The Return of Mr. Bun

by zyr1987

A Day around Ponyville Part 2

Fleur sighed happily as she walked through Whitetail wood. While it wasn't untouched nature like she expected (the ridiculously wide footpath was enough to give that away, never mind the signs), it was still an absolutely lovely sight for the city dwelling unicorn. Trotting through at the forest, she plucked a nearby flower and started snacking on it while listening to the birds chirping.

As she walked on, she looked at around the forest, marveling at the beauty and wondering what her mother would think of it. Velvet was always a city girl, much like her famous daughter, yet always had a soft spot for nature, hence why she had named Fleur after a flower.

She made a mental note to invite her mother to Equestria and show her around the country when she had some more time off, probably sometime in the winter months.

Her thoughts drifted from this to work, and then to Fluttershy. The former model she had met all of yesterday after missing her first, best chance many months before and who did not live down to Fancypants' implication in stating “never meet your heroes.” As she moved under a sheer cliff that seemed to have had a small chunk torn out of it, she decided to ask Rarity for directions to Fluttershy's home so she could pay her a visit later.

An hour later, Fleur arrived back at Rarity's boutique and found a number of what she assumed were the beginning of new dresses. She said, “I see you've been busy. So which one is mine?”

“None of these. These are all dress orders I got while staying in Canterlot, and they're all finished. And before you mention how basic they are, I will just say you should ask your uncle about that.”

“My uncle? Did uncle Fancy order these?”

“Not quite, no. He did suggest all the mares in Canterlot would want one after seeing my friend Twilight in one of these.”

“Sounds like him,” Fleur said with a chuckle, “so when do you intend to start on my dress?”

“As soon as I get your measurements. I wanted to start it when I got back from Fluttershy's but...”

“Oh, silly me. I had forgotten about that. So do you want to take them now?”

“Sure. Just let me get my measuring tape.”

Rarity left the room and returned a second later, measuring tape at the ready. As she started measuring Fleur, and did her best not to get jealous of the model's proportions, she said, “By the way, while I was at Fluttershy's I asked her if she would have us for dinner.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said yes. She also mentioned that she's having her old friend Rainbow Dash over for dinner tonight as well.”

Fleur's smile seemed to grow at this news, and she seemed to start squirming a bit. “What time will we be going? Should I bring anything?”

“Dinner will be at six. And don't worry about bringing anything or wearing anything fancy. This is just a casual get-together.”

Fleur didn't say anything more, and Rarity finished her measurements. Before dropping them off on her desk she looked them over and asked, “How do you keep your figure, anyway?”

“A good diet, good genetics and a lot of exercise. It's a lot of work but worth doing so I can be the most beautiful unicorn in Equestria, no?”

It took Rarity a second to realize Fleur was being serious with her remark. When she did get it, she said, “The most beautiful unicorn in Equestria? You?”

“Oui, or can you think of any other unicorn as gorgeous as moi?”

Rarity was tempted to say herself, but kept her mouth shut. Her reputation was on the way up and she was a bit worried about ruining it by creating some bad blood with a famous model. Still, she kept that in mind as Fleur said, “Exactement.”

After lunch, Fluttershy was searching for Rainbow to let her know about dinner with Rarity, and not finding her in her usual napping spots. Eventually she bumped into Cloud Kicker, who she asked about Rainbow.

“Um, I think she went to do something with Pinkie down at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Oh, okay I'll look there. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Fluttershy took off towards Applejack's farm, wondering what kind of prank Rainbow and Pinkie were pulling on their friend. Arriving at the farm a few minutes later, she found them painting the leaves on the trees near the farm entrance brown. As mush as she disliked them pranking their friends, even she had to admit that this was pretty funny, as long as the paint would wash off.

She waited until Rainbow and Pinkie finished painting one of the tree's leaves, before calling to her childhood friend.

“Oh, hi Flutters. What are you doing here?”

“Hi Dashie. I just wanted to tell you that I'm having two other ponies over for dinner with us tonight.”

“Oh. Who?”

“Rarity and Fleur de Lis,” Fluttershy said.

“Fleur de...that pony that gave Mr. Bun back to you?”

“Yes. Rarity asked and I agreed to have them eat with us. I just thought I should let you know.”

“Okay. Tha-”

“Wait, you got Mr. Bun back? That's great news” Pinkie said, interrupting Rainbow's thanks.

“Y-yes. Fleur was nice enough to hold on to him until she could return him to me.”

“Wow, you know what this calls for? A party!”

“Yes, I'm sure it does, but can we have the party tomorrow? I'm busy for most of today. Also, can we keep it small? I don't want everypony hearing about how I keep a stuffed rabbit,” Fluttershy said.

“Sure, no problem. I'll take care of everything tonight.”

“Okay thanks. Anyway, I really should get back to my cottage. Bye.”

“Okay, see you later,” Rainbow said.

“Bye!” Pinkie said.

That evening, as Rarity and Fleur left for Fluttershy's cottage for dinner, the taller unicorn said, “So, you mentioned another guest would be eating with us tonight.”

“Yes. Fluttershy's old friend Rainbow Dash.”

“Do you know her?”

“We're friends, though we're not particularly close, mostly because we don't have a lot in common. She's not a bad pony, though,” Rarity said.

“I see. So what does she do?”

“She's responsible for the weather. When she's not doing that she's training to become a Wonderbolt or napping somewhere.”

“Oh, weather isn't managed by magic here?” Fleur asked.

“No, not enough unicorns willing to help out, and plenty of pegasi willing to pick up the slack. Also, it's Ponyville tradtion that things like the weather be handled in a more mundane fashion.”

“Oh. I didn't know that.”

“Yes. They don't mind us doing the small stuff with magic, but big things are usually done with physical labor,” Rarity explained.

“Oh. Anyway, moving on, what kind of animals does Fluttershy normally have at her home? Nothing scary, I presume?”

Most of the time it's just things like chipmunks, squirrels, chickens, and rabbits, though she does have a few bigger animals come by from time to time. I doubt there will any there tonight, though, so you shouldn't have to worry.”

“Oh, good,” Fleur said, obviously relieved.

A short silence descended over the pair as they left Ponyville city limits and Fluttershy's cottage came into view. Fleur remarked, “That's the first house I've ever seen that looks like a tree.”

“There are a few around here that are modeled like that, such as the local library, but I guess you wouldn't see things like that in the cities you tour for your shows.”

“No, not really. Most of the buildings I see are just tall and square or modeled on the designs of Canterlot Castle.”

Rarity knocked at the front door when they arrived at the doorstep, and Fluttershy opened it, saying, “Hi, Rarity. Hi, Fleur.”

“Hi Fluttershy,” Rarity said.

Fleur nuzzled Fluttershy and said, “Hello Fluttershy. It's nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you, too,” Fluttershy said, trying to hide her discomfort with the rather intimate contact a pony she barely knew was giving her, and wondering why she had added that second sentence. They had only met the day before, after all. When Fleur pulled away, the pegasus said, “Anyway, I need to feed my animals outside. Once I'm done, I'll go ahead and serve dinner.”

“Okay. Take your time,” Rarity said.

“By the way, don't you have another friend coming by?” Fleur asked.

“I'm already here,” a voice called out from a short way inside the house.

Fleur turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a rainbow maned pegasus she assumed was Rainbow Dash, sitting on the couch. She moved towards the couch and said, “Oh, I didn't see you there. Rainbow Dash, I presume?”

“That's me! And you're Fleur de Lis, I take it. The one who gave this back to Fluttershy?” Rianbow said, holding up Mr. Bun.

“Oui,” Fleur said as she sat down and placed a hoof in Rainbow's withers, only to see the latter squirm away from it.

“So how the buck did you end up with him? She never lets him out of her sight when she's traveling with him.”

“Well, it's a bit of a tale. The short version is that something happened onstage at her last fashion show and after she came backstage she ran off to the exit, not even bothering to pick him up. She seemed pretty worked up about whatever happened, so Mr. Bun was probably not on her mind at the moment,” Fleur said, making a second attempt to put a hoof on Rainbow, this on her shoulder, only to watch as the pegasus once again moved out from under the appendage.

Rainbow asked, “And why did you hold on to it for so long?”

“Well, after I heard she quit, I saw him as the ultimate souvenir in relation to one of my favorite models of all time, even though I knew that, if I ever got the chance, I would give him back without a second thought.”

“And that's why you're eating dinner with her tonight?”

Rarity interjected, saying, “She actually wanted to take her vacation here. Dinner with Fluttershy was my idea, in fact, though Fleur is a big fan of Fluttershy's as she mentioned.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, do either of you know where the little fillies' room is? I need to use it,” Fleur said.

“Upstairs, first door on your right,” Rainbow said.

“Merci.”

As Fleur left, Rainbow said, “Well, she's friendly, isn't she?”

“She is. Too bad she has an ego just as big as yours.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and asked, “Setting aside my so-called ego, How do you know she has an ego at all? I didn't see anything like one.”

“You weren't there when she called herself the most beautiful unicorn in Equestria. Trust me on this.”

Rainbow sighed, but said nothing. Fluttershy then came back inside and asked, “Where's Fleur?”

“Bathroom,” Rainbow quickly said.

“So, what are we having for dinner?” Rarity asked.

“I didn't have much time to plan dinner, and I wasn't expecting three guests until Rarity came by, so I just threw together a big salad with the apples, lettuce, carrots, and alfalfa I had in my fridge.”

“That sounds lovely, actually.”

Fleur then literally (and silently) reappeared nearby, surprising the other three ponies. Rarity said, “I didn't know you could teleport.”

“It's one of those weird little side talents I have, like how Fluttershy is amazing at modeling despite her special talent apparently being an animal caretaker.”

“Oh, I see. It's just that I only know one pony that can teleport, and even she can't do it silently.”

“Well, it does seem to be an uncommon ability. Anyway, shall we eat? I'm starving,” Fleur said, changing the subject.

“You look it,” Rainbow said while poking Fleur's stomach, earning her a glare from Rarity. Fleur, though, just rolled her eyes and kept grinning.

“Oh, right. I'll get the food,” Fluttershy said, heading to the kitchen.

A minute or so later, the salads had been served to all the ponies and they sat down, Fluttershy's three guests seeming to hurry for the opportunity to sit next to her. In the end, Fleur, by virtue of her longer strides, and Rainbow, from her inherent swiftness, got the seats next to the home's owner, to the annoyance of Rarity, and to a lesser, or at least less obvious extent, Fluttershy. Rainbow asked, “So do you have any dressing?”

“Oh, yes. I left it in the kitchen,” Fluttershy said, getting up.

The three ponies at the table remained silent as Fluttershy went to retrieve the dressing. When she returned, and finished covering her salad with it, Rarity said to Fleur, “So, I was wondering. Obviously, you are one of Equestria's most famous models, but I don't think I'd ever heard of you before last year.”

“Non, I had actually only started getting into the bigtime fashion shows last year when I got my big break, in the form of Fluttershy quitting.”

“Huh?” The three other ponies said in unison.

“You don't know? Well, okay, let me explain then. Just remember, I don't have many of the details myself. Remember that fashion show where you left Mr. Bun behind, Fluttershy?”

“All too well.”

“Well, that was my first big show, and I somehow got the honor of going on right before you, I think that was because my uncle called in a few favors. Anyway, after you quit, I think the various fashion magazines decided they needed a new darling, and they decided to pick the tall, very Prench model who strutted her stuff before the big star took the stage.”

“Let me guess, that model was you,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oui. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Also, I must ask, Fluttershy, how did you avoid the media asking you about what happened or why you quit?”

“I think it was Photo Finish's doing. The media never talked to me, only to her. Also, I didn't tell her why I quit, and she never tried to find out. I don't know why, but I liked it that way.”

“And while we're on the subject, why did you quit?”

Fluttershy knew that this was going to happen at some point, and had been dreading its coming. Now it was upon her. She chewed her piece of lettuce more slowly than normal to buy herself some time before she would have to explain why she quit to her biggest fan.

When she swallowed, she suppressed the urge to sigh as she said, “I hated being a model.”

The shocked, incredulous look on Fleur's face said it all and for several seconds the only sound was that of Rainbow's chewing. When Fleur came to again, she saw Rarity looking worried, Fluttershy looking nervous, and Rainbow looking confused (and taking another bite of food).

A few more seconds passed, which, for both Fleur and Fluttershy, seemed like an eternity, before the tall unicorn asked, “Why?”

“I hated being the center of attention, being constantly watched and judged, and having the paparazzi follow me everywhere. I hated not having any time to be by myself. I hated all of it.”

Fleur seemed to start to understand what Fluttershy was saying but was obviously still at a loss for the most part. She asked, "If you hated being a model, why didn't you quit sooner? I would think you would jump ship the second that you realized it wasn't for you."

"That would be because of me," Rarity said, " I was the one who convinced her to model for Photo Finish in the first place and she thought that I would be mad if she quit."

"Don't forget how you thought I loved being a model," Fluttershy added.

“I see,” Fleur said, doing an imperfect job of hiding her continuing, though now more mild confusion.

“And you're not mad at me?”

“How could I be mad at the pony that quit exactly at the right time to launch my career? Especially since she only stayed on as long as she did for the sake of a friend?” Fleur said.

Fluttershy relaxed. Soon the sounds of conversation came back over the table, though much less focused on modeling and fashion, and more focused on more mundane things such as Fleur's desire to learn more about Ponyville and how Fluttershy and Rainbow had become friends.

When dinner finished, Rainbow said, “I almost forgot. Pinkie's invited all of us to a party tomorrow,” as she produced three invitations and passed them out.

Rarity read hers aloud, “You're invited to the “Fluttershy got Mr. Bun back" party tomorrow at ten. Sugarcube Corner.”

“I don't get it. I mean, I know Mr. Bun is important to you, but why is this Pinkie throwing a party about it? And how does she know about him?” Fleur asked.

Rainbow said, “Second question first. She apparently found out the first time she came here to Fluttershy's cottage. And Pinkie was with me when Fluttershy came to tell me you two were also coming to dinner.”

“Oh.”

“As to the first question,” Rarity said before Rainbow could, “Pinkie will find any excuse to throw a party at least once a week, and it's been almost a week since her last one. The fact that Mr. Bun is important to Fluttershy is probably just icing on the cake for her.”

“Oh, okay, that explains it,” Fleur said.

“Oh, and, Fluttershy? Pinkie wants you to bring Mr. Bun with you tomorrow. She said there shouldn't be more than eight or nine guests, so you shouldn't have to worry about random ponies seeing you with him,” Rainbow said.

“Okay, thanks. I'll be sure to bring him.”

Rarity and Fleur left a few minutes after Rainbow, mostly because Fleur wanted to ask Fluttershy why she agreed to have a party at all, and then needed an explanation of the “Party of One” incident and why they generally don't like turning down Pinkie on party invites. Fleur, needless to say, was a bit concerned, but didn't say anything.

When they did leave, Rarity asked Fleur, 'So, how are you handling the revelation of why Fluttershy quit?"

"Well, it was a shock, but now that it's had some time to sink in, I can't really say I'm bothered by it. It's just another of those oddities of the universe, I guess."

"Well, that's one way of looking at it."

"Anyway, with her attitude towards her friends, I imagine her coltfriend must love her," Fleur said.

“She doesn't have a coltfriend.”

“Marefriend?”

“She doesn't have a marefriend either,” Rarity said.

“So, she's single?” Fleur asked, a hint of excitement finding its way into her voice, to her own surprise.

Rarity didn't seem surprised or bothered when she said, “Yes, why? Do you want to ask her out or something?”

“Do you think she would accept?”

“...Honestly I have no idea.”

Author's Note:

Remember when I said this:

Anyway, this is somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 of what the final version of the chapter would be. and the title was me being lazy, as I was in no mood to think up something better for the chapter.

.

Turns out I was wrong. It was more like a quarter of the chapter. Not that that's a bad thing.

Now, if you don't mind I would like to head off some criticism that may come up in regards to Fleur's teleporting. Rewatch Sweet and Elite, if you will. Start a 4:25 and watch Fleur very carefully. Now, honestly tell me she can move around that fast in relation to Fancypants without teleporting. Also it seems to be semi-canon that ponies have abilities that aren't related to their special talent (e.g. Fluttershy's sewing ability, Rainbow's ability to bounce a ball, Pinkie Pie's own ability to teleport, etc.)