The Birds and Houses
“Hello Vinyl!” Fluttershy called, waving from the very middle of the bridge. Vinyl felt herself burn with embarrassment as she looked at the pegasus. She looked absolutely radiant. She had definitely taken time on her appearance- her pretty pink mane was done in a waterfall braid, and she looked much more well kept than Vinyl did. She wished Fluttershy hadn’t spotted her, because the first thing Vinyl wanted to do was turn around and run.
“Um, hey Fluttershy.” Vinyl greeted as she reluctantly approached the mare. She noticed there was a basket next to the mare. “You look really well today.”
Fluttershy seemed embarrassed. “Oh thanks, but I just did this last minute.” Vinyl briefly wondered if she could strangle the pegasus and get away with it. There was no way that was last minute. Fluttershy beamed at her. “You look very nice too!” Liar.
“Thanks, I did it last minute as well.” Vinyl joked, and Fluttershy laughed. It was a very nice laugh. Vinyl didn’t want to sound… lame, but it almost sounded like tinkling bells. It was something she wouldn’t mind hearing more of.
Fluttershy gestured to the water. “Ta-da! This is what I wanted to show you.” Vinyl looked over the bridge railing to see sparkling water. The river seemed much calmer than yesterday, and Vinyl had to admit that it was a sight to behold. The hues of the water matched that of the crystal blue sky, and Vinyl was surprised to see a few ducks wading. She didn’t ever remember seeing ducks in the water, but it kind of made her happy to see them enjoying it.
The whole scene was very serene. It actually was rather calming- just listening to the sound of the water and the sounds of horses trotting to and fro along the bridge. Vinyl couldn’t help but get lost in thought. It wasn’t anything negative, but just focus on each individual thing. Fluttershy had said that the view was incredible, but Vinyl wasn’t sure how she had missed this. She walked by this bridge every day. Why…? Why did it seem so much nicer today?
Maybe because the sun was out? She glanced at the pegasus, their eyes met for a brief second before Fluttershy turned her head towards the water. Had the pegasus even been noticing the view, herself?
What felt like hours was only a few minutes, before Fluttershy spoke up with kind amusement: “I didn’t know you’d be that enamored with the view.”
“Ah, yeah.” Vinyl blinked, feeling as if she was snapping out of a daze. “Me neither, to be honest.”
Fluttershy smiled at her in understanding. “Well then, shall we be off? I know the perfect place for our picnic.” She nudged the picnic basket with her hoof. “Could you please pick it up?” Vinyl complied, surrounding the basket with a magenta aura. A small spark flew out of her horn. Vinyl hadn’t practiced her magic in a long time and it was a bit painful for her to perform (even though it was a simpler spell), but she hoped that Fluttershy wouldn’t notice. The pegasus didn’t seem to.
“Uh, I didn’t exactly bring anything for the picnic.” Vinyl admitted, sheepishly. “I forgot about it.”
“That’s alright,” Fluttershy nodded as she began to walk. Vinyl noticed that the pegasus’s pace was much faster than yesterday. Vinyl wondered if she noticed how fast she was going. “I brought more than enough. My animals were insistence that I bring a lot.”
“Your animals?” Vinyl asked, following along after Fluttershy. Just as Vinyl suspected, Fluttershy slowed her walk so that their paces matched.
“Yes! They were all asleep when you took me home yesterday, but I actually live with a lot of animals.”
“…How many is a lot?” Vinyl asked. She wasn’t too fond of animals. They were messy and a lot of work to deal with. Vinyl just didn’t have the patience to be cleaning up after them- tartarus, she could barely clean up after herself.
“Hmm…” Fluttershy thought a moment. “Well, I have bunnies, birds, beavers, squirrels… And a bear.”
“A bear?” Vinyl wanted to make sure she heard right.
“Mhm. He’s a total sweetie pie once you get to know him.” Vinyl wondered if Fluttershy had a secret death wish.
“Why do you have so many animals?” Vinyl kept the conversation flowing, trying not to show that she was struggling to carry the basket. It was just a simple levitation spell, but damn if it wasn't straining her. She quietly grunts as the basket sways. If Fluttershy noticed, she wasn't saying anything.
“Oh, I’ve always been one to care for things,” Fluttershy’s voice was soft, almost embarrassed. “So in the end, I just decided to use that to care for animals. I'm the town’s wildlife caregiver- if there's a sick little critter, I make sure to bring it back to full health.”
“That's incredible!” Vinyl replied honestly, her eyes wide. She almost forgot to power her magic in her amazement. “Not a lot of ponies would be willing to do that, ya know? Like… I definitely couldn't. You shouldn't be so humble about it!”
Fluttershy didn't look at her, but Vinyl can see the blush on her face. I must have made it awkward, Vinyl mentally slapped herself. Why did she say that? What if the pegasus didn't like compliments or something? What if they made her uncomfortable? Sweet Celestia, she was so stu-- “Thank you,” Fluttershy spoke up, her cheeks still red. “No pony has never really told me that before.”
“Oh!” Vinyl blinked as her train of thought crashes. Despite thinking negatively before, she brightened. Thank Celestia she didn't mess up this time. “Hey, no problem! I'm not sure why ponies haven't told you that before!”
Fluttershy gave another laugh. “You’re so sweet, Vinyl!” She loves the way the pony says her name. Vinyl felt a strong feeling in the pit of her stomach. Anxiety? No, no. It was something she hadn't felt in a while, but couldn't put her hoof on it right now.
“Ok, ok. Now you're making me blush!” Vinyl blurted, and they both laugh together. She bit her tongue after doing so. Her laugh was just as jarring as ever, and definitely didn't hold up to the pegasus's perfect one. It was ruining the moment.
The rest of the walk is a joyous one- full with jokes and compliments and stories from Fluttershy’s animal mishaps. She could feel the stares of ponies looking at them the entire way to the park, and it made her nervous. Still, Fluttershy made sure to keep her attention off of that and onto to the conversation and the view.
It was incredible, almost like looking at the world in a whole new light. Fluttershy would point out birds and give Vinyl little tidbits about them. Fluttershy would ask for her opinions on the little houses they passed (“This one is so pretty! What do you think?”). Vinyl had never given any of them so much thought before, but she had to admit that the birds and houses were lovely.
Finally, they reached their destination. “Ta-da!” Fluttershy exclaimed, waving to the small little spot. “What do you think?”
Vinyl took in the bushes filled with small white flowers and large trees that towered above them. The grass beneath their hooves was soft, green, well taken care of. It was almost like a small piece of paradise. It was so far from the rest of the park, it felt like a secret place. Had this always been here? “It's…” Vinyl struggled to think of a word that could capture her emotions. “Nice.”
Fluttershy wasn't at all bothered by Vinyl’s simple choice of words. “I agree. It is quite nice.” She glanced up at Vinyl’s head. “You can put the basket down now.”
“Oh! Right!” Vinyl dropped the basket unceremoniously, her horn feels heavy on her head. She guessed she really pushed her magic today. Fluttershy had cheerfully grabbed the basket and began pulling out the blanket. “Sorry about that,” Vinyl sheepishly apologized.
The other pony just gave a smile. “The food is fine! No worries,” She paused before continuing, “You did really well, I don't know many ponies who can hold a spell for that long.” Vinyl felt a wave of pride at that.
“I haven't really used my magic in a while.” Vinyl admitted.
“Really?” Fluttershy seems surprised at that, her eyes widened like a doe’s. “Well, you definitely fooled me. I would have never guessed!” She gives a small sigh. “But I understand. I don't really fly, even though I'm a pegasus.”
“If I had wings, I'd fly all the time. I'd fly everywhere- I'd never stay in one place.” Vinyl laid down on the checkered sheet Fluttershy had finished putting down.
“Oh, well that'd be a shame. I'd miss you.” Fluttershy idly stated, not skipping a beat. Vinyl glanced at her, shocked. However Fluttershy continued as if she hadn't said anything major: “I wish I had magic. It would help me clean up so much faster.” Fluttershy pulled out a lettuce and tomato sandwich from the wooden basket.
Fluttershy would miss her? But they didn't even know each other that well. Did.. did that mean… Vinyl cleared her throat. “Hey… uh… Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy looked back at her, that gentle smile still on her lips. “Yes?”
“Are we…” Vinyl never felt so nervous, she almost let her words abruptly end, but Fluttershy was looking at her expectantly. “Are we friends?”
A moment passed. It felt like eternity.
Fluttershy gave a nod. “Oh yes! I quite like your company!”
Vinyl instantly felt relief, and the odd feeling in her stomach returned. Suddenly, memories flooded back to her. She remembered what it was. A very important feeling she had missed.
It was joy.
Pure happiness. Happiness without a single worry or care. How long had it been? She could barely remember. She wanted to cry from the overwhelming feeling. It felt amazing and she wanted to cling to the feeling because she wasn't sure how long it was going to last. Would it fade away? Would it vanish without an instant thought?
“Are you ok?” Fluttershy tilted her head quizzically.
“Yes!” Vinyl answered, a little too loudly and cheerily. It startled the other mare who seemed to shrink back from the noise. “Ah, sorry.”
“It's no problem!” Fluttershy shook her head, returning to normal. “I'm glad you're enjoying yourself! When I saw you on the bridge…” She quieted for a moment, looking thoughtful. “When I saw you…you looked like you needed somepony to talk to.”
Vinyl waited for her happiness bubble to pop with that. She waited for the defensive feeling to return, she waited for her to mouth off to the pegasus. For Vinyl to storm off and for them to never talk again. It never happened. “Yeah,” Vinyl smiled awkwardly, shyly at Fluttershy. “Maybe I did.”
Fluttershy smiled back, and they gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment. Vinyl thought the shade of teal was so pretty. “Um, why don't we eat?” Fluttershy broke the silence, turning her attention back to the basket. Vinyl’s stomach rumbled in agreement and the ponies shared a giggle. She hadn't even noticed how hungry she was.
The lunch was incredible! Maybe it was because Vinyl hadn't had a decent meal in ages, or because Fluttershy was just a really good cook. As they ate, they talked about how their week was going, and their plans to tomorrow:
“Oh! I have work tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful! Where do you work?”
“Ahh, some crummy job as a cashier at Berry Berry.”
“Oh? That's the one owned by Berry Punch isn’t it?”
“That's right!”
“I love it there! I always buy food there…”
Vinyl also thanked Fluttershy for the meal a thousand times. Fluttershy constantly told it wasn't a problem. But Vinyl was even flattered Fluttershy took time to make sure something to munch on. By the time they finished their meals and their conversation, the sun was setting. Vinyl stared wistfully at the orange sky. Had they really been there for hours? Vinyl didn't want the day to end.
The two ponies put the plates and such back into the basket, tidying up the area. Vinyl wouldn't have mind just leaving it like that, but Fluttershy insisted. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?” Vinyl asked, her tone hopeful.
Fluttershy didn't hesitate to answer. “Oh yes! If it'll be as lovely as today was.”
“I bet it will be, especially if you have another story about the bear and bunny.”
Fluttershy gave her a sly look. “If you take the basket and walk me home, I'll tell you another one. Maybe you can even meet them.”
Vinyl grinned. “I'd like that.”
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I still get the feeling that Fluttershy is a miracle cure that works right away, and I hope it isn't that easy for her to get healed.
I really like the idea, I'm just to affraid you maybe rush her healing.
thank you for the new chapter, i just have a bit to high hopes for this story I guess, so I'm a bit picky, but it is honestly nice to read.
7146716 looks can be deceiving
7146740 I'm curious if she maybe meets someone that she knew once, and that way Fluttershy is going to notice what really was going on with her, if she shouldnt be able to look so deep into it right now.
I have to say, I like this slightly more confident Fluttershy. Great job and keep it up!
This story should possibly have an Alternate Universe tag, since Vinyl really is a successful DJ (and is roommates with Octavia). Anyway I'm really enjoying the drama and sweetness in this.
I like your Fluttershy! She's interacting with Vinyl well.