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.