisp breeze that specifically smelled like the frosting of cupcakes to her and her alone, she came up with a possible list of parties and associated pastries she could whip up in appreciation for another glorious day under the rule of Princess Celestia. "Hey frenettek314?" she asked quizically as she abruptly stopped her hopping pace to stare at the voice she heard in front of her. "It's now canon that Twilight's taken over Celestia and Luna's duties - shouldn't this be an alternate universe?" "Whaaa... Pinkie?!" I sputtered out, not expecting the pony to be able to engage in conversation with me. "Well???" she asked, clearly not intent on explaining more until she was provided a plausible explanation to her question. "Well, I guess so. But I wanted Twilight to be an active member in this story as well and the details of rulers isn't important so let's just say this takes place in a long period string somewhere between Seasons 8 and 9?" I explained, hoping this would satisfy the curious equine. "Oh, okee dokee lokee!" she cheerfully responded. "Phew" I sighed in relief, happy she was satisfied. "But I can't have you talking to me anymore, you're breaking the flow of the story and I need to concentrate on the plot." I lectured, trying to regain any semblance of the fourth wall. "Oh. Right. Sorry." she grinned sheepishly with a slight squee as she continued bouncing throughout the main plaza of Ponyville. Anyways, Pinkie decided she would go to the Castle to see what Twilight was up to. "She's always up for a good adventure or something fun." she gleefully thought to herself. With a goal now set in mind, for this positively perfect day, nothing could ruin Pinkie's carefree spirit. "Oh, Hello Pinkie." a voice called out to her, literally stopping her tracks mid-step. Nothing except the voice of a shy pegasus anyway. "Oh... Hi Fluttershy." Pinkie nervously stumbled for a second before turning around to find the pegasus in question displaying a jolly, warm smile directly at her. Pinkie, being an expert smile connoisseur according to herself, has dealt and in return seen many smiles throughout her life. There were many different types of smiles one could visibly display and each told a unique story or trait according to the pink pony. But Pinkie swore that Fluttershy's warm, inviting smiles were the best she had ever witnessed. As such, Pinkie felt slightly intimidated being in the presence of a "smile god", as it wasn't entirely visible but one could swear if they really squinted, they could see a drop of sweat roll down Pinkie's face. Fluttershy, having not noticed the subtle crack at Pinkie's demeanor continued to smile kindly at her friend before resuming the conversation. "I was wondering what you were up to today? I was thinking of having a nice picnic near the Sweet Apple Acre meadows and I was wondering if you wanted to join me?" asked the butterscotch pegasus, a wave of eager anticipation flashing in her eyes, hoping her invited guest could join her. However Pinkie could only stumble with anxiety for a few seconds before suddenly blurting out, "So sorry Flutter-Butter, but I was on my way to Twilight's and I'm booked for the rest of the day. Hope you understand because I certainly do." all with a facade of a smile on her face that she hoped Fluttershy would see as genuine rather than forced. "Oh... ok then. Maybe next time?" Fluttershy spoke calmly. Pinkie swore she could see Fluttershy's smile being replaced with a depressed frown for a fraction of a second before it returned, albeit with not the same gusto as before. "You bet, Flutty-Buddy. Alright, got to run. You know me, craaazy. See you." Pinkie stammered out before she quite literally broke the sound barrier, fleeing the scene leaving the pegasus confused as to why her friend had left so fast. "Ok." she responded with a crooked smile before heading off back in the direction of her cottage, her smile wavering before she left the view of the bustling Ponyville square. Meanwhile, once Pinkie was sure she was in the clear of the butterfly cutie-marked mare, she stopped to catch her breath with a sigh of relief. It wasn't that Pinkie disliked Fluttershy's company or anything, quite the opposite in fact! Pinkie would love nothing more than to spend time with the kindest, sweetest, and most loving mare she ever had the pleasure of knowing. But one word created a problem - love. Pinkie admitted to herself that she has had a crush on the reserved pony for quite a while - she wasn't exactly sure specifically when these feelings arose, but every time she saw her smile, laugh, or even just invoke a warm aura through her presence, Pinkie could feel butterflies in her stomach. Which was weird because Pinkie once actually had butterflies in her stomach, and they didn't feel anything like this. But anyways, Pinkie felt a special way about Fluttershy that she had never felt about anyone else. Once her doctor had assured her it wasn't food poisoning, she knew it was love. Just the way the kind pegasus would care for any creature, do anything in her power to make her friends feel better, or just be the soft-spoken voice of reason, Pinkie wished she could do nothing more than to finally confess her feelings to the cupcake of her eye. Pinkie's thoughts always managed to stop this occurrence from happening though with one simple phrase. "You're too different from each other." And with that phrase, Pinkie figured that her inner voice was right. That a relationship between the two ponies could never work. While Pinkie was loud, energetic, goofy, loved parties, and was considered by many to be prime example of an extrovert - Fluttershy's more introverted tendencies revealed she was quiet, often times shy, and typically preferred to be as far away from the spotlight as possible. "I could never make a pony like that happy" Pinkie thought sadly. "We'd just clash.". And at that sentiment, Pinkie thought of the times that showcased their two personalities didn't match together. From multiple Nightmare Nights, to arguments about decorating Twilight's new castle, to even the time where hundreds of Pinkie's had invaded Ponyville and destroyed her nice, quiet picnic. And then her memories settled on a particular frightening experience - The Ponytones. Pinkie tragically recalled the time where Fluttershy was constantly battling her stage fright to help the Ponytones sing under the role of "Flutterguy". Fluttershy had been revealed on stage (to be an amazing singer in both her normal and masculine voice at that) and all the energetic party pony did was constantly remind the already terrified mare of her deepest and darkest fears, causing Flutters to eventually burst into tears and flee her home. Pinkie herself swore she was helping - she thought that by consistently showing her that she was indeed tackling "her worst nightmares" that she would relax and gain some confidence, but the disappointed and scolding looks of her friends told her she was doing anything but. Afterwards, Pinkie had delivered quite a heartfelt apology to the pony she had hurt, she wasn't even expecting the pegasus to forgive her and as a result end their friendship. Thankfully, Fluttershy had forgiven the loud-mouthed Pinkie almost immediately with a long, tender embrace and even an afternoon spent drinking tea and having a healthy discussion on what to do in the case of future anxiety cases - but Pinkie felt that Fluttershy almost shouldn't have forgiven her for the pain and trauma she brought up. She made one of her best friends feel awful and she had unknowingly repeated that process. As Pinkie recapped the end to that rather depressing moment of her life, she looked up with a bit of compromising solace. True the two ponies did share a few things together - like their desires to make others happy or their love of Buckball - but really, it seemed that their chemistry offered more cons than pros and that thought made Pinkie's mane softly deflate as she realized she could never have the pony she loved. "No, Pinkie. Keep it together. You can still be happy. Everypony loves you!" That brief moment of positive reinforcement was enough to get Pinkie's spirit mostly back on track. With a re-inflated mane and a mild, lukewarm smile, the party pony decided to take a more leisurely approach to the Castle of Friendship. After making her way through the entrance of the castle, Pinkie decided she needed to focus if she were to find a purple alicorn in a palace with more than 50 rooms; so naturally, she did the one thing she could think of: "TWILIGHT! WHERE ARE YOU?! IT'S ME, PINKIE PIE!" she yelled as loud as she could, hoping that the intended recipient would come out and find her instead. After a solid minute of no response or reaction of any kind, Pinkie was winding up to develop another powerful scream before a purple figure appeared from outside of the rooms and made their way over to her. Twilight! Twilight waddled her way over with her scales and her tiny, sharp claws... Oh, never mind. It's Spike. The now revealed dragon slowly made his way to the source of the shout; he had adorned a soft, silky set of pajamas with a nightcap included and in his hands he was clutching what looked to be a white unicorn doll with purple mane and tail as well as a diamond-shaped cutie mark. "Pinkie..." he groggily lectured, rubbing his tired eyes before acknowledging the earth pony with a soft glare. "Do you really need to shout so loud?! I was trying to take an afternoon nap since Twilight's studying kept me up most of the night." "Whoops. Sorry Spike! I was just looking for Twilight and I..." she paused before placing more attention to the object that was currently clutched in the dragon's grip. "Is that a Rarity Doll?" Spike blinked in confusion before following Pinkie's gaze to the beloved unicorn plushie in his possession. Spike couldn't help but blush profusely as he doesn't like to be caught with the item. "Oh... yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I just... I keep her around whenever I have trouble sleeping." Pinkie couldn't help but smile as she paid closer attention to the detailing of the doll. The toy was practically a perfect model of the unicorn - having the perfect shades of colors made from what looked to be a silky smooth yarn, the detail to the cutie mark being spot on, and even the cute little button eyes were shaped and colored to an alarming accuracy. "Gosh, Spike. That Rarity doll looks just like the real thing. It's even got that cute little lump where...." she paused her vocal train of thought before glancing down at Spike with a look of judgement and yet concern as well. "Wait a sec... I thought you were finally over your crush on Rarity." she interrogated softly, knowing how deep his affection for the pony in question had gone. "Well, yeah. For the most part I am, but... I still consider her to be a really close friend and I use this doll as a sort of comfort for whenever I'm upset. Rarity made me this doll a long time ago, for whenever I needed help and she was gone. She made me one of Twilight as well that I use whenever she's on missions." he explained with a nervous, yet sincere smile as he admitted it was nice to have somepony close to him through his darkest moments. Pinkie seemed to agree as she developed a warm smile and her eyes began to water. "Aww, Spike. That is so sweet. And I'm sure they keep you good company." she cooed. "Yeah" Spike beamed in agreement, thankful that Pinkie wasn't turned off by his admittance. "Whenever you can't have your loved ones, it's nice to have a replacement." "Yeah, I feel th..." Pinkie began before she froze mid-sentence. Her mind has played back what the young dragon had just told her. "Whenever you can't have your loved ones!" "Spike!" she exclaimed in excitement, picking up the dragon and shaking him repeatedly. "You're a genius!" "G-gee. Thanks?" Spike replied in shock and dizziness from being bounced around by the pink burst of energy. "Spike!" she exclaimed yet again, ceasing her shaking and placing him directly in front of her face. "You said Rarity made these dolls?!" Spike could only nod his head before giving a one-word "yes" as Pinkie then quickly dropped him, getting ready to burst outside of the castle. "Thanks Spike!" she said, getting ready to take off in a sprint. "Wait!" Spike called out before she could make her exit. "I thought you wanted to see Twilight!" Pinkie then quickly turned back around and regarded him. "Oh yeah, I've seen Twilight. Good looking mare, really nice wings. I'd say she's about a 7/10." before re-initiating her exit and galloping towards a certain boutique. Spike could only gape at a layer of dust that stood where Pinkie just was before shrugging to himself and going back for his nap. As Pinkie stood just outside the entrance to Carousel Boutique, a replaying of Spike's golden advice carried out in her head. "Whenever you can't have your loved ones." Using that shining beacon of hope as a new source of determination, Pinkie politely knocked on the door of the shop, lest she want the unicorn to scold her for her "poor etiquette". After a few moments, the door opened in an aura of shiny blue magic before the pony she wanted to see appeared right in front of her. "Ah. Pinkie, darling! Hello to you. And what can I do for you?" the unicorn spoke in a refined, yet very approachable manner. "That's why I love Rarity. She may be uptight at times, but she deeply cares for her friends." "Hey Rare-Bear!" Pinkie said before wrapping the mare in a quick hug. "I was actually wondering if there's a favor I can ask of you?" she asked in her fragilest voice, making sure to include the quivering lips and puppy whimper combo to increase her chances of being approved. Rarity could only smirk at the rather cute display before motioning her friend to follow her inside. "Of course darling, what is it?" she asked with simple curiosity etched in her tone. "Well..." Pinkie began trailing nervously as she wrapped a hoof around the back of her head. "Spike told me that you had managed to make some dolls for him whenever he was alone, and I was wondering if..." "...if maybe I could get one too?" The unicorn only froze for a second, before bursting... well... forming a polite amp of laughter as she regarded the somewhat skeptical earth pony with another knowing smirk. "Darling - is that all? Of course, follow me." she explained, motioning for Pinkie to follow her upstairs. As they began ascending the stairs, Rarity began explaining, "I admit I'm more of a fashionista, but in my spare time I've picked up the arts of crocheting and doll-making. As such, I have made more than a few designs up in my storage room. If you see one you like, please feel free to take one - no trouble at all. They're made from the softest yarn known to pony-kind and love is played in every stitch as they say." Pinkie could only squee in appreciation for her very-generous friend. "Thank you so much Rarity! That means a lot..." she trailed off before adopting a rather somber look. "...Even though everyone says I'm one of the most social ponies out there, I still get lonely sometimes..." Rarity made her way up the rest of the flight of stairs before regarding Pinkie with a sympathetic and understanding smile. "I can understand your plight, darling. Sometimes, I myself get rather lonesome as well." Pinkie repeated the sympathetic smile back at Rarity before adding, "In your case, I think you should talk to Applejack." she wisely commented. Rarity regarded her with a face of confusion. "Applejack? Why should I..." she began before she was silenced by a rather...suggestive look from her friend. "I see how you look at her." she nonchalantly stated as she grinned at the unicorn while raising her eyebrows up and down, giving the fashion pony a subtle look of awareness. The unicorn could only deeply blush before stumbling in incoherence. "Yes, well... I..." Pinkie could only shake her head and give a soft laugh before making her way to the supposed storage room. Rarity, finally out of her humiliated stupor opened the door to the room gently before beckoning Pinkie outside. The earth pony taking a step inside before giving a silent gasp at what she saw. Inside the room, dozens and dozens of hoof-made dolls neatly lined up several rows of the unicorn's closeted room. Each doll was clearly made with proper time and effort as many resembled ponies she herself had known, each one displaying that same level of detail and likeness that Spike's Rarity doll from earlier had possessed. Pinkie gaped and marveled at all the dolls as she heavenly walked down the aisle of fabricated plushies, Rarity trailing close behind with an appreciative smile seeing her friend expressing admiration in her side craft. There were dolls of Celestia, Luna, Coco Pommel, Sassy Saddles, Fancy Pants, Photo Finish, Sapphire Shores, and many other dozens of ponies she recognized. Pinkie loved them all as she was deciding which would be the perfect one for her before her eyes miraculously stopped upon what she considered to be the best one of all. Pinkie felt like she should bow at majesty but she couldn't move as her eyes gawked at the doll's gracious and cuddly form in front of her, practically begging the party pony to care for it. "She's perfect..." she airily whispered as Rarity, finally seeing what had captivated Pinkie's attention could only glance at Pinkie in confusion before stifling a giggle at the cute display being performed in front of her. "I take it you like the Fluttershy one?" Rarity asked with yet another knowing smirk adopted on her muzzle. Pinkie, hearing Rarity's question forcibly stopped the moment of heaven she was experiencing to regard the other pony with a look of utter bafflement. "Fluttershy? What are you talking about? That doesn't look like Fluttershy?!" Rarity retaliated Pinkie's statement with hesitance in her voice, viewing the clear replica of the shy pegasus. "Uh... darling, that looks exactly like her." Pinkie only contemplated in deep thought. "Mmm... I don't see it." Rarity then began to list the reasons why this doll was indeed meant to be Fluttershy. "The yellow coat and the long pink mane?" "Mmm..." "The cute, little yellow wings?" "Mmm..." "The big blue eyes?" "Mmm..." "The fact that she has three butterflies on her flank?" "Wait... *Gasp* It is Fluttershy!" Rarity let out a defeated sigh as she couldn't believe it took this long for her sometimes scatterbrained friend to notice. "Yes dear, it's a Fluttershy doll I made awhile back. I think she may need a good home." the unicorn spoke, knowing her friend was sold. "She's perfect!" Pinkie squealed while bringing the pegasus doll close to her chest and hugging it affectionately. "I think I'll call her... Flutterdoll!" she announced excitedly as she wrapped the doll in another bone-crushing hug. Rarity could only smile warmly at the cute display before a thought popped in her head, seeing Pinkie going gaga over the plushie. "I think Flutterdoll will be the perfect companion for you. Although, I think if you revealed your feelings to the real Fluttershy, you may find her to be a suitable fit as well" she teased in a manner that seemed to resemble Pinkie's joking of her earlier. Pinkie stopped hugging the doll as she stared at Rarity quite nervously, trying to nervously chuckle her way out of a hole. "What?! Rarity, that's silly. I don't have feelings for Fluttershy." Pinkie said as her eyes darted back and forth, looking for an escape. "Mmm-hmm. Just as I don't for Applejack. You can't fool me, I'm a romantic." Rarity acknowledged as she raised her eyebrows in a copying motion of the way the pink pony had messed with her. Pinkie could only sigh, knowing when she was beat. "Ok, maybe I do, but don't..." she began before a hoof was placed over her lips by a certain unicorn. "I won't tell a soul. You don't even have to make me Pinkie Promise. As long as you let me tell Applejack, I'll let you handle your situation." Pinkie could only look away from Rarity, the unicorn growing puzzled at the sudden change in mood from the usually perky mare. "I can't ever tell her!" Pinkie stated as her head fell in shame, clutching Flutterdoll tighter. "It wouldn't work, we're too different." Rarity reached out to Pinkie in sympathy, never realizing her friend may have had feelings for another that they felt was unobtainable. "Darling, just because you two are different doesn't mean..." she began before Pinkie without another notice or warning resumed back to her previously perky self. It seemed almost too unnatural to Rarity. "But now with Flutterdoll, I have someone who will always love me!" she smiled as she affectionately cradled the doll in her hooves. Rarity however wasn't fooled by the display as she could tell a subtle hook at the corner of Pinkie's lips indicating it was a forced smile. "Pinkie... I'm sure if you just tell Fluttershy..." Rarity gently ushered, trying to help one of her best friends with an issue she hadn't realized cut so deep. This couldn't be a healthy way to solve this problem and she only wanted to see her friend be truly happy. Pinkie however, seemingly unaware of Rarity's growing concern could only shake her head in appropriate dismissal before the real genuine Pinkie smile returned, placing the doll firmly on her back and beginning to trot off. "I know you're worried Rare-Bear but trust me, I'll be fine, I promise. Anyways, thank you so much for the doll. I'm going to go play with Flutterdoll for a while. " she spoke in sincere appreciation as she happily skipped down the stairs and out of the boutique with a pegasus doll for the ride. As Rarity watched her friend make the exit out of the boutique, she could only gaze out the door in concern for her friend. "I know that she loves you too..." The next day: Fluttershy was currently checking up on all the nests of birds she could find, making sure no little feathered friend went without a friendly flutter- visit. All the families themselves seemed rather content as they chirped back happily at the caring pegasus who always made sure they had plenty of food and resources for their young ones. Seeing as she realized there were no more animals left for her to check on her daily routine, Fluttershy slowly lowered herself back down to the ground as she contemplated what she could do with her abundance of free time. The School of Friendship was currently on summer break and her sanctuary was running like clockwork, meaning the pony found herself with a lack of things to do. "Maybe Pinkie will be free today..." she thought as her thoughtful expression quickly transformed into a light frown upon remembering what had occurred yesterday. Fluttershy wanted to spend more time with who she considered to be one of her closest friends, but the pony in question only denied her proposal with other promises. As she began thinking more about her party pony friend, a light blush timidly appeared on the cheeks of the pegasus, imagining the times she and Pinkie had spent together. While the two had not spent as much time together recently, what with both their lives going in opposite directions, Fluttershy strangely found herself closest with the lovable goofball. While at first she had found the pink party planner to be...overbearing to say the least, the two gradually became closer as Pinkie learned to adapt her energy and character to suit Fluttershy's more relaxed lifestyle. When she first moved to Ponyville, Fluttershy wouldn't dare approach Sugarcube Corner out of fear of being attacked by several confetti cannons or a giant cupcake wagon, but soon enough, with some soft coaxing and getting to know each other, Fluttershy considered Pinkie an exception to what would normally be her taste in ponies. Heck, Fluttershy still remembered Pinkie's very first "quiet party" consisting of just the two of them, some animals, tea, and a plethora of cupcakes. Fluttershy fondly remembered being taken away, almost crying at the normally boisterous pony's very considerate attempt to make her feel more comfortable. Soon the new besties found themselves talking and hanging out more and more, Fluttershy slowly breaking out of her shell just for the earth pony who could always make her smile. Soon enough, with the revealing of the Elements of Harmony and the establishment of their circle of friends, Fluttershy and Pinkie's friendship grew stronger than ever now that they had more opportunities to spend with each other. Unfortunately, with recollections of the past, Fluttershy soon found herself with a contemplative frown on her face. For the past few recent years, it seemed as though their bond subtly grew more distant - Pinkie seeming to flee the pegasus's grasp as she herself found other interests, such as the building of her sanctuary. It didn't seem like such a noticeable difference at first, but over time, the two interacted with each other less and less - only really spending time as a group during friendship missions or at the school (with the rare exception of Buckball games). Yesterday seemed to be another prime example of Pinkie not being able to spend time with her as she almost seemed to be trying to avoid the soft-hearted mare, but that couldn't be true... right? "But that's silly right? Pinkie would never avoid me...right?" she thought worriedly. With her thoughts growing, Fluttershy began realizing that what was once a time where Pinkie would abandon anything she was doing at the drop of a hat to spend time with her was now a collection of excuses, apologies, and almost a feeling of anxiety. Fluttershy suddenly began missing the days where Pinkie would do anything in her power to make the pegasus smile - always making her laugh, comforting her whenever she was upset, or just simply encouraging her to open up to new experiences. And that's what Pinkie did. She made Fluttershy a better pony. Fluttershy's blush grew even more as sighed, looking down at her hooves with a certain feeling of rejection. "Who am I kidding? She'd never feel the same way about me no matter what I try." she thought bitterly, a flash of pain etched across her face. "At least we'll always be friends..." she concluded with a certain level of comfort before a certain sound perked up her ears in familiarity. A certain sound that abruptly halted any feelings Fluttershy currently had as her head rose in curiosity. "That laugh... Pinkie Pie?" As Fluttershy trotted towards the sound of that infectious laughter, she slowly froze in mild surprise at what she saw on top of a singular hill. There in the distance, layed out a blanket with a picnic basket was indeed the party pony she was thinking about, holding a small tea cup close to her lips, while taking a bite out of a small cucumber sandwich. Fluttershy quickly found herself flying towards the direction of the small picnic, hoping to discover what her friend was currently up to. Perhaps they could finally have their picnic together after all as Fluttershy slowly found a hopeful smile etch on her lips. The pegasus landed next to a tree in front of Pinkie, unaware of the newcomer's arrival, before clearing her throat to make her presence known. "Oh Pinkie! There you are!" Fluttershy exclaimed, flashing her friend with a serene smile. "What are you up to?" Pinkie, having stopped laughing after noticing her new guest flashed back a peppy grin before explaining, "Oh, hey-a Fluttershy! I'm having a tea party with my new friend!" Fluttershy however could only blink in confusion at not seeing any other creature except the two ponies currently talking. "Oh! A tea party! Uh... where are they?" she politely asked. Pinkie, giving her friend a somewhat judgmental gaze as if finding the question ridiculous, pointed at the doll sitting across from her with a sandwich and teacup of it's own as if it were the most obvious sight in the world. "That new friend" she explained. "Flutterdoll, this is Fluttershy. Fluttershy, meet Flutterdoll." Flutterdoll's soulless button eyes seemed to stare at the ponies in front of it, not moving an inch. "Don't worry Flutterdoll, Fluttershy here is really sweet!" she assured the doll as if it hinted some sort of hidden skepticism it had with the new pony. Fluttershy could only stare at the doll with a mixture of bewilderment but also fascination as she admired the doll's likeness to herself. Whoever made this "Flutterdoll" surely did their research in order to match the design to the pony. "Ah. It's very nice to meet you Flutterdoll." the pegasus snapped out of her trance to greet the doll with a warm welcome - finding the doll picnic to be unimaginably cute. Pinkie flashed a toothy grin at seeing her two friends get along with each other. "Flutterdoll lived in Rarity's storage room before I met her. She said she was lonely so now she lives with me." she stated as she gave the doll a loving look. "Isn't she just the cutest, kindest, and smartest pony you ever saw?" she admired. Fluttershy however upon hearing the compliments thrown to her fabricated counterpart began to blush heavily as her wings snapped open by themselves. "The doll looks just like me... d-does that mean she finds me cute, kind, and smart?" she imagined as her blush began to thicken even more than it already had. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of silence with Fluttershy freezing at the thoughts of Pinkie potentially loving her while the earth pony swooned over the toy, Fluttershy quickly shook her head and brought her wings back down to regain some sense of functioning. "W--well, Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, with a small smile on her face - hoping that this could open the door for the two ponies to connect. "Maybe she could love me!" Fluttershy reasoned to herself. "Even if not, she's gotta view me greatly as a friend." as her blush solidified even more, happy with either option. Pinkie however snapped out of her own fantasy and calmly shook her head. "Sorry Flutters, but Flutterdoll is extremely shy. She's not comfortable with too many ponies." she told Fluttershy with a nervous smile on her face. Fluttershy however could only lower her head momentarily before trying to wave her disappointment off. "O--oh. That's ok... um... what were you doing later?" she asked, hoping to at least have some desired company today. Pinkie failed to sense Fluttershy's look of sadness as she carried on with a slightly more upbeat smile. "Well first I'm going to take Flutterdoll here to the forest to see some animals. She loves nature walks." The pegasus meanwhile froze before her eyes subtly began to widen. Pinkie and her haven't been on a nature walk together since the sanctuary opened up. "But... but I love nature walks." she thought. Pinkie continued. "Then I'm going to bake Flutterdoll some Red Velvet cupcakes. They're her favorite!" Fluttershy's felt emotional pain start to build up on the inside as she realized Pinkie hadn't offered to bake her such goodies in quite a long time. "But... but Red Velvet cupcakes are my favorite!" she winced. "And then we're going to have a cuddle party. Flutterdoll gives the best hugs!" At this, Fluttershy actually managed to gasp externally before she immediately placed a hoof to her mouth, hiding the reaction. Her eyes began to glisten even more as she began to shake. "But... Pinkie always said I gave the best hugs..." she internally droned as she felt a sickening pain in her stomach. "What's that Flutterdoll?" Pinkie suddenly asked, her stare focused on the doll in front of her. After what was a silent moment of the doll "apparently" answering back, Pinkie's voice could be heard again. "Oh ok." she said, turning back to face the now down-looking pegasus. "Sorry Flutters, but we've got to get going. Flutterdoll wants to get a move on and see the baby squirrels." "Not the baby squirrels!" Fluttershy internally exclaimed, as she felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Quickly turning around and wiping her eyes with a hoof so that the earth pony couldn't see her crying, she turned back around and forced a quivering smile. "Y...yeah sure. Have fun with that... Maybe we can hang out la..." she uttered out before a pink blur with a doll on her back and a basket of picnic supplies raced down the hill faster than she could process. Once Pinkie was far enough away from being seen by Fluttershy, she turned around and looked at the doll with a sigh of relief. "Phew, that was close. It's too bad I can't hang out with the real Fluttershy. She'd find out my feelings and then we wouldn't be friends and..." she began rambling before she gazed back at the plush figure on her back before flashing a lukewarm smile. "At least I can have you..." she whispered, before skipping along the path to the forest with Flutterdoll in tow. Meanwhile, back at the hill, Fluttershy could only stare longingly into the distance before muttering a single sentence, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Did Pinkie replace me?"