The next morning, Fluttershy got up from bed early to prepare a nice breakfast: some eggs (both scrambled and fried, as she didn't know how Matrixwing liked his), a potful of vegetable stew with a wide variety of them in it, and finally she got out the beverages: milk (low fat and regular dairy) and orange juice. Fluttershy had just finished setting the table with silverware when Matrixwing came into the room, drawn by the scent of expertly made food.
"That smells nice," he said tiredly, "but why did you cook an entire meal?" "For you of course," Fluttershy answered, "you looked very tired, and I thought you may be a little hungry too, so I made you some breakfast, that is... I-I mean... if you want it..."
"Well I..." Matrixwing found himself tongue-tied, for he hadn't expected to be trusted so quickly, much less have found an entire meal prepared for him. After a moment, he figured out what to say. "Thank you Fluttershy, for your amazing hospitality and kindness." With that cheerful note, they sat down to eat.
Her face half-hidden by her pink mane, Fluttershy smiled widely, feeling happy that she had been able to help a pony she didn't know anything about, especially one so friendly. She then noticed his eyes again, with little hotpink-colored lightning bolts striking rapidly within the gray center... Fluttershy felt a sudden urge to ask him what the bolts meant, ask if he was blind, and how they got that way. So she did, wording it carefully so as not to alarm him.
"Matrixwing, is it alright if I ask about... your eyes?" Matrixwing, whom was caught completely off guard, swallowed too much stew at one time and began choking. Fluttershy jumped out of her seat and thumped Matrixwing on the back -gently but firmly- and he quickly recovered.
"My eyes?" Matrixwing coughed, "Many ponies wonder about them all the time... but I never told them..." Fluttershy assumed she had gone too far, and stuttered: "Well I-I'm sorry to have bothered you about them, I won't pry any longer." It was not the case however, as Matrixwing quickly answered. "It's not that at all, it's just... surprising, that's all... Tell you what, when I get to know you a little more, I'll tell you about them."
"Okay," Fluttershy replied, relieved that she had not caused mistrust between them. Then she remembered that they had to prepare for the Gala, which was days away. She told Matrixwing this, and after they finished eating, set off together towards the town, to Rarity's shop -The Carousel Beautique- to get clothing suitable for the Gala.
Along the way, as the two pegasi made their way through some crowds in the town square, Fluttershy spotted Pinkie Pie hopping up and down, and bypassing the small crowds of ponies, then turning so that she could walk with Fluttershy and Matrixwing. "Guess what?" Pinkie quizzed, in which Matrixwing asked her what it was, and Pinkie Pie proceeded to tell him and Fluttershy her exciting news. "Princess Celestia has put me in charge of the decorations for the Galloping Gala!" Fluttershy congratulated Pinkie, and Pinkie thanked her and went on her way. "There is a lot to do, and little time to do it in!" Then she set off like a mare on a mission.
Fluttershy continued to lead the way to the Carousel Beautique, then she glanced back to find that Matrixwing was starting to lag behind as he gazed at the town hall -a tall and cylinder shaped building that was very grand and beautiful since it had finally been repaired. To compensate for the stallion, Fluttershy slowed her pace so that Matrixwing could admire the building's architecture.
Finally, after Matrixwing had an eyeful, they resumed their normal walking pace (which was shorter for Fluttershy, so Matrixwing had to take smaller steps), and proceeded over the bridge that led over a river to the park. Then, they continued back towards the town via the riverside bank, and then the Beautique came into view.
Matrixwing realized that they must've gone the long way. "Fluttershy, isn't this the long way around?" Fluttershy blushed and replied: "Yes, it is... I just, um, like looking at the scenery and nature around me as I go... It calms me down, and helps me think." Matrixwing thought about this idea, and assumed that Fluttershy was right.
"Well, I guess we'd better go inside..." Fluttershy said, snapping Matrixwing out of his thoughts. "Oh-of course, let's do that," he uttered numbly, and he opened the door for the kind mare, who thanked him, then he closed the door behind them.
Immediately, Matrixwing started feeling slightly uncomfortable. He had never been inside a beautique before, and all of the objects of sparkling high fashion and all the fabrics with colors ranging from all over the spectrum made his head ache. Fluttershy gave him a reassuring smile, then led him over to a mare whom was managing a schedule.
The mare had a perfectly groomed snow-white hide with an equally perfected long, curled mane-and-tail style. "Oh, hello there Fluttershy. Who's your friend?" she greeted them with a Trans-Atlantic English accent in her voice. Fluttershy introduced the two ponies. Matrixwing learned that the mare's name was 'Rarity' and that she was the owner of the Beautique.
"Nice to meet you darling," Rarity replied after shaking hooves with Matrixwing. "So, what brings you here today, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy was quiet for a moment, then proceeded to tell Rarity of her plans. "Well, you see... I've decided to go to the Galloping Gala, and I was wondering-" "Say no more! I can help you," Rarity told her with a note of delight in her voice. "Now, let's see about your dress size, maybe prescribe a treatment for your hair, make it as smooth as silk..."
Rarity began shoving Fluttershy and Matrixwing to the dressing rooms. She first measured their sizes, and after she did that, she instructed them to remain there until she got back.
It was about an eight minute wait, and when Rarity got back, Matrixwing and Fluttershy were knee-deep in conversation about what parasprites were (Matrixwing had never heard of them, and Fluttershy explained what they were and what they did). Then they finally stopped their conversation as Rarity went to work, first giving them instructions on how to use the specially made conditioner she made for each of them. Finally, after about two hours of trying on various garments, hide grooming, and mane styling, the two pegasi strolled out of the Beautique with amazingly groomed hides and manes, as well as two large bottles of the special conditioner for each of them. Fluttershy had offered to pay Rarity for the work she put into them, but Rarity had politely refused. "After all," she had said, with a smile on her face, "you are my friends."
Unfortunately, Matrixwing forgot when they were supposed to come back to get the clothing, so he asked Fluttershy, who reminded him that they had to be back two days before Hearts and Hooves night (for they had to travel a bit far to get to Canterlot), to not only pick up the garments, but to get additional styling and grooming as well.
After they got back to Fluttershy's home, Matrixwing took a long nap. The events of the day had worn him to great fatigue, and he could barely keep his eyes open anyway.
Matrixwing shivered as he slept, so Fluttershy put a blanket over him without disturbing him.