//------------------------------// // Ch.7: Uncharted Territory // Story: Loveliest of Trees (Old) // by Nordryd //------------------------------// "And then… he kissed me," Fluttershy said, smiling giddily. "FLUTTERSHY!" Rarity exclaimed, pulling her into a huge hug, "Oh, that's wonderful! Congratulations, darling!" Rarity let out a big squeal as she squeezed her friend. Fluttershy giggled at how happy Rarity was. Rarity released Fluttershy, and had a huge, giddy smile on her face. "What else happened?!" Rarity beckoned, barely able to sit still. Fluttershy giggled, and started playing with her hair. "He… he cuddled with me… he brushed my hair… he told me why he liked me… he held me in his arms… he… he kissed me again and again and… he was just wonderful! So loving… so sweet… so affectionate… and…" She let out a loud, girly squeal. "Oh, everything was so amazing!" Rarity giggled. She's never seen Fluttershy so happy and excited before. "I'm so happy for you, darling!" Rarity said. "Are you doing anything with him later?" Fluttershy's smile quickly regressed to a more somber expression. "Oh… um… we're… we're not doing anything today," Fluttershy said, playing with her hair. "What? Why not?" Rarity asked. "I told him I was spending the day with my friends," Fluttershy said. "We were going to show Twilight around the mall, right?" "Well yes, but dear, I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind at all if you wanted to spend time with Coppermane. I'm sure he'd love to see you." Fluttershy bit her lip. "He did look sad when I told him…" "Oh! You could invite him to come with us!" Rarity said. Fluttershy's face lit up. "Really? Are you sure the others wouldn't mind?" "I think they would love it! Besides, now that he's your boyfriend, it would be healthy for him to get acquainted with all your best friends, would it not? I know I would love to get to know you're new boyfriend." Fluttershy blushed. She pondered for a moment. Rarity was right. If she was embarking on a relationship with Coppermane, it would be good for him to get decently acquainted with all her best friends. Rarity suddenly gasped. "Oh! I forgot to tell you! Flash and Twilight are dating!" "What?!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Twilight told me everything! Flash asked her out on Friday," Rarity said, squealing. "I'm so happy for them!" "That's wonderful!" Fluttershy said. "I know!" Rarity said. She gave Fluttershy a huge smile. "All my friends are falling in love!" she said, making Fluttershy blush. "He'll be joining us at the mall today, and Coppermane should come too!" Suddenly, Fluttershy's phone started ringing, making her jump. She looked at the screen and smiled when she saw Coppermane's name. Rarity gasped when she looked at Fluttershy's phone. "Why don't you ask him?" Fluttershy nodded, and quickly answered his call. "Hello?" "Hey, Fluttershy," Coppermane said. "Hi, Coppermane," Fluttershy said with a big smile on her face. She began playing with her hair. "Am I interrupting anything?" Coppermane asked. "No, not at all," Fluttershy said. "How are you today?" "Better now that I'm talking to you," Coppermane said, making Fluttershy blush. "Oh gosh, that was so corny. I'm sorry." "Aww, don't be sorry. I think it's sweet," Fluttershy said, blushing. "Um, are you doing anything today, Coppermane?" "I don't think I have anything going on," Coppermane said. "Why?" Fluttershy blushed. "I was wondering if you wanted to join me at the mall today with everyone else. We were going to go over there in a little while." "The mall?" Coppermane said. "I thought that's why we couldn't hang out today." "Well, yes, but… I miss you," Fluttershy said, feeling her face heat up as she played with her hair. Coppermane chuckled. "I miss you too. Th-That's why I called. I wanted to hear your voice." he said. "Aww, Coppermane!" Fluttershy squeaked, blushing profusely. "That's so sweet. I love hearing your voice too." She could hear Coppermane chuckling on the other end. She could only imagine how much he was blushing right now! "Who else would be going?" he asked. "Just Rarity, Twilight, Sunset, and Flash," Fluttershy said. "So… would you like to go? I mean… you don't have to if you don't want to…" "If it means I can hang out with you, then of course. I'd love to go," Coppermane said. "Really? Yay!" Fluttershy squeaked. "I'll meet you girls there. See you soon," Coppermane said. "I can't wait! Goodbye, Coppermane," Fluttershy said before hanging up. She turned to Rarity. "He said yes!" "Wonderful!" Rarity said. "Oh, look at the time! We should be going." And with that, Rarity and Fluttershy left the Sweet Shoppe to meet up with everyone. Fluttershy couldn't wait to see her boyfriend again! Boyfriend… boyfriend… it felt so weird to think about. She had a boyfriend now. It was weird, yet wonderful at the same time. Coppermane was her boyfriend, and she could hardly wait to see him! Coppermane stood outside the mall entrance, waiting for his friends and girlfriend. His first date with Fluttershy was everything he hoped it would be and more. He never thought they would have such an amazing time together, let alone start a relationship. He could remember his first kiss so vividly. He never thought his first kiss would feel so amazing. This was foreign territory for Coppermane, but there wasn't anyone else in the world he would rather be going on this journey with than Fluttershy. Ah… Fluttershy… Coppermane couldn't stop thinking about her. She was just so amazing. So sweet… so kind… so pretty. Her gorgeous teal eyes… her long, flowing pink hair… her perfectly curvy figure… that sweet, beautiful smile that could light up an entire city… it was like he could already see her walking up to him. "Hi, Coppermane." Coppermane blinked, snapping out of his trance. Fluttershy was standing right in front of him, and around her was Sunset, Rarity, Twilight, and Flash. She was blushing majorly with a big smile on her face. Was he staring the whole time he was thinking about her? "H-Hey, Fluttershy," Coppermane said. "Thank you for coming," Fluttershy said. "No problem," Coppermane said. "Are you ready?" Fluttershy asked, taking his hand. "Y-Yep. Sure am," Coppermane said. He heard giggling around him as he interlaced fingers with her. "We're so happy for you two!" Rarity said. Sunset whispered in Fluttershy's ear, "I knew you could do it." Sunset gave Fluttershy a wink as she felt her face heat up. Flash came up and pat Coppermane on the shoulder. "Congrats, man." Coppermane smiled, and looked down to see Flash holding Twilight's hand. "You too," Coppermane said, earning a wink from Flash. And with that, the group ventured into the mall. Coppermane usually hated malls. Seeing everyone around him with their friends and significant others made him feel uncomfortable and insecure. It was just another reminder of how stupid his life was. This time was different. For once, Coppermane was walking around in public, and he wasn't alone. He had friends. Sunset, Rarity, Twilight, Flash, and most of all, Fluttershy. Talking to his friends was fun, but he couldn't help but be distracted by the gorgeous beauty who walked next to him. It was an amazing feeling to hold her hand. It was like putting his mark on her, and showing everyone who walked by that the most adorable girl in the world was his. There was just one problem. He still wasn't happy. The whole time, he held his free arm close, and kept his shoulders up and tight. His heart was pounding, and his eyes darted around, unwittingly looking at anything that passed by, in between glances at Fluttershy. There was just a lot on his mind, and he felt stiff… "Coppermane?" Fluttershy said, squeezing his hand. "Hmm?" Coppermane asked. He didn't make eye contact with her, though. Fluttershy stopped walking, and stood in front of Coppermane. She placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them. "You feel tense, and you look sweaty. Is everything okay?" Fluttershy asked. Coppermane tried to offer a reassuring smile. "Um… y-yeah… wh-why wouldn't I be?" Fluttershy didn't look convinced. Sunset walked up behind Fluttershy. "We alright over here?" Flash walked up next to Coppermane. "You okay, man?" Coppermane bit his lip. "Well… um…" He looked down at the ground. Great… now he was worrying everyone… including Fluttershy. "Coppermane?" Fluttershy said, bringing his chin up to meet her eyes. "Are you okay?" Coppermane sighed. "Um… no I'm not." Fluttershy was about to say something, but Coppermane cut her off. "Hey, Flash, can I talk to you about something? Alone?" "Oh… um… I… I guess it's okay," Flash stammered. "What did you want to talk about?" "Can we just discuss this in private please?" Coppermane snapped, making everyone flinch. "Um… s-sorry…" "No, it's fine," Flash said. "Do you girls mind?" "Well… I guess it's fine," Rarity said. "We could have Twilight try on some clothes!" "Alright," Flash said. He pulled Twilight aside. "I guess Coppermane needs me." "Don't worry," Twilight said. "He does look troubled about something." "I'll text one of you when everything's okay," Flash said, giving Twilight a peck, making her blush. He walked over to Coppermane, standing with a very worried-looking Fluttershy. "Coppermane, is there anything I can do to help you?" Fluttershy asked, rubbing his shoulders. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry, just… please understand," Coppermane said. Fluttershy squeezed his shoulders. "I'm just worried about you." "I'll be okay, Fluttershy. I just need to talk some things out," Coppermane said. Fluttershy whimpered. "O-Okay. But… remember that I'm always here for you," she said, taking his hand. She lifted her head to give him a tender kiss. "C'mon, girls. Let's leave the boys to it," Sunset said. Coppermane watched as the girls walked away, but Fluttershy kept holding his hand. While she walked away, she kept her gaze fixated on him as her hand slowly slipped out of his grasp. Their hands separated, and Fluttershy's gaze lingered on him before she turned around to catch up with everyone else. Her eyes were shiny with… tears? It felt like Coppermane just got punched in the gut. "Okay, Coppermane," Flash said, "What the hell?" "I'm sorry, Flash," Coppermane said. "I've just been wracking my brain today, and I need to talk to someone." Flash sighed and walked over to a nearby wall bench. "Alright, what's up?" he asked, sitting down. Coppermane sat down next to Flash, and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Flash, I don't know if I'm going to be good enough," Coppermane said. "Good enough for what?" Flash asked. "For… for Fluttershy," Coppermane said. "Fluttershy?" Flash asked. "Yeah… I… I'm just worried that I won't be good enough for her." "What makes you think that? She seems happy." "I guess…" Coppermane said. "I just don't want to disappoint her as a boyfriend. I want to treat her like a queen, but what if I can't do that? What if I can't give her the things she deserves? Am I worthy of a girl as special as her? She deserves nothing but the best, but what if I can't give her that? What if…? It's just… How do I…?" Coppermane buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm just ruining the day, aren't I?" "No you're not," Flash said. "Flash, don't pretend like you're not annoyed at me. Everyone was. Even…" Coppermane's eyes went wide, and his heart dropped. "Oh no…" "Huh?" Flash said. "Fluttershy. She was trying to help me. She wanted to be there for me, and I completely shot her down," Coppermane said as his face filled with dread. "Oh my gosh, I'm the worst boyfriend ever." He buried his face in his palms again. Flash watched as his friend broke down in front of him. Was he this insecure about his relationship? It was surprising to see the sheer lack of self-esteem in front of him. Flash pat Coppermane on the back. "Coppermane, lemme tell you something," he said. Coppermane looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. Was he crying? Flash sighed. "Listen, I know it can be scary, but the uncertainty is what makes a new relationship interesting, and even fun. Every relationship is different, and you never know what's going to happen next. It's always an adventure, but the key is finding the right person to take with you on that adventure." Coppermane didn't look moved. He stared down at the ground. Flash sighed, and pat him on the back. "But if you keep worrying about these kinds of things, then you won't get anywhere with Fluttershy. Do you appreciate her?" "Of course I do," Coppermane said. "Then you have to show her that. Let her help you out when she offers it. She cares about you, and wants to be there for you. Yes, you screwed up, but you can't dwell on it. You're going to make mistakes, and she will too. Nobody's perfect. The best thing you can do is learn from them and move on, otherwise you won't get anywhere with her." Coppermane played with his hands as he glanced in the direction the girls left in. He could still see Fluttershy's worried face. He wanted to punch himself. Why was he such a jerk? "Well, how do I make up for being an asshole just now?" Coppermane asked. "You know what she'd really like?" Flash said. "If you got her something." Coppermane managed a small smile. The thought of buying things for Fluttershy made him feel a little better. Flash stood up. "Why don't we look around for a bit? I'm sure we'll find something." Coppermane sighed, and stood up. "I just hope I didn't hurt her too much." "Everything will be fine," Flash said. "Fluttershy's very forgiving. Don't worry." "I hope you're right, Flash." MEANWHILE After Rarity bought everyone some clothes, they stopped at the food court to get something to eat and relax for a moment. Fluttershy couldn't relax, though. She couldn't stop thinking about Coppermane and how tense he looked… "Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. "Huh?" "Are you okay, darling?" Rarity asked. "You look troubled about something," Sunset said. Fluttershy played with her hair, "Um… it's nothing…" "Fluttershy," Rarity said, "It's obviously something, darling. What's on your mind?" "Please, Fluttershy?" Twilight beckoned. "You can tell us anything." Fluttershy twirled her hair. "I… I just hope Coppermane's okay." "He did seem worried about something," Twilight said. "I'm sure he'll be fine after talking with Flash," Rarity said. Fluttershy whimpered. "It's just… I couldn't help him. I didn't know what to do. He wouldn't talk to me. Was I doing something wrong? Why didn't he want me to help? Did he not want to come with me today? Oh no… he's unhappy and it's my fault!" "Fluttershy, stop," Sunset said. "Don't be like that." Fluttershy sighed and looked down. "Sorry… this is all just so new to me…" "We know," Sunset said, giving Fluttershy a hug, "Don't be sorry." "This is new for Coppermane as well, darling," Rarity said. "I just wish I knew how to make him feel better," Fluttershy said. Sunset smiled. "Fluttershy, sometimes you just need to give your boyfriend some space. It doesn't mean that he doesn't want to be with you, it just means he might need to talk things out with some other friends. There's nothing wrong with that. Like Rarity said, this is new for him as well, so he's probably trying to figure some things out too. Give him some time, and he'll come around. Y'know, he's had a crush on you since last Monday." "Really?" Fluttershy cooed. "How do you know?" "Well, you remember sitting with him at lunch for the first time, right?" Sunset said. Fluttershy smiled and twirled her hair at the memory. "Of course I do." "Well, after you left, he pulled me aside," Sunset said, "And you know what he asked me?" "What?" Fluttershy beckoned. "He asked me if you had a boyfriend," Sunset said with a smile. "Oh, how cute!" Rarity said. Fluttershy blushed. "He really asked that?" Sunset nodded. "Mmmhmm! I wish you could've seen how his face lit up when I told him you were single. It was so cute!" "He… he really did that?" Fluttershy said. "Yup!" Sunset said. "I didn't tell you because I wanted you to figure it out for yourself. But he's liked you for a while." "Here, darling," Rarity said, taking her phone out. She handed it to Fluttershy. "Why don't you take a look at that?" Fluttershy looked at Rarity's phone. It was a series of text messages between Rarity and Coppermane. "Forgive me for being a little inquisitive, but I was so excited when you told me he asked you out, I simply had to ask him how he felt," Rarity said. "I think you might like some of the things he said about you." Fluttershy continued to look at the messages, and couldn't help but smile. "He… he thinks I'm special?" Fluttershy asked, playing with her hair. "Indeed he does," Rarity said. "Aww…" Fluttershy cooed, "He… he's so sweet." "He really is," Rarity said. "He really likes you, darling. There's no need to worry." "And if it helps," Twilight said, "I think you and Coppermane are really cute together." "Oh, I know!" Rarity exclaimed. "You two are just adorable!" Sunset said. Fluttershy felt her face heat up. It was great to know her friends were being so supportive of her new relationship. She remembered how Coppermane looked at her when they rendezvoused today. His eyes were gleaming, as if he had found diamonds. It made her feel… pretty. Rarity's phone buzzed in Fluttershy's hand, making her squeak. She handed it back so Rarity could look at the message herself. Flash Sentry ==> Rarity, 4:35 PM Alright, I think Coppermane's alright now. We're in the arcade if you want to meet up with us. "Oh! Coppermane is fine now," Rarity said. "They're in the arcade." "Should we go meet up with them then?" Twilight said. "Let's get going," Sunset said. And with that, the girls got up and headed to the arcade. Fluttershy could only hope Coppermane really was feeling better. The arcade was dark and illuminated by neon lights, making it somewhat hard to see. Even so, it wasn't hard to find the boys. Two familiar voices permeated throughout the arcade. The girls followed the voices to find two familiar boys playing skee ball. "NO! I was so close to the 100!" Flash said. "Aww, c'mon! Why'd I miss?! I only need a few more tickets!" Coppermane said. "Hi, boys," Sunset said. Coppermane and Flash turned around to see Rarity, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Twilight. "Hey, girls," Flash said. "Hey," Coppermane said. "I-I'm sorry about all the drama, girls." "Don't worry, darling!" Rarity said. "We're just happy you're okay." Coppermane smiled. At least he didn't completely ruin the day. Twilight walked up to Flash, and watched as he played skee ball, asking him questions about the game logistics. Sunset and Rarity decided to go off and play some games themselves. Fluttershy walked up behind Coppermane to watch him play. "Hi," Fluttershy said, giving him a side-hug. "Hey," Coppermane said, hugging her back. Fluttershy gave him a kiss on the cheek. She felt him hug her tighter, making her giggle. It made her so giddy to know she could kiss him whenever she wanted to! "Are you feeling better?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah, I am," Coppermane said. "I'm glad," Fluttershy said, nuzzling him. Coppermane chuckled, and kissed Fluttershy on the forehead. She nuzzled him again in return, making his heart melt. Fluttershy looked beside him to see tons of tickets. "Are you going to get something from the prize corner?" Fluttershy asked. "That's a lot of tickets." "I know. I'm trying to get something, and this is my last throw," he said, grasping a skee ball in his hand. Fluttershy released him, and watched as he threw the ball and landed it in the 100 cup. "Yes!" Coppermane exclaimed as he watched the strip of tickets feed out. "Great job, Coppermane!" Fluttershy said. "Thanks," Coppermane said, scooping all the tickets up in his arms. "Why don't you come with me?" Coppermane and Fluttershy walked to a machine to feed the tickets into. It fed out a receipt that read 504 tickets. They walked up to the prize counter, and Coppermane looked around. "Could I have that one, please?" Coppermane asked the clerk, pointing to a big, white, brown-maned unicorn stuffed animal. "You like stuffed animals?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh, it's not for me," Coppermane said. "Huh?" The clerk handed the stuffed unicorn to Coppermane. "Thanks," Coppermane said. He looked at Fluttershy, and held the stuffed unicorn out to her. "It's for you." Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "Wh-What?" "I won this for you," Coppermane said. A smile slowly grew on Fluttershy's face. "R-Really?" Coppermane smiled and nodded. "Yep." Fluttershy suddenly let out a loud, girly squeal. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, happily taking the stuffed unicorn. She giggled as she held it tightly in her arms. "How sweet of you!" She hugged it tightly, and then brought it in front of her to rub noses with it as she giggled. "He looks just like you, Coppermane!" She went back to hugging it with the biggest smile on her face. She looked at Coppermane, and gave him a smooch on the cheek, followed by a big hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Coppermane chuckled at how happy Fluttershy was. He knew a stuffed animal would be perfect for an animal-lover like herself, but he never expected such a huge reaction. "You're very welcome," Coppermane said. Fluttershy hopped up and down as she hugged her new stuffed unicorn. "He's so cute!" Fluttershy squealed, rubbing noses with it. Coppermane could only smile. She looked so cute nuzzling her new gift. "Well, I'm glad you like it, because that's just part one," Coppermane said. Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "P-Part one?" she cooed. "Come with me," Coppermane said, holding his hand out. "Okay," Fluttershy said, smiling. She took his hand, and Coppermane guided her out of the arcade. He brought her just outside the entrance to the arcade. "What is it, Coppermane?" "Fluttershy, I feel terrible about all the drama today," Coppermane said. "I'm so sorry. I should've let you help me, and I completely shot you down. I feel like such a jerk…" "Don't worry, Coppermane," Fluttershy said, placing her hand on his heart. "Just remember, if you ever need anything, I'm always here for you." "Thank you, Fluttershy," Coppermane said, giving her a tender kiss. "But to make it up to you, I got you something." "And I love it, Coppermane!" Fluttershy said, hugging her new stuffed unicorn. "Thank you so much!" "Actually, it's not that," Coppermane said. "What?" Fluttershy said. "The stuffed unicorn was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. But I bought something else for you beforehand," Coppermane said. He felt his nerves act up as he handed a shopping bag to her and watched her eyes go wide. Fluttershy blinked. "Oh, Coppermane, you shouldn't have…" she said, taking the bag. "Thank you so much. Can I open it now?" Coppermane rubbed his neck. "S-Sure…" he said, feeling his face heat up. Fluttershy giggled at his blushing. It was so cute! She handed her stuffed unicorn to Coppermane, and eagerly opened the bag to look inside. Her eyes widened when she pulled out a small jewelry box. She put the bag down, and held the box in her hand. She looked up at Coppermane, who continued to blush. She giggled at him, making him blush even more. She returned her attention to the jewelry box, and slowly opened it up. What she saw took her breath away. Inside the jewelry box was a gorgeous necklace. A polished silver chain with a medium-small sized teal pendant in the shape of a cherry blossom. "C-Coppermane…" Fluttershy cooed. "D-Do you like it?" Coppermane asked. Another big smile graced Fluttershy's face. "I… I love it," she said, smiling and giving Coppermane a big hug. "Thank you so much." Coppermane hugged her back. Her reaction certainly wasn't as energetic as it was for her stuffed unicorn, but this one was great in its own way. It was a warmer, more intimate gesture, and Coppermane loved it just as much, if not more. Fluttershy pulled away, and marveled at her new gift. "Um… would you mind… maybe… putting it on for me? I mean… only if you want to…" she said, feeling her face heat up. Coppermane blinked. "Um… y-yeah, of course." He traded her stuffed unicorn for the necklace, and gripped both ends of the chains. He walked up and brought the chains behind her neck. Fluttershy gazed deep into his wonderful, chocolaty brown eyes as he put her new necklace on for her. She could've easily done it herself, but she wanted an excuse for him to play with her hair. And she was loving it. "I saw this while I was walking around, and I immediately thought of you," Coppermane said. "Really?" Fluttershy cooed. "Yeah," Coppermane said, clipping the ends of the chain together. He fixed her hair, and moved his hands down to her waist. "It's delicate, it matches your eyes, it… it's pretty…" Fluttershy felt her face heat up majorly as she smiled. "You really think so?" "I-I do," Coppermane said, moving his hand up to stroke her cheek. "You look gorgeous, Fluttershy." Fluttershy felt herself blush even more, as if that was possible. "Aww… thank you," she said. "Y-You're spoiling me." "Well, I-I really like spoiling you," Coppermane said, cupping her face. Fluttershy giggled. "You're too sweet." Coppermane smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She quietly moaned into his mouth as their lips met. He felt one of her hands on his heart, making it melt. Her lips were so tender and sweet… They pulled away, and Coppermane blushed when he saw Fluttershy's blissful smile. It made him so happy to know he could kiss her whenever he wanted to. "Can I show the others your gifts?" Fluttershy asked with a big smile. Coppermane chuckled. "Of course." "Yay!" Fluttershy squeaked. "Thank you so much again, Coppermane!" She gave him one more big smooch before running back into the arcade. Coppermane just chuckled. It was so cute when she was excited. Coppermane walked back into the arcade, and watched as Fluttershy showed her gifts off to the others. That beautiful smile never left her face. Coppermane couldn't help but smile too. It felt so rewarding to make Fluttershy smile; to make her happy. Fluttershy looked over at Coppermane, and made eye contact with him. Coppermane darted his gaze away, scolding himself for staring. He slowly looked back up at Fluttershy, who was giggling at him. She blew him a kiss as her friends continued to gush over her gifts. Coppermane loved seeing Fluttershy so happy. And the group carried on with their mall visit. Coppermane walked around the mall, and he wasn't alone… or stressed. Instead, as he walked around and held his beautiful girlfriend's hand, he was happy. Girlfriend… girlfriend… the word got more wonderful every passing second spent with Fluttershy. Coppermane couldn't wait to make Fluttershy smile again.