Soarin' was speechless. He was never one to use labels on ponies. Whenever he did he felt terrible for doing it but now he was making an exception to that rule of his. The mare before him was beyond any mare he had ever seen before. She left his breathless and he could only describe her as perfect. He stared at her for a few moments before he became vaguely aware that she had spoken. WORDS STUPID! Use them now!
"Huh, what?"
Perfect. Now she thinks I'm an idiot. He gave a smile hoping that it would distract her from his momentary loss of concentration. She moved her head so her mane formed a veil. He couldn't help but find that somewhat cute. She mumbled something that he couldn't quite make out.
"One more time please?"
He gave her his best attempt of a smile and all it did was make her retreat further behind her mane. She shuffled on her hooves then took a deep breath and spoke with a voice that was the sweetest and softest he had ever heard.
"I said would you like to come in?"
He gave a quick nod and she motioned for him to come in. He walked into the home and was surprised for the second time in a minute. The inside of the home was, for lack of a better word, cozy. He glanced around and noticed the stairway that had plenty of bird houses, some of which had birds sitting in them looking back at him. He felt oddly at peace as his gaze swept the room. He looked over to his companion of the next few hours and noticed that she was sitting on a chair. She gestured to the sofa for him to sit. He gave her a smile and she only went back to hiding behind her mane.
He took a seat and waited for her to say something. They sat there waiting for a few moments that seemed to stretch on for an hour. Finally Soarin' cleared his throat.
"So...uh, what's your name?"
Still hidden behind her mane she spoke in a higher and softer voice than when she asked him to come in. "F-Fluttershy, w-what's your name?"
Soarin' sat there for a moment almost surprised that she didn't know his name but after a moment he felt a suddenly happy about that fact. She doesn't know I'm famous... thank you Spitfire.
"I'm Soarin'. You have a lovely home."
She shuffled her hooves for a moment. Soarin' was certain that she was blushing behind her mane. "Thank you. It's not much but I make do."
Silence fell between them for a few more seconds. Soarin' took this time to look at the photos on the mantel piece. He spotted one with a familiar mare. One with a cyan coat and a rainbow mane.
"Oh, you know Rainbow Dash?"
He looked back to his host to see that she just simply nodded. He pressed on hoping that they could have something to talk about.
"When did you meet her?"
"I met her at flight camp when we were young."
Soarin' gave her a small smile. "Ah..."
Silence fell once more. Soarin' went back to studying the home. After a few more second he heard a small gasp from the quiet mare. She spoke with sudden excitement in her voice.
"Were you at the Grand Galloping Gala?"
He turned to face her and noticed that she was now emerging from the veil of her mane. He gave a cautious nod. She gave another small gasp.
"I recognize you! You're that Wonderbolt that bought Applejack's pie!"
When she mentioned the recognition he was afraid that she knew about his being a Wonderbolt but when she mentioned the pie he was both confused and surprised.
"What? Oh! The pie from that nice earth pony. Yeah, I guess that was me. Though I highly doubt I was the only pony to buy from her."
She emerged from her mane more. "No. You were the only one."
Soarin' was shocked. "How could I have been her only buyer? That pie was amazing! She had to have had another purchase."
She moved the rest of her mane out of her eyes. "No she told me that you were her only buyer but she wasn't to upset by it. We all had kinda high hopes for that night."
Soarin' moved to the side of the sofa closer to her. This action only made the shy mare hide behind her mane once more. He paused and the room went silent for the third time. A question came to his mind after a few seconds that he knew he probably shouldn't ask but couldn't stop himself from doing so.
"If you knew I was a Wonderbolt then why did you need to ask my name?"
She looked back up at him and met his gaze with her uncovered eye. "Well... I didn't know your name. I don't really follow the Wonderbolts that closely. Most the time when Dash is talking about them I just sorta tune her out."
She suddenly turned beet red and started to look panicked. "Please don't tell her I said that! I don't mean to do it but when she gets going it can be really hard to stop her and I don't want to be mean and tell her I don't care. You probably think I'm a horrible pony now."
She hid underneath her mane and turned her body away from him. He took a small breath and moved closer to her. He reached out and gently placed his hoof on her shoulder. This caused her to let out the cutest scream he had ever heard and jump in her seat. Now was his turn to freak out.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I was just trying to be comforting."
She settled back down in her chair and gave him a mixed look of thanks and slight terror. He gave her a smile that he hoped was comforting. After a second she returned to half hiding under her mane. He sat back down on the sofa.
"I don't think you're a horrible pony. I know what it's like hearing the same thing a million times. It gets... trying after a while."
She gave him a slight smile. “So you don't hate me?"
He shook his head. "No. I think that you were trying to be a good friend and didn't want to hurt her feelings. I have a friend just like that. I love her like a sister but when you hear the same thing so many times it just starts to get... well..."
He trailed off as he tried to find an adjective that wouldn't sound mean. Fluttershy gave him a smile that told him he didn't need to. They sat there for a minute or so before Fluttershy broke the silence.
"So... what's it like being a Wonderbolt. I mean I know that you fly and all but how often do you have to practice that sort of flying, if you don't mind me asking..."
Soarin' sat up a little straighter in his seat. He had never been asked a question like that before, at least never by a mare and certainly never by a mare he was on a date with.
"Well we have to show up to practice three times a week and those last roughly three to four hours a day. Those are normally just the team practices. We also have to clock at least ten hours of workout time each week. It gets tiring but you get used to it."
She inched a little closer to him. "Oh, that sounds like a lot of work. What happens if you don't get enough hours in or you miss a practice?"
He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well... I've miss a few practices and because I know Spitfire she kinda went easy on me the first time."
Fluttershy moved another inch closer. "What she do?"
He blushed. "The first time she made me do laps like a foal at flight camp. The next time however she went hard on me and docked a month’s pay."
One of Fluttershy's hooves went to her mouth. "That's horrible."
Soarin' blushed more. She's acting so darn cute. He shrugged. "Well I make enough to get by."
He suddenly felt like he was bragging. He turned away from her and focused on the floorboards. Way to go; now she thinks that I'm trying to use my money to impress her.
"Would you like to help me with something? I mean if you want to that is, it's not much so you could stay here and wait for a few minutes I guess..."
Thankful for something to distract them both from his mistake he practically leaped at the offer. "No not at all. I'd love to help you."
She rose from her seat. "If you're certain, I mean I don't want you to feel forced into this..."
He shook his head. "No I insist, besides this will give me a chance to see the rest of your beautiful home."
She blushed and led him through the living room into the kitchen. It was just as cozy and peaceful as the living room. She led him through another door and he found himself outside. He glanced around and spotted some chicken coops, a decently sized pond, and much to his surprise, a flamingo standing in the water. He looked over to Fluttershy and was greeted with a view of her back and side. He looked at her cutie mark for a moment then quickly looked away blushing.
She glanced over at him. "Is something the matter?"
He tried his best to act normal. "Nope, nothing at all, just admiring your coops."
He wanted to facehoof. Now she thinks I’m a pervert. She gave him a weird look and pointed to a small shed. "I'll be right back. I need to go get the feed for the chickens. Go say hello to the animals if you like."
She turned and headed to the shed and he noticed something he had failed to catch up to this point. She was a pegasus. He couldn't stop staring at her now. She mystified him. He had thought her to be an earth pony with the home she lived in and her obvious love for animals, he was fairly certain that she took care of them as a job. Soarin' had never met a pegasus that didn't use their flight in some way, from stunt flying like himself to weather teams like the ones Spitfire had to observe occasionally.
He glanced over to the coops and the pond and noticed a small gathering of animals ranging from common pets such as cats, dogs, and birds to exotic pets such as the flamingo, an eagle, and a rather large looking bat hanging from the nearby tree. He smiled at them but quickly turned around to face the shed when he heard a small crash. Without waiting to hear if Fluttershy was okay he launched himself across the yard and swiftly went into the shed.
"Fluttershy you alright?"
He spotted her half buried in a pile of gardening utensils and bags of feed. He rushed over to her and started moving the bags of feed off of her.
"I'm fine. One of the shelves broke. I've been meaning to fix it but I never really got the time."
After they removed everything off of her she gave him a quick hug. She pulled away almost the same second she had given him the hug. She blushed and hid behind her mane again.
"Thank you."
He stood there stunned but smiling. "No problem."
She bent down and started to lift a bag of feed that almost reached her flank in height. Soarin' noticed that she was struggling with it. He walked over to it and lifted it onto his back Now I know why that shelf broke.
Fluttershy looked alarmed. "You don't need to do that for me. I could get that."
He shot her the smile recruitment posters were made of. "Nonsense. I'm happy to help. Just show me where you want it."
She tried to protest but he wouldn't have it. "You invited me into your home and this is the least I could do to be a good house guest."
She stopped trying to grab the bag and sighed. "Then let me repay you somehow. I didn't even ask for you to help me and I feel terrible that you're working for me. I should at least repay you somehow."
Soarin' shook his head. "No need." They reached the coups after a moment of silence and Soarin' placed the bag off feed down. "Actually there is something you can do."
Fluttershy started opening the bag but stopped when he spoke. She blushed. "Yes?"
He noticed her blush and realized how this conversation might sound to someone. He blushed as well. "Well I was wondering if you could answer a question for me."
She poured some of the feed one the ground and moved back as the chickens started to eat. "Sure... I guess I could do that for you."
He swallowed. "How did you end up here? I mean I've never met a pegasus that didn't use their flight for their talent in some way. I mean when I fly nothing else matters to me. Nothing else can compare to flying and I can see nothing else as worthy or worth doing."
He froze after he realized he had just insulted her. He had told her that her life's work meant nothing. "I am so sorry. I wasn't thinking and I just wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. I didn't mean to—"
She placed her hoof on his mouth. "It's alright. I sometimes feel the same way about this. Animals are my life. I could never see myself doing anything else. It's normal for ponies to think like that but it's also important to understand why others do their jobs. Besides if we didn't have a passion for our craft we would never be happy."
He was gentle in the removal of her hoof from his lips. "I still insulted you. I didn't mean to do that and I'm sorry."
She gave him a heart-melting smile. "I forgive you. Now I guess I should tell you how I got here and how I got this place."
She told him the story of how she had fallen off a cloud during a race and how she had been caught by butterflies. She told him how she had befriended the animals and how after the sonic rainboom she had helped them calm down.
"After some time back home in Cloudsdale I decided that when I got older I would come here and make a life for myself. I wandered around for a while until I came across this cottage. The old stallion that owned the place let me buy it for a great price and then I met some of the ponies from Ponyville. Pinkie threw me a party in my own home and I've been friends with her ever since."
As she talked they had gone around and fed the rest of the animals, giving each type of animal their own feed and helping the injured or sick ones by feeding them. He was currently holding a small hedgehog in in his forelegs and was holding a small bottle so it could drink.
"I think I would like to meet this Pinkie Pie. I think I would like her type of parties, they sound like my type of party."
Unnoticed by Soarin' the bottle he was holding had run out. The hedgehog however noticed instantly and became slightly uncomfortable. It then decided that it would remedy this issue by sticking its quills into the closest thing. Unfortunately for Soarin' this meant him. He felt a sudden pricking pain in his leg and looked down for the source.
"Oh... you're done."
He gently placed the hedgehog down and inspected the damage as it wandered over to its mother. The quills had stabbed him in quite a few places and a few of those were bleeding slightly. Well, I have had worse than this. He glanced over at Fluttershy who was feeding two of the small creatures at once. She might freak out if she sees me bleeding. He tried to shift his leg so it was out of sight but when the hedgehog he was feeding made it over to the small group Fluttershy noticed it and look over at him.
"What happened to your leg?"
Before he could really answer she had placed down the young hedgehogs and moved over to his side. She lifted his leg and inspected the injuries.
"Oh, that must really hurt. I'll get my first aid kit. Just stay right here."
She ran into her home leaving Soarin' sitting there slightly dazed. Fluttershy moved quickly through her home and reached the small closet in her living room. She quickly opened the door and grabbed the small box marked with a red cross. She rushed back into her kitchen but stopped when she looked out her doorway ay the sight before her. At some point in her absence the bald eagle she had taken care of the past few years had perched itself on Soarin's shoulder. What really made her amazed at the sight was the Soarin' was gently cooing the bird with a smile that made her heart stop for a moment.
She remembered his injury and quickly rushed over to him. "Let me see your leg again."
He lifted his leg and gave her a smile. "I didn't know eagles were this friendly. This little guy is kinda cool."
Fluttershy took a small cotton ball and poured some alcohol on it. "This might hurt a little. He's really nice when you get to know him. This is the fastest I've ever seen him warm up to somepony. Well except the time Dash wanted a pet."
She began to gently wipe up the small trickle of blood and clean the wounds. Soarin' didn't show any signs of discomfort aside a small gasp.
"Cold."
She couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. He's so nice, not only to me but to the animals as well. He's got a nice sense of humor as well. Cute too. The final thought caused her to blush and hide behind her mane veil again. Soarin' was to busy admiring the eagle to really notice, to which she was grateful for. She finished cleaning his leg and started wrapping it up. She thought it was a bit much to use bandaging on a wound so small but she figured it would be faster this way instead of having to use several adhesive bandages.
"There. That's better. How does it feel? I didn't do it to tight, did I?"
He flexed his leg and moved it around testing the bandage. "No it's fine. I've had worse spills during practice. Thank you."
They both finished feeding the animals with no further incident. The eagle stayed perched on Soarin's shoulder the entire time barely moving. When they finished they headed back into the cottage and stopped in the kitchen.
"Can I get you something? You helped me out a lot with the animals, feeding them normally takes me a lot longer than that."
Soarin' gave her the recruitment smile. "Sure I'd love something to drink. Don't you get help with that from somepony?"
She shook her head. She went out of view for a moment as she bent into the kitchen to grab something. She reemerged with a pitcher of lemonade. She poured two glasses and brought Soarin' his.
"No. It's mostly just me out here. I don't really get visitors often and when I do it’s normally after I've fed the animals for the day. I hope lemonade is fine."
He took a sip and let the sweet sugar and the sour tang of lemon wash over his tongue. He swallowed with a pleasant grin on his face.
"This is perfect."
He watched her as she blushed and took a sip of her own drink. He couldn't help but admire her for her dedication to the animals in her care. To take care of this many animals, and with so many of them being different species, shows so much kindness. He moved closer to her and gently placed his hoof on her shoulder. She jumped and tensed a little but quickly relaxed. She gave him a warm smile.
"Would you like to go on a quick walk? I'm kinda feeling antsy. Need to stretch the legs you know?"
She finished her drink. "I would like that. I know this really nice little path. It's really beautiful this time of day."
They made their way outside. Soarin' spent nearly half a minute to convince the eagle to leave his shoulder. After the eagle went to a nearby tree the pair went down the path looking at the flowers and trees that lined the path. Soarin' was fascinated by the beauty of the nature around him.
"Wow. I've never seen anything this peaceful or wondrous. Well except for you."
Soarin' blushed. That was so cheesy. Now she thinks I'm a dork.
Fluttershy hid behind her mane. That was so sweet.
They continued on the path but Soarin' stopped when he heard a small click. He looked over to his side and noticed a small amount of movement. He moved so that he was directly in between whatever was in the bush and Fluttershy just in case it was dangerous but when a snow white rabbit popped out of the bush he sighed. What was I thinking? A bear would come out of that bush? The rabbit bounced over to Fluttershy and started to stomp it foot.
"Hello Angel. What's the matter?"
The rabbit started to point at the bush. Then back to Fluttershy. "Oh, I think he wants me to go back home. I'm sorry Soarin' This must be really important if Angel followed us all the way out here."
Soarin' heard the click again but chose to ignore it. "Don't worry about it. I had a good time, better than I could ha—"
He was silence by a pair of silky golden lips pressed into his. His mind went blissfully blank and he felt like he was flying. His eyes closed as he sank into the kiss. He opened his eyes as the pulled apart after what was a bliss filled eternity. His emerald orbs meeting her teal orbs.
She quickly pulled away and hide her face behind her mane. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry I should have asked you firs—"
Soarin' walked up to her removed her mane from in front of her face and kissed her. They separated after another short eternity.
"Never apologize for doing that. So do you want to meet up again this Saturday?"
She nodded her head dazed and smiling. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and motioned to Angel. "I think he still needs you."
She nodded once again and picked up the rabbit. She walked down the road with a smile that made Soarin' want to kiss her again. He stood there for a moment with a grin of his own then launched himself into the air. He had a date to plan for.
Featherweight couldn't believe his luck. He had been out getting pictures of flowers for the school paper and he ended up getting pictures of his idol Soarin'. Not only that but Soarin' had been on a date, with Fluttershy no less.
"Wait till my dad sees the pictures!"
He flew off toward Ponyville as fast as his wings could carry him