Better off Alone

Twilight:

I watched Ashura walk through the front door. He looked like he always had, minus the fedora. His mane was messy from wearing has favorite hat. His tie was pulled down like it always was. Once he saw me, the look on his face told me he suspected something was wrong. "You alright T?" He asked, I looked away from him. I wasn't sure what to say. "What is it Twi."

"I think I met Fluttershy's Sider when you left with Ace." He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me.

"What do you mean?" He asked unsure on what to say or ask.

"What I mean is, that I saw a pony who looked like Fluttershy who wasn't her. She looked like a punk girl or something." I said trying to find the words. Never did understand that whole punk thing.

“T, that isn’t how a Sider works.” He said sighing, even though that was true. It didn’t mean something wasn’t wrong with this whole situation. “Are you sure you saw what you saw.”

“Ash, she spoke to me. She knew who I was, this Punk Rock is bizarre.” I said feeling frustrated.

“Is that what “She” called herself? Sider’s don’t name themselves, a Fera will.” Ashura said pondering the situation.

“You mean what ZXexian is?” He looked at me and smiled.

“Precisely, but the question is. If this Punk Rock is Fluttershy’s Fera, what the hell happened to her Sider?” I felt so confused, I hardly understood Siders, and now Feras were being thrown into the mix.

“Is it possible she doesn’t have a Sider? I mean she is so nice, maybe a Sider doesn’t exist for her.” I said the only thing I could think of. I didn’t understand Siders, they confused me, and I’m still not sure how they can exist.

“No, Fluttershy is nice as hell, she has a Sider. The bad thing is, her Sider is beyond mad. Probably the worst Sider there is. Problem is, we just need to figure out what happened to it.” Ugh I felt like putting my hoof through a wall. It just didn’t seem we could get a moment of peace as of late.

“Can’t we just have a normal day for once?” I asked.

“Normal? We won’t know what’s going on till it happens hun. So normal is what you get, let me worry about the Siders. They are my responsibility, and it’s my job to protect Ponyville.” Ash said walking up to me, kissing me on the cheek. Stupid idiot making me feel good out of the blue.

“You’re such a loser.” I said, oh man how he talks has gotten to me.

“I know, the biggest one you know.” He said with his crooked smile.

“Spike?” I called for my assistant.

“Yes Princess.” He said with sarcasm.

“Have you done your chores?” I asked when Spike walked into the room. Right off the bat I knew something nothing more than a lie was going to come out of his mouth. He looked at the ground and then back at me.

“Not yet.” Wasn’t expecting that, I was expecting a typical excuse or something of the sort. “I was just about to get to that.”

“Oh, okay.” I looked back at Ashura and he had that crooked smile of his. Once Spike left I gave Ash a suspicious look.

“What did you do?” He looked away like he was looking for someone else.

“Who me?” He said with a chuckle. “All I did was talk to him, honesty is the best policy is it not.”

“Don’t use that British accent on me.” I said pushing him a little.

“Oh you’re goanna be like that then.” He said continuing the accent as well as pushing me back.

“Yes.” I said hugging him. Everything was going to be alright. I hope.

Fluttershy:

I remember meeting Ace, then Twilight and Ashura. Then nothing after that, I don’t know how I got home. I don’t even know why I’m lying on my bedroom floor, inches away from the comfort of my bed. It made little sense I felt so tired, it was the middle of the day, I moved my head slowly to look out my window. It was still raining, but it wasn’t night. I was sporting a maddening headache. My body didn’t want to do what I wanted. Above all else I was crying, and once again, I had no idea why.

“Poor little Flutters.” I heard myself say. “Sick and brittle.”

“I know.” I agreed with myself.

“You’re pathetic and weak, you’re the element of kindness, the weakest of the six of them.” I nodded my head at what I was saying to myself.

“I know I’m weak and pathetic.” I once again agreed.

“Do you take care of these animals to make yourself feel better?” My teeth were clenched hard, not sure from anger or another emotion. I couldn’t tell, my entire body and mind were just numb.

“Yes…it makes me feel better.” The tears I had already grew thicker. Soon my head was lying in a pool of tears.

“Get up and look at what you did!” Obeying, I forced myself to my hooves and looked around the room. It was covered in a red liquid. “Down stairs, now!” Once again I obeyed myself, and walked down the stairs into my living room. It was covered in the red liquid as was everything else. But there were countless bodies of animals and even of the Ponyville residents lying dead on my floor. “Look at what you did!”

“No!” I screamed opening my eyes shooting up from bed. My wings had spread out to their full length. My blood was pounding on my ear drums, my heart was pounding just as hard against my chest. “A-a nightmare?” I didn’t get a response since I was alone. I rubbed my eyes and tried to shake the images from my mind. Why would I dream of something so horrible? But something, a feeling I had made me want to laugh. I dropped back, having my head hit my pillow with all its weight. Sighing I tried to fall back asleep.

An image rose in my mind, I started to think about that boy I had just met either that day. Ace was his name if memory serves right. He was afraid of the train, I could sympathize with that. Mostly because I’m afraid of everything, everything that’s new any ways. I started to think about my friends, all of them looked out for me. They protected me, we protect each other. I then remember what I did to Twilight. I heard a knock, it made me jump a little. But after the second knock I knew it was the door. I looked at the window, and just like my dream it was still raining, but it wasn’t night yet. I got out of bed and rushed to the door.

“I’m coming, hold on.” I said trying to hurry to the door. Whoever was on the other side was probably soaked by the rain. Once I opened the door I was met with a familiar face, drenched in water. “Ace?”

“Oh, hi Fluttershy. I didn’t know you lived here.” He said looking sheepish.

“Come in, you must be freezing.” I said pulling him inside.

“Thanks, but I honestly just came to borrow a big bowl. I have a leak, and I can’t get to it from the inside.” He said avoiding eye contact. “If I don’t contain it somehow I might get something worse later in the floor.”

“I think I have one you could use.” I said offering a warm smile.

“That would be great, thanks.” He said finally meeting my eyes with his. He offered a sheepish smile. It was really awkward, that was clear in the air without anypony having to make work of it. “Nice place you have.”

“Thanks, I’m little surprised you could find it. Being unfamiliar with the area.” I said walking into my kitchen. Ace followed behind me, keeping his distance for both our sake. I got out the biggest bowl I had and placed it on the table. He gave me a warm smile, then a crash of thunder sounded near my cottage. “What was that?!”

“Sounded like lighting hitting a nearby tree.” Ace said looking out the window, he then returned his gaze back to where I had been standing. But instead I was huddled under my kitchen table like a scared cat.

“You alright Fluttershy?” He asked coming close to me. I couldn’t help but shutter as another crack of thunder engulfed my ears. “Fluttershy it’s alright, nothing is going to hurt you.”

I looked at Ace and what I saw on his face was full of concern, something I saw mostly from my friends. I was timid and I scare easy, I will admit that. Something I won’t admit is that I hate myself for being such a coward. I stood up for myself and I became a monster. Is there any balance I will find? “It’s alright, I won’t let anything hurt you.” He said with a warm smile.

“I’m sorry.” I said feeling stupid. Oh Celestia I’m such a coward.

“Hey it’s alright, you didn’t look down on me when we were on the train now did you? I can do the same, I just want to help.” He said with that warm smile again. I came out from under the table and smiled at him. It wasn’t so bad, that was until another blast of thunder ran through my ears. I found myself on the floor.

“You’re a coward!”

“I know I am!” I said crying.

“Fluttershy are you alright?” Ace asked, I couldn’t hardly hear him over my sobbing. But I heard him, I shook my head over and over. I was pathetic, I didn’t deserve my friends. I didn’t deserve to have Ace say he’d let nothing bad happen.

“You little groveling worm, you are so pathetic. The life you could have had, if you just grew a damn backbone.”

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Ace asked trying to comfort me. What I returned with was pushing him away. I looked at him and he was smiling. He was joining this, Ace was enjoying the misery I was in. “Please Fluttershy I want to help.” He said with a laugh.

“Leave, just go!” Ace was taken back, his face was sorrowful and confused. He nodded his head, took the bowl and walked toward the door.

“Thank you for the bowl, I’ll…I’ll return it tomorrow.” He said before he left. The next thing I remember I was in bed. My usual warm comfortable bed, but now it felt cold and unbearable. It felt like someone was sitting on my chest, it was so hard to breath.

“Your friends think you’re a joke. That’s all you are, a joke for them to laugh at. Discord was right.” I heard myself say. I was right too, ever since that incident, allot of the things have happened. I’m still not sure who I am anymore. I could see all of them, all my friends laughing at me. What I did to them, I became a monster. “You hurt them, you’re a mistake on this world. You are a blemish that should be destroyed.” I was right, I don’t deserve to be here, to have my friends.

Ace:

When I got back to the place I was staying at there was a nice pool in the bowl, which I had to dump out before I got inside. It was even better when I got inside, there was a large puddle on the floor for me to get around. I set the bowl down and looked around for something to dry up the puddle. All I could find were some old rags, so I threw them on the puddle. But it didn’t do much. “Can something go right me yet?”

“Probably not, things usually get worse before they get better.” I turned around and saw Fluttershy, but not Fluttershy.

“And you are who now?” I asked cautious.

“Punk Rock is who I am. Like I said usually things get worse then they get better.” She said with a smile. “You like her don’t you?”

“Excuse me?” I asked confused.

“Fluttershy, you like her.” She said curling her lips looking like she was about to kiss something. I sighed and looked away from her. I knew Fluttershy for a short time, not even a day. How can this girl know my feelings better than me?

“How in Luna’s name do you know this?” I said looking back at her only to see the wall. What in Celestia’s name is going on? Am I going insane? Even if I am delusional, she was right. I felt something there for Fluttershy. She did not judge me for my scene on the train, she was nice to me. Something I was not use to believe it or not.

“What the?” I asked when I felt my hooves getting wet. Damn the water wasn’t stopping, and it’s supposed to rain all night. Through that whole night, it was not the best one I ever had, but I made the best of it. I tried to clean up as much as I could, and when I was beyond exhausted I fell on the oddly soft and warm bed. I didn’t awake until I heard a rooster, marking that it was morning. I opened my eyes and stretched, I slept pretty well despite my situation. I looked at the place, and it looked even deader in the clear sun light that was coming in through the window.

“Hey Ace you in there?” I heard Ash’s voice and then came a knock. I got to my hooves, my muscles were stiff from just waking up. I slowly made my way to the door and opened it where the patient Ash was waiting. I was greeted with a friendly smile. “Man this place look like shit.”

“Yeah, I can agree with you on that.” I said stretching again.

“Just wake up?” I looked at him and smiled.

“Yeah, was up late trying to clean. As you can see it didn’t go to well.” I said with a chuckle. It was dryer than it was, but the rags I used last night were soaked. Fluttershy’s bowl was near full.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked, he gave me smirk.

“Couldn’t.” He said walking inside. I was struck stupid for a second, thinking about this for a bit while I shut the door.

“You haven’t slept?” I asked, he was looking around. I pushed at the rags with a questionable look.

“Like I said, I could not sleep last night.” I moved the rags out of the way so he could pull the bowl toward the door. “Not sure why you closed that door.” I opened it and helped him push the large bowl toward the door, the end result was pouring the water onto the grass outside. Good now I can return Fluttershy’s bowl…or maybe I should have somepony else do it. “You alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine, just. Has Fluttershy ever burst at somepony?” Now I felt confused and little stupid from the look he gave me.

“Well, she has gone freak mode on others for certain things. But usually she apologizes right afterwords. Why did you two have heated words or something?” Ashura said picking up the rags and putting them into the bowl. Smart that way we don’t get the rest of the floor wet.

“That’s just it, there was a loud blast of thunder and Fluttershy freaked. I tried comforting her, but when another one struck. Well she told me to leave, I’m not sure what to make of it.” Ash looked at me with a questioning frown. From the looks of it, Ashura couldn’t place if she has ever done such a thing.

“Can’t say that is normal behavior to her. Even to a stranger she is always polite and nice. Did you hurt one of her animals or something? That’s the only time I’ve ever seen her do such a thing. I still feel bad for stepping on that dog’s tail.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “What, she nearly tore my head off. It took a week for her to forgive me. Like I said it was an accident.”

I wasn’t sure what to think on the situation. I didn’t want to impose on Fluttershy. “Maybe I should just keep my distance. I don’t want to upset her again.” Ash looked at me with question.

“This bowl is Fluttershy’s right?” I nodded my head, I doubt allot of ponies have bowls that big. Made me wonder what she uses it for.

“She uses it for bathing animals that are either sick, too young, or too old.” Okay that was creepy.

“How in Luna’s name did you know what I was thinking?” I asked, he smiled at me.

“Lucky guess actually, I’ve seen this bowl before. It’s a common question what Flutters uses it for, and for your dilemma. I’m going to come with you to return the bowl. Something isn’t right here and I wouldn’t like to see if Fluttershy is alright.” I couldn’t help but laugh, hearing Ashura say Flutters tickled my funny bone. “What?”

“Oh nothing.” I said as I helped him move the bowl outside so we could dry out the rags.