It was a quiet, peaceful day in Ponyville. The skies were clear, the lakes were glistening, and the birds were singing, this was Fluttershy’s favourite type of day. What a beautiful day, she thought as she started out the window of her cottage.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come for a walk, Angel?” She asked, turning to her pet, who was munching on a carrot on the couch. “A day like this should be shared with somepony, and the girls said they’d be busy today. Can you please come?” Fluttershy asked one last time.
Angel stopped eating for a moment, shook his head rapidly from side to side, and cheerfully continued eating.
“Very well,” Fluttershy sighed. “I’ll be back later, try to behave while I’m gone,” with that she trotted out the front door and closed it behind her. She took a moment to take her new setting in. The smells, the sights, the sounds, all felt perfect for her. It was definitely going to be a peaceful, calm, and ordinary day with no disruptions.
“Hey, Fluttershy!” A high pitched voice called out from beyond the bridge.
Well I guess ordinary does contradict no disruptions… for me at least, Fluttershy thought, with a small giggle.
“Hello, Pinkie” Fluttershy called back upon seeing the familiar pink mare bouncing up to her. “I thought you were busy today?”
“Oh I am, Fluttershy, I just came to ask a favour,” Pinkie explained.
“Ok Pinkie, I’m always willing to help. What do you need?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well my sister Maud… you remember Maud right?”
“Oh yes, very hard to forget… her,” Fluttershy said, blushing at the thought of the gray mare.
“Um… ok,” Pinkie said, a little confused by Fluttershy’s blush, “anyway, I need you to pick her up from the train station in like fifteen minutes, and entertain her for a few hours.”
Fluttershy’s smile widened and her blush deepened, “I think I could manage that, Pinkie, but if you don’t mind me asking, why won’t you be able to get her? Not that I mind, I was just, um wondering.”
“Like I said I’m really busy today, I only have a short break to ask you if you could tend to Maud while I’m busy,” Pinkie explained. “Which reminds me… I really gotta get back, so you’ll be ok spending the day with Maud?”
“Yes!… um, that is to say, I think I can handle it,” Fluttershy giggled, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about spending the day alone with her friend’s sister.
“Okie dokie lokie, guess I’ll catch up with you later then,” Pinkie began bouncing back down the path away from Fluttershy’s cottage. “See ya later, Fluttershy!”
“Goodbye, Pinkie,” Fluttershy called back. She began making her way to the train station, and used the time to think. Oh my… a day alone with Maud, I could take her on a walk through the forest. I’m sure she will appreciate the serenity of a place like that on a day like this, it could be very romantic. Fluttershy let out a small, excited eep as other thoughts started to cross her mind.
Now now, Fluttershy, we can’t get ahead of ourselves, this is Pinkie’s sister we’re thinking about here. We don’t even know if she feels about you the same way. Just put those thoughts aside… don’t think about her soft, gray fur, her beautiful, violet mane, and those turquoise eyes I could stare into forever… oh my… this is going to be harder than I thought.
The train came to a screeching halt at Ponyville station, giving Fluttershy a small scare as she was still deep in thought.
Oh my gosh, she’s here! Ok, deep breaths, Fluttershy, you can do this.
The doors to the train slide open, various ponies started to exit and scatter throughout the station platform.
I can’t do this! Got to find somepony else now, apologize to Pinkie later.
Fluttershy began to quickly trot away from the train, but stopped when a voice called out to her. “Hey, Fluttershy,” the voice said in familiar monotone manner, which for some reason even unknown to her, Fluttershy found pleasant. Perhaps it was the calm feeling behind the voice which seemed to follow the sound into Fluttershy’s ears; this feeling even managed to calm Fluttershy enough to face the mare of her affection. There she stood, the mare who captured Fluttershy’s heart after one brief meeting, and had been in her dreams since.
Fluttershy realized she hadn’t said anything yet and had instead been staring, mouth agate. Fluttershy broke from her daze and noticed Maud blushing slightly, even though she had her usual deadpan expression.
Is she… blushing? M-must have had some spicy food on the train or something… yeah… that’s it.
“H-Hi, Maud,” Fluttershy stammered as she finally managed to say something.
“So where’s Pinkie, and your other friends?” Maud asked.
“Oh um, they were all busy today, so Pinkie asked me to tend to you for the day,” Fluttershy explained “… if you don’t mind, that is.”
“Fine by me,” Maud said, almost cracking a smile. “What did you want to do?”
“Oh well, I was about to go for a walk through White Tail Woods, would you like to join me?”
“Sounds good to me, I often enjoy going for nature walks, and it could also be good for Boulder. He doesn’t like riding trains and can sometimes get a little skittish. A walk should calm him down.” Maud explained, pulling her pet rock from her pocket and placing it on her back.
“I’m glad to be able to help Boulder relax. I’m also quite glad that you came today, with my friends all busy and usually uninterested in such things, it’s nice to have somepony here to enjoy a nice, quiet walk with on this lovely day.” Fluttershy said as she began to trot away from the station and towards the nearby woodland.
“Agreed,” Maud said as she trotted up to Fluttershy’s side. “It’s always been difficult to find somepony who also appreciates the beauty and serenity of nature as I do, even when I was a filly.”
“Yes, I can imagine Pinkie wouldn’t be the best source for a relaxing time.”
“I love my sister, but sometimes she can be a little…”
“Loud?” Fluttershy asked, finishing her sentence.
“Exactly,” Maud smiled, a small giggle escaping her lip.
“You know…” Fluttershy began, as she turned to Maud, “you should really smile more, you have such a beautiful smile,” She finished with a blush.
“I normally don’t smile unless I have a particularly good reason,” Maud turned her head to Fluttershy, meeting her gaze; “I guess I just have a good reason to now.”
Fluttershy and Maud began to slow down almost to a complete stop as they stared into each other’s eyes. The two were so distracted; they hadn’t even realized they were already in White Tail Woods.
“So, um… what’s the reason?” Fluttershy asked in a tone so hushed it could almost be a whisper.
“I’m not sure,” Maud answered in a tone similar to Fluttershy’s, “I just a good feeling about…”
“About what?” Fluttershy asked as she stepped closer to Maud, their sides just barely touching.
“A-about… I… never mind,” Maud shied away and turned her gaze forward.
Fluttershy thought it best not to pry, she’d been in a similar situation to Maud, and knew she didn’t appreciate it when others pried her. Fluttershy merely sighed and turned her gaze forward.
Let’s just find something else to talk about, shouldn’t be too difficult. Good thing I borrowed that book on rocks from Twilight.
The two ponies slowly trotted through the forest, conversing on anything that came to mind, everything from the sights around them, to their friends, to, of course, rocks. A conversation Fluttershy was more than pleased to have, now that she actually knew more on the subject. While enjoying her conversation with Maud, Fluttershy was slightly put off, as she could tell something was on Maud’s mind.
I know I thought it best not to pry, but something is definitely bothering her. No matter how I feel about her or how she feels about me, Maud is still a friend, and I should always help a friend in need.
“Maud, you know if something’s on your mind, you can tell me.” Fluttershy said, glancing at Maud in the corner of her eye.
“It’s nothing Fluttershy, really,” Maud assured her. Fluttershy came to a sudden stop; Maud took a few more steps before realizing Fluttershy was no longer at her side. Maud turned around and saw Fluttershy staring at her with concern, “It’s nothing,” Maud repeated.
“You’re as bad a liar as Applejack,” Fluttershy giggled, “come on, Maud, tell me… please.”
“Fluttershy, I… I think…” Maud stammered, trying to find the right words. “I think that I like…”
Fluttershy’s heartbeat quicken, this almost sounds like… it couldn’t be… could it?
“Fluttershy… I think I like you, not like a friend but… something more.”
Fluttershy gasped, oh my gosh, did she just say…
“Now I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, you deserve somepony pretty and smart and-” Maud was cut off by Fluttershy gently placing a hoof over Maud’s mouth.
“Maud…” Fluttershy began, in a gentle whisper, “… you are very pretty, and smart, and well…” She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on Maud’s cheek, “… I like you too.”
Maud blushed, this time with a smile, and she raised a hoof to her cheek, still feeling Fluttershy’s gentle lips still against her.
A blush and a smile at the same time. She really must have liked it, Fluttershy joked to herself.
“Um… I’m sure you’re going to want to spend some time with Pinkie this afternoon, but if you’re free tonight… would you like to come and have dinner at my place?” Fluttershy asked.
“You mean like… a date?” Fluttershy gave a small nod in response, “seven ok?”
“That sounds perfect… would you like to continue our walk for a bit?”
“Definitely,” Maud said, stepping to Fluttershy’s side. Fluttershy responded by draping her wing over Maud’s back. The two enjoyed the rest of their time together in a comfortable silence, each pony thinking about what the future might hold for the pair, a romantic dinner, many more after that, perhaps much more along the way. For now they were happy to wait for all that, perfectly content in the presence of the pony beside them. Their soulmate.