Tragedy

Rainbow Dash let out a gasp behind Twilight. "FLUTTERSHY!?" Twilights eyes met with the pony's; it WAS Fluttershy.

Twilight rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Fluttershy, oh wow... you look amazing." Twilight smiled happily for the first time in a long while. Fluttershy looked down from her seat at Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Her eyes welled up with tears as she jumped down from the carriage, giving Twilight and Rainbow Dash a big hug and began to cry intensely. Then she ran over to Applejack and gave her a hug too, barely able to get her hooves around the pony's bulky frame.

"Yeah yeah, nice t'see you too, Fluttershy." Applejack returned the hug as Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted over to her.

"Oh Fluttershy, it's been so long, I'm so glad you're okay." Twilight smiled up at Fluttershy as Rainbow Dash stepped up to Fluttershy.

"Yeah! But, WOAH! What's with the fancy ride, girl? I never would've pictured you riding in something with so much flash!" Rainbow Dash cracked a smile looking over the whole carriage again. Fluttershy gave a shy smile before wiping away her tears.

"Looks like sumthang Rarity would have if ya ask me," Applejack commented, herself looking over the carriage as well. Fluttershy's eye twitched slightly as the rest of her body tensed up.

Twilight walked around to look at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, are you okay? You haven't said a thing," Twilight said with a twinge of worry in her throat. Fluttershy turned her head slightly away, her embarrassment showing.

Rainbow Dash was about to question this too when Fluttershy noticed Rainbow's wings, or lack of, and her face contorted to a look of horror and sadness. She made an expression of letting out a gasp, but there was no sound. She quickly went over to gently stroke where Rainbow's wings used to be as more tears began to roll down her face. Fluttershy held on to Dash tightly, quietly sobbing. "Oh, er, yeah, I had an accident, Fluttershy. I know it looks real bad but I'm okay now, really, it coulda been much worse." Fluttershy started shaking her head in disbelief, softly pounding Dash's body with her hooves.

When Fluttershy had calmed a little, Twilight put her hoof around Fluttershy. "I guess we all have a lot to talk about, huh? I'm sorry I never came back to see you sooner, Fluttershy, all of you..." Fluttershy shook her head softly and nuzzled Twilight.

"So, y'all gonna say anything, Fluttershy, or just stand there? Shoot, Ah know you were always quiet, but Ah thought you would have come outta yer shell a little after all this time," Applejack said looking at Fluttershy who could only lower and turn her head away.

Twilight started to worry again. "Fluttershy, please say something. You are starting to worry me," Twilight said nervously, but the awkward silence was broken when Rainbow Dash was looking at the carriage for a moment and noticed the letters 'RDE' imprinted on the side.

"Hey, Fluttershy, what does the R-D-E stand for on..." She paused to let out a huge gasp of excitement. "Rainbow Dash Equestria? You named your carriage after me?" Rainbow Dash joked, giving a loud chuckle. Fluttershy twitched again, ever so slightly.

"Fluttershy, what's wrong? Please tell us..." Twilight begged her.

The stallion walked over from the carriage. "It STANDS for RARITY DIVINE ENTERPRISES you foals, although, judging by the look of you all, I doubt you would recognize rags, let alone the most prominent fashion name in all of Equestria." He snorted.

"Rarity has her own fashion line? Oh I knew she would!" Twilight felt a little pride that she had at least predicted one thing right. "So, you work for Rarity, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy twitched again, more noticeably this time. "Fluttershy, can't you talk? Do you have laryngitis?" Fluttershy only shook her head.

"Well then whut is it? Say something gosh darn it!" Applejack snapped at Fluttershy in frustration.

Fluttershy stepped away from Applejack a little bit frightened. "Hey! Don't shout at her like that Applejack, leave her alone!" Rainbow Dash jumped in front of Fluttershy and pointed a hoof at Applejack.

"Is that a threat?" Applejack snapped back.

"Shout at her again like that and it'll be more than just..." Before Rainbow Dash could finish her sentence, Applejack had charged at her.

"That's it! Ah warned ya to stop runnin yer mouth!" Applejack collided into Rainbow Dash and the two began to trade blows. Twilight yelled at them to stop but the two ponies either didn't hear Twilight or completely ignored her.

It wasn't much of a fight. Applejack, by far, had the upper hoof and eventually pinned Rainbow Dash to the ground. "Huff huff, yer gonna shut yer mouth now ya stupid flank." Applejack raised her hoof up, ready to deliver a heavy blow.

"Applejack..." Rainbow Dash gasped out but Applejack's eyes had glazed over as she went to land the blow but something grabbed her hoof at the last second. It was Fluttershy. Unfortunately, she was far too weak to stop the full force of Applejack and was thrown aside by the swing. She tumbled along the ground slightly tearing her dress in some places and picking up a little dirt. Applejack stopped her assault as Rainbow Dash lay there ready for another hit, but Applejack got off of her.

"Fluttershy, are you okay?" Twilight rushed over to her aid.

"Yer crazy! Ah coulda hurt ya real bad..." Applejack shouted at Fluttershy as she got to her feet, visibly shaken and upset. She ran over to Dash and cradled her as she began to softly cry.

Rainbow Dash looked up at Fluttershy, tears falling on her face. "I'm... okay. Thank you, Fluttershy, ow, I've had worse."

Applejack grumbled towards Raindow Dash, "Oh you really don't know when to quit do ya?" Before Applejack could get in any more words, Twilight screamed out for the two to stop it. Applejack sat down in a huff while Rainbow Dash lay there looking up at a distraught Fluttershy.

"Oh Fluttershy, your dress got ruined, why did..." Twilight stopped mid-sentence, her eyes fixated on Fluttershy's neck which was now visible and marked with a deep scar that went full around. "Oh my... Fluttershy, what... what happened to your neck?" Fluttershy, upon realizing her neck was visible, began to panic and tried to cover up the scar but it was too late. Applejack got up and walked over to Fluttershy and Twilight. "Fluttershy... oh no, what is this? Let me see..." Twilight said softly as Fluttershy cringed and wanted to resist but let Twilight look at her neck. Twilight gently pulled the material down exposing Fluttershys neck. Tears began to form in Twilight's eyes as she looked at the damage. "Why? Why would anyone do this to you? This isn't natural, it looks like a collar was put on her." Twilight began to sob louder.

"This is why you ain't said nothin, you can't talk no more?" Applejack asked Fluttershy, her voice softer than it had been. Fluttershy was shaking all over, but slowly gave Applejack a nod.

Rainbow Dash jumped up, though a little wobbly. "WHO DID THIS TO YOU? I'LL KILL THEM!" Rainbow Dash blurted out, her anger apparent, while Twilight collapsed on the ground in despair.

"How is she supposed to tell us that?" Applejack snorted as the stallion who had been watching all this with disgust on his face but a little to his amusement, finally spoke up.

"My lady Fluttershy, Miss Rarity's instructions were to meet with these... pondscum... and if Miss Twilight were among them, to bring them back to her mansion. I think you have wasted enough time here, and I'm sure her ladyship will be anxious as to what is delaying you." Immediately, Fluttershy's face cringed and more panicked than before.

Twilight looked up at her. "Rarity wants us all to go with you?" she asked. Fluttershy slowly nodded but it did not seem reassuring.

Rainbow Dash butted in. "Then I say we go! If Fluttershy has been with Rarity then she probably knows what did this to her." Applejack gave a reluctant sigh.

"Ah HATE agreeing with her, Twi, but Ah want to know what the heck happened too."

Twilight agreed. "Okay Fluttershy, we'll come meet Rarity with you." Fluttershy frowned but beckoned them to the carriage. One by one they got on and soon they were off to see Rarity.