Fluttershy was in Rarity's bedroom being her model again. Every new creation Rarity made she had Fluttershy try on and model it for her so she could see how it looked. Rarity said Fluttershy's proportions were perfect. In fact, Rarity said the two of them should go into business together. She could be the designer and Fluttershy could be her model and muse. She would even fake a french accent sometimes when she said it.

Fluttershy loved the idea but had no interest in being in the public eye. What she really wanted to do was work with animals. She loved the animal shelter and thought about something like that but only bigger. Maybe she would buy a farm and turn that into a huge animal sanctuary. She could become a veterinarian, but the idea of operating on animals or putting them to sleep, even if it was for their own good, was something she couldn't see herself being able to do.

No matter what she did or decided to do, she knew it was all out there for her now. These last few months had given her a sense of freedom and happiness she had never known before. The world seemed alive with new possibilities. She was no longer afraid to get dressed in the morning, afraid of saying the wrong thing, of just breathing. The weight of worry had been lifted from her shoulders and it was hard to not just give in and go hog wild.

"Alright Fluttershy darling, go look in the mirror; see what you think," Rarity said, knocking Fluttershy out of her daydreams.

Fluttershy walked over to the mirror to see how she looked. Rarity's latest dress as an evening gown. The main color was a gorgeous, deep, royal purple. Accent colors were teal and white. It had a nice v-cut neckline that was low enough to pique interest, but not so low as to look slutty. The top was extremely form fitting and flared out a bit at the waist. On the left breast there was a small outline of a butterfly.

"Oh Rarity; it's beautiful!" Fluttershy was amazed at not just how well the dress looked but how she looked in it. "You've out done yourself this time."

Rarity smiled. "You like it? Good, it's yours."

Fluttershy spun around with her hands over her mouth. Her eyes bulged in surprise. "Oh Rarity, I couldn't!"

"Honey, I made that for you. It's my gift. That butterfly there, that's you; what you've become, what you've blossomed into. You deserve it and it was an honor to make it for you."

Fluttershy went over to Rarity and gave her a giant hug. "Thank you. Thank you," she said.

"It's all right darling. Now, change back and we'll put this up in you closet ok?"

Fluttershy changed back into the clothes she had on before - white shirt and blue jeans. Rarity gently took the dress and folded it up and placed in a gift box she had from last years' Christmas. They went to Fluttershy's room and she put it on the top shelf in her closet. Fluttershy then laid on her bed and Rarity sat down on the floor beside it.

"Oh Rarity, since coming here, I can't tell you how much I've changed. The world is a brighter place, I feel more alive and assertive, you've help me become an entirely different person."

"Oh pish-posh darling. You always were this person. You just needed the space to realize it."

Fluttershy laid back on her bed and put her hands behind her head. "Rarity, you ever think about the future? About who you'll marry and all that."

"You know I do. We've talked about it lots of times before." Rarity was a bit confused by Fluttershy's question. They had had so many conversations about the future that the question was without any reason.

"I know. But, I don't know, I mean seriously. Everyone thinks they're going to get this dream job, marry that perfect ten, have this wealth, all that. But life isn't like that. Things happen, things go wrong. Nobody thinks about those things; do they?"

"I can't say I like your line of questioning there darling. But, I suppose if people did think about the bad, you'd have no reason to pursue the good."

"I disagree. Thinking about the bad let's you plan for it, anticipate it. I think about the bad. I think about the good as well. I think more about the good now more than ever."

"I'm glad for you darling, but, I guess for most people we need necessary delusions. We need to think we'll be ultra successful, even though we know the odds are stacked against us. It's like the lottery, which I do know something about. Everyone knows that their odds of winning are nil to none. But they also know that someone has to when it eventually and that person's odds are just as low as everyone else's. So what brought all this up?"

"Just thinking. I never would have guessed my life would have turned out as well as it has these past few months. But I never thought my life would have been as bad as it was when I was a little girl, before my dad left. I've seen bad, I've seen good, it's all just random. Most of it. You never know what to expect or what's coming or why."

"True. So much of life is out of our control. A person can chose not to drink and drive for their own safety; but then get hit by a drunk driver on their way to work."

"Rarity, you know how I feel about Bulk right?"

"Oh darling, not this again." Rarity shook her head in disbelief.

"He's everything, or near everything I want in a man, but I'm not allowed to have him. Twilight is in her late twenties, but she and Flash are together. Sonata is way older than Pinkie . . ."

"Darling," Rarity cut Fluttershy off, "Sonata is so old, a hundred year old would be a child to her. The rules don't apply there. And Twilight has the body of an age appropriate girl for Flash." Rarity sighed. "It's unfair. I know what you're getting at. You see it in the news all the time; a thirty year old teacher, mother, sleeps with a teenage boy, everyone rushes to her defense. A thirty year old man sleeps with a teenage girl, everyone calls for the hanging tree. Some call that 'female privilege'; if it is, it's a very back-handed privilege. Society puts thirty year old women and teenage boys on the same emotional and sexual level. Basically, we have to be adults just to be seen as competent as a boy. I find that insulting and inexcusable. But more than that, I think it's what contributes to our 'rape culture' more than anything. Boys are told to go out and 'get some' at all costs. We, on the other hand, are told to say no at all costs. We're even told we don't even have the intellectual capacity to give consent. Well when you have boys and men being told they have to get laid and girls and women told they can't; well you get one of two things: rape or prostitution. And frankly being a victim or a whore is not part of my plans."

Fluttershy continued to look at her ceiling. "I know. I know I should find someone else; but who, how? As I said, good and bad."

"My suggestion; don't worry. It will come when it comes. The thing is not to worry about finding a man; but finding you."

Fluttershy turned her head and looked at Rarity. "Thank you Rarity."

*********************************************************************************************************

The next day, after Fluttershy was done at the shelter, she went walking through the park. She liked to unwind in the setting summer sun, the sound of children getting in one last play before they had to go home, the sound of birds and squirrels coming out to pick up the scraps left by picnickers. She watched couples walk by, holding hands, some kissing. Some people ran, some jog, some walked, others rode bikes or skateboards. Each was lost in their own world. Occasionally a male would go by and check her out, she pretended not to notice but would laugh to herself in her mind.

As she rounded a corner, she saw Bulk sitting on a stone wall by the basketball court. She walked over with a smile on her face. He didn't appear to be doing anything, just sitting. She decided to she was going to talk to him. "Bulk, hi!" she called out and waved.

Bulk looked over, smiled, and waved back. "Flut . . .ter. . .shy! How . . . are . . .you?"

Fluttershy got to the wall and hoped up beside Bulk. "I'm ok. Just came here to relax. How are you?" She was as close to Bulk as she dared without actually touching him. She wanted to, wanted to put her arm around him and lay her head on his shoulder. But she knew she couldn't.

"Good. I . . . come . . . here . . . for . . . the . . . sunset. From . . . here . . . you . . . can . . . see . . . the . . . whole . . . park."

Fluttershy looked and Bulk was right. From this point, the park, all it's trees and playsets and sports fields and all the people were visible. And the way the trees were planted, the provided a natural framing to the sky as the sun set. "Wow. I bet it is beautiful. Mind if I watch it with you?"

"No. You're . . . my . . . friend. I . . . would . . . love . . . to . . . have . . . you . . . here."

Fluttershy smiled and rubbed Bulk's back. It was a shy, exploratory move, just to see how he'd react. Although she knew it didn't matter how he reacted. He was 25, she was 16 and that was a societal no-no. Bulk just smiled in return and went back to looking at the park. Fluttershy also turned back to the park. In the distance she saw a silhouette walking towards them. As the person drew closer she could see it was female, then a young female, and finally she saw who it was; Derpy.

Derpy was a beautiful blonde haired girl from Fluttershy's school. She also had down syndrome. Fluttershy had met and even talked to Derpy on several occasions. She liked the girl but wondered why she was coming over to them now.

"Hi . . . Derpy!" Bulk called out and waved. Fluttershy looked at him confused then back to Derpy.

"Hi Bulk! Hi Fluttershy! Nice to see you here!" Derp said with genuine affection.

"Uh, thanks Derpy. What brings you here?" Fluttershy didn't want to sound rude, but she did want this time to be alone with Bulk.

"Me and Bulk always watch the sunset together." The way Derpy said it, it was as if this was common knowledge and she was surprised Fluttershy didn't already know this.

"Oh!" Fluttershy responded in surprise and looked at Bulk.

"Some . . . boys. . . were . . . picking . . . on . . . her. I . . . stopped . . . them. We . . . became . . . friends."

Fluttershy's heart sank. But what did she expect? Even if Derpy had never come along, what did she really think was going to happen? She was being foolish and she knew it. Maybe it was best Derpy did show up; save her from going down this dead end road any further.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I join in?" Fluttershy asked as sweetly as she could. She was sad and disappointed, but she had no one to blame but herself. Bulk and Derpy certainly weren't to blame.

"No problem Fluttershy. You're our friend too. Glad to have you!" Derpy said as she hopped up beside Fluttershy.

Together they watched the sun go down. For them it was ritual, for Fluttershy it was a living symbol of all her hopes for her and Bulk.

****************************************************************************************************************

Fluttershy was eating her lunch outside today. It was another cloudless, sunny day. In some ways that was really bad since California was in a drought, but Fluttershy still loved a good blue sky. Right down from the shelter was a small café where she liked to eat at. She could watch everyone driving and walking past. Sometimes she would come up with names and stories for the people she saw. It was her thing.

"Uh, hi. Fluttershy right?"

Fluttershy turned around to see a boy from her school standing before her. He had dreadlocks that were dyed green and a blue cap. He wore a vest with a peace sign on it. He was handsome but she had never really gotten to know him. "Yes, hi," she said nicely in return.

"I'm Sandalwood. We go to school together. Mind if I sit with you?"

Fluttershy could tell he was nervous. It was really an amusing turn of events that someone should be nervous to meet her. "No. Go ahead. I would enjoy the company."

"Thanks," he said and sat down. "I wanted to ask first. Didn't want to invade your personal space."

"It's fine. So what brings you here?"

"Oh, well I was collecting signatures on a petition to ban all fracking in the United States. But then I got hungry, so I came here. My Uncle owns the place, so I eat free. Well, not free, I got to do chores for him, but I don't have to pay money. You?"

"I work in the animal shelter there. I'm just on lunch."

"Awsome! Helpin' the little critters out. No doubt. I wouldn't mind helping out. Need anymore people?"

"Sure. We could always use more volunteers. We don't have any paying positions right now though. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no way. I just want to help in whatever way I can."

"Good. Be here tomorrow at seven a.m. . Oh, and my friend Rarity and I will be volunteering at the homeless shelter on Sunday if you want to come there. We'll be there at ten."

"Whoa, you're like super awesome there Fluttershy."

Fluttershy titled her head to the right and narrowed her eyes. "Sandal, do you want to go out on a date sometime?

"Um, well, ah, um, " Sandalwood stammered. He had been attracted to Fluttershy since eighth grade. He had hoped volunteering at the shelter would be a way to get closer to her so he could ask her out. Hearing her ask that that caught him off guard. Was she serious or just feeling him out? He was afraid to answer one way or the other for fear of screwing up.

Fluttershy laughed. "It's ok. I'll do it. Providing you show up here tomorrow."

"Will do!" Sandal responded enthusiastically.

For the rest of the time the two just talked about everything and anything they could.

Author's Notes:

Yes I'm shipping Fluttershy with him. With this chapter I wanted to concentrate on Fluttershy's growth as a person. Her journey get's wrapped up tomorrow. Then I really got to knuckle down and pick up the pace if I want to be done by next Saturday.