Lighter Than Air

by TheLegendaryBillCipher

Love Has Its Doubts

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash flitted above the crowd of ponies over to the other Pegasus’s lonely table, where she was nibbling daintily at her slice of birthday cake.

“Oh! H-Hey Rainbow,” Fluttershy replied, shrinking back instinctively.

“This is some party, huh?” Fluttershy slightly nodded. “Aw come on, you’re not having fun?”

“I don’t… do well with crowds.” Fluttershy bowed her head. “I’m sorry if I’m ruining the fun.”

“Fluttershy, for the umpteenth time: we’re here for your birthday party. We care about if you have fun.” Rainbow huffed a sigh. “Actually, I wanted to introduce you to somepony.”

Fluttershy looked up at her friend and tilted her head. The blue Pegasus whistled loudly back over the crowd, and soon a springing sound entered Fluttershy’s ear. She smiled softly, eagerly expecting some sort of bunny.

What emerged from the crowd instead was a pink Earth pony with a pink mane more tangled than cotton candy, topped with a top hat made of twisted balloons. “Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’d like you to meet Pinkie Pie. She’s the one who organized your party.”

“Hello!” Pinkie chimed loudly, making Fluttershy wince. She held out a front hoof to the Pegasus. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to formally meet for the party planning, but Rainbow Dash here said it’d be better as a surprise.”

Fluttershy frowned around Pinkie Pie at her friend, who looked away, whistling innocently. When she noticed Fluttershy was staring, she gave a nervous chuckle, a “Welp, look at the time: time to go play tag!” and darted back to the party.

“I’m going to be moving in with the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner and helping them out,” Pinkie continued, making Fluttershy focus back at her. “I hope I get to see you around town.”

“I, um… don’t leave my cottage much,” Fluttershy murmured, looking down.

“Then be sure to order from Sugarcube Corner so I can deliver to you!” Pinke beamed, ear to ear. “Oh! I almost forgot. What’s a birthday party without birthday presents for the birthday mare~!” she said in a singsong voice.

Fluttershy watched as she removed her balloon top hat to reveal a green-wrapped present with pale pink ribbon. Pinkie handed it to her, bouncing in place eagerly as the Pegasus looked down at it.

“Go ahead, open it up,” Pinkie encouraged.

Fluttershy took her time going through the paper and ribbon before opening the box underneath. She gasped softly as she pulled out a small, white stuffed rabbit with button eyes. Pinkie beamed even brighter as Fluttershy cradled it against her in a tight hug, her smile as almost as big as Pinkie’s.

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” she said softly, looking shyly up at the Earth pony.

“My pleasure. It’s my job to make ponies smile,” Pinkie said proudly, puffing out her chest. “And you have a really nice smile.”

The memory evaporated away like the steam Fluttershy blew off of her cup of tea as she sat by the window, watching the far off sun set. Angel pushed aside a worn-looking stuffed rabbit, white with mismatched button eyes that had been replaced over the years, and hopped onto the table.

“Now, now, Angel,” Fluttershy chastised softly. “It’s past your bedtime.”

The bunny gestured angrily to the window, then to the empty seat across from her, before pointing at the calendar. Fluttershy sighed and set down her cup on its plate.

“Now Angel, Pinkie Pie is a very busy pony, especially on Hearts and Hooves Day. I do want to spend it with her, but she has her job and I have mine.” She gently picked him up in her front hooves, kissed the top of his head, and set him on the floor. “And while Pinkie’s is to make others smile, I get my smiles when my little friends are good and go to bed.”

Angel chittered grumpily, pointing to Fluttershy’s muzzle. He huffed a sigh, murmured a goodnight to her, and dragged himself off to bed. Fluttershy smiled after him, but once he was out of sight it faltered.

Angel didn’t like Pinkie all that much, but maybe his griping about her had a point. Pinkie was always so busy, traveling around Equestria and helping with parties, or even just with her shifts at Sugarcube Corner. True, Fluttershy’s own time was invested in Sweet Feather Sanctuary, but she had more free time.

“What if Angel’s right? What if Pinkie Pie doesn’t want to spend Hearts and Hooves with me?” she asked herself quietly, picking her tea up again. “Maybe I don’t make her happy… maybe she already has somepony else…”

She shut her eyes and sipped her tea to drown out such thoughts. Pinkie, though not the Element of Loyalty, had been loyal to her for years. What could have changed in that span of time? Sweet Feather Sanctuary? Saving Equestria?

But the thoughts bobbed back up. “Who knows who she could meet across Equestria? If she could win over the Yaks, she could win over anypony, right? She could have anypony else, anypony better…”

Just then, the door to the cottage opened, gently instead of the usual enthusiastic slam as per Fluttershy’s instructions at such a late hour. Pinkie bounced in triumphantly, wearing a purple top hat and bowtie. “Phew,” she said, her voice lowered – another one of Fluttershy’s requests. “What a day.”

She cast off the hat and bowtie onto the hat rack by the door and trotted over to Fluttershy, landing in the seat across from her. “What’s shaking, Flutterbutter?” Pinkie asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Her smile faltered when she saw Fluttershy’s downcast expression and she immediately rushed to her side. “So, how’d it go?” the Pegasus asked softly, looking away.

“It went amazing. Cheese Sandwich and I threw one of the bestest couples parties ever in Manehatten! I really wish you could’ve come,” Pinkie Pie said, already getting distracted.

Fluttershy sighed. “I’m glad you had so much fun with Cheese, Pinkie,” she murmured, sipping her tea.

“Well, yeah. I always have a fun time with Cheesy! It’s like having a second me around,” Pinkie said, pouring herself some tea, followed by half the sugar cubes. Fluttershy didn’t reply, instead trying to focus away from Pinkie Pie. “Fluttershy? What’s wrong?”

“Pinkie, if… if you have somepony else, could you… just tell me?” she asked softly.

“Say what?” Pinkie exclaimed. “Somepony else? What do you mean?” She turned Fluttershy’s seat around so the Pegasus was facing her, and was shocked to see tears running down her cheeks.

Fluttershy sniffled. “If you’re seeing somepony else… if you l-love somepony else… j-just tell me…”

Pinkie huffed a sigh. “You’ve been talking to that wabbit again. You know he doesn’t like me – though he doesn’t not like me enough to not eat the carrot cake I make for his birthday parties.”

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy exclaimed, snapping Pinkie’s focus back. “Just tell me!”

“Fluttershy, you’re being silly, and not the good kind either.” Pinkie leaned over and wiped away Fluttershy’s tears before taking her front hooves in her own. “There is no one else, and there’s not going to be.”

“B-But what about Cheese Sandwich? You’re always talking about how you two have so much fun together and… and…”

Among Pinkie’s arsenal of moves, one of the most effective was the Pinkie Smooch (patent pending). It could be described as all the sweetness that Pinkie ingested and exuberated regularly being turned into enough electricity to get somepony’s attention. So when Pinkie planted one on Fluttershy’s muzzle, the Pegasus stiffened and looked at her.

“I do have fun with Cheese Sandwich,” Pinkie said softly, a rare shift in her voice. Rare, because most ponies trusted Pinkie enough that she didn’t have to make an effort for it to show in her voice. “He is like another me, but I don’t love him, Fluttershy. He has his marefriend, and I have mine.”

Fluttershy nodded. “And,” Pinkie continued. “If it bothers you so much, I won’t talk about him. I’m sorry if I’ve been giving you the wrong idea.”

“No, it’s okay, Pinkie.” Fluttershy smiled softly and leaned forward. Pinkie Pie dipped her head so their foreheads came to rest together, with Fluttershy shutting her eyes. “I just… it’s been hard for me to understand why I’m so special to you. I guess it always has been.”

“What?” Pinkie asked. “You don’t know why you’re special to me? After all this time?”

“I think I know, but…”

Her eyes widened in surprise as Pinkie pulled her off her chair and onto the floor next to her. “Well, for starters,” Pinkie began, planting a brief Pinkie Smooch against Fluttershy’s lips. “You’re very talented.” Another smooch. “And beautiful.” And another. “And you’re the kindest pony I know.” And yet another. “Also, you have a nice laugh.” All the while, Pinkie had slowly lowered Fluttershy onto her back.

“I do?” a dazed Fluttershy asked. She’d never gotten drunk before, but repeated Pinkie Smooches seemed like a close enough placebo.

“Yep!” And with a devilish grin, Pinkie started tickling Fluttershy, running her hooves across her sensitive barrel to the extra-sensitive tickle spots under her wings. Fluttershy immediately broke out into laughter – and not her usual giggle. Pinkie Pie always managed to raise her volume, and Fluttershy distinctly noticed she was the only one who could.

After a few seconds of torture, Pinkie Pie released her victim, watching her writher as the aftershocks of laughter subsided, leaving the Pegasus panting. “See?” the Earth pony asked, smiling wide. “You do have a nice laugh. Can you see why you’re special to me now?”

“Y-Yeah,” Fluttershy wheezed amidst giggles. “I guess I just needed a reminder.”

Pinkie hummed in thought before plopping down on the floor next to Fluttershy, rolling onto her side so she was facing her. “I feel like I need to prove it though, why you’re the only one I’ll ever feel those sort of feelings for,” she remarked. “This is like the twelfth time I’ve done that.”

“Really?” Fluttershy rolled over to face her as well. “You don’t have to, Pinkie.”

“No, no.” Pinkie held up a hoof in objection. “I don’t want you to have to worry about me leaving you ever again.” She tapped her chin in thought. “But how…?”

“Well,” Fluttershy blushed softly. “In some of my romance books, ponies usually get married to show how much they care. I’m not saying that—“

“That’s it!” Pinkie proclaimed sitting up. She pointed a hoof down at her, a glint of steely determination in her eyes. “Fluttershy, I hereby promise to marry you!”

Fluttershy’s face quickly matched Pinkie’s mane as she shot up. “Y-You what?” she gasped.

“I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, promise to marry you, Fluttershy,” Pinkie said, gesturing between them respectfully.

“Ar-Are you… pro-proposing right now?” Fluttershy asked shakily, her heart threatening to beat its way out of her chest.

“Well, no, not right this second,” Pinkie said, blinking. “I don’t have a ring or anything at the moment. Not that you’d see it coming anyway, it’d obviously have to be a surprise. But I could Pinkie Promise to do it—“

Pinkie Pie was cut off as Fluttershy hugged her tightly, which was unusual for Fluttershy given how much she cradled smaller animals. Pinkie just shrugged, guessing it was a special hug, and returned it.

“No, that’s alright,” Fluttershy whispered. “For once, a regular promise will do.” She nestled her nose into Pinkie’s curly mane, catching hints of sugar and other baking spices. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, by the way.”

“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Fluttershy,” Pinkie replied softly, rubbing her cheek against Fluttershy’s mane – much like the animals Fluttershy tended to, Pinkie enjoyed its silky texture and welcoming, natural scent. “I thought you’d like that.”

Author's Note:

Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 02/03/20

This is the story that got the other two sparked. For some reason, coming into the month of February, I had Flutterpie on my mind. Is that the official ship name? If not, I still like it.

This was one of three stories that I wrote for Hearts and Hooves Day, all within the span of a week. I unfortunately didn't get them edited in time to publish them on Hearts and Hooves Day itself since I had a lot going on, but here they are now.

The song I listened to for this one was "I Love You Too Much," the cover by Adriana Figueroa. I could almost picture Fluttershy singing this.

-yours truly, with love,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast

Comments

[Silent Whisper]

This story is absolutely adorable! It made me wanna hug the special people in my life. The characters were well-written too!

[The Iguana Man]

Beautiful.

[Krystal Clearskies]

Awe! Flutterpie is by far my favorite ship between canon MLP characters, and it gets so little love. This was adorable, A+!!!

[niightear]

Flutterpie is a good ship, it's just...
Yes.

[Nailah]

Review
*boops*

[TheLegendaryBillCipher]

10307671
Thank you. headpats

[Voidwalker]

This story was sweet and I enjoyed it. Special mention for two things I appreciate a lot: 1) No vanished sidekicks. I tend to find it quite jarring when, in a Twilight-focused romance, Spike is never mentioned. Or Sweetie Belle (or her cat, forgot her name) for Rarity. Just... there's people around these people. They have family, friends, a social net that may or may not include pets. So Angel being present? Thumbs up! 2) Good Pinkie Pie characterization. She's exuberant. Full of energy, maybe even capable of breaking the fourth wall. But I always cherish those stories that depict her as a person, and not just a plot tool or one-trick-pony (harrharr). You gave her empathy, a softer side - I quite like that. (Admittedly, the shows writers themselves seemed to struggle with her character from time to time...)
Long story short:

Thank you.