Rarity moved forward at a slow and nervous pace; her mind had never raced this much before. She had no idea what to expect, she didn’t want to get yelled at and shut out again, but she also couldn’t just leave this problem be. This must be solved today. Time seemed to slow as she walked up the narrow path leading to Fluttershy’s front door. The time had come; it was time for Rarity to find out what was really going on.
She was about to reach for the door handle, but stopped herself. “It would be rude to just barge in,” she thought. “No, I must handle this with dignity, and respect.” She then positioned herself to knock on the door, however just as her hoof was about to make contact, she heard something; the most beautiful singing she had ever heard:
Lovely Rarity, I know that you’re the one for me
I think you’ll see, our love can come to be
Be it night or day, I won’t stop, I won’t delay
I’ll storm their walls; I’ll break your falls, just so that I may
Get close to you, I know it’s true; you want to see me and you
I think you do, I hope you knew, we are the ones, me and you
I am the mare, the one who cares; the one who will be for you there
Get close to me, I think you’ll see
Rarity
The sound of Rarity’s hooves hitting the ground in applause echoed through the cottage as she looked up at the musical pegasus. Tears of joy and relief streamed down her face as she walked over to her pink-haired friend and embraced her. Fluttershy squeaked as she felt the pressure of her friend’s hooves on her back. Her tear ducts welled up as well as a wave of emotion swept over her. She collapsed into Rarity’s arms as she nuzzled into her and cried into her pretty white coat. A beautiful silence overtook the pair as time seemed to stand still. The quieter of the two voices was the first to break the silence.
“I… I thought you would hate me…”
“Hate you? Darling, what would compel you to think that?”
“Wh- when I left that note, I- I thought you wouldn’t want to talk to me again…”
“Dear, I am always here for you. If you need to tell me anything, I will never push you away.”
Fluttershy looked up into the unicorn’s purple mane. “B- but, when you didn’t say anything about it I thought I really must have done something wrong. I- I just don’t know…”
“It’s honestly my fault. I left my house for our spa date before I could see the note. It was today that I found it, all crumpled and damp. Your name was obscured from the parchment; it wasn’t until now I realized you had written it.”
“Oh Rarity, this is all wrong. I made big mess and hurt you.” Fluttershy broke down onto the floor in tears. Rarity let herself fall to the ground next to her to comfort her winged friend.
“Fluttershy, you could never hurt me. I will always, always be here for you. Never forget that.”
“Wha- what do you mean by that? D- do you feel the same about me?”
Rarity’s blood went cold at the sudden confrontation. The thought hadn’t crossed her mind. She had spent so much time worrying about Fluttershy’s feelings that she hadn’t worried about her own. She stepped back mentally for a moment and took a look at her situation and considered all that had transpired: how far she had come, how much pain Fluttershy had gone through to get her. When she came back to reality she realized she was staring into a pair of blue eyes, the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Her face lost all expression as she wordlessly pulled Fluttershy closer in a tight embrace. Her tears fell into Fluttershy’s mane as she let loose her contained emotion into the open air.
She pulled away and looked into those deep blue eyes once more before drawing her in closer once more. The unicorn hesitated, before making a split decision to lean in. Their lips locked as Fluttershy stiffened, surprised by the suddenness. She relaxed and returned the kiss as night began to overtake the beautiful evening sky. The tight embrace of sleep gripped the two equines while they lay there in each other’s arms. Luna’s moon shone through the window as the tear-stained floor bore the weight of the couple, and peace settled in their existence.
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Fluttershy opened her eyes as a blurred mass began to take shape. She found herself looking at a purple maned unicorn that lay on the floor next to her. She scanned her white coat until she found her eyes drawn to the other pony’s cutie mark: three brilliant blue diamonds arranged in a triangle. The yellow pegasus scanned the features of Rarity’s signature. Her eyes danced across the white mare’s body before her trance was broken by a pleasant and yet alarming voice:
“Darling, it’s so impolite to stare.”
Fluttershy squealed in shock and strange delight as she found her expedition uncovered. Her face transformed into a deep hue of red as blood rushed through her veins. She found that her legs instinctively began to move in flight, but came to the realization that she and her partner were still on the floor.
“Fluttershy, dear, are you alright? You look like you are about to take off.”
The pegasus was nearly crushed under the weight of her embarrassment as she looked back at her now unfurled wings.
“Oh… my…” she said shakily, as the hue of red on her face deepened.
“No need to be embarrassed, Fluttershy, it is quite alright. I’m sure I would have done the same had I awoken before you,” she said as a smile formed on her face. Rarity didn’t think Fluttershy’s face could get any redder, but her suspicions were dispelled as a yet deeper tint developed on her cheeks. This only made the unicorn smile wider as she embraced the pegasus. Rarity then proceeded to lift herself and Fluttershy off the ground, as being out of the euphoria of last night, it was most uncomfortable.
“Oh, dear,” said Rarity as she gazed into a nearby mirror. “My mane looks horrid.”
“I think you look pretty anyway, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, mustering all the confidence she had.
Rarity’s expression greeted her warmly. “But I could never compare to the earthly beauty of yourself, darling. Would… would you like to walk into town with me? I need some… supplies, yes.”
“Oh Rarity, I would love too. What do you need to get?” asked the quiet voice.
“Oh, you know… Just boring old dress items, I would just like you to accompany me.”
“Yes, of course. My…” Fluttershy said as she glanced at the nearby clock. “It’s almost one in the afternoon.”
“Let us hurry along, darling. There is no time to waste.”
Rarity quickly ran a brush through her mane as she magically opened the cottage door and the two ponies set off on their way. They walked side by side, wordlessly smiling, not worrying about what the future held for them. To the ponies’ annoyance, the walk seemed to flash by in an instant, as they soon found themselves in the market district of Ponyville.
Fluttershy suddenly came to the realization of their situation.
“Um, Rarity? What if people… see us?”
“Darling, that doesn’t matter to me, nor should it matter to you,” Rarity drew in closer as Fluttershy started to blush. “Now I’m going to get some sewing supplies, I will return as soon as I can. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine, Rarity…”
“Good,” said the unicorn as her face brightened and she turned to go.
“Wait…” Fluttershy said, “I… I, just please be back soon…”
Rarity turned back to her with a somewhat puzzled look on her face. “Of course, dear.I’ll be off, then. Don’t go too far, now.”
“Okay…” Rarity left Fluttershy in a sea of mares and stallions as the yellow pegasus shrank into the crowd. She felt herself become closed in by her own shyness as if one thousand eyes were all upon her, watching her every move. She let herself slowly walk back to a nearby bench and silently sat down upon it as she looked down upon the ground, waiting for Rarity to return.
A couple of streets over, Rarity was hard at work searching high and low for supplies so she could fix up a “surprise” for a certain pink-maned mare, sifting through various food items and baskets.
“I’m definitely not the right pony for this,” she said to herself. “Usually I have a couple of days to prepare for an event such as this, but I must make do with what I have.”
Thirty minutes had passed and Fluttershy still remained on the bench, wondering where her partner had gone off to.
Thoughts raced through her mind as loneliness began to enclose her. One idea engulfed her consciousness as an unfortunate notion crossed her brain. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she said to herself:
“I guess she doesn’t feel the same way after all…”
A dark shadow casted over her as a surprisingly warm voice came from it:
“Fluttershy, dear, what’s wrong?”
The pegasus squeaked as her eyes immediately shot up at the familiar, comforting sound. She quickly jumped upon the figure in front of her and hugged the shape.
“Rarity, I was so worried you weren’t going to come back! I… I’m sorry…”
“Oh don’t worry about it at all, Fluttershy. I can understand how one such as yourself would think that,” Rarity replied, dusting herself off. “However, I could never leave my favorite mare alone.”
Fluttershy’s face reddened yet again, as the words echoed through her head.
“Anyhoof, I invite you to follow me. I have a surprise I think you will enjoy.”
“Oh yes, of course, Rarity,” said a now calmer Fluttershy.
The two mares walked side by side closely, pushing through the actively moving crowd. The space between them closed in as the congestion worsened. Fluttershy felt Rarity’s tail brush against hers and exhaled as her face began to heat up at the sudden close proximity. She felt as if everypony could see her embarrassment at all this publicity. Rarity, on the other hoof, confidently kept pushing forward, not worrying about any possible onlookers for Ponyville’s newest couple.
The pair made it through the crowded market stalls to find a narrow dirt path, leading up to a hill with a single tree at the peak. Rarity began to walk ahead as Fluttershy began to shrink back behind her to give her more room on the thin walkway. The unicorn, however would have none of this, as she used her magic to pull the yellow pony right back to her side. The pegasus’ face became splashed with color yet again, while her tail rubbed against Rarity’s another time. The white mare smiled at her, it was almost enjoyable for her to see Fluttershy like this. The pegasus’ embarrassment was nothing short of adorable.
The path ended as the peak of the hill was in sight. The couple drew closer and a checkered picnic matt and basket materialized into their vision. Fluttershy gasped in excitement over the food and other items set up around the matt. A nearby radio played soft music under the shade of the looming tree. Rarity led the other mare to the matt and sat herself next to her.
“Now Fluttershy there’s something I would like to ask you.”
“Um, yes, Rarity? What’s wrong?”
“Oh nothing’s wrong; I would just like to know if you have any plans this week.”
The timid pegasus thought for a moment, “I don’t believe so, most of the animals are well cared for right now, so they shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Very good, because I have a very important client named Octavia that I am meeting with this week, and I would like for you to accompany me.”
Fluttershy almost choked on the apple she had taken a bite of. “D- do you really want me to?” She was scared by the idea of being out in the open in front of some important ponies, much less when there was a looming chance of embarrassing Rarity in front of a client.
“Of course, darling. I would have no less from you. Truth be told I would be much more comfortable with you at my side.”
The winged mare’s face reddened. She never would have guessed that a beautiful high class pony such as Rarity would desire to be seen with a simple pegasus such as herself. The unicorn’s smile reassured her. “Yes, of course, Rarity.”
At this response, the white pony squealed with glee and tackled Fluttershy in a hug. “You have no idea what this means to me; what this means…” She looked up into her blue eyes, “…for us.”
Fluttershy exhaled the breath she had been holding at the word “us”. A sudden realization came upon her; other ponies didn’t matter. What others think can’t harm her, nor should they. The feeling of invincibility overcame the pegasus as another truth dawned on her; this is what she wanted. Everything was perfect, and she had the perfect mare right in front of her. She drew in a heavy breath as she pulled the white unicorn in closer. Time slowed as the moment expanded and stray thoughts ceased. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.
The eyes of the pink-maned pegasus shot open. “Um ,Rarity?” she said quietly. “What time is it?” The unicorn turned to look up at the sky and saw Luna’s moon shining beautifully.
“It couldn’t be later than nine or ten. Why, what’s wrong?”
Fluttershy jumped to her hooves. “Oh, Luna! I need to feed Angel! He will be so disappointed in me if I don’t get to him tonight. I’m so so so so sorry, Rarity, but I need to go.”
It was Rarity’s turn to stumble over her words. “But, I- I thought maybe… you could stay with me tonight?”
The pegasus’ wings froze in place before she could leave as she turned to look back at the white mare.
“Well, I mean considering I stayed with you last night it’s only fair. I must show you some hospitality.”
Fluttershy’s face became flushed as she realized how quick her thoughts jumped to conclusions. Her wings folded back to her side as she stated “I- um would love to, but I didn’t tell Angel I would be out this long, and he’s probably really worried. Next time, alright Rarity?”
“I see,” Rarity said with her face having a slight red tint as she noted Fluttershy’s body language. “Well then I guess I will see you tomorrow. I shall let you know when we shall be meeting Octavia. Goodnight, Fluttershy.”
“Goodnight, Rarity,” Fluttershy replied, savoring every syllable as the beauty of the unicorn’s name rolled off her tongue. She was the first to regretfully turn as she collected her thoughts and proceeded back to her cottage.
Rarity magically gathered the picnic supplies and carried them back down the path leading towards her boutique. It wasn’t until she had her home in sight that she questioned if she should have walked Fluttershy home. She pushed the thought from her mind as she considered how Ponyville had a nonexistent crime rate and the earth-bound pegasus could quell any wild animal that would attempt to attack.
She pushed through her front door and flung the picnic supplies into a corner. Although her outward attitude hid it, she was tired. The pressures of the day had weighted her down, so much that she barely noticed the note in her mail slot. She picked it up and found it to be of very familiar make, as the sender was Octavia. She sloppily opened the note and dug out its contents. The note contained an expected message but it was the date she was requested that surprised her. Their meeting was scheduled for tomorrow, at the Hoofé Restaurant.
Rarity thought for a moment, tomorrow was awfully soon, but she couldn’t let Octavia down. “I hope Fluttershy will be okay with this,” she said to herself. “Oh, and it’s at Hoofé! That’s only one of Canterlot’s premier fine dining and dancing establishments!” The thought of being able to dance with Fluttershy sent happiness throughout her mind.
The unicorn took a breath and allowed fatigue to overcome her. She dragged herself upstairs. Passing by a mirror she took note of her appearance. Her mane was disorderly and her coat unkempt. “How in Equestria could Fluttershy be attracted to this?” she asked herself. “I’m just glad nopony saw me as I returned home… That I know of.” The white mare considered stepping in the shower momentarily to wash off, but decided it was already much too late.
Gravity pulled her body to the bed while she let herself topple onto it. A new feeling overcame her as thought slowly vanished from her mind. She was tired, but happy. Happiness was the last word to flash across her mind as her eyelids shut, transporting her to the next day.
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The Sun Princess’ job was fulfilled as the rays shone through an elegant window. Rarity lifted her sleeping visor and let light flood her vision. She clutched a mass next to her, hoping to find comfort in another pony’s arms. Her eyes focused to reveal that she was in fact clutching a pillow. Disappointment momentarily flashed across her face as she recalled the events of the previous night. A smile then began to develop; she was reminded of her date tonight. The unicorn hopped off her bed and used her magic to tidy it up before she showered and prepared to trot over to Fluttershy’s cottage. She decided against going through her usual morning grooming as she wanted to see Fluttershy immediately. The mare walked out her door and set out on the path to the little cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest.
“I’ve just never felt this way before, Angel; I don’t know how I can explain it to you.”
Angel pointed to his food bowl.
“Well of course I’ll feed you and give you all the attention you need. I will just be spending time with somepony else as well. Oh, Rarity…”
She exhaled as her eyes looked upward while she thought about the unicorn. Her thoughts soon drifted to how much time they would spend together; how perfect this was all turning out. Fluttershy’s eyes closed as her mind continued to wander to through what she hoped to accomplish with the white mare.
A sharp and quick knock broke her trance as she let out a shriek. She let out a quiet sound that closely resembled the words
“Who is it?” The pony on the other side of the door obviously understood her, as she replied “Rarity, my dear.” Fluttershy jump up and immediately opened the door to reveal the pony that had been occupying her thoughts.
Her face reddened as she wondered if Rarity had been listening to what she had said, or worse, if she had been listening to what she was thinking. As perceptive as Rarity was, she couldn’t read the expression of the pegasus in front of her.
“Is this a bad time?” Rarity asked, unsure of what to do.
Fluttershy quickly shook off her thoughts and returned to reality. “Oh no! Please, come in.”
It wasn’t until then that Fluttershy noticed Rarity’s appearance. Her mane was slightly wet, and was not in its usual curls.
“Rarity, your mane…” Fluttershy said, somewhat awestruck.
“Oh, this?” Rarity replied, touching her somewhat damp mane. “I didn’t have time to properly groom it, as I just had to rush over here and talk with you.”
“Are you kidding? It looks great!” the usually quiet pegasus looked down at her sudden outburst. “Oh… I’m sorry, I got excited.”
The pony with the moist mane raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I’ve been told it looks good like this. Anyway, back to the reason I came; terribly sorry for the intrusion, by the way.”
“Oh no, Rarity, it’s completely fine. Now what is it you wanted to talk about?”
“Yes, no doubt you remember last night when I requested that you accompany me on the day I go to meet Octavia. Well, it seems that day is today; I received the letter last night. We are to meet her at the Hoofé in Canterlot. This is so exiting!”
Fluttershy instinctively backed up. “The Hoofé? Isn’t that extremely expensive and dressy? I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t know if I could do that.” She panicked at the thought of all the social interaction and dancing. It may have been too much for the mare to handle if Rarity hadn’t put a comforting hoof on her back.
“Darling, I would never do something to make you feel uncomfortable. This dress for Octavia is very important, however if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
Fluttershy’s ears immediately perked up as she realized what she was doing. She was about to pass up a chance really spend some time with Rarity.
“Yes.”
“Hmm?” Rarity turned to her.
“I’d love to go with you today. Anything for you.”
The unicorn embraced the pegasus. “You have no idea how much this means to me.” She slowly released her grip. “Now, back to business. We are each going to need something to wear, preferably matching ourselves and each other, so I think you should come with me up to my boutique to try some things on.”
“Of course, Rarity.”
“Alright then, let’s head off. I’d let Angel know we are going to be gone for a while.”
Fluttershy said some quick words to the impatient bunny and then they set off on their way.
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The carriage ride to Canterlot was always a beautiful one, no matter how many times you take it. Fluttershy looked up at the massive looming gates as they opened, allowing the two mares’ entry. Canterlot was as busy as ever; ponies walking to their jobs, delivering packages and chatting with one other. The couple stepped out of their carriage and into the chaos, organized chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
They trotted forward as a large and brilliant sign with the name “Hoofé” lit up the evening sky. The restaurant didn’t seem as crowded as Rarity expected. ‘Good for Fluttershy’ she thought.
Entering the building, they met a large, intimidating stallion behind the front desk. Fluttershy shrunk back behind Rarity, obviously intending for the unicorn to speak.
“Do you lovely mares have reservations?” Despite the stallion’s brutish appearance, he spoke with precision and poise.
“Yes,” Rarity replied, sounding as proper as possible. “It should be under ‘Octavia’.”
“Ah yes, second booth on the right, near the stage. Please, enjoy your time here.”
With a nod, Rarity led Fluttershy to the other end of the sizable room, side by side. They noted the rather large dancing space in the middle, and large stage that could house a classical ensemble. The restaurant itself was absolutely gorgeous. The light fixtures sustained by unicorn magic were breathtaking, and the tables themselves were works of art in their own right.
Taking in the beauty, the couple quickly found themselves at the table they were directed to. To Rarity’s surprise, it was not Octavia sitting at it, but a vaguely familiar white unicorn with an electric blue mane. She was glaring at them through her glasses, her mouth full of complementary bread rolls. Through her stuffed face, she managed to get out one word:
“’Sup?”