• Published 19th Apr 2016
  • 11,560 Views, 231 Comments

Loveliest of Trees (Old) - Nordryd



**A rewrite** After helping the new student with his things after getting jumped by bullies, Fluttershy finds herself quite smitten. And the feeling might be mutual. One small act of kindness can change someone's entire life... no matter how damaged.

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Ch.5: Taking Risks

Coppermane laid in his bed with a heavy head, and bad cough. He had gotten a little sick from being out in the rain without proper clothing. I.E. from not wearing his hoodie. He decided it would be best to stay home from school today.

At least he could help Fluttershy stay dry by giving his hoodie to her, so it went to good use.

Ah… Fluttershy…

Images of the cutest girl ever filled Coppermane's mind again. Yesterday was so amazing. He got to sit with her at lunch again. He got to study with her again. He got to drive her home, and give her his hoodie. He even got to protect her from the jocks. Coppermane furled his eyebrows at the memory of the jocks hitting on Fluttershy. The way they tried to touch her, even though she was clearly scared. Could they not take a hint? The thought of anybody being disrespectful to Fluttershy made his blood boil.

But the best part of yesterday, by far, was feeling Fluttershy's embrace. Coppermane held his pillow in his arms, imagining it was Fluttershy. She was so warm and delicate. He could still smell the sweet scent of her soft, silky hair. His heart melted at the memory of her nuzzling his chest. It was the most adorable thing Coppermane has ever seen. For the first time, he felt appreciated.

He would give anything to hold her again.

Somehow, Fluttershy even convinced him to open up to her more. He was hesitant at first, but afterwards, he felt so much closer to her.

Coppermane's phone suddenly buzzed next to him. Did Coppermane get at text? Who would ever want to text him? He picked his phone up, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Fluttershy's name onscreen. Fluttershy was texting him? He wasted no time in opening the message up.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:07 PM
Hi, Coppermane! I wanted to sit with you again, but I can't find you. Where are you? Or if you don't want to sit with me, that's okay too.

Fluttershy was searching for him? She wanted to sit with him again? The biggest smile grew on Coppermane's face. She was looking for him…

Coppermane's smile soon faded when he realized he would have to tell her he wasn't at school today. Would she be disappointed? On any other day, Coppermane would love to stay home from school, but he felt really bummed out that he wouldn't see Fluttershy today.

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:09 PM
Hi, Fluttershy! I'm sorry, but I'm actually not at school today. I got sick, so I stayed home. I would've loved to sit with you again though. I'm sorry :(

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:10 PM
Oh no! Is it because you gave me your hoodie yesterday? I'm so sorry! :(

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:11 PM
Yeah, it was probably because of that. But you have nothing to be sorry about. It's all good :)

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:12 PM
But you gave your hoodie to me, and you got sick because of it. I feel terrible :.(

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:15 PM
Well, did you get sick at all?

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:17 PM
No I didn't. Your hoodie is actually very comfortable. I wore it to school today so I could return it to you.

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:18 PM
Oh really? Haha, I'm glad you like it. And I don't care if I get sick or not, as long as you're comfortable, that's all that matters to me.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:20 PM
You're too sweet for your own good. Are you okay?

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:22 PM
Well, at the moment, not really, but I should be fine tomorrow. It's just a bad cold, nothing too serious.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:23 PM
That's good. I still feel awful :(

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:25 PM
Haha, you have nothing to be sorry about. This is all my fault. I'll be at school tomorrow, so don't worry. Maybe I can watch your band practice? Btw, you never told me the name of your band.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:31 PM
Oh, I'm sorry! We're called the Rainbooms, and I just asked the girls if they would be alright with you watching us practice, and they said yes! They're so excited to meet you!

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:33 PM
I can't wait to hear you guys!

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:35 PM
If you are at school tomorrow, do you want to sit with me at lunch again? You don't have to if you don't want to.

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:37 PM
I'd love to sit with you again! I was about to ask the same thing.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:39 PM
Yay! Okay, I need to go. Class is about to start. Thanks for talking to me! Take care of yourself, please?

Coppermane ==> Fluttershy, 12:41 PM
I will. See you tomorrow.

Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 12:43 PM
I can't wait! Have a wonderful day :)


THE NEXT DAY

As promised, Coppermane was back in school, which made Fluttershy ecstatic. Yesterday felt so weird without him.

Coppermane's throat was still sore from being sick yesterday, so they didn't talk much, but Fluttershy didn't mind. She was just happy to be around him again.

She almost didn't want to return his hoodie. She wore it all day yesterday, and it was like he was still with her, even though he wasn't. It was a little slice of him for her to carry around, and a reminder that he was willing to get sick just so she wouldn't.

It was hard to believe that she was becoming so close to Coppermane. They've only known each other for a few days, yet he already cared about her so much. He's been so nice to her. She found herself growing more comfortable around him, yet she still felt weak around him. She couldn't help it. He was just so cute and sweet.

He was… amazing…

But maybe he was just like this around everyone. Maybe once he warmed up to someone, he was always this sweet. Still… even her closest friends weren't this nice to her. And the way he smiled at her… it was heart-melting.

Fluttershy was happy that she and Coppermane were friends now, but maybe they could become more someday?

Coppermane and Fluttershy decided to go straight to the music room after class in order avoid another encounter with Hoops and Score. Coppermane didn't want to deal with them today, and also didn't want Fluttershy to get hurt or hit on.

They entered the music room to find the rest of Fluttershy's friends getting set up.

"Hi, Fluttershy!" Twilight said.

"Hi!" said the rest of them.

Fluttershy smiled and waved, "Hello!"

"And look who she brought with her!" Sunset said, "How's it going, Coppermane?"

"Hey, Sunset. It's going alright," Coppermane said, rubbing his neck.

A blue girl with rainbow hair and a blue electric guitar slung over her back approached him. He didn't recognize her.

"So, you're Coppermane, huh?" she asked.

"Um… yeah?" Coppermane said, rubbing his neck.

"Nice to finally meet you. Name's Rainbow Dash, the awesome lead guitarist of this equally awesome band," she said, holding her hand out.

"Nice to meet you," Coppermane said, shaking her hand.

Rainbow Dash stepped aside when another girl came up from behind her. She had blonde hair and a cowgirl hat, and had an electric bass slung over her back. Coppermane recognized her from calculus.

"Howdy, Coppermane," she said with a southern drawl. She held out her hand, "Ma name's Applejack. Nice ta meet ya."

"Nice to meet you too," Coppermane said, shaking Applejack's hand.

Coppermane looked around the room to see what everybody else played. Twilight and Sunset appeared to be the lead singers, and Sunset had a guitar as well, so she probably doubled as backup guitarist. Pinkie Pie was on the drums, Fluttershy, like she told him, was on tambourine, and Rarity was on keytar.

The only oddball was a random guy in the room. He had light-orange skin and blue, windswept hair. He appeared to be talking to Twilight as he helped the girls set up. Was he in the band too?

Twilight looked over at Coppermane, and back at the blue-haired guy. She gave him a gesture, and then brought him over to Coppermane.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce you two," Twilight said, "Coppermane, this is Flash Sentry. He's a good friend of ours," she said, blushing slightly."

Flash Sentry held out his hand, "Hi, Coppermane. Heard a lot about you."

Coppermane shook his hand, "Nice to meet you. Heard a lot about me? Have the girls been talking about me?"

Flash chuckled, "Well, they've told me that you've been hanging out with Fluttershy a lot recently."

Coppermane blushed, "Oh… they've told you about that, huh?" he said, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry, Coppermane," Twilight said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, it's fine," Coppermane said, still rubbing his neck, "I mean… it's true…" he said, smiling and looking over at Fluttershy. She made eye contact with him, and her cheeks immediately flushed a bright red. She hid behind her hair as she offered a small wave. Coppermane smiled and waved back, feeling his face heat up.

Twilight giggled, "You two talk for a little while. We'll let you know when we're ready," she said, returning to helping the Rainbooms set up.

Coppermane sat on the bench in front of the grand piano and Flash Sentry pulled up a chair.

"So are you in the Rainbooms too?" Coppermane asked.

"Nope, I'm just hanging out. I'm just good friends with them," Flash said, "I have my own band."

"Oh really?" Coppermane asked, intrigued.

Flash nodded, "We're called Flash Drive, and I'm the lead guitarist," he said with a smile, "You like music?"

"You kidding? I love music," Coppermane said, "I've taught myself how to read music, and even some music theory."

"Huh, you study music in your free time?" Flash said, raising an eyebrow.

Coppermane bit his lip. He must've sounded like a total nerd right then.

"Um… among other things…" Coppermane said, rubbing his neck, "I kind of have no life…"

To Coppermane's surprise, Flash Sentry chuckled, "Well, more power to you for studying. Do you play any instruments?"

"I play a little bit of piano, but I'm terrible at it," Coppermane said modestly, "If you hand me a lyric sheet with the chord symbols above the lyrics, I can play that with practice. That's about it."

"That's cool!" Flash Sentry said.

"I… I guess," Coppermane said, "But it's not something that I can use to… impress people, y'know?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Huh?" Coppermane said.

"I know plenty of girls who love guys who can play instruments," Flash said, "Some are in this room right now."

Well, I have a feeling they'll just laugh once they hear how bad I am."

"Aw, c'mon," Flash said, "I know these girls would love to hear you play. Maybe after they rehearse, you can show us what you can do?"

Coppermane rubbed his neck, "Oh… um… I-I don't know about that. They'll just laugh…"

Flash brought his volume down a little, and leaned in to whisper. "You know, Fluttershy would love it if you played something."

Coppermane's eyes went wide. "S-She would?"

Before Flash could say anything…

"Alright guys," Rainbow Dash said, "You ready to hear from the most awesome band in the world?"

Looks like the girls were ready, and Coppermane was extremely anxious to hear from them.

"Let's hear it!" Flash said.

Pinkie Pie banged her drumsticks together, and the band started playing.

"1… 2… 3… 4…!"

{Song: Shine Like Rainbows

}

Wow…they were good. Really good. Right off the bat, they played with energy and vigor, and everybody sounded great.

Coppermane began nodding his head to the beat, and the song still sounded great. Coppermane admittedly paid most attention to Fluttershy. It made him smile to see her having so much fun. She made eye contact with him a few times, and each time, she offered that adorable smile of hers. Coppermane blushed every time.

But around the chorus, something strange, almost otherworldly happened. Suddenly, their hair started to glow, and all the girls grew ponytail hair extensions, and their heads sprouted… pony ears? But the pièce de résistance was when Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Fluttershy grew…wings? Coppermane was trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. What was this magic? What in the world was happening?

The song ended, and just as mysteriously as they appeared, the magic, pony-like features disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Sounded great girls!" Flash Sentry said, giving them applause.

"Thanks, Flash," Twilight said, shuffling her feet.

"What did you think, Coppermane?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking over to Coppermane. The girls were surprised to see him completely bug-eyed, with his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Um… Coppermane?" Applejack said, "You okay?"

He shook his head vigorously, "Um… what the heck just happened?"

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

"You girls were playing and then… ears… tails… wings… I… I don't even know…" Coppermane stammered.

The girls and Flash just laughed, confusing Coppermane even more.

"Oh, we have no idea why it happens either, darling," Rarity said, putting her keytar down.

"It happens whenever we play," Applejack said.

"We don't really question it though, because it makes us look fabulous!" Rarity said, flipping her hair.

"Oh… okay…" Coppermane said. Apparently even they didn't know how it worked, so he decided not to question it further.

Besides, Fluttershy looked amazing with her ponytail and wings. It made her even prettier than she already was, as if that was even possible.

"So… did we sound good?" Rainbow Dash asked, still wanting an answer to her question.

"Oh, yeah, you girls sounded fantastic!" Coppermane said.

"Aww… thanks, Coppermane," Fluttershy said, shuffling her feet.

"So Coppermane, y'all play any instruments?" Applejack asked.

Coppermane rubbed his neck. "Um… well… I play a little piano…"

"Oh, really?" Rarity said, excitedly.

"That's so cool!" Sunset said.

"Oh… well… not really. I'm pretty bad…" Coppermane said.

"Well, maybe you should let us be the judge of that," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.

"Huh?" Coppermane said.

"You're at a grand piano right now," Rainbow said. "Let's hear something!"

"Ooh yeah! Play something!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping up and down in excitement. The others all clamored in agreement, gathering around the piano.

Coppermane's heart dropped. "Wh-What?"

"Play something for us, darling!" Rarity said, leaning on the left side of the piano.

"Well… um… I can only play chords…" Coppermane said.

"Do you sing at all?" Sunset asked.

Coppermane's heart started beating faster, "Um… well… a little… but…"

"Oh come on Coppermane," Flash said, patting him on the back reassuringly, "We just want to see what you can do."

"We're won't laugh at you or anything, if that's what you're afraid of," Rarity said, leaning on the piano. "We only want to hear how talented you are. Don't be shy, dear."

Coppermane bit his lip. "Well… um…"

"Coppermane?" Fluttershy said next to him. She boldly sat next to him on the bench, and gave him a subtle puppy-dog look. "Please?"

Coppermane froze upon seeing her face. Her bottom lip was pouted slightly, and her eyes were shimmering. He felt a tug at his heartstrings. He sighed in defeat. He couldn't disappoint Fluttershy. Why did she have to be so cute?

"Well… o-okay…" Coppermane said. The girls clamored in excitement, and gathered around the piano with big grins. Coppermane's heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest as he scrolled through his chord sheet library on his phone. He found one of his favorite songs to play and sing. He placed his phone on the stand, and cracked his knuckles. With a deep breath, he began to play…

{Song: House of Gold

}

Coppermane sang the last note, and played the last chord. He looked up and was surprised to see everyone completely bug-eyed.

"Um… h-how was that?" Coppermane asked, shrinking in his seat.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"So good!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

"Coppermane, I can't believe you doubted yourself!" Rarity said, "Your voice is lovely!"

"Coppermane, that was wonderful!" Twilight said.

"That was great, Coppermane!" Sunset said.

"It was amazin'!" Applejack said.

Coppermane lit up at their praise. "Wait… r-really?"

Fluttershy giggled. "Coppermane, I didn't know you were so talented!" she said with a huge smile on her face.

Coppermane's heart melted at her compliment. "Um… th-thanks, Fluttershy," he said, rubbing his neck. He felt his face heat up.

"Sing something else! Sing something else!" Pinkie Pie said, and everybody else clamored in agreement.

Coppermane smiled, and scrolled through his chord sheets to find another song. He found one that was a little more difficult, but playable.

{Song: Pure Imagination

}

Coppermane finished the final chord and looked up to see the girls all looking at him with big smiles and relaxed eyes.

"Coppermane… you have such a beautiful voice…" Rarity said with her hand over her heart. The girls all nodded in agreement.

Coppermane's face was on fire. "R-Really?"

"It was like a little slice of heaven," Applejack said with a smile.

Coppermane rubbed his neck and blushed, "Wow… th-thanks everyone…"

"Coppermane… that was amazing," Fluttershy said, brushing her hair behind her ear, blushing majorly.

Coppermane's heart soared. "G-Glad you liked it," he said.

"Another song?" Pinkie Pie asked, raising the pitch of her voice at the end.

"Um, actually, I think I need to draw the line there," Coppermane said. "My throat's a little sore."

"You sounded like that with a sore throat?" Sunset asked.

"Um… yes?" Coppermane said.

"Impressive," Sunset said, making Coppermane blush.

With that, the girls returned to their rehearsal.

"Coppermane. Up high." Flash said, holding his hand up. Coppermane gave him a high-five, "The girls were swooning over you."

Coppermane blushed, "Oh… well… I don't know about that…"

"I saw their faces. Believe me, they adored you," Flash said, "See? It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, right?"

Coppermane chuckled, "I guess not…"

"You know, Coppermane. You're alright," Flash said.

Coppermane smiled, "You too, Flash," he said, giving Flash Sentry a fist bump before they both turned their attention to the girls.

Did all of that really just happen? Did Coppermane just impress a group of pretty girls? It was like a dream come true. He was actually good at something?

And Fluttershy was impressed! That smile she gave him… the way her eyes twinkled… it was heart-melting.

Coppermane made eye contact with her again as she practiced. She gave him another smile and wave. Her cheeks were bright red, and she hid behind her hair. She was so cute.

Coppermane felt something stir within him as he watched Fluttershy practice. A feeling of yearning and energy. A feeling of courage.

It was time to take a risk…


With their rehearsal done, the Rainbooms were ready to part ways. Before they said goodbye, everyone exchanged numbers with Coppermane so he'd have people to get in contact with if he needed help.

Sunset, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were planning on study together while everyone else got a bite to eat for dinner. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Flash Sentry bid their farewells, and left for the day. Everyone else lingered, however. Coppermane had one more thing to do before the day was over.

"Um… Fluttershy?" Coppermane asked.

"Yes?" Fluttershy asked with a smile.

"C-Can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Coppermane asked.

"Oh… um… of course," Fluttershy said. She looked at her friends, who were all smirking at her. She looked back at Coppermane, and he brought her to a small alcove in the hall.

"What is it, Coppermane?" Fluttershy asked with a smile.

Coppermane's heart was pounding. "Um… I-I just wanted to ask you if… um… if you were doing anything tomorrow. A-After school, I mean."

"Oh… um… I don't think I have anything," Fluttershy said. "Why do you ask?"

Coppermane felt a huge lump in his throat. "Well… um… I… I…"

Fluttershy giggled at his stuttering. "What's wrong, Coppermane? What do you want to ask me?"

Coppermane took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could hear his heartbeat ringing in his ear.

"I… I just wanted to know if you… um… w-wanted to…" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "G-Gooutwithme…"

"Wh-What?" Fluttershy asked. "I didn't hear you."

"Do you want to go out with me?" Coppermane said in a louder voice than he meant. His heart practically stopped when he realized what he just asked. It was out there now…

Fluttershy's eyes went wide. Her mouth hung open. Did he just say…?

"G-Go out with you?" Fluttershy asked.

Coppermane saw her wide eyes, and immediately panicked. "Oh gosh, I'm such a creep. I-I'm sorry, forget I even asked that."

"No no, Coppermane. You're not a creep," Fluttershy quickly said. "Are… are you asking me on… a date?"

Coppermane bit his lip, scolding himself inside for his minor panic attack. "Um… y-yeah. I just figured we could… hang out at my place… order a pizza… watch a movie or something… n-nothing too big or grandiose. I just want to spend more time with you," He looked at Fluttershy's still wide eyes, and felt another lump in his throat. "So… wh-what do you think?" He felt his flaming heart pounding against his chest, threatening to punch out. He felt his arm trembling as he rubbed his neck, and felt beads of sweat creeping out of his skin. He held his breath as he waited for Fluttershy's answer.

Fluttershy's heart soared with elation. It was really happening. Coppermane was asking her out! She fought with every fiber of her being to not scream in excitement as a huge smile grew on her face.

"Coppermane… that… that sounds wonderful," Fluttershy said, trying her best not to squeal, "I'd love to."

Coppermane's heartbeat suddenly relaxed to a normal pulse. His arms ceased shaking, and he felt a wave of relief and jubilation wash over him. Did he hear her correctly?

"Y-You would?" Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy giggled. "Of course. You've been so nice to me this week, and I'd love to spend more time with you. A date sounds wonderful," she said, blushing profusely and playing with her hair.

A huge smile grew on Coppermane's face. She said yes!

"Wow… um… o-okay then. D-Does seven o-clock tomorrow work for you?" Coppermane asked, trying to contain the sheer amount of happiness within him.

"That sounds perfect," Fluttershy said.

"A-Awesome," Coppermane said. "I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Mmmhmm! Goodbye, Coppermane," Fluttershy said.

"Goodbye," Coppermane said.

Fluttershy stepped forward and gave Coppermane a big hug, which he immediately reciprocated. His embrace was so warm and comforting…

They released each other, and Fluttershy started to walk away towards her friends. She stopped about halfway between when she felt an urge to look at Coppermane one more time. She turned around, and saw him leaning against the lockers with the biggest smile on his face. He appeared to be chuckling to himself. Fluttershy giggled herself. He was just too cute.

Suddenly, she felt another urge. One that was a little more daring and bold…

"Coppermane!"

Coppermane perked up when he heard Fluttershy's voice again. He looked to his side, and saw her walking up to him.

"Yeah?"

Fluttershy stopped in front of him, staying silent. Her cheeks were bright red as she placed a hand on his shoulder, lifted her head, and gave him a kiss on cheek.

Coppermane's heart melted. His eyes went wide, and his mouth hung slightly open. Did… did she just…?

Fluttershy was afraid she crossed a boundary when she saw his shocked expression, but could only giggle when his face went bright red. He lifted his hand to touch his cheek where she kissed him, making her blush even more.

"H-Have a wonderful day, Coppermane," Fluttershy said.

"Y-Yeah… y-you too…" Coppermane said.

Coppermane watched as Fluttershy walked back to reconvene with her friends. The way her hair swayed and the way her hips subtly sashayed was hypnotic. She stopped to look at him one more time, and gave him a blushing smile before meeting up with her friends.

I think I'm in love…

He rubbed his cheek where she kissed him. She kissed his cheek. He was caught completely off guard, but didn't hate it in the least. His cheek felt warm from her lips. Her soft, tender lips.

I'm never washing my cheek again…

And best of all… he had a date with her tomorrow. He did it. He asked her out, and she said yes. Was he having just one long dream? There's no way this was really happening. He had a date with Fluttershy!

With the biggest smile on his face, he made his way home to start cleaning. His crush was coming over tomorrow!


"You kissed him on the cheek?!" Rarity squealed.

Fluttershy's face was bright red. "I… I did…" she said, making Rarity squeak in excitement.

"What did he talk to you about?" Sunset asked.

Fluttershy didn't answer for a second, but soon, she let out a big, giddy, girly squeal.

"He asked me out!"

"What?!" her friends exclaimed.

Fluttershy squealed again. "I'm going on a date with him tomorrow!"

Rarity pulled her into a big hug. "Oh, darling! I'm so happy for you!"

"Congratulations, sugarcube!" Applejack said.

"That's so awesome!" Sunset said.

Fluttershy couldn't believe it was actually happening. She had a date with Coppermane tomorrow! It was too good to be true. Would they really become more than friends?

And she worked up the courage to kiss him on the cheek. She remembered his face after she kissed him. So cute!

She's never been so excited in her life. Tomorrow night, she would be on a date with Coppermane. If only tomorrow would come faster…


Fluttershy ==> Coppermane, 10:30 PM
I just wanted to say that you were amazing at our band rehearsal! I had no idea you were so talented! I hope it's not the last we hear of your wonderful voice. I can't wait for our date tomorrow. Sorry if I woke you up. I couldn't resist! Have a wonderful night :)