//------------------------------// // Part 7 // Story: Setting Her Heart Aflutter // by Hivemind //------------------------------// Fluttershy pressed herself even further against your neck, making sure that not even a single inch of space was left open between the two of you. Neither of you said anything to each other as you both sat there on the park bench. In those long moments, it felt as if the entire world consisted of just you and Fluttershy, eyes closed while nuzzling each other’s faces and enjoying the moment within a deep sense of silence and serenity. “That was a wonderful lunch. Thank you.” said Fluttershy as she continued to nuzzle your neck, ending it off short with a small kiss below your chin. You loved it as to how she became so affectionate so quickly. You figured that most mares would have waited a least a week before they started to become this close. It seemed to be that Fluttershy wanted to start off early, possibly due to the several similarities of kindness and caring that both of you shared. “You’re welcome.” you reply back as you gently nudge her head as a signal to continue her nuzzling. You were completely lost in a sense of amazement and bliss. Her skin and coat were as soft as a newborn foal’s, and the feel of looking into those wide, blue eyes of hers was enough to drive somepony mad. “Well...” you start, “What should we do now? There’s only an hour or so left in the day. Is there any place in particular that you want to go to?” you politely ask your darling pegasus “Couldn’t we just keep doing...this?” Fluttershy suggests while she flutters her eyes up at your smiling face. “I’m really enjoying it...” she brings her head back down to your neck and closes her eyes while she resumes her heavenly nuzzling. You close your eyes with her and sigh peacefully. “Ok...” you reply back, returning Fluttershy’s nuzzle with a small kiss to the bridge of her nose. ~~~~~ “Seeeeee Twilight? Do you see any ‘bad romance’? Cause I sure don’t!” “This can’t be one of those ‘storybook’ types of relationships...” Pinkie grinned widely at Twilight’s sudden acceptance to defeat. “Told ya’! Not a single thing wrong with the-!” “...but then again, I may be a teensy bit wrong on that notion...” Twilight interrupted Pinkie’s shining moment. Pinkie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Really Twilight? Can’t we just leave them alone? I mean, just look at em’!” Pinkie pointed a hoof at the happy couple on the bench as they happily nuzzled one another. “I know, I know. How about this, just one more day of field research, after this one of course, then this will stop. If we don’t find anything out of the ordinary, then we call their relationship legitimate and without fault. I promise.” Twilight declared by triumphantly raising a hoof into the air. “Pinkieee promise?” said Pinkie Pie while she pushed a hoof against Twilight’s nose, squishing it into her face and making her look silly. Pinkie retracted her hoof and gave Twilight a serious stare. Twilight sighed and begrudgedly opened her mouth to speak. “Fine, ok. I Pinkie Promise.” said Twilight while she raised a hoof into the air like she was swearing upon her very soul, which was probably a bad idea. Pinkie instantly retracted her grim scowl of seriousness and reformed it into a giddy smile. “Ok!” Pinkie turned and started to bounce away from Twilight. “Anyway, I gotta go help the Cakes get the babies ready for their naptime. Catch ya’ later Twilight!” Pinkie’s bouncing form slowly disappeared over the hill and into the bustling town. Twilight picked up her binoculars and brought them back up to her eyes. She dropped them in shock when she saw that the bench where the couple used to be was empty. She immediately moved out from behind her tree cover and frantically scanned the park area, but all that she could see were a family of ducks tussling their wings in the waters of a nearby pond. “Oh, hello Twilight!” Twilight jolted upward and quietly yelped when the heard the quiet voice of the pony behind her. She slowly turned to find herself staring face to face with Fluttershy, but her...partner was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t want to question Fluttershy about her relationship just yet, so she just decided to act natural. “Hey there Fluttershy! Nice to see you again, seeing as to how you weren’t in town for the past few days.” said Twilight. “Oh, right...that. Well...do you remember that one pony who moved to town a month or two ago. The one who likes to take care of animals, just like me?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah, I think so...” “And do you remember those extra thunder storms that the weather team scheduled this week?” “I think Rainbow Dash told me about that a few days ago. Is this leading up to something?” Fluttershy eyed the ground and lightly kicked up a small patch of dust. After oggling the ground for a short while, she moved her eyes to meet with Twilight’s. She said nothing, where she soon returned her gaze to the ground. Twilight pondered for a moment, connecting each individual data point and analyzing them in her head one by one, until it finally clicked. “Your home was destroyed by the storms?!” Twilight said with a large tone of shock and awe. Fluttershy immediately looked up at Twilight’s false reckoning. “What? Nonono, not my house! That would have been just awful, all of those poor animals without a home and someone to care for them...” Twilight’s face went blank. She was starting to get confused. “But...somepony’s home was destroyed, and it wasn’t mine...” Fluttershy quietly stated. “Wait, if not your home, then who’s home was it?” Twilight asked. “Mine...” Twilight stopped her ranting and turned to look at you. You held a sad look on your face as you were being forced to listen to the words that made you recount that horrible night. Your head was hanging low to the ground as the dread feeling of sadness took over. Fluttershy gasped and immediately ran over to you, wrapping herself around you in a tight hug. She began her usual routine of nuzzling in an effort to lighten your emotions. “Oh...I’m...I’m sorry Fluttershy, and to you as well. I should never brought up something that tragic...” Twilight hung her own head low to the ground, “I should...probably get going now...sorry about this.” Twilight turned and started to walk away. Fluttershy looked worried. She looked up to you with worry as well. Feeling incredibly guilty, you raise a hoof into the air and call out to the sad unicorn. “Twilight, stop!” Twilight raised her head and turned around to face you. You gently nudge Fluttershy away and walk over to Twilight. “It’s alright Twilight. It wasn’t your fault. You had nothing to do with me losing my home. You don’t need to feel bad about yourself...” Twilight looked back up at you with quivering eyes. “I-I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” You could only smile when you hear the kind-hearted apology. “Of course I will Twilight! We’re friends aren’t we? That’s what friends do! They forgive each other, no matter what the other one has done.” Twilight warmed up and smiled at your heartfelt acceptance to her apology. Fluttershy walked up to your side and smiled up to you as well.. “Besides...” you smile back at Fluttershy, where she then proceeded to wrap one of her legs around your neck, holding you in a tight grip. “I think I got my housing situation under control...” You and Fluttershy both share a quick nuzzle to each other’s nose. Both of you giggle. “You know...” you cock an eyebrow in a sly start, “I wonder how forgiveness would sound on a friendship report...oh how I wonder...” You roll your eyes upward and smirk in a smarmy manner. Twilight’s smile expanded into a huge grin. “You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that before?” She took off running over the hill that led into town, calling out to both of you as her figure slowly disappeared from view. “Bye Fluttershy! Bye...!” Her voice fades away before she could clearly say your name. You smile as the feeling of helping a good friend takes over your soul for a minor second. Suddenly, Fluttershy grabs your neck and hugs it with as much love as she could deliver. She deeply kisses your cheek as she increased her grip on your windpipe. She pulls away, still holding onto your neck with joyful gusto. “I can’t believe as to how well you handled that!” She kissed your cheek again. “Usually it takes a day or two for Twilight to get over accidentally upsetting another pony, even it was from a long-time friend, but you...” She said nothing, but instead decided to resume her usual ritual of nuzzling your neck, this time with much more passion than she has ever set into it before. “I just did I thought was right. I can’t just leave a friend all sad and unhappy. It’s just, well...wrong!” you exclaim. The coos of a nearby owl and the rising bleeting of cicadas made you turn your head up towards the sky. The sun was beginning to dip low in the sky as the first fireflies started to light up the slowly darkening gardens of the park. Fluttershy’s eyelids were beginning to droop over her eyes and she let out a quiet yawn. “I think it’s time that we head back Fluttershy.” You suggest. Fluttershy sighed and let out another small yawn. “Yeah, it’s getting pretty late. Angel and Remi are probably wondering as to where we are...” “C’mon. I’ll take care of everything, including you, when we get back.” You lead Fluttershy out onto the road that lead back to her cottage. You allow her to rest her head on your neck, letting your body act as a soft, warm pillow as the two of you continued on down the dirt road, the relaxing chirps of the crickets resounding all around you. ~~~~~ Twilight arrived at the front door to her library with a confident smile on her face. The words that she had said to Pinkie earlier still bounced around her skull. 'Ok.ok, Fine. How about this. Just one more day of field research, after this one of course, then this will stop' Those words still resounded in her head. After what Fluttershy's partner did for her a few minutes ago, with so much kindness and caring for others, there was not a single doubt in her mind about their relationship. Twilight sighed and magically gripped the door handle, but before she opened the door, she turned her head back in the direction of the park. "Just one more thing...just one more thing..." Twilight silently whispered to herself as she entered her librarian home, silently closing the door behind her.