//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 - Merrily, Merrily // Story: Pinkie The Match-Maker // by Ficta_Scriptor //------------------------------// Chapter 11 – Merrily, Merrily Two weeks later Fluttershy carefully broke off a few pieces of bread and placed them at the edge of the pond. “Here you are,” she said cheerfully as a family of ducks approached, the four ducklings paddling excitedly as they tackled each other to reach their meal. She couldn’t help but smile as the mother and father ducks quacked in thanks for her offering. Splash! “There you are!” Pinkie exclaimed as her entire loaf hit the water’s surface. “How about that? I bet it’s the biggest piece of bread you little ducks have ever seen!” The duck family looked between themselves confusedly before turning away. “Sorry Pinkie,” Fluttershy advised, flapping to her friend’s side. “I think maybe that’s a little too big.” “But I just thought it’d be so impressive! Just imagine if somepony baked a loaf of bread bigger than a pony! Wouldn’t that be cool? I just thought it’d be nice to give the ducks that kind of experience!” “Well I’m afraid the ducks would probably prefer it in itty-bitty pieces.” Fluttershy glided across the lake, picked up the loaf and returned it to dry land. Pinkie smiled sheepishly and tore off a few decently-sized pieces. “Like this?” “That’s much better,” Fluttershy said with a nod, giving Pinkie a congratulatory pat on the back. “Though I do have to admit, a pony-sized loaf of bread would be really cool.” “Wouldn’t it!?” Pinkie exclaimed, perking up considerably. “In fact, I should ask Mr and Mrs Cake if I can make one. I don’t know if the ovens are big enough, but maybe I can work around that… I have pretty good secret techniques for that sort of thing. Hey, maybe I could make you one for your birthday! But now I’ll have ruined the surprise!” “It’s up to you, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said with a chuckle. “But I’m still not even sure something like that is possible.” “Since when have I been constrained by things that are possible?” Pinkie shot back, sticking her tongue out foalishly. The two ponies waved goodbye to their feathered friends and trotted back towards Fluttershy’s cottage, breathing in the crisp, clean air. It was a beautiful day, and so it only made sense for them to make the absolute most of it. They’d planned a picnic with Twilight and Octavia, who had only recently made it apparent to everypony that they were dating. While they did often keep themselves to their own devices and hadn’t been particularly sociable with other ponies as of late, that was mostly due to their insistence on learning about each other’s passions, which were hardly outdoor activities. In a strange way, Pinkie and Fluttershy’s friendship had taken on a similar guise, even if they weren’t actually dating. The entire idea of ‘best friend’ was rather alien to the both of them, especially Pinkie. Neither of them had actually uttered the term itself, but they knew it all too well. Despite everything they’d been through and all the pain they’d endured, this reward seemed somehow worthwhile. Whether it was a new level of respect or simply a newfound realisation that they had more in common than they’d realised didn’t matter. What mattered was that the simple act of being there for each other held more weight than ever before. Neither of them had even so much as mentioned Big Mac in the past two weeks. Neither of them wanted to. For all intents and purposes, Pinkie’s idea of pretending like it never happened was actually working quite well. They were happy. No more emotional outbursts, no bouts of crying… Things were better. “Oh… I’ve been asked about it so often but I couldn’t even imagine how it would work.” Octavia took a sip of orange juice before continuing. “I’ve never understood the fascination if I’m perfectly honest.” “But it would be so cool!” Pinkie exclaimed, jamming another cream cake down her gullet. “Classical meets dub-step? It’s genius! Don’t they have electric cellos? You could use one of those, touring Equestria! Scratchy and Tavia, live in concert!” “With all due respect to Vinyl, I wouldn’t feel comforting associating my music with that… noise. Besides, I wouldn’t want to go on tour when I have everything I need right here in Ponyville.” Octavia gave Twilight a knowing glance. “Ooh! Get a room, you two!” Pinkie cried, nudging Twilight playfully. “Bringing things back on topic,” Twilight began, trying to forcefully brush her embarrassment away. “I actually think yours and Vinyl’s music could accompany each other very well. There’s a certain science with music, and provided the correct rhythm, complimentary notes and a well-woven tone, you could surely strike a chord with the audience, if you’ll pardon the pun.” “There’s more to music than just science, Twilight. No scientist could come up with any of Beethooven’s symphonies using a mathematical equation. Then there’s the fact that these ‘wubs’ as ponies call them hold no interest to me. I’m strictly classical to the bitter end.” “I’m much the same,” Fluttershy said softly. “If I must say, the one time I heard you play always stuck out in my mind. It’s often the violinists that take precedence over other string players, but you’re in a whole other league. It kind of makes me want to take up a musical instrument, but I don’t know if I’d be good enough…” “It takes time,” Octavia replied. “You’d really have to give it your all. It’s not necessarily a question of innate skill but moreover a question of dedication. I guess you’d need to decide for yourself if that’s what you’d want.” Fluttershy looked to Pinkie for a moment, almost as if the two were sharing a silent conversation. “Maybe not. I do kind of have other… important things that I’d have to sacrifice. Besides, I could never deal with the pressure of performing on-stage. It’s just not me.” The four ponies continued chatting away for another hour or so, basking in the sun and enjoying the various foodstuffs provided by both parties. Pinkie’s selection of cream cakes stole the show, but Twilight’s home-baked cinnamon buns were surprisingly good. Pinkie’s little comedy routine was an all-round hit, sending Octavia into a breathless fit of giggles, which was far better than the reaction she’d gotten from Angel, at least. Octavia was more outspoken than anypony had expected, and despite only being a part of the group for such a short amount of time, Pinkie and Fluttershy could already feel a new and welcome friendship forming. Twilight seemed reserved, but more from contentment than depression. All in all, everypony was in high spirits. As the sun slowly drifted below the horizon they decided to go their separate ways. Once at a fair distance, Pinkie couldn’t help but blab about Twilight’s obvious changes, to which Fluttershy hastily agreed. ‘New Twilight’ as Pinkie had dubbed her placed far less emphasis on studying. She was perkier, more energetic, and most importantly of all, she was happier. The way she smiled with such overwhelming honesty said more than words possibly could. Somewhat ironic then, that as that very conversation was going on, Twilight spoke at great length to Octavia about similar changes to some friends of her own. “So you’ve added the eggs?” Fluttershy nodded. “Mm-hm.” “And you’ve added the flour?” Fluttershy nodded again. “Yes.” “And you’ve stirred it and stirred it until it’s mixed up nice and gloopy?” Fluttershy whipped the wooden spoon around the ceramic bowl once more for good measure. “Done.” “Now we just need a dash of salt!” Pinkie exclaimed, rapidly crushing up some salt rocks with her mortar and pestle before sliding it across the kitchen side. “How much is a dash?” Pinkie scratched her head. “Well… A dash is bigger than a pinch, but smaller than a sprinkle. Since a sprinkle is equal to five and a half pinches and two point two dashes equals a sprinkle; that means a dash is about two and a half pinches!” Fluttershy furrowed her brow nervously for a moment and scraped a small amount of salt granules into the bowl. “There.” “That was more like two and a third pinches, but we’ll let that slide since you’re a beginner.” Pinkie fumbled through some cupboards and dropped a plethora of new ingredients onto the workbench. “Good work. Now you’ll just need a splash of golden syrup.” Fluttershy rolled her eyes mirthfully. “And how much is a splash?” “A splash? Oh, just however much you want. It’s not like it’s a defined measurement or anything.” Fluttershy looked on confusedly for a moment, but a smile quickly came to her face. “But I thought a splash was equal to ten drops, or four smidges if we’re getting technical.” “Now that’s just crazy talk!” Pinkie said with a wink, dipping a spoon into the pot of syrup and adding a totally nondescript amount. “It’s three drops to a smidge, so that can’t possibly be right.” The two mares started giggling as they added the final ingredients to the ‘Cakes of Ultimate Natural Taste’, (to which Fluttershy insisted the word ‘of’ be included as part of the acronym for reasons that Pinkie didn’t appear to be aware of) doled out equal portions into a cake tin which was then placed into the oven. “You know, you’re doing pretty well!” Pinkie said, giving Fluttershy a congratulatory pat on the back. Such a gesture had become sort of a ‘thing’ between them. “Much better than Gummy, anyway. You can borrow my patented Pinkie Pie recipe book if you want.” Pinkie reached to the top shelf and brought down a ring-bound scrapbook. The cover had a crudely drawn crayon picture of a flag bearing Pinkie’s face placed atop a mountain of cakes. “It has all my secrets. Well, apart from my really secret recipes that I shall take to the grave!” Pinkie adopted a morbidly stern expression that quickly diminished. “You want it?” Fluttershy smiled, taking the book from Pinkie’s hooves and opening to a random page entitled Honey-Nut Crisp Cakes. There was an extremely detailed description of various ingredients and cooking steps, along with tiny pictures of Pinkie Pie toying with the oven and gorging on the cakes in question. “Wow,” Fluttershy muttered, flicking through another few pages with her mouth agape. “There’s so much in here. You worked really hard on this.” “Oh, it’s nothing,” Pinkie said dismissively. “So, do you want it?” “Are you sure?” “It’s all yours! I don’t need it anyway. I have a spare copy kept in a very safe place.” Pinkie tapped her forehead with a hoof. Fluttershy blushed lightly. “Thanks, Pinkie. I’m betting Angel would love some carrot cake. I tried baking him some before, but… They didn’t turn out so well.” “Well we’d better get back to our own cakes now! Time is of the essence!” Using her custom fluffy pink oven gloves, Pinkie opened up the oven and pulled out the cake tray, an irresistible aroma wafting throughout the entire kitchen in a matter of seconds. The two friends each took a deep breath, their senses overpowered by the heavenly scent. A spiral of smoke emanated from each delicious-looking golden brown cake, teasing the ponies’ taste-buds. Within a few minutes Pinkie declared the cakes ready to eat, and dived right in. “This is good,” she muttered between loud chomps. “You’re a real natural!” Fluttershy took a small bite of her own cake and immediately smiled. “I can’t believe it. I always thought my cooking was awful. Thank you so much for teaching me, Pinkie.” “Aw, don’t be so silly! You did all the hard work; I just stood around and acted important. In fact, I’m not even sure you needed my help at all!” “I don’t know about that,” Fluttershy said bashfully, taking one last bite. “Besides… It’s a lot more fun baking with you than it is doing it alone.” Pinkie wrapped her friend in a tight cuddle, almost squeezing every last breath out of the poor pegasus. “I know! It’s so true!” she cried joyfully. “Does that mean we can be baking buddies forever and ever and ever? Oh, please say yes! Please! With cherries on top!” “Of… course…” Fluttershy squeaked, inhaling deeply as Pinkie finally loosened her grip. “With cherries on top.” In truth, both Pinkie and Fluttershy knew that they didn’t even need to discuss such prospects. Neither needed to wonder if they would be ‘baking buddies’ or ‘critter-feeding friends’. They were whatever they needed to be to spend time together. It wasn’t out of a compulsion to please or even a desperation to reach out for fear of being alone. It was akin to the interlocking of two puzzle pieces. Together, they were something more. Fluttershy had often been confused by the phrase ‘like two peas in a pod’, but now it was more apparent than ever. Who knew something so painful and tragic could bring two ponies so close? Those days felt like a distant memory. In fact, there wasn’t such a thing as those days. There was only the now, and it was glorious. As the sun fell beyond the horizon the two ponies parted ways, sharing a goodbye hug before Fluttershy slipped Pinkie’s cookbook into her saddlebag and trotted home. She half expected Pinkie to leap out from behind the hedge at the end of the street in a surprise tackuddle, (a portmanteau word Pinkie had coined from ‘tackle’ and ‘cuddle’) but no such thing happened. Then again, it would hardly be a surprise if she was expecting it, which would go against Pinkie’s entire philosophy. Once she arrived home Fluttershy had to deal with a sleepy-eyed Angel who refused to go to bed, but eventually passed out in front of the roaring fire. Yep, he was back to his usual defiant self. That was good, she supposed. It meant he didn’t need to show his ultra-sympathetic side. Not anymore. With little more than the occasional chirps of birds and the hum of buzzing insects to break the silence, Fluttershy crept into bed, wrapping herself tightly in her duvet cover. For a while she just lay there, mulling over the day’s events. Sure, it had been a far cry from staring down a dragon or going on wild adventures across Equestria, but that didn’t make it any less important. But then… There was still something that lingered in the back of her mind. Of course she hadn’t forgotten Big Mac. Meeting up with Applejack was more than enough to remind her of everything, and she wasn’t about to ignore or avoid her friend over such petty reasons. That said, the orange farm pony did seem to act a little cagey around her, almost as if she was hiding something, probably related to whatever Mac had said to her. She was his sister and closest companion, so it only made sense that he’d told her everything. Whatever it was, Fluttershy wasn’t going to pry. They were still friends, and that was all that mattered. She wasn’t sure how much her other friends had been told, but they certainly made no effort to mention anything. That was good. If everyone treated it as if it’d never happened, then effectively, it hadn’t. If anything, Twilight’s relationship with Octavia had taken the spotlight. There were the obligatory lewd jokes from Rainbow Dash and some rather coerced acceptance on Rarity’s part, but nothing much had changed between them. Things weren’t back to ‘normal’ per se, but that was a good thing. Fluttershy didn’t feel worthless anymore. Sure, Big Mac hadn’t accepted her feelings, but that wasn’t the point. The idea that she was merely a placement in the background while her friends actually led lives had been swept away. Pinkie’s newfound companionship was proof enough of that. Pinkie… Fluttershy’s smile faded. Everything was perfect now. Pinkie was the best friend she could have ever asked for. But why? Was it just because she was wracked with guilt and was doing everything in her power to stay friends? Was it all a charade? Was she overcompensating for her past mistakes? Was she really being honest? “It’s kind of weird,” Pinkie’s words echoed in Fluttershy’s mind. “Sometimes you want something so much, but when you finally have it, it just doesn’t seem that great anymore.” Perhaps Pinkie was telling the truth. Maybe spending some alone time with Mac made her realise how little they actually had in common, or that her feelings were only ever skin deep. Maybe she’d already come to that conclusion before meeting him, but went to see him anyway just to apologise and set things straight. Deep down, Fluttershy wanted to probe further, to ask Pinkie for an absolute explanation. But then what? What if she didn’t like what she heard? No matter what Pinkie said, there would always be a lingering doubt about something, so it might not even be worthwhile. In fact, what positive outcome could there possibly be? Things were better now than ever, and bringing up the past could only serve to ruin it all. So then, it was better to simply do nothing. Fluttershy would be lying if she said she’d lost all interest in Big Mac, (it was difficult to resist that chiselled physique and thick country accent, among other things) but she no longer wasted her hours away daydreaming about him. The odd thought of him snuggled up next to her might cross her mind, but she would quickly shake it away, reminding herself that it was just some foalish crush. She hadn’t missed out on the love of her life, that was for sure. So all in all, what was there to complain about? Nothing, Fluttershy concluded. There were other, much nicer things to think about. Winter wrap-up wasn’t far off, and it was always a pleasure to wake the cute little animals from their burrows. Pinkie was preparing another party (as always) and she could hardly wait to try out some of Pinkie’s wacky and wonderful recipes. Slowly but surely, her smile returned and she drifted off into a deep sleep. Life was great. Pinkie waved energetically from the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner, closing the door behind her as Fluttershy trotted out of sight. She quietly packed away the remaining cupcakes and spent an hour or so playing with Pumpkin and Pound. They were barely even a year old now, but Pinkie still marvelled at how fast they were growing up. As Mr and Mrs Cake tucked their children in for the night, Pinkie decided to hit the hay as well. Not so much because she was tired, but because she could hardly wait for tomorrow to come. It wasn’t exactly going to be the most magnificent of days; more work, perhaps an opportunity for experimental cooking, or even a chance to make new friends. But the sun shone brighter now than it ever had before. Not even her famous ‘Pinkie sense’ could accurately describe it. Gummy was looking unusually vacant, so she gave him a quick cuddle before placing him in his basket. With that done, she rearranged her stuffed toys at the end of her bed and slipped beneath the covers, flicking off the light and flopping onto her pillow with a sigh. Life was good. In fact, life was great. Before, the idea of spending so much time with Fluttershy gave way to visions of eventless tea-parties and trips to the spa. In a way, Pinkie felt bad for even thinking such things. She wished she could express how much Fluttershy had come to mean to her, but putting it into words was difficult. ‘Best friends’ was as close as Pinkie could manage, and even that felt like it was missing something important. As to what, she couldn’t put her hoof on it. Fluttershy… Pinkie scrunched up her face as darkness fell, pulling herself tighter into the bedcovers. The sadness she’d felt just over two weeks ago couldn’t be swept away so easily. Even remembering to ‘smile, smile, smile’ couldn’t solve everything. Alone with nothing but her thoughts, memories of that fateful night were destined to rear their ugly head. In truth, Pinkie’s decision to turn Mac down wasn’t made until the last moment. She’d gotten to Wicker Hill half an hour before their designated meet-up time, debating what she wanted to do next. She eventually considered that simply saying no was the easiest choice for everyone, but… “This could work. You an’ me, Ah mean.” Those words alone almost changed Pinkie’s mind in an instant. She thought back to a comment her mother had made many years ago after discovering an entire ‘zoo’ of balloon animals hidden in Pinkie’s room. “Pinkamena? Remind yourself to find a stallion who’s either mad as a flannel or cool as a cucumber when you’re older. Ain’t nopony else could handle you,” she’d said with a smirk, shaking her head as a helium-filled balloon in the shape of a parrot floated to the ceiling. Pinkie hadn’t taken note of her mother’s words at the time; stallions were barely even an interest, even in her teenage years. Hearts and Hooves day was just another excuse to give presents, hugs, and cards covered in pink glitter. The idea of ‘being’ with somepony hadn’t crossed her mind. Why be with one pony when she could be friends with everypony? It simply made no sense. However, things did change. While Pinkie had always been remotely aware of Big Macintosh since her arrival in Ponyville, it wasn’t until Twilight showed up and she found herself spending more time around Applejack that feelings began to surface. She didn’t know what to make of things at first, chalking it up to a new Pinkie-sense that she hadn’t experienced before. She could at least admit to herself that Big Mac was interesting, and definitely possessed an impressive physique. But it was more than that. He was always so calm and collected, barely saying a word but when he did, it mattered. Just a quiet, contented stallion who cared for his family and smiled politely. What thoughts he did have he kept to himself. He was such a mystery. And that, Pinkie supposed, had started the snowball tumbling. A pony that even she couldn’t work out. So fascinating… And that was all it took. Of course, he was nothing but an infatuation and Pinkie knew that. She had the occasional foalish daydream about cuddling up with him to stave away the winter chills. That wasn’t love. She barely even knew him on a personal level. In the few times she’d gotten to speak with him he was tight-lipped to the extreme. If he could get through life with just ‘eeyup’ and ‘eenope’ then he would. So… What was the point? They didn’t have a connection, no matter how much she envisioned one. There were so many fun things to do in life besides chasing non-descript stallions in the vain hope of something more. And the idea that he liked her back was impossible. “It was you. It was always you.” But of course, it wasn’t impossible. Pinkie couldn’t help but trawl through her memories, trying to recount events that might have let on to Mac’s true feelings. A faint smile, a dreamy gaze, a light blush… Nothing sprang to mind. He really was a mystery, even to this day. But that was all beside the point. It didn’t matter if they shared feelings for each other. It didn’t matter if they could’ve been a happy couple in years gone past. Things were the way there were, and things were great. Fluttershy was her very special somepony now. Not that there was anything romantic between them, but they were without a doubt ‘special’ to one another. As for Big Mac? He at least learned that mares would happily throw themselves at him left, right and centre, so it wasn’t all bad for him either. Maybe one day they’d even look back on all this and just laugh. Laughter is, and always has been the best medicine, Pinkie mused to herself. She settled into bed with a broad smile on her face, pushing those negative thoughts aside. All things considered, it could’ve ended up a lot worse. And yet, it couldn’t have ended up a lot better. Not for all three of them, at least. Why wish for it to be different? Pulling her duvet into a tight bundle, Pinkie soon found residence in the land of nod. Life was great. “So that’s the plan.” Big Mac leaned back into his chair and pressed his hooves together like an antsy foal. He looked across to his sister who wore an emotionless expression. “What do ya think?” Applejack let out a weary sigh. “Ah gotta admit, Ah’m surprised.” “Surprised Ah could come up with such a great idea?” “No, ya brain-dead idiot!” Applejack chided, banging a hoof down on the table beside them, scattering the papers that Big Mac had meticulously trawled over for what seemed like an eternity. “You’ve lost it, Mac. You’ve just lost it. Ah can’t believe Ah agreed to help ya…” Big Mac raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by his sister’s outburst. “But ya did agree to help.” “’Cause Ah thought you’d let this go! Ah had this crazy thought that you’d come to yer senses! Ya really think Fluttershy would—” “Eeyup.” “And Pinkie would just—” “Eeyup.” Applejack slumped into her seat and let out a sigh. “And here ya go again, countin’ yer chickens ‘fore they’ve hatched. If all this gets in the way of what’s s’posed to happen… Well, Ah don’t know what Ah’ll do, but you won’t like it!” “Don’t worry, little sis,” Mac replied with a wave of his hoof. He gestured to a wad of papers clamped to a clipboard. “It’s all taken care of.” “An’ when your plan fails?” Applejack said with a piercing glare. Big Mac rolled his eyes. “Aw, come on. Ya told me yourself that—” “An’ Ah’m regrettin’ that already,” Applejack interrupted, burying her face in her hoof. “Me an’ mah big mouth. But whatever. So long as the whole darn event don’t go plots up Ah ain’t got a care in the world. We’ll play your little charade an’ Ah’ll be there to say ‘Ah told ya so’ when it all goes wrong.” “Ain’t gonna happen,” Big Mac said with a grin, staring dreamily into the ether. “Ah’ve just got a good feelin’ about this. Matter o’ fact, this is the best plan ever.” A few days later “Order… up!” Pinkie whisked the newly baked batch of muffins from the oven. With one swift hoof strike she sent them flying into the air, and then caught them with a plastic tray clutched between her teeth. The small group of school-colts and fillies clapped their hooves and cheered at the display, some almost forgetting that they’d wanted food in the first place. Sugarcube Corner was always abuzz just after the final school-bell had rung out, and today was no exception. Pinkie was up to her usual tricks, putting on quite the show as she served hungry little foals and parents alike. You give a smile and get a smile was the main order of the day. In the far corner sat Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, fussing over the mini buffet that Pinkie (and to a minor extent, Fluttershy) had prepared. No special occasion. Pinkie suddenly came up with an idea so her friends went along with it as per usual. Twilight had politely declined, hinting at spending some quiet time with Octavia now that Spike was handily “out of the way.” Applejack was… somewhere. Probably far too busy with farmy, appley stuff. But hey, Pinkie thought, four out of six isn’t bad. It was no secret that Rarity had taken full advantage of the occasion to escape from her troublesome sister, (of which she couldn’t help but complain about) while Rainbow Dash took full advantage of the opportunity to stuff her face. “Mm…” she exclaimed in delight, licking her hoof in an oh-so-unladylike way that made Rarity cringe. “These are good. You seriously made these, Fluttershy?” “Um… kinda,” Fluttershy replied, smiling to herself. “Pinkie did all the difficult stuff like the icing swirls and decorating. My hooves just aren’t steady enough for that kind of thing.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll bet you did more than your fair share.” She slipped another cupcake into her mouth and chomped her way to its messy destruction. Rarity subtly shifted her seat away from the ‘brutish’ pegasus and cleared her throat. “So Fluttershy. I was considering another trip to the spa this Saturday. I was thinking of splashing out a little and going for the deluxe treatment. Midday, perhaps?” “Well, I’ll have to wait and see. Pinkie and I have plans this weekend. We might be going on a trip and, if you don’t mind…” “Oh, no no no no, it’s no bother. It was just an offer, you know. Merely a thought. A passing suggestion, if you will.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded before delving back into the sugary treats in front of her. The group fell silent for a few minutes as Rainbow Dash continued her confectionary onslaught and Fluttershy carefully picked her way through a muffin, keeping to herself in her usual way. Rarity, on the other hoof, was deep in thought, stuck somewhere between concern and curiosity. The three ponies were pulled from their respective reveries as Pinkie hopped to the table, mouth agape in a wide (and arguably terrifying) grin. “Wow! You guys were hungry! There’s barely anything left!” “You can thank the wannabe Wonderbolt for that,” Rarity said, having already pushed away a half-eaten cake thanks to losing her appetite for obvious reasons. “I must say, Rainbow Dash. I thought athletes were supposed to be on a strict diet?” “Maybe for wimpy athletes. It doesn’t matter what I eat; it all becomes fuel for flying in the end, and I can’t get enough of that.” “Eat as much as you like, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie beamed. “There’s plenty more where that came from! Oh Fluttershy, could you lend a hoof for just a minute? I was about to make some black diamond truffles and I thought you might want to join me.” “Oh of course,” Fluttershy said, stepping down from her seat. “I was so confused by the recipes. Are they hard to make or is it just me?” “They’re tricky customers alright.” Pinkie quickly turned to the line of ponies queuing up to the main counter. “Not you guys! You’re not tricky at all! You’re all positively delightful! Say Fluttershy, why is there cake in your mane? Storing it away for later?” Pinkie said with a wink. “Really?” Fluttershy said with a faint gasp, brushing a hoof through her mane as the both walked towards the kitchen. “That was probably Rainbow Dash. I must not have realised just how much mess she was making.” “No worries! In fact it’s quite handy having it within reach.” Pinkie sent her tongue across Fluttershy’s mane in a twisted lick, somehow picking up all manner of crumbs and icing. Fluttershy blushed, but couldn’t help but giggle at Pinkie’s foalish demeanour as she licked her lips joyfully. “That’s lunch for me out of the way! So how about we get started on those truffles? First of all, you need to…” Rarity kept her eyes fixed on her two friends until they dropped out of sight, just beyond the door at the store’s back-end. She shook her head and sighed dramatically. “I hope Twilight’s escapades haven’t started a new trend amongst our friends,” she huffed disappointedly. “What are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash said, letting out a crude burp. “Now Twilight’s hooked up you think we’re all gonna find ourselves somepony? What would be the problem with that?” “That’s not quite what I was getting at,” Rarity said, gesturing to the other side of the room with her eyebrows. “Who? Pinks and Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash let loose a hearty chuckle. “They’re hanging out more, sure, but it ain’t ‘cause of that. It’s just after the whole…” She took a moment to check her surroundings, as if expecting certain ponies to magically appear within earshot. “…Big Mac thing. Not sure what happened there, but they seem happy enough. Probably lost interest in him or something.” “You really think?” “Sure. Eh, maybe. What do I know? But I’m tellin’ ya, it’s not because they’re doing it. And even if they were, what’s the problem with that?” “It’s unruly, I know,” Rarity said, looking a little ashamed. “I’m happy for Twilight. Really, I am. It’s just… going to take some getting used to. I’m not against mares being with mares and stallions being with stallions. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little weirded out by it.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I guess I can understand that. So what, you were worried that ‘cause of Twilight, Pinks and Fluttershy have caught ‘the gay’?” “Silly of me, I know. Maybe I’m reading into things the wrong way, or perhaps part of me is still disappointed that Fluttershy and Big Mac never got together. I made her a dress and everything!” “That red one?” Rainbow Dash asked, grinning. “Oh yeah! I remember that! All silk and flowing and pretty? She looked so…” She trailed off, clearing her throat with a slight blush on her cheeks. “…cool. The dress was alright as far as girly dresses go, anyhow.” “I don’t understand how it never worked. I’ve not been told every detail, but to my knowledge Big Mac was the one who rejected her. Maybe he already had a special somepony, but surely we’d have heard about it by now. We all know the Apple family breeds like rabbits; I could imagine Applejack shouting from the rooftops over possible nephews and nieces. But alas, Fluttershy may find love yet. Maybe we’ll all find love yet.” Rarity slumped to the table, looking a little disheartened. “I’m sure she’s in no rush,” Rainbow Dash said casually, not seeming to notice her friend’s glum expression. “If she wants to spend her time with Pinkie Pie instead of chasing stallions, I don’t see a problem. She might not even want a special somepony.” “Yes. Maybe that’s the case after all.” I don’t need a special somepony, Fluttershy told herself. I’ve never had one before, so why would I need one now? It was a common train of thought for her ever since the incident. By her logic, if she kept telling herself that over and over, eventually it would become the truth. She’d have no lingering doubts, no sense of emptiness, no little questions popping up in the back of her mind, and no feelings for Big Mac. None whatsoever. I have my friends, I have Pinkie, and that’s more than I could ever ask for. I don’t need anypony I don’t need anypony I don’t need anypony I don’t need… “I don’t need this kind of attitude,” she said sternly as she pushed a bowl of salad towards Angel. The ever moody bunny was being as stubborn as ever. “I promise you it’s delicious. Now eat up.” Angel sat back and folded his paws defiantly, to which Fluttershy let out a short sigh. The batch of black diamond truffles that she’d attempted to make without Pinkie’s help had gone awfully wrong, much to her dismay. She definitely lacked the magic touch that Pinkie seemed to have when it came to cooking. Angel was furious, especially since he’d been promised some. And so he’d continue his little sulk for a little while before caving in and eating the snack she’d prepared, just like always. It was just approaching the evening, and with the animals all seen to and fed Fluttershy thought she’d top off the usual pleasant day with a few chapters from Daring Do and The Silver Scales. The series was fairly new to her. She could barely believe that innocent little foals would read such tales of horror and treachery, as it even scared her on occasion. Still, it gave her something to talk about with Pinkie, as well as keeping her mind off other things. Just as Daring Do ambled around a Saddle Arabian village seeking out a shady merchant there was a knock at the door. “Just a moment,” Fluttershy called out, marking her page and setting the book down. She opened the door, ready to greet her guest. She might have expected Pinkie to stop by, armed with a paper bag of leftover treats and a smile. Or perhaps even Rainbow Dash or Applejack. What she didn’t expect was… “Howdy, Fluttershy. Ah hope it’s alright, but Ah could really use your help with somethin’…” Fluttershy felt an involuntary shiver pass along her spine, hairs prickling up at the back of her neck. “Help? Help with… what?”