"Oh Discord, you're such a flatterer." I giggled blushing. Discord were in my garden having a lovely picnic. The day was lovely as well, not too hot and not too cold, just right.
"It's true, Fluttershy. You're eyes are a wonderful shade of blue." Discord smiled and took a bite of his cucumber sandwich.
I blushed for what seemed like the thousandth time today and nibbled in my sandwhich.
Suddenly, my pet bunny, Angel, came up to me hopping desperately. It seemed like he was telling me that I forgot something.
"Hey Cottontail, can't you tell we're in the middle of something here?" Discord crossed his arms in annoyance.
Then Angel squeaked, "You're late!"
I gasped and dropped my sandwich.
"I'm late for the appointment!"
"Late for the what?" Discord replied with a perplexed look.
"I had agreed with Rarity, AppleJack, and Pinkie pie to go with them to the spa today for some relaxation time." I explained. I was gathering all my things. "And my appointment started 5 minutes ago!" I looked around worriedly. "Where is my-" Discord had interrupted me by putting a finger from his paw on my lips.
"I understand, my dear. I'll get your things okay? I'll also teleport you there."
My face brightened, "Oh thank you, Discord!" I gave him a warm hug. "You're the best."
It was his turn to blush. "Oh Fluttershy, you flatterer." He chuckled, responding with the same words I had used. Then with a snap of his claws, I was gone.
...
"Sweet Celestia, where is Fluttershy?" Rarity complained looking at the clock on the wall. She and the others were already in the steam room.
"Simmer down, darlin'. It's only been 5 minutes." AppleJack groaned.
Pinkie started, "But what if she never comes? What if she was trampled or hurt on the way here? WHAT IF SHE FELL DOWN A WELL? OR-"
A little poof interrupted the pink pony and I was suddenly sitting next to them, a robe curled on top of my head.
"Hi girls."
"Where were you?" Rarity asked and raised and eyebrow at me.
"I was having a picnic with Discord and I had totally forgotten about our plans today. I'm sorry."
"Nah, It's quite alright, sugar cube." AppleJack smiled.
"Well now that that fiasco is over, I wanted to tell you guys something."
"Ooh! Can I guess? I love guessing games!" Pinkie giggled. "You designed a new wardrobe? Photo finish wants you as a model? You have a very special some pony?"
"The last one!" Rarity squealed.
AppleJack and I looked at each other and smiled.
"I'm so happy for you." I smiled giving her encouragement. The girls and I all congratulated her and then talked about each other's love interests.
"Fluttershy, we've all talked about our interests. What about yours?"
I blushed and hid behind my hair a little bit.
"Uh, well I don't really have a crush on anyone at the moment." I lied. I kind of had feelings for Discord. He makes me feel loved and special... and safe.
"Ooh! Then we can get you one." Rarity clapped her hooves. Pinkie pie's eyes brightened up as well.
"Yeah! Two words... online dating!" Pinkie laughed.
Applejack's ears perked up. "Online dating? Y'all are being crazy." AppleJack raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it would be perfect for her. Fluttershy is really pretty and likable. Who wouldn't go out with her?" Rarity giggled once more. Pinkie nodded aggressively in agreement. I blushed.
"You really think I'm pretty?" I whispered.
"Darlin', you're beautiful. Just the way you are."
"Yeah Fluttershy, I think you were born with natural beauty." Pinkie pie added.
Rarity also added, "All natural." in a french accent.
"Wow, girls." Tears of happiness forming in my eyes. "That is the sweetest thing."
We all enjoyed the rest of our time chatting about different things changing in our lives when one of the workers stopped in.
"You girls have 3 minutes." He said dully and left. Rarity and Pinkie pie faced me and gave me a devious smile. Then Rarity opened her lips.
"Let's make Fluttershy's dream come true."
...
"Name: Fluttershy. Age: um..."
"21." I said.
"21." Rarity repeated as well as typing it in the account. "Hobbies?"
"Anything with animals, I guess you can put singing, being with friends, and... relaxing?" I responded. Rarity nodded and typed it in.
"Oh, Fluttershy." Pinkie placed her hoof on my shoulder. "I can already feel that a lot of handsome stallions are going to want you!" Pinkie squealed. I gave her a nervous smile.
"Yeah... Woo hoo?" I giggled nervously.
"And... DONE!" Rarity exclaimed. "Ooh! I am so excited for you, sweetie!" Rarity hugged me, squeezing the breath out of me.
"Yeah, me too." I lied. Truth is I don't want some random person to be my special some pony. I don't feel like meeting strangers. I don't want to feel this way, and I certainly don't want to do this.
...
I turned this way and that way looking at my dress in the mirror. A Duke named Thorn Blaze had requested to meet me today about a week ago and I have been dreading of meeting him ever since. Everyday that went by my stomach created more and more butterflies than the last.
*flash back:
"WHAT? Some pony asked you out?" Discord crossed his arms. "When I get my hands on him..." Discord mumbled the last part to himself.
"Oh Discord, It's fine. It's just one measly date." I placed a hoof on his arm. His entire expression softened and he smiled at me.
"Okay fine. But if he hurts one hair on your head-"
I interrupted him with a giggle.
"Don't worry, I won't let him do anything to me."
He suddenly cupped my face in his paw, making me blush furiously. "I know." He sighed dreamily. "But if he even thinks of doing anything, use that stare of yours on him."JHe said. I giggled again using my hoof to slowly push his hand away.
"Oh, alright." *
"Oh, Darling! You look gorgeous." Rarity clasped her hooves over her mouth in awe.
"Yep! Definitely fit for a stallion." Pinkie pie nodded in agreement.
"Oh I don't know..." I flushed hiding behind my curtain of hair. "He probably doesn't even like me for who I am. I mean... I don't even know him!"
AppleJack nodded in agreement with me.
"It's true, y'all." AppleJack began, "Fluttershy, doesn't have to do this if she doesn't want to."
Oh thank goodness!
"But she certainly wants to," Rarity blurted glaring at AppleJack. "Do you not want her to be happy?"
"That's what a'm saying! I think she'll be happy finding out her true love on her own." AppleJack stared firmly at Rarity. "You know, maybe she doesn't even want a special some pony." AppleJack muttered under her breath. Rarity gasped.
"How could you say that? Of course she wants someone to love her!" Rarity countered. AppleJack was taken aback by her friend's reaction.
"How could you say that I meant that?" AppleJack growled and stormed out of the boutique. Rarity rolled her eyes and went back to fixing some ruffles and working on my dress. I whimpered. Rarity looked up and her gaze softened when she noticed how worried I was.
"Don't worry, darling. We are still friends, in the mean time I think you're done."
"Now go get that stallion!" Pinkie pie declared.
...
I walked up to this huge mansion, which is where Thorn Blaze supposedly lived. Without knocking, a pretty gray colored unicorn opened the door. She had pretty orange peach colored hair that was in a tight bun, sitting firmly on her head. She was also wearing a gray chef apron similar to her coat but darker. She snorted quietly and then called out.
"Duke Thorn Blaze, you're lady is here." She said dully in a British accent. She motioned her head inside. "Come in, miss."
The mansion was huge, it was fancy with white marbled floors. A bunch of portraits of what seemed to be Thorn Blaze were pinned up along the long narrow hallway walls. It was also oddly dark, despite the dozen of windows spread around. I followed the servant to what seemed to be the dining room. A long table was in the center of the room, a candle atop of the table with a single red rose in a vase.
"You can wait here, miss. The Duke will join you shortly." Then she left without saying another word. I stood awkwardly and looked around and saw more of those portraits with what seemed to be Thorn Blaze.
After a couple of minutes the door were thrown open and the same mare walked out. "Please welcome... The Duke!"
A dark blue stallion dressed in the finest of black tuxes walked in slowly. His hair was similar to the color of his coat but about 30% darker with some bright green highlights streaked through it. He walked past me to a chair. He pulled the chair out and I followed him thinking that he was getting the chair for me. Right as I got to the chair he sat down. I giggled nervously.
"Oh, heh heh..." I blushed and walked to the other side of the table and pulled out my chair for myself.
We sat in silence for what seemed like forever until he broke the silence.
"You look nice."
"Oh, thank y-"
"Of course not better than me." He interrupted and smiled slyly smoothing his hair back.
"Yeah... You look... handsome."
"Of course I do." He raised his nose in the air. I laughed nervously again.
He stared at me and then started again. "Well, do you have any hobbies? Even though by the looks of it you seem like you do nothing throughout the day."
"Uh... I sing and like being with animals." I commented. "And I do help my friends save Equestria sometimes..."
"You? Save Equestria... You have to be kidding me." He laughed a really snobby laugh. "You're a mare, everypony knows only stallions can do that sort of thing." Thorn Blaze conveyed. "Mares are useless, the only thing they can do right is give birth to our young colts."
"And that's all you see in girls?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Sort of, and if they're good at kissing and- Oh look the food is coming!"
I was so glad that was done before it ended. The servant I met earlier came in with a cart containing what seemed to be soup and vegetables. The servant explained the soup, but her accent made it hard to be able to understand what she was saying.
I took a silent sip of the soup, it was delicious! I caught Thorn Blaze eyeing me while I took small spoonfuls of the food. Then he took a very huge sip of the food himself. His eyes went huge and he quickly spit it out... all over me.
"Eugh! TULIP, YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO PUT EXACTLY 130 GRAINS OF SALT. NOT 131!" Thorn Blaze bellowed very loudly. He was so loud the pictures on the wall shook. The servant, which I now knew that her name was Tulip, came in nervously and had a very worried expression as if he was going to pull out a whip and whip her.
"Oh oh! I am so sorry Your royal Dukeness." She bowed and used her shaky hoof to take the bowl back to the kitchen. Thorn Blaze then looked at me with a neutral expression.
"You look wet."
"Oh am I? I hadn't noticed that you spit all over me!" I raised my nose in the air.
"Whatever, you know it's actually a blessing to have some of my DNA on you." He scoffed.
He has got to be kidding me. My eye twitched.
"You know what? You are the rudest colt I've ever encountered with, and that's saying A LOT." I exclaimed. The nerve this guy had! I leaned over the table to get closer to him. "How can your body contain that huge ego that you have?" I growled. Thorn Blaze leaned in closer to my face.
"Well you're no better! I didn't believe someone with your amount of disrespect actually existed, you peasant!"
"Well this peasant obviously acts better than the king!"
And that's... that's when he slapped me. HARD.
I ricocheted backwards, tears filled up my eyes but I tried to hold them back so he wouldn't see that he got to me. "I'm leaving! I hope one day someone teaches you a lesson about respect. You make me so... peeved!" I flipped my hair in a sassy manner and opened the door wide.
Before I walked out I coughed. "Excuse my language."
...
The first thing I did when I got home was curl up in my couch... and cry. It was the only thing that could make me feel better.
Angel hopped up on the couch next to me. "What's wrong? Did the date not go well?"
"No, The date was horrible! That Duke Thorn Blaze, he's such a JERK!" I scowled through gritted teeth. "He was rude, sexist, and... well... just had a terrible attitude towards me!" I scowled again. Then I buried my face into my pillow and cried more. Angle squeaked a squeak of sympathy and then started doing my hair. Whenever someone touched or played with my hair it made me feel better. It soothed me down.
Then I heard a familiar voice poof in my living room.
"So Fluttershy how did it go? Is he your... special somepony?" Discord asked the last part nervously. Discord sort of hoped that it went bad, he had feelings for Fluttershy as well, she was the only person that didn't make him feel like a monster, and around her he could be himself. Besides her kindness, she was gorgeous in his eyes.
I quickly wiped my tears away and did my best not to look at him. "It w- went great." I managed to squeak out. Discord raised his eyebrow in concern. Was that a strain in her voice?
"Fluttershy, look at me please."
"Why? I'm perfectly fine and... and..." I quickly thought up an excuse. "And this pillow is keeping my muzzle warm."
"Fluttershy, come on! Once you think up a good excuse tell me. Now look at me please."
I my heart and brain battled each other. My brain: Don't let him see you like this. It's embarrassing and you're acting like a toddler! My heart: Please! Let him comfort you!
Discord didn't hesitate for a moment and spun me around to face him. I covered the other half of my face that was red from the slap. He flinched when he saw my fat tears rolling down my face as if they weighed 300 pounds each.
"F- Flutters, what h-happened?" He stuttered in worry, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I finally looked up at him with all of my face. His expression changed from worry to pure fright when he saw the huge red mark. He took my right cheek and examined it and slightly pressed down with his lion thumb. I winced a little. It still stung.
"What- Who did this to you?" He growled. From the tone of his voice, I knew that if I told him Thorn Blaze slapped me he would hunt him down.
"There was a puddle and I slipped... and hit my face on the side of a... tree." I lied. I hated lying to my best friend.
By the looks of Discord I could tell that he didn't buy it.
"Fluttershy, tell me what happened."
At this point, I don't know why Discord hasn't cast a spell or something to get the truth out of me. Instead he just sat patiently waiting for a response. My lower lip quivered. "He.. he.." I squeaked. I couldn't take it anymore, I burst out crying. Like the little filly I am. "Oh, he was awful! He mistreated me, he was selfish, and he... he slapped me! Discord he slapped me." I sobbed.
The ends of Discord's fur and mane burst out in flames. His pupils turned into little flame shapes too.
"He did that to you?!" He growled. If he wasn't my friend, his tone would have scared me to death. "He is going to PAY! TOMORROW I WILL GO TO HIS HOUSE RIP OUT HIS THROAT CHOP IT INTO LITTLE PIECESTHENFEEDITTOTHESQUIRRELSANDBIRDSANDTHENIWILLBURNHISBODYAND..."
I choked out another sob, causing him to pause in the middle of his sentence. "Discord, please... don't hurt him."
"Even after everything he did to you?"
"No, it's okay. I forgive him."
"Puh- lease, he hasn't even apologized yet."
"I still forgive him. So.. don't... don't hurt him." I pleaded. Discord's gaze and body language softened. He sighed in defeat. Discord picked up a lock of my hair and twirled it in his fingers then chuckled deeply. "Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy." He sighed quietly. I looked up at him. He looked back down at me and pressed his nose and forhead softly on mine.
"You're too kind."