Little birds descended onto Fluttershy's head, holding a pretty pink hat with a green ribbon. She gazed in the mirror as the hat landed on her. She smiled.
"It's beautiful! Rarity would love it!" she cooed in awe. But her amazed smile quickly turned into a frown as she started to recognize flaws in the hat. "Though, it has a few rips and the bow is fraying. Not to mention, green isn't a favorite with Rarity. She'd probably hate it!"
She threw the hat on the ground in frustration. "Ugh! This isn't perfect! It has to be perfect!" Fluttershy wined, leaning of the dresser. Her animals looked at her with concern. This was Fluttershy's first ever date out with someone she loved. Rarity. A pony that Fluttershy thought deserved only the best. She started thinking: "What's a piece of clothing I have that has no flaws?"
Then she got an idea. She didn't own much clothing, so why not conjure up some?
"Discord!" Fluttershy called for her friend.
POOF!
Discord appeared wearing nothing but a towel and a shower cap, floating nonchalantly.
"Fluttershy, while I never hate having the chance to talk to you, I'd like to inform you that I was in the middle of a shower!" His calm demeanor turned slightly annoyed as he dried himself with the towel.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Fluttershy apologized. "I just really needed your help. You see, I have a date with Rarity tonight and-" Before she could get another word out, Discord interrupted her, putting a hand to her muzzle.
"Wait, wait, wait...you're doing what?!"
"I'm going on a date with Rarity," Fluttershy responded, calmly taking Discord's hand off her mouth. "I thought I told you we were together."
Thinking, Discord suddenly had a flashback.
"Discord!" Fluttershy exclaimed, wearing a giant grin.
"Mmph...what?" Discord asked, half asleep on the couch.
"I just told Rarity that I liked her, and she said she feels the same!" she squealed, prancing across the room like a bunny.
"That's nice dear," Discord mumbled, turning to fall back asleep.
"Oh," Discord uttered in realization.
"That's besides the point." Fluttershy continued. "I'm having trouble finding something good to wear. So I need your help! Conjure me up an outfit. An outfit that screams 'I'm dating a princess!'"
Discord looked at the pegasus in confusion. "Princess? Are on a date with Rarity or Twilight?"
"No, no, no! I'm dating Rarity! It's just...Rarity is an amazing mare," Fluttershy gushed, blushing softly. "She looks and acts like a princess and should be treated as such! So..."
"Your wish is my command!" Discord replied, snapping his fingers. In a big poof, Fluttershy was now wearing a beautiful light blue dress with rubies surrounding the waist. Fluttershy beamed.
"Discord! I love-"
"I'M DATING A PRINCESS!" a voice screamed, making Fluttershy jump and the animals run away in fear. She looked down at the dress, and realized that it had a mouth on it.
"I'M DATING A PRINCESS!" the mouth repeated.
"Discord!"
"What?" Discord retorted. "You said you wanted it to scream 'I'm dating a princess,' and that's what I did!" Fluttershy gave an annoyed look at the draconequess.
"Look, if you're going to give me a figure of speech, you're gonna have to expect that I'm gonna take it literally!"
Fluttershy sighed. "I'm sorry, Discord. I just want this date to be perfect. Fit for a princess."
"I'M DATING A PRINCESS!" the mouth said again. Fluttershy shushed it before taking out a magazine.
"That's why I want this date to take place at Crystal Paradise!" she open the magazine, showing pictures of big and beautiful castle-like building that was made to look like it was out of crystals. "It's a restaurant, mall, dance floor, and hotel all in one! I've been saving up my bits for the past few months just so we could go here! This is something I know would be great for anypony, let alone somepony like Rarity!"
"I'M DATING A PRIN-" the mouth started to yell, but Fluttershy put her hoof over it before it could continue.
"So to make it perfect, I'm hoping you could put me in a better dress?"
Discord sighed. "Alright, alright," He snapped his fingers, making the mouth on the dress disappear. "Happy now?"
"Very," Fluttershy smiled with satisfaction. She squealed as she looked at herself in the mirror. "This is amazing! No flaws at all! Rarity will absolutely love- OOMPH!"
Fluttershy was walking away from the dresser when she suddenly stepped on the dress, causing her to trip and land face-first onto the floor. As she looked up, she noticed how long the dress was. It was so long, it dragged on the floor when she walked.
"Oopsy! Looks like I made it too long!" Discord said in a sing-songy tone. "It seems like this date will never be perfect!"
"Well in that case, make it shorter," Fluttershy deadpanned.
"I- no that's no what I was-"
She glared at Discord, seeming to be threatening to use her stare. Discord rolled his eyes.
"Do I really need to tell you the moral of this dumb shipping fanfic directly?"
"What?" Fluttershy asked, looking at Discord with confusion.
"Nothing. You see I would fix the dress, but..." he looked around desperately. His eyes fell on a roll of paper towels. He took ripped a piece off and wrapped it around his fingers.
"My fingers are terribly injured and I can't do magic properly!"
Fluttershy knew he was faking it, but she knew there was no way she would convince him to fix the dress. So, she decided to keep it the way it was. If she was careful, maybe she won't trip, and everything will go as planned.
Knock knock knock
Fluttershy smiled as she heard the tapping of the door. "Rarity's here!" She rushed to open the door, almost stumbling on her dress along the way. As the door creaked open, she gaped in shock and awe. There Rarity was, wearing her signature makeup, along with some red lipstick. Her hair was done up in a ponytail and held in place with a small pink bow. She wore a pretty dark purple dress with matching stockings. Stuck on the dress were diamonds and jewels arranged in a rainbow pattern, making the dress glow in the light.
"Hello darling!" Rarity greeted. "Ready for the date?"
Fluttershy squeaked shyly, but nodded in response. She blushed as the white unicorn held out her hoof for Fluttershy to take hold of it. As they walked out of the cottage, Rarity noticed how long Fluttershy's dress was.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed. "Why is your dress so long?"
"I couldn't find a better dress," Fluttershy said, fibbing a little. "Don't you think it's perfect?"
Rarity looked dubiously at the long dress. She had to admit it was a gorgeous dress. "Well yes, but-"
"Then I don't have a problem with it!"
Rarity cocked her head at the yellow pegasus. She still wasn't sure if this was the best decision for Fluttershy to make, but she seemed so sure about it. Rarity didn't want to disappoint her.
Discord followed them outside, looking at pictures of Crystal Paradise in the magazine. He tossed it aside, conjuring up two seats beneath Fluttershy and Rarity.
"Alright, lovebirds!" Discord called, putting on a conductor's hat. "All aboard the mushy express! CHOO CHOO!" He made train noises appear out of nowhere as he snapped his fingers to teleport the couple.
"Fluttershy! You shouldn't have!" Rarity admonished as she stared at the crystal-like building. They were now in front of the entrance to Crystal Paradise, taking in the beautiful architecture. The building was about three floors high, and had a beautiful teal blue color with pink and gold accents, resembling the color palette of the Crystal Empire. The base was dressed in bushes that grew roses. There were two fountains that were beside the staircase that lead to the entrance on each side, both of them including sculptures of ponies spitting the water out of their mouths. The staircase itself wore a purple rug that resembled those rugs that would unravel whilst a princess would walk down a hallway.
"I've always wanted to go here!" Rarity continued as she admired the building.
"I know," Fluttershy responded. "That's why I've been saving my bits just for this date."
"You two have fun," Discord said, turning to teleport away. "I'll come back to get you at nine." He snapped his fingers and disappeared. Fluttershy waved goodbye as he vanished.
"So," Fluttershy started. "are you hungry?"
Rarity nodded, still staring at the establishment in awe. As they started to walk up the stairs, Fluttershy tried extra careful not to stepped on her dress and fall over. It thankfully wasn't a problem, but about halfway up the stairs, there were potted plants on the sides. As the couple passed the plants, Fluttershy's dress made its way under the pot of one of the plants, causing it to get stuck. As a result, Fluttershy found herself stumbling and falling down the steps.
"Oh dear! Are you okay?" Rarity called to her girlfriend.
"Yes, I'm fine," Fluttershy answered, getting back up on her hooves. As she looked up, she saw a crowd of sophisticated ponies outside Crystal Paradise looking at her in surprise. She squeaked, covering her face in embarrassment.
"Hey!" Rarity announced to the ponies. "Don't look at her like that!" She helped Fluttershy back up the stairs and into the building. Fluttershy hung her head in shame.
"Are you sure you don't want to change you dress?" Rarity asked. "I don't want you to hurt yourself again."
In return, Fluttershy held her head up, trying to put on a smile. "Nope! I'll be fine!"
While still doubtful, Rarity kept walking through the building, taking Fluttershy with her. As they went through, they admired the architecture. The first floor was made up of a restaurant and a hallway of hotel rooms. It was a typical fancy diner you'd see in Canterlot, but unlike most of the three hoof rated restaurants, there was much more food instead of tiny portions. The couple sat down at an empty table, waiting patiently for a waiter to come. They sat there not saying anything for a few minutes, staring at each other awkwardly.
"So..." Fluttershy broke the awkward silence. "How has the past few days been?"
"Oh, it's been pretty good," Rarity answered. "Yona and Sandbar have recently been coming over to help with my work. They're so helpful, especially Yona! She's been amazing since I taught her how to sew!"
"Great!" Fluttershy responded.
Awkward silence started again. Fluttershy started sweating. "Oh dear," she thought. "I hope the waiter gets here soon. I don't want Rarity to feel weird about all this silence."
"Good evening miss'." a waiter with a posh voice trotted up to their table. "What can I get for you?"
Relieved, Fluttershy took a look at the menu to answer the waiter's question. She searched the pages for something appetizing. She sees a picture of a delicious-looking fruit salad, topped with some tasty daisies. She decided on her order.
"I'll have-" Fluttershy started before she realized Rarity was starting at the same time. They both stopped and looked at each other.
"Oh, sorry dear," Rarity apologized. "You can go first."
"Oh no, it's okay!" Fluttershy said. "You can go!" She didn't want to interrupt Rarity.
Rarity shook her head. "No really, darling, you should go first! You deserve it."
"You deserve it more!"
"Ha! No seriously, you go first."
"No, you go first!"
Soon enough, Fluttershy and Rarity were in a full blown argument, wanting the other to say their order first, all because they wanted to be polite. All the customers watched as the couple yelled complements at each other.
"You're kinder than me!"
"You're prettier than me!"
"You're the most amazing pony in Equestria!"
"You're amazing-er!"
They both shouted in unison, "YOU SAY YOUR ORDER FIRST!"
As they finished, they looked up at the room, seeing that everypony had their eyes on them... again. They blushed in embarrassment. Fluttershy chuckled nervously, holding out her hoof.
"Maybe we should settle this with a game of 'Hoof, Wing, Horn?'"
"I'm sorry, Rarity," Fluttershy apologized as she and her girlfriend made their way upstairs. "I just wanted to be polite."
"I know dear," replied Rarity. "At least it was a good dinner."
"Yeah, but it was an embarrassing start! I didn't want us to get embarrassed! This wasn't how I wanted it to go!" she buried her face in her hooves. But she didn't just give up. This date can't stop like this! There was still so much to do! She was going to make this date amazing, one way or another.
"You know," Fluttershy said. "now that we're on the mall floor, maybe we could take a look around!" She points to the room that they were now in. It was a hallway full of clothing stores. A playground for ponies like Rarity. Immediately, she grabbed Fluttershy with her magic and started cantering around the place, looking for something that may catch her eye.
"Gasp! Fluttershy, look!" Rarity pointed at a pretty light pink dress displayed in the window of a shop.
Fluttershy squeaked in amazement. "Do you want it?"
"Yes, very much so!"
In response, Fluttershy went into the shop to buy the dress. She didn't Rarity to be the one to spend all of her bits, so she figured she would pay for everything. She is the one who's been saving up her bits, after all.
After buying the dress, Fluttershy and Rarity continued to browse the shops, sometimes leaving with one or two new dresses or accessories. Fluttershy insisted on carrying all of the bags. She didn't want to make Rarity struggle, even if it meant she herself had to. After a while, the couple had went through almost very store in the mall. Fluttershy continued to carry the bags, to point where she had to carry them on her back, which weighed her down. Rarity took note of it, and insisted on carrying some of the bags.
"No, Rarity," Fluttershy replied. "I can handle it. You can keep going!"
Rarity looked slightly annoyed at Fluttershy's stubborness. "Look, I appreciate your kindness, darling, but this is just getting ridiculous! At least let me carry one bag for you." She started to levitate a bag off of Fluttershy's back.
"Hey! Put that back! I'm more than willing to carry all of them!" Fluttershy pulled on the bag with her mouth.
"I insist, darling! I think you've suffered enough!"
"I said no!" Fluttershy yanked on the bag. So hard, she found herself falling over and dropping all of the bags. All of the product fell out of the bags and onto the floor, leaving a mess.
"Oh, dear! I'm so sorry, darling! Let me-"
"No, it's fine," Fluttershy got up and started to pick up the dresses and putting them back in the bag.
"Oh, this going horribly!" Fluttershy thought. "First the fight in the restaurant and now this?! I wanted this date to be perfect, but it's just becoming a disaster. I can't let Rarity leave with a date like this!" Then Fluttershy perked up. "But the date isn't over yet! There's still a dance floor we can go to. Maybe then, we'll have fun!"
"Come on, Rarity!" Fluttershy said, grabbing Rarity's hoof. "Let's go to the dance floor. We could have our first dance there!"
"Um... I don't-" Before Rarity could respond, Fluttershy dragged her to the third floor; the dance floor.
"See? This is perfect!"
Fluttershy pointed at the colorful dance floor. There weren't as many sophisticated ponies here as there were on the other two floors, but it was still full of party-lovers. It wasn't as fancy as it was like a party. There was even a DJ working the music. (Sure enough, it was Vinyl Scratch.)
"C'mon, Rarity, let's go dance!" Fluttershy started to pull Rarity to the dance floor, but she pulled away.
"Listen darling, I'm not really in the mood for dancing right now," she sighed. "We've been walking around the mal for about an hour and my hooves are starting to hurt. If you want to dance, that's fine, but I think I'll just-"
Before Rarity to continue, Fluttershy grabbed her and dragged her to the dance floor. She glared at Rarity angrily.
"Listen, I've been trying this whole time to make this date the most perfect date I could make it, because it's exactly what you deserve! But every time I try, it all just backfires on me! This is our last chance to make this date fit for a princess, so we are going to dance on that floor, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"
She swung Rarity around, trying to emulate a slow dance and miserably failing. She was starting to go a little haywire, her eye twitching randomly. She had become so obsessed with making this date perfect, she's gone crazy. Rarity was concerned, trying to push herself away from Fluttershy while trying to reconcile with her.
"Fluttershy, I think this has gone too far! I know you wanted this date to be perfect, but I don't think this is doing that!"
"YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS!" Fluttershy yelled, following up with maniacal laughter. As she (tried) to dance, she started to stumble. The dress! She forgot about trying to avoid stepping on it, resulting in her falling over. She landed hard on a beam that was secured to string supporting a large chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. The string snapped due to the beam moving, and the chandelier fell to the floor, very close to where Rarity was standing. The chandelier crushed several ponies, (they survived because this is an E rated fic) including Rarity. Fluttershy looked on at the damage she had done. All this because she wanted the date to be perfect. But it backfired. Again. Realizing what she's done, she sobbed running out of the room.
"Fluttershy, wait!" Rarity yelled after her, getting out from under the chandelier. She ran downstairs back to the resturaunt and hotel rooms. when she made to the hall of rooms, she heard crying in the bathroom. Rarity opened the door, seeing a sobbing Fluttershy curled up on the floor.
"Don't look at me!" Fluttershy whimpered. "You don't deserve to look at dirty pony like me!"
"Oh, Fluttershy," Rarity sighed. "I know it was an accident. But why? Why were you so determined to make this date perfect?"
Fluttershy looked up at the mare she loved, wiping away her tears. "I-I just wanted this date to be what you, a beautiful, lovely, generous pony, deserve. You might as well be a princess. That's what I wanted this date to be. Fit for a princess. But it wasn't... and I ended up hurting you in the process. I'm sorry. I'm a terrible girlfriend."
Rarity regarded the yellow pegasus with pity. Hearing herself being described as beautiful, lovely, and generous made her smile.
"Darling, this date didn't have to be perfect. Did you really think I was expecting such?"
"Yes..."
"This may surprise you, but I'm not as perfect as you may think," Rarity chuckled. "Nopony is. Nothing is! And this date didn't have to be. Even things fit for a princess have flaws. And you can, too." She lifted Fluttershy's chin up to make her look at her. Rarity looked at her, smiling kindly. Fluttershy smiled back.
"Thanks Rarity," Fluttershy sniffed, kissing Rarity on the cheek. Rarity blushed, kissing her back.
"Um, excuse me," a voice perked up. A mare peeked inside the bathroom. "Aren't you the one who broke the chandelier? Sorry, but you're gonna have to pay for that."
Fluttershy looked up, reaching for her bag of bits before Rarity stopped her.
"Don't worry, I'll pay for it."
"What took you two so long?!" Discord exclaimed, spawning a watch away after it was on his wrist a few second before. "I said I was going to be here at nine, but you two were in there until eleven! What happened?!"
"Sorry, Discord," Fluttershy said, rubbing her neck awkwardly. "I sort of broke a chandelier, and I insisted on helping with fixing it."
Discord looked at her with surprise. "You broke a chandelier?! And I wasn't there to see it?!"
Fluttershy and Rarity chuckled. After Discord teleported them back to Fluttershy's cottage, Rarity hugged her and waved goodbye as she walked away.
"This may not have been a perfect date, but so far, it's my favorite one!" she giggled. "I hope to see you on another date!"
"Me too!" Fluttershy responded, closing the door to her cottage. She turned to Discord, who was seeming to be waiting for her to say something.
"So... what did we learn today?"
Fluttershy smiled. "In order to have a better date, you shouldn't take the advice of a draconequess." she responded jokingly.
"I-what?!" Discord yelled. "That's what you get out of this? After three failed attempts and kissing with Rarity?"
"Wait... how do you know about that."
"Ugh... nevermind."