Beauty, Books, and Butterflies

by Rough_Draft


Two – The Princess and the Pegasus

The sun had almost set as the late lunch crowd of ponies cleared out from Le Abreuvoir. Garçon and the other waiters began to clear the tables and change into their crimson evening uniforms. A small white unicorn trotted around the restaurant, using her magic to light every candle just before the last rays of sunlight disappeared over Ponyville.

Twilight Sparkle hardly noticed any of it. She was too busy staring at Rarity.

“Now, before you say a word—actually, if you would be so kind as to close your mouth…. there, much better! Now, just hear me out, darling. You know perfectly well that there’s nothing wrong with liking another mare. And you have Fluttershy have so much in common! It would be a crime against romance—against fashion!— not to see the two of you paired up! Do you see…?”

The unicorn trailed off. “Twilight, please say something.”

Slowly, Twilight shook her head. “I… I just… I don’t know…”

Rarity reached out and patted Twilight’s hoof. Twilight was grateful for the gesture. It distracted her for just a brief moment from the turmoil inside her head.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Fluttershy. Who couldn’t love that kindhearted pegasus? Even the most terrifying creatures of the Everfree Forest had a soft spot for her! But Twilight had never really looked at her that way before.

Come to think of it, she reflected, I’ve never looked at any mare like that before.

It had taken a lot of time and patience to even accept other mares as friends when she first came to Ponyville. Before then, her only friends had been a baby dragon, her big brother, and her foalsitter. Romance was only something she’d recently come to terms with, and for the longest time, she was convinced her one true love might’ve been Flash Sentry.

Twilight slumped in her seat, letting her thoughts be steered back to Fluttershy. What was she going to do exactly? Walk up to her cottage, knock on the front door, and say, Hi, I know we’re good friends, but I think we really ought to try being marefriends. Wanna go on a date?

At best, Fluttershy would probably blush and stammer out a very quiet refusal. And then slam the door in her face. And then hide out in her cottage for a month from sheer embarrassment, with Angel refusing to let anypony see her. It’d be humiliating for everypony, but especially for Twilight.

There was no way this was going to work.

“Rarity,” she said out loud, “I can’t see how this is going to work.”

Rarity pressed her hooves together in supplication. “Please, darling. Just listen. I know you’re tired of all the dates I’ve set up for you. Believe me, I understand your frustration. But I really feel that you might enjoy something new with Fluttershy.”

“What’s wrong with what we’ve got already? Isn’t being friends enough?”

“Well, of course!” Rarity blushed. “It’s only… I just thought you two might be… good for each other.”

Twilight clamped her mouth shut, cutting off her next retort. In her defense, Rarity had been a good friend through this whole ordeal. Always attentive, always generous. Twilight decided that she needed to be less of a princess and more of a friend. She half-closed her eyes as she levitated the crown off her head and set it down on the table. Then she settled back into her seat.

“Okay,” said Twilight. “If it makes you feel better…. I guess you can try to convince me.”

“Wonderful!” Rarity levitated her napkin full of notes back into view. She spread it out onto the table and grazed her hoof over each detail. “Now, you said that you wanted somepony who’s gentle and brave. That’s Fluttershy. You wanted somepony who likes books. I know for a fact that Fluttershy has a small library of literature on animal care.” She grinned. “Not to mention, she once told me that she taught herself how to be a magnificent seamstress through books!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really! And of course she loves to dance! You’ve seen her at Pinkie’s parties, haven’t you? She’s ever so graceful!”

Twilight grazed her chin with her hoof, trying to remember the last time she saw Fluttershy at a dance. She remembered dancing with her at the birthday party Pinkie Pie had thrown for her alligator Gummy. Well, in hindsight, they’re weren’t dancing with each other. Just dancing near each other and having fun. Nice, harmless fun…

And yes, as Rarity put it, she could recall how graceful Fluttershy was when she danced. She hardly made a sound when she moved.

“So you think I should…” Twilight swallowed. She was getting butterflies in her stomach just trying to organize her thoughts. “I should ask Fluttershy to be to be my special somepony?”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Rarity waved her hoofs frantically. “Nothing so straightforward. A lady must be demure! Show a little tact!” Her quill reappeared in the grip of her magic, scribbling fresh notes onto her napkin. “I can arrange a quiet evening with her. Perhaps a nice picnic in a private meadow—you know how easily embarrassed she can get—with a bottle of apple cider and some daisy sandwiches! Oooh, and croissants! Warm, buttery croissants!”

Twilight frowned. This was happening a little too fast for her taste. “Um, Rarity? Maybe you could hold off on that picnic? I’d like some time to think this over.”

“But, of course, dear! Let me know when you’re ready!” Rarity stood up and quickly tucked the napkin under her hat.

Then, when she saw Garçon glaring at her, she blushed and dropped an extra pair of bits into his front pocket. “Er, and did I mention how much we enjoyed the wine, Monsieur?”


It was the beginning of autumn in Equestria and a beautiful time of year. The Running of the Leaves had only recently been completed and the night sky overhead was clear. Twilight decided it was nice enough that she’d fly home instead of trot. She needed the practice and time to clear her head.

With an aerial view of the town, she could see ponies heading home for the night. A few pegasi were coming in from their weather duty shifts, giving Twilight plenty of airspace to roam. It was a little odd to see Ponyville like this when she’d become so accustomed to seeing it from the ground. But this was something Celestia had mentioned to her on the evening after her coronation.

“When I sent Cadance to the Crystal Empire,” her mentor had said, “I knew that her love would win the hearts of the Crystal Ponies and help them find healing after all they’d been through. But with you, Twilight, I had a different task in mind. To send you to Ponyville as a simple unicorn, so that you could rediscover the magic of friendship and then earn your crown.” Celestia had smiled proudly before adding, “And now you must keep alive the magic of friendship as Princess of Ponyville…”

Twilight had taken those words to heart. She looked after every pony in town, both great and small. Every colt and every filly.

But, as she spotted a familiar-looking cottage in the distance, could she put aside room in her heart for one pegasus in particular?

She pictured Fluttershy again. Sweet, innocent Fluttershy, who could stare down an angry bear but couldn’t say two words to a stranger. She’d always been kind to Twilight. So what if their first meeting got off on the wrong hoof? They’d proven to be friends in all the adventures that followed, from the Everfree Forest to the Crystal Empire and back.

And it was Fluttershy I saved first when everypony got their cutie marks switched, Twilight reflected. And when I entered the human world, Fluttershy was the first friend I made there. She’s always there. Always scared, but when we need her the most, she’s always there.

She wondered. If she went to the cottage now, would Fluttershy be there? Would she be happy to see Twilight?

Probably, but Twilight wasn’t so sure she wanted to face Fluttershy just yet. Not until she had a better idea of how she was going to handle this special somepony business.

Maybe she could write a letter to Cadance and ask her about how she and Shining Armor—

“Um, Twilight?” A yellow hoof waved over her face. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Aaah!” Twilight spread her wings.

“Aaah!” Fluttershy replied and hastily retreated back toward her front door.

Twilight blinked and looked around. She’d gotten so lost in thought that she didn’t realize she’d actually flown over to Fluttershy’s cottage.

She doubted that the night was dark enough to hide her blush.

“Sorry!” Twilight rubbed a hoof through the back of her mane. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. H-how are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine.” Fluttershy held open her door. “Would you like to come in? My friends and I were just sitting down for tea and dessert.”

As she leaned over and looked past Fluttershy, Twilight caught a glimpse of the cozy den inside the cottage. She spotted Angel Bunny, a gray hare, and a dormouse sitting around a teapot and a fruit plate on the dining table. Angel was scowling at Twilight from over the brim of his teacup.

“Oh, no.” Twilight shook her head and grinned anxiously. “No, no, no. I-I couldn’t possibly intrude.” She brightened as an idea came to her. “Besides! I have to get home and… feed Spike!” She pressed a hoof to her chin. “Or was it give him a bath? It was definitely one of the two…”

Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, all right.” She turned back to her cottage. “Well, good night!”

“Good night!” Twilight waved until the pegasus closed the door behind her.

Then, as she turned to leave, Twilight hung her head and let out a very long sigh.

She felt something all right. It was a fluttering in her stomach—and that thought made her chuckle a little.

A flutter in my stomach when Fluttershy's on my mind, she thought. But now it feels like when I first saw Flash Sentry—the human Flash, anyway. I guess I do have a crush…

At least there was somepony she could talk to about it.


“Holy guacamole!” Spike paused to swallow his mouthful of gem-filled sandwich, then let out a short burp that echoed throughout the library.

Twilight fixed him with a steely glare. “Are you done?”

The dragon waved her off with a claw as he picked up his water glass. “Hang on, I’m still digesting.”

“The news or the sandwich?”

“Uh, both?” Spike held up a clawed finger as he took a long sip. Then he set down his glass and wiped his mouth. “Ahh, that hit the spot!”

Twilight paced around the library floor, trying to keep herself sane while Spike finished his sixth meal of the day—the “late-night snack,” which for some reason came with an appetizer. She blamed Rarity for ever teaching him about the finer points of Equestrian cuisine. Their monthly food budget had nearly tripled since they first came to town.

She continued her pacing in silence, trying to keep Fluttershy out of her mind for the moment. She had to stay objective. Their friendship was on the line. Twilight couldn’t just risk it because Rarity thought she and Fluttershy might make for a cute couple.

And it was getting harder to deny that they would be a cute couple, no matter how hard Twilight tried to tell herself that she didn’t feel that way about Fluttershy.

It’s Practical Ponies 101 all over again, Twilight grumbled in her head. I can practically hear Professor Bell Curve lecturing me. “As you can see, Twilight, the data does not support your null hypothesis that you don’t have a crush on one of your best friends…”

“So, you and Fluttershy?” Spike got up from the table and walked over to Twilight. “I guess I could see it. I mean, you’re two very anxious ponies—”

“We are not!” Twilight stamped her hooves. “I mean, I’m not!” She tossed her mane in a huff. “Ugh, you know what I mean!”

Spike crossed his arms over his chest. “Twilight, do I need to remind you about the time you freaked out about missing a friendship report to Princess Celestia?”

She dropped her head and winced at the memory. “No…”

“Or that time you accidentally gave a VIP tour of the Crystal Empire to the wrong pony?”

“That didn’t turn out as bad you think.” Then, as she remembered the experience, Twilight paused and lifted out a hoof. She took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled as she dropped her hoof. Every morning, she was grateful for Cadance’s little exercise.

Spike hopped up onto a bookshelf near Twilight’s head and let his feet dangle. “Look, all I’m saying is that maybe you should give it a try. Take Fluttershy on a picnic and see what happens. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I could embarrass us both and she’d leave Ponyville forever. A pack of timber wolves might attack us and she’d be traumatized for life. It’d start raining and then her lovely mane would get wet…”

“What’s that about her lovely mane?”

“Did I say ‘lovely’?” Twilight frowned. “I mean, objectively, yes, she’s a lovely pony. I mean, she’s nice to look at. Everypony in town thinks so ever since that time she was a model. I had to help sabotage her career because she could never do it herself…” She trailed off when she noticed Spike holding his hands over his mouth, snickering. “Must you tease me about this?”

“I’m sorry!” he laughed, kicking his legs from the shelf. “It’s just too easy!”

“Spike, please. I need you to take this seriously.”

“Okay, okay.” Spike spread out his arms. “You remember how I fell for Rarity when I first saw her?”

Twilight smirked. “Gee, Spike, how could I have possibly missed that!”

Anyway,” Spike added with a slight blush, “I know I was following Rarity around like a lovesick puppy, but I was content to be her friend no matter what. That meant helping her look for gems and then going after her when she got kidnapped by those Diamond Dogs. And when she liked that fire ruby I got for my birthday, I didn’t think twice about giving it to her!”

“Hmm.” Twilight paced around for a moment, weighing her little brother’s words. “So what you’re saying is that you put her feelings ahead of yours?”

“You got it!” Spike’s blush got worse when he hopped off the bookshelf. “And after I grew up into a... a real dragon… I knew that I had to tell Rarity how I felt about her. I couldn’t stand the thought of her hating me for what I’d done.” He clenched his fists. “I had to say something!”

Hearing the crack in his voice was too much for Twilight. She rushed over and drew him into a quick hug. “Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t hurt anypony. You just lost control, that’s all.”

“I know…” Spike wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “My point is that you should always be honest with Fluttershy. If she doesn’t feel the same way about you, then maybe your crush isn’t that big a deal. That doesn’t mean you both can’t still be friends.”

Seeing him try to stay mature, even while he was upset, filled Twilight’s heart with pride. She gave him another hug. “Thanks, Spike. I’ll try to remember that.”

“Good.” Spike stepped back and pointed an accusing claw at her. “Because if you suddenly turn into a rampaging dragon, I don’t think Fluttershy’s going to be brave enough to talk you down like Rarity did with me.”

Twilight giggled. “I’ll try to remember that, too.” She glanced out a nearby window at the starry sky. “It’s getting late. You should go to bed.”

“Way ahead of you.” Spike was already moving upstairs. “Good night, Twilight. Sleep well!”

“You, too!” She waited until the baby dragon disappeared. Then Twilight went to lock the front door, tidied up Spike’s mess in the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of warm milk.

After going on so many dates, she deserved a nice relaxing evening. There was nothing better than a glass of milk while reading the next chapter of Daring Do and the Curse of the Black Spot.

But as Twilight continued to read by candlelight, she was having trouble staying focused. It was a good chapter—Daring Do was currently in the middle of a tavern brawl with a gang of pirates on Isla de Los Caballitos—but she just couldn’t pay attention. Every description of Daring Do’s wings and mane made her think of Fluttershy.

She pictured Fluttershy staring down a dragon at the mountaintop, or scolding a cockatrice that was turning her to stone. Brave little Fluttershy, who had only recently learned to be brave enough to say “No” to somepony.

Twilight knew all too well what that was like. When she still lived in Canterlot, she could run the most elaborate science experiment with only two hours’ worth of sleep, but she’d have never said two words to anypony except her family and Princess Celestia. It had taken five very brave and considerate ponies to finally break her out of her shell.

And all they’d really done, as Fluttershy herself would put it, was show her a little kindness.

“Fine,” she said in a huff and closed the book. “I’ll ask her tomorrow.”