The day had begun like any other before it for Fluttershy. That is until she got a wonderful surprise visit from a certain special somepony.

Her rooster Filibuster had made it his mission that Fluttershy would greet the day as per usual along with the rising sun. After rubbing the waning memories of her dreams from her eyes she drifted down to her kitchen to start simmering a pot of alfalfa soup. As she carefully added the savory and basil into the pot she realized she decided to try something a little more bold that morning; so she indulged herself with a single sprinkle of nutmeg for a bit of extra spike.

Fluttershy turned the burner to low so it could simmer while she tended to her pet chickens in the yard. By the time she reached the coup with the feedbag resting on her back Filibuster was already strutting about the pen. He seemed to be putting on a show for Elizebeak and Mary, the only hens in the coup he had yet to woo with his impressive (albeit competitionless) swag. Fluttershy gave him a sympathetic tut while she filled the feed tray with the morning’s grains, as the two hens spurred his every advance.

“Oh come on Buster, leave those two alone… you know I bet Clucknee has been feeling lonesome recently.”

Buster flapped his wings at her and clucked a protest, but marched none the less towards the feed tray to join the girls in breakfast. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle as he went around the tray to eat on the other side of the crowd away from Mary and Elizebeak.

Fluttershy put the feed bag away before returning to check on her simmering breakfast with those two hens still on her mind. They were so lucky to have each other after all. They were always nestled close in the coop, always eating together, and when Elizebeak had gone missing the evening Fluttershy babysat Rarity’s sister and her friends Mary was inconsolable. Fluttershy paused in front of her stove as she saw the reflection in the window just above it… she was positively flustered! Sure it was true she might be pining a little bit for somepony… But for her to be jealous, and of her own pet chicken’s relationship? That’s just silly!

Sitting down at her table, the first sip of her soup told her it was definitely under cooked. Apparently in her fluster she had rushed her morning routine and forgotten to turn the stove back to medium while she did the dishes. Fluttershy finished half her breakfast with half a heart before deciding that her own little internal drama had ruined her appetite for the morning. So she took the remainder of the soup and set it in front of Angel’s bed. He had always preferred his alfalfa on the rare side; hopefully he wouldn’t figure out this meal wasn’t specifically made for him today. After managing to leave the soup next to his bed without waking him Fluttershy set about for the rest of her morning chores.

It was about eight twenty when Fluttershy finished providing the drove of animals she provided sanctuary for with their various breakfasts. She sat at the table in her front lawn with a fresh cup of sweet red tea to admire the meadows that separated her humble cottage from the rest of Ponyville. Her eyes drifted up and towards the northern mountain range, where Canterlot nestled against the mountainside a watchful sentry over the kingdom. Her heart sank as she thought of Twilight, whom had moved back in with the Princess a few months prior to begin studying more advanced spell crafts and training to become the Princess’s royal advisor. The departure had been heart breaking; and even though the group still writes and she visits when she can… the distance felt like worlds and each day without her friend felt like years to her. Twilight was one of the few ponies who ever visited Fluttershy other than to ask for her help with an animal (though there was that one encounter with Princess Luna). It was refreshing while it lasted to have a friend who was almost as socially awkward as herself. And when Twilight grew and learned to be more social she had grown also… maybe not as much as Twilight, and maybe nopony else had noticed it. But the bookmare had helped her feel a little more confident in herself during her stay in Ponyville.

She tore her eyes away from the mountains to the skyline of the west only to feel her heart sink further. Off in the distance she could barely make out the blurry cluster of clouds and spires she knew as her old home; Cloudsdale. It wasn’t the old city she missed (in fact she’d be content not to have a reason to ever go back) but it reminded her of the other of the group who moved on with their lives. There was never any doubt in her mind that Rainbow Dash would someday join the Wonderbolts… she was the best flier in all of Equestria after all! But it had just not occurred to Fluttershy before that it would mean Dash would be out on the road and away from her friends in Ponyville. Or rather she had simply ignored that fact in a vane effort to stall heartache. Even though Rainbow Dash had bullied her some when they were younger, Dash was still the first real friend she had ever had. Fluttershy knew nothing would hurt her if Rainbow Dash was near by to come to the rescue. Sure she wasn’t quite that helpless anymore, and she’d even saved Rainbow’s life once or twice. But Fluttershy missed that unbreakable, doubtless confidence and strength that Dash was always radiating. Having somepony who believed so strongly in themselves also believe in her was something Fluttershy needed.

Fluttershy took a sip from her bittersweet red tea and let the melancholy force a sigh from her lips. It seemed like everypony she knew was moving on, and she was stuck living in the good old days. When Twilight left, Applejack began to manage even more of Sweet Apple Acres than she used to. AJ rarely visited her cottage to begin with; they lived on opposite fringes of Ponyville after all. Rarity became almost as busy as Applejack when Twilight left. A massive invoice from Canterlot had forced her to cancel their last two weekly spa visits. Fluttershy was happy her friends’ business ventures were seeing more success of course! But she was steadily losing excuses to leave her cottage and venture into town. The only friend who she really saw much of anymore was-

“Pinkie Pie…?” the yellow Pegasus’ ears perked and her head lifted when she caught sight of an oblong pink shape bouncing down the long curving path that connected her cottage with the town.

Heart fluttering and mind racing her wings quivered as she tried to figure out how to present herself to her surprise visitor without overacting.

Should I go meet her half way? No, maybe that would that look too desperate! Maybe I should pretend I didn’t see her! Ohh but I did see her… I couldn’t just pretend something like that, it’d be too mean! Maybe I should meet her at the gate? Or maybe I shou-

“Hi Fluttershy!” Pinkie’s face materialized so close to Fluttershy that by the time she snapped out of her internal monologue all she could see were a pair of big, bright, shimmering, deep blue eyes. Pinkie was so close Fluttershy could even feel warm breath on her face… it smelled like Strawberry Fruit Tarts!

“Eeep!” When Fluttershy’s brain caught up with her senses, she let out a startled squeal. Her wings shot out and flapped once against her will; propelling her back just enough to knock her chair over and drop her onto her back with a thud.

“Oops! Sorry Fluttershy!” Pinkie bounced around the table to Fluttershy and helped pull her to her hooves. “I didn’t mean to scare you, especially since I walked right up to you! I guess I don’t know my own sneakyness.” Pinkie giggled, playfully slinking around the yard with her head and upper body low to the ground while her round flank pointed skyward in a mock prowl.

“Oh, it’s okay Pinkie. I was um…” Fluttershy fumbled her words. She couldn’t say ‘I was trying to figure out how to greet you’ but she didn’t have any other suitable excuse. So all that came out was a meek “distracted.”

“That’s okay Fluttershy! Oh, before I forget!” Pinkie swung her butt to the left to bring her tail within reach, then stuffed her face into the tangled pink mass. After a few inappropriate noises her face came out of the fluff with a small promotional flyer in her mouth. “We’re having a bake sale promotional down at Sugar Cube Corner! There’ll be LOTS of free samples and discounts, and you get the super special Pinkie Pie’s best friend discount on top of it! I’d really like you to come by, even if it’s just for the free SAMPLES!” Pinkie leapt into the air and hung there just long enough for Sir Isaac Hoofton to turn in his grave. She clearly already had more than her share of the samples before she came to visit.

Fluttershy felt the melancholy from earlier buckle and peel away from her under the gale of the pink tornado that swept through her front yard.

“Oh! I-I’d love to come. Uhm… I’ll just be a second to get my coin purse.”

Fluttershy abandoned her red tea and galloped into her cottage. After over looking her coin purse three times in her excited search she found it where it has always been; on the stand next to the front door.

Coin purse safely tucked under her right wing, she hurried out the door again praying Pinkie hadn’t gotten bored and went on ahead. The lump in her stomach at the idea vanished momentarily when she saw Pinkie leaning forward in the front lawn smelling the honeysuckle flowers budding from the tangles about her fence. That same lump took up new residence in her throat when she saw Pinkie’s rear was pointed immodestly at her, however. The small jingle of Fluttershy’s coin purse hitting the dirt alerted the pink earth pony that her friend had returned. Fluttershy quickly sat back and picked up the coin purse with her mouth; face nearly the same shade of pink as her hair. Fluttershy’s head was swimming.

Why did my darn wings have to do that?! Couldn’t she have been sniffing in a less compromising pose?! WHY am I still thinking about it?!?!

“Ready to go?” Pinkie just smiled contently at her friend, and nodded towards the road.

“Mhmm…” the yellow equine nodded while desperately trying to calm herself down.

Without even a passing thought as to why Fluttershy had decided to pitch a wingspan Pinkie turned and lead the way hopping along the dirt road towards the sleepy hamlet with Fluttershy trotting in hoof.

Butterflies all abound within her head, in her stomach, and adorned on her flank Fluttershy found her eyes drifting to her pink friend just in front and to the right of her. Pinkie was the only pony aside from Twilight who visited her just for that, a visit. But unlike Twilight, Pinkie had never come to her just because she needed something. Even Rarity had often found a way to wrap her up in some absurd favor during their weekly spa visits. But every time she saw a bouncing pink form approaching her home from over the horizon she saw it leave her later with a fresh baked good, a colorful treasure (which she kept every one of in a box under her bed), an invitation to a party, or just a warm feeling that dwarfed even the glow of Celestia’s sun. Sure it felt good to be needed… but feeling wanted was much, much more special.

Even now while they walked Fluttershy was getting that infectious glow. As the pair drew towards town, Fluttershy’s taxed breath brought her to the realization that instead of trotting like normal, she had been skipping in metronome with Pinkie’s bounce for more than half the trip. She slowed down to gradually refill her lungs, her companion’s bounces never losing time but shortening in distance to keep up with the slackened pace.

“You look a little pooped Fluttershy!” Pinkie defied what little Fluttershy knew about aerodynamics, about facing mid air to land in front of her into a moonwalk.

“I’m *wheeze* fine Pinkie… I just got a teensy bit carried away *gasp* that’s all.” She was already having trouble breathing, and the pink equine’s antics were putting her on the verge of a small giggle fit. Fluttershy remembered Filibuster’s strutting from earlier that morning and she mused hopefully that Pinkie was showing off for her. Okay… so she probably wasn’t, but a girl can dream can’t she?

“Honk!”

Suddenly Pinkie’s face twisted absurdly and she honked when her rump squished against the side of a brick building she had backed into while moon walking. All of Fluttershy’s willpower and determination went into preventing the mortifyingly rude snort that sometimes came before her bouts of giggling.

Thank Celestia she pulled it off! Fluttershy semi gracefully fell into a fit of squeals and high pitch, soft laughter. Thinking nothing of it Pinkie joined her laughing before pointing a hoof up at the building she had bumped into.

“Hahaahaa~! I thought that building felt familiar! We’re here!” Pinkie was right, though Celestia can only guess why she knows how Sugar Cube Corner feels against her backside.

“Hehehee O-oh wow wehehe… ahem” Fluttershy collected herself “wow, we really are here. That sure was fast.” Fluttershy beamed up at the sudden bakery. Time really did fly when she was with Pinkie.

“C’mon!”

“Eek!” Fluttershy squeaked as Pinkie grabbed her around the shoulder and swept her inside.

While the heat in her ears faded Fluttershy was nearly lifted off the ground by her nose. The sweet smell of bread, fruit, and sugar that always saturated the Cake’s bakery (and Pinkie’s coat) had double the regular potency. The bakery was almost as full as one of Pinkie’s parties, though the streamers, party hats, games, and music were nowhere to be found. To make up for the lack of festive atmosphere there were three times the usual favors, snacks, and drinks. Each favor was in small sample portions and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were hard at work making sure everypony got no more or less than their share (although they had long given up on trying to manage Pinkie Pie).

The delightful little glutton was already loading up a plate balanced on her flank with a little bit of everything. Fluttershy stood up with no more intent than to approach the tables to tentatively pick at an item or two. But she was stopped when a silver platter of pastries resting on a cloud of cotton candy materialized before her.

“Try some! We’ve got crapes and cakes and cupcakes and cookies and sweetbreads and sour breads and muffins-“

“Muffins!” somepony in the crowded store agreed.

“-and pies and cakes that are shaped like pies and fruit tarts and donuts and hard candies and soft candies and cotton candies but not my hair even though it LOOKS like cotton candy it doesn’t taste like cotton candy! I should know, I’ve tried!”

“Ooh… my uhm. That’s a lot of food…” Fluttershy was practically aglow at the gesture if not overwhelmed by its presentation. The mountain of food being impressed upon her was more than she could dare stomach in a dozen meals however. She took the platter gratefully and sat down at one of the far vacant tables to watch Pinkie in hopes of discovering some secret or method to her ability to put away so much food.

But no secret could be deciphered as all Fluttershy could do was slowly enjoy a Strawberry Fruit Tart while marveling at the performance Pinkie was unintentionally putting on. Pinkie was somehow not only holding three separate conversations at once, but she was alternating bites between the pumpkin pie and the cheese cake in ether hoof. Once finished, she downed the pie and pie like cake with some bright green punch.

Fluttershy sighed as Pinkie enjoyed her way through a slice of Devil food cake. Next on her path was clearly the Angel food cake to even things out, when her bouncing came to an abrupt halt half way across the room. Fluttershy’s ears perked a bit, anticipating one of Pinkies wonderful, albeit unpredictably spontaneous songs. After a moment of silence Fluttershy squinted and saw Pinkie was blushing… no, she wasn’t quite blushing. It wasn’t easy to spot at first but Fluttershy’s heart chilled when she realized her friend’s entire face was a much darker pink than it should be.

“…Pinkie? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked tentatively, leaning on her chair towards her. She was worried Pinkie had bitten off more than she could swallow.

Pinkie’s left ear twitched and she turned her head towards Fluttershy with a giggle. Her face split with a big goofy grin.

“Heeheehee… I can’t feel my hooves!”

Fluttershy’s body turned to ice as her eyes snapped wide and her pupils contracted. Still wearing that stupid grin, Pinkie’s eyes rolled back and she began to lean to her left with no sign of stopping. All of Equestria slowed to a crawl as Fluttershy launched herself from her seat towards Pinkie, knocking aside the startled colt unfortunate enough to be in her path.

As the bright pink party pony collapsed into Fluttershy’s hooves, the normally quiet butter colored Pegasus brought the party to a grinding halt as she screamed with a window rattling volume she had only ever found one other time in her entire life.

“SOMEPONY CALL A DOCTOR!!!!”

~To be continued…