(The prompt: Taking the first step on a new adventure.)
These were dangerous times, and Fluttershy did not particularly enjoy living in dangerous times.
Her life had always contained some element of danger, much to her chagrin. When she was a little filly, in Cloudsdale, the danger had mostly been the possibility of falling. It happened, on occasion, that a pegasus would fall before they learned to fly. While Fluttershy hadn't fallen too early to live on her own, and she certainly didn't regret falling out of Cloudsdale when she had, the danger had always been there.
Of course, that danger had lead her to finding her cutie mark, and had also lead to finding her new home here on the nice, warm, comparatively safe ground. So... the danger of living in Cloudsdale had been alright, she supposed. Falling had been an adventure, in a horrible, terrifying, panicked way.
Fluttershy looked to her right, and smiled at Twilight. Princess Twilight. The princess just smiled back, looking a little nervous as they trotted down the road that lead to the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy was pretty sure she looked every bit as nervous as Twilight.
The Everfree Forest was really what made Fluttershy's life seem so dangerous, most of the time. When she had first fallen, she had decided it would be best to have her house where the butterflies had caught her. The earth ponies from Ponyville had given her strange looks about building there, but she didn't realize why until quite a while later. Living just on the border of the forest had given her a sort of outsider reputation, which she didn't really mind in itself. She didn't really want ponies stopping by at all hours like they tended to do inside the town proper.
But the forest was dangerous. Sometimes she heard timberwolves howling, the dark and quiet of night time making it sound as though they were prowling just outside her barred doors and shuttered windows. Though none of her animals ever seemed to have problems living in the forest, and she hadn't been harmed by it, that she knew of.
Besides, living there had been helpful, a few times. She had saved Twilight from a cockatrice, once. Having access to the kinds of plants that only grew in the forest helped with salves and poultices for her animals, which was always nice.
Fluttershy blinked, coming out of her reminiscing. Twilight gestured with a hoof, and they departed from the path, trotting up a sunny hill.
Twilight was part of the danger that had become so common in Fluttershy's life. Not that Twilight Sparkle would ever harm her, that was impossible. But ever since Twilight had come to live in Ponyville, Fluttershy had found herself on dangerous missions to save Ponyville, or even all of Equestria, time and time again. Venturing into the forest after Nightmare Moon, traversing a spooky hedgemaze, facing down Discord, fighting dozens of changelings alongside her friends, traveling to the ends of the world to fight smokey, ancient unicorn kings, sneaking through magical barriers and into the Everfree again to find a zebra shaman who was training her friend Twilight to take Ponyville back from a mad mage...
Fluttershy's life was a little more dangerous than she'd realized, looking back on it.
For that matter, while Princess Twilight had never mentioned it, and none of her friends really spoke on it much, even being friends with a princess could be seen as a little dangerous. After all, powerful ponies, royalty especially, could end up with jealous enemies. While striking out at Princess Twilight herself would be difficult, Fluttershy was not nearly as scary. She wasn't just being unassertive, or self-pitying, or anything like that. Fluttershy knew that she wasn't a dangerous pony, and that most other ponies weren't nearly as scared of her as she was of them.
So it could be dangerous being a friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle. But that was the kind of dangerous risk that Fluttershy was proud to take. That's why none of her friends talked about it much. It was something all of them knew, but none of them worried about, too often. Besides, being Twilight's friend was an adventure, too. It was dangerous, in a lot of ways, but it was fun. More fun than Fluttershy had ever had.
Fluttershy smiled at Twilight as they walked up to the carefully and precisely laid blanket, both taking their seats as Twilight opened the small picnic basket, and began laying out the simple foods they had brought.
Fluttershy knew about measured risks, even if she didn't like the danger they implied. Being friends with Twilight was one such risk, one she would never even think about shying away from. Approaching injured animals, even her closest animal friends, was also always dangerous. Mister Bear was a kind and peaceful friend, but when he was hurt he often lashed out at any creature that came near. But it was worth the risk. There was danger, but on the other side of that danger there was the chance for happiness and good health.
It was the same, going along on the adventures that being Twilight's friend created. Chasing dragons away, or defeating ancient evils, these things were terrifying and dangerous. Only by going on those adventures though, only by facing the danger and the uncertainty, and pushing through it, was she able to have her quaint little peaceful cottage by a stream, full of her animal friends and always bustling with life.
She leaned gently against Twilight as they sat together on the blanket, looking out over Ponyville in the late afternoon light, the sun fading into a deep orange as it set below the mountains on the horizon.
It was a risk being Twilight's friend. It was something more dangerous, being... more. But it was a risk Fluttershy felt she had to take. There was danger, but the chance for so much joy, beyond it.
She turned her head and nuzzled against Twilight's mane, smiling at the nervous but happy giggle this elicited from the princess.
Fluttershy pulled away, and looked into Twilight's eyes. A moment later, she pressed her lips to Twilight's, and they both took the first true steps on a grand new adventure.