On a warm, sunny morning, Fluttershy was walking through the Evertree Forest with her pet rabbit Angel. "Look Angel, a carrot! I know you'd like to just go on, but do you want a few bites?"
When the naughty bunny shook his head, Fluttershy tried again. "One bite? Pretty please?" However, the rabbit declined again. Before she could offer him the carrot again, a loud screech from the forest made them both jump.
"Oh, goodness! Angel, did you hear that? It sounds like some poor kitty's lost in here! Wait here, okay?" Fluttershy took to the skies so she could get a better view, peering out over the dense trees until she spotted a small, white cat clinging to a branch.
"Oh, you poor thing - just hold on, I'll help you!" She flew over to the tree, but then stopped a few seconds before she reached the branch. "Oh...but what if you belong to somepony? They could be looking for you right now, and I wouldn't want to interfere..." Hesitantly, she reached out a hoof towards the cat, who only clung on to the branch tighter. "Oh, maybe if I..." Suddenly, it hissed and stuck out a claw, swiping at her. Fortunately, Fluttershy hovered back just in time to prevent getting her wing scratched.
"Oh goodness, this poor kitty must be so scared, otherwise it wouldn't do this..." Fluttershy thought. Meanwhile, Angel was rolling on the grass laughing. "But what can I do to help it?" the yellow pegasus thought.
"Opal!" A shrill, worried voice rang out from the distance, accompanied by the galloping of hooves telling Fluttershy somepony was fast approaching. "Opalescence, where are you?! Come out from this awful place this instant before you get hurt!"
Fluttershy stayed where she was, hovering uncertainly until the owner of the voice came into a view - a unicorn with a pristine white coat and immaculately styled purple mane, despite all the dirt in the forest. "Oh, there you are, darling! Why don't you come down, so I can groom you and make you look fabulous again! You're so...DIRTY!"
"Oh, so maybe that's why she's in that tree," Fluttershy thought. "I don't know if that unicorn knows how to groom her properly... But maybe it's best not to interfere..."
"Um, excuse me," she said to the unicorn softly, though she didn't look up. "But maybe I can help you with..."
Suddenly, the cat let out a loud screech, and Fluttershy turned to see it surrounded by the faint blue glow of magic. It dug its claws in stubbornly, refusing to let go of the branch it was clinging to, no matter how much it shook.
"Come...on...we have to...go!" The unicorn sounded impatient, her voice straining as she pulled with her magic.
"Oh, um - you really shouldn't do that," Fluttershy tried to tell her, but the unicorn didn't listen. Then, Angel decided to literally kick in. He jumped up and swung his feet on the unicorn's horn. After that, he pointed at the yellow pegasus. When the unicorn finally paid attention to Fluttershy, a giant blush shrouded the winged pony's face.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, darling, I didn't see you there," the unicorn apologised. "But you should really get that nasty rabbit of yours under control!"
"Oh, um... Sorry, Angel can be a handful," Fluttershy stuttered, while hovering down to the ground. Then, she tried to introduce herself. "I'm... Fluttershy," she whispered.
"Pardon, darling? I didn't catch that," the unicorn said, to which the pegasus replied "I'm Fluttershy..." This time, the unicorn was able to hear it, even though Fluttershy still whispered very softly.
"Hi Fluttershy, I'm Rarity," the unicorn introduced herself. "I am the most fabulous pony in Ponyville! And there's my cat Opal, she's the most fabulous cat in all of Equestria!"
"Oh, um...that's nice?" Fluttershy pointed a hoof up at where the cat was still clinging to the tree branch. "I just wanted to say, um, sorry, but - you really shouldn't do that to your cat. I think it's only going to upset her even more."
Rarity sighed. "I just don't know why she ran off like this! I was simply trying to make her look even more fantastic, just the way she likes it! But she just won't listen to me!" She stomped her hoof in frustration.
"But are you sure she really likes what you were doing? Otherwise I don't think she would've ran off like that..." Fluttershy asked.
"Of course, darling, I do this to her every month!" Rarity replied.
"And how does she normally respond?" Fluttershy questioned Rarity's statement.
"She usually does this. But I'm sure she likes the grooming, she just normally hits and scratches me and then runs off," Rarity replied. "But I thought that's normal for cats!"
"Well, not really..." Fluttershy said. "Maybe if I talk to her, I can get her to come down, and then I can show you how to groom her properly?"
"Well, if you say so, darling..." Rarity replied, looking somewhat unimpressed. "But I doubt you'd have much luck."
And so, Fluttershy flew up and tried to reason with the cat. "Opal, I know you're upset and that you don't like what your owner's been doing to you. But I know she must care a lot about you, and will do whatever it takes to make sure you feel safe and happy. I'm sure you'd like being groomed if we just tried it a different way?"
At this, the cat opened her large green eyes and blinked at Fluttershy uncertainly.
"There you go," she encouraged. "Now, why don't you come with me and we'll take you home? And I can show Rarity how to groom you properly - that is, if that's okay with you?" She glanced nervously at Rarity as she spoke, who nodded encouragingly.
"Yes, of course, whatever it takes, please please please please!" the white unicorn cried.
Fluttershy held out her hooves tentatively, and to her relief, the cat climbed into them, letting her cradle her gently as she descended. When her hooves touched the floor, she placed Opal on the ground carefully, allowing Rarity to gracefully walk over to her and cuddle her pet.
"Oh, thank you so much, darling!" Rarity cried from happiness, while continuing to cuddle Opal.
"Um... Thanks?" Fluttershy whispered. "It was nothing..."
And so, an hour later, in Rarity's boutique, Opal looked cleaner and fresher than ever. "There you go, sweetie," Fluttershy said. "Doesn't that feel so much better now?"
"It certainly does!" Rarity interrupted enthusiastically, while Opal preened herself. "Thank you, Fluttershy, truly. If it weren't for you, my poor Opal might still be lost in that dreadful forest! I don't know how I can possibly repay you."
"That's okay, making an animal happy makes me happy," Fluttershy mumbled.
"Well, at least let me do something in return, darling!" the unicorn insisted. "Perhaps there's something in here you like?" She waved a hoof to indicate the array of fabulous, expensive-looking outfits draped over the mannequins on display. "Anything, anything at all - it's yours."
"Oh!" Fluttershy gazed around, feeling intimidated by the high-class couture - she couldn't imagine herself wearing any of these outfits. "They're beautiful, Rarity, but I couldn't possibly take them from you..."
"That's okay, darling, I think I have another idea," Rarity suggested. She held up two tickets to the spa. "Will you come with me next week, dear? At first, I wanted to take Opal, but then I realized she doesn't really like water."
Fluttershy gazed upon Rarity's happy face and nodded. "Yay."