The Past of a Shy Mare

Chapters

First Sleepover
No More Fear
A Rude Awakening
A Wing Problem
New Found Hobby
A Found Journal
A Surprising Package
The Worst Dance of the Year
Rainbow's Parents Return
Thankful
Hearths Warming
A Loss
Anger
Walked in on
Family
A Good Day
Goodbye
Confrontation
Games with the Doctor
The Shadows Meet
Apple Family Dinner
Nightmare Moon
A Visit to a Doctor's Friend
The Amulet
A Princess' Sister
Painful Memories
Weird Memories
A Letter and a Beginning
A Dress for a Friend
A Memory for a Life

First Sleepover

I don't remember how long I had been crying for. All I knew was that I was alone. There was a snap and I jumped up, startled. "Sorry, Fluttershy." Rainbow said. I sighed and relaxed when I realized who it was. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." I said. I looked at her costume and saw that it was soaked through. Her entire costume was torn and ripped from the rain. I guess it wasn't as durable as a normal Wonderbolts uniform.

"The rain is really hammering down on our costumes." she said. She was right. The fabric that was meant as the leaves for my costume we destroyed, and the hood was soaked to the point that I couldn't wear it. My hair covered half of my face the way it naturally did. I was cold and shivering and didn't what to say. "Have you been out here since I left?" she asked. I nodded my head.

I looked at her through my hair. "Umm...Rainbow, about the note, is everything-" I started to ask but she cut me off.

"Ah that was nothing. Just a little prank my parents pulled on us. They gave us some extra money for Felix and I. Nothing too much, just a little." she said.

"Oh, okay, good. I was worried something awful had happened." I said. I didn't really believe her story. She looked like she was hiding a lot of emotions that she didn't want me to know. The story about her parents wasn't an exact truth from what I could tell by the way she said it, but at the same time, I didn't want to bring it up. I've been lying about my parents for a long time, so I figured there was a reason for what she was hiding.

"It's all good. So I figured staying the night at your house might be a good idea. Felix is taking them out to dinner with some extra bits he won in a blackjack game. And when was the last time you had somepony as awesome as me stay the night with you?" she asked.

I smiled. "Not in awhile." I said. I couldn't believe what she said. I'm actually having a sleepover. I thought happily. My parents weren't too keen on me having a friend over, but I knew that they would let Rainbow Dash in. They always did and I wasn't sure why. I didn't question it though. I didn't want them to have a reason to keep her from coming over. "Maybe we could play some 'Hungry Hungry Pony.'" I said.

"That'd be great! I haven't played that in awhile. How about some 'Oranges to Oranges' after that?" she said. I smiled and nodded my head. There was another crash from inside and I winced. I knew they were thinking they were hitting me, that the glass was my skull.

I started to tear up again when Rainbow Dash came up to me and held me. "Hey, it'll be alright. I've got you." she said reassuringly. "When have I let you down?"

Never. I thought to myself. Out of all the ponies I know, she was the only one who stood up for me and protected me from those bullies. I stood up and led her inside. My mom threw another picture and my dad hit only the edge of it.

"I got un'!" he shouted with the bat in his mouth.

"Umm...mom, dad? Rainbow Dash is going to stay the night. You know, if that's okay." I said quietly. They waved me off and we walked behind my mom to get to my room. As we did, she threw another one and my dad smashed it to pieces, sending shattered glass in all directions.

"Great hit honey!" my mom said, finishing off her bottle of alcohol. I felt Rainbow push me into my room and lock the door behind us.

"How can you stand them?" she asked.

"Oh, they aren't so bad." I said. "They just get like this sometimes." I knew I couldn't keep it hidden forever, but I don't have a place to go if my parents get taken. I know some ponies have already been asking questions. My teacher noticed a bruise on my back one day and asked how I got it. I just told her I was walking through the house when a loose plank fell from the ceiling. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. My dad liked to set up traps that would hurt me and one of them involved trip wire and a wooden plank. She didnt say anything after that, but she did give me a journal. I kept it hidden so nobody else could see what was in there.

"Well I would've gone insane by now." Rainbow said.

Does always imagining new ways to be hurt count as insanity? I thought. Rainbow Dash was taking her costume off and turned to me. "Umm... Could you..." I said looking away from her. She turned around and I took the costume off. I wasn't shy about taking the costume off in front of her, I mean we rarely wear clothes as it is, but I hadn't thought of a way to hide the bruises yet. I positioned my wings to cover some of them, and moved some fur on my coat to cover a few others.

"Okay, I'm done." I said, taking 'Hungry Hungry Pony' out from my bed. I'm really good at this game. It's one of the few that I have so I usually end up playing by myself. It got lonely, but it was a good way to practice and figure out when to close the mouth of the pony and collect the white balls.

"How do you always win?" Rainbow Dash said after we played for an hour.

"It's not too hard. You just need to hit the lever just right." I said.

"How about a different game?" she asked. "You up for some 'Oranges to Oranges'?"

"Sure." I said and put 'Hungry Hungry Pony' back under my bed. As I opened up 'Oranges to Oranges' I found my journal in it. I quickly threw it underneath the bed hoping Rainbow hadn't seen it. I was lucky. She was too busy looking at her costume, which was worse off than mine. "So, are we playing for points or just playing to play?" I asked.

"Just to play. I want to see what crazy things you can come up with." she said as she scooted closer to the cards. Usually, she makes the craziest comparisons between the two of us, but she wasn't having any luck with her cards. I made her a little mad when the describing card was 'overrated' and I played the Wonderbolts. It was just a joke and she laughed at it, but she started to step up her game after that. Of course, I still had the better cards this time.

After awhile we played in silence. This game was fun, but with only two of us, it could get really boring really quickly. My parents were singing some songs in the living room and I just hoped that they wouldn't come barging in on us here. "Do your parents ever stop drinking?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, yes. They have to if they want to take care of me." I lied. The truth is that they rarely stopped drinking. And the times they weren't drinking they were beating me.

"Fluttershy." she said slowly. "I don't think they really care for you that much. I mean, don't you see the way they treat you? They were playing baseball with pictures of you."

"They're drunk. I can't do anything when they're like this." I said, looking away from her.

"Even when they aren't drunk they treat you badly. I've seen the emotional impact they have on you." she said.

"Oh, not at all. Most of the time what they say is true. I am a very weak flier and am definitely more like an Earth Pony than a Pegasus. I mean, how else do you explain my Cutie Mark?" I said, looking at it. The three butterflies that represented my talent with animals. And meant my parents disapproval and a beating for it.

"I don't know. It just bothers me about how they treat you." she said.

How do you think I feel? I thought. We returned to our game. Nothing exciting or funny turned up in these next few rounds. "Want to do something else?" Rainbow asked.

"Like what?" I asked. There wasn't much to do at my house, so I wasn't sure what she had in mind.

"Well, what about your Cutie Mark? You know how I got mine, but I don't know how you got yours." she said.

I smiled as I remembered the story. "Well, after you and those bullies started to race, I fell off of the cloud. Since I'm such a weak flier and afraid of heights, I was too scared to flap my wings. I could have sworn I was going to hit the ground, but then a cloud had appeared under me. It wasn't like the white ones we see in the sky, but one full of butterflies." I told her all about the animals I saw and how happy I was too see them. They made me smile and actually feel like I was worth something.

"After your Sonic Rainboom scared them all away, I comforted them and told them to come out. They were extremely happy to be around me that I thought, 'This is nice. I wish I could do this constantly.' And then when I looked at my flank, there it was. Three butterflies." I said with a smile. I looked back at it and it filled me with happiness again. I didn't care what my parents thought. All that mattered was that I loved it and nopony was going to stop me from feeling that way.

"That's nice." she said smiling. "But not as cool as my Sonic Rainboom." I giggled. It was just like Rainbow Dash to be the one with the cooler story. "Did I ever tell you how Felix got his?"

"No." I said. "Isn't his some bits with arrows around it?"

"Yeah. He got it when I was three years old, but he's bragged about it so many times that I've memorized it." she said. I moved a bit so I could get comfortable. Knowing Rainbow Dash, it was going to be a long, interesting story.

"So for as long as I can remember, we have lived in our old rundown house. It wasn't much, but it was still home. Every month my parents would fuss over the bills and how we would pay for them. One month had been particularly rough on us since my dad had dropped a heavy box on his leg while unpacking a moving truck. The box smashed it and he had to go to the hospital. The bill was way higher than what we could afford. After a little bit my mom was able to volunteer at the hospital as a nurse so they could pay his medical bill.

When they had finally paid it off, the bill for our house arrived. We were broke. We had no money whatsoever to spend on the bill and keep us fed at the same time. Felix took a look at the bill while my parents went to go see how much they had in the bank. He found that if we would stop buying me my Wonderbolts chewing gum every time we passed the store, and started to eat less than what we already did, then we could pay it off. With a few calculations he was able to find a perfect median to pay the bills and keep us fed.

The funny thing is that he enjoyed it! He loved the math, the speculation, the counting, all of it. Not only were my parents impressed, they put him in charge of the bills. It was then that he found out that it was his super special talent. They took him to the Equestrian Stock Exchange a few days later. He helped manage that budget too, but he had a blast. Apparently, he was able to beat a top speculator at an Exchange Simulator. Whatever it was, it wasn't something that anypony could do easily without prior experience. Yet somehow he did. He was too young to do any real help for the family to bring in money, but he helped keep the budgets in check." she finished. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Oh, yes." I said. It was actually. I had wondered about how he got his. I figured he just went on a field trip to a bank and earned it there. I looked back at my Cutie Mark. I couldn't help it. The more I thought about it, the happier I became. I felt something rise in my chest that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Joy. Not just happiness, but pure and utter joy. It was the best thing that happened to me. I knew what I was meant to do.

There was a knock on the door, followed by my dad walking in. "Fluttershy! Your mom is sleeping on the couch. If she's up before I'm back, you'd better pray you weren't the reason for it." he threatened. "Understand?" I nodded quickly, feeling the blood drain from my face. "Good." he said and stumbled out of the room.

"Where's he going?" Rainbow asked.

"Probably to get more." I said. Then he'll get even more drunk. And then I'll get hit in front of Rainbow Dash. And then I'll cry in front of her. And then I'll never be able to show my face to her again. I thought. "He always gets more when they run out." I felt myself close to tears. No matter who I was with or what I felt like, he would always be there to push me down and make me feel so small.

"Hey, let's go to bed. It's late and we've been up for too long." I said quietly. I felt so ashamed and depressed by what happened that I wanted to just sleep.

"I guess so." she said. She had been on the bed while we were playing and talking. She jumped off and laid on the floor.

"Oh, please Rainbow, take the bed." I said. "You're my guest and you shouldn't sleep on the dirty floor."

"Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded my head. "Well, thanks Fluttershy." she said, climbing back on the bed and laying down. I found a spot on the ground where I could reach my journal easily. I waited a few minutes until I heard Rainbow Dash snoring. I looked beneath the bed and found my journal laying next to 'Hungry Hungry Pony'. I grabbed it and a pencil that was just lying around.

I opened up to my previous entry. Entry 59, the entry from yesterday. My dad was still on a rampage today about it. I flipped to the next page and began writing my next entry.

Entry 60. Today wasn't any better than yesterday. My dad still hit me and kept getting madder and madder at me. I just don't know what to do anymore. No matter what I try, he still seems to think I'm worthless. It's Nightmare Night, however, and Rainbow Dash and I went out to get candy and see a concert. It was a lot of fun and a big improvement from my past days. But when she left me, I felt worthless again. She's spending the night though, and I felt extremely happy knowing she was going to be with me. For once, I felt like somepony loved me. And then my dad walked in. I thought that he might come and hit me just for being in the room. He didn't though. I don't think he wanted to do anything rash in front of Rainbow Dash. I also feel like he wishes she was his daughter instead of me. He boasts about her and compares us all the time. It hurts, I'm glad that she's my friend. Nopony else is there for me like she is.

I closed the journal and shoved it underneath the bed. I laid back down and looked up to the bed where Rainbow was still snoring. I don't care what they say. I thought. You're my friend and I will make sure that they know that.

Author's Note

Entry 59. This is the worst day I have ever had. Today, Rainbow Dash helped me again when I was being bullied by the school jocks. She challenged them to a race. I was the flag starter. When it started, I fell off of the cloud and landed on a cloud of butterflies. Suddenly there was a huge blast coming from above me. It scared all the animals off, but they came back out once I told them that it was safe. It was then I got my Cutie Mark. I was so happy and excited. I couldn't wait to tell my parents. But when I did, they just laughed at me. They said butterflies didn't do anything but fly, which they claimed I couldn't do. When I tried to explain it meant I was good with all animals, they laughed even more. They said I was a poor excuse for a filly. I couldn't even get a proper Cutie Mark that was meant for a Pegasus. They laughed and toasted to my pain. I don't know what's worse. Being mocked or laughed at by my own parents, or being hit by them.

No More Fear

"How many times have I told you?" my dad shouted at me, hitting my back. "Huh?! What have I told you?"

"Stop!" I exclaimed, tears streaming down my face. "I don't know what you mean!" He hit me again across the face, not liking my answer. All I did was go to my room after school to start my homework. He had never beat me before for doing this, and I didn't know what he was so upset about.

"You're nothing! You're filth, you're garbage, nobody could ever love you!" he shouted. "Not even that little Rainbow maned 'friend' of yours." he said. I stopped my crying. "She doesn't care about you. She's only trying to make you comfortable around her so that way she can put you down and destroy your confidence."

I looked at him. "Take it back." I whispered to him.

"Aww, did I hit a nerve?" he said in a baby voice. He hit me across the face again. "She will waste you into nothing."

I screamed and jumped on him. I retaliated. Five years of constant battering and constant emotional abuse that I've built up have finally returned the favor. "I'll kill you!" I shouted at him. He laughed the entire time as if he didn't feel anything.

"You'll be perfect. Finally, you are ready." he said. He disappeared from under me, but his laughter still haunted the room around me.

I jumped as somepony nudged me awake. "It's okay. Don't worry." a spikey haired pony asked me.

"What's going on? Who are you two?" I asked, scared to death of the two ponies standing over me.

"I'm the Doctor." he said with a wide smile. "And this is Rob Glotham." His red maned partner rolled his eyes. "How are you tonight, Fluttershy?" he asked.

"Um...I'm okay. I guess." I said quietly. "Um...What are you doing here, Mr. Doctor?"

"Just Doctor if you don't mind." he said. He began to walk around the room picking up some of my toys. He's a little...weird. I thought as he sniffed the toys that he picked up. "I just need to ask you some questions."

"What kind of questions?" Rainbow Dash asked.

He looked at Rainbow Dash with a confused look. "Just about a certain pony." he said. "And you are..."

"I'm Rainbow Dash." she said, beaming with pride.

"Ah yes! I've heard about you. You were the one that made the Sonic Rainboom, right?" he asked.

"The one and only!" she replied happily. He walked over to her and pulled out a metal stick of some sort. He pointed it at Rainbow's wings as it made a low buzzing noise. "Hey! What gives?" she exclaimed.

He popped it open and gave a quizzical look. "Incredible. Your bone structure is incredibly strong for such a small filly." Rainbow Dash looked at me confused. What did he do to her? I thought.

"I guess so..." she said.

The Doctor walked over to me and kneeled down to eye level. "Now, tell me about your father, Fluttershy."

What?! I thought. Why is asking about my father? I kept a straight face like I always did when somepony asked me about it. "Oh, well he's very nice and kind." I said.

"Does he drink a lot?" he asked as his partner took notes of what I said.

I looked to Rainbow Dash, worriedly and quickly back at the Doctor. "Not often."

The Doctor's face seemed to lose some of its color. "Has he ever hit you or had someone else hit you?" he asked quietly.

I felt my heart start to race. I shrank back a little, trying to hide the bruises underneath my wings. "No." I said, probably a little too quickly.

The Doctor looked confused. "Ah. I see. Well, the thing is...your father... he was out drunk flying." he said nervously. "He flew into a storm cloud and was knocked unconscious. He fell to the ground..." the Doctor tried to finish but couldn't. I saw him look to Rainbow Dash, who just shook her head.

The Doctor nodded his head. My eyes widened as I knew what it had to be. As I put the pieces together, it was all becoming clear. I didn't need the Doctor's explanation. I already knew. He died. He fell to the ground and died. I didn't show any emotion. Rainbow Dash had walked over to me and looked at me. I didn't even know if the Doctor was talking to me or not, but I didn't care about anything more he said.

I'm free. I don't have to be scared anymore. I thought. I was so relieved. No more beatings, no more bruises, no more hiding. I could finally be myself.

"Are you okay?" I heard the Doctor's partner ask.

I simply nodded my head. "Yeah. I'm fine." I said. I was completely calm and relaxed. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. Then I thought of something. I dreamt that I was beating him. I was going to kill him. But he disappeared from underneath me, saying I would be perfect. I thought. I didn't understand what he meant by that. I shook the thought from my head. It was only a dream. Nothing more.

"Fluttershy? You're starting to freak me out." I heard Rainbow Dash say. I realized that she had been talking to me earlier and I didn't hear any of it.

Maybe I can show her now... I thought. I picked myself up and walked to the bed. I reached underneath and grabbed the journal. "Rainbow Dash, you're my only friend. If I show you this, you have to promise me, no, swear, to not say a word to anypony else. Not a single soul." I said sternly.

She looked at me worriedly. "I swear, Fluttershy. You're, like, family."

I took a deep breath. Now or never. I thought. I opened the book up to the first page. I had a picture of one of the bruises my father left me. It had made it difficult to walk that day and many of my teachers were asking questions. "This is why I'm so calm and relaxed. This is why I'm not bawling my eyes out." I said, turning to another page, one with words on it.

""Today was my birthday. My parents did something amazing today. They only hit me once! I was happy when they said I could go to my room. It meant I would be able to fly the next morning. Tomorrow's a big day too. It's my first day of flight school. I learned to fly pretty early on, but I wasn't old enough to actually go to a flight school. I'm so excited!" Rainbow Dash read with her mouth wide open in shock.

I flipped to one more page that had a picture on it. She couldn't look at it, and who could blame her? We had gone on vacation and when we missed our train due to my parents sleeping in, I got beat for it. My wings were bruised badly and legs were turning an ugly blue and black color. It was in the middle of winter, so they made me wear a coat to hide all the bruises. I think they planned that purposefully.

"I never wanted him to die. He was my father and I still loved him. But now I know that all of this," I said, lifting one of my wings to reveal a bruise, "is over. I don't have to live in fear anymore."

"Why didn't you tell anypony?" she asked.

I closed the book and placed it back underneath the bed. "I didn't want him to get in trouble." I said. "He told me that if I said anything to anypony he'd beat me harder and if I ran away he'd hunt me down and wish I was dead." I said. I let a tear form in my eyes. I knew he was gone, but just imagining all that still upset me.

"And your mother?" she asked.

"She never hit me." I said with a smile. "She was always the one who sat in the back and egged my dad on." I rubbed my foreleg as a memory of my mom telling him where to hit me passed through my head. I shuddered.

"Well, why didn't you at least tell me? I'm your best friend for ponies sake!" she said.

"I couldn't. You would have told someone." I said. I knew her personality. If she didn't tell someone, she would act herself. And then everyone would know about it. I heard voices in the other room. Oh no. My mom must be hearing about what happened. I thought.

I heard her scream. She burst through the door and shoved herself right in my face. My eyes went wide. I had never seen her so mad at me like this. She generally didn't care what happened to me. I was so scared I couldn't move from her gaze. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU'RE THE REASON HE DIED!" she shouted at me. I curled up into my protective ball again as she raised a hoof.

"Hey!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout.

No! Rainbow Dash! Leave! I thought. I wanted to shout it, to tell her to go, but I was so scared my voice seemed to have left me.

"LEAVE! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME AT THIS HOUSE! GET OUT!" my mom shouted. From the look on Rainbow Dash's face, I could tell she was as scared as I was. She zoomed out the window and headed out as fast as she could. I smiled as she left, knowing that she was safe.

And then it came. A beating that seemed to last forever. "YOU'RE THE REASON FOR THIS! YOU'RE THE REASON WE WEREN'T ABLE TO LIVE HAPPILY! NOPONY COULD EVER CARE ABOUT YOU NO MATTER WHAT FAMILY YOU HAD!" she shouted, hitting me harder each time. The last thing I remember is the Doctor and his partner pulling off of me before she broke free and punched me right in my face.

A Rude Awakening

There was a loud ring in my throbbing head. I opened my eyes and saw a bright light shining down on me. I had no idea where I was, my vision was blurry, and I felt achy all over. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head was too much.

"Easy, easy." I heard a familiar voice say. I looked over to where the voice was coming from and could just barely make out his spikey mane.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm the Doctor. You're in a hospital being treated for a concussion and multiple bruises. I've managed to hide most of the bruises, but the concussion was more than I could handle with where we were." he said. I let out a groan as my head sent another sharp pain through it. "Tell me, what was the last thing you remember?" he asked me.

"Well..." I said, thinking. "I was with Rainbow Dash and we had just gotten to my house for a sleep over. I think we just finished Oranges to Oranges when some officers walked in." I said. "Next thing I know I'm here."

He nodded his head. "Do you remember what happened to your dad?"

I thought for a little bit. "He died." I said calmly.

"Does that bother you?" he asked.

Without thinking, I said, "Not really." I realized my mistake but it was too late to correct it.

"So he did hit you?" he asked. "Multiple times?" Slowly, I nodded my head. "I'm sorry. It's not easy living with parents like that." he said.

"It's fine." I said quietly.

He walked over to me and sat next to me on the bed. "Do you remember what your mother did?"

I felt the bruises all over me and was able to put some pieces together. "Did she hit me?" I asked.

"Yes." he said. "Did she normally hit you?" I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes. He pulled me in for a hug and I winced from all the bruises around me. "Oh, sorry about that." he said, letting go.

"No no, it's fine. I don't get hugged very often..." I admitted.

"What about Rainbow Dash? Doesn't she hug you when you're in pain?" he asked.

"Not usually. She's more of a tomboy than anything else so hugging isn't something she really does often." I said.

"Oh, I see." he said.

A thought ran through my head. "Do the doctors know why I'm here and what my mother did?" I asked nervously.

"Don't worry about it. I told the doctors that you were having a panic attack and passed out." he said.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

He looked at the clock and stood up from the bed. "Well, I should probably go see if she's here or not. The doctors won't know what she's talking about if she goes in asking for Fluttershy." he said and walked out of the room.

"Go see who's here?" I called to him. He was already out the door and didn't respond. I sighed and laid my head back on the bed. My head still hurt, but it wasn't throbbing. I looked out the window and saw the sun in the sky. It was beautiful. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. Except five minutes later, I heard the sound of birds chirping. I opened my eyes and found them perched on the window sill looking at me.

"Oh, gosh. You guys are so cute!" I said with a smile. They flew in and landed next to me and on my outstretched foreleg. I sang them a five note tune and they sang it back to me almost perfectly. I smiled at the sound of them. They were graceful and peaceful. I sang another seven note tune and they followed suit. I giggled as they sang. It was amazing.

Then they started singing for me. They sang a tune so peaceful and graceful that I didn't feel any more pain in my body or head. It was magnificent. "Fluttershy!" I heard Rainbow Dash exclaim at the door. She sent the birds scattering in different directions as they tried to figure out who shouted.

"Oh my. It's alright little friends!" I said, calming them down. "She's a friend too." They flew down and landed next to me as I sang a five note tune.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" she asked frantically.

"Yes I'm fine." I said, letting a bird nestle itself into my mane.

"Then why are you in a hospital?" she asked.

"Well, after my mom yelled at me, I started having a panic attack. They brought me here to recover and get away from it all." I lied. I lied to her simply because I didn't want her to worry about me. I know I'm small and pretty helpless, but I didn't want Rainbow to worry when I felt fine now.

"I'm glad you're okay." she said, sighing in relief.

"Her mother's been taken into custody. She'll be fine now." the Doctor said.

"Wait, how'd you get to my house? You're not a Pegasus so how could you walk on clouds?" Rainbow asked.

Clouds? She lives on the ground like me. I thought. The Doctor smiled at me. "Spoilers." He walked out of the room, leaving Rainbow and I alone.

"Um, Rainbow?" I asked. "What did you mean your house being on clouds? You live on the ground."

"Oh, well you see...he won it in a bet!" she said. "You know how he is."

"What did her bet with that would equal a house in the clouds?" I asked. They had as much as I did, maybe even less.

"He didn't say. Nor did he say who he won it from." she said.

"Oh." was all I said. I didn't know who would bet a house on the clouds as a bet. It was almost like they didn't value it at all.

"I'm sorry I left you. I should've stayed and done something." she said.

"Oh no!" I exclaimed. "I'm glad you left. If you hadn't you may have gotten hurt! I don't want you to be injured. Especially if it's because of me."

"Still doesn't mean I should have left you. You're my friend. My mom told me that friends and family are everything. She says we need to stay together and stay loyal no matter what. And I consider you part of my family." she said. "I swear to you, Fluttershy, I will not leave you hanging when you need me."

I smiled. I never felt like someone cared for me. All of my life I've only experienced being yelled at and bullied because of how shy and defenseless I am. "Thank you Rainbow. I've never been part of an actual family." I said.

"Well you do now." she said. "You have a place to stay after you get out?"

I shook my head. "The nurses say I have to stay here until they say I can go. But after that, I have no idea where I'm going to go." I said. With my mom in custody and my dad dead, I didn't have a place to go to. I could go back to my cottage, but I don't think I could after what happened.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. You can live with me!" Rainbow Dash said happily. "It'll be like we're having sleepovers forever."

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose." I said. I didn't want her parents to have to take care of me along with Rainbow and her brother. They were hard on money as it was and I didn't want to add to that burden.

"Don't worry about it! Remember, you're part of my family now!" she said, poking me.

I smiled. I didn't want to be alone after what happened. And she was the only pony I was comfortable with. "Well, I guess I could stay for a little bit." I said smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem." she said. She stayed with me for as long as she could. We played games and I taught her somethings about my animals. But then the nurses came and told her it was time for her to go. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fluttershy!" she said as she was led out of the room.

"Okay. See you then." I said, sad to see her go. She was the only one who could make me smile after what happened. The Doctor came in soon after Rainbow left. I was a little surprised to see him. I thought he would be out talking to my mom about what happened.

"Hey, Fluttershy. How you feeling?" he asked.

"A lot better now." I replied.

"I take it Rainbow Dash helped you with that?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "She's a really good friend." I said.

"Only friend from what I've heard." he said.

Ouch... I thought as I took a breath and looked down.

"Sorry, sorry, that was rude of me." he apologized.

"It's fine." I said quietly. "It's true I don't have many friends."

"Neither do I." he said sitting down on the chair. "I try to avoid other ponies. They tend to get hurt when I'm around."

"Then why aren't you avoiding me?" I asked.

"Because you are in danger still. You're mother is being very uncooperative." he said.

"But if she's in the police's hooves, then how can I be in danger?" I asked confused.

"Your mother mentioned something about a return of vengeance. Nothing she says is making sense, it's all gibberish, but the police believe that you are still in danger."

"Well, what do you think?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter what I think. I'm not in charge of the police force. Only a helper." he said.

"Oh." I said.

"Oh but it doesn't matter what I am. Only that you're safe." he said.

"I guess so."

"Anyways, you need to go to sleep. You've had a rough day." he said, standing up.

I gave a light laugh. "You could say that."

He smiled. "I've got guards posted outside here to make sure you're safe." I nodded my head. "Good night." he said, turning off the lights.

"Good night." I said. He left and said something to the guards. I couldn't make it out, but I was too tired to care. I placed my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. Today had been a good day.

I think I can finally move on with my life. I thought as I slowly drifted to sleep.

I walked through a dark hallway. I didn't recognize this place, but I had a feeling that I needed to continue through this weird place. "Hello?" I called out. "Please, if you can hear me, answer me!" I exclaimed. I heard something fall from across the hall. I didn't want to go down there, but something made me walk down there. I had no idea what it was, but I felt myself being pulled to it.

"Hello?" I called out again, moving towards a narrow opening. I looked through it as I got closer. I could see a door with a giant sign that said, 'Exit.' I was so happy to find my way out. This place was starting to creep me out and I really wanted to get out of here.

I squeezed through, trying to make it past. Somepony grabbed me from behind and pulled me close to them. "Little pig." the mare said.

I jumped awake, my eyes wide open as I stared into my mom's eyes. "Hello there, darling." she said with a menacing smile. I tried to scream, but she had covered my mouth. "Oh hush now. Nopony can hear you." she said smiling.

I started crying. It wasn't any voice that I had heard in my dream. It was hers. "What? Surprised to see me?" she asked. "Oh, please. That stupid Doctor doesn't know who he's dealing with." she said, taking off the tape that covered my mouth.

"How are you here?" I asked scared out of my mind.

"I'm a lot more tactful than you could imagine. You don't even know who I truly am." she said.

"But how? The Doctor said he put guards here."

She pulled a necklace out from her dark hooded costume. "This. It allows me to pass ponies without being detected. The guards he placed are complete morons anyways. Just like you." she said, putting the necklace away. "I just want to let you know, that you are going to be seeing a lot of me lately."

"Why? What did I do to you?" I asked as she placed a hoof on my wing.

She smiled. "You ruined all of my plans. But don't worry. I'll return the favor." she said, flipping me onto my stomach. "This is for my husband." she said, snapping a bone in my wing. I let out a heart wrenching scream. "And this," she said, putting her hooves on my other wing, "is just because I can." She snapped it, laughing as I screamed in agony.

"Please stop!" I exclaimed. She pulled something out from her pocket. I recognized the sound of it as it made a low hum. "Where'd you get that?" I asked, feeling my wing start to mend a little.

"What? You think the Doctor is the only pony with a sonic device?" she said.

"Why are you healing me?" I asked.

She laughed at me. "Healing you? Are you stupid? Ha! Of course you are. I'm just making sure that you can still fly. Will you be able to fly as weak as you could before? No. You'll be even slower, even weaker, even more pathetic. You'll get worse as you get older while everypony else gets stronger." she said.

I cried out again as she hit my wings. "Why are you doing this to me?" I asked in pain.

"Don't worry. You'll forget I was ever even here." she said, and hit me in the back of my head, knocking me unconscious.

A Wing Problem

I woke up from unconsciousness with a severe sharp pain in my wings and back. I tried to get up, but it left me in so much pain I cried. My throat was dry, my head was pounding, and I could hardly move. I heard somepony walk in the door. "How is she?" I heard a voice say.

"Good. Nopony came in from our knowledge." another pony said.

"Has she moved since this morning?" the first voice asked.

"No. She's been laying like that since we last looked in."

"Hey, Fluttershy? Wake up. I have something I need to tell you." the first voice said. I could barely recognize it. I let out a moan to let them know I was awake, since I had a feeling my voice wasn't going to work. "You alright?" he asked again. I shook my head as I tried to get up. My back didn't let me and I fell onto the bed hard, making me hurt even more.

"Is she okay, Doctor?" the second voice asked.

"No. She's been injured. And if my assumptions are correct, I know who did it." the Doctor said. "You were supposed to be at the door all night, how did she get in here?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know, we didn't leave at all last night. We didn't see anypony walking around at all." the pony said defensively.

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?" he asked again.

"Doctor, there wasn't a soul."

"Then how is it possible?"

"If she was able to get in, then it's possible she had a perception filter. A very high tech perception filter at that." the other pony said.

"Alright. Captain Jack, get your team together and search for her. I'll take a look here and see what I can piece together." the Doctor said.

"Well don't keep your pretty face in here for too long. I'm expecting you to show up to the team's meeting next Thursday." Jack said.

"Buy me a drink and maybe I'll show." the Doctor said. I heard a humming sound.

"When are you going to upgrade that dumb screwdriver?" Jack said.

"As soon as you go out and find the one responsible for this, now get going!" he shouted.

"Right!" I heard Jack say and run out.

"Fluttershy, if you can, answer me, tell me what happened." he asked. I pointed to my wings and back and groaned in pain. "Your back?" he asked. "What in Equestria did she do to your back?"

Who is he talking about? I thought. I heard a low humming and felt my wings start to convulse in pain. I let out a scream as I felt my bones start to mend. It was unbelievably painful. Worse than any beating my dad had given me. It only lasted a few seconds before all I felt was relief. I laid there gasping. "Yep, sorry about that." the Doctor apologized. "My screwdriver can only do so much to help mend bones. Sadly, they're permanently damaged, so you won't be able to fly as well as before."

"But...but what happened?" I asked. "I don't remember anything after you left."

"Well, we don't know for sure." he said. "We believe your mother escaped and came here to hurt you. At least, that's what we believe happened." he said.

"But how did she find me? And why can't I remember any of it?" I asked, finally able to sit up. "And what did you do to my wings?"

"Ah, just a simple bone manipulation sequence. What's interesting, is that somehow, your bones have already been touched by a sonic device. How did she get ahold of one, I wonder." he said to himself.

"But you still haven't answered my question. How did she find me?" I asked.

"No idea." he said. I had a flash back to one of my nightmares. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I said quietly.

He leaned closer to me. "Did you have any dreams last night?"

I nodded my head. "I was in a dark hallway trying to slide through a narrow passage. But somepony grabbed my back and pulled me out. It was my mom..." I said, trailing off at the end.

"Do you remember anything after that?" he asked. I shook my head. "Hmm... Oh! Of course! A mind integration device!" he exclaimed. "That's how she found you!"

"A mind...what?" I asked.

"A mind integration device. It allows the user to connect with anyone of their family. How'd she get her hands on it? It's banned in half the Universe." he said, talking to himself again. I was confused. He was talking nonsense and it worried me. "And where in tartarus did she get a sonic device?"

"Umm...Doctor? What are you talking about?" I asked.

He looked at the clock. "Oh, hey, I have to get Rainbow Dash." he said. "I'm sure she'd love to see you." he said.

"But we have school today!" I said.

"It's Rainbow Dash. She can either go sit in a boring textbook ridden classes or visit her best friend who she cares very much for. Which do you think she'll choose?" he asked.

"I guess she'd rather visit me." I said, letting a smile show.

"You're lucky you know." he said. "Not many ponies have friends like her. She'd do anything for you."

"How do you know that?"

He smiled. "Because of the way she acts around you. She cares so much for you that it's astounding. When you were threatened by your mom, her stance changed to defend you instantly."

"But she didn't stay. She left." I said. "I mean, I'm glad she left, but how does that mean she wanted to defend me?"

"The mind is a weird thing. We're programmed to protect those who we care most about, generally shared between a parent and foal, but occasionally you get two ponies, two friends who care so much for the other, that they would risk their lives for the other. And the fact that Rainbow Dash is doing it at her age is extremely rare and only forms from the strongest friendships." he explained.

"You really think so?" I asked with hope. "I've always felt like I was something nopony would ever care about."

"Hey, don't be like that. She loves you, Fluttershy. And she does because of who you are." he said.

I smiled. "Thank you." I said.

"Now, I'm going to be late. Want to get her before she gets to school or else it'll take longer for her to see you." he said. "The doctors are insisting that they put casts on your wings to help them heal. They won't be on for long, though." he said and ran out the door.

Five minutes passed and the doctors were in to put the casts on. "Alright, Butterscotch. You're father wanted us to put you to sleep while we put the casts on so we can have minimal pain while applying the cast." the head doctor said. "You're going to be just fine." he said.

"Umm...okay..." I said. I didn't know who Butterscotch was and from all of my experiences, my dad wanted as much pain as possible.

"Your father's name is Doctor right?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow.

Did he do this? I thought, nodding my head.

"Hmmm...weird name. Alright, well my assistant will apply the sleeping agent and we'll be done in no time." he said. His assistant put a mask on my face and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

I was running. I didn't from who or to where, only that I needed to run. I was panting with exhaustion as I pushed myself as hard as I could. "Come play with us, Fluttershy." I heard some voices say. I ran until I found a building in the distance. As I got closer I recognized it as my school. I burst in through the doors and found myself standing in my living room.

"Oh Fluttershy, please play with us." I heard them say behind me. I turned around and gasped when I saw them. My dad had a baseball bat while my mom had a glove. "Don't worry, we just want to play some Flutterball. Your mother will go to the pitcher's mound and teach you how to throw the ball to me at home plate. Then, after I take my place, she'll take you and throw you at me. And I'll send you heading out towards the fence for a homerun." my dad said with a toothy grin.

I bolted into the other room and was somehow in the dark hallway from before. I curled up in a ball and started crying. "Fluttershy...Fluttershy." I heard their distant voices down the hall.

"Go away..." I said quietly.

"Fluttershy..." Their voices were getting closer.

"Go...away..." I stammered.

"Fluttershy." my dad's voice said right in my ear.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"Fluttershy...it's me...Rainbow Dash..." I heard her say, frightened.

Rainbow? I thought, opening my eyes. I was back in the hospital bed. My wings were stiff from the casts and my eyes were wet. "What are you doing here?" I sniffed.

"There was a gas leak at the school so they sent us all home." she said. "But what happened to you? You were fine yesterday."

Define 'fine.' I thought. I wanted to tell her about my dreams with my parents, how my mom escaped, and how she might have been the one who hurt me last night. "I can trust you right?" I asked, trying to get up the courage. She nodded her head. "Well..." I started. "I was sleeping when I was hit on the back. I can't remember much, only that my wings were in severe pain and I couldn't move them." I said. I couldn't tell her about my dreams and other things. I didn't want her to worry about me and I wanted to forget they ever happened.

"It's alright." she said, pulling me in for a hug. I winced as she bumped my wings. "Sorry." I was trying to hold back tears. Even now, after I was free of them, my parents were still causing me pain. "It's okay, Fluttershy. It's okay." she said reassuringly. "There's no way I'm leaving you now."

"Thanks." I said. I felt so much more comfortable with her by my side. I felt safe and secure.

There was a knock on the door. "Excuse me, miss Dash, can we speak with you?" an officer asked.

"Uh, sure. About what?" she asked, pulling out of the hug.

"We just have to ask you some questions." he said. I caught him looking at me as he said that.

"I'll be back. It's probably about the gas leak at the school." Rainbow said.

"Oh...Okay." I said as she walked to the officer. So much for not leaving me... I thought. I shook my head. No, this is a good reason. They probably just want to know if she knew anything about the leak. It's not uncommon for her to be a suspect if something happens, but she never does anything to put anypony at risk. It's generally just harmless pranks.

I looked out the window and saw the Doctor walking with another pony. They seemed to be arguing about what to do with me as they pointed at my window. The doctor must have said something because the other pony seemed to be nodding his head. What are they talking about? I thought.

A Unicorn walked out of a blue box that was behind them and had a red object. The Doctor looked at it and ran a hoof through his mane. The Unicorn pointed up at my window, dragging the other's attention to me. The pony who was arguing with the Doctor waved at me with a smile.

I waved back, slowly. Something happened with the device that made them all stare at it. They all ran back into the blue box. I have no idea how they all fit in such a small place. I could hear a slight humming as it disappeared.

"I'm going crazy..." I said quietly. I turned back to the door as Rainbow Dash walked in. "What'd he want?" I asked.

"Just wanted to know if I knew anything about your parents and a few question about mine." she said.

"Okay." I said. "Well, I'll be out in a few days. The casts are mainly so I don't hurt them more while I'm here. That nice officer with the spikey mane came by and, according to him, 'sonicked' my wings. He told me they'd be okay for me to leave. I won't be able to fly as well, but I never was a great flyer anyways." I admitted.

"That's great!" Rainbow Dash said happily.

I'm glad you're here. Rainbow. I thought. Maybe things won't be so bad.

New Found Hobby

After I was released from the hospital, I moved in with Rainbow Dash. I never saw much of her parents, but I didn't think too much of it. I forgot about the Doctor and my nightmares. My parents started to feel like a distant memory that I may have just dreamed about. With Rainbow Dash and Felix, I felt like I was wanted and respected, which I had never felt before. I began to search for a hobby, something to keep my mind at ease. While I was looking through a magazine I saw an ad for a free, one month subscription for 'Dress the Best: The Guide to Make Your Own Dress.' I wasn't expecting this to become something I would be interested in, but it turned out to be quite interesting. After a few years, we enrolled into our new high school and had many classes together. Of the few we didn't share, I had Animal Study and Gardening. I wanted to know more about taking care of animals and how to plant food for them.

Rainbow Dash took Advanced Flight Techniques. She was the best at the school's entrance exam, getting a perfect score. I was so happy for her. And then a few weeks later for my birthday she got me my very own animal! A little white, baby rabbit that I named Angel. Nopony had ever gotten me a true gift before so he's very special to me. Most of my nights now are spent studying and taking care of Angel. I end up talking to him after Rainbow goes to sleep or isn't around. There is still something that I don't feel like I can tell her just yet.

"It's just that...is it normal?" I asked him. "I know it's not traditional, but should it matter?" He shook his head and scratched his head. He jumped onto my desk, moved some of my magazines out of the way, took a pencil, and started to draw a picture on a piece of paper from my notebook. "What are you drawing?" I asked, peeking over his shoulder. He pushed me away with a paw. "Oh. Okay. I'll wait." I said, sitting down on my bed. We shared a room, with my side wallpapered with trees and hers with the Wonderbolts.

Angel put the pencil down and brought the drawing to me. "Let's see..." I said, as he held the picture to my face. "What?!" I exclaimed. "Angel, I can't just say it to her. Maybe when the time is right, but now isn't." He went back to the desk and started drawing something else. When he came back he had a picture of me compared to me with a longer tail. "What do you mean?" I asked, confused. he started yanking on my tail, and motioning with his paw to make it longer. "But, the only way to make it longer is for it to grow." I pointed out.

He face pawed and pulled me to the desk. He started drawing my tail next to a plus sign with what another drawing of my tail. "Umm..." I said, confused. I think he let out a little bunny groan. "I'm sorry Angel. But the only way for me to get a longer tail is to let it grow or get tail extensions." I said. He looked at me tapping his foot. "Oh." I said, it finally hitting me. "I see what you mean now."

I opened the drawer and pulled out an envelope with my allowance money in it. Felix paid Rainbow and I to do chores around the house. I generally did most of them since Rainbow hated chores, but I didn't mind. They were letting me live with them, so I felt obligated to help out in any way I could. I told Felix not to give me the money, but he did so anyways. I was thankful for it now. I wrote a note for Rainbow Dash for when she came home telling her I was getting food for Angel. This way she wouldn't question where I was at. "Thanks for helping Angel. I'll be back after I'm done." I said and walked out of the house. I flew down to Ponyville hoping that Rainbow Dash would be busy at her internship with the Weather Team to be there.

I headed into to town and looked for the Beauty Salon. It's not a place I've been to before, so it was a weird walking into this place. It started raining as I walked in. It's been raining for a few days now, and I was hoping today might have been a nice clear day. I went to the front desk and tapped on a bell, suddenly becoming very nervous. What if she doesn't like them? What if I'm wasting my time? She couldn't feel the same for me. It's not like her. I thought, panicking.

A pink mare came out from a curtain behind the counter. "Hello, I'm Aloe, and welcome to Aloe and Lotus' Beauty Salon, the finest in Ponyville." she said with a smile. "How can we help you?"

"Umm...I was wondering if I could get some tail extensions..." I said quietly.

The mare looked at me questioningly. "Why come here then? You can get tail extensions at most mane style shops."

"Well...it's just that..." I stammered. "I don't know anything about looking pretty. So I didn't want to get some that didn't fit me..."

"Oh. Well, that shouldn't be a problem for us then. We'll take care of you." she said. "And just so you know, you already look very pretty." she told me with a smile.

I smiled back. "Thank you."

"If you'll follow me, we can get started." she said. She led me behind the curtain to a room where ponies were getting stuff put on their faces. "This is where we give each pony a mud facial. It helps with a pony's complexion." she explained.

"How? Isn't mud dirty?" I asked.

"Well, it's not really mud. It's just the name we use since it's a thick substance." she said. "Lotus, we have a pony in need of a tail extension." she said as we walked into an adjacent room. "My sister will help you determine the proper color and length for you." she said, motioning to a blue mare across the room.

"Thank you, Aloe." I said.

"You're welcome, miss..."

"Fluttershy." I replied.

"Fluttershy. Have a good day. If there's anything else we can help you with today, just ask." she said with a smile and walked out back to the counter.

I walked over to her, looking at all the extensions they had lying on the shelves. There were a few that caught my eye, one of which was a rainbow colored one. "Um, excuse me?" I asked Lotus.

"Yes? Find one you liked?" she asked.

"Well, a few caught my eye, but I was wondering about where you got this certain one." I said, pointing to the rainbow one.

"Ah, this one was special ordered. I can't say who, though." she said.

"Oh...Ok." I said. Why would Rainbow want one of these? I thought. She was the only one who I knew that had a rainbow colored mane, besides her brother, and I couldn't see her looking for these.

"Now, let's see what we can find for you." she said. We spent about 30 minutes looking for the extension that was just the right color for me. We finally found one and when I tried it, I loved it. It was obviously longer, but looked so natural that you wouldn't think about it. "I think we've found it." she said, smiling.

"I think so."

"If you don't mind me asking, who is this for?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, generally with the ponies we work with, they only get mane or tail extensions if they're trying to impress someone." she explained.

"Oh...well, I guess you could say that." I said, carefully.

"Well, I'm sure he'll love it." she said.

I hope she does. I thought.

"Lotus, we have a pickup for order R502." I heard Aloe say.

"If you want to follow me, we can check you out." she said, taking the rainbow extension off the shelf. She placed it in a box and led me out to the counter. I walked to the front of the counter and stood behind a pony who looked oddly familiar. His spiky mane and brown coat gnawed at me.

"You're really going to wear that thing?" a pony by the door asked.

"What? You think I couldn't pull it off Jack?" the spikey maned pony asked.

"No, I'm afraid you'll attract unwanted attention." Jack said, walking up to the counter. "And hello there, you two beautiful mares." he said to Aloe and Lotus. "Twins, I take it?" he said, kissing both of their hooves.

"Stop it." the spikey maned pony said.

"What?" Jack asked. "I can't say hello?"

"That wasn't saying hello."

"Oh, we don't mind." Aloe and Lotus said simultaneously, both blushing and smiling.

"Ladies." he said with a wink and followed the spikey maned pony out the door.

I recognize them... I thought. But from where? I walked up to the counter, paid for the extension, and walked out the door.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" I heard Rainbow Dash call in front of me.

"Gah!" I exclaimed. I didn't expect her to be here. "What were you doing there? I thought you needed to get food for Angel?" she asked.

"Oh, well I did, but when I went home I saw an ad in one of my magazines. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I didn't know you'd be around here." I said, ducking my head.

"Surprise me with what?" she asked.

"You mean you can't tell?" I asked. Of course. Why would I expect her to take notice?

"No! I can tell!" she said, smiling.

Can she? I thought, doubtfully. "Oh, good. I was afraid you didn't notice the tail extensions." I said, testing her.

"Are you kidding? They look great and fit your tail color." she said. "What made you decide to get tail extensions?"

"Well, I just thought that they would make me look better. All the mares at school are saying they are in this year." I lied. I hadn't heard of anypony talking about them, but I knew that Rainbow would believe it.

"Oh! So you're doing this for a certain pony, huh?" she asked. "Ramus? Thunder? Oh! Is it for Daren?"

"Oh, not at all. It's a secret." I said with a wink.

"Come on, Fluttershy! Tell me!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I won't tell any pony, I swear."

"Nope. I'm not telling. Only Angle knows, and he's sworn to secrecy." I told her.

"If you got your pet bunny to swear to secrecy, it must be somepony really special." she said, excitedly. "Now just tell me!"

"It's not time yet. I'm waiting until they notice me a bit first." I said, turning around and ending the conversation. I wanted to tell her who it was for, but I had a feeling she would be weirded out and leave me. She was the most important pony in my life, and I didn't want to lose her for anything.

"Whatever. I'll find out soon enough anyways." she said. We flew to our house talking about our finals. I didn't care for them, but I wasn't going to complain. I knew I needed to do them to pass my classes, but they involved a lot of studying that wore me out. Animal Study is going to be easy for me because I've known most of it for awhile, and what I didn't know I picked up on very quickly. I wasn't sure how Rainbow would do. She rarely studied and had this idea that she was too cool for it. She was very popular at our school, so maybe she'd get someone else to get her the answers for her. I didn't like thinking that, but there were always some classmates who did things for her without her asking them to.

We came up to the house and walked in to see Felix talking to a pony in a suit. "Hey Dash! This stallion has something he wants to tell you." Felix said, happily.

"What is it? And what are you doing home this early?" Rainbow asked.

"I got a day off for working late most nights. But listen to this guy. He's got great news." Felix replied.

"Ms. Dash. I'm from the headquarters." the suited pony said. "I heard about the incident with the Apple family and how you went out of your way to help them after work. At the time they came in, the Captain was enjoying a glass of scotch. Due to this, I'm very pleased to congratulate you on becoming Captain of the Weather Team." he said, smiling.

I looked over to Rainbow Dash who seemed to be in shock. "Are you serious?" she asked, her voice rising in glee.

"As serious as a doctor. Now, I understand you have finals coming up, so you won't have to worry about taking over until after you are finished with testing." he said.

"How did you find out about it?" she asked.

"Applejack came by and explained the situation. The old Captain has been fired, leaving room for you to move your stuff in once you're ready." he explained. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a letter to deliver. Have a good day you three." he said, walking to the door.

As he left I heard Rainbow let out a cute little squeal. "I can't believe it! I'm finally done being cooped up behind a desk! I'm free!" she exclaimed.

I doubt it was that bad. I thought. I wouldn't mind a desk job. It's quiet and easy. At least, I thought it was.

"Easy there, Dash. Just because you can fly around a little more and have some freedom doesn't mean you get to slack off on your duties as Captain of the Weather Team." Felix pointed out.

"Aw come on. How hard can it be?" she asked, flustered. Felix explained everything she would now have to do, and by the look on her face, it didn't seem like she really wanted the job anymore. There were a lot more responsibilities than I thought could exist for one job. "But I thought the Captain could do whatever they wanted?"

"Well, in theory you can, but you still have a responsibility to the team. They need direction after what the last Captain was like." he said.

Rainbow sighed as she figured out Felix was right. I mean, the last one was a complete jerk to everyone. I never met him, but the stories that Rainbow would tell about him were terrible. "Why don't you make up a list for your team? Like a job list." I suggested, trying to be helpful.

"I'll do that right after we celebrate the new promotion!" she exclaimed.

"I'll head to the store and get some things to celebrate with. For now, you two need to study for your finals." he said, pointing to her specifically. I chuckled a little bit because I knew she really did need to. If she didn't she may not get out of school.

"I'll be fine, Felix. Just go get the stuff so we can celebrate." she said. I started to walk up to our room so I could study some more. I really wanted to do well on these finals. "You know we don't really have to study, right?" I heard Rainbow ask at the bottom of the stairs. "You know all your animal stuff and I know my flying techniques."

"There are other classes, Rainbow. Do you know how to find a cosine of an angle and graph without using a calculator?" I asked her.

"That's not fair! You know I'm terrible at math!" she shouted.

"Well, all the more reason to study then." I said, trying to hide my grin. I walked into our room and sat down at my desk. I was going over my Equestrian History notes. It was the only class I was having some trouble with. I kept confusing dates and times.

Not even 10 minutes into studying, I could tell Rainbownwas thinking of something else. When she studies she can't keep still. Simply because she doesn't enjoy it. But when she's in a deep thought, she stays pretty still. Her face was in her math book, but her mind was elsewhere. "Oh! I almost forgot about the dance!" I heard her exclaim.

"What dance?" I asked, not really paying attention.

"The Spring Dance. You know, the one everypony is going to to celebrate the end of the year?" she said.

"Oh. That." I said. I knew about the dance, but I really didn't want to go. "Um, Rainbow? Do we have to go? I mean, we could just stay here and celebrate by ourselves." I suggested.

"Are you kidding me? Do you really want to be known as the only pony who didn't show up?" she asked. She was exaggerating on that. I knew a number of ponies who didn't want to go because they were studying. But I thought of something. Maybe now's my chance. I thought. "Ok. Well, who would you go with?" I asked. Maybe she'll go with me if she isn't going with anyone.

"Hey, nice try! If you want to know, you have to tell me who you like!" she said, trying to coax me into saying it.

But I wasn't going to tell her. Not yet. "Oh. Well I guess we'll never know." I said, hanging my head low.

"Alright. I'll tell you. It's Long Horn." she admitted.

What?!i thought. Long Horn is a Unicorn that I am not too fond of. He bullies ponies and thinks that he runs to school. And, I'll admit, he does have a good portion of ponies wrapped around his hooves. "You can't be serious? He such a meanie! He doesn't care about anypony but himself." I told her. She had to know that. Right?

"Oh come on. He can't be that bad. I'll give him a chance and maybe my awesomeness will rub off on him and stop him from being a jerk."

I started to curl up into a ball. "If you say so. But who will I go with? I have nopony to go with and you'll be spending all your time with him." I said. What's the point? I thought. "Maybe I'll just stay here."

You can hang with us! I'm sure he'll treat you just fine when he sees that you're a friend of mine." she said.

But it won't be the same. I thought sadly. But it's better if I go with her than stay home alone. "What would we wear though? We don't have any dresses, and you hate dresses."

"I'm not going to wear a dress." she said. I should've figured that. "It's nothing too formal. It's really just a hang out at school."

"If you say so." I said. "Since you're going, I'll go." I really didn't want to go to the dance, but I wanted to keep an eye on Long Horn. He made me very uncomfortable and I wanted to make sure he didn't try anything.

"That's the spirit! And who knows, maybe the guy you like will ask you to dance." she said, giving me a slight nudge.

It took a lot from me not to cry when she said that. She had no idea who it was and how much I liked them. "I don't think they will." I said.

"Why wouldn't they? They'd be crazy not to ask you!" she exclaimed. "You're nice, caring, and always try to make others happy. Why wouldn't ask you to dance?" she asked.

"Well, I just recently found out they were going with someone else." I said.

"Whatever." she said, with a wave of her hoof.

I didn't want her to be upset with me, so I decided I was going to help her out a little. "What are you going to wear?" I asked, trying to see if it was too late.

"Probably just a nice shirt. I haven't thought about it too much get." she said.

"Oh, no no no. You can't just wear a shirt! It's a dance and you have somepony you're going to be with. I can make you something, you know, if you want me to." I offered.

"Since when did you know how to make clothes?" she asked me.

"I've been looking for a different hobby. I started looking through more magazines and found tips. I've been practicing with Angel for a few months now." she said. "So, do you want me to make you one?" I asked, hoping she would say yes.

"Sure. Why not?" she said. "Just don't make it too girly. I want something that looks cool."

"I'm on it!" I said with a smile. I knew just what I was going to do. I ran over to my desk and made a rough sketch of the dress. When I finished, I walked over to Rainbow Dash to see if it looked good, but she had fallen asleep while listening to her music. I could hear it through her headphones. She was listening to a CD that I had given her awhile back. I smiled. I returned to my desk and took out my supplies. I had a big project ahead of me, and I wanted to get started right away. I'll make sure that you look amazing.

A Found Journal

I felt a tap on my leg as Angel put his food bowl in my face. "Angel, not now. It's too early." I said, groggily. He tapped me again, impatient. I yawned and got out of bed. "I fed you last night. Why are you hungry so early?" I asked. He hopped over to his food container and turned it over. "Oh right. I only gave you a little since we were out." I'll go out now and get you some more." I said, patting his head. I looked to Rainbow who had sprawled herself across her bed. She looked like a starfish from one of my magazines. I giggled at her funny position and wrote her a note about where I was going in case she woke up while I was out. I grabbed an apple on my way out the door and headed for the market.

I wonder how Rainbow will do on her first day as Captain. I thought. Today was her first day on the job and she didn't seem too nervous. But knowing her she wasn't going to admit it. She had too much pride. I flew below the clouds, enjoying the breeze as it ran through my feathers. I really liked flying, even if I preferred walking. I just couldn't fly too high. My fear of heights made my wings tense up and close against my sides. It's a strange problem for a Pegasus to have, but I didn't let it get in my way. Besides, I liked flying below the clouds. It allowed me to see reference points as to where I was going.

I landed in the market at Ponyville and looked for the pet store. It was still early, so the place wasn't too crowded just yet. When I found it, I walked in and saw a familiar pony with a spikey mane at the counter. "Why hello there Fluttershy!" he said with a giant smile. "I heard you needed some food for Angel, so I went and bought you a bag. No need to thank me!" he said.

"Umm...Thank you kind sir." I said quietly. "Um, who are you?" I asked. "I feel like I've met you before."

"I'm the Doctor. We met a few years ago when your parents were being abusive. I was in the hospital with you when she came in and damaged your wings further." he explained. "But I don't expect you to remember me. Big traumatic event like that, repressing memories, anything associated with it really is hidden."

"Oh...right." I said, remembering the night my dad died and my life changed forever. I could still feel the beatings he gave me as they suddenly flowed through my mind.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah...just remembering everything at once." I said, shying away.

"With something like that I expect them to be a little painful. But, it's better to confront your fears than to hide from them." he said.

Yeah, but it's easier to hide from them. I thought. I put the bag down and pulled some bits out from my pack. "Here. I owe you for the food." I said.

"No you don't! I'm the Doctor, the only thing you owe me is some information." he said.

"What kind of information?" I asked confused.

"Have you been having any dreams about your mom or your dad?" he asked.

"No. At least, none that I can remember." I said. "The last dream I remember was back at the hospital."

"Good. Which means the defenses Jack put around the house prevent her dream integration technique from working." he said to himself.

"Um, a dream integration technique?" I asked. I recognized it, but I didn't know what it was.

"Not important." he said, jumping over the counter and walking to the door.

"Hey! Wait!" I exclaimed, grabbing Angel's food and running next to him. "Who are you?"

"I told you, I'm the Doctor."

"No, like who? What's your name?" I asked.

"No name. Just the Doctor." he said cheerfully. "Need a lift home? My ship is just by the fountain." he said.

"Your ship?" I asked confused. He led me to the fountain and I saw a big blue box. "I've seen this before. It's just a weird box." I said.

"It's a TARDIS." he said, leaning against it.

"A TARDIS?"

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space." he said. "She's a time machine. She can go anywhere in time and space. You could be millions of miles away for years, and be right back in your living room and only been gone for five minutes." he explained.

"A time machine? Aren't those things a part of science fiction?" I asked.

"Well, science fiction is only science fiction when you can't achieve it, however, my race was able to achieve it and it became science fact." he said.

"Your race?" I asked. "You're a pony though. We don't have time machines."

"Oh, I'm not a pony. I'm a Time Lord." he said.

"What's a Time Lord?" I asked confused.

"What do they teach you in school?" he asked. "Look, all this explaining is getting tiring and repetitive. It'll be easier to just show you." he said, walking inside the box. "Jack! We got an extra passenger." I looked around me, wondering about what I should do. "Well come on, Fluttershy!" he exclaimed as he poked his head out of the box.

I quickly walked in and gasped, dropping the food on the floor. "It's..." I stammered. I walked back outside and walked around the box again. "But..."

"Yes, yes, it's bigger on the inside now come on!" the Doctor shouted to me.

"How is that possible?" I asked.

"Time Lord technology. Bigger on the inside. My favorite." he said smiling. The TARDIS made a low groan. "Oh you know what I meant." he said, turning to the tall cylindrical tube in the center.

"So where are we going Doctor?" another pony said next to the console.

"Take her home. Prove that it's a ship" he said.

"Aye aye, Cap'n." Jack said.

"Don't call me that." the Doctor said cooly. They pulled on some levers and the TARDIS made a low buzzing sound and started rocking back and forth. "Hold on!" he shouted.

I grabbed ahold of the rail next to me and held on for dear life. I felt my stomach start to churn a little bit from the rocking. "If you're gonna hurl, wait until we get through traveling." Jack said. I gagged a little, but held it down.

We stopped lurching around and the only thing left was a simple, steady hum. I let go of the rail, which I had been gripping so tightly that my forelegs were burning, and walked up to where the others were. "What did you do?" I asked.

"We travelled." the Doctor said. He rushed to the door and turned back to me. "We are currently standing on the front porch of your house. Well, front cloud." I grabbed the food bag and walked to the door confused. "Go ahead." he said, motioning to the door.

I pushed it open and gasped at what I saw. "Oh my gosh." I said, astonished.

"Shocking, huh?" Jack said behind me.

"How did we get here?" I asked.

"Like I said earlier, it's a ship. A ship that can travel through time." the Doctor said.

"But how?"

"It's really complicated to explain." he said.

The console started beeping. "Doctor, my team has located Clarrise in Saddle Arabia." Jack said.

"You're tracking my mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, gotta run. Don't want her to get too far ahead of us." he said, rushing to the console.

"Okay. Well, good luck." I said, stepping out of the TARDIS. I didn't want anything to do with my mom, so the sooner I was away from them, the better.

"Oh! Fluttershy! One more thing." he said. I turned to look at him. "Have fun at the dance. Rainbow likes you. I can tell by the way she looks at you sometimes that she cares for you. Don't be afraid okay?"

"Um, yeah. Okay. I won't be." I said with a smile.

"Good." he said returning my smile.

"Doctor!" Jack shouted at him.

"Right! Gotta run!" He closed the door. There was a loud humming as the blue box in front of me started to disappear. My mouth dropped as it vanished out of thin air. I walked to where it had been standing and gingerly waved my hoof in its general area. All I felt was warm air.

I shook my head. I turned and opened the door to the house. He is one strange pony. I thought to myself. I looked over to the couch and found Rainbow Dash sleeping there. "Rainbow Dash? Aren't you suppose to be at the Weather Center?" I asked, shaking her awake.

"What?" she asked me, confused. "Oh, yeah. Well, they let me go home early because the old Weather Captain was extremely upset that I took his job and gave me a visit there. He was drunk and almost hit me in the face, but I'm faster than him and knocked him on his butt." she gloated.

"They let you off for that?" I asked.

"Well he also dropped a little knife on the ground. Must've wanted to do me some harm." she said.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?" I asked, worried she may try to hid a cut he gave her.

"I'm fine Fluttershy. He didn't even get close to me with it. Besides, he was drunk. He could barely walk straight, let alone fight."

"Okay. I just don't want to see you hurt." I said, still worried.

"Fluttershy, relax. I'm good. No harm done." she said, yawning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to sleep."

"Oh, okay. I'll talk to you later then." I said, turning and walking to the stairs. How could she be so cool after being attacked by somepony with a knife? I'd be a nervous wreck. I walked to our room and closed the door. Angel was lying on the ground with a flower in between his paws. Drama queen. I thought with a smile. I grabbed his bowl and started pouring some of his food into it.

At the sound of the food hitting the bowl, he jumped up quickly and rushed over to it, digging in. "Now eat slowly Angel or you'll choke." I warned. He didn't listen and continued to scarf down the food. "Maybe next week I'll stop getting you this food and start feeding you more lettucce and carrots." I said. I've been wanting to do that, but I don't hold much money. I don't have a job and my allowance doesn't pay for much unless I save it up over a month or so.

He suddenly stopped as if he remembered something and jumped over to Rainbow's bed. "What is it?" I asked. He opened up her drawer by her bed and pulled a book out. "Angel, you know it's not polite to snoop in other pony's things." He hopped over to me and handed it to me. I took it, intent on putting it back without looking through it. But something about it looked familiar. I slowly opened it up, curious as to how I recognized it without ever seeing it.

"Entry 1. Today my teacher gave me this journal to write down my thoughts since I don't talk a lot in school. Only thing is, I don't know what to write about. I'll find out soon." I read aloud. This isn't Rainbow's writing. I said, turning the page. "Entry 2. My teacher asked if I had written anything in the journal. When I didn't say anything she gave me some ideas, like my friends, family, pets, or anything that made me happy. I don't have a lot of friends, and my parents don't let me have pets. But my parents are always being mean and hitting me. Maybe I'll write about that."

My eyes grew wide. "This isn't Rainbow's. It's mine." I said, realizing why I recognized it. I thought it was still back at the cottage. I didn't go back for it because I didn't want to be reminded of what happened. Not like I ever forgot what happened, but I didn't want it to be a constant reminder. "Why did Rainbow have it?" I thought aloud. I shook my head. It didn't matter. Maybe she wanted to give it to me so I could continue to write in it. Or maybe it just stuck out in her mind and that's why she grabbed it. She probably already read everything in it, so there was no point in me going through all the pages and ripping them out. Besides, I think she had forgotten about it.

"I guess I could still use it for some good." I said quietly. I walked back to my desk, placing the journal down and grabbing a pencil. "Entry 83: I don't know if I should be happy or sad. I found my journal finally. Rainbow has it hidden in her drawer. I'm not going to tell her though. I think she forgot about it. But, Rainbow, if you're reading this, I love you. Very much. I may just be dreaming or thinking of false hopes, but I want to be with you. I hope you don't hate me for this." I made sure to skip a good number of pages in case she found tried to see if there was anything in it after the entry before this.

I closed the journal and placed it back in Rainbow's drawer. "Well, if she reads it, I won't have to hide it." I said to myself. I walked back to my desk and saw Angel holding a sketch of a dress. "Oh! That's right! I still need to make mine." I said. I hastily gathered some materials and pins and began working on it. My goal was to make an impression on Rainbow Dash. She was going to be with Long Horn at the dance, and I wanted her to avoid him. So the prettier I looked, the more likely she would be with me and not him. I thought back to the Doctor's words about Rainbow caring for me. It made me smile, as I worked on the project before me.

Author's Note

Bear with me. I'm trying to make these as best I can. I'm having some inspiration problems right now, so this may not be up to par with some other chapters. But I felt like you all deserved something. Hopefully you enjoyed it. The next chapter should be out in a week or so. Maybe less if I get a boost in influence

A Surprising Package

"Whew!" I let out an exhausted sigh. "It's finally done." I held up the dress I had just finished. It took me about three days of constant work while Rainbow was at the Weather Center and constantly hiding it from her. I wanted it to be a surprise when she saw me wearing it. I looked outside and noticed it was midday. "Rainbow will be back in a few minutes. I should probably hide it from her. Angel, could you open the closet please?" I asked as I went back to my desk and took the dress. I walked to the closet and hid it in the back of my clothes. Rainbow rarely went back there, and it was only for when I asked her to grab something, so it should be safe there.

Angel tapped my shoulder and pulled out the journal. He's been doing this a lot ever since he found it. "What? I told you I only want to write in it on special occasions." I said. He glared at me and pointed to my closet and back to an empty page. "What about the dress?" I asked. He shook his head and laid the journal down. He started to dance and waltz with himself. "Oh you want me to write about the dance." I realized. "I wrote about it yesterday. The dance is tonight, so I'll write in it either tonight or tomorrow about how it was.

I took the journal and placed it back in Rainbow's drawer. He pouted and jumped over to my bed. "Do you think that she'll like it?" I asked him, holding a picture of Rainbow and I. "I mean, do you think she's okay with something like this?" I turned to face him and he nodded his head. "Oh, I hope she doesn't think I'm weird. I don't want to ruin our friendship."

He jumped onto my back and pointed to the picture. It was taken on a family picnic we took with Felix. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining down on us. The sky was a magnificent blue with a few clouds flying above us. There was a Cardinal sitting on my head as Rainbow threw an arm around my neck. Both of us were smiling wide grins. I remember that this picnic was after I was bullied more in school last year. I wasn't too happy and felt like nothing, but Rainbow Dash was there to help me feel better. She always had time for me, no matter what. It was the happiest I had been in a long time.

I didn't realize that Angel had lept to the desk and ripped some papers up to make a heart. He placed it above Rainbow's head. "What? You know how I feel." I said, blushing. He pointed at me, motioning to Rainbow and then pointed to the heart. "Wait, you want me to tell her?" I asked, shocked. He nodded his head. "Oh, no no no! I can't do that! I'm not ready! I mean, how do you think she would act? She'd probably think I'm crazy, weird, or even disgusting! And what would the others at school think if it got out? Rainbow's reputation would be destroyed! I couldn't do that to her." I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me. He wasn't buying any of my excuses. "Angel...I can't. I'm afraid of what she'll say." I admitted. He pointed at the picture again and shoved it in my face. "Angel I can't tell her. If I do what do you think she'll think of me? She'll hate me, might even kick me out. I can't risk it until I know for sure." I was letting my mind get ahead of me. I was nervous and it frightened me just to think about asking her.

He waltzed again and pointed back to the picture. "Angel, no. I won't. Not even at the dance. I'm only going because she is. If she wasn't I'd just stay home and maybe listen to the new music she gave me." I said, ending it. She gave me new CDs a few weeks ago. It was one of my guilty sins. I loved Screamo and loud music. I don't know why, but it just appealed to me.

"Hey, Fluttershy." I heard Rainbow Dash say behind me. I let out a small gasp. I didn't hear her come up through the window. "Derpy had a package for you, but accidentally delivered to somepony else's house." she said, placing the box on my bed.

"Oh, my. It's a big box." I said, trying to sound like I wasn't just talking about how I felt about her to my rabbit.. "Who's house did she send it to?" I asked, walking over to the bed.

"Some farmer named Applejack." she replied, peering over my shoulder.

"Who's Applejack? Is she new in town?"

"Yeah, she's the one who helped me get to Captain of the Weather Team." she answered.

"Well that was really kind of her." I said, opening the box. I screamed and backed away. How... I thought. "It's not possible...How did he..." I stammered. I stared at the box containing pictures of me with bruises and journal entries scattered around. But the one thing that caught my eye that scared me more than anything was a paper in the center, written in blood, 'I will find you.'

His face popped into my head. He was laughing at me. I saw him beating me while my mother laughed. "One day, you'll learn why." he said maniacally.

"Fluttershy. Look at me." I heard Rainbow say, breaking me out of my head. I looked at her, shaking uncontrollably. "What was in the box?" she asked. I closed my eyes and let out a whimper in fear. I was frightened beyond anything I could imagine.

"I'll be right back, okay?" she said.

No! Please don't leave me! I thought to myself, unable to voice it. I couldn't believe it. I was being visited by a pony I knew to be dead. How in the world is he back?

"How did she get ahold of those?" I finally asked. My mom had to have been the pony who mailed this to me. It's the only explanation. But it didn't explain the writing. The writing wasn't hers at all.

"I don't know. Didn't you say you lost it?" Rainbow asked. I nodded my head, not letting her know I knew she had it. "Do you recognize the writing?" she asked.

"It's my dad's." I said quietly. He found my journal, he had pictures of my bruises, and he knew where I lived. I have never been more scared in my entire life. I thought I was safe, but now, I was wrong.

The Worst Dance of the Year

I shook as Rainbow walked over to me. "Hey, let's get something to drink, alright?" she asked. She led me down to the kitchen and poured me some apple juice. I took a few sips of it. "Are you okay?" she asked.

No. He's back, he knows where I live, and he has my journal and knows everything I wrote about him. No, I'm not fine. I thought. I wanted to say that, but I couldn't. I didn't want to seem weak in front of her when it came to my parents. "Yeah, I'm okay. But I thought he died. How is he back?"

"Are you sure it was his writing?" she asked for clarification.

I nodded my head and took more sips of my drink. "I mean, it's been years since I've seen him or his writing, so I guess it could be any pony. But..." I trailed off.

"But what?"

I looked at her with worry. "But what if he returned? What if he is searching for me?" I asked, worriedly.

"Is it possible your mother did that instead?" she asked.

"Maybe. But why wouldn't she just come and get me? Why send a package?" I asked. She had no problem coming after me while I was in the hospital.

"When you think about it, it isn't unlike her. From what you told me, the only time your mother hit you was when you were in the hospital. She likes to get inside your head and psych you out." Rainbow said. "I wouldn't worry about it. She's just trying to scare you." she said, trying to reassure me.

I didn't believe her. I knew that either my mom or dad was looking for me and had found me. They wouldn't just hurt me now, they'd go after Rainbow and her brother, the two who took me in. "Rainbow...I'm scared." I said shakily.

"Hey, there's on reason to be scared." she said, sitting next to me and pulling me into a tight hug. "You've got me. The fastest Pegasus in Equestria and the Captain of the Weather Team." I laid my head on her shoulder. She was warm and her embrace caused my heart to race. "Now I know you worked hard on the dress, but I don't think we should go to the dance. I'm not going until I know you're safe." she said.

I pulled out of the hug quickly. "Oh no!" I exclaimed. "We're going to the dance. You've got a date with Long Horn and you can't miss that." I said. I didn't really want to go, but I didn't want my efforts on our dresses to go to waste. And I wanted an excuse to wear the dress and make an impression on her.

"I thought you said he was a big meanie?"

"Well, yes, but if you're going to give him a chance, then I should too." I said. I really wasn't going to give him a chance. But it sounded good. "And...I'd feel safer being with you." I quietly added.

"In that case, let's forget about the box and enjoy the night." she said. I nodded my head and looked to the ground. I was still worried about the box and what it meant for us, but I trusted Rainbow to keep us safe. "Hey, it's okay. Like I said, you have me here."

"I know." I said. "I'm just worried about you." I said. I didn't tell her that I was worried that one of my parents may come and destroy the house, hurt Felix, or hurt her. I didn't want to scare her, even though she acted like nothing did.

"Come on, I'm Rainbow Dash. No pony can beat me!" she boasted.

I looked at her worriedly. They aren't ponies though. They're monsters. I thought. She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"I'll be back. I'm going to get rid of that thing upstairs." she said, turning for the stair case.

"Ok." I said, quietly. I finished the apple juice and sighed. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. Everything is going to be fine." I said to myself. "I'll go to the dance, have a nice time with Rainbow Dash, and we'll forget this ever happened." I took a deep breath. She came back downstairs after a few minutes and sat back down at the table.

We talked for a few hours. She made me laugh and brought my mood up. It was nice to have this. She put her hair in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Normally she didn't care, but I think she wanted to keep eye contact with me this time. I caught myself getting lost in her eyes. Her deep, purple eyes drew me closer and left me with a fuzzy feeling inside. Her tomboyish attitude and look just left something for me to admire.

It was soon time for us to go to the dance. Rainbow had banned me from making anymore dresses, but I was okay with it. I sent her to her changing room for her dress as I walked to the closet. I put the dress I made over myself, walked out, and waited for Rainbow. I took a deep breath, worried about what she would think of how I looked. She walked out and I couldn't help notice how gorgeous she looked. Her mane was hanging over down her neck with a small curl at the end. She looked so pretty that I almost forgot to speak.

"Do I look okay?" I asked, seeing how she blushed at me.

"Uh, yeah! Of course you do!" she exclaimed, quickly hiding her face. "But I still think mine looks cooler."

"Oh, I'm glad you like it!" I said happily. "I was afraid I overdid the lightning along the edges."

"It looks great Fluttershy." she said, smiling at me. I loved that she thought it looked good. We walked out of the house and headed to Town Hall. The entire time I was thinking about how I could impress Rainbow more. When we arrived, I lost sight of her in the crowd of ponies walking around. It was strange. I wasn't used to being around this many ponies and it made me a little uncomfortable. I hung my head low as I looked for Rainbow. I know I'd feel better being by her side.

"Hey Fluttershy! Over here!" I heard her call in front of me. I smiled and ran over to her. She was with Long Horn, but it didn't matter to me. She was next to me and I know we were going to have fun tonight. I wasn't going to let Long Horn ruin it for me.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash. I lost sight of you in all the commotion of those mares." I said to her. I turned to Long Horn. "How are you?" I asked, trying to keep my smile up. He made it difficult, but I was able to not show my dislike for him.

"I'm doing well. How about you, Flutters?" he asked.

"I'm doing well, I guess." I said. I made sure to stand close to Rainbow. I didn't trust this guy. He just gave me a bad feeling now that I saw him standing in front of me.

"Yes, well, Dasher and I are going to take a stroll real quick. We'll be back shortly." he said, taking Rainbow and dragging her away.

"It'll be okay." she whispered to me. I saw him take her to the other end of the room and I sighed. The night just started and he already was trying to keep her away from me. It hurt, knowing that Rainbow had to choose this guy to go with, but I know how her reputation is to her.

I hope everything goes alright. I thought. I don't want to be left alone here. There's just too many ponies here. I caught the stare from a mare in my Gardening class who always picked on me. She whispered something to her friends and they all laughed at me. I lowered my head lower and thought about leaving. No. I'm here with Rainbow Dash. She'll make sure I have a good time. I thought to myself. I could still feel the ponies stares and hear them snickering at me when they walked past me. I was alone right now. They probably thought I was here alone because nobody was stupid enough to ask me.

"Hey Fluttershy. Can I-" I heard Rainbow Dash ask. I looked to her as she was nudged by Long Horn. She whispered something to him and he grunted as he walked to the concession stand.

"What's wrong, Rainbow?" I asked, scared.

She took a deep breath. "You see, um...I can't...You need to..." she stammered. I saw her struggling to say it and I could see the pain in her eyes. "I can't talk to you tonight." she said quickly. "I can't be seen near you when I'm with Long Horn."

I stood there, shocked. My heart felt like it had been stabbed. And Rainbow was the one who did it. She held that knife and drove it into my chest. "But...but why?" I asked, tears streaming down my face.

"It's because I'm afraid you'll ruin my reputation here with Long Horn." she said quietly, avoiding my eyes.

Her reputation means that much to her? I thought, devastated. It means so much that she's willing to kill me emotionally? She promised she would be here for me, that she would always be there for me and not let me down. And here she was shoving me away and not wanting to be seen with me.

I felt my legs tremble as I collapsed on the ground, bawling my eyes out. I didn't care who saw. I was in too much pain to care. The only pony who cared for me and the only pony I ever loved just shoved me away. She picked me up and gave me a quick hug. She whispered something into my ear, but I was too distraught to understand her. She let go of me and walked back to Long Horn. I looked at him and saw him stand there, smiling with pride. I wanted to take his pride and break it in his flank. But all I could do was run home, crying more than I had since I was with my parents.

When I ran outside, I bumped into an orange pony. "Whoa there. Ya' alright?" she asked, blocking my path.

"I'm fine." I said quietly in between my sobs.

"Ya' sure? Did somepony do something to you while you were in there?" she asked, worriedly.

"Bucking Long Horn stole her!" I shouted. I think I frightened her a little bit, but I didn't care. She had moved out of my way and I ran past her, sobbing loudly. I flew into the air, ignoring her shouts for me to come back. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything right now. I flew harder and faster than I ever had just so I could get to my room and cry in my bed.

I flew through the window and landed on my bed, releasing the tears I had failed to keep back. Why did she do this? Do I really mean that little to her? I thought. I felt Angel place a paw on my shoulder. I looked to him and saw worry in his eyes.

"Angel, just leave me alone. Please. I'll be fine..." I said, lying to him. He hopped away and I buried my face back in my pillow. I wept. I hadn't felt this upset since I lived with my parents. Why is she doing this? I thought. Angel jumped back on the bed and walked up to the pillow. He rubbed my head a little bit. I looked at him and he was holding the journal.

"You want me to write about it?" I asked, surprised. "I don't want to ever remember this!" I shouted to him.

He shook his head and pointed to Rainbow's bed. "So...you want me to write about it so she can read it later?" I asked.

He shook his head. He moved to a previous page and pointed at it. "Entry 85: I can't believe it. All my hopes and my plans have been for nothing. She's not interested in me as anything more than a friend. I bought a beautiful dress for the dance, hoping that I could impress her. But, it turns out that she is going with a big stuck up jerk. He's the top jock at school and all he does is put people down. I'm torn between wanting to be with Rainbow Dash and wanting to move on." I read aloud.

"But, what does that have to do with what happened tonight?" I asked. I had written that yesterday after dealing with some of my thoughts about the dance.

He pointed back at the page and then to my heart. "Are you saying it came from heart. my heart?" I asked him, trying to talk between my tears.

He nodded his head. He flipped to the next page and pointed to it and back to my heart. He put the journal down and hopped back to the table. He came back with a pencil and placed it in front of me. "I guess I could write from my heart about what happened tonight..." I said quietly. I was still crying, but Angel was able to help calm me down.

I took the journal and began writing. "Entry 86: All I feel is hurt and pain. No matter what I do or what I try, I'll always be the second run. The pony that nopony could ever love. I'm useless, worthless. I feel like I'm all alone in this place. Why can't she love me like I love her? Why can't I be more like her? Why am I so stupid as to believe that I could ever amount to anything that Rainbow could love? I hope she's having fun with Long Horn..."

I finished the entry and felt terrible. I felt my tears falling down my face as they fell onto the page. They stained the paper and smudged the words. I moved the journal away from me and Angel took it. He just threw it under the bed as he started rubbing my back. "Hey, Fluttershy." I heard Rainbow Dash say.

"Rainbow Dash?" I asked, turning to her and wiping my eyes. "What do you want?" I asked.

"I...I want to apologize for what I said earlier. You were right. Long Horn is a jerk. I should never have agreed to go with him." she said, lowering her head.

I sniffed. I had to wipe my eyes again because the tears kept blocking my vision. I'm sure they were red and puffy by now. I remember her saying she would tell me about the situation later. "What was it all about, Rainbow?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from choking.

"When he pulled me off to the side, he told me I had to leave you and not talk to you. If I didn't, he was going to spread a lie about you." she said. I could hear the hurt in her voice.

"What was the lie?" I asked.

"That you were hiding from the cops and I was harboring you." she said as she walked over to my bed. She sat down next to me and held her head low. "I ditched him though. He was trying to force me to kiss him. So I told him off, embarrassing him in front of everyone in the entire room, and left." she said. "But only after I hit him a few times."

The thought of Rainbow hitting Long Horn was funny to think of. It raised my mood a little bit. I put my head on her shoulder. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

I took a deep breath. "When you told me that you were going with Long Horn, I was jealous. I wanted to spend the dance with you. So when it came time for me to find a dress, I wanted to find something absolutely beautiful and stunning." I said. "I had bought a dress before, but it wasn't really a good looking dress. It wasn't cheap and I had to sell a few of my personal things to get it. I started making this one and it took me around three days to finish it. But once I did, I was so excited that I would be able to have a dress that looked amazing. I...I wanted to impress you, Rainbow." I said, choking out the last of my words.

"You did, Fluttershy." she said, rubbing my back.

"I noticed you blushing when you saw me. I was really happy that you liked it and thought I looked good. But when we got to the dance and you told me to stay away, I felt like it was all for nothing, like I had traded in all my items for no reason whatsoever." I said, starting to cry again. There was a knock on the front door, but we ignored it. "I was very worried about what this meant for us. So many thoughts passed through my mind that I found myself hyperventilating."

"You know I would never kick you out, Fluttershy." she said, pulling me close. There was another knock on the door.

I felt her heart beat against my chest. My face flushed. "I know. But I was worried about something else. Something more than just that..." I said, slowly.

"Oh, hello there. Am I interrupting something?" I heard a voice say at the door. I jumped, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Doctor? How'd you get in here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I soniced the door." he said, putting an item in his pocket. "I love what you did with the place. Is that the White Tail forest?" he asked me, pointing to my wallpaper.

"Oh. Um, yes it is." I said quietly. Of course, you come in right as I'm about to tell her how I feel.

"Wait, wait, wait. You soniced my door? What does that even mean?" she asked, confused.

"Oh nothing bad. I just used a screwdriver to open the door. Anyways, Rainbow Dash, your parents are downstairs. Nice dress by the way." he said and walked back down the stairs.

Rainbow had a look of shock on her face with her mouth agape. "Rainbow? Is everything okay?" I asked. She jumped off the bed and ran downstairs.

Rainbow's Parents Return

Rainbow looked like she could barely move. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!" the Doctor said. Rainbow looked to me. I was confused. She told me her parents were on a mission trip to the Griffon Kingdom. So them coming back would be expected. She stood up and walked downstairs. I followed her and saw two ponies sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Mom? Dad?" she said, shakily. They turned around and looked at her. The mare stood up and walked over to Rainbow Dash.

"Honey, look at how much you've grown since we've seen you last." the mare said. "And how old are you now?"

"Um, 15." Rainbow replied. "What are..." she stammered.

The stallion limped over to them. The way he dragged his hind leg behind him told me he had a terrible injury. "Hey Wondermare! I thought you hated dresses?" he said, smiling.

"I...what?" Rainbow stammered. "What are you two doing here?"

"What's wrong with stopping in every now and again?" the Doctor said as he smelled random objects.

The stallion turned to him. "Mind giving us a few minutes?"

The Doctor had put down a Wonderbolts model he had taken a quick sniff of it. "Oh! Right, right! Big family reunion, sorry. I'll just wait outside." he said, running out the door.

"Wait!" Rainbow exclaimed, flying to the door.

"Easy there, sweetie. He'll be fine. He's not going to fall." the mare said.

"How? He's not a Pegasus in case you haven't noticed mom." she retorted, but slowed her speed.

"I know, but he won't fall. He's a strange pony, but he's very reliable." her mom said.

"What's going on? First you're here, then you vanish, and now you decide to suddenly drop in and say hi?" Rainbow said angrily.

Vanished? I thought. That didn't make sense. Rainbow said just a few weeks ago that they were in the Griffon Kingdom on a mission trip. "Umm...excuse me?" I asked, quietly. "I know it's none of my business, but...what does she mean when she says you vanished and are just showing up?"

Her parents looked at her. "You mean you haven't told her? Even after her parents..." her dad trailed off. I saw them flash into my mind, making me flinch.

I looked to Rainbow Dash who had started kicking her foot across the floor. "Well, Felix said we needed to keep it a secret, at least until we know exactly what we were dealing with." she said.

"But you kept it from Fluttershy? Your closest friend?" her mom said. Rainbow nodded her head with a look of hurt and regret.

I walked over to her. She was a strong mare who didn't show her hurt emotions too often. And when she did show them, it was because of something big. "Rainbow? Are you okay?" I asked, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"Yeah." she said, regaining herself. "I'm fine."

"Where is Felix, anyway? Shouldn't he be home from work by now?" her dad asked.

"He had to take over for another pony." Rainbow said. "How do you know so much about our lives? No offense, but you two haven't neccesarily been around to see it." she said, rather rudely.

"Take a seat. We'll explain everything." her mom said. "Fluttershy can stay too."

"Oh no. I wouldn't want to impose." I said shyly. If they really hadn't seen each other in a long time, I didn't want to be interrupting and hearing things that weren't meant for me.

"You wouldn't be. Besides, if you're living with our daughter you should know what's gong on, just as much as she does." her mom said.

I followed Rainbow as she sat down on the couch. I sat next to her, not sure what to do. I mean, they did say I could sit down and listen, but I felt like Rainbow would be mad at me for taking up time with her parents. I looked at my dress and found it wrinkled. I saw hers and was drawn to her face. Even in that wrinkled dress and messier than usual hair, she was still beautiful. I blushed and turned to her dad when he started talking.

"Right after you left on your first Nightmare Night, Felix left to get some cider with his money we gave him. As I'm sure you've come to realize, we weren't a poor family. It was, however, the best way to keep you and Felix safe, or at least, that's what we had hoped for." he said, looking to her mom.

"A few minutes after Felix left, the Doctor came by and told us that they were coming. We packed our things quickly, knowing that if they knew you two were out in Ponyville, they would find you and probably hurt you." she continued. "We created a distraction to draw their attention to us. After awhile, we were running through the forest. Our biggest concern was hoping that Felix had read the note and left before the fire started. We're extremely happy that he did."

"As we ran through the forest, we met up with some members of the Royal Guard. They took us to Canterlot where we were put in protective care. We can't give you details, but we will tell you what we can. You see, Rainbow, we are part of the Equestrian Intelligence Agency. We used to do a lot of spying on different nations in the world. We've made a lot of enemies, some of which, are following us now." her dad said.

"Who are these enemies?" Rainbow asked?

"We don't know exactly. What Celestia believes is that they are members of a group from the Griffon Kingdom. Not much is know about them. Your father and I were sent their to acquire information on a possible chemical attack." her mom replied. "More or less, things didn't go as planned. We were captured and tortured for information. We were able to escape, but only because one of the guards was cocky and got too close to us."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. These weren't the parents she told me about. She said that they were on a missionary trip and that they wrote back and forth all the time.

"Something doesn't make sense, though. If you were put in protective care, then why are you constantly running around? And you still haven't answered how you know so much about us?" Rainbow asked.

"In protective care, you move around a lot. Especially with the group we have after us. As to how we know so much about you, you can ask the Doctor. Do you really think that we would just leave you without someone watching over you?" her mom said.

"That's what it seemed like." Rainbow replied. "But I'm still confused. How-" She was cut off by the Doctor.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem." he said frantically.

"Not one moment of peace!" her dad exclaimed, angrily. He jumped up and winced. Her mom grabbed ahold of him, to keep him upright. "How far out are they?"

"About five miles, and closing fast." the Doctor said, taking her dad from her mom and dragging him out of the door.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry we can't stay and talk longer. But if they are on their way here, you're in more danger if we're here. I love you!" her mom exclaimed and ran out the door.

I sat there, trying to put the pieces of what just happened together. Her parents, who aren't really missionaries, are part of an intelligence agency and they had to run and leave Rainbow and her brother on their on. They made enemies and now they were chasing them. I had a bad feeling rise in my stomach. I looked at Rainbow Dash who was staring at the door. She turned and looked at me. I saw shock and sadness. I knew it took a lot for Rainbow Dash to cry, but how was she able to keep it together after this?

"Is that why you lied about them to me? Because of what Felix said?" I asked. She nodded her head. "I see." I put a hoof around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I know how much you love them. You had your reason not to tell me." I said comfortingly.

For the next ten minutes we just sat there while I still held her in my embrace. I felt her shake a little as she started crying into my chest. I pulled her in tighter and placed my head on her shoulder. She wept hard and loud. I wasn't going to stop her. I knew that she was going to be feeling like this sooner or later. And her parents were nice and wonderful. I kept my tears back though. I didn't want to add to her sadness. And I still had a bad feeling in my stomach. My mind kept shifting towards my parents and how awful they were.

"Rainbow? Are you home? Why in Equestria was the front door wide open?" Felix asked as he walking into the living room.

Rainbow Dash wiped her eyes and regained her composure. Her eyes were still red, though. "I'm in here!" she shouted.

He ran in and gave a sigh of relief. "Good. I thought something might have happened."

Well... I thought. I didn't want to say anything in case Rainbow wanted to tell him on her own.

"I just forgot to close it after the dance." she said casually.

He walked into the kitchen and poured some water for himself. "And how was it?"

"It was, uh, great. We had a lot of fun." she said.

Not so fun for me thought... I thought as I remembered what happened. I know that Rainbow did it for me because of that jerk Long Horn, but it still hurt that she did that.

He took a sip of the water and walked into the living room. "You okay? You look like you've been crying." he asked Rainbow Dash, worriedly.

She rubbed her eyes and gave a yawn. "I'm just tired, that's all. I think I'm going to hit the sack early tonight." she said, and started to make her way to the stairs. "Good night!"

"Good night? It's only 9 o'clock." he said as we walked into our room.

Rainbow locked the door behind her and I walked over to my bed. A package from my dad, a devastating dance with Rainbow Dash, and her parents randomly appearing then disappearing; Could this day get any worse? I thought.

"Fluttershy? Can I ask you something?" Rainbow asked.

I took a seat on my bed. "Of course."

She walked over to my bed and fell on her back. "What's it like to not have parents?" she asked.

Why is she asking me that? I thought. "It's like having a void in your heart. You know they're there, somewhere, but they don't feel like it." My mind filled with the memories of my parents again. I looked to the floor, away from Rainbow. "My parents were with me, but I felt like they weren't even there. I heard what you would say about yours. It made me think what it would be like to have actual parents who cared about me." I said.

I looked at her, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I was jealous of what you had. Your parents were amazing and even though I wasn't a part of your family, they still looked out for me. After the hospital incident when you asked me to come live with you, I was so excited. I thought that I would actually have parents who would care about me. But then you said they were on a trip somewhere and never talked about them. I just passed it off as not being important. I had no idea that they were actually running from something."

"Yeah. Running and leaving me alone here." she said.

"Well, yes. But do you know why they did that?" I asked. She didn't answer. "They did it because they felt that you would be safer if they were away. They did it because they love you." I said, rubbing her back with my hoof. "Something my parents never felt for me." I said, letting the tears fall from my eyes.

She turned to me and pulled me into a hug. I cried into her rainbow mane. "Hey, we may not have parents, but we do have each other. That's all that matters." she said. "I'm not leaving you again. Not for anything. I promise." I noticed that she had started to cry a little bit. We laid on the bed and held each other tight. She's here. That's all that matters. I thought. I laid my head on the side of hers and fell asleep.

Thankful

I woke up to Rainbow Dash playing with my mane. We still had our dresses from yesterday on and they had become wrinkled. She didn't know that I was awake, so I let her mess around with my mane for a little longer. I enjoyed the feeling of her that close to me. It made my heart flutter and my skin tingle. I slowly shifted and opened my eyes. She stopped and smiled at me. I didn't realize just how close our faces were and I suddenly grew worried. I pulled back and felt my face grew red. "Oh my..."

I started to release my grip on her, but she pulled me tighter and closer. "Hey, um...I'm sorry about the dresses." Rainbow said to me.

"Oh, don't worry about it. In the end, everything seemed to work out fine." I said. I stared into her big purple eyes. My heart raced. We were so close that I could feel her breath against my face. She drew her face closer, her eyes shifting towards my mouth.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy! It's time for breakfast." Felix called at the door. We quickly let go of each other and got off the bed.

"Alright!" Rainbow called down to him. My face was red. My heart was beating at a million times a second with how close we were. I looked to her and her face was a s red as a tomato. We were so close. Did she want to... I let the thought run off and took my dress off and followed her downstairs.

"Morning you two!" Felix said as he placed a plate on the table. "You two ready for the day?"

"What's today?" I asked.

"Thanksgiving! Really? You forgot about that?" he asked.

"Oh! That's right! Sorry, so much has been going on that I guess it went over my head." I replied.

"Well take a seat! It's time for a family meal." he said. I took a seat next to Rainbow Dash and moved my seat closer to her.

"What's this all about, Felix?" Rainbow asked. "You don't really cook."

"So I know I'm not here too often anymore, but I have the day off, so I decided to cook a Thanksgiving meal for you both." he said, placing another plate on the table.

"But you can't cook. Can you?" she asked.

"Well...I'm able to cook some things. I've been working all night preparing it.

"Aw you're working over a hot stove preparing for us? Just like a mom." Rainbow said with a smile.

"Watch it Rainbow. You may be faster than me, but who holds the job here?" he asked.

"Both of us." she replied brashly. I chuckled. It was funny to watch them bicker back and forth in good fun. It made me wish that I had a sibling that I could joke around with like that. Of course, it's probably better that I didn't. My parents weren't the best of role models.

"Well, dig in. I made this meal and I don't want it going to waste." he said as he went back to the kitchen. The table was decorated with an assortment of dishes.

"Did he really do all this?" I asked.

"It looks like it. I'm impressed. Well, let's eat. I'm starving." she said.

"Ow!" Felix exclaimed as something clanged on the floor. We turned and looked to him.

"Forget that the oven heated things up?" Rainbow asked.

"No! I just forgot to grab a mouth guard." he said, tapping his toungue with his hoof.

He ditched the cupcakes that he had burnt in the oven and took a seat across from Rainbow. We sat, laughed, and ate all the food on the table. It was fun. I never had this much fun at home. Usually my parents said that they were thankful for alcohol or other things that made my life miserable. But this was the first time I actually had fun at this time of year.

"Okay. It's time for us to bring the tradition back!" Felix exclaimed after wiping his mouth.

"What tradition?" I asked.

"Every year after we stuff our faces, our family always says what we are thankful for this year." Rainbow explained. "And since Felix brought it up, I think he should be the one to start."

"Alright." he said, leaning back in his chair. "Well, first off, I'm thankful for my job. Without it I wouldn't be able to pay much of the bills. Second, and most importantly, I'm thankful for you Rainbow Dash. You're my sister. And no matter how brash and hard headed you are, I'll always care for you and be here for you." he said.

She smiled. "Same to you. I'm thankful for my wings. Fastest flier in Equestria right here at this table. Someday I'll be a part of the Wonderbolts." she said.

"Anything else?" Felix asked.

"Oh fine. I guess I'm thankful for you too Felix." she said, smiling.

They both looked to me. "Oh. I guess it's my turn." What am I thankful for? There really isn't much in my life that's made me thankful. I thought. I looked to Rainbow and saw her messy yet pretty mane. "Well...I guess I'm thankful for you two. After what happened with my parents, you both were willing to take me in. You've taken care of me and even let me stay here long after what happened." I said.

"Aw, come on. It was nothing! You were already family to begin with." Rainbow said.

"True. But I never really felt that at my house. Nopony there loved me." I said, sadly. There was an awkward silence at the table. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no. It's fine." Felix said. "We're thankful that you're safe and that you're with us. Like Rainbow said, you are family. Ohana. Nopony get's left behind."

"Yeah. Besides, did you really think we would have left you out on the street after what happened?" Rainbow asked, putting her hoof on mine.

I looked down. "Any other pony would have." I said quietly. "I wasn't really well liked among the other's at flight school. You were the only one who cared for me."

She pulled me into a tight hug and gave my neck a light kiss. "I never would have let that happen." she whispered in my ear. I cried, knowing that it was true, but believing that if it weren't for her I'd be left alone. I stopped crying though. I didn't want her to think that was all I did. I had been crying too much in front of her. I wanted to be more like her. Tough, strong, independent.

"We'd never leave you hanging, Fluttershy." Rainbow reassured me.

I pulled out of the hug first and smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Well, how about we all go bowling? I think we deserve it." Felix said, trying to lighten up the mood. I was glad he did. It was Thanksgiving and I didn't want to feel upset on this day.

"I think that's a good idea." I said.

"Well, alright. But I'll let you two know I'm a pretty decent bowler." Rainbow bragged.

"You haven't bowled in four years." Felix added.

"I'm still pretty decent." she replied. Felix and I laughed as we all walked out of the house.

Author's Note

I hope all of you had a very happy Thanksgiving. And if you live in a part of the world that doesn't celebrate it, I still hope you all had a fantastic day :)

Hearths Warming

"Did you get them?" I asked Felix anxiously.

"Yep. They arrived just this morning." he replied, placing an envelope on the table.

"Oh, good. I was afraid they would be late." I said, relieved. I heard shuffling upstairs. I had woken up before Rainbow Dash so I could make sure Felix received her present on time. "Oh, she's waking up. You better get going." I said.

"Yep. I need to make sure I get everything else for today." he said, putting the envelope in his coat pocket. He walked out the door and I sat at the table finishing the breakfast I had made in case Rainbow came down early.

"Good morning, Rainbow." I said, taking a drink from my cup.

"Good morning, Flutters." she said yawning. Her mane had parted in two different directions and I couldn't help but laugh. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just that your mane can't decide if it wants to be up or down today." I said with a smile.

She quickly rubbed her mane with her hooves and fixed it to her usual style. "Better?" she asked.

"Yes." I said. She walked over to the counter and made herself some toast. "Are you excited for today?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, right. Yeah, I am. I just need to get one more present." she replied.

"For who?"

"Felix. I haven't had a chance to buy his gift yet and I don't want him to be out on all the fun." she said.

"Oh, okay. Do you need help?" I offered.

"No it's-" she started, but stopped herself, as if realizing something. "Actually, yes. I do need your help. We're going to be going to the market in a few." she said.

"Okay. I'll finish eating and we can go." I said. I don't want her finding Felix and somehow getting ahold of that envelope before it's time. I thought.

I finished my breakfast and we headed down to the market. I could tell Rainbow Dash was nervous about something. I wasn't sure what it was, but I had a feeling it had something to do with the box that my parents had sent me a few months ago. "So what are you getting Felix?" I asked, trying to get her mind off whatever was making her nervous.

"Something with finances. You know how he is with that stuff." she said. "How about you look over there and I'll look over here. This way we can double the amount of ground we cover in less time." she said.

"Alright. I guess I can find something." I said.

"Great. Make sure to call me over if you find something." she said. We walked in our different directions as we searched. I looked around for a little bit before bumping into a brown coated pony.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me." I said, apologetically.

"Oh it's fine- Oh Fluttershy!" Captain Jack said.

"Miss Fluttershy! How are you doing?" I heard the Doctor exclaim behind me.

"Oh, hey Doctor." I said. "I'm just looking for a gift for Felix with Rainbow." I said

"But isn't that her in the animal store over there?" Jack said.

I looked over to where he was pointing and sure enough, Rainbow was at the counter of the animal shop across the market. "Well what's she doing over there?" I asked aloud.

"Maybe waiting for you?" Jack suggested.

"But she just told me a few minutes ago to go over here and look for something." I said.

"Then maybe it's for-" he started but the Doctor cut him off.

"It's for Felix Jack. That's what they came out here to do. Right, Fluttershy?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then there you go! Jack's out buying me a new Flux Manipulation Gazatron." the Doctor said.

"It's not my fault that she reversed the TARDIS' polarity and caused you to blow it in order to fix it." Jack said defensively.

"But you antagonized her." he said.

"Look, let's just go get the toaster so you can do your thing with it and fix the TARDIS so we can get back on her trail." Jack said.

"It's not a toaster! It's called a Flux Manipulation Gazatron." the Doctor exclaimed.

"Doctor it's a toaster. You put bread in it every morning for breakfast."

"Um, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk to Rainbow and see if she found something for Felix." I said. "Happy Hearths Warming." I said.

"Oh, that's right. It is Hearths Warming day. Well, Fluttershy, happy Hearths Warming." the Doctor said with a smile. I ran over to the animal shop. Rainbow Dash walked outside right as I reached the door. She had a cage with a blanket over it.

"Ah!!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, hi Rainbow. Did you find something for him?" I asked, eyeing the cage. "I saw you looking at the animals. I thought you were getting something financial for him?"

"Oh. Well, uh..." she stammered. "I...found something that I think he would like more than financial...things."

"Oh. I see." I said. I tried to look under the blanket and see what she had gotten but she quickly stopped me.

"It's sleeping!" she exclaimed. "We have to be quiet not to wake him." she said in a lower voice.

My animal care instincts immediately kicked in. "Oh. Well then we should get home so the commotion here doesn't wake him." I said.

"Then let's get going. You didn't buy anything for him here, did you? I don't want you to spend your money on something I was going to get him."

"Oh no. I didn't really get a chance to look around. When I saw you in the shelter, I was so curious as to what you were getting." I said. I left the Doctor out because I didn't want to bring someone associated with my parents being brought up. We arrived home and landed in our room. I tried to get another peek under the blanket. "Do you think he'll like him?" I asked.

She stopped me again. "I think this will be the best gift ever." she said, trying to hold back a grin.

"Oh can I at least see the poor thing?" I pleaded. I really wanted to make sure he was alright.

"No, Fluttershy. I want it to be a surprise to everyone." she said.

"Please Rainbow? I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Nope. Not until we open everyone's present." she said.

"Oh. Okay." I said, defeated.

"I'm going to put him with the rest of the gifts. Maybe we can convince Felix to let us open our presents early." she said. We walked downstairs to our living room where all the wrapped goodies were. Felix must have come back and put a few more out there for us.

She placed the cage next to the others. "Does he need food? Or water? Oh, please Rainbow, let me just make sure he's okay." I pleaded again.

"He's fine, Fluttershy. Trust me."

"Are you sure? Maybe he's cold." I said. She picked me up and carried me back to the couch. I kept trying to run over to him. I couldn't help but be worried. "Can I please make sure nothing is wrong?" I asked.

"Fluttershy, just sit there." she said impatiently. I sat still and put my hooves in my lap. "Thank you." she said. She sat in the chair next to me as we waited for Felix.

I couldn't help myself but to look at the cage. I wonder what's inside. I thought There was a knock on the door and when Rainbow went and opened it, a pony in a big red suit and a white beard walked in.

"Ho ho ho!" he said as he walked in carrying a big bag of presents. "Happy Hearths Warming!"

""Felix! You look hilarious!" Rainbow exclaimed. He really did. The suit was way too big for him and sagged along the ground behind him. I couldn't help but giggle at him.

"Alright, let's see what we have here." he said in a deep voice as he walked into the living room. He placed the bag on the ground and began rummaging through it. "Fluttershy, I believe this one is for you." he said. I walked up to him and took it as he pulled another out. "Rainbow Dash, this one is for you. I think it's a hoodie of some sort." he said.

I pulled open my box and found a really pretty scarf with birds and bunnies on it. It fit me, and I eagerly put it around my neck. "Thanks Felix! I love it." I said.

"Wow! This is so cool!" Rainbow exclaimed. She ran into the bathroom before I saw what she had gotten.

I looked to Felix. "Do you still have them?" I whispered to him.

"Yeah." he whispered back, handing me the envelope from his pocket. I took it and placed it on the table, next to the cage.

"Thanks Felix!" I heard her shout. She walked out in a Wonderbolts hoodie. It fit her perfectly. Even on their off season she was following them and what they were up to. She was completely obsessed with them. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the envelope.

Felix and I were smiling. "Open it." I said.

"Well hold on a second. You guys still need to open up your gifts from me!" she exclaimed. She handed Felix a wrapped box, which he tore open quickly. For a grown stallion, he sure acted like a child at times.

"Woo! Thanks, sis! Now you have no excuse to say that you aren't interested in finances!" he said as he looked at the board game. "You know, since you were the one who bought this."

"Hey, if I ever move out of here, I want to know how to handle myself." she said.

I got up and walked over to her, confused. I gave a light tug on her tail. "Um, Rainbow? I thought the animal was for him." I asked.

"Nah. I wouldn't give him something like this. He wouldn't know what to do with it." she said. She made me sit back down and grabbed the cage. She placed it on my lap and pulled the blanket off the cage. I let out a loud gasp as I saw the red songbird that stood inside. It sang a beautiful tune that made me smile.

"Oh my gosh. He's so beautiful." I said in amazement. I had always wanted a pet bird, but they were too expensive for me to afford. I opened the cage and the bird flew onto my shoulder. It rustled it's feathers and snuggled into my mane. I was so happy I could barely contain myself. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash!" I exclaimed and gave her a big hug.

"No problem. I know how much you love animals, so I had to get this bird for you." she said.

I let go of her and grabbed the envelope. "Here. I know you're going to love this." I said, giddy with excitement.

She opened the envelope and her jaw dropped at what she found inside. "Are these..." she said quietly. My smile grew wide. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! Thank you, Fluttershy!" she exclaimed, almost dropping the meet and greet tickets to an upcoming Wonderbolts air show. She ran up to me and gave me a tight hug.

"Well, it wasn't just me. Felix was the one who thought of the tickets. I just added the meet and greet." I said.

She let go of me and rushed to her brother. "You guys are so awesome!" she said.

"You know we try to." he replied back. "Happy Hearths Warming."

"Happy Hearths Warming." Rainbow and I replied. For the next few hours we sat together and opened up the rest of our gifts. Rainbow Dash sat exceptionally closer to me than she usually did, but I didn't say anything. I liked her being close to me.

After all our presents were opened we walked upstairs to our rooms. It wasn't even that late, but we were exhausted. I sat on my beds and I sneaked a look to Rainbow. She looked so beautiful. She pushed her mane out of her face as she took the hoodie off and placed it on her bed. I bit my lip. "Rainbow? Can I ask you something?"

She looked to me and I saw her blush. "Yeah?"

"I really liked what you got me. He's so beautiful and he can sing wonderfully." I said as the bird flew over to Angel. I stood up from the bed and walked over to her. "Did you like what Felix and I got you?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I liked it. I loved it! The Wonderbolts are the most elite flying group in Equestria, and you got me tickets to actually meet them!" she exclaimed. She walked closer to me. "It's the best gift in the world." she said.

I felt my cheeks flush. She was so close to me that I could feel her breath. She gave me a tight hug and I held her in this embrace. My heart raced at 100 beats a minute as she rubbed her hoof along my back. I should tell her... I thought. She's so close to me that it's almost unbearable not to tell her how I feel.

She pulled out of the hug and looked in my eyes. Her deep purple eyes drew me in and I lost myself in them. "Rainbow Dash-" I started but she cut me off as she pressed her lips against mine. She pulled away and I stood there, shocked at what she had done. "Rainbow..." I said in a daze. She laughed softly and gave me another kiss. A tear fell from my eye as she pulled me close and held me.

I don't care what Rainbow says. What she gave me just now is the best gift anyone could ever give someone. Their love.

Author's Note

I hope you all have had a very happy Hearths Warming and a Merry Christmas. :)

A Loss

The few weeks after Hearths Warming were some of the best moments of my life. Rainbow Dash and I were dating and I had a newfound self confidence that I hadn't had before. I was still shy around some of the ponies at school, especially those who didn't look to kindly to two mares being together like we were. But despite what they say, I don't regret being with her.

My social status has also grown since Rainbow Dash and I openly started dating. While a handful of the other ponies still thought I was uncool, they gave me a different sign of respect. Rainbow and I only had every class together this year, except for one. When she had her Professional Aerial Study class, I was taking Medicinal Recipes for the Health of Animals. It was our one elective course that we were allowed to take and I wanted to increase my knowledge on the subject of animal health. Rainbow Dash loves flying so it came to no surprise when she wanted to take her elective.

"And that, class, is why you should never use Poison Joke as a means to relieve tension in an animals emotional state." my teacher, Mr. Bud said as he finished his lecture on the dangers of plant use. The bell rang, signaling it time for us to move on to the next class. "Remember that tomorrow your essays on Doctor Hoofard's breakthrough on animal health is due at the beginning of class."

I stood up from my desk, gathered my books, and placed them in my saddle bag. As I put it on, I looked out the window and saw a figure standing in the distance. I couldn't tell who it was, but they gave me an eerie feeling. They waved their hoof at me and slowly walked away. Who was that? I thought. I had a bad feeling about them, but I didn't think too much about them. I had to get to my next class with Rainbow Dash.

I ran out of the room and made it halfway through the hallway before being pushed into a corner by a group of bullies. These were the only ponies in school who still treated me this way. "Hey Fluttershy! Where's your queer friend?" the leader of the group asked. He had a basketball for a cutie mark. I knew him from my early years at flight school where I first met Rainbow Dash.

"She's, umm, at her class." I said quietly.

"Oh, she's at class. Well it seems like your plot was too slow to catch up with her. How could someone like Rainbow fall for your ugly face?" he said.

"Um...well we've known each other for-" he cut me off.

"She didn't! She just feels sorry for you."

I started to shrink back into the corner. "She's always-"

"She feels sorry because of how weak you are, sorry that you have no friends, and sorry that your parents have always hated you." he said.

I closed my eyes as my parents bragging about Rainbow Dash and how good she was. She had everything they wanted, and I had none of it. I felt a tear fall down my face.

"Aww, is poor wittle Fwuttershy cwying? I think we may have hurt her stupid little feelings." he said as the group laughed.

"Hey!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout from down the hall. "What the hay are you doing to her?" she said, flying above them.

"What's it to you, Rainbow Crash? Are you scared that your mare friend might hurt your reputation?" the jock asked her.

"Why would she? Are you afraid that I'll become more popular than you, filly-fooler phoebe?" she asked.

"Oh, please. Like you could ever achieve a higher status than me." he said. His posse behind him started to give shouts of agreement.

I sat there, still crying. I hated being bullied. It wasn't uncommon for me by these ponies, but it always hurt nonetheless, especially when they bring up my parents. "So, you boys think you're tough because you can push around a shy, defenseless, beautiful pony? Well, how about you try to push somepony your own size!" Rainbow shouted at him, right in his face. For a second I thought that she was going to bite his face off with how angry she looked.

"Alright, Crash. I'll see you after school." he said and then turned to me. "You're lucky your mare friend was here to save you, Flutters." He and his posse left laughing.

Rainbow helped me up from the ground. "You okay Fluttershy?" she asked. I was still crying, but she wiped the tears from my eyes with her hoof. I pushed it against my face and held her hoof there. It was reassuring.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I said quietly, trying to get myself together. I wanted to stop acting weak and helpless in front of her. I wanted to be strong, brave, and not afraid to confront someone like she did. "Thanks for helping. Are you really going to fight them, though?" I asked.

"Heck yeah I am! Nopony pushes you around."

"But won't you get in trouble?" I asked. She had gotten in trouble before for skipping classes and getting in a fight already this year. She couldn't afford another one.

She drew her in for a hug. "Maybe, but it'll be worth it if you stop being bullied." she said. The bell rang, telling us that we had to be in class.

"Oh no. That's the fourth time in two days, Rainbow. You really shouldn't keep me held up like this." I said with a smile. I gave her a quick kiss and we ran off to our next class, Weather Patterns.

When we arrived to our class, the teacher had already started his lecture. "Ah, Ms. Dash. Fluttershy. Mind telling us why you're late to class? Again." he said, sternly.

"They were probably making out again." somepony said. The entire class started laughing, but was quickly silenced by the teacher's glare. "Take your seats you two. We were just discussing about the times when one should make it rain and when they should let the sun shine. But I'm sure that you know that all too well Ms. Dash. The weather has been absolutely marvelous since you took over as Captain of the Weather Team." he praised.

It was true, we hadn't had an accident weather wise since she started out years ago. She taught me all the secrets and techniques to keeping the weather in check, so we were both passing the class with high marks. I sat at the side of the class closest to the door, while Rainbow was completely opposite of me by the window. I knew she loved the window side of the class. It took away the sense of being confined. I preferred the door simply because it allowed me to get to my classes on time most days.

I took notes and copied graphs and charts so that way I could do well on the tests. Just because I knew a lot of the material because of Rainbow Dash, doesn't mean I know absolutely everything.

"Ms. Dash. I understand that you may feel as if this class means nothing to you, but that doesn't mean you should be passing notes." the teacher said. I looked over to her and saw a look of fear and worry, something I rarely saw come from her. The teacher came up to her and took the note.

What's on the note? I thought.

I looked to Rainbow who just mouthed, "I'll tell you after school." I nodded my head.

Usually, I'm always on top of my notes. but after what I saw on Rainbow's face, I wasn't able to concentrate. She rarely showed fear, and when she did, it couldn't be good. It was almost as if something had struck her right down to the bone. Before I knew it, the bell had rung, and it was time to go home. "Enjoy your weekend, class." he said. "And Ms. Dash? A word please."

I looked to Rainbow, worried. "I'll be right out. Hold on a second." she said, reassuringly. I nodded to her and waited outside by the flag pole.

It's probably about that note she had. What was it? Did some pony in class threaten to hurt me? No it couldn't be that. She wouldn't have been afraid, she would have been angry. Maybe they threatened Felix? That's not likely it either. Again Rainbow would have shown more anger than fear. I thought. I couldn't place my hoof down on what it could possibly be. I noticed a crowd growing. News must have gathered about a fight happening and everyone wanted to see who would become top jock.

"Hey, Scardyshy? Where's your mare friend? She ditch you again?" he shouted. I shrank back again. I knew Rainbow wasn't afraid to fight. She thought it was humiliating not to show up. I would never join a fight. I always did my best to avoid getting caught up in one.

I looked back to the entrance of the school and and saw Rainbow Dash walking out. She ran over to me. "Sorry about that. He wanted to ask me about the note."

"What was on it?" I asked.

"I'll tell you after the fight." she said, and dropped her bag. She walked up to the flag pole where the other jock was standing.

Please be careful. I thought.

"You ready to lose?" she asked the bully.

"Lose? Please, when I win, you're going to be nothing here." he said as his posse faded back into the crowd.

"Okay, then. Prove it." Rainbow said and kicked his leg from out under him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he fell to the ground. "I wasn't ready!"

"You sounded like it." she replied. He jumped up at her and swung at her face, but she dodged it. I winced whenever he swung at her. He was much stronger than her. I was afraid that if he hit her, she might break something. Luckily, Rainbow was faster than him. She ran to his left and kicked his back leg. He quickly recovered and swung at her, barely hitting her. "You call that a hit? Feels like I'm fighting a fly." she taunted. He kicked at her chest but she easily dodged pit.

"I'm going easy on you since you're a mare." he said. He swung as Rainbow dodged to the right, but then he swung with his left hoof and made contact with her face, sending her to the ground.

"Rainbow Dash!" I shouted, afraid that he may have broke her muzzle or jaw. I saw blood running down her muzzle. She spit blood out of her mouth and readied herself to fight again.

"Oh, she's still got some fight left in her." he said.

She chuckled. "This is nothing. I've suffered worse." she said. Now that I thought about it, she really had. Her getting a bloody muzzle every week was common with how often she tried a new trick. The worst injury she had was from when she crashed into a rock while practicing after school. She had a concussion and we forced her to avoid flying for as long as we could.

I saw her try to punch his face, and when he dodged, she kicked his legs again, flew behind him, and kicked his backside. He fell on the ground and grabbed it in pain. The crowd that had been cheering suddenly got quiet. He was grabbing his rear and crying. I didn't know much about fighting at the school, but I knew if you cried during a fight, you lost any respect you previously had.

I felt bad for him. I mean, sure he was a jerk and probably deserved it, but he didn't need to have his rump bruised. I rushed over to him so I could help him. "Did you really have to hit him so hard?" I asked.

"I don't need your help Fluttershy!" he shouted at me. He groaned as he stood up and walked towards his posse. They shut him out though and I saw him hang his head low as he walked home.

"Well he was a jerk. You only wanted to help him right?" Rainbow asked me. I nodded my head.

"Oi! What's going on over here?" I heard a voice say behind me. I turned and saw the Doctor walking towards us.

"Hey there Doctor. What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked.

"Well I came here because the police called me to come here. Something about a prank." he said. "But what was that fight about?"

"Just me defending Fluttershy and being awesome." she gloated.

"And yet you look like you took a beating." he said, pointing to her face. I didn't really get a good look of her face after the fight, but now that I saw it, you wouldn't have thought that she had won. There was blood all over her face and the right side of her face was bruised and her eye black. It was a horrifying sight.

"I may have, but I won."

"Only because you kicked him so hard he won't be able to sit for a week." I reminded her. I'm glad she stood up for me, but I didn't want anyone getting hurt, especially her. I felt bad that Rainbow had her face hit and bruised because of me, even though it was of her own accord.

"It worked though!" she said, defending herself. "Anyways, Doctor, I have something I think you should know about." she told him.

"Is this about the note?" I asked.

"You two need to come with me. You aren't safe right now." he said.

"Why aren't we safe?" I asked, scared.

"The note was a message from someone. I'm not completely sure who, but I recognized the writing. It said that they knew where they were and that they couldn't hide forever. Tonight he'll die and then she'll follow and that I shouldn't think of myself as safe. They know where I am too." she said.

My eyes grew wide. Who are they? What do they want with us? I thought. "But how do they know where we are?"

"I don't know, but right now, I'm taking you to Canterlot for the weekend. Felix is already there." he said. He led us to the train station and we took the first train out of Ponyville.

Rainbow had gone to the restroom to clean her face up as best as she could. I sat on the train across from the Doctor who was gazing outside the train window. "Doctor?" I asked him.

"Hm?"

"Who are these ponies? I mean, the ones who know where we are?"

"Ah, don't worry about that Fluttershy. You're safe now. As long as you're with me, I'll make sure that you and Rainbow are both safe." he said.

"But you're not always here." I pointed out. "Does that mean when you leave we won't be safe anymore?"

"Oh no, you'll be safe. I'm never truly gone from a place, what with the TARDIS being a time machine. I could be here and back in less than 10 seconds and have travelled for years across the Universe. Besides, you're never truly alone." he said.

"I feel like it sometimes." I said.

"We all do at some point in our lives. Feeling alone is a natural part of life. But you have friends and a family that cares for you. Rainbow Dash will always be here to protect you. Felix would too if he needed to. They may not be related to you by blood, but they're still your family nonetheless." he said with a smile.

I smiled at that. It was true that I had Rainbow Dash and Felix if things became too rough for me. "What about you?" I asked him.

"What about me?"

"Do you have a family? Or someone who can protect you if you need it?" I asked.

"Nah. My family was killed long ago. My only friends are the ones who I find in my travels. Now that I think about it, I only have a few friends nowadays." he said.

"What about Jack?"

He chuckled. "Jack is a one of a kind. I never know if he's trying to be helpful or trying to find a new 'friend' to share his fantasies with."

"He seems like a nice guy. I think he considers you his friend."

"I suppose so. But when you've travelled with me as long as he has, you tend to get a little comfortable, and you have not seen Jack when he's comfortable with you." the Doctor said with a laugh. I heard the door from the restroom open and saw Rainbow Dash walk out. She had wiped the blood off her face, but there wasn't much she could do about the bruises.

"How much further until we get to Canterlot?" she asked, taking a seat next to me.

"Just a few more minutes. I've never taken a train to Canterlot before. They're nice, fast, smooth, relatively quiet when you compare it to the TARDIS. Maybe I should make the TARDIS look like a train when I fix the Chameleon Circuit." he rambled.

We arrived in Canterlot and began walking to a hotel in the center of the capitol. "Are you sure they won't find us here?" Rainbow asked.

"They shouldn't. Princess Celestia is going to have guards patrolling the area." he said

"But won't that look odd and out of place?" I asked.

"Not if they have a perception filter."

"A perception filter? What's that?" Rainbow asked.

"When you have one, other ponies can't see you." he explained.

"So it makes us invisible?" I asked.

"Well not entirely. It just bends the light in a certain way. They see you, but they don't see you." he said. He turned to us with a questioning look on his face. "Don't they teach you that in school?" he asked. We shook our heads. "What has the world come to." he whispered to himself.

We arrived at the hotel and walked in. I looked around and saw the beautiful designs and architect that encompassed the walls. It was gorgeous. We walked into an elevator and were taken up to the top floor. "Go down the hall and take a left. Your room is the fourth one on the right." the Doctor said, giving us a key.

"Where are you going?" Rainbow asked.

"I have some timey wimey important business to take care of. Don't worry, you'll be fine." he said as the elevator doors closed.

We walked down the hall like he had instructed and came to our room at the end of the hall. I heard crying coming from inside and before I could say anything about it, Rainbow opened the door and walked in. "Felix?" she called out.

He was sitting on the bed and turned to us. He wiped his eyes. "Hey there, Dash." he said, trying to hide his tears.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly.

"Come here." he said, motioning towards her. She walked ahead of me and crawled into his arms. "You know I love you right?"

"Of course. I love you too. What's going on, Felix?" she asked again.

He looked to me and motioned for me to come over too. I walked over to the other side of him and sat down next to him. "Fluttershy, you're basically family. You've been great to have around." he said, choking on his words.

"Felix. Please. What's happening?" Rainbow pleaded.

He looked to the floor and sighed. "Dad isn't coming home."

I saw Rainbow's face in a state of shock. It wasn't natural for her to be like this. I knew her dad wasn't going to be home, he was running with her mom from my parents. I had no idea what she was so shocked about.

"What do you mean? He has to come back." she said.

"He won't be. Mom is safe though. She said she'd try to come home in a year." he said.

"Don't tell me that!" she shouted at him, leaving his hold. "Don't you dare say that to me! He will be back!"

Her shouting startled me as it suddenly hit me what Felix meant. It wasn't that her dad wasn't going to be back soon, it was the fact that her dad wasn't going to be back ever. "Rainbow?" I said, tears already streaming down my face. "You're scaring me." I said quietly.

For the first time since I can remember, she wept. She looked so helpless. She was always so strong and brave. It made me cry even more that she was like this. I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. I whispered to her comfortingly, doing whatever I could to try and make her feel better.

The door behind us opened. I looked over and saw the Doctor walk in. "Felix." he said. Felix stood up and walked over to him. They whispered something to each other and the Doctor walked over to us. "Hey you two. I'm so sorry about your dad. He was a good pony."

"How'd you know him?" Rainbow asked through her sniffs.

"We were partners years ago. Normally I don't become close friends with those who I work with. Bad things tend to happen to them. But, we became friends rather quickly, and look what happened." he said. "It's my fault..."

"No it isn't. You did what you had to do." Felix said.

"What happened?" Rainbow asked.

The Doctor sighed. "Fluttershy, your father isn't dead like we thought."

"What?! But how?" I asked.

"We don't know." he said. He started to continue again, but Rainbow cut him off.

"Who's we?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that we know who killed your father and we have him in custody with Celestia." he said.

"I think I deserve to know!" she shouted at him. She was right. She had every right to know who had killed her father. But I already know who had killed her dad. I didn't tell her now though. She wasn't acting like herself and I wanted to calm her down. I put a hoof on her shoulder, showing her that I was there for her.

"Rainbow, it's okay. Maybe we'll find out later." I said, and looked at the Doctor. "Right?"

He nodded his head. "As soon as this is all over." He looked to Felix, gave a nod of his head, and turned to leave out the door.

"Wait." Rainbow said. He turned back to us. "Make sure they pay." she said. He nodded his head and closed the door.

He's back. My dad's back and he's hurt Rainbow Dash. I thought to myself. I was angry, angrier than I had ever been before. I just hope I don't see him again. I don't want to do something I'd regret...

Anger

We sat on the bed for a few minutes. "Rainbow...I-"

"I know it's your dad Fluttershy. He's the only one who I think would be capable of killing my dad. Your mom was awful, but your dad was blood thirsty." Rainbow said, cutting me off. She pulled me in and I rested my head on her shoulder.

I just nodded my head. I didn't really know what to say. My dad had just killed Rainbow's dad and there really wasn't any way to start a conversation after hearing that.

"Why did he do this?" I heard her ask. "We didn't do anything to him."

"I don't know, Dash. Maybe it's because we took care of Fluttershy. You know how her father is." Felix said as he stared over the balcony.

"Myabe it's because of my mother? You know, after she yelled at me and how you defended me?" I said, the memories rushing back to my head. I saw her face shouting back at me as she blamed me for what had happened.

"But that doesn't make sense. He 'died' before we took Fluttershy in. It was about a week after he supposedly died since her mom damaged her wings." Rainbow pointed out.

"Maybe he wants to finish the job, but make it more painful." Felix said. "Her mother liked to harm her emotionally while her father wanted her to feel more physical pain."

I started to shake as I remembered the number of times that my dad had beat me, injured me and treated me like trash. Rainbow gave me a kiss on my forehead though. I held onto her tighter, knowing that she wasn't going to leave me. And I wasn't going to leave her. We were both facing the Devil, and we needed each other in order to beat him.

Felix walked away from the balcony and to the door. "I'm going on a walk. I need to clear my head."

"Aren't we supposed to stay here until the Doctor says we can leave?" Rainbow asked.

"I work at the Equestrian Stock Exchange. I'm sure they'll let me out if I tell them I need to get there for work. Besides, we were advised, not forced." he said, and left us alone in our room.

I looked to Rainbow. "I can't believe he's back." I said as she wiped my eyes. I hadn't even known I was crying.

"He can't hurt you anymore. He's getting what he deserves." she said.

"Do you really believe that?" I said, pulling out of the hug. I was getting mad. She hadn't been living with him for a number of years, had to be tortured by his abuse, and mentally screwed with so she was thankful for a light beating.

"I believe that if he tries to again, he'll have to deal with me. And I won't let him hurt you again." she said. She gave me a long kiss and looked me in my eyes. "You're safe with me."

I knew she only wanted to reassure me and to protect me, but she didn't know what it was like to have someone hate you so much and wish you so much pain that no matter how much he inflicted pain, it was never enough. But when I was with her, I did feel safe, like he couldn't harm me. "Just promise me one thing." I said.

"What's that?" she asked.

I put my mouth up to her ear. "Don't ever leave me." I whispered.

"I'll never leave you hangin', Fluttershy. I promise." she said reassuringly. I smiled and gave her another kiss.

"Thank you." I said, leaning my head against her chest.

"You want to see if we can find out anything that happened?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's see if we can ask one of the guards if they know where they took your dad. Maybe we can fly off the balcony and eavesdrop a little." she suggested.

"But what if we're caught? Wouldn't we get in trouble?" I asked. "I don't want to get thrown in a dungeon some where." I said, jokingly.

"Don't worry, we won't. No go out there and ask about the room your dad is in." she said, motioning to the door.

"Why me?!" I exclaimed. "Why don't you? I'm too nervous and I'll mess it up."

"Because it would be too obvious. They'd think I wanted to go out and hunt him down. With you, you're just a worried pegasus who wants to find her father. Just look adorable like you always do." she said.

"Oh. Okay then." I said quietly. I walked to the door and opened it, grabbing the guards attention. Look adorable, and see where dad is. Look adorable, and see where dad is. I reminded myself over and over in my head. "Um, excuse me, but I was wondering, um, if it's okay with you, could you tell me where my father is? I haven't heard from him in so long." I said. I felt my eyes water a little as I recalled him calling me worthless and unloveable. I couldn't believe I was saying this about him.

"Well, I'm not sure I can." he said.

Gotta try harder. I thought. I pushed down my feelings and tried to come off as innocent and adorable. "Oh, please. I just have to know. I won't do anything. I promise." I said, mustering the best innocent little filly voice I could muster.

"I'm sorry, kid. I can't let you know." he said and returned to his post.

"Oh, okay." I said. I closed the door and walked back to Rainbow. "I tried." I said with my head low. I wasn't ashamed that I wasn't able to find any information, I was trying to block out the images running through my head.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. You did your best." she said, walking to the door. She placed her head against the door, like she was listening for something. I thought about the Doctor and what he was doing to my dad. I hoped it was something that would make him regret ever hurting me.

"You ready to get some answers?" she asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I wasn't able to get any information from them."

"Yeah, well the big mouth guards can't help but talk about it." she said.

"Where are we going?" I asked as she walked to the balcony.

"Canterlot Castle!" she said as she leapt from the balcony.

"Wait! Don't leave me here!" I shouted. I took flight from the balcony and followed Rainbow Dash who had already gained a large distance ahead of me. I flew as fast as I could, which wasn't very fast with my wings. I don't how long we flew, but I was getting tired with how fast I had to fly. I was a slow flier to begin with, and then with the damage my mom had done to them, I was even slower.

"Rainbow Dash....Can we please...take a break?" I asked between breaths. She landed on a cloud and I took a seat right next to her, breathing heavily. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But let's not wait too long. I don't want to miss our chance to see what's really going on." she said.

I groaned. "Can't we just go back? I don't think I can stand to see him again..." I said, my breath returning to a slightly regular pace.

"He's with the Doctor, Fluttershy. He can't hurt you anymore." she said.

I sighed. I knew she was right, but I also knew that it wouldn't help me if I saw him. He may not be able to hurt me physically, but he was definitely going to do some mental damage. "Okay. I hope you're right." I said, flying ahead of her.

"Hey! Wait up! I thought you said you needed to rest."

"I did." I said, sternly. I didn't want to wait and dilly dally. I just wanted to get there and get out.

"If you say so." she said. We flew to the top of the castle. There weren't a lot of guards around, so it was fairly easy to fly up to the top. We hovered next to a small window that gave us a clear view of the room inside.

"Let's see what we got." she said. We peered in and saw the Doctor with the Princess. They were talking about something that I couldn't make out. I didn't see my dad anywhere, so they must have finished whatever they were doing.

"Rainbow Dash?" I heard a voice behind us. I jumped and gave a little squeak. "What are you doing here?" Felix asked.

"Me? What about you? I thought you went for a walk?" Rainbow asked.

"You shouldn't be here. How'd you even know where to look?" he asked, flying up to the window and peering in. "And why'd you bring Fluttershy? You know who's in that room."

"It doesn't matter how I found out. All that matters is that I'm here to see why he killed dad." she said, looking to me. "She came with me because I kind of threw her into the middle of it." she admitted.

"Well just get back to the hotel." Felix said, turning back to us. "If the guards know we're all gone, they'll know something is up."

"Hello there! I hate to interrupt your conversation, but you wouldn't happen to have any apples now would you?" I heard the Doctor say behind us. "You know, before you leave a perception filter you should always leave with garlic in your pocket."

"Garlic? That doesn't make sense." I said, confused.

"I know! Isn't it wonderful?" he exclaimed. "Now come in, the Princess would like a word with you three."

We flew into the room cautiously and landed in the center of the room. The Princess looked at us with a frown as we bowed. "This is no time for formalities." she said as she turned to look at a pony tied to a chair. "Fluttershy, I believe you know this stallion?" she asked. The stallion looked up at the sound of my name.

I whimpered in fear as he gazed at me. I saw his hate for me and for Rainbow Dash. "Yes...I..I do." I said quietly.

His eyes changed and his demeanor switched from hate to being afraid. "Fluttershy! Please help me! I'm sorry for what I've done in the past, but I've changed!" he pleaded. "Please give me a chance."

A chance? Like all the chances you gave me? Like all the times I begged for you to stop but you kept hitting me harder? I thought. I grew angry. He hadn't just ruined my life, he had ruined Rainbow's life. I had to get out of here. If I didn't, I'd hurt him far worse than he hurt me. I closed my eyes, trying to push everything out, trying to not hear anything.

I put myself back in the place I would always go to when my parents yelled at me. I was in my room playing with my books. I didn't have many toys, so I had to use my imagination with what I had. My red books were dragons and my blue books were the ponies who went out and protected all the imaginary citizens I had.

"No!" the Doctor exclaimed as he grabbed Rainbow Dash. "That's what he wants. He wants to prove you're more like him than you think." he pulled her to the side where she gripped me. She wasn't the one to cry, but I knew she was holding back tears. It added to my anger and hate towards him.

"You were dead." the Doctor said as he walked back to my dad. "You fooled the sonic screw driver. Not an easy thing to do. So tell me, how are you alive?" he asked.

He chuckled. "You really think they would've let me die?" he said.

"Who?" the Doctor replied quickly.

"Смерть принцессы." he said in a language I had never heard.

The Princess looked at the Doctor shocked. "What did he say?" Felix asked.

"Death to the Princess." the Doctor replied. "I thought they disbanded a long time ago after Luna's banishment?" he said.

Luna? I thought. Who's they?

"How is it possible that they were able to find a new leader? I thought everypony who was a part of them vies for power and is unwilling to give it to anypony else?" the Doctor continued.

"Doctor? What's going on? Who's 'they?'" Rainbow asked.

"They went by the name Shadows of the Night. They were a terrorist group that formed roughly 1000 years ago. Their main goal was to kill the Princess so they could rule over Equestria." he said quickly.

"Their leader at the time led a coup against me. She was defeated and the group was disorganized. They disbanded and haven't been heard from since." Princess Celestia said.

"But she will return! The signs, Princess. You see them, don't you?" my dad asked with a smile.

"Those are just old ponies tales." the Doctor said. "Besides, there are more important things. Like why they've sided with the Griffon Kingdom." he said.

"Wait. I thought you said the Shadows of the Night were disbanded 1000 years ago? How are they back?" Rainbow asked.

"They aren't back. Well, not exactly. The group themselves aren't back, but their ideas have always been around. They were a group that liked to play things solo. So, why are they sided with the Griffon Kingdom?" he asked my dad.

"We are small in number. We don't have the resources to keep ourselves functional. We need the Griffons." he said.

"Pretty cowardly if you ask me." the Doctor said as he started to walk around him. "But why attack Rainbow's parents?"

"They found information on the Griffons. They had to be dealt with." he said and turned to her. "Her father got what he deserved."

No. I thought angrily.

"Don't antagonize her. She knew nothing, she caused nothing." the Doctor said.

He looked at me. "But she did. She taught my daughter cowardice."

"Shut up." I said, barely audible.

"I helped her!" Rainbow shouted at him. "I helped her while you beat her and hurt her!"

"Shut up." I said, a little louder, but still not lout enough for the others to hear.

"Rainbow, calm down." the Doctor said.

"You made her weak!" my dad shouted back.

"Stop..."

"I made her more confident in herself! Gave her somepony who loved and cared for her!"

"Stop." I said again.

"If she is so confident, then why can't she speak for herself?" he asked.

"STOP IT!!" I shouted as loud as I could. The room grew quiet. Everyone had their eyes turned towards me. I was furious.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked quietly. I looked at her. "Are you alright?"

"Of course she is. Seeing me is bringing up some tight nip anger down." my dad said with a smile. "Go ahead. I can see it in your eyes Fluttershy. You want to hurt me for what I did to you and Rainbow. You want to kill me. Well, what are you waiting for? Do it!" he shouted.

I'm going to kill him. I thought. I ran up to him screaming.

"No!" the Doctor shouted at me, running in front of me. "Don't do this Fluttershy. I know you. This isn't you. Whatever he did to you in the past, I'm sorry. But killing him won't help." I ignored him. "Fluttershy! Listen to me, he wants you to do this. He wants you to kill him. Don't give him what he wants!"

"Do it! I beat you, abused you while you say cowardly in the corner! I took advantage of your weakness. I killed your mare friend's dad! Now kill me!" he shouted at me.

"Fluttershy, please." she whispered to me. "Don't do this."

I turned my anger towards her. "No Rainbow! You don't know what's it's like to live in fear of your parents, to wake up each morning praying you only get a light beating! You've had the perfect life, the perfect parents who always cared for you! I've always wanted that!" I shouted.

I knew I was scaring her. I saw it in her eyes. "I don't have the perfect life with perfect parents. If I did I wouldn't be here with the one who killed my dad."

"Oh, boo hoo hoo. Your childhood was a dream I wish I had! I lived each day in a hell hole while you lived in paradise!" I screamed. I was angry. Angry at my dad, at Rainbow, and myself. "Your parents always cared for you. Your mom helped you with school work, your dad helped you build confidence, heck, even Felix was there when your parents left." I said, quieting down. I knew it was wrong for me to yell at her. She had done nothing wrong and I was here screaming at her.

My dad laughed. "Good job Fluttershy. Your mother would be proud of you. In fact, I think she might have brought you into the group if she saw you do this to your mare friend. Maybe her poor old mother will find a way to 'protect' her." he said.

The Doctor looked at him. "So that's your plan! Turn her against the one she loves the most! That way, maybe Rainbow's mother might come out and help her." he said sternly.

"Doctor, I'm impressed. You were able to figure it out so easily." he said.

"That's because I'm clever. Now you listen here. You will never hurt either if them again. And if you do, if you somehow are able to hurt them, I will hurt you." the Doctor said.

He smiled. "пять лет. остановить нас, и она умирает" he said and looked to us.

"You try that, and I'll make sure you pay." the Doctor said.

Princess Celestia called for the guards. "Take him to the crystal catacombs with his wings clipped." They took him out of the room with him laughing while I cried into Rainbow's chest.

Walked in on

I heard him laughing maniacally as he was drug out of the room. I was still crying into Rainbow's chest. "I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash. I didn't mean anything that I said. I was just so angry and upset at him that I couldn't control myself." I said while I cried. "Can you forgive me?"

"Yeah, of-of course." she said.

"Doctor? What's going on? What did our parents have to do with the Shadows of the night?" Felix asked.

"Your parents told you already that they found something in the Griffon Kingdom. That something could have destroyed the efforts that Fluttershy's parents put into the group. But now that we have him, I doubt they'll be able to get very far." the Doctor said.

"Felix, take your sister and Fluttershy back to the hotel. We'll do a sweep of your house tonight and if everything checks out okay, you should be able to go back home tomorrow." Princess Celestia said.

"Before you go, Felix, may I have a word with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?" the Doctor asked. Felix nodded and walked towards the door. The Doctor knelt down to us. "Both of you, listen. You two are probably the bravest mares I've ever met. Fluttershy, you've gone through so much. I'm sorry about you parents. They were a part of that group long before you were born. You were just thrust in the middle of it. Don't take your anger out on Rainbow though, she was thrust into this just as much as you were." he said. I nodded my head and wiped my eyes.

The Doctor looked at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow. You are the most loyal friend Fluttershy could have asked for. You have never left her side and have always been there to protect her. Rainbow, you can't let her go. You can't forget her and what she's gone through. She loves you, more than you can imagine. Don't hurt her." he said.

"I would never hurt her! I promised her I would never leave her!" she said, giving me a big hug.

What the Doctor said made me smile and changed my mood. I really was lucky to have her with me.

The Doctor smiled. "I know you won't." He stood up and walked back to the princess. "What are you waiting for? Off you go now."

We all flew back to the hotel. None of us really talked on the way back. They both seemed lost in their thoughts and I understood what they were going through. I felt bad though. I didn't know why I snapped at her. She didn't do anything wrong. "Rainbow?" I asked.

"Yeah? What's up?" she said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what I said back at the castle. I really hope I didn't hurt you." I said quietly.

"It's all right. Your dad got you riled up, so... that's that." she said.

"But I shouldn't have yelled at you. You didn't do anything wrong." I said.

"Don't worry. It's all fine. I forgive you, if that's what you're looking for."

"Okay. I just hope this doesn't change anything between us. It won't will it?" I asked.

She looked at me and grabbed my hoof in hers. "I made you a promise. It's not going to change anything." she said.

I smiled. I was happy knowing that she still cared for me, even after what happened. If it weren't for her, I don't know where I would be. Either on the street, in the orphanage, or possibly worse. We flew onto the balcony and walked over to the bed.

"I'll give you two a few minutes to talk to each other. I need a drink." Felix said.

"Are you actually getting something to drink, or are you sneaking out again?" Rainbow Dash said.

He chuckled. "I actually getting a drink." He walked to the door. "Behave you two." he said as he closed the door.

We crawled into our bed and curled up together. We haven't really cuddled in awhile. Mostly because school tires us both out and we go straight to bed instead of spending some time together. It felt nice to finally lie together and hold each other. "Rainbow? Please don't hate me for my outburst. I really couldn't control it." I said again. I was still really worried that she might think of me differently after what happened.

"Not this again." she said, rolling her eyes. "Look, I've already told you that it's fine. I'm not mad at you."

I pulled her closer to me. "I just don't want to lose you." I said, a tear running down my face. That's what I was most afraid of. Losing her. I could handle seeing my parents, as long as I knew that Rainbow Dash would always be here for me.

She rubbed the tear away with her hoof and gave me a kiss. "You won't. How many times do I have to say that before you stop questioning it?"

I chuckled. "I guess I'm still a little scared after tonight." I said, looking into her magenta colored eyes. They drew me closer. I saw care and comfort in them. I kissed her, long and hard. Usually she was the one who would kiss me first, but I couldn't help myself. We hadn't kissed like this in weeks. It was all passion. I'm not going to lie, she was a wet kisser, but it didn't bother me.

I lost track of how long we had laid there, but it had to have been at least half an hour. Maybe more. I kind of wished that things escalated a little bit, but nothing happened. I heard the door open and we both quickly stopped. He didn't say anything, but we were both underneath the covers, so he may have just assumed we were sleeping.

I heard him groan as he fell onto his bed across from us. I felt my cheeks blush. "Stop it!" Rainbow Dash giggled at me. "You're making me giggle, and you know I hate that."

"I'm sorry! But he just walked in on us, you know?" I said, trying to suppress my giggling as well.

"Shh! Don't say it when he's here!" she whispered. "Besides, we needed to stop. My lips are going numb." she said, feeling her lips with her hoof.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I too hard?" I asked.

"Naw, it was just we were kissing for so long. It wasn't your fault." she said.

"Okay." I said as I nestled my head on her shoulder. "Good night Rainbow."

"Good night Fluttershy."

I sat there thinking all about what had happened throughout the day. At first it was just a normal day at school and then we're in a hotel because Rainbow's dad was killed. And then made out under the bed. I still couldn't believe that Felix walked in on us. I stifled another giggle when I saw Rainbow's wings.

"Hey Rainbow?" I asked.

"Hm?" she responded.

"Promise you won't leave me." I said with a smile.

"Oh come on!"

Family

I awoke when I heard a sound come from the counter. I was still nestled in Rainbow's chest. She was still asleep, snoring. "He-hello?" I called out. There wasn't a response. I slowly got out of the bed and looked the room. The moon was shining brightly through the window.

I walked to the balcony and looked around the building. There was a crash by the counter. I turned around and saw a glass shattered on the ground. "What a lovely place you're at." I heard a voice say in the shadows.

"Who's there?" I asked, shakily.

"It's almost peaceful. I can see why the Doctor put you here." the female voice said. I saw a figure move out of the shadows. They were still hidden underneath their dark cloak.

"Who are you? And how did you find us?" I asked.

"That depends on how you look at me. I could be a friend, an acquaintance, an enemy, or maybe a mother." she said.

"What do you mean?"

I saw her move towards the bed. "It's funny how little we all are. Even those who hold power are weak when it comes to how we act." She knelt down on the bed and moved Rainbow's mane out of her face.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted at her, running towards her.

"You're feelings for her are stronger than I had thought. Good. It'll be easier for us then." she said. I stepped in between her and Rainbow. "Soon, you'll have to make a choice."

"A choice that will protect her, or kill her. A choice of whether I'm your friend...or your foe."

"I'll always stand by Rainbow Dash." I said.

"We'll see." she said, laughing maniacally.

I woke up in the bed still cuddled next to Rainbow Dash. The sun had started shining through the window, warming my bed. Was it just a dream? I thought.

Rainbow let out a yawn as I shuffled a little closer to her. "Hey, Fluttershy." she said, pulling me close. I felt the warmth of her body press against me.

"Hey." I said. I gave her a good morning kiss. "How did you sleep?"

"Great." she said.

"Me too. I never left your side and it was so nice." I said. There was some shuffling by the counter. We both looked over and saw Felix cooking some breakfast.

"You hungry?" Rainbow said. I nodded my head and we got up and sat at the table where he had already poured us some apple juice.

"You know, next time you two decide to have your little alone fun time, please leave a warning so I'm not shocked when I see my sister and her mare friend kissing under the covers!" Felix exclaimed as we waited for our toast. I turned a bright red as I finished my glass. I had hoped he hadn't seen us. It was embarrassing knowing that Felix knew what we did. "I mean, I'm perfectly okay with you two having your alone time together, but at least a sock on the door would be helpful!"

I looked to Rainbow who's face was a bright red as well with her mouth wide open. "Felix!" she exclaimed.

"You don't see me flaunching my nights around, do you?" he asked.

"That's not even a word. And you don't have any nights out." Rainbow said.

"Well, he did go out last night, so he may-" I started but she kicked me under the table. "What?" I asked.

"I don't know what all the fuss is about. We didn't do anything, so stop blowing it out of proportion." she said.

"Oh please! I could smell teenage hormones from a mile away! I'm surprised you two weren't hanging from the roof!" Her cheeks turned even brighter and I felt my face turn another shade of red as Felix's smile grew.

"Felix!" Rainbow exclaimed again. He just laughed and placed our toast on our plates.

Please let this stop... I thought. It was so embarrassing knowing that he saw us!

"Hello everypony! Lovely morning!" the Doctor said as he opened the door.

Thank Celestia. I thought. "Hello, Doctor." I said. It is a lovely morning. Oh, I hope Angel is alright. I haven't fed him for a few days."

"Ah, he's fine. I stopped by your house before I came here. He's a very picky bunny, I don't know how you are able to deal with him." he said. "Ooo toast!" he said, grabbing a piece right off of Rainbow's plate.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. I held back a laugh. "I was eating that!"

"And now you aren't." he said, taking a bite out of the toast as he walked to the balcony. "You know, this is a beautiful city. Makes me wish I had wings like you three. Oh well! There's always next time." he said.

"What do you mean next time?" I asked.

"Oh just the usual change of time, space, the universe, excuse me." he said, taking the plate of toast from Felix.

"Well isn't he being exceptionally rude today?" Rainbow whispered to Felix.

"Am I being rude?" he asked, biting another piece of toast.

"Well you did just steal my breakfast and break into our hotel room." she said accusingly.

I'm glad he's here. Saves us from the embarrassing conversation with your brother. I thought.

"I didn't break in! I soniced the door and walked in without your permission." he said casually. Rainbow gave him a glare. "Oh that is breaking and entering isn't it? Oh well, sorry about that. This is good toast!"

"It's just wheat bread in a toaster..." Felix said.

"Wheat bread? Who would'a thought!" the Doctor said, taking another bite.

"Um, Doctor?" I asked. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, right! I remember now! It's safe for you to go home. The princess cast a spell to warn her if somepony who isn't suppose to be there is, well, there." he said.

"Great. Never thought I'd have to be living under surveillance." Rainbow said, still poking at her empty plate.

"Ah don't look at it as surveillance." the Doctor said as he walked back to the table. "Look at it as somepony knowing when somepony shouldn't be at your house by using some form of magic to know what's happening." he rambled.

"Great. I definitely don't feel like I'm under surveillance now." she said sarcastically.

"Good! Now I found these on your kitchen table. I believe this is today, right?" he said, pulling out the Wonderbolts tickets from his pocket.

"Oh, horse apples!" Rainbow shouted. "I completely forgot about that! Thanks Doctor!"

"Don't mention it. And I believe someone else you know will be there!" he said and walked to the door.

"Who?" I asked.

"An old friend from Ponyville. I believe her name was Applesauce. Or was it Apple Pie? Apple Fritter?" the Doctor said to himself.

"Applejack. Her name is Applejack." Rainbow said as she planted her hoof on her face.

"Right! Anyways, I can see you guys are eating breakfast, so I'll leave you three alone. Have a good day!" he said and rushed out the door, leaving it wide open.

"Like I said. Rude." Rainbow said as she went and closed the door. "He didn't even leave any bread for us!" she shouted as Felix threw an empty bread bag away.

"It's just the Doctor being the Doctor. I'm sure he's not always like that." I said. He was generally a nice guy. He was probably just stressing over what happened yesterday.

"It still doesn't mean he can eat all of our food." Rainbow said as her stomach grumbled.

"Yeah, well, he brought you your Wonderbolts tickets, so I wouldn't be complaining too much." Felix said.

"Yeah I guess." I said. It finally hit me. "Oh hay barrels! The Wonderbolts meet and greet is today!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah...the Doctor just said that..." Felix said.

"Are you excited?" I asked. Even though I got them for her, I was pretty excited to see their show. They were the very best of the best and had amazing shows. I was pretty certain Rainbow could easily join the Wonderbolts once she was old enough to.

"Of course I am! It's the Wonderbolts for pony's sake! It's going to be so awesome!" she shouted.

"Well you better get ready. According to the tickets, it starts in two hours." Felix pointed out.

"Ah horse apples." she said. She flew out the door without even waiting for me. I wasn't surprised that she did. These were her idols and ponies she looked up to.

"She seems to be a little over zealous." Felix said.

"It's just Rainbow. Anything with the Wonderbolts gets her all riled up." I said. I thought back to my dream last night. Soon you'll have to make a choice. A choice that will protect her, or kill her. I still didn't know who that pony was. I didn't recognize the voice and couldn't see any facial features.

"You okay?" Felix asked me.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about my dad." I said.

"Well don't worry about him. He's in the Princess' custody. She'll make sure he doesn't get anywhere." he said. "Besides, if he tries anything, you'll have me and Rainbow to protect you. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You are like a sister to me and I'll protect you the same way I do Rainbow Dash."

I smiled at his reassurance. "Thanks Felix." I said. I ran up to him and gave him a tight hug. I didn't have any siblings who would protect me from my parents, and that was probably for the best. If I had siblings I didn't want them to receive the same torments that I went through.

"No problem, Flutters. Now go on, catch up with Rainbow Dash. You know she'll already be home fan-girling like she always does.

"Okay. I'll see you later Felix!" I said and ran out of the door. I forgot about my parents and the dream. I had a good family and ponies who cared for me now. I didn't need to worry about anything else anymore.

A Good Day

"Rainbow Dash?" I called out when I walked in the house. "Are you here?"

"I"m in our room." I heard her say from upstairs. She opened the door and ran down the stairs. She was wearing her new Wonderbolts hoodie and a Wonderbolts hat she had bought for this event. The hat was covered in flags of the Wonderbolts and had the logo plastered on the center of the bill. "Oh wow. You look like a true fan now." I said.

"Are you kidding? I'm their number one fan!" she said excited.

"If you say so." I said, smiling. "I'm going to go feed Angel." I said, walking upstairs. As soon as I opened the door I saw him fly across the ceiling in a cape and mask. "Angel!" I exclaimed.

I heard Rainbow fly back upstairs. "What happened?"

"Oh Angel get down from there! You're going to hurt yourself!" I said.

"The only way he'll learn is if he hurts himself." Rainbow said.

Who's the animal expert here, Rainbow Dash? I thought. I saw him stick his tongue out at us and miss his landing spot. He fell with a thud on the ground. "Oh my gosh! Angel! Are you alright?" I asked, rushing to his side. He stood up and took off the cape and mask. He hopped over to his bed and fell on his back.

"Told you." Rainbow said next to me. "He'll be fine. He just bumped his head."

There were a million injuries running through my head. A concussion, a broken arm, a few shattered teeth, brain hemorrhaging, and even worse injuries. I looked to him with worry. "Maybe I should just stay here and watch over him. You know, make sure he's okay."

"C'mon, Fluttershy! We're going to meet the Wonderbolts for crying out loud! And we're already running late! Angel will be fine, he just needs to sleep." she pleaded

"Oh, well...I don't know. You go ahead. I'll catch up once I know Angel is alright." I said, moving towards him.

"Fluttershy, please can we just go?" she begged. "You got me two tickets, one for me and one for you. I'm not going without you."

I laughed a little. "Of course you will. They're your idols. You wouldn't pass up that opportunity would you?" I said, seeing through her little lie.

She walked up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. "Yes, they are my idols and I would give anything to see them. But I want to see them with you. You gave me the chance to meet them, you should be able to share the chance to see the best fliers in Equestria! Next to me, of course."

She turned me around and I gazed into her eyes. Her hat had covered most of her mane, but she had one long strand of rainbow hair poking out and weaving past one of her eyes. I was drawn closer to her and kissed her as we fell back onto my bed. I held her tight against me.

"Back for less than an hour and you're already snogging on each other?" I heard the Doctor say at the door.

"Doctor! Haven't you heard of knocking before?!" Rainbow exclaimed as she jumped off of me and the bed.

"I did. But I see why I was ignored just now." he replied.

"Excuse me, Doctor. But how are you able to stand here anyway? You aren't a Pegasus, and, well, only Pegasus can walk on clouds." I mentioned.

"Oh, I'm not a pony, that is if you don't base that on appearances." he said.

What? I thought, confused.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, I thought that you two would be on your way to the Wonderbolts. I was going to help take care of Angel. Despite his unnecessary rudeness." he said.

"Should I remind him how rude he was this morning?" she whispered to me. I let out a small chuckle as I remembered him taking all of her food off of her plate. Which also reminded me that she hadn't eaten all morning.

"Oi, what's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing." she said, winking at me. "We better get going Fluttershy. I'm sure the Doctor can take care of Angel while we're gone." She pulled me along side her

"You two better not do anything you shouldn't!" he shouted. "If I find anything here that shouldn't be, you two will be in for it!" I continued to follow Rainbow Dash with the Doctor still shouting at us.

"Let's go, Fluttershy! Before he starts to lecture us about birds and bees." she said with a laugh.

Birds and the bees? I thought. I wasn't quiet sure what she meant by that. "Why would he lecture us on birds and bees? Birds sing sweet songs and bees pollinate our flowers." I said.

"Not those birds and bees!" she exclaimed, slamming her hoof into her face. "The...other birds and bees."

"But birds are birds. There are different bees though. There's honey bees, killer bees, Equestrian bees, bees from Saddle Arabia-" she cut me off.

"No Fluttershy! I mean..." she looked around us and whispered what it meant in my ear.

I felt my face grow red in embarrassment. "Oh...my..." I said. I didn't know even know of that phrase. My parents never told me about it and I had a feeling Felix would have been too uncomfortable in a position to say anything.

"Yeah. Anyways, let's get going! The Wonderbolts are waiting for us!" she shouted excitedly. We flew to the Wonderbolts arena where the event was being held. "Oh no!" Rainbow cried out when she saw the line that stretched for miles. "It's worse than in cider season."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad. The line will probably keep moving along since it's such an anticipated event." I said, trying to cheer her up.

"I'm not worried about not getting in, I'm worried that the Wonderbolts will be so tired of the ponies they meet, that by the time they meet me, they won't want to hang out." she said, gloomily.

"Oh, I doubt they'll be like that. They love their fans and have never turned a pony away. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you." I said. "After all, you are the most awesome pony around." I said, a little flirtatiously.

She smiled a little at that. "Yeah, I am pretty awesome."

"You're also cute when you act all prideful." I said winking.

She blushed. I loved it when she blushed. It made her look even cuter. "Stop making me blush. You know I hate it." she said. I gave her a quick kiss and we took our place in line. "It's going to be so awesome to just hang out with you and the Wonderbolts!"

"I really hope nothing happens while we're here. It's such a peaceful day." I said, looking at the big blue sky. The sun was shining bright and the birds were flying across the blue backdrop of the sky. Today's going to be a good day.

Goodbye

"So how do you think the show will be?" I asked.

"It's going to be awesome! I can't wait to see their double triangle formation with the loop and barrel roll!" Rainbow replied.

"Sounds like fun." I said smiling. I looked out the side of the line to see how far we were from the entrance. As I did so I was hit in the head with a cup filled with some sticky liquid. "Ah!" I exclaimed.

"You okay? What happened?" she asked.

"Someone just threw something at me." I said, trying to figure out what it was. I didn't know what this stuff was and became upset. "Well so much for that good day."

"It's still going to be a good day. Don't worry about a few jerks who think they're cool." she said, passing me a hairbrush.

"Where did you get this from?" I asked, taking it.

"I had it with me." she said.

"Why? You don't like doing your mane."

"Yeah, well...maybe I wanted to try something different today." she said blushing.

I stood in that line for 30 minutes trying to get the gunk out of my mane. It smelled sweet. ""Remember what I said about Cider season, Fluttershy?" Rainbow said. "I take it back. It's more like trying to meet Princess Celestia."

"Shut it." I said, getting more and more annoyed with my mane. It took me another hour to get it out of my mane and by that time we had just made it to the entrance.

"Ticket." the stallion at the gate said. Rainbow Dash showed him her ticket and moved passed the gate. "Ticket." he asked me. I showed him my ticket and he allowed me to pass. But before I could move through, a pair of guards came up to me.

"Ma'am, if you could step off to the side please. You've been selected for a random search." the taller one said.

"What?" I asked looking to Rainbow Dash. I was scared.

"We have a new policy where we randomly search someone for weapons or other dangerous items." they said.

I didn't know what to do. "But I don't have any bags or anything." Did I do something wrong? Was there a certain way I was suppose to carry myself when I came up to the gate? "Do I look suspicious?"

"Like he said, it's a random search." his counterpart said.

"So you guys are searching a mare who clearly has no bags on her while you let stallions walk in with bags of stuff in them. Sounds to me like you two are just being lazy. And I should know, I'm the Queen of Lazy!" Rainbow said behind them.

The guards looked to each other and rolled their eyes. "Move along miss. Enjoy the show." the shorter one said and they went back to their post.

"Thank you, Rainbow. I didn't feel comfortable going with them." I said.

"What was I suppose to do? Leave you alone here and go find our seats?" she said with a sarcastic tone.

"I don't think you would have had a choice." I said looking back at the guards. "They'd probably force you to go."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek, making me smile. "I'd find a way. Let's go before the show starts. I don't want to miss anything." she said and we ran to our seats. We had a pretty good view of the arena from where we were at. We were dead center of the arena and up high. "This is going to be amazing!" Rainbow said excitedly.

"I hope it's as good as everypony says it is." I said, taking in the sight around me. I knew there were going to be a lot of ponies here, but I didn't expect this many.

"Oh they are! I've read all about them!"

"What can I do for you?" a grey mare asked next to us. She startled me and I let out a little squeak. "Oh! I know you! You're...Bowrain!" she said, looking at Rainbow.

I saw her sigh. "No Derpy, I'm Rainbow Dash." she clarified.

"Oh, right. And you are..." Derpy said, turning to me.

"Flutt-" Rainbow started but was cut off.

"No, I got this." Derpy said. She squinted her eyes as she tried to think of my name. "Oh right! You're Flyshy!" she said with gleaming eyes.

"No, it's-" Rainbow started again, but this time I cut her off.

"Hey Derpy. How are you doing?" I asked. Derpy must have thought that she was right, and I didn't want Rainbow Dash to hurt her feelings.

"Great, Shyfly! I've been trying to earn some extra money so I can prove to everyone I'm capable of living on my own. This is my third job this month!" she said happily.

"Aren't you supposed to hold a stable job?" Rainbow Dash asked. I nudged her, wanting her to watch what she said.

"Well...yeah, I guess so. But I work full time at the Post Office. Whenever I get some vacation time I take up these extra jobs, that way I'm a produculative mare of Equestria!" she said with her head high.

"Produc-" Rainbow started but I cut her off again.

"That's great, Derpy. I hope everything works out for you." I said. I really hoped that she would do well. Like me, she was bullied in school too, but she was bullied because of her eyes. Her parents pulled her out of school and started homeschooling her so she wouldn't be bullied.

"Thanks! That'll be 10 bits." she said.

"For what?" Rainbow asked.

"Didn't you call me over for something? I thought I gave you what you ordered..." she said. Her tone had dropped from happy to sad.

I gave Rainbow a glare. It's a known fact nowadays that you just don't hurt Derpy. I know Rainbow didn't mean to hurt her, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. "Oh, we did call you over, I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention to what you were going to give us." she said. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh! Well I got your two sodas for you! That'll be 10 bits." she repeated as she gave us our sodas.

"What's a soda?" I asked, giving the drink a sniff.

"I don't know. I just sell them." she said. "I gotta run, though. I have muffins I need to give to the others. See ya'!" she exclaimed as she flew to the upper stands.

"What I really wanted was a bag of peanuts." Rainbow said. I took a sip of the drink. It wasn't that bad, but it did smell like what was thrown at me earlier.

"It's all syrup!" she exclaimed.

"This must've been what hit me earlier." I said. I kind of liked the drink. It was sweet and made me suddenly alert. I finished it in a few minutes and started shake. Whatever was in the soda made me really shaky and full of energy. I may go and get another one. I thought.

"This is worse than alcohol." she said.

"It's not so bad."

"Well let's not get anymore." she said, placing her cup in the cup holder. We spent the next few minutes talking about the Wonderbolts and what we wanted to see. Or at least Rainbow did. I really didn't have much to say about it. I didn't know too much and Rainbow knew everything. She filled me in on their formations, their stats, and a bunch of other information that I couldn't really understand.

"Howdy there partner!" I heard a voice call behind us. I turned and saw an orange pony walk down to us.

"How in the wide world of Equestria are you able to be here?" Rainbow asked. I took a closer look to her and saw that she was an Earth Pony.

"The same brown pony who gave me these tickets also 'soniced' me. Whatever the hay that means." she said.

I remembered the Doctor had soniced my wings when I was in the hospital and helped mend them. So I wasn't too surprised that he was able to make her walk on clouds. "What? Soniced?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah. I don' know what it is, but it looks like a screw driver of sorts with a lil' blue orb at the top of it." Applejack explained.

"Okay then." I could tell Rainbow knew what she was talking about but didn't want her to know. I didn't understand it, but I didn't say anything. "Well, what's up? I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Ah'm doing just fine. Had a little mishap in Appleloosa. Darned cousins couldn't keep a barn together if you fused it with magic." she said.

"Reallly? That bad?" Rainbow said with a chuckle.

"Yep. They've never been the best at building barns, but it's nice to see 'em working hard and gettin' their hooves dirty." she said. "And Rainbow, you know it's impolite to not introduce your friends to each other."

"Oh right! You two haven't met yet." she said. "Fluttershy, this is Applejack. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have became Captain of the Weather Team." she said.

"Hello." I said quietly.

"Howdy!" Applejack said enthusiastically.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, but what do you do? I haven't seen you around school. Are you from Ponyville?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Ah'm in charge of Sweet Apple Acres. Ah dropped out of school so Ah could run the farm and keep everything orderly. Ah couldn't have asked for a better life." she said proudly. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I just take care of animals in my spare time when I'm not at school." I said smiling.

"And she's amazing at it. I gave her a pet rabbit one day and he's a pain in the flank to deal with. But somehow Fluttershy is able to keep him straight. Sometimes." Rainbow said as she put a hoof on my shoulder.

"Well, ain't that nice." Applejack said. "And how do you two know each other?"

"We've been friends since we were little fillies. She's actually the reason why I'm here. She gave me two tickets for this on Hearts Warming." Rainbow told her.

"Well that was awfully kind o' her. Why didn't you take your sister though?" she asked.

"Sister?" Rainbow asked confused.

Applejack's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, your sister. Remember that day when you cleared the weather for me? You said you had to meet your sister for somethin'. Why didn't she come?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Right..." Rainbow stammered.

I saw that she was having issues coming up with an excuse for this 'sister' of hers so I interrupted her. "She doesn't like the Wonderbolts, nor does her brother Felix, so she invited me."

"Ah see. Well, hopefully this here show will be worth it. Some weird brown pony came to me and gave me this ticket. Something about a meetup with a friend. You know him?" she asked Rainbow.

"Possibly. I know a lot of ponies." she replied. "Oh! It's starting!"

I looked out to the arena and saw an orangish-red Pegasus with a mane that looked like fire walk up to the stand. The Wonderbolts took their places behind her. "That's Spitfire, the Captain's daughter." Rainbow told me.

"Mares and Stallions. Will you please stand for the Equestrian National Anthem." she said. We all rose as the flags were brought out. I placed my hoof over my heart. The Anthem played and we stood there silently. A few of the ponies around us were singing with Spitfire. Others looked at the flags with a sense of pride and dignity knowing they were a part of Equestria.

I never felt a sense of unity with Equestria before. It feels great. I thought with a smile. After a few minutes the clouds blocked out the sky and the speakers cut out.

"Ready to watch her end?" I heard a voice say in my head.

"Fluttershy get out of here!" Rainbow shouted at me.

"What's going on?" I asked as I looked at the sky. "And who is this?"

"Something bad." Rainbow told me.

"You'll have to make a choice. One that will either save her or end her. Come to the Everfree Forest if you want her to survive. If not, well, stay there and watch her demise." the voice in my head said again. There was a streak of lightning across the sky. I saw my mother's face in the clouds as more lightning illuminated the sky.

"I'm not leaving without you!" I shouted at her as the storm intensified.

"Please Fluttershy! It's not safe for you!"

"I'm not leaving!" I shouted again, tears in my eyes. I knew if I left then something bad would happen. If I had to make a choice, I wasn't letting her fight this alone. "Hehe. Go ahead and stay. She'll die and you'll live. Can you handle such a tragedy?" the voice said again.

"Shut up! I'm not leaving her behind! No matter what you say! I'll die by her side if I need to!" I shouted back to the voice.

"Maybe so. But you're ready. Come to the Everfree Forest. The Shadows await you." it replied.

I saw Rainbow Dash fly up to the sky to try and clear the clouds. "Don't leave me, Rainbow Dash!" I shouted as I flew up behind her. The wind was so strong that my weak wings couldn't keep flying there. I was flung back towards the stands.

"Fluttershy, come on. We need ta get outta here. That tiny storm ain't tiny no more." Applejack said. "Rainbow can handle the clouds. But right now, Ah'm afraid a twister might show up and take out the arena. We have ta go."

I looked back at the arena and my eyes grew wide. Through the flashes of lighting I saw my name burned into the cloud. "Fine. Let's go." I told her. We ran out of the arena and jumped into a hot air balloon that she had taken up. "How did you get this?"

"The same pony who gave me the ticket rented this thing out ta me. Now let's go!" she said. We hopped into the basket and we slowly flew down to the ground.

"I'm coming. But I swear if you hurt her in any way, I will kill you." I told the voice. I don't know why I felt like that, but I didn't want anything to happen to her. It wasn't like me to want to hurt somepony like this, but something about the voice made me more angry that I normally would have.

"So Ah take it you're Rainbow's 'sister.' Am Ah right?" she asked me. I didn't respond. I was too angry to respond. "Look, Ah'm sure Rainbow will be fine. She's not the type to leave somepony she cares about. She wanted ta get ya' ta safety and that's what she did. At least from what Ah can put together." she said trying to reassure me.

"I know. It's just she told me she would never leave me..." I said.

"Hey, Ah may not know you, but Ah know that Rainbow Dash cares a mighty great deal about ya'. And Ah know that you feel a mighty great deal about her too." she said. I nodded my head in response. "We'll be in Ponyville soon. Don't worry. We'll wait back at the farm 'till she comes back."

"She better get back." I told the voice.

It laughed. "As long as you come to where I told you, she'll be unharmed."

We landed at the farm where I was then led to the kitchen. "Ya' want somethin' to drink?" she asked.

"I'd like some water, please." I said.

"Sure thing, sugarcube." she said.

"Thank you." I said quietly. When she left, I went to the window, opened it, and flew out towards the house. "I'm coming. I have to make a quick stop at the house."

"Don't even think to tell her about where you're going. If you do, I'll know, and she'll die." the voice said.

I shook the voice out of my head. I had to let her know. I just had to. But I couldn't risk her getting hurt. I flew into the window to our room and grabbed a bag and placed a picture of me and Dashie in it. It's the only thing I grabbed. It was the only thing I wanted to take with me.

I ran down the stairs and found a piece of paper and a pencil. I couldn't just disappear without telling her I had to go. I began to write my last farewell to her, letting the tears fall to the paper.

These past years living here have been the best years I've ever had. You've shown me so many ways to be a more outgoing mare. I know that you may not have felt the same way I have about you when we started school, but I've always really cared about you, even when we were fillies. When you stuck up for me when my parents were yelling at me, I liked it and admired you for it. I have never felt like anypony was there for me. I felt like the dirt you wash off of your hooves. You were the only pony I felt I could be myself around. I knew for a long time that I loved you, but I was too scared to do anything or say anything because I was afraid you would leave me, or worse, hurt me like my parents had. I know now these fears were irrational, but they were still present.

I really wanted to go with you to that dance, but when you said you were going with Long Horn, I figured that you didn't like me that way. And then when you told me you couldn't talk to me, I thought that you were embarrassed to be seen with me. I ran home and cried, feeling worthless again. But after you told me why you did that, I realized that you were doing it for my well-being.

After Heart Warming, I couldn't believe what had happened. You had kissed me. It was something I only dreamed about. Something I only fantasized about. I loved you more than anything. I knew you would be there when I needed you and that I could be myself with you. I'd never thought you'd stay. I thought you would move on from a shy filly like me. I realized it was much more to you as well after last night. I could tell that you didn't want to stop. Maybe something more could have happened. I wanted something more to happen, but I was afraid to push further. I didn't know how you would react. If you only knew how much I cared about you. It's why I'm leaving now. I saw the lightning hit those ponies and while the light flashed, I saw my name engraved in the cloud. I didn't think it was possible, but I'm afraid that they will find me. They'll hurt you, and I can't let that happen. I'm a hazard if I stay here with you. I keep putting you in harms way and I can't live with myself by doing that. You've taken care of me, now I'm going to do the same for you. I hope you understand. Goodbye. I love you Dashie.

I put the pencil down and read over the letter again. Nowhere did I tell her I was going to the Everfree Forest so there was no reason for the voice to hurt her. "There. She doesn't know where I'm going and has no idea where to look for me. So don't hurt her." I told the voice.

"Make your way to the forest. We're waiting."

I placed the paper down on the table in a place that Rainbow Dash was sure to see it. I walked to the door and took one last look into the place that I have called home. The place that housed me and protected me from all my fears for the last eight years. It didn't even feel like eight years. It seemed like only yesterday that she had helped me after I fell and sprained my ankle during gym class. I felt the tears fall down my face, but I made no effort to wipe them away.

I love you Rainbow Dash. Thank you for all that you've done. I thought. I closed the door and headed for the forest.

Confrontation

I took my time flying to the forest. I didn't want to be in the heart of death too quickly and I also figured it would be my best chance to figure out a plan. Normally, I don't think like this. But someone threatened Rainbow Dash, and I wasn't going to let that happen. Trouble is, I'm no good at making plans.

I flew over the tree line and looked for a clearing to land in. After about 15 minutes of flying, I found a place and flew down to it. When I landed I looked around me and all I saw was trees, trees, and more trees. The dark atmosphere made my skin tingle. "He-Hello?" I called out.

"Welcome, Fluttershy. I'm glad you're here." a familiar voice said behind me. I turned and faced the hooded mare. I gave a quick gasp as I saw two Timeberwolves behind her. She looked to the one on her right. "Tell them I've got her." she said. It gave a snort and ran off into the woods.

"So I'm here...What do you want?" I asked, shakily.

"Shh. Let me look at you." she said. She walked around me taking in my stance and size. "Hmm...a little bigger, still a weak flier, shy and quiet enough for stealth, and pretty enough to talk her way out of a sticky situation."

"Who are you?"

"You're still a little premature for the Shadows, but we'll make do." she said.

I turned to her and glared at her. "Who are you?"

She gave a light laugh. "You don't mean to tell me that you don't recognize your own mother?" she said, as she pulled her hoodie off of her head. I gasped. "Hello sweetie. You've grown since I saw you last. You're father told me that you had changed, and that glare you gave me proves that. You used to be so shy and timid, but now, you're more outgoing, more confident, and sometimes, violent."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said.

"You had a dream about your father. In that dream, you hit him, beat him, just like he had done to you." my mom said.

"Because it was a dream."

"No. Because of how you felt and what you personally wanted to do. That rainbow colored filly has done wonders for you." she said.

"Don't hurt her. She doesn't know I'm here." I told her.

"Oh, I'm not worried about her. She's not a threat. I'm interested in another prize though." she said.

"What prize?"

She walked up to me and ran her hoof through my mane. "Her mother and the Doctor."

"Why them?" I asked, trying to hide my fear.

"Because they've both interfered with our plans for far too long." she said. "But now that I have you, I'm ready for them." She walked behind a tree and pulled a small beeping box out from a bush.

"What's that?"

"Just a device that emits short electronic waves that the TARDIS can pick up. It's different from the ones the Everfree Forest gives off, so the Doctor should know just where we're at." she said. I heard the Timberwolf growl behind me. "Ah, that means they should be here pretty soon. Let's make them hurry up." she said.

She took out a small rod and pointed it at me. It gave a low hum and a light shone from the end. I screamed in pain as my wings exploded in an intense burning sensation, knocking me to the ground. The humming stopped and the pain subsided. I looked to them, expecting them to be burnt, but they were perfectly normal, like nothing had happened. "What did you do?" I asked.

"Oh, I just love sonic devices." she said with a smile. She pointed it at me again and the pain returned. I let out another shriek as my wings turned to fire again. She stopped pointing it at me and laughed. "I didn't want Rainbow to know where we were before I was ready. Now that her mother is coming, I'm ready for her to show herself.

"Don't hurt her. You said you wouldn't hurt her!!" I shouted at her She pointed the sonic device at me and my wings we enflamed again. I let out another painful shout. "You said she'd be left alone you witch!!!" I exclaimed. She laughed and retreated to the shadows. I stood up, gasping for air. My wings no longer hurt and the cold breeze felt wonderful as it passed through my feathers.

"Fluttershy!" I heard Rainbow call from inside the forest. No. I thought. No please don't be here. I saw her crash onto the ground and tumble towards me. "Rainbow Dash!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" I asked. I saw her wing and gasped as I saw how crooked and bent it was.

"Yeah. Never better." she said.

"You're wing is fractured! Rainbow, why did you come here?" I asked. "I shouldn't have left that note for you." I said, regretfully.

"Why did you leave?" she asked as she tried to stand up.

"Rainbow please go home! It's not safe for you here!" I said. I didn't want her to be here. I knew she would be hurt or killed if she tried to fight my mom, especially now that she has a fractured wing.

"Not safe for me? Fluttershy, it's not safe for you. You know what's in here?" she asked.

"It's almost time." the voice in my head said again. I whimpered and looked at the ground, tears nearly forming in my eyes. "Hey." she said, pulling me in for a hug. "We're going to get out of here. My mom and the Doctor are coming to help us."

I pulled out of the hug. "No! That's what she wants! You have to leave. Now!" I pleaded.

"Who's she?" Rainbow asked.

"Please, just leave!" I pleaded again.

"Not without you!!" she exclaimed.

"Well well well...isn't this sweet." my mom said. "A reunion, between a flightless pegasus, and a broken one."

"Why didn't you just stay away?" I whispered to her. "Mom, I didn't tell her I was here, please, don't hurt her!!" I shouted at her. She was followed by more Timberwolves who were poised to strike.

"Oh, come now, Fluttershy! Now that she has found out about us, you know what I have to do." she said with a smile. "The Shadows of the Night are your family now. Not this pathetic rainbow colored fur ball." She clicked her tongue twice and a Timberwolf moved closer to us.

"You see, you're parents have always been a pin prick in my side. Always wanting to be on the side of her precious Princess. Did she tell you what happened? Why she chose to be a part of Celestia's little group? She chose out of fear. The night used to be her friend and companion. But one day, she met a stallion who had dreamed of being a part of the Royal Guard. He fell in love with her and corrupted her. Your father drove your mother away from her destiny and away from us. Your mother set us back, but we will have our revenge. The mare in the moon will not have to wait much longer before she can reclaim what is hers." she said.

"You're lying!" Rainbow exclaimed. I didn't believe my mom for a second. There was no way that Rainbow's mom worked with the Shadows. She was way too kind and nice.

"Well, you'll never know. You'll be dead before she can even get here." she said with a sinister smile.

"Mom! Don't hurt her! You said-" I started but she cut me off.

"I know what I said! But circumstances have changed. Her mother and the infamous Doctor are on their way. While I'm thankful for what this foal has done, it'll be such a sweet victory to see her mother weep at the side of her dead daughter." she said. "Come, Fluttershy. You don't want to be caught between a Timberwolf and its dinner."

"Come with me." the voice said in my head. I didn't want to. Every fiber of my body wanted to stay by Rainbow's side. But something was forcing me to move, forcing me to join my mom by her side. I resisted with every amount of force I could muster.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow said.

A tear rolled down my cheek. I wasn't in control of my own body. I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. I tried...I tried to protect you.

"Mom...please...don't do it..." I managed to get out when I got to her side.

She smiled. "This is what it takes to be a Shadow of the Night."

"Fluttershy, please..." Rainbow pleaded with me. The Timberwolf leapt at her and she let out a shriek that I hadn't heard her let out before. It shook me out of my stupor. I was in control of my body again.

"Whoa there, ya' nasty brute!" I heard a familiar voice say. The Timberwolf looked up and growled as a rock hit him in the face. "Run, Dash!" I heard Applejack call out. She kicked another two rocks at the Timberwolf. I smiled as the Timberwolf started to move away from Rainbow.

"Fluttershy! C'mon!" she shouted, running towards me. I was about to run with her but then my mom stepped in front of me.

"I've had enough of this!" she said. She flew towards her and hit her, sending her flying back. I heard Rainbow Dash yelp in pain. "I may not be able to kill your mother now, but I sure as hell can kill a pest!" she shouted.

"No!" I shouted and flew faster than I thought I could and slammed into my mom. She landed a good distance away from Rainbow. "Leave. Her. Alone. You. Bitch!" I shouted. I fought her for what she did to me and to Rainbow Dash. She said she wouldn't hurt her, and then she was about to sick a Timberwolf on her. I hit her again and again. She kicked me off of her but I quickly recovered and flew back at her. She kicked me and I went back and landed against a tree.

"One day, you will be mine." she said, and pressed a few buttons on her foreleg and disappeared.

I crawled over to Rainbow Dash "Rainbow Dash, please wake up! I need you!" I cried out. She didn't move and I couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. "Wake up!"

"Firefly, help me get her into the TARDIS. We need to get her someplace safe." the Doctor said. "Fluttershy, get out of the forest." I didn't move, tears streaming down my face. "Fluttershy, please. We got this. Just get to the TARDIS."

"Fluttershy." Rainbow's mom said to me. I looked to her. "Please. I've got her." she said. I sniffed and made my way out of the forest.

It's my fault. My fault she's dead...I should never have come here... I thought. I looked behind me and saw the Doctor and her mom running with Rainbow on her back. They zoomed passed me and I quickly followed them out.

Games with the Doctor

A note from Fluttershy: *After the incident in the forest, I lost all memory about my love for Rainbow and how she loved me. I'm going to try my best to remember how I felt at the time, but I don't know if it will make sense... Please don't be mad if I mess something up. I'm going to try my hardest. I hope I remember everything okay.*

I woke up in a hospital bed with a beeping device next to it. My head and legs hurt, but I was able to look around the room. "Hey there, sunshine." I heard a voice say.

I turned my head to the voice. "Jack?" I asked.

"Glad to see you remember me." he said. "How you feeling?"

I groaned as I sat up on the bed. "My head hurts..." I said quietly.

"You experienced a concussion." he said. "I need to ask you some questions for an investigation."

The way he said it made me feel like he was trying to avoid telling me something. "Um...okay. What do you need me to tell you?"

"What was the last thing you remember?"

I thought back and remembered being in a forest with a hooded pony. "Well, I was in the Everfree Forest with somepony else. I don't remember who though. Um, Jack? What was I doing there?" I asked him. "I don't like going in there. It's so scary."

He reached into a small packet and pulled out a picture. "Do you remember who this mare is?" he asked me.

I closed my eyes as images of her passed through my head. "Yeah. She's my mom. Did something happen to her?" I asked.

He put the picture away and wrote something down on a note pad. "Yeah. She went missing. She was last seen with you in the Everfree Forest and hasn't been heard from since."

He put the picture back in the file and wrote something down on a notepad. "Yeah. She disappeared. The last place she was seen was in the forest with you." he said.

"Do you think I did something to her?" I asked.

"No. We know you did nothing. But do you know of any place that she would go?" he asked. I shook my head. I was relieved I didn't do anything bad.

"Hello, Fluttershy!" I heard an energetic voice say at the door.

"Doctor! How's our other little princess doing?" Jack asked.

"She's fine. Just worried about Fluttershy." he said.

"Well, I couldn't get any leads here, She doesn't remember much from last night." Jack said.

I thought I saw the Doctor give a sigh of relief. "Okay. Then get your team together and start hunting her down. We need to find her."

"Already got them on it." he said getting up out of his chair. He looked to me and I thought I saw a glint of sadness. "You be careful now Fluttershy. I don't want to see you back in the hospital again." he said with a small grin.

"Don't worry. I don't plan to be here ever again if I can help it." I said.

Jack turned to the Doctor and whispered something to him. The Doctor nodded his head and Jack left the room. "So, do you have any questions for me that I could possibly answer for you?"

"What was I doing in the Everfree Forest?" I asked.

"I don't know. We just found you when your friend Applejack told us she saw you flying in. Rainbow later followed you. She's in the room next to us." he said.

There was a tingling sensation in the back of my head at the sound of her name. "Is she okay?" I asked.

"She's fine. Just worried about you. She has a concussion, just like you, but also a fractured wing." he said.

"What happened in there?" I asked. I didn't know why I would go into that forest. And the fact that Rainbow Dash had been hurt worse than me just proved to me that it wasn't a safe place to go.

"We don't know. Jack and I ran in after Applejack found us and found you two in the forest, unconscious. Apparently your mother was there too. We assume that she is the one that caused the injuries." he said.

"But why?"

"We don't know." he said.

"Okay..." I sighed. I didn't understand why I went into the forest. I had no reason to go there.

"Want to play a game of Oranges to Oranges? I understand you're pretty good." he offered.

"Sure." I said, quietly. I was worried about Rainbow Dash and how she was fairing, but I didn't ask about her. He already told me what was wrong with her and that she was doing okay, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. I scratched the back of my head as that sensation returned.

He laid out the game on the bed and dealt out the cards. We played for a few minutes and my mood improved as we placed conflicting cards. He flipped over a green card that read 'Disgusting.' I placed my card down and he placed his. "So let's what you played Fluttershy." he said as he flipped my orange card. I chuckled. "Doctor! I'm not disgusting!" he exclaimed.

"No, but your reaction was funny." I said smiling.

"But manure IS disgusting!" he exclaimed.

"But it's not funny since it's true!"

"Okay, miss comedy, let's see what the next card is." he said, flipping over another card. "Blue."

I looked through my cards and saw a 'player's pick' card. I placed it down and waited for the Doctor. to take his turn. He placed his down and I quickly turned his over. "My pick is the TARDIS." he said as I flipped the 'player's pick' card.

"Well I chose Rainbow Dash." I said, flipping my own card over.

He smiled at me. "How are you two doing?"

"We're good. She's been helping me with my animals when she can and has been sticking up for me at school again." I said. There was a slight tingling sensation in the back of my head.

"That's good. It's good to have friends like that." he said.

"Umm...do you think she likes me?" I asked.

He froze as I brought it up. "Well of course she likes you. Why wouldn't she?"

"No, I mean...does she have feelings for me?" I asked. I don't know why I asked. It just felt like something I needed to ask.

"I'm not sure. Do you?"

"I don't know. It's just every time I think of her I get this tingling sensation in the back of my head. I just felt like I needed to ask if she had feelings for me." I said, disappointed for some reason.

"Hey, come here." he said, walking over to me. He put his hooves on the side of my head and looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry about this." he said.

"Wha-" I said, and felt myself drift off to sleep.

I woke up the next day feeling a lot better. My head didn't hurt and I felt like I could fly all the way to Canterlot and back to Ponyville.

"Hey you're awake." the Doctor said.

"Yeah I am. What did you do to me yesterday?" I asked.

"I just tried to figure out what was causing that tingling sensation in the back of your head. Found it and stopped it from happening again." he said.

"Okay." I said. I didn't fully believe him but I let it slide. I did have a concussion so it's probably nothing to be worried about.

"Let's play another round of Oranges to Oranges." he said.

"Why? Didn't we play it yesterday?" I asked.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't play it again. Besides, you've made me a little bit of a fan of the game." he said.

I chuckled. "Okay. Let's set it up." We dealt the cards and flipped over the first green card. "Ugly. Well, that's a great way to start this. game off." he said.

I placed a card down and the Doctor followed suit. I flipped his card over and smiled. "A diamond dog? Are they really that ugly?"

"Have you seen one? They make Jack look like a catch!" he exclaimed.

"I don't hear you complaining!" I heard Jack say outside the door by the nurse's counter. I laughed at it.

"Anyways, what did you play?" he said, flipping my card over. "Trench coats?!" he exclaimed.

"Only the one Jack wears." I said, loud enough for him to hear it.

"You're comment is taken into consideration!" Jack exclaimed.

"That's brilliant." the Doctor said smiling.

"Hey, Fluttershy." I heard Rainbow say at the door. She had a machine hooked up to her that beeped occasionally. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now. The nurse said I could go home in a few days." I replied. "What about you? How's your wing?"

"It's fine. Nothing I can't handle." she said.

"I'm so glad you're alright." I said, relieved.

"I'll let you two catch up a little." the Doctor said. He looked at Rainbow Dash and she just nodded her head.

"So, do you remember anything? Like, before the forest?" she asked. "I'm having some trouble remembering for some reason."

"It's probably the concussion. But all I can remember is the Wonderbolts show. After that, it's all a blank." I said. I knew I was there from what the Doctor told me, but I don't remember any of it.

"I see." she said, taking a seat next to me on the bed. "Anything...about you and me?"

"Umm..." I said as I thought. One memory did return to me though. "I only remember my mother standing over you and me tackling her." It was weird. I didn't know where this memory came from.

"I'm sorry. Um... Was there something I was supposed to remember?"

"I was just wondering. I'm sure the memories will come back in time." she said, her head drooping down low. I saw a tear form in her eyes. This wasn't like her. She rarely cried, at least not in front of me.

I put a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Dashie?" I asked as the machine started to beep faster.

"I've got to go." she said frantically.

'What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"Nothing! I just...have to make sure that I get some sleep." she said, running out of the room, letting the machine disconnect from her.

"Rainbow Dash!" I exclaimed. I got out of the bed and tried to run to her room, but Jack stopped me and brought me back to my bed. "What's going on?" I asked him.

"Nothing, you just need to wait here. Hospital procedure." he said.

"But what's wrong with her?"

"Nothing. Just let her be." he said.

I sat in the bed and contemplated what could be making Rainbow Dash act like this. Am I bringing up a sad memory of her mom? Maybe she feels like I forgot almost everything about our past. I knew she helped me when I was a filly with the bullies and with my mom. She also took me in when I needed a place to stay. I thought. I sat in the bed for the rest of the day waiting for a chance to go see Rainbow Dash, but I never got one.

A few weeks passed and I was allowed to leave the hospital. The Doctor told me I wouldn't be able to live with Rainbow Dash anymore since I was starting to be old enough to live on my own, and since they weren't actually blood relatives, I couldn't stay with them. So I moved back into my cottage from when I was a filly. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to do so.

I visited Rainbow Dash every now and then when I wasn't taking care of my animals. She had to stay longer because of her fractured wing. I knew if they didn't keep her there then she would be out there flying and doing more damage to her wing.

Today I visited with Rainbow and told her about a new kind of bird that I had taken in. The bird reminded me of her because of its attitude. When it was time for me to go, she became really depressed, just like every other time. It really hurt to see her like this. But I didn't know what I could do. I had to take care of my animals or they would get hungry.

I said goodbye and left the hospital. I thought about what I could do to make her feel better when she was allowed to leave tomorrow. "Hi!!" I heard a voice say behind me.

"Ah!" I exclaimed as I turned to see who it was.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm new here and I want to invite you to my Welcome to Ponyville Pinkie Pie Party!" she said enthusiastically.

"Umm..." I said quietly. She had scared me and I wasn't quiet sure what to say to her.

"Helloooo? Are you okay? What's your name?" she asked.

"Umm... it's Fluttershy..." I said quietly.

"Well hello Fluttershy! I know we're going to be friends, so I hope you can come to my party today!" she said with a wide smile.

"I don't know if I can make it..." I said, barely audible.

"Aww but it's not going to be fun unless everypony comes!!"

Wait...maybe she can help Rainbow Dash feel better. I thought. "Well, I may not be able to because a friend of mine is in the hospital right now, and I really want to take make sure she's okay."

"What?! A friend is in a hospital? Oh nonononono she needs a party for when she gets out!! That's way more important than a Welcome to Ponyville Pinkie Pie Party!! When does she get released?" she asked.

"Tomorrow." I said.

"Great! That's plenty of time to put together a Get Well Soon Party!!" she exclaimed. "Send her to SugarCube Corner tomorrow and it'll all be ready!" she said and zoomed off to the hospital.

"Umm...okay." I said, confused. I flew to Rainbow's house knowing that Felix was home in case his sister needed anything. I knocked on the door and he answered.

"Hey Fluttershy. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, tomorrow somepony is throwing a get well party for Rainbow Dash at SugarCube Corner. Do you think you could take her there for me when she gets released?"

"Sure. Who's throwing the party?" he asked.

"A new pony in town called Pinkie Pie." I said.

"Let me guess, very exuberant and outgoing about parties? Kind of loud?"

"Yep." I said.

"Great. This should be interesting." he said, rubbing his head. "I'll bring her by tomorrow."

"Thanks Felix." I said and flew back to my cottage. I had to feed my animals. It was well past their mid afternoon snack.

Author's Note

Things may start to seem very odd at this point. Since this is told through Fluttershy's eyes and not Rainbow's, I have to work out a way for Fluttershy's memories to match up for continuity and not mess up the story too much. If something doesn't make sense, bare with me, I'm going to try my best here. :)

The Shadows Meet

The next day came and I gave my animals extra food to make up for yesterday. I wasn't able to go to the party since I felt bad for my little critters. Angel had been asking me about Rainbow Dash all day. "She's getting out of the hospital today. I can't see her because I have to take care of you guys."

He hit his face with his paw and hopped over to a table. I sighed. He had been acting like this for a long time now. I think he just misses her. I mean, we had been living with her most of our lives up until now, so I guess he might have been a little homesick. He put a picture of Rainbow and I in my face and pointed to me and her. He hugged it, pointed to me, and then to Rainbow Dash in the picture.

"Angel, I do care about her, but we can't live with her anymore. It's too dangerous with my mom. Besides, this is our home now. You'll get used to it soon enough." I said, smiling. He looked sad and hopped away. I know he'd end up liking it here more than up in Cloudsdale. Here he could actually jump around on the ground like a normal bunny instead of only in his room.

"Hey there, Fluttershy!" I heard Jack call from outside the house.

"Oh! Hey Jack." I said, happy to see him.

"How you been doing?"

"Good. Still getting used to the house, but good nonetheless." I said. There was a crash coming from inside.

"Sounds like you've got your hooves full." he said walking up to the door.

"It's just Angel. He's been getting a tad homesick since we moved out of Rainbow's house." I said, leading him inside.

"You know what always cured me of my homesickness?" he asked.

"What?"

"A good ol' Vortex Manipulator." he said.

"A Vortex...Manipulator?" I asked confused.

"Think of it as a teleporting device. It can take you anywhere and anytime." he said, showing a device he had on his foreleg.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "That's neat. How does it work?" I asked.

"Think of it as like a mini-TARDIS." he said. Angel had thrown a ball at Jack, but he caught it easily in his mouth and threw it back at him, knocking Angel off the table. "Never cared for rabbits."

"What's a TARDIS?" I asked him, feeling a recognizable tingling sensation in the back of my head.

"The Doctor's big blue box. You know, the thing you saw back when you were a kid in the hospital?" he asked.

"Oh, that thing? I thought my eyes had just played a trick on me." I said, helping Angel up and giving him a carrot.

"No it's a real thing. The only difference between this little thing and the TARDIS, is that the TARDIS is a little more...stable." he said.

"Stable? Is the Vortex thingy not safe?"

"No, it's safe, it just likes to place you a few hundred years in either the past or future." he explained. "Want to give it a whirl?" he asked.

At first I really didn't want to, but something about the way he talked and carried himself made me want to see what he was talking about. I didn't get the tingling sensation in the back of my head, like when he brought up the TARDIS, but instead, I got a little warm and fuzzy. He held his hoof out and I gingerly took it.

"This may hurt a little bit." he said quickly.

"Wait what!?" I exclaimed as he pushed a button on his device. I felt like my legs and neck were being pulled in every direction. It only lasted a few seconds, but it wasn't a pleasant trip. I found myself standing in a forest with the moon high in the sky.

"That wasn't so bad. Actually the easiest trip I've ever made." he said, letting go of my hoof.

"Where are we?" I asked, stretching out my legs.

"Let's see..." he said, as he checked his device around his leg. "It seems like we're somewhere in early Equestrian history." he said.

"But where?" I asked as I looked around the dark forest. "Jack, I'm scared."

"Don't worry Fluttershy. I don't think we're far from Ponyville. This should be the Everfree Forest." he said, looking around him.

"Why are we here?" I asked him.

"I thought it would be a good way to get you out of the house, enjoy some fresh air and spend some time with a friend." he said, smiling at me.

I couldn't help but smile back. He was comfortable to be around and I felt safe with him. I heard voices talking from behind some bushes and he ran over to investigate. I slowly made my way over to him and looked to where he was looking. I saw a group of ponies with hoods and cloaks gathered in a clearing.

"Stay down." Jack whispered. I hunkered down behind a tree and he put a necklace around my neck. "This will keep you hidden. Just be quiet and don't make sudden moves." he said.

"What's going on?' I whispered. He hushed me and we listened closely to the voices.

"She's gone. She's been defeated by Celestia." the hooded pony farthest away from us said.

"The plan failed. We can't stay here any longer. Celestia's guards will find us. That Doctor and his wretched companion destroyed our chances." a stallion said next to the other.

"He'll be dealt with in the future. Remember what the Princess told the citizens?" another stallion said.

"1000 years of peace." a familiar voice said. "1000 years of planning for us." she said.

"Clarrise, what do you have in mind?" the pony closest to us asked.

"We find the Doctor's lover, torture her until he gives us what we want, and if he doesn't then we kill her." Clarrise said.

"You know the Doctor won't give us the information we seek, even if we do torture his lover." the other pony said.

"Then we hit everypony he loves and cares about." she said. "Firefly, you think you can bring him to us?"

"Yes. He's close to me and trusts me, so it should be easy." the pony closest to us said, lowering her hood. I saw the same pink coat that Rainbow's mom had.

"Is that..." I asked Jack.

"Yep. How is she here?" he asked.

"There's no need to look for me." I heard a stallion say. He walked out of the trees on the far side of us and walked to the center of the clearing.

"Doctor?!" I heard Firefly say shocked.

"Oh Firefly." he said with disappointment.

"Doctor...I'm sorry." she said. "But you have ruined our plans and you will pay for it."

"Is that why you turned her against me?" he asked Clarisse.

"We never turned her against you. She's always been a part of us. It was so easy to trick you. All it took was a pretty face with a sad sob story to make you come running." she said with a smile.

"Well, it's a good thing I know the real Firefly. The one who would never leave her friends." he said, looking at Rainbow's mom.

She nodded her head and led him away with two others. "Follow me." Jack said. I followed him through the forest as we made our way around the clearing. We followed the Doctor and Firefly as quietly as we could and found out where they were going. "We'll have to be careful. Don't want to cause a paradox." he said, reaching into his pocket.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"If I remember the Doctor's story correctly, he told me that there were two ponies who took out two of the Shadows while he was being led to the torture room. He was never able to figure out who they were, but noticed that one was a bright color and didn't blend in well in the dark. If it weren't for them, he'd never be able to talk to Firefly one on one."

"Then why don't we wait for those ponies to come and take them out?" I asked.

"Because I think we're the ponies who are supposed to do so." he said looking at me. "You're the only bright pony here who doesn't blend in."

"What? There's no way I'm going out there!" I said.

"You have to. He's already experienced it. If you don't, you'll cause a paradox since there was only one pony." he said.

"What's a paradox?" I asked. I didn't understand it the first time and I didn't understand it now.

"Let's just say it'll rip a hole through the fabric of space and time." Jack explained.

"And that's bad?" I asked.

"Very." he said. "Well, let's get going." he said, and rushed out to them.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, giving away where we were. They all turned to us and two of the hooded ponies charged at us. I saw Jack punch both of them and knock them back. I carefully walked out and flinched as Jack sent one of them flying towards me. The pony stood up, saw me, and charged at me.

I backed up to a tree. I had no place to turn with my back against the tree bark. The pony smiled and lunged at me. I gasped and ducked as he went headfirst into the tree. He was dazed, which gave me time to escape. I ran back into the forest and hid behind a rock.

Why did he do that?? I thought to myself. He's going to get himself killed.

"Fluttershy?" I heard Jack call. I looked up behind the rock and saw him searching for me. I slowly walked out from behind my cover. "There you are!" he said happily. "I was afraid you may have gotten hurt. You took great care of yourself out there."

"Can I just go home? Please? I don't like this." I said, shaking.

He came over to me and gave me a hug. "Sure. I didn't mean to take us here. Remember the Vortex Manipulator can accidentally send us a certain time ahead or back from where we wish." he explained.

"So I may not even go back to my home at the same time I was there before we left?" I asked, worried.

"No, that's easy to do. All I have to do is reverse the co-ordinates to our last location and it'll simply reverse triangulate the jump." he said.

"Well, whatever you said, can you please just do it? I want to go home." I said. He pushed some buttons on his Vortex Manipulator and we were pulled back to my house. This time it hurt worse than earlier. I felt as if my insides were being jabbed with something sharp. It was over quickly though and I felt perfectly fine.

"That was a bit of a tougher jump." Jack said, cracking his neck.

"Please, don't do that again." I said.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry Fluttershy. I just wanted to help you get out of the house. I don't like seeing friends being gloomy." he said.

I looked at the sky and was shocked to notice the time. "What time is it?" I asked frantically.

"I'd say around 4 PM. Why?" he asked.

"Oh no. I missed it!" I exclaimed. "I've got to go Jack! I was supposed to go to Rainbow's party!"

"Well let's get going then. Maybe she's still there." he said as I ran off to SugarCube Corner. We ran through Ponyville and arrived at the bakery. We walked in and saw a large group of ponies dancing to the music.

"Hey! There ya' are Fluttershy!" I heard Applejack shout. "Where ya' been? Rainbow Dash left about an hour ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I...had to feed the animals." I lied. I wasn't sure how to tell them that I went back in time, saw Rainbow's mom helping my mom take the Doctor to be tortured. I doubt they'd understand what I was saying. I didn't even understand what had happened.

"My dear, who is this handsome fellow with you?" a white pony asked me.

"Jack Harness, my lady." he said, taking her hoof and kissing it.

"My my my, what a gentlecolt." she said.

"Easy there Rarity." Applejack said. I think she may have been a little irritated with how Jack acted to Rarity. I didn't understand why. He was nice and polite. "Anyways, the party's almost over. Ah think there's still some cake left if ya'll want some." she said.

"It's fine. I've got to get going. I have to find a Doctor. He should be somewhere in Ponyville." Jack said. "My lady." he said, bowing to Rarity. He left the bakery and ran off.

"What a charmer." Rarity said.

"Yeah, he's so wonderful." Applejack said, sarcastically.

"Applejack, darling, what's wrong? Didn't you think he was handsome?" Rarity asked.

"Ah just don' see what's so special 'bout him." she said, not looking at her.

"Well, I thought he was simply spectacular!" Rarity replied.

"Yeah, yeah, Ah know ya' did." she said. "Ah've gotta get back to the farm. Ma' siblings are probably worried."

"I guess I should go and find Sweetie Belle. I hope she didn't mess with anything in my Boutique." Rarity said. "I'll see you two later. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name sweetie." she said to me.

"Fluttershy." I said quietly.

"Well nice to meet you Fluttershy. I'm sure we'll meet again." she said smiling. She walked past Applejack and walked out of SugarCube Corner.

"Ah'll see ya' later Fluttershy." Applejack said.

"I'll walk with you back to the farm. It's close to my cottage anyways." I said.

"Thank ya'." she said. We walked out of the bakery and headed to her home. She stayed quiet, but I could tell there was something upsetting her.

"Is everything okay, Applejack?" I asked.

"Yeah, every things fine." she said.

"Are you sure? I noticed that when Jack talked to Rarity, you got a little annoyed."

"Ah did not!" she exclaimed.

"Oh...Um...okay..." I said quietly. I didn't expect her to shout at me.

She sighed. "Ah'm sorry Fluttershy. I just don't like the way that stupid little pony flirted with her. He's not even that good lookin'!" she said, a bit louder than normal.

Well...he is kind of handsome. I thought. "Applejack...if you don't mind me asking...Do you like Rarity?"

Her face turned a light shade of red. "No. She's into all the pretty froo froo nonsense. She doesn't even like it when there's a tiny bit of frosting on one side of someone's mouth. She gets all grossed out." she explained.

"But the way you acted showed your feelings. It's okay. I won't tell her if you don't want me to..." I said.

She stayed quiet the rest of the way back. "How'd you know?" she asked when we arrived at her farm's gate.

"I'm not sure. Something about it all just reminded me about another pony..." I said, the tingling sensation returning. I was going to have to talk to the Doctor about it. I thought he had fixed it at the hospital.

"Who? If ya' don' mind me asking?"

"I'm...I'm not sure...Just somepony who I was close to..." I said.

"Well, Ah'm sure whoever they were, cares a great deal for ya'." she said.

"Applejack!!" I heard a filly shout from the barn. "Big Mac is making me clean the barn!"

"Yeah. And?" AJ asked.

"Can't he do it?"

"Nope." I heard a deep voice say from behind the fence by the trees. I looked and saw a buff red stallion bucking trees.

"He has to buck the apples so we can make all those goodies for the Summer Sun Celebration. It's only in a few days." she said.

"Aww. But it's so hard." the filly said sadly.

"Ah'm sorry, Applebloom, but ya' have to do it. Big Mac is in charge whenever Ah'm not around. Ya' hear?"

"I hear..." Apple Bloom said with her head low.

"I can help. I'm not doing anything for the rest of the day, and I just fed my animals before I came to SugarCube Corner." I offered.

"Really? Thanks a lot!" Applebloom said happily.

"Now now, Apple Bloom. This chore is your responsibility. Not Fluttershy's." AJ said.

"No, it's alright. I can help. It's better than staying at home alone anyways." I said. I couldn't take my eyes off of the stallion kicking the trees.

"Well, alrighty then. If she really wants to help, she can. But don' make her do all the work Apple Bloom. Or you'll do more tomorra'." Applejack told her.

"Yay! C'mon Fluttershy! We've got a lot of work to do!" she said, and ran off into the barn. I followed, but before I entered the barn, I took one last look at the stallion. He looked back to me and I think he saw me blush. I entered the barn quickly and started helping Apple Bloom clean up the barn.

Apple Family Dinner

"So what exactly do you have to do?" I asked Apple bloom.

"Well, first off there's the hay, then the barrels for the apples, the bedding for the pig, and then just garbage we need to toss out." she said.

"Well that doesn't seem too hard." I said. I walked over with her and helped her move a hay barrel to the other side of the barn. They were heavy, even with both of us working on moving it. "And they wanted you to do this on your own?" I asked as we heaved the hay barrel.

"It's not so bad. It's part of my chores that I got to do every now and then. It usually only takes me a few hours." she said.

"A few hours? But what about your school? And your homework?" I asked.

"Like I said it's every now and then. Usually once a month." she said. We heaved another hay barrel.

The barn door opened and the red stallion I saw outside walked in. "Ah need those barrels Apple Bloom." he said in a deep voice.

"Hold your harness, I'm working on it." she said, running over to the barrels. She knocked over a barrel and rolled it over to him. He wasn't looking at her though when she did it and it slammed into his hind leg. "Oops, sorry, Big Mac." she said. He was looking at me and didn't even respond to his sister's apology. "Uh, Big Mac? You okay?" she asked.

"Eeyup." he said. He rolled the barrel out of the barn and pushed it outside to the trees.

I was still staring at the barn door long after he had gone. "Fluttershy? Hello?" Apple Bloom said.

"Huh?" I asked, shaken out of my trance.

"You were staring off into space. You feeling okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just..." I said, thinking back to Big Mac. "Just thinking."

"Well we still got some work to do! There's five more hay stacks and the rest of the barrels. I can get the garbage by myself." she said. We finished moving the hay and the barrels to the outside of the barn. It was dark when we had finished and Big Mac wasn't out by the trees anymore. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see him. For some reason, I couldn't get him out of my head.

"Apple Bloom! Fluttershy! Come on in. It's time for dinner!" Applejack shouted by the their house.

"C'mon Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom said as she ran up to her sister. I followed her and was greeted by a older green pony.

"Why hello there, sugar plum!" she said in a high shrilly voice. "So you're Fluttershy? Nice to meetcha!" she said smiling.

"Oh, um, nice to meet you too." I said.

"Now why don't ya' come on in and enjoy some Sweet Apple Acres hospitality?" she said, leading me to the kitchen. The house had a kitchen and a living room with a staircase leading upstairs.

"You guys don't need to feed me dinner. I've got to get home and feed my animals. I have food at home anyways." I said.

"Nonsense! Let us treat you! As payment for helping Apple Bloom out in the farm." she said.

"Thanks Granny Smith. Ya' might just be scarin' her off." Applejack said. "Why don't you stay and eat, meet the family. We'd appreciate it. Right Big Mac?" she asked him.

"Eeyup." he said, walking into the kitchen. I looked at him and blushed.

I quickly turned my face from him. "I guess I can stay for a little while." I said, quietly.

"Yay!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "You can sit next to me and Big Mac!" she said happily.

"Looks like you've got a new friend." Applejack whispered to me. I took a seat in between the two of them. "How many apple trees did you get through today, Big Mac? Around 3/4?"

"Eeyup." he replied. He sat a tad closer to me than Apple Bloom did, but I didn't say anything. He was handsome and strong. I liked him. Granny Smith brought out the food. Fresh baked apple pie in the center surrounded by salads and apple toppings.

"Wow. It looks good." I said. I had never really seen this much food at a table before. Then again, usually I was by myself or with Rainbow Dash so there was never a big family gathering. They were a family of four, plus me, making five at this table.

"Well we are the Apple family. We make the best gosh darn food for our guests." Applejack said, sitting next to Granny Smith, across from me.

"Alrighty young 'uns. Eat up!" she said. Everyone around me started to grab at the plates. They passed them around the table, but it still looked like everypony was just grabbing things to slam onto the plate. As the plates were passed around, I didn't really grab anything. Everything was going by so fast and so...unnatural that I wasn't sure what to do.

Big Mac nudged me, offering me some salad with apple toppings. "Oh, yes please." I said quietly. He poured some on my plate and placed a few apple toppings into a smile on my salad. It made me smile and blush again. He was being really nice to me. He didn't really talk that much, but I didn't mind.

"Hey Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked me. "What's your cutie mark supposed to represent?"

"Well, I'm very good with animals. I can understand what's wrong with them, like if one is sick or injured, and I can fix them up really good." I said.

"Wow, that's so cool! I don't have mine yet, but I'm hoping to get it soon!" she said enthusiastically.

"Well I'm sure you'll get it in something you love to do." I said, smiling at her.

"You still in school, honey?" Granny Smith asked.

"Not anymore. I graduated last year and have been living by myself for a few months now." I said.

"Well isn't that dandy. Shows strength to be able to live on your own just a year after you graduate from school. Ah never finished since Ah was needed here on the farm. But Apple Bloom will be finishing her school since both me and Big Mac are able to handle the farm ourselves." Applejack said.

"Aww do I have to? I don't like school." she said.

"Ya' need to sugarcube. It'll help your future." Applejack said.

"But the kids at school bully me!" she said.

"I was bullied in school too. When I was in Flight School, I was bullied by three pegasi who made fun of me because I was a weak flier. But then another pegasi, Rainbow Dash came by and told them to leave me alone. She was the coolest pony at the school. She wasn't a pony a lot of others messed with. But these three wanted to prove something. So they raced each other. I don't know who won, but I was so happy to have someone to help me stand up to the bullies. And we've been friends ever since." I said. I felt a familiar tingle in the back of my head, like something was trying to burst free.

"Really?" she asked.

I nodded my head. "If you can find friends who will stay by your side when you need them, you'll be set throughout school." I said.

"I guess I could find someone who I share an interest with." she said. "Thanks Fluttershy."

"You're welcome." I said, smiling to her. We finished eating and I helped them wash the dishes. I was surprised by just how many plates and bowls he could carry without dropping them. It was impressive. After we finished with the dishes, Applejack walked me back to the gate.

"Thanks for helping her out like that. Ah never experienced bullies, so Ah'd probably tell her to knock them upside the head." she said.

"Oh, it's okay. I just thought that maybe I could help her by telling her one of my experiences." I said.

"Ah appreciate it. She needs the encouragement. Them dumb fillies Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just keep pickin' on her that it's aggravatin'." she said. "Anyways, Ah'd like to congratulate ya' on becomin' an honorary member of the Apple family. You helped my little sister out, and you won the affection of ol' Granny. And Ah think Big Mac took a liking to ya' too." she said.

Big Mac walked out of the house towards us. "Ah think Ah'll go back inside and see if they need any help with anything." she said. "Don't be a stranger. We'd love to have ya' back for another meal." she said, and walked past Big Mac back to the house.

He walked up to me, standing tall. I noticed he had a flower in his mouth. When he placed it by my hoofs, I realized it was a pink petunia. I don't know if he knew that this was my favorite flower or if he just had it by chance, but I was touched that he gave it to me. I blushed and took the flower slowly.

"So...Um..." he said.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." I said quietly.

"Eeyup."

"We should hang out again sometime. Just the two of us." I said, a little quieter. I was really nervous. I felt like I was going to hyperventilate.

"Eeyup." he replied.

"Do you know of any good places?" I asked him.

"Well...erm...there's the Hay Café." he said.

"Okay. Don't they have music too?" I asked.

"Eeyup." he said. "Umm...next week? 8 P.M.?"

"That sounds great." I said smiling at him. I felt my face blush again.

"See ya' then." he said, a small smile on his face too.

We went to our homes. The entire time back I couldn't help how excited I was. Oh my gosh...he actually asked me out!! I thought happily. Nopony's ever done that. There was a tingling sensation in the back of my head again, but I ignored it. I hope it goes okay. He seemed really shy for such a strong stallion. Maybe he'll talk more when it's just the two of us on a date. I thought.

I walked into my house and put the flower in a vase with water. For the first time in a long time, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Nightmare Moon

"Okay. That was good, but let's try it from the top again." I said to my crowd of songbirds. A few days ago the mayor had given me the job of training the songbirds for the Summer Sun Celebration. They were doing fairly well, but a few of them were still a tiny bit off key.

They tried it again and we came really close, but one, a blue songbird, was still off key. "Oh my. Um, excuse me, but you were just a teensy tiniest bit off." I said. He nodded and I prepared to start again. "A one, a two-" I started but was cut off by a pony behind me.

"Hello?" she said. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten your birds." the purple Unicorn said. I flew down and kicked some dirt. I had never seen her before. I know most of the ponies around Ponyville, but I knew she wasn't from here. I really hope she wasn't going to say anything bad about the birds or how I was doing.

"The Princess sent me to check on the music for the Summer Sun Celebration. And I can tell it's going great." she said with a smile. I stayed quiet. I was glad that my efforts were working and that the pony the Princess sent approved of it, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to her. Was there some form of proper tone I had to use while speaking with her? Should I not speak at all?

She gave a wide, awkward smile. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name."

"Um...my name is Fluttershy." I said quietly.

"What was it?" she asked again.

"My name is Fluttershy." I said even quieter.

"Still didn't catch that." she said. I didn't know what to do. I was so nervous being around her knowing that she was reporting all her findings to the Princess. "Sooo it looks like your birds are back! I'll just be going." she said and quickly left.

I saw her walk away and she started talking to a baby dragon. I instantly perked up. "Oh my gosh! A baby dragon!" I exclaimed. I had read so much about dragons, but I was too scared to find them. They were big and breathed fire and could easily eat a pony. But this was a baby dragon so maybe he could tell me more. "Oh, I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's sooo cute!"

"Well well well." he said pridefully.

"Oh, and he talks! I didn't know dragons could talk!" I said, excited. "That's just so incredibly wonderful I, I just don't even know what to say!"

"Well, in that case, we'd better get going!" Twilight said, putting the dragon on her back.

"Wait! What's his name?" I asked.

"I'm Spike!" he said.

"Hi Spike. I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon! And what do dragons talk about?

"Well, what do you wanna know?" he asked.

"Absolutely everything." I replied. He told me everything he knew. What he did in his spare time, what he ate, what he dreamt about, what he liked, what he hated, and so many other things that the books I had read couldn't tell me. I can't believe I'm actually talking to a baby dragon. It's so interesting! I thought.

"...and that's the story of my whole entire life! Well, up until today. Do you wanna hear about today?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, please!" I said.

"I'm so sorry, how did we get here so fast?" Twilight said as we stopped in front of the Ponyville library. "This is where I'm staying while I'm in Ponyville and my baby dragon needs his sleep."

"No I don't-" he said, but fell off of Twilight's back.

"Aww, wook at dat, he's so sweepy he can't even keep his widdle bawance!" Twilight said.

"Oh my, you simply must get into bed." I said, picking him up. I was going to fly inside and tuck him in, but Twilight stopped me.

"Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, good night!" she said and slammed the door.

"But...it's day time." I said, looking at the sky. "Oh! That's right. Pinkie invited me to another party today at the library. I should probably tell Twilight about it." I said, running in.

"Surprise!" I heard Pinkie Pie shout to Twilight. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?"

I found Rainbow Dash and Applejack and stood next to them. "Does she always talk this fast?" I asked them.

"Yep. Seems like she's a one way train of fast talkin'." Applejack said.

"Eh, it's whatever. She knows how to throw a party." Rainbow said.

"Well, it certainly does match up with her last party. However, I will admit that I'm not used to a library being this loud." Rarity said, walking next to us.

"And now you have lots and lots of friends!" I heard Pinkie exclaim. Twilights eyes started to water after she drank something. Smoke shot out of her ears and she ran up the stairs.

"I thought that only happened in comics." Rainbow Dash told me. I gave a slight giggle. I remember how much she loved comics as a filly.

There was a slight tingle in the back of my head again that made me look back to Rainbow. There was something about her that was just....beautiful. I felt something in my chest, but I didn't know what it was. "So how are you doing? Are your tricks coming together nicely?" I asked.

"Of course! I'll be a part of the Wonderbolts in no time." she bragged.

"Are ya' sure 'bout that? Sure you won't break under any of that pressure?" Applejack asked.

"Oh please. The only pressure I'll be feeling, is the air as I blow them away with my moves."

"But darling? Have you ever been in front of ponies of their particular class?" Rarity asked. "Are you absolutely positive you won't crack?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Nothing makes me crack!" They chuckled and we all walked over to the punch table. We got to know each other through out the night. I didn't talk too much, I mainly listened. "So, Rarity. Where are you from?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, Rainbow Dash, I am from the populace city of Manehatten. My dear sister, Sweetie Belle, and I moved here after we were unable to pay the, umm, well, the rent." she said glumly. "I wasn't able to sell many dresses there, so we moved here, hoping to start a new life with less sophisticated ponies."

"At least Ah work hard for what Ah do. We may not be as sophisticated here, but at least we work hard." Applejack said. "Ah tried the sophisticated life in Manehattan when Ah was just a filly. Ah had to be all dressed in fancy, them ponies were rude, and gosh darnit, them meal selections were just too small." she said.

"Oh please, Applejack. You were never fit to live in that city. But I will admit that you do run a respective business with apples. But it's nothing compared to the intense concentration one needs to find the absolute perfect gem to go with the beautiful ensemble I have to make." Rarity retorted. Applejack just shared a small grin with her.

"What about you Applejack?" Rainbow asked. "Bucking apple trees all day has to be one of the most boring things a pony could do. You know, next to reading."

"It's only boring if ya' can't find the purpose in it. Ah love it 'cause it helps feed the ponies here and makes me feel like Ah'm doin' somethin' productive in town." she replied. "Granny always wanted me to be a productive mare and not a lazy vermon that would jus' sit on my rump all day long."

"What about your parents?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack's mood quickly changed. She wasn't as cheerful as she was before. "They, uh, they aren't around anymore. Ah was jus' a filly when they passed." she said, dropping her head. "They ran the farm before Ah was even a few months old. I'd rather not talk about that though." she said.

I looked at her. I never thought about what had happened to her parents. I didn't see them at the barn or house now that I think about it. "It's okay, Applejack." I said. "I don't have any parents either." It was true. I don't consider my mom and dad parents and Rainbow's parents were never around to actually be parents and Felix was never home either. We basically raised ourselves. I don't know what happened though. It's always been a blur. Like something's blocking it."

It wasn't the truth really. I still remembered everything my dad did to me when I was a kid, but I didn't really want to tell everyone that. "Oh, come now. Let's stop this sad recollection of our pasts. I say we toast! To our new friend, Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity said with a raise of her glass.

"Yeah. Cheers." Rainbow said.

"Well, Ah, better go see if Ah'm needed down by the apple orchards for the celebration." Applejack said as she downed her drink. "Ah'll see ya'll later." she said and walked out the of the room.

"I might as well go too. Who knows what Sweetie Belle has gotten herself into." Rarity said. The way she looked at Applejack was very familiar to me. Rarity followed Applejack out of the library. I gave a light smile as I thought back to Big Mac. I had a date with him in a few days, and I was really excited for it.

"You see it too?" Rainbow asked me.

"Oh, yeah." I said, snapping back from my thoughts. "She's, as Angel puts it, twitterpated." I said, thinking of how Applejack reacted to Rarity's comments about Jack.

"Well, haven't we all felt that way at one time or another." she said.

I blushed and turned my face away from her. "Yeah. We have I guess. I started feeling a pain in my chest every time I looked into her eyes. I got a fluttering feeling in my belly that I couldn't explain. My mind went back to Big Mac and I felt the same feelings, just without the chest pains.

"Of course, there's never anypony here who I could like. They're all boring and can't keep up with me. I need someone fast." she said.

"Oh. Yeah." I said quietly. That hurt me. I don't know why it did. It just hurt to hear her say that.

"Hey guys! It's time for the ceremony!" Spike said as he ran by us. Rainbow stopped him with her hoof.

"What's your name squirt?" she asked.

"I'm Spike. Why do you ask?" he said as he took the lamp shade off of his head.

"Well I didn't catch your name when you and Twilight came by and watched me clear the skies." she said.

"Oh yeah! You're that Pegasus that made her mane into a puffball!" he said with a laugh. "That was great!"

"Have you met Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Oh, we've met. Isn't he amazing?" I said.

"Eh, I guess. We better head over to Town Hall though. Don't want to miss that, and you need to get your birds ready." she said. We left the library and walked to Town Hall. The ponies left the library and made their way to Town Hall. I had never seen so many ponies massing at one area like this.

"I've got to go and find my birds. I'll see you later Rainbow." I said when we entered. I flew up to the balcony where I told them to go. They were all there, and I waited for my cue.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" Mayor Mare exclaimed. "In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."

"Ready?" I asked them. They all nodded and prepared themselves.

"Princess Celestia!" I heard the mayor say. They started singing on cue, but were cut off by the crowds gasps. I turned to see what had happened and realized that the Princess wasn't there.

"She's gone!" Rarity said from the balcony.

"Oh no. Where is she? What happened?" I said amongst the other questions by the crowd. I looked to my birds which had started to flutter away from all the noise. I looked out the window and saw a blue box flying away from Town Hall. Doctor? I thought, remembering back to a time when he took me back to Rainbow's house in the same thing. My head suddenly hurt, but quickly vanished.

I looked over to the balcony when I heard laughter. "Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces." a dark mare in armor said standing where the Princess was supposed to be.

"What have you done with the Princess?" I heard Rainbow shout to her. She was about to fly up to her, but Applejack caught her tail in her mouth and held her back.

Good. I don't want her running into danger. I thought. The mare on the balcony chuckled. "Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" she asked.

"Ooh, ooh, more guessing games! Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty-" Pinkie Pie rambled before having a cupcake shoved in her mouth from Applejack.

"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" she said, flicking her mane at me.

Signs? I thought. I saw my dad in a dark room, surrounded by the Princess, the Doctor, and me and Rainbow. "But she will return! The signs, Princess. You see them, don't you?" I remembered him saying.

Is this who he was talking about? The leader of the Shadows? I thought. My head started hurting again. I don't know why it hurts every time I think back to anything involving Rainbow Dash. It went away just as quickly as it had come.

"I did. And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon!" Twilight said.

"Well well well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here." Nightmare Moon said.

"You're here to...to..." Twilight stammered. I don't think she really knew what she was doing here. Maybe the Doctor did. But then why did he fly away from Town Hall? He could've helped us.

Nightmare Moon laughed again. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"

She disappeared in a puff of thick smoke. If she's here...then Rainbow... I thought. I didn't know where I was going with that thought, but it caused another round of pain to run through my head. I saw Rainbow fly out of Town Hall, following the smoke. Twilight ran out through the doors while everyone else was just in a state of panic.

I flew down to Applejack. "What's going on?" I asked her.

"Ah'm not sure. Apple Bloom!" she shouted. Her little sister ran over to her. "Ah want you to go home and stay there. Ah'll be back in a few."

"Okay, Applejack." she said. I could tell that she was scared, but she was trying to hide it.

"Applejack! Who was that pony?" Rarity asked.

"How should Ah know? Why are ya'll asking me and not Twilight? She's the one who knows who she is." she said.

"Well, she ran off after Nightmare Moon disappeared into smoke." I said.

"She's probably goin' to the library. It's the only place that Ah can think of that may just explain more about what she wants." Applejack said.

"Ooo! Ooo! Are we going on an adventure? I've never been on an adventure before!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Well, girls, let's get going. We should see what Twilight has found to stop this mare from ruining Equestria." Rarity said.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie ran out of Town Hall, but I stopped Applejack before we followed. "Um...Applejack?" I asked.

"What is it sugarcube?"

"Well, I know you sent Apple Bloom home, but what about Big Mac? Is he going to be okay? And Granny Smith?" I asked.

She smiled. "Big Mac is tough enough to handle anything. Don't worry. He'll be fine and dandy for ya'lls date." she said. "Now let's get going. We need to find out all that we can." We ran out of Town Hall and headed for the library.

A Visit to a Doctor's Friend

We ran up to the library and entered behind Rainbow Dash. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy?" I heard her say.

Applejack yanked back on her tail. "Simmer down, Sally. She ain't no spy. But she sure knows what's going on, doncha Twilight?"

She nodded her head and explained what she knew about Nightmare Moon. "I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are or where to find them. I don't even know what they do!" she explained.

"Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide." Pinkie Pie said as she looked at the book shelf.

"How did you find it?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"It was under E!" Pinkie said in a sing song voice.

"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest." Twilight said.

"Well, let's get goin' then. We need to get these Elements in order to get the Princess back." Applejack said.

"You guys stay here. I'll do this by myself." Twilight said.

"Nonsense. Let's go girls!" Applejack said and ran out of the library followed by the others. I trailed behind them. I wasn't comfortable going into the forest. It was big and scary. I had heard the rumors about the plants growing on their own and the animals taking care of themselves. Including the monstrous creatures that could easily hurt us.

As we walked through Ponyville, most of the ponies here had moved back into their homes, probably scared with Nightmare Moon running about. I didn't blame them. I just wanted to go home and make sure Angel was okay, but I also had a strange, overwhelming urge to follow the others.

As I looked around the town, I noticed the Doctor wave over to me. I looked at the group and had a feeling they probably wouldn't notice me missing for a little while. I ran over to him. "Doctor what's going on?" I asked when I reached him.

"What? I can't just stop by and say hello?" he said.

"Well, Nightmare Moon did kidnap Princess Celestia, so no I don't think you came to say hello." I replied.

"Good point. Well you're right. I'm not here to say hello. I need your help with something." he said, turning and walking behind some houses.

"Why do you need my help? Why not get Rainbow to help you? She'd be of more use than I would." I said, following him.

"Except she's too bull headed for this. I need someone who's quiet and timid. You know, you." he said. He came up to the TARDIS and opened the door for me. "We're going to visit an old friend of mine. Hopefully she's still friendly." he said.

"Wait. I never agreed to come with you." I pointed out. "Besides, I need to go help Rainbow and the others get the Elements of Harmony."

"I have a time machine. You'll be gone only 10 seconds when we're done." he said. "Now come on! It'll help stop Nightmare Moon. I promise."

I slowly walked into the TARDIS and walked to the console. "So...where are we going?" I asked him.

"To the Griffon Kingdom." he said, running over and punching some levers and buttons.

"Is this going to hurt like the last time I time travelled?" I asked.

"When did you time travel last?" he asked.

"Jack took me back in time with this device he had on his hoof. I don't remember the name of it though." I said.

"He got that stupid Vortex Manipulator working again?" he said as he flipped a lever that caused the TARDIS to make a humming sound. "Well, no this won't hurt. Vortex Manipulators are so...primitive." We jerked around for a little bit before the TARDIS settled down and stopped humming. "There we go! Better than before?"

I nodded my head. "So who are we looking for?" I asked.

"Oh just an old friend." he said, walking out the door. I followed him and was surprised to find us in the mountains outside of a house. The Doctor had walked up to the house and knocked on the door. I came up next to him and waited patiently for them to come to the door.

"So...have you and this old friend spoken in awhile?" I asked.

"Not really. In fact we haven't spoken for...oh...10 years?" he said. He knocked on the door again.

"Are you sure she still lives here?" I asked.

"It's the only place she will live. She loves the mountains and the Griffon Kingdom has the most beautiful mountain ranges on this side of the ocean." he said.

"Maybe she moved across the ocean?"

"Naw. She hates traveling on a boat. Found that out the hard way during the colonization of Saddle Arabia. She was sea sick even after we got off the boat." he said with a grin.

There was a whirring sound coming from the door. "Hello, Doctor. How may I assist you?" a voice said.

"I need to see Sarah Jane, Mr. Smith." he replied.

"One moment." There was some more whirring from the door before it opened. I followed the Doctor inside and looked around the house. It wasn't like any house I had seen before. There were screens and beeping panels along the side of the room and a table that had an assortment of different things strewn about it.

"Hello Doc-tor." another mechanical voice said in the next room.

"K-9! You're still functioning? Has Sarah been taking good care of you?" the Doctor said as a silver dog like box rolled into the room.

"What's that?" I asked.

"This is K-9. He's helped me more times than I care to count. Last I saw him was when he found out that they were using Krillitane Oil in a school." he said.

"Krillitane Oil?" I asked confused.

"It was used by the Krillitane race to enhance the brain power of their students which they then used to try and decode a device that would allow them to wield the building blocks of the Universe." he explained.

"And they would have if it weren't for K-9 blowing the place sky high." a woman's voice said.

"Sarah Jane!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"After all these years you never once came by and said hello? What do you need from me now?" she said, frowning.

"Oh...well...um...just to say hi, how are things going...You know...visiting." he stumbled.

She walked over to us, still frowning. "You never just stop by to say hello. It's always if you need something. It's how it's always been since that Krillitane incident." she said.

"Well...I'm saying hello now. That counts for something right?" he said, turning to me.

"Umm...how long have you known each other?" I asked.

"About 30 years." she said.

"30 years?!" I exclaimed. "And you never once said hello to her?"

"Has it been 30 years?" he asked to nobody in particular as he squinted at the ceiling.

"For me at least. With time travelers you never really know how much time has passed outside your own little adventures." she said.

"It's not my fault! Besides, you never phoned." he said.

"How am I suppose to know when I can phone you? For all I know you could be in Primitive Equestria and it'll go off, causing you to rewrite the whole of history!" she said.

"I've done worse." he said, waving it off.

They were quiet for a few moments before they both smiled. "It's nice to see you again Doctor." she said, giving him a hug.

"Nice to see you too. How you been?" he asked as they ended the hug.

"Oh you know just doing my own private work for the government. You aren't always around, so they need me to keep tabs on all alien activity." she said.

"Are there aliens here in Equestria?" I asked, slightly curious.

"Oh lots. Have you ever heard of a Manitcore?" she asked. I shook my head. "They have the head of a lion, a red body, and can either have a tail of a dragon or a scorpion. They came here looking for refuge about 10 years ago, and the Princess wanted me to give them a place to live in peace. Of course, I couldn't just place them in a place where ponies would most likely find them. But they were drawn to the Everfree Forest for some reason. So, they live there, away from ponies who could happen to stumble upon them outside of the forest." she explained.

"But what if somepony were to go into the forest and see one? I've been in the forest myself, and despite it being scary, it's not unlikely for somepony to have gone in." I pointed out. I was worried that Rainbow Dash may enter the forest and encounter one of them.

"True, but the Everfree Forest is a mysterious place. There are creatures that live there that are stranger than a Manticore, so we just pass them as one of the residents of the forest and leave out the alien part. Plus, they aren't dangerous. They're rather peaceful and only become dangerous when they are either threatened or injured." she said. "Oh, we haven't been introduced yet. Let me guess, this version of him is rude." she said, looking at him.

"This is Fluttershy. She's a friend of mine." the Doctor said.

"Well hello Fluttershy. Let me guess, he needed you for something which is why he brought you here?" she asked.

"Something like that." I said, giving a light smile.

"Is this pick on the Doctor day?" he said.

"Isn't everyday?" Sarah laughed. "Anyways, what is it you need? I wasn't joking about the whole only coming by when you needed something."

"Well there is one thing. The Alicorn Amulet. Do you happen to know where it is?" he asked.

"The question is who doesn't." she said, walking over to the screen that I saw when we walked in. "Mr. Smith, locate the Alicorn Amulet."

"I have located the Alicorn Amulet in Bowing Street in Manehattan. Warning, multiple alien lifeforms detected in the city's vicinities." a voice said from the screen.

"Can you identify the lifeforms?" she asked.

"One moment."

"So is this Mr. Smith?" I asked.

"Yep. Helps me locate any alien life and deciphers whether they are dangerous or peaceful. For the most part." Sarah said.

"Alien lifeforms consist of CatKind, Argolin, The Forest of Cheem, Menoptara, Silurian, and Ood." Mr. Smith said.

"Oh, I love the Ood." the Doctor said with a smile.

"Well, none of them are inherently dangerous. Should be safe enough to extract that relic without much of a problem." Sarah said.

"So all of those are aliens?" I asked. "That's...quite a lot..."

"We're lucky there are so few near the area we have to go to." she said.

"Thanks, Sarah. Fluttershy and I will take it from here." the Doctor said, opening the door.

"Oh no you don't! You are not leaving me here while you go on an adventure." she said.

"Oh if she really wants to, she can take my place. I don't want to meet any aliens and I would just get in the way." I said, wanting to get back to Ponyville.

"Nonsense! We can all go." she said. "The TARDIS is more than big enough for three ponies. It's not like it's an average Police Box."

"But I really have to-" I started to say but was cut off.

"Sarah we need someone here to monitor Mr. Smith and send us coordinates in case a dangerous alien happens to show up." the Doctor said.

"Mr. Smith, are you able to monitor the area and keep a tab on the aliens while I am out?" she asked.

"I am more than capable of handling that task. Would you like me to warn you if a potential hostile appears in a five mile radius of your location?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Smith." she replied. "You were saying Doctor?" she said as she walked out the door.

"Well she seems capable of the job. I think I'll just go home now. I need to help my friends in the forest." I said.

"Oh they'll be fine. Besides, you're the one who needs to go in and get it." he said.

"Why do I have to?" I asked.

"You're the only one out of us three who wouldn't draw attention. A small town mare going into a bustling city for the first time, it's highly unlikely that you'll be taken notice of." he said as we walked into the TARDIS.

"But why do I have to go? Sarah seems to know where it is and how to get it, so why can't she?" I asked him.

"Because I am a known face there. I go there for most of my components for Mr. Smith that may increase his efficiency and his processor. Alien technology is easily found in Manehattan, if you know the right places." she explained. "And for some reason, his core processor has been getting jammed, causing him to be slow and misread coordinates."

"Do you have any idea who may be behind it?" the Doctor asked.

"No idea. Whoever it is, they have a completely fool proof system. They even found a way to block the subwave network which I thought was impossible. " she said.

"Subwave network?" I asked confused.

"It's a communication wavelength that travels below normal wavelengths. Should be undetectable, at least for a short period of time, but I've never heard of someone completely blocking it out." he said.

"So is that bad?"

"Possibly. If they blocked out the subwave network then they know where it's originating from. Which means they know where you live." he said, looking to Sarah Jane.

"I take it I should be concerned?" she said.

"Not while you're with us!" he exclaimed and slammed a lever down, sending the TARDIS off to Manehattan.

The Amulet

When the TARDIS stopped shaking, I stepped outside and saw a bustling city with ponies moving about, not noticing anything around them. It was as if we didn't exist. "Manehattan. A city full of ponies too busy to notice a police box just appearing out of nowhere." the Doctor said as he stepped out of the TARDIS.

"So this is what the city looks like." I said. "It's so big. How will we find the Amulet?" I asked.

"We're just a few blocks from the shop that has it. If you follow me we should be in and out in no time." Sarah said. We followed her as she led us through the city streets. We turned a few corners and came upon a thrift shop.

"The Galaxy's Most Bizarre Thrift Shop? That's an...interesting name." I said.

"Well it's true. This really is the most bizarre in the galaxy. I would know, I've been to them all. I always love a little shop." the Doctor said. "Now Fluttershy, you need to go in there and place this small chip on it."

"What does the chip do?" I asked as he gave it to me.

"The Amulet's magic holds a small memory of the ponies who've held it. It's part of it's magical attributes. Whenever a pony holds it, it holds a magical imprint, sort of like a hoofprint. We can use it to see who has used it or attained it throughout its entire life." Sarah explained.

"And why do I need to do it? I'm not sly like you. I can't just walk in, talk my way through a situation and just gingerly place it on the Amulet." I told the Doctor.

"Because you have a certain connection to the pony we're looking for. If she has indeed been in possession of the Amulet, then the device will activate when attached."

"But how will it stop Nightmare Moon?"

"They worked for her. Still do actually. But with this, we might be able to figure out what it was used for." he explained.

"Umm...okay." I said. If it was going to help stop Nightmare Moon, I needed to do this. I walked in the shop and looked around. I saw many different ponies that searched the store. I walked up to the counter that had a green pony that looked like it had scales on his body.

"What can I help you with miss?" he asked me.

"Umm...I was just looking for an amulet? The Alircorn Amulet I believe is what it's called." I said.

"The Alicorn Amulet? Why would a Pegasus need that?" he asked.

"Oh um....well....I'm a collector." I said, not very believably.

"I see. Well, it's right over here." he said, pulling it out from behind the counter. "That'll be 100 bits."

"100?!" I exclaimed. The Doctor hadn't given me any money to buy it, and I had no money on me. "Ummm....Can I just...Hold it?" I asked.

"You freaking crazy?? I don't let anyone touch this unless they pay for it. What? You think just because you're shy and cute that I'll just let you hold it? I'm not stupid." he said, angrily.

"Oh, no I just...I...." I said, stammering. There was a crash behind me and a loud ruckus coming from between a group of ponies.

He swore under his breath. "You three! Break it up! Get out of my shop!!" he exclaimed, running over to them. I looked at the Amulet that he had left behind and quickly placed the device on the Amulet and ran out of the door.

"Good job Fluttershy! Now, give me the Amulet so I can hook it up to the TARDIS' computer banks and begin the tracking." the Doctor said.

"Wait...you wanted me to buy it?" I asked him.

"Yes. Didn't I make that obvious?" he asked.

"No. You just said that you needed me to plant the device on the Amulet. You didn't say anything about having to make a purchase." I said.

"Even I didn't catch that, Doctor." Sarah said.

"Oh come on. It's a device that identifies hoof prints. I'm not going to be able to see who used it if I can't connect to the TARDIS." he said, as if I should have known that.

"I have no money anyway to buy it. It's 100 bits!" I told him.

"Here, give him this." he said, passing me a black notepad. "It's got psychic paper in it. Whatever you want him to think will appear on this slip right here." he said, opening it up and pointing to the page.

"It can't do that." I said. "It's just paper." I saw words start to suddenly appear on the page that read, 'Equestrian Shop Examiner.' "Wait, how did you-"

"Psychic paper. Whatever you want him to think you are, think it, then show him this." he said.

"Umm...okay, Doctor." I said. I walked back in the shop and noticed that the pony behind the counter had finally split the ponies up by the shelves as they made their way toward the door. Both of them looked like they were made of wood. I could've sworn that they had leaves growing out of their heads.

"What do you want now missy?" the green scaly looking pony asked me.

"Umm...I'm actually a member of the Equestrian Shop Examiners. I need to check on the Amulet and bring it back to our, um...headquarters and make sure it's not a counterfeit." I said quietly, holding up the psychic paper. This isn't going to work. He's going to know I'm a fraud. I should get out of here before he realizes it. I thought, panicking.

Right as I was about to run out the door, he said, "Oh, well why didn't you say that when you first walked in!" he exclaimed. "Here you go. You'll find everything is in order and that it's a genuine Amulet."

"Thank you." I said with a small grin and walked towards the door.

"Um, how long do you think it'll be before I get it back?" he asked.

"Oh, um, only about a week." I said, unsure of what to say.

"Okay. I have some very important customers who come here looking for things like that, so I just want to make sure I can give them a time frame to return so they can receive it." he said

"Don't worry. I'll have someone bring it back when it's done." I said and walked out the door. I had a strange itch on the back of my head. I itched it and it went away. It wasn't too bad, but something about it was weird.

"Great! Now you've done exactly what I needed!" the Doctor said with a wide smile.

"Can I go back to my friends now please?" I asked him.

"Sure. Just let me plug in this artifact into the TARDIS and we'll be off!" he said walking into the TARDIS.

"Everything go okay in there? We saw two ponies walk in with hoods on a little bit after you. I had a bad feeling about them." Sarah said.

I felt the itch return to my head again and felt a bump when I scratched it. I hope the mosquitos here aren't dangerous like the ones in Saddle Arabia. I thought, thinking back to when I did a research project for school.

"Yeah. Everything went fine." I said.

"Good. Well, we better follow the Doctor. Never trust this pony alone. He'll find something to destroy." Sarah said.

We walked in the TARDIS where the Doctor was messing with some buttons and levers. "Did you find anything?" I asked.

"Well, a surprisingly large amount of ponies have used it before our target. It'll take some time for the TARDIS to scuffle through all the wibbly wobbly junk from the Amulet's magic. Science and Magic. Need them both to live, yet they can't fit together like pieces to a puzzle." he said.

"Um, why do we need magic to survive?" I asked.

"Well think of the Princess. She raises the moon and sun through magic. Without magic, we'd have either eternal day or eternal night. Eternal night would leave all of the plants dying with no sunlight for photosynthesis. Ponies would just start to starve.Eternal day would be slightly better, but eventually all the plants would dry out. And with the Pegasi being unable to move the clouds and change the weather due to their small loss of magic that they hold within them, the plants would dry out and have no moisture. Earth ponies wouldn't be able to tell when certain events with the earth are about to happen and when it's time to harvest." he explained.

"But I thought only Unicorns had magic?" I said confused.

"Well they're the only ones who can channel it into multiple forms. Every pony has some form of magic in them. It's very small and is mostly unnoticed. It's the reason you and Rainbow could move the clouds." he said.

"But what about Earth ponies? I thought that was all instinct?"

"That's what it feels like." Sarah said. "We become so used to it at a young age that it comes naturally. However, if you can master the magic, like I have been trying for years, you can use it to help prevent natural disasters, such as earthquakes. It's saved my research more times than I can count."

"Wait, you've mastered it?" I asked, surprised.

"Only a tiny bit. I can't stop all earthquakes, but I can stop the smaller ones. When I notice a big one coming, I grab all the important stuff and just move it someplace safe." she explained.

"The magic also forms around the ponies personality and talent. For example, have you ever wondered why you were able to talk to all sorts of animals with ease? It's because the magic inside you has given you a small understanding of animal linguistics. Why is Rainbow Dash so fast? Other than her being naturally athletic, the magic inside her also gives her a small speed and agility boost." the Doctor explained.

"Wow. I had no idea." I said, surprised. I was a little curious about what other things the small amount of magic inside me could do.

"Huh. That's surprising. How did..." the Doctor said, his eyes growing wide.

"Doctor what is it?" Sarah asked.

"That's not possible. How did she use it?" he said to himself.

"Doctor, explain what is going on." Sarah said.

"She took her. Somehow, she took her to Buckingham Palace using the magic of the Alicorn Amulet. But she isn't a Unicorn. She can't wield the magic. Which means..." he said looking to Sarah.

"You've got to be kidding me. Luna took it with them?" she asked.

"Not Luna, but her other form." he said.

"Umm, what are you guys talking about?" I asked. I think they forgot I was there because they both suddenly looked at me, a little shocked.

"Nothing." the Doctor said with a smile. "Just a little misreading on the TARDIS dash. There's no way she could possibly have used it." he looked behind him to Sarah who nodded. "Alright Fluttershy, let's get you back to your friends."

"Wait, who's she?" I asked as the TARDIS started to shake.

"Nobody too important. What's important now is getting you back to your friends." he said, smiling.

"But what about the Amulet?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it." the Doctor said.

When it stopped shaking I looked at the Doctor, hoping he would give me an answer. He sighed. "The pony who used the Amulet gave it to Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. It's what gave her the ability to almost take over Equestria. And both of them are back."

"How are both of them back? I understand Nightmare Moon, but how is the other pony here?" I asked. It didn't make sense how a pony could survive a thousand years.

"Because she time travelled." he said. "Most likely with the use of a vortex manipulator."

"A vortex manipulator? Like the one Jack has?" I asked.

His eyes widened. "Of course! Jack you little horn dog." the Doctor said swearing.

"Um, did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"I don't think Jack would've appreciated it, but you just told me how she got here." he said.

"Doctor, Mr. Jones has located her at Trottingham." Sarah said as she stared at a screen on the dash.

"Excellent! I'm going to take you back home so that way you can monitor where she's at in case we don't get there in time." he said. She nodded her head.

"You're going after her?" I asked.

"Yep! Who else would go after her?"

"Well, I just don't want you two getting hurt." I said.

"Oh, we'll be fine. I've faced worse." he said, smiling at Sarah.

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll go." I said, turning to exit the door.

"Hey, Fluttershy, don't forget about saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon. Your friends need you." he said.

I smiled and walked out the door. I liked feeling like I was needed. I looked up and saw them by the Everfree Forest. I quietly made my way over there and stood next to them.

"Not so fast. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own." Twilight said.

"No can do, sugarcube." Applejack said. "We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple."

"Especially if there's candy apples in there!" Pinkie said happily.

As they entered, I became suddenly fearful, as if something in my mind was telling me not to enter, that this place held danger to all of us. They walked on, as if I was the only one who could feel it. I shook my head and sucked up the courage, much like Rainbow Dash would do, and followed my new friends into the forest.

Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry for not posting in awhile. Loss of inspiration again, school, and finally getting a job have prevented me from writing. The next few chapters will be slightly more boring than usual, just as a heads up since I have to go through the second part of the first season two parter. I wouldn't skip it though, just because of the mindset of Fluttershy and how she would be feeling during it. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter :)

A Princess' Sister

"So, none of you have been in here before?" Twilight asked. I felt that tingle in my head again.

"Oh, heavens no! Just look at it. It's dreadful." Rarity exclaimed.

"And it ain't natural. Folk say it don't work the same as Equestria." Applejack said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked.

"Nopony knows. You know why?" Rainbow said.

"Rainbow, quit it." Applejack said sternly.

"Because every pony who's ever come in, has never come out!" she said. There was a loud crash and the ground beneath Twilight fell. "Fluttershy! Come on!" Rainbow shouted as she rushed down to save her. I followed her but Applejack was the one who grabbed ahold of her. She comforted her and told her to let go when Rainbow and I were beneath her. I know we saved er from the fall, but Rainbow did most of the work. She had a better hold of her than I did.

As we walked through the forest I listened to Rainbow brag about the rescue. I couldn't help but smile at her for it. She did like being the center of attention every now and again. "We looped around and wham! Caught you in the nick of time." Rainbow said.

"I know Rainbow, I was there," Twilight said, "and I'm very grateful, but we've gotta-" she was cut off by a roar.

"We've gotta get past him!" Twilight explained. I looked over the group to see what it was and recognized it from what Sarah said.

"Take that you ruffian!" Rarity exclaimed after she kicked it in the face. He roared at her and she ran back to us.

"Wait." I said, as Applejack tried to stop him. He kicked her off of him with ease. "Wait." I said again as Rainbow Dash flew over to him. She flew around in a circle, but the Manticore kicked flung her out of the circle easily. She went flying and crashed in front of us. The girls gathered around and began to charge at the Manticore.

They aren't dangerous. They're rather peaceful and only become dangerous when they are either threatened or injured. I remembered Sarah's words.

"Wait!" I exclaimed in front of the group who finally listened to me. I turned and looked at the Manticore who seemed to be holding one foot above the ground just slightly, as if he didn't want to put any pressure on it. I walked up to him, comforting him. "Shhh, it's okay." I said. He showed me his paw and I saw that he had a large splinter. "Oh, you poor poor little baby." I said. It was piercing the soft tender part of his paw.

"Now this might hurt for just a second." I said, as I grabbed the splinter. I was prepared for him to let out another roar at me when I removed the splinter, but that was only because it would hurt. I knew that once it was out, he would be relieved and able to walk on his feet properly again.

I tugged and it came out rather easily. He roared at my face but then began to lick my mane. "Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you?" I said as he purred.

We continued and entered an area of complete darkness. I immediately felt vulnerable and scared, as if somepony was going to jump at me. I heard laughing from some of the trees and could have sworn I saw ponies standing in the shadows, but only for a few seconds. Nopony else said anything about them, so I didn't think much of them. I was so frightened that I scooted closer to Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie began to laugh and make funny faces at the trees all of a sudden. It was almost as if she wasn't daunted by the forest that surrounded us at all. She began to sing and explained why it was okay for us to come through here. Her song was... interesting. I couldn't help but laugh along with her because she just seemed so care free, almost as if she would come in here all alone just to laugh at trees.

When we were out of the dark part of the forest, we came across a sea serpent that was blocking our path across the river. I hadn't seen one before and had only read about them. I knew most of them were very proud of there features and cleaned their scales on a regular basis. He was missing his mustache, which was one thing they adored more than anything, and Rarity was generous enough to give him her tail to give him a full mustache.

I bumped into Rainbow after we crossed the river. I blushed as I looked into her eyes. I don't know why, but every time I thought about her, I felt my heart skip a beat. She looked at me with a hint of sadness, yet joyfulness. It's hard to explain, but I couldn't help but stare after her when she broke our eye contact. I saw a castle across a cavern that had a torn down bridge.

"There it is! The ruins that hold the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight exclaimed. She rushed towards the end of the bridge.

"Twilight! Wait for us!" Applejack said as we chased after her.

"We're almost there. Whoa!" she said as she almost fell off the destroyed bridge. Luckily Rainbow caught her before she fell again.

"What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" Rainbow asked with a smile.

"Now what?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Rainbow extended her wings proudly. I couldn't help but notice just how perfect they were. Sleek, strong, and beautiful. I felt another tingle in the back of my head, only this time, it hurt. I don't know why it did. Probably from the stress of being in the Everfree Forest.

Rainbow took off into the canyon and took the rope to tie the bridge back up. We waited for her to tie the bridge, but when she landed, she seemed to just stand there. I looked at the other girls and noticed that they stopped too, almost as if they were frozen. "Applejack?" I asked, waving a hoof in front of her face. "Rarity?" I looked at them all and they just stood there with the same expression on their face, not even blinking.

"It's alright." I heard a voice say behind me. I let out a scared squeal. "They're okay. Just frozen for a few minutes." the Doctor said.

"Oh. It's you. You scared me. Um, why are they frozen?" I asked.

"Don't they teach anything about Time Reversal Quantums in school anymore?" he asked, appearing to be disappointed.

"Time Reversal..." I said, trying to understand what he was saying.

"Oh, nevermind. Point is I've got the TARDIS circling this point right here to freeze time. The only ones who can move are us." he said.

"But how?"

"It's all a bit of a mish-mash of DNA, time constraint and millisecond intervals that would make even the most brilliant mind in the Universe go insane." he said.

"Well, you seem to understand it." I pointed out.

"Yep, and that's just it. I'm the cleverest of the bunch, and just a tiny bit mad." he said smiling.

"Umm, Doctor, why are you here? Are you here to help us stop Nightmare Moon?" I asked.

"No. I can't directly interfere with this course of events. It could change the future drastically. But, I did come here looking for you." he explained, walking closer to me.

"What for?"

"Tell me, have you been getting tingles or itches in the back of your head recently?" he asked.

"Um, yes."

"What usually brings them on?"

I thought about the first time it happened. I was in a hospital bed after being brought out of the Everfree Forest. "It started back when you mentioned her at the hospital. I asked you a question, but I don't remember it. It came back up a few weeks later when I was walking with Applejack back to her farm. Didn't you fix it at the hospital?" I asked.

"How did-" he started, but cut himself off. "I just hit a few, er, nerve endings and put you to sleep. You know, as a way of relieving the tingling sensation." he said as he fumbled for the right words.

"Doctor? What did you do?" I asked.

"Nothing I just put you to sleep." he insisted.

I knew he was lying. His voice was raised from it's usual pitch and he leaned back. "Doctor I know you're lying."

He sighed. "Okay, okay, I am. But I can't tell you honestly what I did or else it'll put you and your friends in danger." he said.

"Doctor, please tell me. Does it have something to do with the tingling in my head?" I asked, urgently. I don't know what it was, but I had a desperate desire to know the answer to this question was.

"I can't tell you! If I do it would be all for nothing." he said, sternly. "Just...when you feel that tingling feeling, just think of it as a warning to avoid it. To avoid whatever is causing it and to move on. If you don't, you'll be putting yourself in danger."

"Rainbow Dash isn't dangerous though." I said aloud.

"She isn't, but whatever thoughts you have or feelings you may have for her, just know it will only lead to danger and harm to you both."

How could Rainbow Dash bring us harm or danger? I thought. Well, if the Doctor says I should avoid it, I guess I should. I mean, I've seen what he's capable of. Maybe he's trying to warn me not to do something I've already done so it doesn't happen. Can he do that?

"I know it'll be hard." he said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "But you need to understand that it's for your own safety."

"But why? How could a thought be harmful?" I asked.

"It's a complicated thing, Fluttershy. If I had the time and if it telling you wouldn't put you in potential danger I would explain. But I can't right now." he said.There was a beeping coming from his watch on his hoof. "Already?" he said, looking at it. "Well, I gotta run. Can't keep a place frozen for too long or they'll be frozen for good."

He started to walk away. "Doctor!" I shouted for him. He turned back to look at me. "When I get that tingling in my head again...what should I do to stop it?"

His face was pained as he spoke. "Think of the worst thing that happened to you as a filly. Think of all those sorrows and pains, and it'll go away." he said. "Some pain from the past...to keep your future safe." he said and turned and walked into the forest.

I knew exactly what memories he was talking about too. The ones I tried to forget but always kept reappearing. I slowly walked back to the group and things started to return to normal.

I couldn't help but think of what the Doctor had said. Were my feelings for Rainbow Dash really going to put us in danger? Or was he literally meaning the tingling was going to be the danger? How can a feeling be dangerous? It doesn't hurt me. I thought. I looked to Rainbow Dash who seemed to be talking to some Pegasi. They looked like they were an elite flying team like the Wonderbolts.

She...she wouldn't leave us...right? I thought. I saw the Pegasi in the dark suit smile and my heart sank. She was really leaving us behind to join them. I lowered my head. Why? Why would she do that? I felt the tingle in the back of my head. I remembered us walking through school, her fighting the local bully for me, and even her crashing in the forest.

My head started to really hurt. Like a sharp pain was shooting through my skull. Why....Why does it hurt so much?

I remembered the Doctor telling me to think back to when I was a filly. I thought about my parents. My dad, my mom, being left alone all those times. The pain subsided, but I felt terrible. It was like my life as a kid was only there to be a play thing for my parents to abuse.

But then Rainbow appeared again, only this time she was comforting me in the rain. I saw her smile, her laugh, and her stance as she protected me at school. I looked up and saw her landing next to us. I felt my heart leap. I looked at her and just wanted to hug her. I'm sorry Doctor...but I can't do what you want me to do. I thought.

"I would never leave my friends hanging." Rainbow said. She flew over to me as we crossed the bridge. "Don't worry. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." she said to me. I smiled and felt happy knowing that she was here. "You know, unless the Wonderbolts let me in." she said afterward.

My heart hurt when she said that. We continued to walk to the castle and walked up the stairs. It was so old and had an evil feeling to it that I wasn't comfortable in. When we entered we found five stones that I assumed were the Elements. "Where's the sixth?" Rainbow asked.

"The book said, when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed." Twilight said.

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen." Twilight said moving towards the Elements.

"Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate." We followed Applejack down the stairs as we waited for Twilight to do whatever it was she was going to do. It wasn't long after that I heard her scream. We all rushed up to where she was. I felt weird for some reason, as if something was coursing through my body.

"You think you can destroy the elements just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here." Twilight said. She started saying how each of us was a spirit of the Elements of Harmony. Applejack was Honesty, Pinkie Pie was Laughter, Rarity was Generosity, Rainbow Dash was Loyalty, and I was Kindness. The sixth Element, Magic, was Twilight. I felt a strong surge as a Rainbow shot out and struck Nightmare Moon. I felt happy, happier than I had felt in a very long time. Happier than I thought I could ever be.

It didn't last long though. We had defeated Nightmare Moon, who looked like she had changed into a filly. We all had these necklaces that had appeared on our necks. Rarity's looked just like her Cutie Mark. So did mine and all the others. "Gee, Twilight! I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship." Applejack said.

"Indeed you do." Princess Celestia said as she appeared through the window. I covered my eyes as the suns rays shone past her, nearly blinding me. The Princess shared a hug with Twilight before she walked over to the pony that laid where Nightmare Moon was.

"It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister." she said.

"Sister!?" we all exclaimed.

"Will you accept my friendship?" the Princess asked.

I looked at Princess Luna's face and I felt sorry for her. She looked so weak and helpless. I was reminded of my days as a filly and how I had felt the same way. If it weren't for Rainbow...

I looked over to her and she seemed frozen in place. Almost as if something had forced her to stop. I looked to the others and they were frozen just as well. Twilight had her eyes half closed, almost as if she was in the middle of blinking. "Rainbow? Twilight?" I asked looking back and forth between them.

"Don't worry. They're fine." Jack said behind me.

I turned and faced him. "Um, are they frozen again?" I asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. The Doctor agreed to do his little TARDIS trick for me." he said.

"But why?" I asked.

"I want to show you someone. You know those pains you've been having? I think he may be able to help." he said.

"But earlier...the Doctor said that the only way to keep my headaches from going further is to think of an event from my past...a bad one." I said as I thought to back to my parents.

"Yes, that's his way. But...I think this pony could help you more. He's...well easiest way to explain is to call him a freak." Jack said with a shrug.

"Umm...what can he do exactly?" I asked.

"It's easier to show you. What he does...it's very difficult to explain."

I was really curious about what this pony could do. I had just started remembering my past and I really hated doing it. So maybe it was worth going to visit this pony and seeing what he could do to help me. "Where is he?" I asked.

"Across the world. Per the usual..." he said walking closer to me.

"Are we taking the TARDIS?"

"No. It has to stay in a constant cycle here or else everyone here would start moving again and you would have appeared to have vanished. Not sure you'd like to explain that." he said.

"But the Doctor said that he couldn't keep it going for very long or else everyone would still be frozen for good." I said.

"Oh you know the Doctor likes to exaggerate a bit." he said with a smile. "They'd only be frozen for a few days."

"That's still not good!" I exclaimed.

"I've got the Vortex Manipulator programmed with the help of the Doctor to go to his place and back here specifically. We'll be back in a few seconds." he said.

"Um, the last time you said that we were late by a few hours..." I pointed out.

"Yes, but at the time I was hitch hiking through time. However now the Doctor has easily programmed this to be more specific. You'll be gone in the same time as it takes for them to blink." he said.

"Well...what can he do though? The pony you want me to meet."

"Not sure. But he's interested in something that involves you. Claimed he could help you."

Can he really help me? I thought.

"Come on." he said as he held his hoof out.

I walked towards him slowly, glancing back at Rainbow and the others, still frozen in their places. I stood next to him and placed my hoof on his. He pressed a button and I felt my body pulled in multiple directions.

It was just as painful as before.

Author's Note

Sorry for it being so long since an update. Work and school run my life now and when I do have free time I'm sleeping. I'm going to try to write more for you guys. Plus, the next chapter should be more interesting since it's not just a repaint of the Season 1 premier :/ Anyways I hope you all enjoy this :)

Painful Memories

"Are you ever going to get that thing fixed?" I asked as the pain subsided.

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with it. The pain is just a side effect of using it." he said as he cracked his neck.

"But can't you make it less painful?"

"Sorry, I'm not the Doctor. And he hates this thing so he refuses to fix it." he said.

I should talk to the Doctor about that then. I thought. "So where are we?" I asked as I looked around the city we appeared in.

"B Street. Or somewhere close to it. Look for a giant clock. We can use that to figure out where we are exactly." Jack said as he walked down the street. "Come on!"

I ran up to him and he pointed to a giant clock tower. "So we're pretty close to where we need to be. Should only be a few blocks down." he said.

"Who is this pony you want me to meet?" I asked as I followed him down the street.

"He's a friend. Or as close to a friend as you can be with him. He's a little...weird." Jack said.

"I've been seeing a lot of weird things lately." I said.

"Yeah, but this guy...he's beyond weird. He's a psychopath."

"And you're taking me to meet him?" I asked shocked.

"He's not the bad psychopath. He's the good kind. The type who wants to help you." he said.

"Umm, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with being in the same room as a psychopath." I said nervously.

"You'll be fine. You got me, strong, big, handsome Captain Jack." he said with a smile.

We walked down the streets and I couldn't help but get a bad feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it was about, but something was just off. "Is there anything I should know about him?"

"Not really. Other than don't be too alarmed when he starts talking. He doesn't really have a sense of what's normal. Some would even say he's void of all human emotion, at least to a fault. He's very observant, so don't be too shocked by anything he says." he explained as we walked up to a door. "Oh, and stay out his fridge. Might find a severed head." he said as he knocked on the door.

"A what?" I exclaimed.

The door opened and an older pony stood there, her red mane a slight grey. "Jack! How you been deary?" she asked.

"Doing well, Mrs. Hudson, yourself?"

"Wonderful since you showed up last week." she said with a smile.

"Well sadly I'm here for official business. Maybe later." he said with a wink. "Is he home?" There was a loud noise coming from upstairs and a shout. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Go right ahead." she said as we walked up the stairs.

"What was that noise?" I asked Jack.

"He's probably bored and experimenting with something." he said. He stopped in front of the doorway as another loud crash, which sounded like glass breaking, was followed by a shout. "I see the experiments are going well."

"Experiments?" the Unicorn said at the table. He had clips attached to his hooves and chest, with wires leading to a red box with a bolt on it.

"Yes. Experiments. By the looks of it, it involves a battery and heavy drinking. Didn't know you were into that sort of foreplay." Jack said with a smile.

"It's not foreplay. And it's not an experiment." he said, flipping a switch and shouting again.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

"Boredom."

"This is Fluttershy." Jack said as we walked into the room.

"How long ago was it?" he asked me.

"Was what?" I asked confused.

"Your parents abuse."

I looked to Jack who just nodded toward the Unicorn. "Umm, back when I was a filly." I said.

"And your friend, does she know? About your feelings?"

My mouth opened a little. "My feelings about what?"

"That you like her. Your stance shows that you are shy, timid, vulnerable, you cover your face, mainly your left eye, probably a defense mechanism to hide parental abuse, which you confirmed. You're reluctant to talk, avoid eye contact with others if possible, another sign of abuse, you're afraid to say the wrong thing and you don't want to look at the one who caused it, most likely a father or father like figure. You have emotional detachment from your mother, a sign that she wasn't supportive of you but of your father. You lean to the left, only slightly, usually a sign of an unshared love from a friend, but it's more than that, you're afraid to lose her, something that will eventually happen. Outside you walked behind Jack, a sign that you are afraid to take leadership and are used to going with the flow. You look at Jack with a look of fear yet respect, which you yourself don't truly understand as he's helped you through a lot of events and is close to someone you trust completely, again for an unknown reason but because he helped your friend that you have feelings for, so I'll ask again, does she know?" he said.

I looked to Jack who was only smiling. "Told you." he said.

I looked back to the Unicorn. "How...how did you know all that." I said shocked.

"It was obvious." he said, unhooking the clips. "Now, for the third time, does she know?"

"Um, no. At least I don't think so." I said. My head began to hurt slightly as I thought of Rainbow Dash.

"Good. Then we've got time." he said, walking into the kitchen.

"The Doctor said that you knew where we could find her." Jack said as he followed him.

I stayed back in the room and looked around. There was a skull on the shelf above the fireplace, a violin in the chair that sat next to it, and a smily face on the wall. I looked back into the kitchen and saw them open the fridge. Sure enough there was a head just sitting in there. "Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed and ran to the bathroom, trying to not vomit on the floor.

"Is she okay? It's just an experiment." I heard the Unicorn say.

"You're a psychopath!" I exclaimed, vomiting into the bathtub.

"Oh, do you're research. I'm a high functioning sociopath." he said.

"And that's an excuse to have a head in your kitchen?!"

"Doesn't everyone?"

I hurled again into the tub. I was in there for about ten minutes trying to regain myself. When I walked out I saw an Earth pony sitting in the rocking chair across from the Unicorn. "Fluttershy, this is my assistant Watson." he said.

"He hates calling me a friend." Watson said as he stood up from the chair. "Nice to meet you. I see you've found one of his...hobbies."

"Does he always have something like that in his kitchen." I asked.

"Yeah. He doesn't get out much. Unless there's a case, which I think he just found." he said. "Cool necklace by the way."

I walked next to Jake, who was the only pony here I felt comfortable next to, and put my hoof on the necklace I had, just in case. "So...what does all this have to do with me?" I asked. "Jack said you told him you could help me."

"I can. But only with time. We have to wait for her to make a move first." he said.

"Wait for who?" I asked.

"Clar-" the Unicorn was about to say before being interrupted by Jack.

"Someone who is looking to harm both you and Rainbow." he said.

"Who would want to hurt us though?" I asked.

"The Shadows." the Unicorn said.

"What are The Shadows?" I asked.

"Nightmare Moon's followers. Deadly and vicious. Dumb, but smart enough to start a coup."

"But they disbanded after Nightmare Moon was defeated. Why are they back now?" Watson asked.

"Precisely, why now? Why after all this time are they becoming active once again? And who's their leader?"

"They can't have just one leader. They're all too power hungry." Jack said.

"Yes but they're too small of a group now to have multiple leaders. Someone must have changed their rules and morals when they took power. But who? Who could have that much authority to change an entire regiment from being power hungry to obedient?"

"An ex leader perhaps? Someone who knows how the old system works and how to get around it?" Watson suggested.

"It would have to be her most trusted servant. Think, who was the most trusted in The Shadows?"

"One of her generals?" I suggested.

"Don't be stupid, generals are too power hungry for a group to want to follow." the Unicorn said.

"You do remember that I was in the military right?" Watson said.

"Yes, but the military now isn't trying to overthrow a goddess."

"What about her?" Jack said.

"Her? After what happened with the Doctor-" the Unicorn stopped suddenly. "Oh! Yes! She's the one! She's the one who's leading them! But how? She could easily be overpowered if someone didn't like her new way of running the group, especially the radicals of the group who hated change and killed most of the leaders who tried to change things."

"Mind control?" Jack suggested again.

"Possible but how? Watson do a search for her and any of her last purchases."

"How do you expect me to do that?" he asked. The Unicorn tossed a chip at him.

"Plug that into the database over there and see what you find."

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's a chip that allows me to find locate her and her last 20 coordinates with just a pinch of her DNA." the Unicorn said.

"And what good would that do?" Watson asked. "We still wouldn't know what she purchased, we'd only have her location."

"Yes, but we can narrow down what she was searching for based on those locations."

Watson sighed and plugged the chip into a machine. "Let's see. Okay it says she was at the bakery, the pharmacist, the gift shop-"

"Which gift shop?" the Unicorn asked.

"Umm, that weird one with all the odd ins and ends. The Galaxy's Most Bizarre Thrift Shop." Watson said.

"Oh! I've been there! They had this Amulet thing that the Doctor was interested in. Something about 'her' using it while she wasn't a Unicorn and that Luna's other form needed helped her take it to Buckingham Palace." I said.

"That's where she is. She must have shown them the Alicorn Amulet and had Nightmare Moon prove to them that she could be trusted." the Unicorn said.

"But Nightmare Moon was defeated. I was there with my friends when we stopped her." I said.

"But at what time did she do it? It's possible she travelled through time a little bit and showed them it in the past before now so that way she could get a group to follow her." Jack said.

"But how? She doesn't have a TARDIS or a Vortex Manipulator like you do. So how could she have time travelled?"

"No, it's possible she does have one." he said.

"How?"

"I've been known to show this thing off in the past. So I may have met her, not knowing who she was, and then, well you know, spent the night with her and she could have used it." he said carefully.

"Bit of an awkward situation considering who we're dealing with and who she's related to." the Unicorn said.

"That's not important!" Jack exclaimed. "Let's just get the Doctor and head over there and stop her."

"Wait a moment...there's something else. Did you grab someone else's DNA too?" Watson asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, they're appearing here too. Firefly? Who's that?" Watson asked.

"Oh no." Jack said. "We need to hurry. She could be in trouble."

"Why?" I asked. Firefly sounded familiar, I just wasn't sure where I had heard it from.

"Firefly was the one who helped the Doctor escape when The Shadows captured him remember? You and I were there." Jack said.

My eye's widened. "Why is Rainbow's mom in trouble? What happened?"

"Don't know, it's why we need the Doctor. Let's go!" Jack said as he ran down the stairs.

I looked back to the two in the room and saw the Unicorn sitting in his chair thinking hard.

"What was your name?" I asked him.

"Hm?" he said turning to me, breaking his train of thought.

"Your name?" I repeated.

"Sherlock Holmes." he said and returned to his thoughts.

"That's all you're going to get from him. He's in his 'mind palace.'" Watson said.

"What's that?"

"His little place where he goes when he needs to do some heavy thinking." he said.

"Oh. Well it was nice to meet you two." I said with a smile and walked back down the stairs.

"I'm going to look for the Doctor. When you get back don't mention anything to Rainbow Dash." he said.

"Why?"

"Chances are that she will have already experienced this by the time you get back." he explained.

"Time Travel?" I asked him.

"Exactly. Get ready." he said. I placed my hoof on the device and I felt that unmistakeable pain reappear.

We appeared in front of the others, who were still frozen. "Okay, remember not to say anything about this to Rainbow." Jack said.

"Are you sure? If her mom is in danger she should know and be able to help." I said.

"But not this time. Please. Don't say a word." he insisted.

I stared at him. "Okay. I'll let you and the Doctor do whatever it is you need to do." I said. I wasn't happy with it, but I trusted Jack. He wouldn't keep it secret from Rainbow Dash unless it was to protect her.

"Great. Have fun with your friends now." he said with a smile.

"Jack, wait." I said. "Why did you bring me there? I thought you said he could help me."

"He will. Just give him some time." he replied.

"But how?"

He hesitated before answering. "You'll find out in time." he said, and disappeared.

"Great..." I sighed. I looked back to the Princess as she started to slowly move again.

"I'm so sorry! I missed you so much big sister!" Luna exclaimed as she started to cry.

"I missed you too." the Princess said.

I looked to Pinkie Pie who seemed to have been crying a lot. That quickly stopped though. "Hey! You know what this calls for?"

"A party?" Twilight said.

"A PARTY!!" Pinkie exclaimed. We laughed and began to walk out of the forest. I was ahead of Rainbow Dash for the most part. I really didn't want to look at her because I wasn't sure I could keep it secret from her for very long that her mother was in danger due to a deadly group of Nightmare Moon's followers. I looked back to her when we were about halfway through the forest and realized that she wasn't there.

Where did she go? I thought. Then I remembered what Jack said. She may know about it now and the Doctor or Jack took her someplace. I hope she's okay and that they took her somewhere safe.

When we reached the entrance I checked behind me again to see if she was there, and she was. But something was off about her. Like something was bothering her. But what? I'd ask her about it later when we were alone. She shouldn't be bothered. We were with friends.

There was a party that didn't end until really late at night. It took my mind off of everything that happened. When it ended, Rainbow and I walked Twilight back to her library. She passed out as soon as she got home and Rainbow tucked Spike into bed as well.

"I can't believe I saw a baby dragon today." I whispered to her.

"Yeah. It's amazing all the stuff we've seen today." she replied.

"I know. A manticore, a sea serpent, and an evil princess. It was frightening." I said as we left.

"I don't mean-" she started but cut herself off. "Can I show you something?" she asked.

"What is it?"

She took a picture out from under her wing and showed it to me. It was a picture of a Pegasus with a pink mane. "Do you recognize this pony?" she asked me.

"No. At least I don't think so." I said. Should I remember who she is?

"Try harder. As hard as you possibly can." she pleaded with me.

"I'm sorry Rainbow. I don't know that pony." I said.

She sighed. "How about you come by to my house? I have something else I want to show you." she said.

"Um, okay. Are they more pictures?" I asked. I wasn't sure what she could have that she would want to show me.

"You'll see." she said and flew up into the sky. I followed her, unsure of what I was going to see.

We flew into her room through the window. When we entered she made me sit down on her bed by the dressers. She pulled something out from one of the drawers and knelt in front of me. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

I looked at it. "A journal?" I felt a tingle in the back of my head.

"Yes, but do you know who's?" she asked me.

"Wouldn't it be yours? I asked confused.

She shook her head. "Open it." she said as she placed it in front of me.

I opened it up, the tingling in my head growing stronger. I flipped through a few pages and recognized the writing. "It's mine. But how? I don't remember writing this down."

"Read some of the entries. Maybe it'll help jog your memory." she said.

I turned to the first entry. "Today was my birthday. My parents did something amazing today. They only hit me once! I was happy when they said I could go to my room. It meant I could fly the next morning." I read. I felt a pain in my left temple. Why did I write this. I don't remember my parents hitting me. I thought.

"Rainbow, why would I write this?" I asked her.

"Because your parents did that. At least your dad did. You told me your mom only shouted at you." she said.

I rubbed my head as I flipped forward a large portion of the journal. Maybe I'll remember something that was recent? I thought.

"Well, tomorrow's the dance. I really want to ask Rainbow to the dance, but I'm afraid how she'll react. I guess I could play it off as us going as friends, but I want to be more than that. I may just be a love struck filly, but I hope that someday we can go places together as more than friends." I read aloud.

An image flashed in my head. Rainbow. She was wearing a beautiful dress. It flashed to her telling me she didn't want to be with me, that I made her uncool. I saw my dad hitting me, my mom laughing, everyone in school making fun of me.

"You wrote that. You wanted to be with me. I wanted to be with you. Remember when we were fillies? You and me went on our first Nightmare Night. We went to that concert and I spent the night at your cottage. Your parents were throwing pictures and hitting them with sticks." she said. That night flashed before my eyes. I heard the sound of glass breaking and the sound of drunken laughter. My head throbbed.

"We went to a dance and I blew you off because of that jerk Long Horn. I came home early and found you crying. We slept on the same bed that night. It was the first time I had decided that I knew for a fact that I loved you. I didn't say anything because I was afraid. You found out about my parents and where they've been because of the Doctor. Do you remember the Doctor?" she asked me.

I shook my head as the pain in my head became close to unbearable.

"After Hearts Warming, you and I kissed. We began dating, we went to the Wonderbolts air show, which you got us both tickets to, so we could see it together. But then your mom showed up and caused a storm of some sort. You left with Applejack and ended up with her in the forest. You sided with her and she was about to kill me, but you stopped her. You tackled her and saved my life." she exclaimed.

More images flashed in my head. This time my mom stood over Rainbow Dash. I was running towards her though and I slammed into her, knocking her away from Rainbow. I looked up to her saw her through my tears that had started to stream down my face. My head felt like it was going to explode.

I wanted to tell her how I felt. That I loved her. That I didn't want anything to happen between us again. But I couldn't manage it. My head was causing me too much pain. "My head...." I whimpered.

"Please remember. Fluttershy, please remember everything!" she pleaded. "I need you! I need you with me, I need you to love me!"

I heard her but couldn't speak. Images kept flashing through my eyes and across my head. I needed to say something to her, but I couldn't. My mom was laughing at me, my dad was beating me, the bullies at school were shouting at me. It was too much. I could feel every smack that my dad had thrown at me, every day that he had beaten me, all of it was passing through my head at the same time.

"Rainbow! Help!" I exclaimed, the pain becoming more than I could handle. "My head....it feels like...." I started to say, but everything became a bright gold followed by blackness and silence.

Weird Memories

Of course I liked it. I loved it! The Wonderbolts are the most elite flying group in Equestria, and you got me tickets to actually meet them!" Rainbow Dash said. "Fluttershy, it's the best gift I've ever been given." She gave me a tight hug, and I felt my heart race. She pulled out of the hug and gave me a warm kiss. My eyes shot wide in shock, but I quickly returned the kiss with the same intensity. We were in what looked like a hotel room. We kissed and our wings rubbed against the other's.

I woke up, feeling my heart racing. I sat up and felt a pounding in my head. What's with the multiple nightmares and dreams? I thought.

I rubbed my eyes and heard the door open up. "Hey, Fluttershy. Sleep well?" Rainbow Dash asked me.

"Oh, hi Rainbow. I guess I slept well. I had a weird dream though." I said. I had multiple dreams, but only a few were a little strange.

"About what?" she said, sitting next to me. "My awesomeness had better be in there."

I chuckled a little. "You were. Along with somepony who said she was my mom." I said, remembering a forest where I had to tackle somepony. "It was really weird. And kind of cool that I was able to stand up for myself and you."

"That's awesome! Of course, nopony could be as brave as me." she bragged.

"Yeah. I know." I said quietly. "There was another one though..." I said as I rubbed my hooves together nervously. "Well...you and me were in a hotel. Your brother had left to get a drink and we were alone..." I started, feeling my face grow red. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell her about it. It was an odd thing to say. "And well...we, uh...."

"What? We didn't like, you know, kiss right?" she said.

"Oh.. Uh, no." I said, hiding my face a little. I'm stupid for trying to tell her something like that. I thought to myself.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a little forcefully.

"Yeah...I'm certain." I said, surprised by how she asked.

"Oh...Well what happened?" she asked.

"Um... I don't remember anymore." I told her. How could I tell her what had happened in the dream? She was my closest friend, and I didn't want to lose that.

"Oh...well...okay." she said.

"What about you?" I asked her.

"Oh, just about joining the Wonderbolts, saving the day and being awesome." she told me in her usual prideful manner.

"Anything else?"

"Well, I had a nightmare where we were at your house. We were playing board games and your mom came in shouting and screaming." she said.

"Really? I had the same dream too." I said surprised.

"No kidding huh?" she said.

I rubbed my head. I felt like I was forgetting something. All these dreams I was having seemed so familiar. "It's weird. These dreams seem so familiar. Almost as if they were memories." I said. My left temple began to pound and I placed my hoof to it. "Weird right?"

"Uh, yeah. Totally." she said. I felt the suns rays peak over the window as the sun rose. "We better get you home. I'm sure Angel is worried about you." Rainbow said.

"Oh no! I forgot to feed him yesterday!" I said, worriedly.

"Well let's get going!" she said and we flew out the window. I knew that something was going on with these dreams, but I wasn't sure what it was. They seemed to familiar. We got to the cottage in just a few minutes and I burst into the door looking for Angel. He was laying on the floor with a flower held between his paws.

"Angel!" I said as I picked him up. I took a carrot from the cabinet and gave it to him. He quickly scarfed it down and gave a relieved sigh. "I'm so sorry! I'll never let that happen again." I said. I was worried about him. He eats a lot, unless he's in a really bad mood, and going a whole day without eating must have been torture for him.

"Can that rabbit be anymore over dramatic?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh he must have been starving." I said, getting him another carrot.

"Well looks like you'll be busy with Angel. I think I should be heading back to the office. I'm still captain of the weather team, and I don't think they're going to be too happy with me not showing up. I'll catch you later." she said.

"Oh okay. See you later." I said. She flew out the door and I felt Angel poke me. "What is it?"

He pointed to the date on the calendar. "Oh! That's right! I was supposed to meet Big Mac later today." I said. I forgot all about it. He wanted to show me something at the farm. "Thanks for reminding me Angel." I would miss a lot of things if it weren't for him. He was like my living portable calendar.

I spent the next hour getting ready. I didn't know what it was he wanted to show me, but I wanted to look nice. When I was done I looked out the window and saw it was close to nine in the morning. "Well, I better go. Think you'll be okay Angel?" I asked him. He fell on his back and held the flower in his paws again. "Okay okay, here you go." I said, giving him another carrot. He was going to get pudgy, but I figured I owed him some for not feeding him. "Better?" I asked.

He nodded and hopped over to his bed. I walked out of my house and made my way to the farm. I was still thinking about the dreams I had. They were too familiar. "Maybe I should ask Jack about it." I said to myself.

"Ask me about what?" I heard him say behind me.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. He just appeared behind me without warning.

"Oops, sorry, didn't mean to scare you." he said.

"It's okay, just give me a warning when you're behind me next time." I said.

"So what did you want to ask me?"

"Oh. Well...it's about some dreams I've been having." I said.

"About me right?" he said.

I chuckled. "No, but about something else. They're about me and Rainbow Dash. Almost as if they're memories." I said.

I saw his eyes expand just ever so slightly. "Really? That's odd. What about them?" he asked.

"Well, there was one when I was a kid where my mom was screaming at me. Then one where I got a bird. But the one that really sticks with me about it is one where I gave Rainbow Dash tickets to a Wonderbolt show." I said.

"Well, I'm sure they're just dreams. Everypony has good and bad ones." he said.

"Yes, but these seem so familiar. Almost like I've experienced them before."

"Weird." he said.

He was acting very odd. Normally he was a jokester unless it was a very serious matter. "Does it mean anything?" I asked.

"Nah, I'm it's nothing." he said. "Hey, I gotta go. The Doctor just wanted me to check on you real quick. I've got some other things I've got to do." he said. His wrist started vibrating and he looked at it. "Like a date with a fellow named Allonso." he said with a smile.

"Oh. Okay then. Have fun on your date." I said.

"You too." he said with a wink. He typed in something on his vortex manipulator and disappeared.

Now I know there's something going on. I thought as I walked through Ponyville. Some of the stores were still closed due to Pinkie Pie's party. I couldn't help but think back to my dreams. They were so vivid and real that I couldn't get them out of my head. I thought to Rainbow Dash and how she acted when I told her about them. There were times when she seemed apprehensive to find out about what happened, but then when I said no to us kissing, she seemed a little let down.

Did she want us to kiss? I thought. I bumped into the farm's fence and it snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked around and saw Big Mac pulling a cart out of the barn. I walked through the gate and headed towards him. "Hello." I said with a smile.

He looked at me and gave me a smile as well. "You said you wanted to show me something?" I asked.

"Eeyup." he said and walked to a bench by the apple trees.

I followed him and saw that there was a paper with a pencil by it with some words. "What is it? A poem?"

"Nope."

"Is it a song?" I asked.

"Eeyup." he said. He placed the cart down next to him and grabbed the paper. He looked nervous as he cleared his throat.

"Trot outside and you see the sunshine, something's in the air today. Sky is clear and you're feeling so fine, everything's gonna be a-okay. If you listen carefully, 'round every corner there's a rhythm playing. Then it happens suddenly, the music takes you over and you'll find you've got the music. Got the music in you. Find you've got the music, got the music in you. Got the music, got the music in you!" he finished.

"Oh my gosh! Big Mac that was incredible! I didn't know you could sing." I said astounded.

"Hehe, eeyup." he said.

"It's amazing. What did you write it for?" I asked.

"I just wrote it. I've kinda wanted to get some ponies together to do this, but I don't know anypony who would want to. I was kind of hoping maybe you would want to help me find ponies for it? Maybe even join?" he asked me.

"Oh! I'm sorry Big Mac, but I don't think I could go out on stage and sing in front of others. I could never do that." I said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just figured I should ask you since you're the only one I really talk to." he said.

"Well...maybe we can talk more about who should join over dinner?" I asked.

"Eeyup." he said with a smile.

"Okay. How about tomorrow? 6 o'clock?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you there. I've got to finish some more chores around here, but I'm glad you came by and listened to the song." he said.

"You're welcome." I said smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow." I walked back to Ponyville, smiling about what I had planned for the next day.

A Letter and a Beginning

Hey everypony. I just got a letter from Rainbow Dash asking me to visit her soon. We haven't spoken in three years and I'm really excited to see her. She said that Twilight asked her to write about what her past with her parents. Maybe I'll write it too. It might help me get over what happened.

I've been living in Baltimare for awhile now. I didn't really have much else back at Ponyville once all my friends moved on to their dreams and Rainbow Dash stopped talking to me. So I came here to work with the lost and abused animals. It's been pretty successful. I've given lots of pets to very good owners. I really hope they like there new homes.

While I've been here, I haven't really kept in touch with the others. It's not because I don't want to, but Rainbow Dash won't reply to me, and the others are so busy with their lives. Rarity is a fashion designer, Twilight's a Princess, Applejack is busy at Appleloosa with their harvest, and Pinkie Pie is in rehab! She had a huge party and drank way too much punch. I don't remember exactly how much, only that she nearly destroyed Ponyville.

Surprisingly, she's the one who I talk to the most. She tells me how she's doing, what kinds of help she's getting, and how she'll be able to control being her over the top sugar eating. She can still have sugar, but if she goes over a certain limit, she's supposed to come back. Personally, I think she is going to go over a lot, but not as much as last time. I've visited a few times when I'm not too busy and she was still as hyper as usual, but without the caffeine or sugar that usually came with it.

I hope Rainbow will talk to me after this. I've been pretty lonely without her and I don't really socialize well with ponies I don't know. It's hard for me to make friends here, but I'm happy with what I do. I hope she forgives me. It's not like I was in control of what happened. But, I guess I should start telling you what happened so you aren't confused.

Being a Pegasus that wasn't such a great flier, my parents weren't really...accepting. It was hard for me, but I had help from someone special.

***

I let out a loud cry as my father hit me. "Pathetic child!" he shouted. "Why couldn't you have gotten something a little more useful!"

"But daddy..." I said, crying. "I love it. It's nothing bad. I'm good with animals and they like me."

"Stupid girl. That will get you nowhere in life!" he shouted, hitting me again. "Why couldn't you have gotten something respectable like that rainbow colored pony you always hang out with? Huh?! She's fast which means she'll win races, she'll be in the front of anything. If she really wanted to, she could outrun any cop trying to catch her!!" he exclaimed. "But instead of a remarkable, respectable pony, I get you. A filthy, disgusting little piece of shit." he hit me yet again as I cried out. "Get the hell out of my sight!" he said as he walked back to my mom. She just stood there, smiling as she took a drink from her glass.

I ran into my room as tears streamed down my face. I slammed the door and jumped on my bed, smothering my face in my pillow. Why do they do this? I thought. I haven't done anything wrong. Is finding out what I'm supposed to be and supposed to do such a bad thing? I cried harder as I accidentally rubbed a bruised part of my leg.

I knew it wasn't the most high end ability. It wasn't like I was really good at being a comedian or flying. I was actually a really weak flier. It didn't help that I had a fear of heights and school was up in Cloudsdale. I looked up from my pillow and wiped my eyes. The more you cry, the harder they hit you. I thought to myself. It was my way of calming myself down. I hated being hit, so I just tried my hardest to avoid crying. This time it was just too difficult not to. They were treating me so bad for getting my cutie mark. I was always told it was a happy occasion, not one where you got a beating.

I heard laughter coming from outside. As I looked out the window, I saw ponies walking around in costumes with candy bags. "Oh no! I forgot tonight was Nightmare Night!" I exclaimed. I went to my closet and grabbed my costume that my parents got me. They got it for me as an insult, but I actually liked it. It was a tree and it was pretty simple. I looked back at the window and saw a pony dressed in a hydra outfit. It scared me a little bit to see all these monsters outside my window. I honestly thought about not going out tonight.

I heard my parents laughing. They were laughing at me and how pathetic I was. I turned to my door and peeked out of it. I saw both of them emptying a bottle of a brown liquid. They were getting drunk again. They always got worse when they got drunk. There was a knock on the door. I went over to it and looked through the peep hole we had. My parents didn't notice me, which was a blessing in itself. "C'mon, Fluttershy! You don't want to miss our first Nightmare Night do you? Besides, you have to see this amazing costume my parents got me!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout from outside.

My parents laughed at something. I couldn't tell what, but I figured it had something to do with me. "C'mon, Fluttershy! It's one night when you can get free candy!" I let out a whimper as they threw a glass on the ground near me. "Can I at least come in? I'm not kidding when I say you have to see my costume." she asked again.

"I guess that would be okay." I said as I opened the door. She walked in and just her being here made me feel better.

"Sooo what do you think?" she asked.

"Wow, it's really cool." I said. She looked almost exactly like a Wonderbolt. It made me jealous seeing her with such a nice costume. "It's much cooler than what my parents got me." I whispered to her. "I'll be right back." I said and walked back to my room. I put the costume on and walked out to her. My parents saw it and snickered at me.

"A tree?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Why would they make you a tree for Nightmare Night?"

"Oh, I wouldn't mind to be a tree." I said. Trees are strong and sturdy. They can take a beating and be perfectly fine. There was a thud as my father slammed his mug on the table laughing hysterically.

"A tree! Great idea honey!" my father exclaimed loudly.

"Who would've thought that she would enjoy such a humiliating costume!" my mom said as she shared in my father's laugh.

I felt like crying. I liked the costume. It fit me well. But I pulled myself together. I didn't want my parents to know I was crying. If they knew, I would be in for another beating from my father. They viewed crying as a weakness. "I think its a great costume. It suits you perfectly." Rainbow said, comforting me.

"Thanks Rainbow." I said. My parents started laughing again, only this time, it wasn't laughter that taunted me. It was directed toward Rainbow Dash. They found it funny that I needed a friend to help me feel better after they belittled me. I looked at her and I could tell that she was fuming from what my parents were doing. She didn't hide her emotions all too well.

"Hey, let's get out of here. We can go get some candy and hang out later. I heard there's going to be a concert tonight by Town Hall." she said. My parents threw the empty bottle of alcohol at the ground and let out another round of laughter. I shook a little bit and hugged myself tight. It reminded me of past drunken nights. My dad would hit me, kick me, attack me with slanderous words. I couldn't get out of it, no matter what I tried. "It'll be alright. I'm here." Rainbow said, holding out a hoof. I looked at her and carefully took it. We walked out and started heading for Town Hall.

Rainbow Dash was like a sister to me. She was there when I needed her and didn't bully me like the others did. She was a role model I could admire and strive to be like. I was calming down after everything that happened back home and was starting to enjoy being with Rainbow. It made tonight a lot more enjoyable than if I had gone out by myself. And she was the only one who knew that I enjoyed rock and metal music. Most ponies never expect me to be somepony who liked that stuff, but where I was living, I guess it only made sense for me to enjoy it. Something about it made me feel less weak.

"You ready for the concert?" Rainbow asked me.

"Oh yes. I can't wait to see them." I said with a smile. I don't usually go to concerts since there are so many ponies around, but I came with Rainbow Dash because I felt safe with her.

"Me either. They won't be as loud as last year though." she said. Last year's concert was amazing. I had the album on my cd player and listened to it all the time. As we walked to the stage, I noticed a spikey haired pony staring at me. It made me a little uncomfortable but I figured he was just making sure nopony was doing anything they shouldn't be. "Hey, it's starting!" Rainbow told me as the stage dimmed. Next thing I know, there's a low bass running through the crowd. We were jumping along with the beat and loved it.

Then I felt a tug on my mane. I saw myself getting drug away from the crowd and started to panic. Oh no! Oh no! Why are they here? Why did they follow me? Can't they just leave me alone for a few hours? Don't they torture me enough at home, or do they need to embarrass me in front of my only friend? I thought. The pony holding on to me let go and I curled up in a defensive ball. I didn't know when the abuse would start, but I didn't want to be too hurt by it.

I waited and waited for the hits to begin, but nothing came. I opened my eyes and started to regain my surroundings. I listened to Rainbow say something and the voice that replied I recognized as her brother's. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my parents weren't the ones who had taken us out of the crowd. "This was on the table." I heard Felix say.

"Felix. I'm so sorry about this. Your father and I have had to leave. They are coming. I wish I could say more, but I can't. When you finish reading this, get your sister. Go to the bank and ask for a Mr. Rich, and tell him, 'Felix Dash 35.' Tell him the password and withdraw only what you need. I'm so sorry. We love you, Felix. Tell Rainbow Dash we love her too. Remember to stay loyal to each other. Family is everything. Good bye." Rainbow read.

I stood up and faced them. What? Who's coming for them? I thought. I've only heard good stories about her parents. They weren't mean, they weren't strict, but they expected their children to do what they were responsible for. They treated everypony as if they were a part of their family. It was a family I only dreamed of.

"Felix, what's going on?" I heard Rainbow Dash say.

"I don't know. But we need to head to the bank. It's what the letter says to do." he replied. I started walking over to her.

"But it doesn't make sense. We have nothing in the bank." she said.

"Umm... Rainbow? Is everything okay?" I asked worried.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Why wouldn't they be?" she said nervously. I could tell that she was freaking out a little bit.

"Well, I heard what the note said, and, if you want-" I started to say but was cut off.

"Nothing's wrong. They probably just went to go get something else for me for getting my Cutie Mark!" she exclaimed in denial.

"Rainbow...if you want, you could always stay at my place. You know, until your parents get back. I mean, if that's okay with you." I said.

"No it's fine. We'll just go to the bank, see what's there, and meet them back at the house." she said. I could tell she was panicking. "Go home Fluttershy. I'll see you tomorrow."

No. I thought. "But, what about the concert? And getting more candy?" I pleaded with her. "Please don't let me go back alone." I said quietly. I didn't want to go back to them by myself. If I did, they would probably beat me again.

"Go home Fluttershy!" she yelled at me. I shrunk back. She had never yelled at me before. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." she said and flew off with Felix right behind her.

I tried to run after them. "Rainbow Dash! Please!" I shouted. I flew after them but I was too slow. Both of them were much faster than me and I didn't want to be alone. After a few minutes of flying, I landed next to a lake and laid down next to the water. It had started to rain and I was out of breath. I cried as I looked at my reflection in the water. "Why can't I just be faster? Why can't I just be somepony who ponies think of?" I said to myself.

Because all I ever do is fall short. I thought. I got up and flew back home. I landed on the front porch and almost walked in, but I heard a loud crash and loud laughter. "Hit another one!" my mom shouted. I heard another crash come from the living room. "You idiot! You missed it!" she said laughing.

"Toss me the one from her birthday! The one where she's smiling like she just won the lottery!" my dad said.

"And then when she thanked you, you beat her for it!" my mom shouted, as another loud crash landed right next to the door. I laid down on the front of the porch and cried. I remembered that day. My parents had gotten me a cute bunny for my birthday. I was so happy and so excited that I thanked them for it. What I didn't know is that I just thanked them for having a reason to hit me. When I saw my dad getting ready to hit me, I ran to my room and opened my window. I threw the bunny out and told him to run. He hopped away, but my dad came in and hit me for an hour. I had lost feeling in my legs about 10 minutes in and my wings about 5 minutes after that. I curled up in a ball after he was done and cried.

I cried now. The memories of my father hitting me and my mom egging him on made tonight all the more unbearable. I put my head in my hooves and sobbed. I was alone. Nopony cared about me and Rainbow Dash had left to go do something, completely avoiding me and leaving me to come back here. Alone and helpless.

A Dress for a Friend

I'm not sure how long I spent on the dress, but it wasn't as hard as I had thought. Once I got the outline done and Felix has helped hold some things in place, it was relatively smooth sailing. "Ouch!" I winced, poking my hoof with a needle. "This would be easier if was a Unicorn." I said quietly. I wasn't having an issue making he dress, but I kept poking myself with the needle.

A smile grew on my face as I held it up. It looked better than I had thought it would. "Angel, can you get Rainbow?" I asked him. He hopped over to her as I put my stuff away.

"Gah! Get off of me!" she exclaimed. I heard a loud thud. "Ow."

"I did it! Rainbow, I finished the dress!" I exclaimed, running over to her. "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry." I apologized. I had forgotten she fell asleep. "I can come black later, if you want." I said. I didn't want her to be grouchy at me.

"No it's fine." she said yawning. "I didn't mean to fall asleep anyways. Is Felix back yet?" she asked.

"He's downstairs. But you have to see what I made you!" I said happily. I laid it on her bed, hoping she'd be happy with it. The colors were perfectly even with a hint of lightning stardust edging off the end of the hem. I wanted it to match her personality.

"Fluttershy...How did you do this?" she asked, looking at the detail along the edge.

"It wasn't too hard. I used a few techniques from my magazines." I said, smiling.

I saw her eyes move to my hooves. "What happened there?"

"Oh, nothing." I said trying to hide my hoof. She was always worried when I accidentally hurt myself. I liked knowing she cared about me, but she over reacted a lot to it.

"Fluttershy what the hay happened?" she asked again, with more force in her voice.

There's the over protectiveness. I thought. "I'm still learning. I poked myself a few times, that's all."

"You didn't hurt yourself too badly did you?" she asked worriedly.

"That doesn't matter." I said. "You have to try it on!" I exclaimed, not wanting to wait to see it on her. I had a makeshift changing room for when I got better. I waited patiently for her to tell me what she thought, but after a while I became worried. "Does it fit? Do you like it? Oh, you don't do you? I knew I should've used french haute couture." I said, upset that I didn't make something she liked. I had tried so hard too. I guessed her size and wasn't sure if I got the shape right.

She came out wearing the dress and before I could get a good look at her with it, she embraced me in a huh. "I love it, Fluttershy. Don't be so hard o yourself. It's beautiful." she said. I returned her hug, happy that she liked it. "As much as I hate dresses, this is easily my favorite."

"I'm so glad you like it." I said, pulling out of the hug. "C'mon! Let's go show Felix!"

"Whoa, hold on there." she said, stepping away from the door. "As much as I love the dress, I don't want Felix to see it. He'd never let me hear the end of it! It would spread and I'd be thought of as a fashionista."

"Oh, okay. I understand." I said, quietly. Her social status was a huge deal for her. She always wanted to make sure she was liked and that she was tough. It was very different from me. I didn't care about social status. I liked being me and if others didn't, that was too bad. She went back to the changing room and Angel started pushing me towards her. "No, not now." I said quietly.

"Not now what?" Rainbow asked as she walked back out.

"Oh, nothing!" I said, quickly. "Angel just wanted me to feed him." I said. I heard Angel sigh as he hopped away.

"Uh-huh." she said. "Well I'm going to go see what Felix brought us." she said and walked downstairs.

I sighed, closing the door behind her. "She likes it." I said to myself smiling. Angel came up to me and tapped my leg in annoyance. "What?" I asked him. He pointed to the door, so he must have meant what was going on with Rainbow. "I can't. Not yet. I know if I do she'll be weirded out and push away from me." I told him. "She's really big into her social status. I don't want to ruin that for her. Most of the other students at school aren't too accepting of...well, you know."

He groaned and walked over to the desk. "I mean, maybe later when things are different, but right now, she's got a date with Long Horn and I'm not going to get in between it. No matter how much I want to." I said, walking over to the bed. I laid down and stared at the ceiling. Why would she even want to be with me? I'm not tough, athletic, and I'm about as low on the social pole as you can be. She probably only tolerates me because she's known me for so long. I thought. Why can't I be like that?

"Fluttershy! Come down and have some cake." Rainbow called up. I walked down as she got me a plate. "You want an outer or inner piece?"

"I'll take an outer piece." I said quietly. I noticed an open envelope on the table. "What's that?"

"Oh, that's nothing important. Just another letter congratulating me on making Captain of the Weather Team. It's from a co-worker. She was going to quit since the previous one was a jerk, but now that I'm taking over, she said she'd stay." she explained.

"Oh that's good." I said. I didn't necessarily believe her about the letter. She was too normal about it. Usually when she gets something like that she's a little full of herself. Now, she seemed a little nervous. We ate our cake and talked about the dance for an hour or so before finally walking back to our room.

I fell into my bed and rubbed my eyes. I was extremely tired for some reason. I hadn't done anything too energy depriving, but I guess me worrying about the dress could have tired me. I yawned and rolled over onto my side, facing Rainbow Dash. She had turned to face her wall, letting her wings stretch out. They were beautiful. Her wings were elegant and full. The feathers rustled as the wind blew through the window. I spread my wings, and almost felt ashamed of them. My wings were weak and frail. After the hospital, they never were as strong as before. A few feathers were missing from where my parents hit me, preventing some from growing back, and made them look bad.

I felt a tear fall down my face. I know that my wings aren't as important to me as they are to Rainbow, but it hurt knowing that I wouldn't be able to keep up with her in the air. She'd have to slow down or wait for me to catch up. It hurt knowing I would hold her back. I was shy while she was outgoing. I didn't like talking to ponies I didn't know and she had no problem talking to anypony. Maybe I could learn to be like her. I thought. Or maybe I'll just be pathetic like I've always been... I cried into my pillow, trying hard not to be loud enough to wake the pony I loved more than anything.

A Memory for a Life

I quickly followed them out of the forest and into a blue box. The Doctor and Rainbow's mom put Rainbow on the ground by a large cylinder. "Doctor, is she alive?" her mom asked.

"I don't know, give me a second." he replied as he ran over to a screen.

"Doctor!" she shouted back at him.

"She's alive, but only barely. Clarrise must've hit her in the head when she sent her flying back. Her wing is fractured, ribs fractured...oh Celestia..." he said quietly, covering his mouth.

"What?" I asked. He ignored me. "Doctor! What is wrong?!" I exclaimed.

"She... She has a punctured lung. One of her ribs is a few centimeters from her heart. She won't survive unless we get her to a hospital." he said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked.

"Because if she does survive, she'll be brain dead. The trauma your mom caused to her brain is too severe. Her brain is already losing Oxygen due to her punctured lung and by the time we get to the hospital she'll have lost too many brain cells. She'll be a vegetable. A beating heart, but no concept of feelings, emotions, thoughts." he explained. "It would be just like she was dead."

I collapsed onto the ground in shock. This is all my fault. Even though I tried to stop her from being hurt, I still failed...Just like every other time. I thought.

"There has to be something we can do." Rainbow's mom said.

"I wish there was Firefly." he said.

"She's your god daughter! I know that there is something we can do! An ancient spell or a medical device that your TARDIS has!" she exclaimed.

"I know but it would be too painful and too much for anyone to handle!" he shouted back.

"What do we have to do?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter, I'm not doing it." he told me.

"Doctor! It's my fault that she's like this so tell me what we have to do!" I shouted at him.

He sighed. "There's an ancient spell, centuries old that has been banned from use due to how it can be used. It requires a Unicorn to pull a memory out of a pony close to the target and use that memories energy to cause safety or harm to the targeted pony. Most of the time it was used by the Shadows as a way to get information."

"How does that help us?" I asked.

"The other side of the spell can be used to heal another, sometimes even bring them back from the dead. It requires taking a strong, powerful memory full of love and compassion and using that love to heal or bring back the pony who is injured or dead."

"Then why haven't we done it yet?" I asked him, getting frustrated.

"Because it's lost in time. I don't know any pony who knows the spell and is willing to use it." he said grimly.

"I do." Firefly said. "The Princess. She used it to bring back some of her most trusted followers from the brink of death and used it to torture other members of the Shadows."

"Why would she do that?" I asked. It didn't seem like the Princess do to that sort of thing.

"You have to realize Fluttershy that it was a long time ago. It was during a time that could have torn Equestria apart. Drastic measures had to be taken. But she knows the spell and she may be willing to do it if we both asked her to, Doctor." she said.

"But who would be the one who did it? I won't let you do it Firefly because we'll need you to fight the Shadows and I won't have Fluttershy do it because she's too young and it would be too cruel." the Doctor said.

"I'll do it!" I said frantically. "Whatever it is that needs to be done, I'll do it."

"Fluttershy..." the Doctor groaned.

"Please. It's my fault for leaving and choosing to go with my mom. I had hoped to keep Rainbow Dash safe, but it only put her in more danger." I explained. "I'm responsible for this, so I have to be the one to fix it. What memory do you need?"

He looked to Firefly and then back to me. "The only memory that would be strong enough to save her would be the memory of your love for her..." he said quietly.

"Then do it." I said quickly walking up to him.

"Fluttershy if I do you'll forget you loved her. You won't remember anything about how you felt for her earlier and you'll never feel that way for her again. Are you sure you want to give all that up?" he asked me.

"If it'll save her, yes." I told him. "Besides, if I don't she'll die, or if she survives, she'll be brain dead, right? She might as well be dead in that case..."

The Doctor looked at me. "You really have changed since I saw you as a filly."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You used to be so shy, so afraid of everything. But now, you're fighting for her and are willing to give up your most precious memory to save her." he said.

"Well it's all because of her." I said, looking to Rainbow Dash. "If it weren't for her, I'd still be shy and afraid. I'd probably even join the Shadows if she hadn't been my friend."

The Doctor nodded his head. "You won't be the same mare. After the spell is over, you'll be that scared, frightened little pony you were before."

"That's fine. My dad can't harm me right? And if my mom finds me, she won't have any reason to turn me into a member of the Shadows because I won't have any aspects that she's looking for." I said.

"Okay...I'll call the Princess." he said, walking over to his terminal.

Firefly walked over to me. "You don't have to do this." she said. "I have more memories than you do with Rainbow Dash and I'm her mother. I should be the one who does this."

"But like the Doctor said, you need to be able to fight the Shadows. And it's better for all of us if I'm the one who does it. I'll lose the things my mom needs from me. If she loses the things you need then she only benefits." I said. I put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay. I can do this."

I saw a tear go down her cheek. I never really noticed how different Rainbow looked from her. Firefly was pink with a blue mane and tail while Rainbow was, well, Rainbow. I didn't remember her dad too well. When they came and visited for the first time, I didn't pay much attention to them, only what they were saying and worrying about Rainbow Dash and how she was affected by it.

"You remind me of her." she said. "She really has rubbed off on you."

"And now I'm going to use that to help her." I said.

She pulled me into a tight hug. "You're like my daughter Fluttershy. I know I haven't been here for either of you, but I love you like I do Rainbow Dash."

I couldn't help but cry into her mane. "I love you too." I said.

There was a knock on the door and we separated. The Doctor ran over and opened the door, letting the Princess in. "Doctor."

"Hello Celestia. Thanks for coming. I wouldn't pull you away from your duties unless it was absolutely important." he said.

"I understand. If I'm correct you want me to cast a spell that I had personally banned centuries ago." she said.

"Yes. It's to save a life though." he said.

"And who's life might I ask?"

"My daughters." Firefly said.

"Ah, Firefly. I'm glad to see you're safe. I'm terribly sorry about your husband." the Princess said.

"We can do that later, right now, Rainbow Dash needs you." she said.

The Princess walked over to her and looked her over. "I think the spell will work on her. What's the internal damage?" The Doctor told her his findings. "I see. And the memory is powerful enough to heal this?"

"Yes." I said.

"She's offered to give her memory of her love for Rainbow Dash to help keep her alive." the Doctor said.

"I see. And she did this willingly?" she asked the Doctor skeptically.

"Yes. I wouldn't push that on her. I didn't even want to use the spell because of what it does." he said defending himself.

"Alright then." She walked over to me and knelt down to my eye level. "Are you ready?" she asked. I nodded my head, looking at Rainbow. "Okay. I'll give you a few minutes to say whatever you want to her before we begin."

I walked over to Rainbow. She hadn't moved, but I saw her face growing pale. I knelt next to her. "I promise Rainbow, I'm going to fix this. I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen to you." I said. "It's thanks to you I'm able to do this. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be with the Shadows." I let my tears stream down my face. "I...I love you...Dashie..." I cried out. I kissed her forehead and walked over to the Princess.

"I'm ready." I said.

"Okay. Doctor, strap her down." she said.

"Fluttershy, if you will." he said. He led me to a table in another room and I laid on my back. He strapped me down tight. "Fluttershy, I find it admirable that you want to help Rainbow Dash. So I'm going to do something to help you both." he said. He put his hoof on my forehead and closed his eyes. I felt a slight tingly sensation for a few seconds before he removed his hoof.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I placed a protective barrier around your conscience so that way your mother can't find you. She was using a dream integration device again to locate you." he explained.

"Oh...Okay." I said. "Umm... Doctor? When this is all over, please, don't tell Rainbow I did this. I know her and she won't like it."

"I understand. I'll make up a story to keep you safe." he said.

"Thank you." I said.

There was a beeping coming from the terminal. "Doctor!!" I heard Firefly shout. He ran into the other room.

I listened into what they were talking about. "Doctor do something!" she shouted again.

"No...No! Celestia, you have to do the spell now. She's dead and she can't stay dead for too long or the spell won't work." the Doctor exclaimed.

I saw them rush into the room. "Are all the preparations taken care of?" she asked.

"Yes." he said.

"Will this hurt?" I asked her.

"Yes, Fluttershy. And I'm so sorry you have to go through this." she said.

"Okay." I said quietly.

"You can still back out if you want to." Firefly said.

"No. I have to do this. She would do the same for me if I were in her situation." I said. "And it's the only way to bring her back." I said, tears rolling down my face.

"Alright. Let's get started." she said.

The tip of her horn started to glow and I felt a slight tingling sensation on the back of my head. "Well, this isn't so bad." I said. In the next few seconds though, the brain shattering pain blew through my body. I screamed in pain. My head was on fire, my wings, felt as if they were being ripped in half and my body felt like it was being ripped open from the inside out.

"Hurry up, Princess." Firefly said.

I let out another shriek as my brain exploded in pain. I had never felt anything like this before. It was worse than any beating my dad had given me. I screamed as tears rolled down my face. It's for her. It's for Rainbow Dash. I thought every time I thought about quitting.

I saw the Doctor walk in with Rainbow Dash on his back and he placed her on the ground. "Rainbow...I...I love...." I tried to say, but my screams overwhelmed my ability to speak. My vision started to fade to black. The last thing I saw was Firefly crying over me before I blacked out.