When Pinkie Pie put on a party, she really went all out with it. There were multitudes of baked goods, plenty of bowls of punch, and enough music, streamers, and balloons to put even the shyest pony in a partying mood.

The shy pony of the hour looked around at the decorations in awe and slight happiness as she trotted through the park.

"Oh my, Pinkie, you really didn't hold back on the party," Fluttershy observed, looking around for the pink party pony. She knew that she had to be around somewhere.

"Thanks, Fluttershy! I couldn't exactly hold back for your birthday, now, could I?" Pinkie replied, poking her head out from a bush with balloons tied to it. As Fluttershy watched, the balloons began to rise, taking Pinkie with them. The pegasus giggled and flew over to bring her marefriend back to the ground. She gave her a gentle kiss before untying the balloons and placing them back in the bush where they were tied to it this time.

"It's still very sweet of you to do, Pinkie," Fluttershy added, and stepped back to admire the ice sculpture of herself surrounded by small animals.

Not long after, the other four members of the group of friends began to arrive. Applejack was the first to arrive, punctual as ever, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash took much later to arrive. Rainbow's lateness was expected, while Rarity's was made obvious when she stepped into the park wearing a simple green dress with yellow butterflies on it. Her usually-curled mane was curled looser today, almost lazily, yet still she was the picture of beauty. Upon seeing her, Spike, who had arrived with Twilight sometime after Applejack had arrived, was rendered utterly speechless.

"Sorry I'm late, darlings, I was only informed at the last minute that this party would be taking place outdoors," the fashionista apologised with a stern look at Pinkie.

"Sorry," Pinkie giggled, "I probably should've put that on the invitation."

"Yes, you should have," Rarity agreed, but then she saw her best friend and trotted over to stand with her by the punch-bowl. "Happy birthday, Fluttershy." She embraced her in a neck-hug, glad to see her best friend.

"Thank you, Rarity," Fluttershy blushed modestly, and got a glass of punch for Rarity as well.

"Is everypony here now?" Pinkie asked after some time had passed, trotting around the park and glancing at the various ponies that had been invited. She mentally counted them and, reaching a good conclusion, leapt up onto one of the picnic tables.

"Could I direct your attention to Pinkie Pie?" Twilight requested, magically amplifying her voice to gain everypony's attention.

"Thanks, Twilight," Pinkie thanked her through a megaphone that she'd produced from her poofy tail. Twilight rubbed her ears. "Okay, everypony, thanks for coming! Now that you're all here, Fluttershy can open her presents and cut her birthday cake." A great cheer rose up at that, accompanied by the stomping of hooves.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, gave a small 'eep' of surprise and inched behind a tree. Pinkie sensed this, though, and pounced on her shy marefriend.

"C'mon, Fluttershy, it's rude to hide at your own party," Pinkie urged her, standing over her with the poor pegasus trapped beneath her on her back.

"I-I know but all these ponies are going to be looking at me," Fluttershy worried, her soft voice trailing off into a squeak.

"Well, don't you worry too much about it. After the presents and cake, I'll take over the party. Then you can shrink into the bushes all you want," Pinkie assured her, stepping off her and helping her up.

"O-okay, if you say so," Fluttershy decided, though she still looked decidedly uncertain. So, with a gentle smile, Pinkie gave Fluttershy one of her newfound 'bravery kisses' that had the pegasus floating off the ground and over to the table that held all the gifts. She stood there with a blissful smile and, when the first gift was given to her, she opened it with no worries.

Fluttershy received gifts from not just her close friends but also from other ponies in town, such as the mare who'd needed Fluttershy's assistance in helping her cat give birth. To nopony's surprise, that particular gift was one of the kittens. Fluttershy hugged the calico kitten and decided to name him Patches.

From Rarity, Fluttershy received a spa pack of various lotions and hair products that she'd expressed a liking for during their spa visits. Applejack gifted her friend with some apple tree saplings for, as she said, feeding her hungry animals. Twilight's gift was a book on various other animals that lived in Equestria, which Fluttershy was very grateful for. She promised to start reading it as soon as she returned home from her party. Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a pegasus device that would create clouds in a controlled area above her cottage, to remind her of her Cloudsdale home which she'd left so many years ago. Pinkie gave her gift to Fluttershy last, as was her custom whenever she threw a birthday party for one of her friends.

"I wonder what this could be," Fluttershy wondered as she held the small box in front of her. Pinkie blushed and dragged her hoof along the ground in a very un-Pinkie gesture. Still smiling, Fluttershy managed to open the box with her hooves...

...and found, nestled inside, two earrings. One had a pink butterfly on it, the other a blue balloon. Fluttershy recognised them immediately, and what they symbolised. She began shaking slightly and had to set the box down on the table. All around her, the party-goers had gone silent. It was almost as though nothing existed but Fluttershy with Pinkie now kneeling in front of her.

"Fluttershy, you're the kindest pony in Equestria. It's wonderful to be your marefriend and I was wondering and hoping if maybe you would marry me and become my wife?" Fluttershy gasped, more shocked than ever to see Pinkie so nervous. But she nodded and then found her voice.

"Yes." The word sounded so loud in the silence, even though she'd whispered it. "Yes, oh Pinkie, of course I'll marry you." She stepped forward and nuzzled her fiancée, moving her muzzle up until her head rested on the pink-furred shoulder. Pinkie trembled with excitement and then quickly drew Fluttershy into a tight hug, her mouth stretched into a wide smile while her eyes were squeezed shut against the rush of pure happiness.

The crowd erupted into more cheering and applause after that. Fluttershy looked out at the crowd happily, happy tears swimming in her eyes. When she'd arrived at her party that morning, she'd had no idea that Pinkie was planning this. The party pony had shown no signs of nervousness up until the proposal. Maybe she would act differently when the two went to get their ears pierced for their engagement earrings, but that would remain a mystery until the next day. For now, there was only Pinkie. Only Pinkie and the happiness and the cheering party guests.