Date Night
by ashi
Chapters
I. Be Yourself
“Oh, Fluttershy, hey,” Twilight Sparkle said, acknowledging her pegasus friend with a cheery wave as she opened the door to the Castle of Friendship. “Is there something that you need? You can come with us if you like-” she gestured to her dragon companion “-we're just on our way into town to pick up some odds and ends.”
Fluttershy's limpid blue eyes flitted between the alicorn, the baby dragon, and the cartoonishly-long scroll dangling between them, held aloft only by the power of Twilight's magic. “Uh, maybe I should stop by when you're a bit less busy.”
“Nonsense,” said Twilight cheerfully, dropping the scroll on top of Spike's head. “I always have time for my friends. Now what do you need me for?”
“It's, um, a bit delicate ...”
“Oh.” Twilight drew the single syllable out to comical proportions, clapping her hooves together excitedly as she did so. “It's about the big date tonight, isn't it?”
From underneath the scroll, Spike managed to say, “Fluttershy has a date?” His incredulity only served to make Fluttershy feel even more stupid, even though he was the one struggling to control an unruly scroll. “An actual date? With another pony? Who is real and exists?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy said, managing to squeak the single word out of her recalcitrant mouth.
“Nice,” said Spike, inclining his head slightly, wondering who the lucky/unfortunate mare or stallion was. “Anypony that we know?”
“Maybe?” Fluttershy said hesitantly. Shaking her head, she added, “It isn't important.” To Twilight, she said, “As you can imagine, I'm really nervous about it and I'm looking for advice about what to do. It's my first date and I'm-”
“-Really nervous, yeah, so I gathered,” said Twilight with the kind of compassionate, loving smile that only she could pull off. To her flustered friend, she said, “Admittedly, I'm not an experting on dating either, but my research on the subject suggests that the most important thing is to be yourself.”
“Be myself? I can do that. I've been doing that my whole life.”
Letting Fluttershy finish before continuing, Twilight added, “That doesn't mean telling them every bad habit of yours up front, though. There's no point in pretending that you have the same opinions on books, films, politics and the like. They'll only be more disappointed down the line when they discover who you really are.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “That's really great advice, Twilight, thanks.” On impulse, she hugged the alicorn. “I'll let you two get back to your shopping now.” With that, she took off into the sky at her usual snail's pace.
Barely out of earshot, Spike said, “Fluttershy? Dating?” The dragon was having trouble processing the news and he looked around anxiously. “We need to be on the lookout for four scary dudes riding horses that breathe fire, right?”
“Come on, Spike,” replied Twilight with a roll of her mulberry eyes, using her magic to drag both dragon and scroll along in her wake.
II. Be Fabulous
“Fluttershy, darling!” Rarity said in her usual enthused tones as the demure pegasus made her meek, meandering way into Carousel Boutique. “I'm just at this very moment putting the finishing touches to your dress for tonight. I should have it ready for a trial run in about an hour or so. Here, what do you think of it so far?”
Held in the unicorn's blue magical field was a garment of glittering silver; it was bedecked with a liberal amount of shiny stones, and Fluttershy got the feeling that if she stared at long enough she would go blind. She help up a hoof in order to ward off the worst of the glare. “It's, um, it's absolutely lovely as always, Rarity, but maybe just a smidge too garish?”
“Smidge? Garish?” Rarity's mouth opened in surprise at this review of her hard work. “Absolute nonsense, dear. If you want your first date to be a success, then you're going to have knock them dead with fabulosity!”
In that dress, thought Fluttershy, they'll probably be knocked dead from the silver poisoning first. “I'm sure the dress will be perfect when it's finished, Rarity. I'm not really here about that.”
“Ah.” Stopping her hemming, Rarity turned to look at her friend with a soft expression. “You're a bit pensive about tonight, aren't you?”
“Yes. Do you have any advice so that I don't make a complete fool of myself?” asked Fluttershy.
“I can't speak for any other pony, of course, but to me the most important thing is to make a good first impression on your paramour,” said Rarity, stroking her chin thoughtfully while fiddling with a darning needle using her magical grasp, almost poking herself in the process. “You need to be dazzling, you need to be vivacious, you need to leave them in no doubt that you are their perfect match! You need to be memorable.”
“Memorable?” Fluttershy felt her eyes widening at this information; her whole life had been spent in pursuit of the exact opposite goal, and she wasn't sure how to go about reversing that trend.
“Don't worry about it, sweetness,” Rarity said gently, offering Fluttershy a reassuring look. “You may be nervous now, but once you slip into this-” she waved the dress in front of her friend's muzzle “-I can personally guarantee that you'll stop anypony in their tracks.”
Not feeling any better about the situation but trusting Rarity's judgement, Fluttershy thanked her. “I'll see you later, then,” she said, appreciating the effort that the unicorn was going to on her behalf. It wasn't everypony who would take time out of a packed schedule to make them a bespoke dress.
“Toodles, dear!”
III. Be Awesome
As it usually did, a cry of excitement preceded the appearance of the cyan pegasus herself; a matter of inches from Fluttershy's muzzle, a fluffy white cloud met its end – or at least, the end of Rainbow Dash's hoof – bursting into a cooling shower of rain that drenched the pair of them.
A throaty, crackly giggle rung out.
Bucking clouds into oblivion, getting dirty, fighting her way out of a scrape or two … these were the moments that Rainbow Dash lived for. If she was in possession of a romantic bone somewhere in that sleek, athletic body, it was probably about the same size as her stapes.
Fluttershy regarded her best friend with a smile, wondering about the twist of fate that had drawn them together; she enjoyed the quiet serenity of her cottage, tending to her many animal visitors, and the number of things that she had in common with Rainbow Dash was practically zero.
Still, their relationship had endured – grown stronger, even – since their fillyhood days.
“So. Looking forward to tonight?” Rainbow Dash asked, a smirk breaking out across her muzzle. “I can't believe it. After all these years, you're finally going on a date.” She mimed wiping a tear out of her eye. “I'm so proud of my little girl.”
With a patient smile, Fluttershy absorbed her friend's mocking. “I'm scared,” she said, holding her hooves up in surrender. “I just want everything to go smoothly, but I don't know what to do, and I'm kinda close to freaking out.”
“Freaking out isn't cool,” replied Rainbow Dash sternly, “so don't do that. It's lucky that you ran into me.”
“It is?”
“Mm-hm,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding. Puffing out her chest, she added, “You've gotta be awesome if you wanna win somepony's heart!” Performing a little aerial ballet around Fluttershy, she treated her to a couple of well-rehearsed karate chops and even a couple of flying kicks that she'd just learned. “Always show them your best side. Be confident and brave, even if it's the exact opposite of how you're really feeling! Nothing's gonna stand in your way of you've got the attitude, yeah!”
Confident and brave. Much like Rarity's advice, it had been designed for another pony entirely, one who hadn't spent their entire life striving to be anything else but gregarious. Yes, there were times when being brave was necessary – rescuing a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest, for example – but to do so simply to win the approval of another? It felt like cheating. She wasn't so sure that she could do that.
Rainbow Dash saw the doubt etched on Fluttershy's muzzle. “You don't want them to think that you're lame, do you?”
“Goodness, no, that's the last I want!” Fluttershy frowned. “I just want them to like me for me, even if I'm not as courageous as … as other ponies.”
“There's nothing wrong with being a bit outgoing, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash. Her eyes scanned the horizon. “Well, I gotta get back to work now. Good luck tonight!” She zoomed off, leaving a polychromatic trail, to the next cloud on her itinerary.
IV. Be Practical
Strolling up to the fence with two full buckets of apples strapped across her back, Applejack scoffed in amusement as Fluttershy recounted Rainbow Dash's advice to her. “What the hay does that featherbrain know about anything that isn't bucking clouds, anyway?” she asked. “Don't get me wrong, you won't get anywhere by being a wallflower, but getting all up in somepony's muzzle just to make an impression is not the best way of earning their respect.”
Fluttershy offered her friend a smile; watching Applejack work the farm was relaxing, and she often felt closer to the earth pony due to their shared love of nature. “So. What would you say is the most important thing about dating, then?”
“Honestly?” Applejack stopped and thought for a moment, scratching the back of her sweat-drenched neck as she did so. “I guess most ponies appreciate you making an effort for them. Let them know that you're trying, that you're interested in what they say, and that you're willing to work together on the things that you each find bothersome.”
“What do you mean, things that you each find bothersome?”
“Well, ponies are a pretty diverse bunch, aren't they? You might find somepony who is a lot like you, or you might end up with somepony who runs completely contrary to you. Either way, they aren't gonna love absolutely every little thing about you, nor are you gonna love absolutely everything about them, so you kinda have to meet in the middle, don't you?”
“You mean … hide yourself?” asked Fluttershy.
“No, not that at all,” said Applejack, a little bit too forcefully. Regaining control, she elaborated, “Just, in the beginning at least, you won't want to accentuate the negative aspects of yourself, right? You'll try to minimise them, at least until you're used to each other, you know? It's about compromise, give-and-take.”
“That makes sense,” Fluttershy said. “I mean, I can imagine it would be irritating for others if I had a bunch of animals-” absent-mindedly, she fished around in her mane and retrieved a small dormouse that had been residing there and fed him a piece of cheese “-around me all the time, wouldn't it?”
Grinning, Applejack said, “Yeah, I reckon it would. Especially if they're allergic to animals.” Setting her sights back on the farm, she reflected on how there was still much to do before she could call it quits; being flighty and romantic was fine in bursts, but at the end of the day practicality was what mattered most. Plus, her family depended on the produce that she provided. “See ya later, sugarcube. Have fun!”
“I'll do my best. 'Bye!”
V. Be Fun
“You silly filly,” Pinkie Pie said, balancing several plates of cakes and other confectionery on her head and forelegs, “you should have come to me first if you were looking for advice.”
Somehow, the pink earth pony navigated her way through the busy confines of Sugarcube Corner without dropping anything, making sure that every dish made it to its intended recipient. Pinkie Pie had a habit of pulling stunts like this off, yet nopony had ever questioned why. Well, Twilight Sparkle had tried, but she'd quickly given up, coming to the same conclusion as the rest of Equestria:
She was just being Pinkie Pie!
“There's no great shakes to making a great squeeze,” she said, making her way back to the counter where Fluttershy stood, “you just gotta be fun!”
At the mention of the word fun, a bouquet of brightly-coloured confetti bloomed into existence behind her, even though the party cannon was in storage in her bedroom at the moment. Fluttershy felt that she did a great job of not jumping out of her skin at the sudden noise and colour.
For their part, the denizens of Sugarcube Corner took it in their stride. They were fairly used to these oddities by now.
“Fun?” said Fluttershy. “Huh, I'm pretty sure I can do that.”
“Sure you can,” Pinkie Pie replied, narrowing her eyes at the pegasus. “Hit me with your best joke!”
“My wha-?”
“Best joke,” Pinkie Pie said, a bit louder and a hair more impatiently than before. Gesturing to the waiting customers, she added, “I got people to serve, missy. Best joke. Now!”
“Uh, well, that is to say ...” Not accustomed to being on the spot like this, Fluttershy's mind reeled; part of her wanted to run away and hide, but another, altogether smaller and weedier part, demanded that she stay and fight her corner. Eventually, she hit on something in the dusty recesses of her memory. “Why did the horse cross the road?”
“I dunno. Why did the horse cross the road?”
“Because somepony shouted Hay!”
An uncomfortably long moment passed in silence in which Pinkie Pie just stared at Fluttershy, and the pegasus began to grow more and more nervous as the intense eye-contact refused to abate; just as the tension became unbearable, the earth pony hit the deck with a tremendous thud and erupted in a fit of giggles. Writhing around on the floor, unable to contain her cacophonous laughter, she managed to say in between convulsions, “Oh, Celestia, that was a good one, Fluttershy! I mean, Hay! I didn't even see it coming!”
“It wasn't that funny,” Fluttershy said quietly, but secretly she couldn't help but be delighted with Pinkie Pie's response, even if she was milking it just a tad.
Literally, milk was pouring out of her ears and nose.
It made the tiny one percent of her that wasn't a quivering wreck believe that she could, in fact, pull tonight off without looking like a colossal fool.
“I really do have to serve these customers, though,” Pinkie Pie said, recovering her composure.
“Oh, right, sorry.” Fluttershy scarpered in a flash.
“Hay,” Pinkie Pie said, snorting in amusement.
VI. Belie
At last, the night was here, and Fluttershy could feel the caterpillars starting to hatch into butterflies within the confines of her stomach; the dress that Rarity had made fit her perfectly, of course, and even in the modest light of her bedroom it still sparkled with a ferocity that would've made Celestia's sun jealous. Angel Bunny sat on the edge of the bed, scrutinising her appearance in much the same way that a protective father would.
Her real father, she knew, would probably freak out worse than she would over the prospect of her going on a date, though.
“How do I look?” Fluttershy asked, turning to face Angel Bunny with her forelegs spread in an open gesture.
For a moment, the rabbit just stared, his expression unreadable, before giving her a wide smile. He tried to communicate through hand signals and body language all the things that he wished he could actually say to her:
You look gorgeous.
I hope everything goes well for you.
If your date screws things up, I will personally hunt them down and deliver righteous lagomorph justice.
“Thanks,” she said, petting him softly on the head. Just as Fluttershy was putting the finishing touches to her make-up – she wasn't normally one to indulge, but tonight was a special night after all, and she had to remember what Rarity had said about making an impression – when the doorbell rang. “Wish me luck!”
Making her way downstairs, she took several deep breaths to calm the raging torrent that was her nerves. This is it, she told herself quietly, don't lose it now.
Upon opening the door, Fluttershy was confronted with the sight of five of the most beautiful mares in Equestria standing on her threshold; equally as dolled-up as she was, the most attractive feature of the group still managed to be the beatific smiles that they favoured her with. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie might have been doing a better job of hiding it, but she was sure that they were just as nervous about the date as she was.
“Are you ready?” Twilight asked, offering Fluttershy her hoof. Four more quickly followed suit.
Fluttershy looked at each other their faces in turn; they were the most beautiful, most kind and caring, most wonderful ponies in the world, and she wanted nothing more than for this night to turn out perfectly. “I'm ready,” she finally said after a moment's hesitation, taking the proffered hooves in her own. Amazingly, she felt much of her trepidation dissipating with that single statement. “I really am ready.”
“All right, then!” Pinkie Pie said exuberantly, another explosion of confetti that showered the group seemingly coming out of nowhere. “Let's get this party started.”
Together, the friends made their way into Ponyville; in the coming weeks, there would be much to discuss, but tonight was all about, as Pinkie Pie had said, having fun. They would drink, they would dance, they would laugh, and they would show Fluttershy that relationships were nothing to be afraid of when you were with the right pony.
Er, ponies.