Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had walked out to the countryside to the east of Ponyville, and now sat together in the warm afternoon air in the middle of a long, grassy isthmus that separated the twin lakes on either side of them.

"Dash, I'm sorry that we had to walk," said Fluttershy, blushing lightly, and scrunching her shoulders in towards her body in apology. Her marefriend, Rainbow Dash, set down the picnic basket she had been holding in her mouth, grinned, and puffed out her chest. Rainbow had gone so far as to arrange for a metal boat to be delivered here in advance of their date, and secretly felt proud of herself for taking the initiative to do so. She'd rented an old, wide rowboat for only a few bits—and more impressively, she'd overcome her tendency to procrastinate, and had made sure that the boat was available a few days in advance, rather than waiting until the last minute to make arrangements. "Flutters, this date is going to be the best we have had yet. And don't you worry about having to walk," she continued, scooting closer to Fluttershy, "what with your wing being broken and all". Dash nuzzled Fluttershy's wing with the tip of her nose, making sweet cooing sounds as she did. Fluttershy shivered at Rainbow's first touch, and then pressed her side into Rainbow's muzzle a bit too eagerly. "Ow! Sorry, um," said Fluttershy, drawing back. "I guess that Nurse Redheart didn't want me to use that wing for three more months, and it'll be several weeks before I can even start physical therapy at all. Sorry that it still hurts".

Rainbow Dash smiled, and then paused for a beat. "Uh, hey, Flutters. There's no need to worry about that ruining our afternoon, because you know that I'm always good at winging it." Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly, and Fluttershy giggled lightly in return, softly snuggling the back side of her head into Rainbow's neck. She rubbed her head up and down against the soft skin of Rainbow Dash's neck, basking in her lover's warmth. After a moment, Dash snuck a hoof around Fluttershy's withers, and wrapped her in a tight hug, lovingly rocking her back and forth again and again. The two mares remained entwined like this for some time.

When the two ponies separated from their hug, Fluttershy was the first to speak. "I'm actually really looking forward to this, because, well, I like letting you be in charge, and just being out on the water where you're the only one who can fly off... I guess that I could paddle around in the boat, but I never learned how to swim. If it's ok with you, I think that letting you have that kind of power of mobility over me sounds really romantic, Dash." Rainbow Dash continued to listen, and experimentally took Fluttershy's ear into her mouth, to see what it would feel like to softly gnaw on it, and lick it with her tongue. Rainbow decided that it felt wonderful, and sighed in pleasure while Fluttershy continued to speak, despite her ear being held captive. "Actually, if you wanted, maybe we could eat out on the lake—we could leave the picnic basket here, and you could be in charge of flying out courses to us as you saw fit."

Rainbow Dash let go of Fluttershy's ear to respond, "that sounds great, Flutters." Rainbow stretched briefly as she got up and surveyed the two lakes on either side of the isthmus. She saw three young earth pony colts—none of whom she recognized—paddling around in their own boat far off in one lake, but noticed that the other lake was clear of boating ponies. It was unusual to see other ponies this far out from Ponyville, though it was understandable that anypony might want to take advantage of the nice day to spend time outside with their friends. "Hey Flutters," Dash asked, "do you want to hop in the boat before I push it off? We'll head out to the lake on the right, so that those colts can have the other lake to themselves." Fluttershy blushed, and shot Rainbow Dash a silly grin. "I mean, that sounds good to me, I wouldn't mind some, um, some privacy and alone time with you." Fluttershy eagerly hopped in the boat, and waited for Rainbow Dash to push it off.