It's been a long time since the girls have actually hung out and spent time together. They've all just been too busy! So Fluttershy decides to arrange a Tea Party and invite her friends along. Hopefully, all will go as planned...
Fluttershy takes the role of leading mare and goes out with the intention of inviting her close friends to a Tea Party. They haven't had much contact, since many of them are coping with brand new responsibilities. Things may go as planned, but then they may not and will Fluttershy be able to cope with the responsibility of keeping her friendships close?
Chapter One: Good Morning Fluttershy It was a pleasant morning in Ponyville, where a quiet yellow pegasus slowly woke from her slumber inside a quaint little cottage on the outskirts of town. Sunlight seeped through the closed curtains of Fluttershy’s bedroom. The pegasus in question was lying in her warm bed, trying to cling to the remnants of the soft sleep she was just in. In a few moments, she pushed the covers off her body and yawned, stretching wide to get a crick out of her back. She fluttered her wings a few times to get the slight bed-stiffness out of them and then crossed the room and gently moved the curtains to reveal the beautiful sunshine in the danced across her garden. Fluttershy beamed almost as brightly as that same sun. She had always loved bright days and sunlight, since it meant that all of her animal friends would be active and awake. The yellow mare shook off the last of her sleepiness and settled in front of the mirror. Seconds later, her faithful white rabbit, Angel Bunny, bounded over from his small bed, picked up a small hair brush and took to brushing out the bed-mane style that had taken to Fluttershy’s pink bangs.
It’s so nice that Angel helps me out with this, Thought Fluttershy, although I should do it myself more often. The pegasus smiled at her little friend and struck up a light conversation, half to herself. “Now then, we have to remember that we are having Twilight and the others around for a tea party today.” She smiled a little wider at the thought of her friends, but her joyful expression dropped slightly when her mind settled on more recent events. “After all, we haven’t seen each other in so long, since we have all been so busy.” The mental list of reasons her friends were busy floated to the top of Fluttershy’s thoughts. “Rainbow Dash is training to get into the Wonderbolts since its nearly recruitment time, Pinkie got a promotion at Sugarcube Corner and is taking lots of commissions, Rarity is handling all of those contracts from Canterlot, Applebuck season has just hit so Applejack is rushed off her hooves and Twilight has all of her princess duties to take care of…” She sighed and looked gloomily at her reflection. Angel finished his brushing and snuggled against her neck. “Yes you’re right Angel; I really should get around and invite them. But first, I need to feed all of you and have breakfast!”
Jumping up from where she sat, Fluttershy felt filled with a new purpose. She knew that today would be just perfect and happily hopped to the stairs. The sudden movement meant that Angel had to cling on to her neck to make sure he didn’t fall. After making her way downstairs, Fluttershy woke all of the various fauna that resided in the small animal homes inside the cottage. She then poked her head out of the door and called the other animals that lived outside. Before long, there was an assembly of birds, ferrets, mice and other little critters in front of her. Fluttershy always made sure to have a large stock of nuts and fresh vegetables around for the animals and her, from which she pulled out a number of nuts and berries for breakfast. Then another few sets of the food were given to the animals, after which she would slice a few vegetables and feed those to the herbivores in the group. Walking outside into the sunlight vastly improved Fluttershy’s mood and she soon fed seeds to her chickens and leaves to her goat.
Next, the butter coloured mare made sure to brush her teeth (holding the toothbrush with a delicate wingtip), made sure she had enough bits to last through the day, put on her saddlebags, said goodbye to the animals and began to make her way into Ponyville. It was slowly becoming a rather hot day, thanks to the weather team, and it would be a tiring walk into town. Fluttershy decided to make her first stop at Sugarcube Corner, where she could rest and have a drink of water or tea before heading out to find the rest of her friends. At the same time, she could invite Pinkie and buy a few snacks for the Tea Party. The sunlight warmed Fluttershy to her core as she trotted down the dirt path and something told her that it would be a thoroughly lovely day. End of Chapter One
Only a few meters until she reached Ponyville, and Fluttershy felt a familiar sense in her stomach. It was a slight feeling of trepidation, one that she always got when coming to places full of ponies. It wasn't that she was scared of other ponies, or worried she would be attacked; Fluttershy just felt like it was difficult to talk to them, just in case she said the wrong thing and they shouted at her. Just like that griffin Gilda. She shivered at the memory of the loud, terrifying screech.
The mare shook her head vigorously to get rid of the dark thoughts. Today, Fluttershy had a mission and she wouldn't let anything stop her. A small voice inside her mind muttered “Unless there's a very mean pony in the way. Then I’ll just go home and hide in a cupboard for a little while.” Fluttershy now stood on the boundary of Ponyville and looked over in the direction of Sugarcube corner. It didn't seem all too busy and there weren't any screaming ponies at all, so it seemed that Pinkie hadn't created a gigantic sponge-and-icing monster like she had last week. Pinkie's response to the accusations had made Fluttershy grin: “Well, I thought that instead of everypony getting all squishy-squashy trying to get into the shop, I would send the cake to them! But I was busy, so I made it get there itself. And it's deeeelicious!”
Trotting into town, Fluttershy noted a few young colts and fillies making the best of the warm weather. A number of them were running up and down the streets, playing games and laughing loudly. It made her happy to see everypony enjoying the day. Before she knew it, she was standing before the garish pink door of Sugarcube Corner, which was pushed open by a pair of ponies carrying brown paper bags and looking rather pleased, if a little breathless. Fluttershy stood aside to let them past and briskly went inside the store.
Some animalistic instinct told her to duck and as she did so, a large cake with red frosting whizzed over her head, only to be caught in a paper bag that was carried by a stallion with a brown mane. He grunted thanks into the store as he left. As if on cue, A loud and high-pitched voice (which some may brand as obnoxious) cried out. “Oh no! Fluttershy I'm sooo sorry, I didn't see you there” The apologetic pony was none other than Pinkie Pie, the newly appointed head baker and occasional cashier at Ponyville’s cake store. The pink mare seemed a little tired, and a few strands of hair were sticking out of her mane. “I'm so glad to see you! I meant to visit but I've been rushed off my hooves, since the Cakes gave me that promotion! And I was so happy and glad and it was amazing, but I'm really tired now and I want to sleep and Gummy is feeling lonely!” She indicated the toothless alligator that sat upon a pink ball in the corner. Fluttershy sensed that the critter wasn't particularly bothered by its owners business and told Pinkie this.
Pinkie shrugged and quickly dashed into the kitchen. She returned with a large green sponge on her head, promptly flipped it into the air and bucked it into the seating area of the store. A mint coloured mare leaped into the air and caught the cake in yet another bag and then left. Fluttershy felt a little nervous with all of the flying baked goods and scooted a little closer to the counter. Pinkie rocketed a few more cakes to the last few ponies then fell to her hindquarters and sighed. “Okay, so that's rush hour done. Sorry Flutters, I am soooo tired right now. What's wrong?”
Fluttershy noted that the mare was a little more subdued than usual, likely caused by her exhaustion. “Um… Don't worry Pinkie, you seem worn out so I'll come back later…” As the sentence left her mouth, Pinkie leaped to her hooves and clasped her friend in a tight hug. “Ah! Um… Pinkie, what are you doing?”
The baker held on to Fluttershy and grinned “I'm not letting you go until you tell me!” Pinkie was a specialist at hug threats and Fluttershy knew better than to refuse.
“Well Pinkie, why are you kicking cake at other ponies?” Pinkie then let go of the Pegasus and frowned.
“Is that it? Well actually, it's my brand-new super-special Pinkie Pie serving process! Ever since I got the promotion, I've got so many ponies asking me for desserts that I've been going coco-loco! So I thought to myself, ‘Well Pinkie, how can we make it all faster?’ Then I told myself to stop talking to myself and that's when I made the Sponge Monster, but we saw how that plan went. And then I thought that the serving process was too slow so I said that the ponies would pay me when they order, then I would kick the cake at them and they could then catch it and go! Not only is it fast, but also really fun! My record for cake kicking is 5 at once!”
The stream of words flew past Fluttershy, who was still amazed at how fast Pinkie could talk. “Okay… and um… could I have something to drink please?” Pinkie nodded in response and disappeared into the kitchen so fast that it left behind a ghost image. Then, she returned at a speed that would make even Rainbow Dash impressed, this time carrying a cup of hot cocoa. Fluttershy paid for the drink and sat at one of the tables. Before long, her bubble-gum pink friend sat next to her and smiled warmly. Fluttershy had always been glad for Pinkie's friendship. At first, she had found the optimistic pony almost too random and spontaneous, but over the years the two had got closer. Now, she knew that Pinkie always had her friends’ welfare at heart and if there was ever a pony that could make her laugh in a matter of seconds, it would be Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie? I was wondering… would you be able to come to a tea party?”
Pinkie gasped and an expression of ecstasy crossed her face. “A tea party? Oh that would be so much fun! Usually, I'm the one organizing all of the parties but it's even more super-fun when someone else throws a party! When is it?” Throughout this tirade, the pink pony was bouncing off her hooves and leaped all around Fluttershy.
“I was thinking… maybe this afternoon?” Fluttershy murmured. Pinkie visibly froze, mid-hop. Whilst suspended in the air, she turned her head to look at her demure friend.
“This afternoon? As in this afternoon, this afternoon?” She now dropped to the floor and trotted over to Fluttershy. “B…but… I have a lot of orders left over to do for all the other ponies…” Pinkies mane deflated slightly and her coat dulled a shade. “I don't want to miss all of the fun-eriffic fun with all of you…” She sat back down and began to mope.
Fluttershy realized that Pinkie was under a lot more stress than she thought and began to worry that she would just make it worse. “Oh, it's okay Pinkie, if you're busy we can always do it another day… I don't want to bother you too much so I'll just go…” The pegasus stood and slowly made her way out, wondering if the other girls would be able to make it. She glanced back and noticed that Pinkie was still sitting at the low table, staring moodily at the woodwork.
Just as she left the building, a pink flash whizzed past and came to a halt before her. Pinkie seemed to have brightened somewhat. “No no no no no! I won't spoil your day! I'm going to work super-duper hard to get all of the cakes done lickety-split! Then I'll come to the tea party and even bring some macaroons!” She giggled. “Heehee, Macaroon is a funny word! So don't be all down in the dumps!” The earth pony offered up a bright smile.
It was such a warm and caring smile that Fluttershy couldn't help but return it. “Well don't overwork yourself for me Pinkie. But it would be nice to see you there.” Her pink companion practically shone with happiness at the prospect of attending a party and she disappeared into the store, presumably to get to work on those cakes. Fluttershy took a deep breath in and sighed. “That's one down, five to go. Come on Fluttershy, let's go out and seize the day!”
Fluttershy tried to remember which of her friend's houses were closest to the cake shop. Applejack? No, Twilight? After a few moments of thought, she decided to head to Rarity's boutique. It was relatively close, and Fluttershy had meant to see her about the spa days anyway. Turning toward the boutique's road, Fluttershy took off at a slow walk, planning to enjoy the pleasant weather whilst it lasted.
A yellow pegasus stood in front of the opulent store-front of Ponyville’s most popular clothing store: Carousel Boutique. The Boutique was owned by the Well-spoken white unicorn, Rarity, who was one of Fluttershy’s closest friends. No-one expected a quiet and shy mare to be so close to somepony who was different in so many ways, but nonetheless, the pair trusted each other completely. They would often go to Aloe and Lotus’ spa together to relax and catch up on recent events. However after Rarity hadn't turned up on a number of occasions, Fluttershy decided to find out if anything was wrong. She trotted up to the purple door and gently knocked before entering. A small bell pinged and a second later she was greeted by a high-class yet friendly voice. “Hello darling and welcome to Carousel Boutique, where all of our garments are chic, unique and magnifique!” The speaker in question was of course Rarity, who was intently examining a half completed dress with her back to the door.
Fluttershy hesitantly stepped closer until she was standing next to her good friend. The dress was (as usual) rather splendid, with multiple gemstones sewn into the waist and front. However the part of the dress that would cover the flank was missing. Rarity was still in deep thought, one hoof poking her muzzle as she pondered on the final design. “Um… It's me Rarity”
At this, the white unicorn snapped out of her fashion-related stupor and quickly turned to her friend. “Oh Fluttershy, I am so very sorry!” She pouted slightly and indicated the would-be dress. “This monstrosity has been causing me such a bother!” Fluttershy glanced at the dress and frowned a little. “Actually Rarity, I think it's really nice.” She pointed out small areas on the beginnings of the dress, noting the finesse of the stitching and how the colour is complimented by the gemstones. This sudden outburst caused Rarity to pause before she regained her composure and put on a grateful smile. “Oh darling thank you but there is no need to be so kind. The shape is obviously all wrong, especially since I wanted it to ride a little low on the flank.” After a few moments of polite debate, Rarity brought the conversation back to Fluttershy and her sudden appearance. “Now I'm sure you didn't just come her to discuss my work. How can I help you?” Whilst saying this, she led her pegasus friend to a low-down purple table where they settled down.
Rarity offered a cup of tea but Fluttershy refused since she had just had something to drink. After pouring herself a cup Rarity asked why Fluttershy had come along again. “Well um… I was worried about you, since you didn't come to the spa for a long time…”
The white mare laughed kindly and waved a hoof. “Well darling, as you know, I recently received a large number of contracts from Canterlot. In fact, that's the very same reason I am so worked up over that dress over there. Miss Sapphire Shores asked me ever so nicely to create a brand new garment for a show of hers, so you can see why I am for perfection.” Rarity noticed the slightly sad but understanding expression that her friend had taken on. “Oh but don't take that to mean that I'm avoiding our spa days! You know very well that I simply adore our little get togethers! I unfortunately have been a little short on time, is all.”
Fluttershy ruffled her wings to get comfortable and frowned a little. “Oh don't worry too much Rarity; I was only a little bit concerned. Also, I know you're really busy, but I was going to do a tea party this afternoon and I was hoping you would come along. That is, if you can.” She cocked her head and a small, hopeful smile crossed her face. The yellow pony felt a little bit bad since she was taking Rarity away from her work but another side of her really wanted to have all of her friends attending.
After snapping out of her long train of thought, Fluttershy noted that her unicorn friend was glancing back and forth from Fluttershy and the dress. Soon, her gaze settled on the pegasus. “Well darling I suppose everypony deserves a break now and then and this little soiree of yours seems as though it would be just the ticket.” Rarity smiled glowingly before starting to some sort of realisation. “Oh Fluttershy my dear, I just remembered. I know you also have a bit of an eye for fashion, so you simply must take a look at my new line of summer hats! A second opinion would be lovely!”
This often happened when Fluttershy visited Carousel Boutique. Rarity would enlist her help in reviewing a new creation, even if Fluttershy thought she didn't have enough knowledge of the fashion world to be able to lend a hoof. Nevertheless, Rarity enjoyed having Fluttershy there as a critic so the pegasus was more than happy to try and evaluate the various dresses and other items of clothing that were the results of Rarity's hard work.
Leading her friend up a short flight of stairs, Rarity used her magic to open up a door that was the entrance to her personal “workshop.” Here, Rarity would often spend hours slaving over the creation of designs for clothes and then the clothes themselves. Although, to call it slaving is a little strong, since Rarity had always loved her craft. She now led her friend to a number of mannequins lined along one wall. Each one wore a different hat, each in a variety of colours, shapes and styles, some having gems attached, while others were adorned with colourful plumage. Rarity turned to her friend who was studiously looking at her creations and put on her best business-mare face. “Now then darling, which one do you think you would wear?”
Fluttershy surveyed the various headgear. There were a number of them that she liked, but felt that they wouldn't really suit her. Then her eyes fell on a straw summer hat that had a baby blue ribbon tied around it. Fluttershy had owned a hat in this style a little while ago but had ended up losing it, much to her distress. She trotted over to it and turned back to her purple-maned friend. “Oh I think this one is just lovely!”
The unicorn cast her eyes over the hat, and then Fluttershy and a ghost of a mischievous smile crossed her face only to be replaced with one of gratitude. “Yes, I was thinking that it would suit somepony such as you perfectly. In any case, thank you ever so much for your help! I will try my hardest to be attending this afternoon as well; I'll make sure to have some time!” She then led Fluttershy back downstairs. “Now then, I would love to chat with you some more, but I must get back to this dress! After all, I have somewhere to be this afternoon.” She winked slyly at Fluttershy, who grinned and began to leave. “I’ll see you soon then Rarity!” She opened the door, and strolled back out into the sunshine. “That's two off the list… where to go next….” Fluttershy spent a moment to consider.
Since the day is beginning to get on, maybe I should visit Applejack, just so that she doesn't get caught up in her own duties.
She turned toward the road that Sweet Apple Acres was on, and began to cheerfully make her way to meet another of her good friends.
I'm glad I at least get to see the girls today, even if they won't be able to make it to the tea party… But I shouldn't think like that! I know my friends and I know they won't let me down!
