//------------------------------// // Ch.14: Withdrawal // Story: Sweet and Delicate // by Nordryd //------------------------------// Time: 2:45 PM, Sunday, Fluttershy's Cottage, Days Until Celebration: 6 I miss you so much… It had been only a day since Coppermane left for the Crystal Empire, and Fluttershy was already missing him terribly. The forlorn mare laid on her couch with Angel close by her, her eyes filled with tears. She never thought she could miss somepony so much. Especially considering the fact that she and Copper had only known each other for a few days. Nevertheless, in those few days, Coppermane’s managed to do so many things for her that went above and beyond anything she could've imagined. Fluttershy had no words that would do any justice for what Coppermane did for her at the train station. She looked down at his gift laying around her neck. She hadn't even considered taking it off since he put in on for her. A beautiful cherry blossom necklace that he had made himself. It was such a deep gift, a constant reminder of that magical night together underneath the stars. She brought the end of the necklace up with her hoof, bringing a smile to her tear-stained face. Ever since that night, cherry blossoms never looked the same to the mare…they looked better. Fluttershy thought back to that moment when Coppermane was putting the necklace on for her. Time just seemed to freeze as Coppermane delicately brushed her mane out of the way and adjusted the necklace around her neck. Then when he stepped back…their muzzles were so close. Just staring into his tranquil brown eyes. The feeling of comfort was soon washed over with a feeling of regret, and Fluttershy couldn't help but be mad at herself. I could've told him.  I could’ve told him…I love him.  Why didn’t I just tell him? Fluttershy thought to herself for a moment… No…it…it's fine…the moment wasn't right.  Even if I told him…he would've just had to leave.  I'll know when it's right.  Still… Fluttershy began to tear up again. How was she going to mentally survive without him for five days? How was she going to just keep her feelings contained inside when they're just yearning to be heard?  You don’t know how much you need something…or somepony…until they’re taken from you, right? Then Fluttershy had another thought:  was she being selfish? Was she being selfish by missing him so much? Copper was getting the chance of a lifetime to go the Crystal Empire on a royal invitation. Fluttershy should be happy for him, which she was. She was extremely happy for him. And he'd be back in five days, it wasn't like she lost him forever. And yet… Fluttershy's head was flooded with a mix of different emotions. She felt happy for Coppermane, but it was overshadowed by all of her negative thoughts.  Sorrow…loneliness…longing…self-hate…it gave her a headache. It was too much for her delicate constitution to handle, and she began to cry again. I'm so selfish… Angel was right beside her, trying to comfort her, but no dice. Angel kept trying to help Fluttershy when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy looked up at the door and immediately buried her face in her hooves again, not wanting to talk to anypony else. They knocked on the door again, but this time it was accompanied by familiar voices. "Fluttershy? Are you in there? It's Twilight and Rarity!" "We know you're in there, sweetness. Please come out!  We're worried about you!" Fluttershy looked up at the door again. Looks like they weren't leaving any time soon. She managed to pull herself up from her couch, and dried her tears as best she could before making her way towards the door, her head hanging low. After a deep breath, Fluttershy finally brought herself to open the door, and on the other side, sure enough, stood Rarity and Twilight Sparkle with worried looks. "Hi, Fluttershy," Twilight said. She and Rarity both noticed Fluttershy's tear-stained face. Oh no, hasn't been doing well at all. "…h-hi…" Fluttershy said weakly with a quiet shaky voice, as she tried her hardest to conceal her tears. "Fluttershy, darling, are…are you okay?" Rarity asked. The answer was obviously no, but the two mares wanted to hear it from her. "…um…y-yeah…I'm…I'm…fine…" Fluttershy said, really wanting to just go back inside, but Twilight and Rarity were not convinced in the least. "Fluttershy," Twilight said in a soft voice, "we just want to help you." Fluttershy looked down, refusing to make eye contact with her friends and trying with every fiber of her being to not cry in front of them. "Fluttershy, sweetness, please," Rarity said, walking up to the saddened mare, "we haven't seen you all day. We're all worried about you. We know you're upset, so please, let us help you." Fluttershy still refused to make eye contact, but it was getting harder to hold back her tears. She didn't want to talk to anypony else, but at the same time, she felt so lonely… Twilight and Rarity looked at each other. It was obviously going to take more coaxing to get her to talk. They hated seeing any of their friends sad, especially like this. They weren't going to leave until they got answers. "Fluttershy, look at me," Rarity said, using her hoof to bring Fluttershy's chin up to look at her, "We can tell that you're upset, dear, and we're not about to just leave you here all alone while you beat yourself up unnecessarily." Rarity paused and put a more serious face on, "Now, Fluttershy, really, are you okay?" She looked down. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She couldn't keep lying to herself. She was feeling so lonely. Fluttershy allowed a tear to fall down her face in front of her friends and looked up at Rarity, and shook her head. Rarity dried her tear, "We know." Rarity took her hoof away from Fluttershy's chin. "Do you want company?" she asked. Fluttershy nodded as more tears fell down her already tear-stained face. Twilight spoke up, "Well, how about this, Fluttershy. Let's go to Sugarcube Corner, pick up some treats, and then we'll go to my house and we can talk about this. How does that sound?" Fluttershy looked over at the purple mare and then looked down at the ground again, indicating to Twilight that she was not on board with her idea. "Fluttershy," Twilight said, "You can't just stay cooped up in your house all day. You've got to get out, get some fresh air, and talk to your friends. You're going to come with us, okay?" Twilight didn't want to force her, but it looks like she had no choice. Fluttershy started to cry again. As much as she wanted to stay home, she knew Twilight was right. She looked up at the two worried mares, and finally said, in a weak, shaky voice, "…o-okay…" "There we go," Rarity said in a soft voice, "C'mon, darling, let's get going." Twilight and Rarity coaxed the broken-hearted mare out of her house and they made their way to Sugarcube Corner. YESTERDAY w/ COPPERMANE: Time: 8:00 PM, Saturday, Crystal Empire Train Station Okay, Copper, there's the Crystal Empire. Time to turn your focus over to your mission okay? Copper was coming up on the Crystal Empire, and knew that he couldn't dwell on Fluttershy the whole time. He didn't want to seem ungrateful to Princess Cadence for this amazing opportunity. And he wasn't, he was extremely grateful. Getting a chance to visit the Crystal Empire on a royal invitation? What an honor! Was he being selfish by missing her so much, and not appreciating this opportunity? It wasn't like he was leaving forever. He'd be back in five days. And Fluttershy wasn't going anywhere… And yet…he couldn't help but feel lonely. He felt the side of his cheek where Fluttershy had…kissed him. Yes…she had actually kissed him. Not on the lips, just on the cheek, but still…she kissed him! It was totally unexpected, especially from Fluttershy, but he didn't hate it in the least. But then another thought creeped into his mind that immediately made Coppermane mad at himself. …Why didn't I just kiss her back? Fluttershy did it…why couldn't he? He could've just walked up to her and kissed her. But he didn't, and now it would be five days until he saw her again. A tear fell from his already tear-stained face. It had only been a few hours, and he already missed her more than his fragile constitution could bear. He thought back to when they were together at the train station…the look Fluttershy had when he presented the necklace to her, it made Coppermane's heart soar. Making Fluttershy happy brought Coppermane unimaginable amounts of joy. Copper would walk around the world twice for Fluttershy just to make her smile. His mind drifted to when he was putting the necklace on for her. Her mane was so soft, and her coat was so smooth, and afterwards, they were so close together, just staring into her captivating teal eyes… "Fluttershy…I…I…" WHOOO! WHOOO! "…love you…so much…" Copper said to himself, wincing at the train whistle, interrupting him yet again. Hearing the train whistle outside just made Copper start crying again. Stupid train whistle… Just reminding Copper about how he almost told her…only to be interrupted by that whistle… Coppermane looked out the window and saw the train station approaching quickly. He tried to push the negative thoughts out. He had a mission, and he wasn't planning on failing any time soon. He tried to fill his mind with the reminder that the mare of his dreams would be waiting for him back home. I'll be back soon, Fluttershy. And when I do get back…I've got so much planned to make you smile… He felt the train brake at the station, and eventually come to a stop. Here he was…the Crystal Empire. Pull yourself together, Coppermane, it's going to be alright. Coppermane dried his tears as best he could and got off the train, when he had a terrifying epiphany…he didn't know where to go. The letter never mentioned anypony escorting him to the castle. Even if he found the castle on his own, how would he get in? As far as Copper knew, they didn't even know him. Was he just supposed to walk up to the castle and expect to be let in? What was he going to do? This mission was going to be over before it started! He panned the station in a panic, and his eyes fell on a white unicorn-stallion standing at the exit of the train station. He was wearing a helmet and armor and stood almost completely still. Must be a guard. It was a long-shot, but Copper really had no other choice at this point. He walked up to the guard. "Um…e-excuse me…sir?" Copper said nervously. The guard's head darted in Coppermane's direction. "Hello, citizen. Whaddya need?" the guard said in a very official sounding voice, making Copper jump a little. "Um…okay…my name is C-Coppermane…and…um…okay, this is going to sound crazy but—" "You are Coppermane?" the guard asked. "Um…yes…you know me?" Copper asked, taken aback a bit. Was he expecting him? "Yes. Princess Cadence has requested that you be her escort to Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebration, no?" the guard said. This was too surprising for Copper. "Um, yeah, I got a letter from Princess Celestia saying that I needed to be on the next train…so…um…here I am?" Copper said nervously, trying to process all of this. The guard then took off his helmet, revealing a blue mane. He then spoke in a more casual voice. "Well, you certainly are punctual. Yes, Princess Cadence is expecting you. She's really excited," he said, "Name's Shining Armor, nice to meet you, Coppermane." "Wait, Shining Armor, as in PRINCE Shining Armor? As in Captain of the Royal Guard Shining Armor? As in husband of Princess Cadence herself Shining Armor?" Copper said in disbelief. Shining Armor laughed, "Yep, that's me. Cadence wanted me to come to the station and wait for you and escort you to the castle." Copper let out a sigh in relief, "Oh thank goodness, I was so worried. I have no idea where anything is here. I was afraid my mission would be over before it started." Shining Armor laughed again at the colt, "Well that's why I'm here. C'mon let's go. Cadence is really excited to meet you." "Okay, thank you so much, your highness," Copper said. "Please, just call me Shining Armor," he said, motioning for the colt to follow him. The two of them ventured into the Crystal Empire with Copper in a much better mood than he was on the train. He took one more glance back at the station before following Shining Armor… Time: 9:30 PM, Saturday, The Crystal Empire Castle Wow… The castle was truly a sight to behold. Towering crystal formations scraping the sky with ramparts stretching out. Shining Armor led Coppermane to the front gate and inside. The inside of the castle was equally as impressive at the outside, if not more so. He was led to the throne room, where Princess Cadence herself was situated. As soon as the door opened and she saw Shining Armor, she immediately descended from her throne and landed in front of the two ponies. "Is this him?" she asked, looking very excited. "Yep, this is Coppermane!" Shining Armor said with a smile. "Um…hi," Copper said nervously.  “Um…do I bow or…" he said as he slowly began to bow down to the princess. She just laughed, "Oh, there's no need for that. Let's just skip the formalities, alright?" "Oh…okay," Copper said, standing up and blushing. "I'm Princess Cadence, but you can just call me Cadence. It's so nice to finally meet you!" she said, holding out her hoof. "It's nice to meet you too," Coppermane said, "Thank you so much for asking me to be your escort. It's such an honor." Cadence giggled, "Oh no problem! Celestia has told me so much about you, especially about your singing." "Oh…has she?" Copper said, blushing. "Oh of course! I'm so excited to hear you, but I'm guessing you're pretty tired right?" Cadence asked. Copper yawned in front of Shining Armor and Cadence, and they both laughed. "Huh…I guess I am. So is there an inn I can check into or—" Cadence laughed, "Oh, no no no no, you're staying in the castle, silly." "Come again?" Copper said in disbelief. "I mean…if you want to stay at one of the inns…" Cadence started to say, jokingly. "Oh no no no, I just didn't expect you guys to accommodate me, you know?" Copper said admittedly. Cadence and Shining Armor both laughed, "We got you covered, Copper," Shining Armor said, giving him a pat on the back. "Wow…thank you so much!" Copper said, followed by a yawn. "Well, looks like we should show you to your room, huh? Shining has night duty, so I can show you there myself," Cadence said. "Okay, sounds good," Copper said. "Good night! And Copper, welcome to the Crystal Empire," Shining Armor said before heading out for his night duty. Copper followed Princess Cadence as she showed him to his room. It was just down a staircase to the right in a well-lit hallway. "Here it is! Make yourself at home," Cadence said with a smile. "Thank you so much, Cadence. This is such an honor," Copper said. "Don't mention it," Cadence said with a smile again, "My room just up the big staircase. Don't hesitate to knock if you need anything." "Thanks," Copper said. "Have a good night! And welcome to the Crystal Empire!" Cadence said with a smile. "Good night, and thanks again!" Copper said. And with that, Cadence walked back up to the throne room, and Copper walked into his room. It wasn't exactly a throwaway room. Not a throwaway room at all. It was a big room with a big circular bed in the back with a vanity above it. On the sides of the bed were exotic lamps, and to the right of the room was a single door. Copper went to examine it and it was a big bathroom. Copper could get used to this. He examined the room a little more and found a set of drawers. On top of the drawers, a picture of the castle exterior and next to it… The item next to it made Copper's heart stop. Next to the picture…was a mini cherry blossom tree. All of a sudden, Copper was flooded with memories of Fluttershy, and his mood immediately darkened. He pictured her with the cherry blossom necklace on, and the single cherry blossom in her mane. Of all the kinds of things that could be in this room, why did one of them have to be a mini cherry blossom tree? Just sleep on it Copper. You have a mission, remember? Copper went over to the bed, remembering how tired he was. The bed was incredibly comfortable, but it still didn't mend Copper's broken heart. He quickly went to sleep, and dreamt of Fluttershy… BACK IN THE PRESENT w/ FLUTTERSHY: Time: 3:30 PM, Sunday, Golden Oak Library Twilight, Rarity, and the rest of the girls were all very much aware of Fluttershy's love for Coppermane, especially after watching their exchange at the train station when they went to go see Copper off to the Crystal Empire. They all knew that Fluttershy would be heartbroken, so they were trying everything in their power to help her get through it. It wasn't like he had left forever. Only for five days. Even so, Fluttershy looked completely disheartened by his departure. Now that Twilight and Rarity had finally gotten Fluttershy to come back to the library with them, it was time to get her to talk. But it wasn't going to be easy. Fluttershy was silent for basically the entire time they walked, not wanting to talk with anypony. Even Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner being her usual cheery self wasn't enough to make her feel better. All Fluttershy wanted was to have Coppermane back. The three ponies laid in the middle of the library with their treats in the middle, Fluttershy refusing to make eye contact with her friends. Twilight and Rarity remained silent, just to let Fluttershy think. They had already pushed her around quite a bit today and didn't want to trigger anything. Even Fluttershy had her limits. Eventually after a few minutes of silence, one of them finally spoke. "Fluttershy?" Twilight said in a tender voice. A tear ran down Fluttershy's reddened face with a small sniffle. "Sweetness?" Rarity said in an equally tender voice. Fluttershy continued to look down at the ground, more tears falling down her face. "Fluttershy," Rarity said, growing increasingly worried, "What's on your mind, darling?" The sad mare continued to look down, still silently crying. She saw the cherry blossom necklace in her peripheral vision, and thought of the two of them at the train station again. Finally, she spoke in a weak, shaky voice, "I…I…miss him…s-so much…" Twilight and Rarity looked at the mare and smiled, relieved that their friend was finally opening up to them. Rarity walked up to the mare and sat beside her, rubbing her back. "We know, darling," Rarity said, "It’s okay…it’s okay…” "I-I'm so selfish…" Fluttershy said as she buried her face in her hooves and began to cry a little harder than before. Twilight and Rarity looked at each other with confused expressions. "Selfish?" Twilight asked, "Fluttershy, what in the world makes you think that you're selfish?" Fluttershy took a moment to pull herself together, and spoke in a shaky voice, "I-I sh-should be h-happy for him. A-And…I-I am…I-I really am…b-but…I j-just want him here…n-next to me…h-holding me close…k-keeping me safe.  I-I'm so selfish.  I don't deserve him…" she said as she lost her composure and began to bawl. Rarity rubbed the hysterical mare’s back, trying to comfort her. She looked at Twilight and the two shared extremely worried looks. Sometimes, they forgot how truly delicate Fluttershy was. But this…this was too much. All these tears…all this depression…all this self-loathing…not okay.  There was no need for her to be doing this to herself. She looked up with an almost completely reddened face. "I-I…h-had a chance t-to tell him I love him…at the train station…and I didn't.  H-He must hate me so much…" she buried her face in her hooves again and continued to cry her eyes out. Twilight and Rarity sighed simultaneously, and waited for the hysterical mare to calm down before speaking to her again. "Fluttershy, look at me. Look at me," Rarity said in a stern voice. Fluttershy looked up at the white mare with an almost completely reddened face, "You are not a selfish pony, and Coppermane absolutely does not hate you. You need to stop beating yourself up like this, dear. It's unhealthy. Coppermane does not hate you. What we all saw at the train station was true love, dear. Beautiful, true love. Coppermane came to me to for help with that gorgeous necklace you're wearing. He made that with love, darling. He does not hate you, he loves you so much. Please, stop bullying yourself, darling.  Coppermane wouldn’t want you to be upset.  He would want you to smile.” "Absolutely," Twilight said, walking over to the mare and sitting down beside her, "And besides, he's not gone forever. He'll be back for the Celebration, and I know that when he comes back, he'll make it up to you in ways unimaginable. And…you're not selfish just because you miss him, Fluttershy. It's perfectly natural to miss the one you love. And if it helps…we all miss him too.  Right, Rarity?" Rarity nodded, "Indeed. Please, dear, don't be so upset. Show us that pretty smile, sweetie." Fluttershy looked at her two friends and their worried looks. She didn't realize she was beating herself up so severely. They were right about him coming back…but… Fluttershy sighed, "It's…It's just so hard…" "We know, darling," Rarity said, still by her side. "I…I could've told him…at the train station…now I have to wait…" Fluttershy said, letting out a big sigh, "I…I don't know if I can wait that long…" Suddenly, Twilight had an idea, "Maybe you don't have to." Fluttershy immediately perked up, "Huh?" Twilight got up and used her magic to levitate a few pieces of parchment over to her, along with some ink and a quill. "How about you write him a love letter?" Twilight suggested. Rarity immediately perked up. "Oh! That's a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed. "A…love letter?" Fluttershy said. "Oh yes, darling! A letter to Copper sharing your feelings for him. This would be a great way to tell him how much you love him!" Rarity said with excitement. Fluttershy thought for a moment. Holding her feelings inside was starting to become quite a burden…but a love letter? It would be a great way to get her feelings out. "But…I-I want to tell him personally…" Fluttershy said, worrying. "Fluttershy, we don't have to send it right away. This is just a way to get your feelings out in some form until Copper comes back," Twilight said. "Darling, this is a perfect idea. What do you say?" Rarity said, looking at Fluttershy hopefully. Fluttershy was silent for a moment, "Well…what do I write down?" "Here, we'll help you," Twilight said, "Let's jot down a list of everything you love about Coppermane." Fluttershy blushed, "Um…everything?" "Mmmhmm!" Twilight said, bringing out some parchment and quill, ready to write. Fluttershy was silent for a moment, then she sighed with a smile, "What I love about Coppermane…oh wow…there's…there's so much…" w/ COPPERMANE: Time: 10:00 AM, Sunday, The Crystal Empire Castle Coppermane, Shining Armor, and Cadence were sitting in the dining hall eating breakfast. Copper couldn't take his mind off of Fluttershy, and he was visibly depressed. All thanks to that cherry blossom tree in his room. "Um…Coppermane?" Cadence asked, concerned, "Are you okay?" Copper looked up at the prince and princess, both with concerned looks on their faces. "Um…yeah, I'm…I'm fine," Copper said, but the two ponies were unconvinced. "You sure, Copper?" Shining Armor asked, "You look kind of sad." "Is there anything you want to talk to us about? I know you don't know us all that well, but we'll try to help in any way we can," Cadence said, trying to be helpful. Copper looked at the two ponies. They looked genuinely concerned. Copper just wanted to be with Fluttershy. Just cuddle with her and feel her warmth next to him. He had cried himself to sleep last night thinking about Fluttershy, just dreaming of being next to her. Making her smile. Hearing her sweet, soothing voice. Holding her close, taking in the sweet scent of her mane. He missed her so much. He didn't want to talk, but at the same time, he felt so lonely… "Um…well…actually…no…I'm not fine," Copper finally said. Shining Armor and Cadence smiled. He was opening up to them. "What's on your mind, Copper?" Shining Armor asked. Copper took a deep breath, "Okay, um, back in Ponyville, there was this…mare. We started seeing each other recently…and…I fell in love. She's just…amazing. She's just the sweetest and most delicate mare I've ever met in my life, and I love her so much. I just…really miss her. I miss her so much," he said, fighting back tears in his eyes. Shining Armor and Cadence looked at each other with concerned faces. "But, you seemed just fine yesterday," Cadence said. "Yeah…well…in my room, there was a mini cherry blossom tree," Copper said, his tears getting harder to hold back at the memories that cherry blossom tree brought up, "Cherry blossoms…hold a lot of sentimental value…I…I made a necklace out of cherry blossoms and gave it to her before I left. She looked so beautiful with it on. Every time I look at cherry blossoms, I think of her. Seeing that tree in my room…it…it brings back memories…" Copper said, looking down, trying with every fiber of his being not to cry. Cadence was touched, "Aww, that is so sweet. She's lucky to have a special somepony like you." "Well…the thing is…I haven't told her my feelings yet. I only recently admitted to myself that I loved her…and…soon after I was called here, not that I'm blaming you at all, I just…have these feelings bottled up inside…and…it's just becoming a burden," Copper said, "I…It's only been one day, and I already miss her so much." Shining Armor got out of his seat and went over to comfort the sad colt. "Hey, it's alright, Copper. You'll be back in Ponyville in a few days right? You can tell her then," Shining Armor said, trying to comfort him. "I know…I…I just don't know if I can wait that long…" Cadence thought for a second before an idea happened upon her. She got up from her chair and used her magic to bring parchment and a quill over to Copper. "I think I might have an idea for you, Copper," Cadence said, laying the parchment and quill in front of him. "Parchment?" Copper asked, a little confused. "How about you write her a love letter?" Cadence suggested. "Hey, yeah, that's a great idea," Shining Armor agreed. "A…A love letter?" Copper asked. Cadence nodded, "A letter expressing your deepest feelings for her. It would be a perfect way to get your feelings out! I know Shining has written me a couple," she said, looking over to Shining Armor, making him blush. "Um…sorry if I sound rude, but…I was…kind of hoping to tell her I love her in person," Copper said. Cadence giggled, "Oh don't be sorry, Copper. You should tell her in person, absolutely, but this would be a good way just to get your feelings out. You don't have to send it right away. But I know she would love it if you wrote her one." Copper looked over at Shining Armor, and he nodded in agreement. He thought for a second, "…o-okay. I guess I could try it." "There you go! Now, I think Shining wants to take you on a tour, is that correct, dear?" Shining Armor nodded. "Alright then, I guess I'll see you two later then. Have fun!" Cadence said as she retreated to the throne room to get to work. "Let's go, Copper. There's so much to see," Shining Armor said. Copper began to follow him out the door while thinking to himself what he was going to write on his letter to Fluttershy. A letter expressing my deepest feelings for her? Oh wow…where do I even start? w/ FLUTTERSHY: Time: 5:30 PM, Sunday, Golden Oak Library "Oh, Fluttershy, he is going to love this!" Rarity said, making Fluttershy blush. "Fluttershy, this is such a deep letter. There's no way he won't love this," Twilight said. Fluttershy looked at the letter and read it over, and it brought a tear to her eye. All of her deepest feelings for Copper, all written down before her. It was a nice release for her, and oddly, she felt better. It was amazing how all of this stuff with Coppermane has happened in only a few days. Even so, Fluttershy loved him…she loved him with all her heart. And when he got back…she would tell him. "Twilight…Rarity…um…thank you.  I…I really needed this," Fluttershy said with a smile on her face. "No problem at all, Fluttershy! That's what friends are for!" Twilight said, pulling the mare into a hug, "Now, how about we get some dinner, I'm starving!" "I agree. How does that sound Fluttershy?" Rarity said with excitement. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. The three mares went out to get food, and Fluttershy had one thought on her mind. I love you so much, Coppermane. I can't wait to see you again… w/ COPPERMANE: Time: 10:00 PM, Sunday, The Crystal Empire Castle Copper had spent the entire day in the castle writing his love letter to Fluttershy, going through about ten drafts, each one improving over the last one, until finally… I think I finally have it… Copper read over his love letter again, and it brought a tear to his eye.  A piece of parchment with all his deepest feelings written on it.  He felt so much better after getting his feelings out. Exactly what he needed.  These last two weeks have been crazy.  Everything with Fluttershy has only happened recently, but even so, Coppermane loved her.  As soon as Coppermane returned to Ponyville, he was going to take Fluttershy on one doozy of a date. Coppermane also made a mental note to thank Princess Celestia profusely for sending him on this adventure. None of this would've happened if she hadn't sent him to Ponyville in the first place. Copper put his letter in his suitcase, and took one more look at the cherry blossom tree before going to sleep and dreaming of Fluttershy… I love you so much, Fluttershy. I can't wait to spend time with you again…