Fluttershy awoke to the sound of Angel’s foot thumping. “Now Angel, there’s no need to be rude,” she said as she yawned. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden sunlight pouring through the windows of her bedroom, she hopped out of bed and made her way downstairs. “Good things come to those who wait.”
Angel followed hopped alongside Fluttershy until she made it to the pantry, opening it to grab a carrot. “I know you’re hungry, so I want you to have the biggest, juiciest one I have.” She placed the carrot in his hands with a smile and watched him gnaw away at it. Fluttershy looked about at the otherwise empty cottage. The sound of chirping birds and scampering feet were absent this time of year. There were fewer mouths to feed, fewer messes in the living room, and nothing for a lone pegasus to do on a wintry day. As hectic and distracting her animal friends could be, it was days like this that threatened to lull her away from completing her short but important “to-do” list.
“Angel, I’ll be gone for a while. I’m off to Rarity’s.” Fluttershy took a few more carrots from the pantry and put them in a small bowl bearing Angel’s name. “Eat these when you get hungry, and don’t make too much of a mess, okay?” Angel squealed in protest. “You know I spend time with Rarity every week, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Don’t you like it when I fluff your tail on time?”
Angel kept quiet and crossed his arms. “How about when I get back and if the living room is still in one piece, I’ll make you your favorite dessert?” Angel hopped onto the sofa with glee and waved Fluttershy goodbye. Though it felt bad now and again to bribe him, coaxing Angel with treats for good behavior always worked for her. The key was knowing what he really wanted, and dangling the carrot was just her way of showing him she understood his needs.
Fluttershy waved back before heading outside and found Twilight Sparkle inspecting the few flowers growing in the garden before her ears perked up at the sound of the door creaks.
“Twilight!” She leapt in excitement at the sight of her studious friend and spread her wings to gracefully land. Seeing Twilight only offering a smile back, she dropped her head and scratched at the ground with her hoof. “Oh, I hope I wasn’t too excited.”
Twilight laughed heartily and hugged Fluttershy. “It’s good to see you too! Hopefully I don’t need to take any more extended leaves for a while.”
Fluttershy stepped over the small bridge in front of her garden and nodded towards Twilight. “Rainbow Dash talked about you the whole time. I think she misses you.”
Twilight teleported herself to the other side of the bridge next to Fluttershy. “You have no idea. She wouldn’t stop sending me letters. Complete one-eighty from how she used to be.”
Fluttershy giggled. “We’ve all changed because of you. Before you moved to Ponyville, I had a ritual each morning just to talk myself into leaving my house if I knew I was going to talk to anypony. I was so unsure and shy that — well, you knew how I was.” She trotted down the road towards town and was soon followed by Twilight. “Would you like to come with me? I’m going to Rarity’s boutique.”
Twilight shot her a sly smile. “Got plans with Rarity?”
“Oh no, just picking up a surprise she made for me.” Fluttershy shook her head at Twilight’s assumption, though given the day it was understandable. “We had our weekly get-together planned for today, but we cancelled it.”
“You mean your spa dates, right?”
“Funny, that’s what Rarity calls them. Anyway, it coincided with Hearts and Hooves day again this year, so I told her we should probably move it to another time this week.”
Twilight cocked her head. “Again? How do you two schedule? It seems if somepony wanted an open schedule ahead of time, she’d pick different dates.”
“Rarity checks her work schedule at the start of each month, then chooses the weekday that we go on our spa dates.” Fluttershy withdrew under Twilight’s baffled stare, but continued. “I never understood why she always does this. She could be using that day to find her special somepony, but I feel like I’m taking Hearts and Hooves Day away from her. She talks about all the time like it’s her favorite holiday.”
Twilight teleported again, but this time in front of Fluttershy to stop her. “So let me get this straight. Rarity always chooses when these dates happen, so she knows they fall on Hearts and Hooves Day. She frequently tells you it’s her favorite holiday, and as we speak you’re on your way to pick up a gift she made especially for you. On Hearts and Hooves Day. The same day she wanted to go to the spa with you.”
Fluttershy took several moments to mull over how Twilight summarized it. It did seem weird Rarity booked herself on her favorite holiday, but suddenly agreed to postpone this Hearts and Hooves Day’s spa date. “Hmmm... all of that sounds right. What if she’s already found a special somepony and doesn’t want me to feel left out on the holiday? That would explain the gift.”
“Does she even talk about anypony else?” The agitation in Twilight’s voice may have come from her impatience, though Fluttershy was certain she was just as concerned for friends as any pony would be.
Fluttershy scratched her chin with her hoof in thought. “She hasn’t mentioned anypony. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anypony. I could be holding her back! Do you think I’m holding her back? I mean I like Rarity a lot but—”
Twilight sighed and started walking again. “Let me share a little something. For the longest time, Rainbow Dash had a tough time admitting anything to me. At first it was small things — she didn’t want to show her fearful side or didn’t care to admit she liked reading. So last year it came as a big surprise when I found out from Pinkie she was shopping around for a bouquet for me.”
Fluttershy was quiet for a moment as she saw the boutique come into view. “Flowers? That doesn’t sound like Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight smiled. “Believe me, she’s just like the rest of us, though she does her best to keep up appearances.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Sounds more like Rarity! Sounds like a story about Rarity if you ask me.”
Twilight threw her hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulders as they arrived. “Not quite, but I think you know what I’m getting at now. Just keep that in mind when you talk to her.”
“You’re not staying?” Fluttershy’s voice was even softer than usual.
“Nah. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just tell Rarity how you feel.”
“Feel about what?”
Twilight playfully rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it then. Good luck!”
Fluttershy watched Twilight gallop off, then timidly turned towards the door. “Maybe Rarity’s busy with somepony. I shouldn’t intrude.” She leaned over to look through the window, and sure enough she saw Rarity speaking with a young stallion with a fine white coat and well-combed mane, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. She could feel her heart thump at the sight of something she never knew she was afraid of.
This was the worst time to be right. She felt silly admitting to Twilight she liked Rarity, especially when Twilight was heavily hinting things about her, but now she began rethinking her reasoning behind her past talk with Rarity. Fluttershy wanted Rarity to have time for herself and find love. Though she expected Rarity insisting on going on the spa date as usual, Rarity instead said only one thing:
“You’re too kind, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy held back tears as Rarity’s words echoed in her thoughts. She looked again through the window and felt her heart sink again as she watched Rarity and the Stallion laugh together. Maybe she was too kind. She always loved going to the spa with Rarity on Hearts and Hooves Day.
“Maybe I’ll just say hi and pick up her gift,” she whispered to herself. She stared at the door intently and took in deep breaths. “You can do this, Fluttershy. You can do this. You’re going to knock on that door, and not break down in front of Rarity. And most of all, you’re not going to run away.” Fluttershy gave up chanting and whipped around to run back home. As soon as she started, however, the door opened. She froze.
The stallion she saw through the window walked past her, then back to look her in the face. He seemed rather puzzled. “You okay there?”
Fluttershy struggled to keep eye contact. “Ar-are y-you Rarity’s special...”
“Hah! I wish.” He waved the bouquet she saw earlier. “I had gifts and everything, and she even liked my singing! Didn’t know she was holding out for somepony else.”
“Sh-she said that?”
“No, but I’m not that clueless. Ladies never come out and say stuff like that. They just drop heavy hints. You know what I mean?”
Fluttershy smiled with joy. “I think I do now!”
The stallion trotted off. Fluttershy walked backed towards the front door with determination. She knocked on it a few times and waited for what she hoped would be her chance to make things right.
The door creaked open and Rarity stepped out. Her smile seemed more polite than happy, and it showed in her voice. “Fluttershy, looking lovely as ever! I’m glad you could stop by. Sorry to disappoint you, but your gift isn’t quite ready yet.”
“Oh, I’m not here for the gift you promised.” Rarity stared at her blankly. “Well, actually, I was here for the gift, but then I was going to leave, but now I am here, but not for the gift.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “So, what are you here for now?”
“I know I said we shouldn’t go on our spa date, but I’ve... reconsidered.”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “Did you just call it a... date?”
“Um, yes, just like you do. What I’m trying to say is, I like that they’re dates. I always have, but I didn’t always know that’s what you meant by it. So, if you haven’t already filled your schedule today, I’d like to un-cancel our Hearts and Hooves date. That is, if you’re okay with that.” The volume of Fluttershy’s voice diminished as she continued until she barely spoke above a whisper.
Fluttershy gasped when she saw Rarity sniffling and tearing up. “Rarity, I didn’t mean to make you cry, I just—”
“I’m not crying, dummy!” Rarity hugged Fluttershy tightly and kissed her on the cheek. Fluttershy turned a deep red and went limp from surprise in her grasp when rarity finally let go. “I’m just so happy all my subtle hints are finally paying off! You know, sometimes you can be too kind to hear what I’m saying.”
“And you can be too subtle.”
Rarity extended hoof towards Fluttershy. “Let’s go to the spa before it becomes too crowded. It is a day for special someponies, after all.”
Fluttershy grinned and took her hoof. “Indeed it is. For special someponies like us.”