Surprise!
Fluttershy’s garden was a lovely and lively place in spring. It consisted entirely of natural growth, wildflowers and ferns growing in patches alongside wide berths of grass for Fluttershy and her critter friends to walk and frolic in. On a warm and sunny day there was no more peaceful place in all of Ponyville.
Fluttershy was enjoying that peace today—or, at least, she was trying to. She was slightly anxious about the upcoming night. She had been dating Pinkie Pie for a little over a month and everything had been wonderful until a few days ago when they had talked about taking their relationship to a more “intimate” level.
Sitting around Fluttershy under one of the trees behind her cottage, several of her woodland friends attempted to offer her some consolation as she spoke openly about her feelings. “I really love Pinkie Pie—I want to be more intimate with her, I really do. I’m ready for this step,” she said, smiling as she thought about her energetic marefriend and all of the wonderful things they had done together.
“But… she is Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy continued, “and… well…” She was not sure how to finish that thought. What would Pinkie Pie want to do? What would she expect? What if Fluttershy didn’t like it? What if she did not live up to Pinkie’s expectations?
Beary patted her gently on the back when she fell silent. Fluttershy looked up at him with a smile. “Thanks, Beary, I know I shouldn’t be worried. I just don’t know what Pinkie-” She was cut off by Angel thumping her hoof with his feet, clearly irritated.
"What is it, Angel?" Fluttershy asked. The rabbit looked at her with an annoyed glare, rubbing his stomach and then pointing at the clock tower in the distance. Fluttershy paused momentarily before she understood the unspoken message, and raised a hoof to her forehead in frustration. “Oh, right, I need to go shopping today." Walking into her cottage, followed by her entourage of animals, she looked over the grocery list she had on her refrigerator and quickly refreshed her memory on what she needed.
“I’ll be back in an hour or so. Will you all be okay?” There was a unanimous gesture of reassurance that they would all be fine and, quite oddly, they all seemed to want to rush her out the door.
“But, I need my grocery basket…” Fluttershy said once she was out on her front step. The door opened behind her and the basket was tossed out, landing on her head. “Oh, thank you,” she said, rather perplexed as to why they were in such a hurry for her to go shopping. She was not that low on food, or she thought she wasn’t.
By the time she made it to town she was done thinking about the odd behavior and instead was going over the list of food that she needed to get in her head. Carrots, nuts, honey, lettuce, tomatoes, hay, pinkie- She blinked, shook her head, and looked to her left. Pinkie Pie was was walking out of Everypony’s Play Time party shop with a pair of full saddlebags draped across her back.
Fluttershy walked towards her, the anxious feelings from earlier returning as she began to imagine exactly what Pinkie Pie had in mind for their night together. But when Pinkie spotted her and waved enthusiastically, her ever-present smile widening to dangerous widths, Fluttershy could not help but smile back. The butterflies in her stomach became warm, soft balloons of joy the closer Pinkie Pie got, and she felt as if she would float away when they embraced and kissed.
“Hey, sweety!” Pinkie said as they hugged, pecking her once on her cheek then once on the lips again. After letting Fluttershy go, she noticed the basket balanced between her wings and asked, “Whatcha doing?”
“Um, I’m getting some snacks for my animal friends, ” Fluttershy said, glancing back at the basket for a moment. “A-and you?” she asked. Pinkie’s smile only widened, somehow.
“I’m getting something super-amazing-awesome-special ready for our super-amazing-awesome-special night tonight!” Pinkie said excitedly. “Oooooh, I can’t wait! You’re gonna love it so so much! You might even love it more than you love me!”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s possible, ” Fluttershy answered, a nervous giggle in her voice. Pinkie Pie laughed out loud and nodded.
“I know what you mean,” Pinkie said. “Well, I still have a lot to prepare. I’ll see you tonight!” she said before bouncing away. Fluttershy watched her go, her smile fading the further Pinkie went into the distance. She saw a balloon fall out of Pinkie’s saddlebag, as well as a few bits of red confetti.
Oh dear… she thought, getting nervous all over again. She turned back the way she was originally going so that she could continue shopping. Her first stop would be May’s Flowers to get some snacks for the bunny rabbits and deer.
The flower shop was small, but still allowed for more stock than most of the street vendors at the market, and let April Showers keep all of her plants in controlled environments. Beyond all of that, the shop smelled absolutely wonderful every time.
“Hi Fluttershy,” April said from among her rows of flowers.
“Hello April," Fluttershy said as she headed for one of the planters that contained daffodils and dandelions. “I’m just here for some snacks for the animals,"
“Oh?” April asked while putting down the water pail she was holding. “Pinkie Pie was just in here earlier. She bought several dozen ro-” the blonde mare stopped herself quickly. “Woops! I don’t think I was supposed to say that.”
Fluttershy turned to her with one of her eyebrows raised. “Oh?” she asked.
“I said nothing," April said with a smile and a wink, picking up her pail again and watering some sunflowers. Fluttershy wondered what Pinkie Pie was thinking with several dozen roses. One dozen was more traditional for a special night like this. Oh Pinkie Pie, she thought. Predictable was something that nopony could ever say about her.
A part of her wanted to ask April about more about the roses and what Pinkie had done, but she preferred to not be a bother. Plus, a little surprise was good in life. While Fluttershy was a little anxious for what Pinkie Pie had in mind for their first time together; roses were a pure symbol of romance and affection, so whatever was going through Pinkie Pie's mind it was at least clear that her heart was involved. However, the balloons and confetti seemed out of place with a romantic setting, confusing the pegasus.
Though, to be fair, Fluttershy thought, I never doubted that much. She paid for her flowers, giving April Showers another quizzical look but receiving no more than a wink in return. With her basket full of flowers, Fluttershy left May’s Flowers and went back to the marketplace.
She trotted through the marketplace, humming quietly to herself. She looked from stand to stand, searching for the items on her list. She had stopped to look at some carrots when she heard somepony call her name. She turned and saw a very familiar rainbow maned pegasus walking toward her.
"Oh. Hello Rainbow Dash," she said, smiling softly.
"Hey Fluttershy, what's up?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh, um, well....I was just getting some tasty treats for my animal friends. They've been extra good lately, so I wanted to get them something nice. What about you?"
Rainbow smiled and said, "Actually, I wanted to ask you what time the party is starting,"
“Party?” Fluttershy asked in confusion, tilting her head slightly to one side.
“Yeah,” Dash said, “Pinkie’s throwing a party, isn’t she?”
“Um… n-not that I’m aware of," Fluttershy said, that anxious feeling coming back. Surely Pinkie Pie would not turn their first time into some public event. The idea of everypony she knew knowing what she and Pinkie Pie were planning made her queasy.
“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking perplexed. “I just saw her leaving Fancy Fabrics with, like, a ten foot banner. She’s always getting them for parties."
“Did the banner say anything?” Fluttershy asked.
“Nah, it was blank," Dash answered with a shrug. “But she was taking it to Rarity’s. If she’s embroidering it then it must be one heck of a party. You sure you don’t know what's going on?” she asked Fluttershy, turning her head a bit and giving her quite the intense stare.
“N-no," Fluttershy said, “I-I mean I don’t know what Pinkie Pie is planning." That was the truth. She had an idea what all of the party supplies were for, but she had no idea what her marefriend had in mind. Publicizing their first intimate night together was… Fluttershy couldn’t even finish that thought.
“Okay. Well, lemme know when you know," Dash said.
“Okay," Fluttershy agreed. As soon as Rainbow Dash flew away, Fluttershy headed for Carousel Boutique, hoping to find Pinkie Pie there and get some of her alarming questions answered. It was not a long walk, but since she did not know when Rainbow had seen Pinkie go there, Fluttershy was not surprised when she arrived and found Rarity and Sweetie Belle, but no Pinkie.
“Why, hello Fluttershy!” Rarity said after glancing her way. She was levitating a light blue garment onto Sweetie Belle, who was standing on a small pedestal, clearly acting as a stand-in dummy and looking less than thrilled about it.
“Hello, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, “Um, was Pinkie Pie in here earlier?”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said, her expression changing from boredom and agitation to excitement. “She-”
Rarity cut her little sister off by shoving a spool of thread into her mouth and giving her a brief glare. “Why, yes she was Fluttershy," she said, “but both of us,” she gave Sweetie Belle another look, “Pinkie Promised her that we would not divulge the reason for her visit."
Fluttershy frowned at this news but nodded because she understood; Pinkie Promises were not easily broken. “I understand,” she said, “Do you know where she went?”
“Pinkie Promise," Rarity said again, returning to sewing the fabric on Sweetie Belle into a more dress-like shape. She gave Fluttershy an ‘I’m sorry’ look, but Fluttershy understood.
“Okay, thank you," Fluttershy said, leaving the boutique not feeling any better. Her worries for the night were growing and until she could get Pinkie Pie alone and hear exactly what was planned she doubted she would be able to relax enough to enjoy any party… not that she wanted a party in the first place.
By the time Fluttershy made it home, she was so worked up that she did not notice the bouquet of balloons tied to her mailbox. However, the blaring music and technicolor decorations that assaulted her when she opened the door were impossible to overlook. Her cottage looked like the result of one of Pinkie Pie’s party cannon’s. Streamers, balloons, and confetti were everywhere. Her animal friends were dancing around to the music, all of them with party hats on and many of them with confetti in their fur.
“What’s going on?” she asked, raising her voice a little to try and be heard over the loud music. Angel heard her and hopped over. Grabbing a bit of her mane, he pulled her over to the dancing animals and pointed at one in the middle of the circle. It was Gummy, Pinkie Pie’s pet alligator and not a usual denizen of Fluttershy’s cottage.
He was standing in the center of a ring of her animal friends, bouncing up and down in time to the music while his tail flicked back and forth in synch, a party hat resting on his head. Clamped in his toothless mouth was a folded up piece of paper. Angel hopped over to Gummy and picked him up, carrying over to Fluttershy.
“For me?” Fluttershy asked. When Angel nodded, Fluttershy took the note from Gummy and opened it.
Dear sweety,
Come to Sugarcube Corner as soon as you get this note.
Love,
Pinkie Pie.
PS: Look up!
Fluttershy read the note twice before looking up slowly. A shower of confetti fell down on her face, and she could not help but giggle a little. Pinkie Pie was always doing the strangest things in the most unbelievable of ways. She looked up again, hoping to see Pinkie there smiling down at her, but there was nothing but her ceiling rafters.
“Um, I should go,” Fluttershy said. Angel nodded in agreement. “Can you make sure everybody is in bed by ten o’clock?” she asked her bunny friend. Angel sighed and rolled his eyes, but eventually nodded.
“Thank you Angel. You’re such a good little bunny,” Fluttershy said, giving him a little hug before heading out the door.
It was dark by the time she made it to Sugarcube Corner, and the lack of any lights in the sweet shop made Fluttershy wonder if she had read the note right. She knocked on the door twice before trying to open it, finding it unlocked.
Inside, the shop was not as black as it had appeared, but was dimly lit by dozens of birthday candles spread across the room. On the floor in front of the door was a small pile of rose petals that tapered into a trail that led across the room.
Fluttershy could feel her heart begin to thump a little harder as she shut the door behind her and followed the trail of petals across the room and, predictably, to the stairs. Candles were on each alternating stair alongside a whole rose, and at the top the petal trail began again, leading to the door that Fluttershy knew was Pinkie’s room.
Lifting her hoof to open the door, Fluttershy had a moment of pause. This was leading up to be one of the most romantic gestures Pinkie Pie had ever given her, and this was to be one of the most intimate nights of their lives together. Whatever Pinkie Pie had on the other side of this door would be part of their most cherished memory together, for better or for worse.
Slowly, Fluttershy opened the door.
For a moment, her vision of Pinkie Pie’s room was obscured as hundreds of rose petals and bits of red, heart-shaped confetti fell down all around her. By the time it had all landed in a sizable heap on the floor all around Fluttershy’s hooves, her mane was almost as red as it was pink, with little bits of flower and paper sticking to it everywhere.
“Hi, sweety," Fluttershy heard Pinkie Pie say. Looking over to the bed, Fluttershy saw her marefriend standing beside it, a long white cloth draped around her body like a toga. It seemed to shimmer slightly in the candlelight as she walked towards Fluttershy, and when Pinkie swung her tail to throw the long trailing end around Fluttershy’s back, she could feel that it was not cloth as Rainbow Dash had said, but silk.
Pinkie Pie pulled the end of the silk, and Fluttershy was pulled closer as a result. The pink mare giggled as their lips met; she had been planning this for hours, but Fluttershy was caught completely off-guard. All of Fluttershy’s anxiety about Pinkie’s plans were washed away with that kiss, and the pegasus felt herself melt into Pinkie Pie’s embrace.
Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but Pinkie Pie silenced her with a soft, “shhhh,” and pulled on the silk that was wrapped around Fluttershy’s neck, guiding her over to the bed. The normally white mattress was almost indiscernible under the rose petals and paper hearts that crumbled underhoof as Fluttershy climbed on at Pinkie Pie’s bidding.
Pinkie laid down beside Fluttershy, looking longingly into the yellow mare’s eyes, and Fluttershy returned the look, her cheeks almost as pink as Pinkie’s. She could feel a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes as she looked into the eyes of the love of her life. This whole scene was so… perfect. After a whole day of worry, Fluttershy could scarcely believe this was real.
“I wish,” Pinkie Pie said, her voice barely above a whisper, “that I could have made this moment as perfect as you." She reached out and ran her hoof through Fluttershy’s mane. Fluttershy giggled a little, the only thing she felt she could do besides sob.
“I-it already is," she said.
“Nothing can ever be as good as you," Pinkie Pie said. Before Fluttershy could protest, Pinkie kissed her again, taking her very breath away.
“I love you, Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy cooed once their lips parted.
“I love you too, Fluttershy," Pinkie answered, slowly rubbing her hoof down Fluttershy’s side. “Are you ready?” she asked as her hoof paused just before the trio of butterflies on Fluttershy’s flank.
Fluttershy had never known if she was ready for such a step before. Earlier in the day she had thought she was, but then when Pinkie Pie seemed to be making a party out of it her certainty had waned. However, right in this moment, Fluttershy had never been more certain of anything. Without hesitation, Fluttershy gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, and Pinkie Pie slowly moved her hoof lower.
Fluttershy shuddered in bliss.