Chapter 21: Festival Night
Dawn shifted nervously, his eyes darting about Carousel Boutique's front room. Normally, waiting came easily to him. Even if he was feeling nervous, he could always take the opportunity to meditate. However, it seemed that the normal calming exercies the colt relied on were not working very well.
"Well I'm glad you're feeling nervous," muttered Rumble from beside Dawn as he twitched his own wings in anxiety.
"Can't say I'm surprised," said Spike, "You guys are gonna be going on your first dates after all."
"And you're not?" asked Rumble, directing a pointed look at the dragon.
"Well...I guess..." Spike scratched the back of his head, his expression betraying his own nervousness, which had been well-hidden previously.
The boys paused to fidget some more. Dawn twisted his neck and rolled his shoulders, trying to get the suit that Rarity had made for him to sit a bit more comfortably. It wasn't a bad fit by any means, but this constituted the first time Dawn had worn clothes...ever. The feeling of cloth against his fur was a novelty the colt was finding distinctly uncomfortable. The suit he wore was a shade of dark-gray, only a little lighter than his natural color. In contrast, the collar and cuffs were a pleasant turquoise shade, not coincidentally matching the shade of his eyes. It was a touch Dawn appreciated, particularly since it was a subtle hint from Rarity that his eyes, the source of so many of his life's problems, should be emphasized and appreciated.
Rumble's suit was almost the opposite of Dawn's, being completely white in color, which made it stand out vividly against his own coat and mane. The design was relatively simple and Rumble thought it looked nice on him.
Spike, on the other hoof (or claw) was the only one in the room not wearing something made specially by Rarity from scratch for the occasion. He was dressed in a rather dapper-looking black suit and tie ensemble. While Rarity had offered to make Spike a brand new suit just for this occasion, the dragon had declined, having already seen just how hard the alabaster fashionista was working. He instead opted for one that he already owned, though he ended up taking it to Rarity anyway to get its size adjusted to better fit his constantly growing proportions.
Though the boys looked about for distractions to keep their minds off the passing time, their eyes kept wandering over to the door that led to the boutique's back room, where Rarity was currently helping their dates get ready. All three of the original Cutie Mark Crusaders were getting new dresses from Rarity and were in the middle of their final fittings before the three fillies made their debut.
"I'm beginning to understand why Caramel was looking so nervous while he was waiting for mom," muttered Dawn softly.
"No kidding," agreed Rumble, "If Miss Rarity wasn't working on all three of them at once, I'd swear she was stalling just to make us sweat."
"Not a chance," retorted Spike, "She'd have a freakout over our suits getting sweat-spots first."
That earned a snickering from the other two, which went a ways towards alleviating the tension in the room. However, the respite was brief and the boys returned to their collective disquiet as the minutes continued to meander past at a snail's pace.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door to the back room opened and Rarity strutted out proudly. "I'm so sorry to keep you gentlecolts and gentledrake waiting. There were a few complications here and there. However, I am proud to announce that your companions for the evening are now ready. Come on out girls!"
Sweetie Belle was the first out, grinning proudly as she imitated her sister' gait. She was wearing a dark-pink dress with a pleated skirt. It was shorter than the skirts of Rarity's gown usually were, generally hanging closely about her body. However, the material stretched and flexed easily as she moved, not hampering her movements in the slightest. The entire ensemble was capped off by ribbon of the same color tied in an elegant bow cover Sweetie's head.
Trotting past Rarity, Sweetie Belle stopped in front of her sister and twirled about to give her audience a few of her profile, still grinning innocently. "What do you think?"
Rumble's eyes were on the verge of falling out of his head and rolling across the floor. Their movement would have only been impeded by the colt's jaw, which had gone slack at the sight of the filly. "Wow."
Rarity giggled. "Well now dear, it seems your date is at a loss for words. But I daresay he approves."
Working his jaw closed with a snap, Rumble nodded vigorously, the movement helping to obscure the bursts of red on his cheeks. With a titter, Sweetie sidled up next to him and nuzzled Rumble's cheek fondly.
"Well done dear," said Rarity, giving her little sister a smile of approval. I've taught you well. "Next!"
The next was Apple Bloom. Her dress was a simpler design than Sweetie's, consisting of a simple, silky gown of royal blue that was lined with a lighter, grayish-blue around the hems. Her trademark bow remained untouched, but Rarity had painstakingly braided Apple Bloom's normally freely-flowing mane, fixing it with a thinner ribbon near the end. Like Sweetie Belle, Bloom's skirt was shorter than usual, keeping with the need to have a dress that was less likely to get caught on something as the fillies enjoyed the festival.
"What do ya think Spike?" asked Bloom as she trotted over to the little dragon, who was smiling with every evidence of approval.
"That looks great on you," said Spike. While he too was blushing, he appeared to have better control over his mannerisms than Rumble did.
Seeing Spike's reaction, Bloom's face fell a little. "Aw, Ah was hopin' to knock his socks off."
"Sorry," said Spike with a cheeky grin, "After how much the girls used to tease me about my crush on Rarity, I've started to develop an immunity to these sorts of things."
Bloom's eyes narrowed and she favored Spike with a sly smile that started to quickly sap the poor dragon of his bravado. "That so," she said in a teasing tone, "Well, let's see how ya handle this!" Jumping forward, she planted a kiss right on Spike's lips.
The result was immediate, Spike's eyes went wide with surprise as his wings fluttered excitedly and his tail beat a rapid tempo against the floor. When Bloom stepped back, she was grinning triumphantly while Spike was standing slumped, with a dazed expression on his face.
"Looks like yer not as immune to mah charms as ya thought," she said.
"Well done," crowed Rarity before casting her eyes to the door one last time, "Alright Scootaloo, darling, it's your turn."
"Uh...are you sure I have to do this?" asked the filly from beyond the door.
"Come now dear. I'm sure your coltfriend would love to see what you look like." Rarity was trying her hardest to stifle her giggles. Scootaloo was having enough confidence issues already.
"Yeah, come on out Scootaloo," encouraged Apple Bloom, "Ya look really nice."
"That's right," agreed Sweetie, "We know Dawn's gonna love how you look."
"...Okay..." Unlike her friends, who had trotted through the door with a great deal of confidence and panache, Scootaloo came slowly, inching through the door one limb at a time, first sticking her head through to survey her audience. Gulping nervously, she realized that, by waiting until last, she'd created a situation where there was nothing to distract everypony from watching her.
As she began to emerge, Dawn took a deep breath and released it, letting his anxiety flow away with the air from his lungs. The measure only half-worked as his nerves quickly resumed troubling him in spite of the calming exercise. However, seeing Scootaloo's own reluctance, Dawn tried the exercise again, this time releasing all thoughts on how he was feeling about the situation. For Scootaloo's sake, he needed to be calm, to help her feel comfortable with the clothes she was wearing.
Like Apple Bloom, Scootaloo's dress was a surprisingly simple affair. It was a light, grayish-purple color, much like the color of her eyes. The garment was thin and light, clinging tightly to Scootaloo's body and showing off her newly-developed, sleek and supple muscles. The bodice was held up by straps that reached up over Scootaloo's shoulders and met behind her neck, leaving her back bare all the way down to her haunches, which were covered by the sleek, smooth skirt that reached down to her fetlocks. Though Dawn's face remained neutral, his eyes never left her from the moment that she emerged.
Stepping forward, Scootaloo averted her eyes bashfully as she approached Dawn, stopping a short distance away. "H-hey...Wha-what do you think?"
Dawn stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Reaching out with a wing, Dawn brushed the feathers against Scootaloo's cheek, gently turning her head so she was looking Dawn in the eyes. Leaning in, the ebony colt gently rested his forehead against hers, never breaking eye-contact.
"You look beautiful," he said softly.
"Th-thanks," said Scootaloo in a grateful tone before she leaned her own head back against his, the two of them working to calm each other.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at the adorable sight. Glancing at her friend, Bloom smirked. "Ah was gonna tease 'em about how cute they look, but that don't seem right anymore."
Sweetie nodded. "Even if that's one-hundred percent true."
Rarity was also enjoying the sight, but opted to call an end to the moment with a clopping of her hooves. "Now then, you aren't supposed to be loitering here. The festival awaits my dears. Go and enjoy yourselves." She ushered the foals, and dragon, out of the boutique and locked up in preparation for her own departure. Looking over her shoulder, Rarity smirked as she watched them head down the street in the direction of the park. "Ah, to be young and in love...Oh dear, I'm starting to sound like mother..."
"So what should we do first?" asked Apple Bloom as the group made its way towards the festival grounds. Already, they could see canvas roofs marking the locations of stands offering games to be played or food to be eaten.
Scootaloo opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted by a low growl that forced its way out of her stomach. "Um...how about lunch?"
Bloom and Sweetie paused, but their stomachs soon added opinions of their own and they nodded. "Who knew standing around doing nothing could work up such an appetite," mused Sweetie Belle with a shy giggle.
"Let's see what kind of food they have at the festival," suggested Spike. The group continued to meander in that general direction.
Dawn was a little worried. Even before attending one, he'd come to understand that festivals were often about offering rich and fatty foods, everything from funnel cake to battered and deep-fried haybraids. He'd had a feeling that such foods would sit about just as well with him as Pinkie Pie's confections usually did. The unfortunate colt had the sinking feeling that he wouldn't find anything that the festival had to offer all that palatable, but decided to forbear any complaints in the cause of not doing anything to disrupt Scootaloo's enjoyment of the day. He could always eat later.
As they approached, they saw more and more ponies filling the road. Many of them were the regular inhabitants of Ponyville. However, a large number of them were the new faces that comprised the farmhooves and migrant workers who had come trickling into Ponyville to help with the autumn harvest, technically the ponies the festival was actually for. Their number was largely comprised of earth ponies, as typically befitted those who sought to help out with farm work. But there were a fair few unicorns amongst them and a surprisingly large number of pegasi, whose wings were especially helpful in flitting about from job to job over the course of the year.
Eventually, they crossed over onto the festival grounds, which had been erected over a section of Ponyville's park. The stalls and their offerings closed in from every side, while the sky was dominated by a pair of structures; one, a classic Ferris wheel that had been erected with surprising speed and precision over the course of the preparation period; the other, a towering scaffold leading up to a single long, winding slide that wound its way down the structure in various twists and turns.
"Wow," observed Spike, "Pinkie Pie went all-out this year."
"Ya can say that again," agreed Apple Bloom as the two of them stared with wide eyes at the pair of rides.
Looking around, Scootaloo felt butterflies rising in her stomach as she noticed that most of the ponies attending were unclothed. However, she relaxed a little when she saw that she and her friends weren't the only ones who had gotten gussied up for the day. Here and there were ponies who had picked out a suit or dress to wear, many of them in couples. Clearly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike weren't the only ones who had gotten it into their heads to dress up for a date at the festival. The realization helped her feel more at ease.
As she surveyed their surroundings, Scootaloo's eyes widened, then suddenly lit up. "Dawn!" she shouted, quickly latching onto one of his forelegs, "Come on!" Her wings pumping, Scootaloo dragged a confused Dawn in her wake, the ebony colt trailing behind her, a little too surprised to do anything but be pulled along. Seeing Scootaloo unexpectedly split off, the others quickly hurried after the couple.
Scootaloo pulled Dawn towards a stall that was frequented almost entirely by pegasi. As they approached, a tantalizing scent began to tickle Dawn's nostrils and his stomach began to plead its case much more insistently than before. Behind the stall's hastily erected wooden front, several large cauldrons bubbled away, releasing copious quantities of steam into the afternoon sky.
As the others came in the pair's wake, their reactions to the smell filling the air were surprisingly varied. The instant his nose registered the scent, Rumble's jaw dropped slightly and the young colt had to pause and wipe away a small trail of drool. Beside him, Sweetie Belle sniffed the air and blinked, a little surprised and confused by the scent, seeming a little unnerved by Rumble's much more enthusiastic response. As Spike picked up the smell, he hummed approvingly and smacked his lips. Apple Bloom's response was perhaps the most radically different as she wrinkled her nose and made a gagging noise as she backed away from the stall.
"What in the hay is that nasty stuff?" she asked as she tried to cover her nose to avoid the smell.
"It's the best thing ever!" exclaimed Scootaloo, pointing to the sign that hung proudly over the stall, stating quite simply and clearly "Fish Soup."
"Ew," groaned Bloom.
"It does smell a bit...strange," said Sweetie, much more tactful than her friend though, truth be told, she wasn't overly fond of the smell either, but decided to step out of her comfort zone a little, for Rumble's sake.
"Fish...?" Dawn blinked as he stared up at the sign, his mind harkening back to the days when he had traveled with his Master. At one point, they had ventured into an oceanside town where he remembered his Master introducing him to one of the scaly creatures, before cooking and serving it. Dawn actually remembered the meal quite fondly, though the taste had long faded from memory.
"Come on, let's see what they have," said Scootaloo eagerly as she went to hover in front of the stall, surveying the menu's offerings, "Oh wow! They have clam chowder. I love clam chowder! They have lobster bisque too! Awesome!"
"Ack," gagged Bloom, "Ah'll never get what ya pegasi like fish so much."
"It's a pegasus thing," said Rumble a little sheepishly, trying hard to rein in his own enthusiasm, though it was difficult. Usually, fish was prohibitively expensive, being a niche market in a landlocked town like Ponyville. Looking over the menu, Rumble noted that the prices for the various soups and and stews were surprisingly reasonable, which spoke highly of Pinkie Pie's resourcefulness and the lengths she was willing to go to to find something that everypony could enjoy.
"I haven't had any fish in forever!" gushed Scootaloo, her mouth watering as the tried to decide between the different offerings. She'd gotten the chance to have some once or twice when her father had taken the family out to a restaurant that catered to pegasi. After Melon Cream had taken Scootaloo and they'd left him, she hadn't gotten any more chances to have fish. After all, Melon was an earth pony and they had to be more careful with their budget, now that Cirrus Stratus' work no longer supplemented their income.
Dawn lifted a wing and checked the pouch he'd tucked away beneath it. He had more than enough. "So which do you want?"
"Uh..." Scootaloo froze, her eyes darting indecisively from pot to pot.
"If you think you can finish them, you could have a small serving of more than one," Dawn pointed out.
Scootaloo's eyes glittered at the prospect, but then fell as something occurred to her. "If I get more than one, I don't think I'll have enough bits left over for anything else."
"That's alright," said Dawn with an encouraging smile as he lifted his wing to show off the canvas pouch underneath, "I can pay for it...for everypony."
"Really!" exclaimed Rumble and Spike in unison.
Dawn nodded, before barely managing to dodge being tackled by the other colt and the young dragon.
In the end, Scootaloo had gotten two separate bowls, one of clam chowder and another of lobster bisque. Dawn, having thought that the two cream soups looked a bit too rich for his liking, had settled for a fair-sized bowl of a savory smelling stew that the mare running the cart had called cioppino, a word that Dawn struggled to pronounce even after hearing it. Rumble got a large bowl of a deep-red soup with large chunks of carp that the proprietor had called fishermare's soup while warning that it was quite spicy. Sweetie Belle had asked if she could try some of it, in spite of her reluctance. Spike had ordered a bowl of bouillabaisse, which he offered to share with Sweetie if she had trouble with Rumble's soup. Only Apple Bloom had opted out, instead choosing to get a hayburger and fries from an adjacent stand.
The group settled at a table in the common eating area and began to sample their foods. Dawn tasted a bite of his soup and bit down on a large chunk of cod, which he chewed speculatively before swallowing.
"Like it?" asked Scootalo with a wry grin, which only widened when she saw Dawn's enthusiastic nod. The colt dug in without any further hesitation and quickly emptied his bowl. She turned her attention to her own food, first tasting the bowl of lobster bisque and humming with approval.
Spike ate slowly, keeping a careful eye on Sweetie Belle as she levitated a spoonful of Rumble's soup to her mouth. As she chewed, a red tint easily became visible on Sweetie's cheek. Even after she swallowed, the red continued to spread until her entire face was nearly lit up. Sweetie coughed harshly and Rumble quickly lifted a cup of water for her to drink, which she accepted gratefully.
"That's really spicy," she said after a moment, gasping for air.
"Are you okay?" asked Rumble nervously.
"Yeah," said Sweetie, pausing to mull it over, "It was pretty spicy, but it wasn't...bad. Can I have some more?"
"Sure," said Rumble, quickly spooning a little more of his soup into the empty bowl they'd gotten for Sweetie. She ate slowly and carefully, often stopping to chug water from the cup that Rumble repeatedly refilled for her. After finishing the small amount Rumble had shared with her, Sweetie decided she'd had enough of the spicy soup and instead opted to share some of Spike's less-pungent stew, which he'd reserved for her.
"Try some of this," Scootaloo said to Dawn, offering him a spoonful of her bisque, complete with a chunk of claw meat.
Dawn did, enjoying the flavor of the dish, though the overall richness of the soup made his stomach churn a little. It wasn't as bad as the sensation he got from Pinkie's sweets, but enough that he was fairly certain he probably couldn't handle a larger portion.
"Where'd ya get all that money anyway?" asked Bloom as she downed the last of the potato fries that had accompanied her hayburger.
"I wasss kinda wondering that mysssself," slurred Rumble, his own mouth reacting to the spicyness of his soup, though his reaction wasn't nearly as pronounced as Sweetie's had been.
"It was a thank you gift from Mayor Mare after helping with the problem in Cloudsdale," explained Dawn. In fact, the day after the party to celebrate the end of the drought, the mayor had stopped by his and Fluttershy's home with a sizable portion of bits. Dawn had held onto them, not really having anything that he'd wanted to buy before now. He understood that Rainbow Dash and Storm Front had gotten similar sums as a reward for their efforts as well. He'd also gotten a regular allowance from Fluttershy before he'd started working at the teahouse, where he earned bits as well. All things considered, Dawn had a rather substantial sum stashed away for a foal his age, something he'd been glad for when he realized that it meant he could treat his friends to dinner.
"Thanks for the treat," said Spike as he finished what was left of his own soup. Sweetie had taken quite a liking to the the fish and had helped herself to a substantial portion of it, much to Spike's amusement.
"So now what should we do?" asked Bloom, eagerly glancing around at the various activities that the festival had to offer.
"Why don't we look around and try whatever looks fun," suggested Spike. The others nodded and cleared away the debris of their meal so they could enjoy the remainder of the Harvest Festival.
"That was delicious," said Fluttershy blissfully as she leaned up against Caramel's side.
The tan stallion chuckled and rubbed his cheek against hers. "I'm glad you liked it. I would have never believed that Pinkie would find somepony to sell seafood this far inland at such a reasonable price."
Like Dawn and the others, Caramel and Fluttershy had stumbled across the fish soup stand. Unknowingly, Fluttershy had chosen the same dish her son had and enjoyed it just as much.
Fluttershy giggled. "Knowing Pinkie, she probably had some favor she could call in. Thank you for pointing that stand out to me."
"No problem," said Caramel before glancing bashfully at the ground, "I just wish I could've enjoyed it with you. But I can't handle fish. Sorry..."
"I understand," said Fluttershy, giving her stallion and indulgent smile, "It's an earth pony thing. Twilight told me about it before."
"So what do you want to do?" asked Caramel, looking around at all the festival had to offer, "How about the Ferris Wheel?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she broke out into a radiant smile. "Oh I'd like that very much."
They quickly trotted over to the ride, where Caramel bought their tickets. Fluttershy got a slightly odd look from the unicorn running the wheel, but didn't notice it. As they got on, Fluttershy settled onto one of the padded seats in the car while Caramel sat next to her. The two of them snuggled closely together as the car began its slow, ponderous ascent towards the wheel's peak. The ride lurched to a stop repeatedly as passengers boarded and disembarked from each car in succession.
As their car reached the top of the wheel, Fluttershy looked out over the landscape with a relaxed smile. "It's beautiful," she said, wishing it was later in the day. The view would be best with the setting sun to add the perfect backdrop. Maybe we can ride again later.
"It sure is," agreed Caramel, resting his head against hers, "You pegasi are lucky you get to have a view like this all the time."
"Maybe," replied Fluttershy, "But I think that we get so used to it, we kind of stop appreciating it. Besides, I like it much better like this..." she wrapped a wing around her coltfriend and pulled herself tightly against him, "...because I get to share it with you."
"That's the best thing about it," agreed Caramel, pulling away slightly so he had room to turn and look at Fluttershy. As her eyes met his, their lips met. Suddenly, the view from the top of the wheel was nowhere near as interesting anymore.
If anypony noticed that Fluttershy's mane and wings were in a much more ruffled state when she and Caramel left the wheel than when they had gotten on, they were too polite to comment about it, something Fluttershy was happy for. After the initial kiss, their moment of intimacy had progressed onto what Rainbow Dash would, no doubt, refer to as full-on making out.
Tongues had danced, bodies had pressed together, hooves had wandered, Caramel's in particular had moved from the base of her wings and along her back, down to her slender flanks before returning to run lovingly through the silky strands of her mane and pull her head closer to deepen their kiss further. Fluttershy had reciprocated, content to keep her legs wrapped around her stallion's neck, gently mussing his own mane. Her wings had extended to wrap around him, running along his barrel tracing down the length of his spine, the tickling touches of her feathers causing Caramel to moan into her mouth. Caramel had pressed Fluttershy gently down against the pads of their seat, his weight draping across her body like a warm blanket, a sensation that Fluttershy was quick to fall in love with. The extended contact and intimacy had left Fluttershy feeling much more...adventurous than she would have normally been, which probably made the interruption of their session rather fortuitous in that sense.
At the end, they were both flushed and panting, only stopping when they were jarred out of their passion by the Ferris wheel grinding to a halt. Once the ride had been fully loaded with new passengers, it had gone on two complete circuits without pause before stopping to let the first car of passengers off to make room for new ones. That had given Fluttershy and Caramel ample time to explore their affection with each other, but, perhaps fortunately, not enough for Fluttershy to muster the courage to suggest that they take things further. They were also lucky that Caramel's act of pushing Fluttershy onto her back had taken them beneath the level of the ride's windows, minimizing the chance of anypony catching a glimpse of them in the most embarrassing way. The two of them had broken away from each other and done their best to smooth their frazzled appearances before it was their turn to get off. Fluttershy was grateful she'd opted not to wear a dress as it would most certainly would have betrayed the intensity of their interplay to the public at large.
As soon as they were away from the ride, Fluttershy relaxed enough to lean against Caramel again, draping a wing over his back, as they made their way slowly amongst the stalls. Fluttershy had to admit, she wasn't all that interested in games or contests, and certainly not on the cuddly stuffed animals on display (she had enough of the real kind at home after all). Still, it was fun to simply wander and bask in the general festival atmosphere with her coltfriend at her side.
"Well howdy there."
Fluttershy looked up and broke into a happy grin when she saw Applejack standing in front of them. Red River stood calmly at her side, his eyes roving over the sights and taking everything in. While Fluttershy was a bit slow to pick up on it, Caramel was quick to notice the slight spots of pink on the stallion's face and the fact that he was studiously avoiding eye-contact with either member of the other couple.
They weren't alone either. Slightly behind and to the side of them was the familiar grayish-purple form of Flitter, along with Storm Front, who was clad in his usual silk shirt. Flitter was trying as hard as she could not to giggle...and failing miserably as she hid her amused smile behind a hoof. Fortunately, it was a happy kind of amusement, rather than the mocking kind that would have set Caramel's hackles up. As it was, he found himself blushing when he realized how they must look.
"Hello Applejack," said Fluttershy, still innocently oblivious to the behavior of her friend and her friend's companions, "Are you enjoying the festival?"
"That Ah am," said Applejack, smiling slyly, "But Ah think Ah ain't enjoyin' it half as much as you two seem to be enjoyin' it so far."
For a moment, Fluttershy blinked in confusion before the meaning behind Applejack's words registered with her. She realized how she must have looked, considering that the orange mare in front of her was one of her oldest friends and totally familiar with Fluttershy's usual appearance. Her cheeks began to blaze. "Uh...I..."
"Say no more sugarcube," said Applejack, her eyes twinkling with restrained mirth, which she was withholding on behalf of her friend, "Why don't we head into the restroom, see if we can't get ya cleaned up a little more."
"I can help with that," said Flitter as she joined them. The two mares began to lead Fluttershy in the direction of the restroom, leaving the trio of stallions behind them, all a little confused as to what to do now.
"We seem to have gotten separated from the others," observed Dawn as he glanced about, his eyes picking up no trace of the other two couples.
"There's no 'gotten' about it," said Scootaloo, "We split up." She grinned mischievously at Dawn. "We're on a date after all. Of course we'd want some alone time. I know the others feel the same way."
Dawn nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. He had to admit, he'd been much more comfortable when the whole group had been together. At least then, it had felt more like one of their usual outings. Now that it was just him and Scootaloo, by themselves, the fact that they were actually on a date was much more pronounced in his mind...and it wasn't doing his nerves a single bit of good.
"I...I have to admit I'm out of my depth here," said Dawn, glancing sidelong at his fillyfriend, "I'm not exactly sure what to do."
Scootaloo let out an irritated sigh before smirking at her clueless coltfriend. "It's obvious what we do."
"What is that?"
"Geez, Sweetie Belle's right. You colts are all so dense," said Scootaloo with a frustrated groan, "I'll tell you what we do. It's a festival. So let's have some fun!"
Scootaloo set off at a gallop, with Dawn bounding along in her wake, doing his best to keep up as she wove in and out of the crowd. The bright-orange filly's years of practice with her scooter were serving her in good stead now, allowing her to swerve and and dart around ponies and obstacles with ease, all without breaking stride. Dawn, in the meantime, was feeling a good bit more clumsy than usual, not used to executing such intense maneuvers while on the ground.
"Over here!" exclaimed the filly, pointing eagerly at the entrance to a ride. It was a small roller coaster, the miniature cousin of those titanic mountains of scaffolding that dominated amusement park skylines. As such, its dips and dives were relatively short and shallow, but the creators had obviously exercised their ingenuity with the small dimensions they worked with, having placed several clever twists in the track to make the cars roll as they rumbled through before shooting up into a tight loop.
The line for the ride was surprisingly short, something that gave the pair pause. There was indeed an intimidation factor to such rides that might drive ponies away. However, that was hardly an explanation for how short things were. The structure was certainly sound enough that neither Scootaloo nor Dawn were overly worried about their safety. However, they noticed that most of the riders were unicorns, with a fair few earth ponies, and no pegasi.
Still, that meant that they didn't have long to wait before they reached the gate. The ride's proprietor, a kindly, middle-aged, blue unicorn smiled fondly as he glanced down at the pair of them. "Well, a couple of pegasi, that's a surprise."
"What's the deal?" asked Scootaloo, looking around as the group ahead of them found their seats on the cars. She and Dawn were very next in line, though they would have to wait one more time before it was their turn to get on. "This ride looks awesome. Why is there almost nopony here?"
"Just a second," said the proprietor before he meandered over to the cars themselves. Bending down, he let out a low grunt, his horn flickering into life, the aura of his magic cascading over the rear wheels of the last set of cars. From underneath them, a low whine built up, rising in pitch with each passing second. Finally, the stallion lifted his head and stepped away with a relieved sigh.
"Alright folks, I'm sure you know the deal, but I'm obligated to spell it out for you anyway," he shouted over the shrill noise, "Keep your hooves inside the cars at all times. No trying to sneak out from under the bar. You are free, however, to scream at the top of your lungs and throw your hooves in the air. Any questions?" When no hooves rose into the air and no voices sounded out inquiries, the stallion nodded. "Okay then. Off you go!"
His horn sparked one last time, the sight reminding Dawn of a spark lighting a fuse. There was a full second's delay that gave the passengers just enough time to glance about in confusion. Then the car was gone, the whining noise replaced by the loud squeal of wheels and the louder shrieks of the passengers as the entire train of cars was launched like a projectile out of a slingshot, making its way around the track.
"Gets 'em every time," crowed the stallion as he made his way back to the foals. He chuckled before glancing down at them. "Now, as to your question. I guess my ride appeals to unicorns, but not much to the other two groups."
"Why not?" asked Scootaloo, "It looks awesome!" Her eyes tracked the progress as the cars rushed through several tight roles, then up and into the loop.
"I'm actually surprised somepony like you would say that," said the unicorn with a shrug, "Pegasi fly through the sky and pull all those fancy stunts. Why ride a roller coaster when you can make your own, practically anywhere, anytime?"
"Oh..." said Scootaloo, "I guess that makes sense."
"As for the earth ponies," the stallion shook his head, "I think they're just stubborn sometimes. Roller coasters are an earth pony invention after all. They use that mechanical crank that pulls you to the top then lets gravity do the rest. A lot of them don't really trust 'fancy' unicorn magic for something like that."
"Although, it seems to make them more portable," Dawn noted, surveying the course of the Roller Coaster as the train of cars carrying the most recent group pulled into the platform. The exhilarated ponies got to their hooves as the bars released them and walked, some stumbling, away.
The proprietor grinned down at Dawn and Scootaloo. "You kids ready to give it a try?"
"You bet!" exclaimed Scootaloo, already tugging Dawn behind her to the first car in the line.
Fluttershy had wanted to ask why Flitter kept a hairbrush tucked beneath one of her wings. However, Flitter had simply smiled enigmatically and said "A mare needs to look her best at all times," before she began running it through Fluttershy's mane, carefully stroking it back into shape and working out the tangles that had formed as a result of the session in the Ferris wheel.
"Seems like ya and Caramel are gettin' along just fine," said Applejack as she ran a hoof along Fluttershy's spine, up and down between her wings, to help relax her, "Time was ya couldn't look a stallion in the eye without boltin' like one 'o yer rabbits."
"Well...that's just with Caramel mostly," Fluttershy pointed out, "Other stallions still scare me...especially unfamiliar ones."
"Either way, making out with him in the Ferris wheel," said Flitter, "That's classic."
"Sure sounds like fun," agreed Applejack, "Maybe Red and Ah should take a ride 'o our own. Ya up fer one Flitter?"
Flitter paused her brushing of Fluttershy's mane to tap her chin. "Normally, Ferris wheels aren't my thing. But I think Fluttershy's made a pretty compelling case for them."
Her face glowing red, Fluttershy tried her hardest to simply sink down into the floor. Applejack noticed almost immediately. "Ah'm sorry sugarcube. Don't worry yer pretty little head. Ain't nothin' to be embarrassed about. So maybe ya can tell us a bit more 'bout some other stuff. How are things goin' between ya and Caramel in general."
Fluttershy sucked in a deep breath and let out a happy sigh. "They've been wonderful," she said, smiling blissfully, "He's so kind and gentle. He's never pushed me to do anything uncomfortable. On top of that, he and Dawn are getting along so well."
"Ya thinkin' that he'd make a fine pa fer that colt?" asked Applejack.
Realizing what her friend was implying, Fluttershy started to blush heavily again, her thoughts straying to imagined glimpses of wedding gowns and a petal-strewn aisle. "O-oh...we...we aren't anywhere near ready for th-that really..."
"Then what's this Ah heard 'bout ya movin' in with him?" asked Applejack, prompting an excited gasp from Flitter.
"Really? You're moving in with your coltfriend?" squealed the cyan-maned pegasus.
"It...I-i-i-t's j-just for the winter," stammered Fluttershy, "C-Caramel was worried that Dawn and I would be lonely without all our animal friends to keep us company."
"Aw, that sure is sweet 'o him," cooed Applejack, "But why are ya keepin' it so temporary like?"
"W-well...it's sort of an experiment," explained Fluttershy.
Applejack frowned in confusion. "If ya'll excuse me, that don't sound like ya at all. That sound's more like somethin' Twilight would do."
Meanwhile, Flitter, who was still listening diligently, had put away her brush and was now working carefully with Fluttershy's wings, giving her a light preening that was helping the timid pegasus feel more at ease.
Fluttershy nodded at Applejack's observation. "I know it seems odd...but I think it's for the best. I wanted to see if the three of us could be together, if Caramel could really be a father to Dawn."
"Ah'm not sure Ah follow," said Applejack, "Ah mean, ya already said Dawn and Caramel get along pretty well."
"That's right," replied Fluttershy, "But I don't think Dawn sees Caramel as a father the way he sees me as a mother. I want to see if he can learn to respect Caramel as something more than a nice stallion who happens to be my coltfriend."
"Oh, Ah think Ah get it now," remarked Applejack, nodding as she processed it. In a sense, the issue at stake was one of authority and respect. Dawn was extremely self-sufficient for a foal his age, particularly since he'd been taking care of himself for an extended period before he had wandered into Fluttershy's care. Even though he was easily strong enough to do whatever he wanted, he had learned to respect Fluttershy's position as mother and respect the authority that gave her. The question was whether or not he could accept Caramel occupying a similar position in his life. "That's gonna be tricky."
Fluttershy nodded and hummed with pleasure as Flitter continued to work with her feathers. Flitter lifted her head and spat some down into a nearby wastebasket. "That should do it," she said, "Good as new."
"Thank you very much," said Fluttersy.
"Well, we probably shouldn't keep the boys waitin'," Applejack pointed out, leading the way out of the restroom. Flitter and Fluttershy followed along behind.
"Thank you so much for helping with my wings," said Fluttershy quietly.
"It's no problem," said Flitter, "I'm glad we got the chance to do this." She looked down demurely. "I think you and I are a lot alike. I'm much shyer than my sister. She's sorta like Rainbow Dash."
"That's right," mused Fluttershy, "They went to the Academy together, didn't they?"
Flitter nodded. "Yeah. I was staying home to look after Rumble since she and Thunderlane were both there."
The realization struck Fluttershy that the resemblances were somewhat uncanny. She realized that she and Flitter would probably get along quite well.
Applejack was smiling as she listened to their conversation. However, something occurred to her. "Hey, just where is Rainbow Dash anyway?"
Fluttershy and Flitter looked at each other before turning back to Applejack.
"I have no idea," admitted Fluttershy.
"I haven't seen her all day," added Flitter.
"That's strange," muttered Applejack, "Rainbow's not one to skip a party like this. Normally she'd be in the thick of things."
"Should we go look for her?" asked Fluttershy.
Applejack thought it over for a moment. "Nah. Ah bet she's around her somewhere."
"O-okay," said Fluttershy, feeling a bit uncertain. However, she decided it would be best not to worry too much. Rainbow could take care of herself after all. Together, the three mares went to join their dates.