Fluttershy's POV
The sun's light shown through Fluttershy's bedroom window, as three blue jays perched on a branch outside the window began to sing a tuneful melody. Fluttershy heard the singing and woke up, she walked over to the window and began to sing along with the trio of birds. She then walked downstairs and began to make herself and her animals and her animals breakfast. By the time she had finished it was 11o'clock, she then went into the washroom and reviewed the makeup kit that Rarity had so generously given her, it was simply lipstick, eyeliner, and blush, and applied it delicately so, Fluttershy then called Angel who hopped out of a crowd of critters who still eating. "Now Angel, I'm going to be leaving. Is there any thing that you need before mama goes." The rabbit reached into an imaginary pocket and pulled a picture of a carrot cupcake from nowhere. "Okay Angel I'll get it, if you promise to behave." Angel frustratedly crossed his arms and Fluttershy left her cottage feeling lighter than air, she felt as if the whole world was filled with happiness, she was made up and had a great sense of confidence that she had never felt, Fluttershy hummed a happy tune a she made her way to Diamond Groomer's.
Diamond's POV
Diamond awoke from his nocturnal visions of a certain butter yellow pegasus, he hopped out of bed and walked down to his living room, into his kitchen, and had a grapefruit for breakfast. Then he walked downstairs to his shop opened it and waited for customers. Diamond was kept busy for most of the morning, his first customer was Berry Punch who came in with her Pomeranian, Barley. Diamond brushed, snipped, combed, blow dried the pooches of Ponyville until 12o'clock; Diamond decided to take a break for lunch, after he ate he left for the library to return the books he borrowed. When he arrived Twilight was happy to see him, as she put the books away she casually asked "So did the books help?"
"W-well I guess w-we'll find out tonight." he said demurely
"Aw, well I hope that your date goes well"
"Oh, oh no, i-it's not a date, I'm just going out with a friend!" he said defensively
"Of course not." she said, not believing him of course, and with that Diamond walked back home to his shop and worked on some more dogs, then decided to close up early to prepare for his test date. Diamond walked up two floors to his bedroom into his closet and put on a lavender ascot and polo shirt that had a white lined collar, Diamond Groomer then walked over to a mirror he looked at his messy mane and began brushing it. Diamond did a final check in a full sized mirror; turning looked over his wings for ruffles, making sure his tail was neat, and cleaned and polished his hooves. Then he went to his kitchen and prepared a picnic he packed daisy sandwiches, cookies, celery ants on a log, and a pitcher of homemade citrus punch he packed all of it into a basket put it on his back and left out the door. While Diamond Groomer walked he felt oddly fearful and scared, even though the date he was setting out for wasn't a real date he was still nervous about it, and the butterflies in his stomach just kept on flapping all the to Sweet Apple Acres.
When he got there, Applejack was already outside waiting "Hi Diamond Groomer!" She called waving him over, as he walked over, Applejack couldn't help but to feel that he was over dressed.
"So you ready" his voice cracked
"Sure but uh... is all this necessary?"
"W-what you don't like it" he said insecurely.
"No-no-no, it's just that for a fake date you sure seem like you are going all out there don't ya think? "
"Fluttershy would like it... Right or would she not like me for it? or..."
"Woah there patner slow down! I'm sure she would like you with or with out this get up. As long as you're true to you she will like you. Just don't get ahead of yourself and over do it"
"Y-you're right." He said calming down a bit.
"So sugarcube, where we going for this?" Applejack asked
"The park...if thats ok with you? I was hoping she would like a picnic"
"That sounds just fine, and I know just the spot."
Diamond Groomer and Applejack walked to Ponyville Park, and when they got there, Applejack took the lead. Diamond Groomer followed Applejack closely as she led him down a long tree-shadowed path, through a more wooded area of the park. When they reached it, Applejack stepped aside to reveal, a breathtaking view a lagoon with birds chirping melodiously, the sweet smell coming from the flowers near the lagoon hanging in the air. Colorful fishes jumping happily as they found their food. The water in the lagoon so crystal blue you can see everything in it's reflection, Diamond was in absolute awe at this landscape. "Oh...my...goodness. I can see why this is her favorite place" Diamond Groomer said astonishment "This will be the perfect place for my date with Fluttershy! Thank you so much for showing me this and for everything else to."
"Just glad to help out a friend there partner, though I could have shown you this place and done alot of this without the fake date. All you would have to do was ask."
"Thank you but this it to try and give the the courage to do the real thing, this is just as much as making it perfect for her."
"But Fluttershy ain't gonna care 'bout all that." she said thinking this maybe too much even for her friend.
"Applejack, this fake date isn 't as much about perfection as it is building confidence" Diamond started talking about the 'Spitfire incident',Applejack intently listened. "...and I just froze. I was basically stuck that way for two hours, 'til Firestorm poured ice water down the nape of my neck." Diamond Groomer said biting sadly into his sandwich.
"Wow, now I see why you'd wanna practice the date, but Spitfire?" she replied stupefied that Diamond had past with the Wonderbolt.
"I know I know." Diamond said chuckling a bit. The two talked back forth for quite a while, sharing stories and some laughs , and Applejack even showed him some facial cues and movements he'd see on his actual date, but still had a question and little to their knowledge a certain pegusus was watching with a weighty heart.
Fluttershy POV
Earlier that day Fluttershy was making her way to Diamond Groomer's home, she glided a little in every step she took. When she arrived at the Bowow Beauty Salon she saw a note on the door, that read...
To whom it may concern I am afraid I won't be able to attend to your dog's cosmetic problem. I've gone to the Golden Oaks Library and will return shortly.'
Fluttershy then turned around and made her way happily to Golden Oaks, with every step closer causing her heart to skip a beat. At that moment, she flew up into the air and began hopping from cloud to cloud, she was literally on cloud nine when she saw that she was over the library, Fluttershy then hopped off the cloud, and flittered down to earth. "Well hello Fluttershy, what brings you by?" Twilight said when her friend walked inside.
"Hello Twilight" Fluttershy replied in a more spirited tone Twilight was use to."Is Diamond Groomer still here?"
"I'm afraid you just missed him, is there a reason that you're looking for him?" Twilight asked coyly now noticing the makeup her friend was wearing.
"Well, I-I'm going to ask him out tonight..." Fluttershy blushed in her reply "...and a note on his front door said he was here."
"Well Well Well, I now know who those dating advice books were really for." Fluttershy lit up at this development.
"Wh-what dating advise books?" she asks suprised and delighted at the idea. She started blushing at the idea of Groomer reading those books just to ask her out.
"Yeah! He came in yesterday and checked them out, he was pretty apprehensive about what they were for."
"Uh Twilight, I'd love to talk more but I have to go" and she was gone, back to Diamond's residence, as she giddily walked down the road Fluttershy was greeted by the sight of Diamond Groomer walking down the street Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat, though she had already gone through what she was going to say, seeing him right there was just stifling. It didn't matter though Diamond trotted right passed her. 'I wonder where he is going. Maybe if I follow him I can surprise him!' She thought excitedly.
Fluttershy kept a decent distant as she followed Diamond Groomer, occasionally flying to stay hidden. She followed him, Diamond was taking the roads that led to her house. She got really excited and was about to run up from behind, 'til he took a left, down that road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy followed him all the way to the gates, then flew up hiding in one of the trees as they talked. The two soon left Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy came out of her hiding place. "I wonder what they are taling about." Fluttershy wondered "Maybe I should follw them and find out, but thats not right. Oh what do I do?" Fluttershy decided to trail behind them, they were going to the park, and they were taking the route to the Hidden Lagoon. Why would they be going there? Fluttershysaid walking off into some bushes to stay hidden
Fluttershy hid in the bushes and sat there watching the two ponies. Diamond Groomer pulled out a blanket, he then sat upon it then Applejack followed in action. Diamond Groomer and Applejack talked some more with the occasional chuckle and blush from Diamond, at one point Applejack started inching closer to him putting her hooves on his. Though she couldn't hear them and her lip reading was lacking she could make out one word "kiss". Applejack leaned over to Diamond and pecked him on the cheek and he returned it. Fluttershy was absolutely crushed, if you listened closely enough you here the shattering of her broken heart. "So it was her he wanted to date." She said here makeup running running from tears "I-I thought we had something special." Fluttershy walked away from the lagoon in tears, then she took to the air and flew home crying.
