So Far Away....

In the peaceful sky city known as Cloudsdale, a soft hum of the city's streets could be heard from a mile away. However, the noise didn't bother most. In Cloudsdale, there could only be two species, the pegasi and Alicorn. One small pegasus filly, Talsbyn, had only seen the princesses come to Cloudsdale a few times. However, he didn't bother seeing them. He was to busy wrapped up in his school work. He wasn't a bad foal, in fact, he was one of the best fillies in his whole class. Unfortunately, the other pegasi didn't believe so.

"Alright everypony, you're free to go home, remember to get the assignment done before the princesses get here!" Mrs. Heartfire had called to the students just before they had left. Talsbyn had already finished the project last week, so he didn't have to worry about anything for a few days. He was getting his stuff ready to leave,

when his teacher called to him, "Talsbyn, can you come talk to me for a few minutes, please" Talsbyn awkwardly shuffled to his teachers desk. "Yes Mrs. Heartfire? I've already finished the thing for the princesses" Talsbyn says quickly making sure to not get any extra work for the week. "I know, Talsbyn. I called you over here to ask you if you could help a few other fillies with theirs"

"I..I guess, it couldn't hurt" He says with a tone of curiosity.

"Great! The filly you'll help is Dustcloud" Talsbyn froze. He didn't know how to react, he didn't know what to say, he just, froze "M-Mrs. Heartfire...I-I don't think that'll be such a good idea"

"Talsbyn, I'll tell you what, if you help him, I'll give you freebee next project, what do you say?"

It is very tempting, but Dustcloud was one of the most threatening ponies in class. He barely manages to say "O-ok, I'll help him with his project..." Regretting what he said. But it's to late to turn back

"Great! You can tell him when you should meet up and finish it" Talsbyn wasn't going to 'tell' him. He was going to ask him, nopony told Dustcloud to do anything. He slowly rotates his body to where Dustcloud was sitting. Talsbyn manages to shuffle to where he sits. "H-hello Dustcloud, Mrs. Heartfire wanted me t-to help you with your assignment.."

"Yeah, whatever, let's just get it over quick!" Dustcloud groggles him from under his Ponypod

"W-well when should we start it?" Talsbyn hated the tone of his voice, being the obvious jerk, Dustcloud is probably going to make him do it all. Dustcloud pauses his game and looks up.

"I guess we can start tomorrow" He returns to his game

"U-uh sure that'll be fine" Talsbyn finishes the conversation with a 'see you later', but Dustcloud doesn't care. Talsbyn can tell that he doesn't care. He walks out of the classroom door, Dustcloud doesn't follow because he has detention. So, he walks home alone. It doesn't necessarily bother him, he gets to think. Not only that, he doesn't like talking to other ponies that much. He takes a path that he made, in order to avoid most of the city and get home as fast as possible. On the third turn, he notices a tall yellow furred pegasus tiptoeing her way to..somewhere. He brushes it out of his mind and trot's the rest of the way home.

He arrives at the front door, nearly out of breathe. He slowly creaks the door open. Inside he see's his normal, three bedroom house. In the living room, a comforter

for his dad and a couch for the rest of the family, with a television in one corner. His father is now 'slayping' is what Talsbyn called it. A form of sleeping and awake that only comes to a stallion that's been drunk out of his mind. His mother, in the kitchen, is talking on the telephone to one of her co-workers, Talsbyn thinks, about another mare. He tries to make conversation, but it fails. So, he goes into his room, with a twin sized cloud, a desk, a bunch of toys he doesn't play

with anymore, and a desk with an old electronic keyboard. He throws his backpack on his bed and sits at the desk. An image immedialty comes to mind...the yellow filly he saw on the way here. What about her had been so....appealing. He keeps thinking while his hooves come up with a quick tone. So he goes along with it. He's not much of a singer, but he does so anyways. Even though it's he still manages to have lyrics about the shy pegasus. He finishes the song, he realizes it's about 9:00. So he turns his piano off and jumps on his cloud. Thoughts go through his mind, about the young filly, and about what the day tomorrow will hold. He slowly slips into his dreams as the clock reaches 11:15.

Talsbyn's eyes snap awake, he looks at the clock and see's that it's 9:00. He statures up out of his cloud and stumbles into the bathroom. He brushes his teeth and does his business. He walks out of the bathroom and enters the living room, facing his father with an empty bottle next to hid passed out head. He ignores it and moves into the kitchen. His mom is usually in her room from up to around 12:00, so Talsbyn makes himself breakfast. After eating, he grabs his Ponypod with all his songs and few extra songs on it and starts to go to Dustclouds house. He didn't bother telling his parents, they wouldn't listen or care.

He arrives at his house to see that 30 minutes have gone by. He knocks on the door....no answer. He knocks harder...this time, after a few clicks from the door locks the door swings open, to reveal a half asleep Dustcloud.

"H-hello Dustcloud, ready to start on the project?" Talsbyn says to his sleepy counterpart.

"Ugh, fine, come on" He leaves the door open and walks to somewhere in his house. Talsbyn slowly enters to see a normal house, nothing different. Except this time, there was no stallion on a recliner, no mother in the kitchen. The absence of his parents comforted him. He picked a random spot to sit while he waited. He heard some shuffling and a loud thump followed by various curses. After a few minutes of waiting, Dust Cloud arrives back in the living room with a half-finished sculpture made out of cloud. After a few seconds of looking at it, Talsbyn assumed it was a sun. Dustcloud set it on the coffee table and waited to see what Talsbyn would do. Talsbyn got a closer look at it. Examining each point that extended from the sphere.

"So, I assume this is a sun?" Dustcloud nods and leaves the room again for a minutes. This gives time for Talsbyn to to pick it up and get a much closer look at it. Checking to see the exact pattern that he was going for. Dustcloud had come back with a bundle of clouds in his hooves and put them on the table as well.

"Well, you're the smart one, so get to it!" Talsbyn begins fiddling with with the sun-cloud and managed to place more and more clouds on it. After a few more minutes of frustration do to the fragile clouds fall off multiple times, he was nearly finished.

"Ok.... I've just about got it.." Talsbyn stuck his tongue out to focus his concentration and out the last piece on. He held it up to Dustcloud and smiled.

"K, thanks, you can leave now" He swooped the star away from Talsbyn's hooves and took it upstairs. He didn't come back down so Talsbyn let himself out the door. He took the quick way back home instead of his usual long route. Most other fillies were sleeping. So, if he could make it back within the hour, he'd be able to avoid his classmates.

He began walking threw the market, then a couple of streets, and was nearly home. He began to walk a little fast just encase. But something caught his eye. He stopped for a few seconds. He turned around and observed his area. It wasn't something, it was somepony. The tall pegaus he saw yesterday on his way home. He viewed her much more this time. Her examines her and notices she has cyan eyes, a curvy milky-pink mane, and.... is very, very elegant. His mind fights to try talk to her, but he can't move. He's never seen her at school before, maybe he has just never noticed. He stares at her, giving no regard to the other ponies seeing him. She trots away with, her mom Talsbyn assumes, and disappears behind a house and Talsbyn's heart sinks. Within an instant he snaps back into reality and hurry's home before anypony can see him.

He gets home at around 12:30 and notices his mom is awake and his father is at work. The stench from his foulf drunk-ridden father still hangs in the air. He tunes his mom's nagging out and sits on at the table.

"Mum, can I have a-a sandwich for lunch please?"  He tries to sound as innocent as possible but fails to do so. His mother pulled the phone away from her face and mouths the words: "I'm busy, make your own" Talsbyn gets out of his chair and makes food for himself. When he's finished eating Talsbyn goes into his room and pulls out his project for school. He made a wing out of cloud, but he thought hard for a few moments and threw it away. He had to do something unique.... A picture came to his mind. The shy filly. The one he saw at the market the day before and before he came home from Dustcloud's. He ran to his closet and pulled out 45 bits from a small wooden box in his closet and rushed out the door. 20 minutes later, Talsbyn came home with his supplies and set them on his bed. He began sculpting and sculpting. He worked hard for 3 hours and miraculously finished. He was in awe how perfect it was. He put the figure and his left over bits in the wooden box and went to bed.

The next day was pretty simple and plain like all the other Sundays. However this time, the thought of the filly raced through his mind. He kept asking himself what would happen the next day, the day the princesses came. He would have to present it... and she would be there, he knew she would... His thoughts soared through him until he finally fell asleep.

Talsbyn arose in a field of white fluffy cloud. He looked to his right to fin the yellow pegasus a few yards away, he froze and tries not move. The shy filly slowly walked over to him, her mane corresponding hoofsteps. Talsbyn's heart started to bump faster and faster. He couldn't believe it, what was she doing, what was she going to do to him? She stood by his side and slowly mooved her head to his cheek and kissed it slightly. Talsbyn's face blushed instantly.

Talsbyn's eye's snapped open. He lay in his bed, clutching his pillow  with a loud alarm clock ringing. He remembered the dream, how amazing it was. She actually kissed him. Well, not actually, but she figuratively kissed him. It was the best feeling in all of Equestria. Talsbyn stood up on his bed and jumped of. He began to get everything ready for school, including the assignment, and walked out of the house.

20 minutes later, Talsbyn arrives at fillyschool with the wooden box in his mouth, and his wings flapping nervously. He took a breath and opened the door to find a few fillies already there. He took a quick glance at the room to find no yellow pony. His head dropped in disappointment, then headed to the back corner of the classroom to his usual spot. Minute after minute, more ponies showed up besides the shy filly. Class had just started when a small voice was heard.

"Um... I-I'm sorry I'm late.." The yellow pegasus shrinked herself down. Talsbyn's eyes flew up and hew saw her... the pony he had seen the other day He couldn't believe he never noticed her in class.

"It's alright Fluttershy, go have a seat. Unfortunately, Razor Tail took your seat so you can sit in his old spot. Next to Talsbyn" He sat still. He couldn't digest what she had said until Fluttershy had sat down. Talsbyn's eyes quickly darted to his left to see her, but looked forward hoping she wouldn't notice. Her name stuck in his head.... Fluttershy... what an elegant name.

"Okay class, in 10 minutes, we will be leaving to the ceremony for the princesses, you will all demonstrate your creations, and then Celestia and Luna will say a few things, and we'll be done. Just like last year, but with the projects." Heatfire began packing a few things in her saddle bag while everypony else was talking and discussing there projects. Talsbyn tried to look and feel comfortable but couldn't. His eyes went back to the tall pony next to him. She was doodling an image on a piece of paper. Talsbyn watched in awe how she graciously drew with her mouth. He stopped for a moment and Talsbyn looked the opposite direction. Fluttershy got out a small hat made out of leaves she bought from a store. It looked magnificent, but Talsbyn tried not to stare.

A few minutes after they reach the middle of town where the princesses will come, Heartfire started lining up each filly to do there presentation. Talsbyn is last, and Fluttershy is as a few before him. He looks toward the stage and see's two giant ponies come on the platform. Celestia and Luna. He didn't pay much attention to the speaker. Then came time for the project. Pony after pony went up on stage and Talsbyn noticed each parent slowly getting more sleepy as they go. Next is Fluttershy's turn. Talsbyn is now in complete attention of the filly.

"U-um... H-Hello everypony.. my name is F-Fluttershy.. I made a a hat out of leaves..." A loud shout came from a filly that said: "What's so good about a hat?" After he said that, a few giggles came from the crowd.

"W-well.... the hat isn't the interesting part... b-but the leaves are... The leaves represent what's down below... the place that'll someday.. be one of our homes. Leaves support life... they show growth form the ground... And that's nothing we can ever get up here..." A few parents started clapping from her speech. She hastily took a seat next to her parents. A few more ponies went. And now, it's Talsbyn's turn. Luckily, everypony was almost asleep by now, so he wouldn't have to suffer much

embarrassment. He went onto the stage and opened the wooden box. He took out an object and held it up for everypony to see. It was a butterfly, made out of crystals, it caught the light perfectly to reflect the suns shines across the audience. He heard a few ponies gasp.

"Hello, everypony. I am Talsbyn, I have made, um, a butterfly out of crystals... This shows that... no matter how many faces, edges, and turns you might face... there's always a way out. No matter how trapped you feel... no matter how much depression you're there's always a way through it. As you can see.... no matter how much fragmented mirrors this has.. the sun's rays can still pass through it. It's in the shape of a butterfly because.... it reminds you of life.... no matter what form it's in..." He took a long exhale. He didn't tell the full story of why it was a butterfly (because it rhymed with fluttershy) but he didn't seem anypony noticed.

"Thank you, I will now take my se-" A large gasp arose from the crowd, a loud splash. Dark red, pigs blood covered all of Talsbyn's body. Following that, a shattering sound from the crystal butterfly. He heard loud laughter from a few foals in the audience laughed and laughed. The two fillies above him joined in laughter.

"HAHA!!! Nice speak, Fagsbyn!! BWAHAHA. What a stupid piece of crap!! HAHAHAHA!!" Dustcloud yelled from the crowd. As of now everypony was aware of what was going on including the princesses. Nopony new how to react. They just sat and stared.

"I...I....." Talsbyn couldn't manage to say any words. He couldn't move, his blood was ice cold and hard. Talsbyn started shaking and heat rushed through his body. It felt like he was about to pass out.

"I can't believe you though we never noticed you bwahaha!! Dude, you're such a fuckin' loser!!!" Another filly said through the laughs. Talsbyn's eyes began to fill with water. Within seconds, tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Oh look!! He's crying! What a pussy! BWAHAHA!! It was totally worth it to!" Soon, the parents began to laugh along, thinking it was a joke by all the fillies, it wasn't. Now, the blood began to dry, more and more parents started laughing. Talsbyn' felt like he was about to fall through the cloud.

"HEY!!" A soft voice came from the audience. A tall, yellow coated, filly stood up and walked on-stage. "You think this is some kind of, joke!!?? His presentation was beautiful! An it's destroyed! No only that, you covered him in blood!! Why would anypony do that!? There's a special place in Discord's Cage for ponies like you! An you know what?!?" She took in a breath and rolled around in the blood on the floor. A gasp came from the crowd and Fluttershy's name being called by her parents. "Does this look like a joke to you!?!" Blood was falling down from her mane and onto the ground. Once again, everypony was at a loss of words. The laughter had stopped.  Fluttershy turned around to Talsbyn.

"T-thank you.... thank you fro everything... F-Fluttershy..." Talsbyn managed to say under his blood covered lips. Fluttershy slowly leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek. Talsbyn face grew hot but nopony could tell, thankfully.

"Your welcome... Talsbyn.." She slowly stepped off the stage and sat back down next to her parents. Some hurling followed by some curses went threw the ceremony.

"Well, that was a little, strange.." Princess Celestia finally spoke. As she said it, Ms. Heartfire rushed the laughing foals off the stage and back to the classroom. "Are you alright, Talsbyn?" Celestia asked

"I.... I think I'm okay... c-can I wash this off before I get sick?" Talsbyn began to calm down.

"Ah, yes, in a moment, but first, can you repeat what you said about your butterfly?" Luna spoke before Talsbyn left

"Um.. Well, I had said, even though that it seems hopeless, there's always a way to get away from it. If sompony blocks your path, you need to ignore them and keep moving on. The butterfly shows life and how meaningful it is.." Talsbyn began to sway back and forth

"That's no the real reason why it's a butterfly, is it?" Luna replied.

"N-no... It's a butterfly because it both rhymes with Fluttershy.... and every time I see her she reminds of a buterfly.... I also get them in my stomach when I see her..." He blushed harder. A few "awws" went through the audience.

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up, I want you and little Ms. Fluttershy to be up here before the ceremony ends. " Celestia responds.

Talsbyn and Fluttershy stand at the top of the newly-cleaned stage looking better then ever. No, everypony could see the red on Talsbyn's cheeks. But he didn't care, he was with the spectacular pony he only notices 3 days ago.

"Thank you everypony for your wonderful presentations, escpically yours Talsbyn and Fluttershy. Your presentation showed actual meaning, unlike the rest, I'm sorry to say.  And what both of you showed up here when Talsbyn was.." Celestia was at a loss of words. "I could see no other pony staying up here like that, or being as equally as humiliated. Never, in my 1000 years of service have I ever seen acts performed that well. We will both remember you, Fluttershy, and you to Talsbyn. I wish we could keep your butterfly, but unfortunately, it's gone. Thank you everypony for giving us a warm-hearted greeting to Cloudsdale, one that we will never forget." Celestia finished her last sentence and walked off stage followed by Luna.

"So.... um, I-I'll see you at school tomorrow, Talsbyn" Fluttershy said before she left the ceremony. Talsbyn nodded and walked away. He had so much to think about when he got home. He could tell his parents, but they wouldn't really care.  So instead, he kept it to himself. When he arrived home, he ran to his room and took out the song he made for Fluttershy. He made a quick copy on another CD Disk, and ran over to Fluttershy's house.

Talsbyn stood on the footsteps of her house waiting for somepony to answer the door. A face that looked similar to Fluttershy's poked out and quickly closed the door.

"U-um, H-Hello? Is something wrong? I just wanted to give Fluttershy something.." Talsbyn said through the closed door.

"Get outa' here, kid! You made Fluttershy a fool of herself she has the smell of pigs blood! Just, never speak to our daughter! We've already discussed it with your parents, and the agree that they shouldn't see each other!" A mares voice came from inside the house. Talsbyn took a step back. Hoping it wasn't true. He dropped the CD and ran back home. He slowly opened the door and heard loud crashing from his room. He walked past the living room and looked into his bedroom. His parents, both the nagging mother and drunk father were smashing and throwing away all of his pianos, headphones, everything he used to make music, was now gone. He looked toward his bed and didn't see a stuffed pegasus Vinyl Scratch. The pony that helped him get to sleep, the one his parents got him last year for Christmas, was now gone. He started to cry, he didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. Tears started forming in his tearducts. His parents saw him and stopped.

"Talsbyn, this is for your own good! We need to this so you will stay away from the filly!" His mother said. They continue there smashing. Talsbyn slowly backed out of his room. He turned around and ran out of the house with tears flying past him. He wanted to escape, he wanted to wish this was a dream. But it was reality. He wanted to escape, but couldn't the only thing that helped was music, and that's gone now. He sprinted faster and faster until he saw the edge of Cloudsdale. He wanted it to be gone so badly. He ran and ran and... jumped. As in instant reaction, his wings spread out, allowing him to slowly glide down. He landed on a nearby cloud. His heart was racing. He looked up, the very place he grew up, was now above him. This is the first time he's ever left. He wanted to go farther down. He glided back and forth between each cloud getting lower and lower until he could almost reach the ground. With one last jump, he landed. It was hard, a lot harder then clouds. But he loved it. He's only seen pictures of it. But his mouth was open in awe. Taking in every detail about it. How the grass felt, the air, the sounds, everything. The idea dawned upon him to wonder where he'd sleep.

After walking for what seemed like hours, he found a small cottage about a quarter-mile from a town. Nopony lived there, so he decided to sleep in it. He slowly walked up to the front porch, hoping nopony would see him. He opened the door and looked inside. It was dark, but he could sleep in it. He found a match and a candle. Within a few moments, the room filled with light. Talsbyn walked upstairs and into a bedroom. A plain bed, that wasn't a cloud, was placed on the right side, near a window. He jumped onto the bed hoping it was soft, but realized it was as hard as a rock. But he still lie. Every event of the day soared through his mind, the good parts and the bad parts. He had one last thought before he finally went to sleep... Why couldn't Fluttershy and him be together?