The Curse of a Kind Heart

Chapters

Softly Spoken
Broken Things
Shaded Truths
Two Birds
One Stone
Tough Love
True Kindness

Softly Spoken

It was a beautiful morning in Ponyville, with everypony going about their daily routines with added gusto due to the wonderful weather. Celestia's sun was not yet one-third of the way across the sky, and yet the ponies were already bustling about in high spirits. It wasn't just inside the town that this was taking place, either. Just outside of Ponyville, on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, sat a quaint little cottage, surrounded by happy critters, both big and small. With the babbling brook nearby and the birds singing in the air, it was the perfect picture of tranquility. It should have been no surprise then that the yellow-and-pink-maned pegasus that called that place home was in as good of spirits as the happiest Ponyville dweller.

"Here you go, Angel. A nice big bowl of lettuce, just how you like it" Fluttershy gently cooed, pushing the bowl of crisp, fresh leaves toward the little white rabbit. He turned his head away, arms crossed, as he shoved the bowl back towards the mare with a foot-paw, obviously displeased with the meal she had prepared for him. Fluttershy was not dissuaded in the least, however, and instead fell back to plan B.

"So you don't want to eat any of your salad?" She asked innocently, slowly pushing the food back towards her pet. Angel shook his head, still refusing to look at Fluttershy or the lettuce. "Even if I told you there was shredded carrot in it?" That got Angel's attention. He paused, opening a single eye slightly to appraise the bowl with new-found interest. "Carrots that I picked from my garden this morning?" she continued, pretending not to have noticed his reaction. "Carrots that are big, and ripe, and fresh, and crunchy, and--" Fluttershy didn't even get to finish her sentence before Angel attacked the salad with great enthusiasm, devouring the food in mere moments.

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, enjoying any small amount of happiness that she could impart upon her furry friend. This had been how her morning had gone, as all her mornings usually went. She had woken up early, prepared each animal's breakfast, and then served it out to the many critters that called her little homestead home. She always got a thrill in her chest -- a little flutter -- whenever she saw the looks of gratitude and happiness that her kindness brought. She could understand why she was the element of kindness. Being kind just made her so... happy.

With all of her friends now fed and content, it was time for Fluttershy to move on to the next step of her daily routine, which was... Um... She put a hoof to her chin, striking a thoughtful pose in an attempt to jump-start her brain. Huh. She tried desperately to think of any responsibilities she had to fill, but nothing came to mind. Normally, she would have moved back into her cottage to tend to any sick or injured critters, but the last of her patients -- a raccoon with a sore rump and a rather irritable porcupine -- had fully recovered and went back to their homes yesterday, leaving her with no patients and some unexpected free time.

Fluttershy considered her options. The first one that jumped into her head was to go and see what her friends were up to. "Oh... But they're all usually so busy... I wouldn't want to, um, impose" she mumbled out loud to nopony in particular.

"Hey, Flutters'!"

Fluttershy's tiny little heart nearly exploded from the shock of suddenly hearing Rainbow Dash's voice coming from directly behind her. She made an astonishingly goat-like sound before promptly flipping over onto her back, all four hooves extending into the air like stiff boards of wood as her body locked up, telling her that her only chance of survival was to play dead. This caused Rainbow no small amount of joy as she burst out into laughter.

Both mare's recovered in time, Fluttershy from her state of shock and Rainbow Dash from her laughing fit, which was dissolving into a few snickers by the time "Flutters'" managed to climb back onto her hooves. "Oh, um, good morning, Rainbow Dash" Fluttershy mumbled, trying vainly to hide from the energetic pegasus behind her own mane. She was frustrated that she had been so easily scared, but she pushed the thought aside in the face of her closest and oldest friend.

"Haha... hey... hehehe... Fluttershy" Rainbow Dash finally managed to choke out between laughs. "We really gotta work on that fear thing you have" She continued after having reigned in her amusement. "Besides how totally uncool it is, it can't be good for your health, either."

"Oh, um, sorry" Fluttershy whispered, eyes locked on the ground at her hooves. Rainbow Dash sighed, suddenly feeling guilty for her total lack of sympathy.

"Hey, who were you talking to a second ago?" she asked instead, wanting to steer the subject away from Fluttershy's lack of courage.

"Oh, um, myself. You see, I was just thinking how, since I didn't have anything to do right now, I might want to go see how our friends are doing. But then, I thought how they have such important jobs and all, and they were probably too busy to spend any time with me." Fluttershy grew more and more depressed as she spoke, her voice becoming quieter with each word as she lowered herself to the ground in sadness. It was all too much negativity for Rainbow's liking.

"Phttt, is that all?" She asked, waving her hoof through the air as if dispelling her friend's worries. "You know everpony's got time for the second-coolest pony in ponyville."

Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash in confusion. "Who's that?"

Dash slapped her own hoof to her face in exasperation. "I'm talking about you, 'Shy!"

"Oh." Fluttershy blushed slightly at the unexpected compliment. She was now avoiding her friend's gaze out of embarrassment instead of shyness, a tiny smile beginning to form at the corners of her mouth. Rainbow always seemed to have a way of turning her uncomfortably sad feelings into uncomfortably happy ones.

Dash hopped into the air, hovering effortlessly with little wing beats, "Anyway," she continued, completely oblivious to Fluttershy's reaction, "I was just on my way to Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie said we were going to hang out today. If you're not doing anything right now, do you want to come with? I'm not sure what she has planned, but with Pinkie, you know it'll be awesome!"

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, finding it difficult to hide the sudden happiness she felt from receiving the invitation. "Y-You don't think Pinkie will mind?"

"No way!" Dash exclaimed, feeling rather pleased with herself for bringing her friend out of her funk. "We're the two coolest ponies in Ponyville, remember? Who wouldn't want to hang out with us?"

~~~

Sugar Cube Corner was busier than usual, on account of the fine weather. Many of the tables had been moved outside so that ponies could eat while enjoying the sun as well. It was at one of these tables that four friends now sat. Rainbow Dash was slamming a vanilla malt, apparently thinking she was in a competition with somepony. Fluttershy sat beside her, watching Rainbow curiously while taking dainty little bites out of the smallest turtle sunday in Equestria. Across from the two pegasi sat Pinkie Pie, who was cheering on Rainbow Dash as though there actually was a competition and she had placed bits on her friend to win it. Applejack sat beside the pink earth pony, chuckling at her two friends' antics.

"Thanks again fer invitin' me along, you two" Applejack said in her southern drawl. "It's nice bein' able ta relax an' enjoy the sunshine once in a while."

Seeing that Rainbow was only halfway through her malt, Fluttershy spoke up for the both of them. "Oh, that's alright. We were happy for the company. Besides, you looked so sad sitting at that apple cart in the market, cheering you up was the least we could do."

"Mm-hmph" Rainbow muttered around her straw, showing that she had not stopped listening to the conversation.

"Well, thank ya kindly all the same. Ah just don't understand it. Ah didn't sell a single apple today, an' yet this place is busier than a rooster in a hen house."

It was then that Rainbow Dash decided to come up for air. She gasped, putting a hoof to her head as her brain froze over. She realized that slamming an ice-cold malt probably wasn't her brightest idea ever.

"Wait" she said through gritted teeth, trying to think through the pain. "Why would a Rooster in a hen house be busy?"

All three ponies had their own unique reactions to this question. Fluttershy's face reddened significantly as she stared at the ground between her hooves, hoping no one would notice her. Applejack, meanwhile, simply cocked her head and looked at Rainbow in total and utter confusion.

"Really?" the orange mare deadpanned incredulously.

Pinkie Pie, in her usual manner, gasped and started waving a hoof excitedly in the air like a school filly who knew the answer to a question. "Ooh! Ooh! I know this one, pick me! Pick me!" she said enthusiastically. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very mu--" Any further damage she could have done to Rainbow's innocence was quickly snuffed out by Applejack placing a hoof in Pinkie's mouth.

"That's enough life lessons fer today, thank ya."

Rainbow Dash looked between her friends as her headache began to recede, their reactions leaving her feeling even more confused than before. "Uh, is somepony gonna let me in on the big secret?"

Rainbow turned to her best friend, who had become even quieter than usual after she had opened her mouth. "Shy? You wanna explain it to me?"

To Fluttershy's credit, she didn't faint on the spot. But having her friend's blissfully ignorant curiosity directed at her caused the timid pegasus's blush to expand past her face and all the way down to her hooves. She hadn't even known that was possible!

Seeing the dangerous state of Fluttershy's discomfort, Applejack decided to speak up. "Lemme answer yer question with a question. Do ya know where foals come from?"

It was interesting watching Rainbow's facial expressions as she went through several emotions in the space of a few seconds. At first, it was simply an expression of confusion that seemed to say what does that have to do with a rooster and a hen house? Then it was a look of extreme concentration, that said hmm... Rooster, hen, mommy, daddy, foal... followed by a look of sudden comprehension Oh! before finally settling on a look of embarrassment, awkwardness, and just a dash of being socially uncomfortable, complete with red face and flattened ears. oh...

Applejack nodded, a smug look on her face. "Ah reckon ya got the picture."

Pinkie Pie giggled merrily. "Oh Dashie, you're such a silly filly! Even gummy got that one." She emphasized the point by pulling her pet alligator out of thin air and holding him a foot in front of Dash's nose. She returned his blank and vacant stare with her own look of annoyance.

"Alright, alright, I get the picture. No need to shove my nose in it." She continued to drink her malt moodily, albeit more slowly than before.

Fluttershy seemed to be recovering somewhat from her extreme embarrassment and decided to ask Pinkie Pie what super fun plans she had come up with for today.

"So, um, Pinkie..."

"Yes, Shy-shy?"

"Eep! Um, I was wondering, I mean, if you wouldn't mind me asking, uh, maybe-"

"Oh fer pete's sake, girl, say whachya wanna say!" Applejack huffed, finally losing her patience with the timid pegasus.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Rainbow Dash berated, immediately jumping to Fluttershy's defense. "She'll say it when she's good and ready!"

"That's alright Rainb--"

"Oh, well sorry, but Ah'd like ta hear it now rather than when Ah look like Granny Smith!"

"Um, I'm sorry, but--"

"You know how she is, she just needs a little time to build up her courage!"

"Can we just s--"

"Try ta define "a little time"

"Please, st--"

"Why, you got someplace you need to be? 'Cause if so, than you can just LEAVE!"

"Than maybe Ah--"

"STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!"

All three mares and half of the restaurant's patrons turned to look at the source of the sudden outburst. Fluttershy sat, both hooves covering her mouth and tears streaming down her face. They all stared at her, completely dumbfounded by her reaction. Before any of them could recover from their shock, she turned on her hoof and leaped into the air, her wings carrying her faster than they ever had before.

Broken Things

Rainbow Dash flew over Ponyville more slowly than usual. She wasn't practicing any stunts or trying to impress anypony right now; she was looking for her best friend. She had checked Fluttershy's cottage first, but the yellow pegasus was nowhere to be seen. Angel didn't even know her whereabouts. The library, the boutique, even the Cutie Mark Crusaders' club house; Fluttershy had well and truly vanished. Now Rainbow floated over the town, sweeping the roads with one last glance before returning to Sugar Cube Corner to meet up with Applejack and Pinkie, who were searching for their friend as well.

Rainbow Dash's chest tightened a little when she didn't see Fluttershy's cream-colored coat among them.

"I take it you guys didn't find her either" Dash said upon landing.

Applejack shook her head, her worry evident on her face. "Nope, couldn't find the little pegasus anywhere."

"Even Gummy doesn't know where she went" Pinkie Pie added dejectedly, her usual smile replaced by a worried frown.

"Darn it!" Applejack suddenly burst out, kicking the dirt with her fore-hoof. "This is all ma fault! Ah know how she can get. Ah should never have lost ma patience like that."

"No, it's my fault" Rainbow conceded. "I shouldn't have egged you on. I know how much she hates arguments."

"Well I think it's nopony's fault!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, regaining a bit of her normal energy.

Rainbow looked surprised while Applejack raised an eyebrow at her. "An' just how do ya figure that?"

"Did you HEAR Fluttershy shout? She was upset about a lot more stuff than just one little argument."

"Well, what else could'a been eat'n at her?" Applejack wondered aloud.

"Don't know, but whatever it is, it's a doozie." Pinkie gasped. "Maybe even BIGGER than a doozie! like-- like-- a doozie of a doozie!"

"No way" Rainbow Dash said, stamping a hoof with conviction. "If 'Shy had something big like that bothering her, she would have told me. We've been friends for, like, ever. She tells me everything."

"Maybe..." Applejack said, tapping her chin with a hoof thoughtfully. "Did either of ya notice her acting at all strange lately?"

"well, she was a little mopey this morning," Dash admitted, rubbing a hoof along the back of her mane self-consciously. "But that's just Fluttershy being Fluttershy. Right?" The way she asked at the end made it sound as if she were trying to convince herself more than them.

"Don't know" Pinkie Pie replied. "But somepony's gotta give her a hug, and I'm just the pony for the job!" With that, the pink pony charged away to continue the search for the missing pegasus.

"You think she was right, about something else bothering Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding more concerned than she would have liked.

"Ah'm not sure, but the more Ah think about it the more sense it makes. Anyway, let's keep on looking. Ah can't stand the thought of the poor girl all alone, crying her heart out."

Dash nodded in agreement and took off to continue her search. Don't worry Fluttershy, I'm coming...

~~~

Fluttershy lay at the base of a large tree in the middle of the Everfree Forest, all alone and crying her heart out, just as Applejack had feared. Without even the company of her woodland creatures, she had never felt this alone since she was a filly. Stupid Fluttershy spoke a little voice in the back of her mind. Stupid, pathetic Fluttershy. You don't deserve your friends. All you deserve is to spend the rest of your life alone like this.

"No. You're wrong" Fluttershy fought back, still crying into her hooves. "My friends... My friends love me... They would do anything for me..."

Oh really? Remember how Applejack hated you when you couldn't find the courage to even talk to one of your so called "friends"?

"She... She didn't hate--"

Ooh, and how about that argument between Rainbow and AJ? That was fun. Do you remember why they started arguing in the first place?

"..."

That's right. It was because of you. You destroyed their years worth of friendship in mere moments. Doesn't that make you feel awful?

"...Stop..."

Stop? But we haven't even gotten to the best part yet. The way you shouted at your "best friends", it was hateful. It was disgusting. It was exhilarating.

"Stop it..."

But what's really fun is that deep down, you loved shouting at them like that. As much as it killed you to raise your voice, you couldn't help but feel that one little glimmer of satisfaction, of being that final hammer that drove the wedge between them, the final act that shattered their friendship forever. Face it, Fluttershy. You aren't kind at all--

"SHUT UP!"

...

Silence returned to the forest as Fluttershy's thoughts took her words to heart. But were those really her thoughts? She prayed to Celestia that they were something, anything, else. She truly wanted to believe that everything was alright, that if she went back to Sugar Cube Corner right now, her friends would still be there, laughing together and having a good time.

But what if the voice was right? What if she really had destroyed all their friendships? Her heart was already broken, as was her mind if the voice was any indication. She really didn't think she would be able to handle it if their friendship was broken, too.

Fluttershy fell back into her quiet sobbing as the possible repercussions of her actions assaulted her mind. She didn't notice the soft wing beats or the gentle disturbance of the air around her as four hooves landed gently on the ground beside her.

"...Fluttershy?"

Instead of jumping or turning or doing anything that might have registered as surprise, Fluttershy merely buried her face even further into her hooves. "I thought I told you to shut up" she said quietly.

Her friend's words hurt Rainbow Dash more than she thought anything possibly could. It was as if an ice cold knife had been plunged into her heart.

"Flutters', I..."

Too late did Fluttershy notice that the words she heard did not originate from her mind, but instead from the cyan pegasus standing beside her. She suddenly panicked, realizing how her words probably sounded like they were directed towards Dash.

"Rainbow! No, I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to myself again! I would never, ever tell you to, um, be quiet! I'm really, really sor--"

Her apology was quickly cut off as Rainbow Dash wrapped her in a warm embrace, her own eyes shimmering as she appeared to be on the verge of crying as well. Fluttershy was speechless for a several moments as a light heat began to rise in her cheeks, the sudden action completely taking her by surprise. A hug was the last thing she would have ever expected after everything that she had done. Let alone a hug from the self-proclaimed "coolest pony in Ponyville".

"I know" Dash said softly, her immense relief held in those two little words. The two mares simply sat there for a while, Rainbow Dash with her hooves wrapped softly around Fluttershy, who had no objections whatsoever.

Eventually Dash ended the moment, releasing Fluttershy from the hug, much to the mare's disappointment. "I'm really glad I found you, 'Shy. You really had us all worried."

"Oh, I'm sorry" Fluttershy apologized as she wiped a hoof across her eyes to dry them. "Um, how did you find me? If you don't mind me asking."

"I was flying over the forest looking for you when I heard you shout."

"Oh" Fluttershy said, her mind revisiting the very unpleasant conversation she had had with herself. "Are... Are Pinkie Pie and Applejack mad at me?"

"What!?" Rainbow exclaimed, shocked that Fluttershy was even worried about that. "Are you kidding? They were just as worried about you as I was. In fact they're out there looking for you right now."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise. "They are!? I thought they'd be upset at me for causing that argument and then raising my voice..."

"'Shy, you had nothing to do with that argument. AJ was just being impatient, and I was just being stubborn. Simple as that. And besides..." Dash's eyes softened. "We could never stay mad at you. Sure, we might get a little annoyed from time to time, but we will always be your friends. Besides, you're the nicest pony in all of Equestria. It isn't even possible to ever not like you."

Fluttershy felt the heat rise in her cheeks once more and she dropped her gaze to avoid Dash's eyes. Just like this morning, Dash had somehow managed to change her uncomfortably sad feelings into uncomfortably happy ones. Now if she could just get rid of the uncomfortable part, her life would be perfect.

"Come on" Dash said as she stood and stretched her wings. "Let's get back to Ponyville. We should probably let AJ and Pinkie know that they can stop looking for you now." Dash grinned at the thought of the two ponies on a wild goose chase.

Fluttershy nodded, standing as well and returning Dash's grin, though she smiled for other reasons.

On second thought, she could deal with the uncomfortable feeling. With Rainbow Dash beside her, her life was already perfect.

The voice she had heard was far from her mind as she flew back to Ponyville with her best friend.

Shaded Truths

Fluttershy didn't know where she was. Grey mist swirled around her hooves, obscuring the ground, and a thick blanket of fog smothered everything around her. Wherever this place was, it was cold. She pulled her wings closer to her sides, trying to trap as much heat to her as she could, but it was to no avail as the frigid air zapped every ounce of warmth she had.

...Fluttershy...

A voice called out to her mockingly, its owner hidden in the fog. To Fluttershy, that voice was a thousand times more chilling than the freezing air. Oh no! she thought in a panic. It's back! It's come back to tell me more of its lies!

That's not very nice, Fluttershy. You know I would never lie to you. But then, you aren't a very nice pony, are you?

Fluttershy tried to speak, tried to politely tell the voice to go away, but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't make her throat work. Her body locked up, as did her mind, both becoming paralyzed with fear. The only thing she could do was listen to her heart as it pounded faster and faster, and to the voice as it continued to torment her.

No, you're not a nice pony at all. But you pretend. Oh, you're so good at pretending. You've fooled them all into thinking your a nice, timid, happy pegasus. But we know better, don't we? We know what you really look like on the inside.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror as the owner of the voice stepped out of the fog in front of her. It was as if she was looking into an old dusty mirror. The pegasus looked like her, but at the same time she didn't. Her coat was darker than the originals, as was the mane. But the thing that scared Fluttershy the most was the expression that the doppelganger wore. It was a face that just screamed of malicious intent and evil thoughts. That pony wanted to hurt ponies, to make other ponies suffer. That wasn't what she wanted. That wasn't her.

Oh, but this is you, Fluttershy. This has always been you. What, did you think gaining a few "friends" and putting on a magic necklace can change who you are at the core? You're a monster, Fluttershy.

The evil Fluttershy took a few steps forward, until her mouth was right beside Fluttershy's ear. She would have shivered as the fake's freezing breath brushed against her fur if she wasn't already numb with fear.

We're a monster.

Tears slipped down Fluttershy's cheeks as her other self laughed maniacally, drinking in all of her hopelessness as if it were the sweetest honey. The fog collapsed in around them, effectively blinding the mare and separating her from the monster, though she knew it was never far away as its laughter echoed in her ears.

~~~

Fluttershy shot upright in her bed, the sheets soaked by the cold sweat she was still experiencing after the horrible nightmare. Her chest was heaving as she took in huge gulps of air, attempting to steady her racing heartbeat. She looked over toward the cuckoo clock hanging on the wall. It read three AM.

Fluttershy laid her head back down onto her pillow, sighing in frustration. She felt tired, yet she was unwilling to return to that bleak, slate-grey world. And she knew she would return there if she closed her eyes. This was not the first time she had had this dream. They had started haunting her after Dash had found her in the Everfree Forest nearly a week ago, and she hadn't had a decent night's sleep since.

She sighed once more, this time in resignation rather than frustration, as she realized it was pointless to stay in bed when she was too scared to close her eyes. So Fluttershy stood, made her bed, and then went downstairs to get a head start on preparing breakfast for all of her little critters, all the while ignoring the protests of her tired muscles.

She could already tell this was going to be a long day.

~~~

By the time noon rolled around, Fluttershy realized that she had never known what a long day felt like until today. She was practically falling asleep on her hooves, and everything she did seemed to suffer for it. The first sign she had gotten that something might be wrong with her came in the form of Angel's breakfast. instead of the usual leafy greens that she always prepared for him, she had instead tried to serve him expired cat food. How she had ever mistaken the smelly mush for leafy greens she'll never know. She still wasn't entirely sure if Angel had forgiven her for nearly killing him.

And it had only gotten worse from there.

Needless to say, after breaking no less than three vases, a window, and starting a small house fire, Fluttershy was ready to give up. She sat dejectedly on her front lawn, lost in her tired, depressing thoughts.

It was then that Rarity came walking down the path towards Fluttershy's cottage, going to meet her friend for their weekly spa date. "Fluttershy, darling, where are you? If we don't hurry, we'll miss our reservation for the-- AH!" The prissy pony nearly fainted when she saw the state that Fluttershy was in. Her mane was unusually dirty and unkempt, as was her coat. It looked like she hadn't brushed either of them for days. Her feathers also needed to be preened, as they were ruffled and jutted out at odd angles in several places. She had also developed deep bags under her eyes due to her sleep deprivation. And did her coat look darker than usual? "Oh my dear, what ever has happened to you?!"

Fluttershy looked up in surprise, having completely forgotten about their weekly spa visits in the face of her new worries. "Oh, Rarity! I'm so so so sorry, I completely forgot about--"

"Ah ah, shooshooshoosh" the fashionista interrupted, holding up a hoof to silence her. "Not another word, darling. We're going to get you down to the spa, get you all cleaned up, and then you can tell me all about it."

Fluttershy nodded, smiling gently. Maybe opening up to a friend would help her get her head on straight. She had neglected to tell anypony about the voice for so long, fearing that they would agree with it and say that that really was her true self. But with her dreams becoming more vivid, and how she kept losing more sleep each night, perhaps it was time to change her strategy?

The two friends began the trek towards Ponyville, Rarity pressing herself to Flutteshy's side comfortingly. She could tell that something was truly bothering her quiet friend, and she was determined to try and help in any way she could, even if that was only being an ear to talk to.

~~~

"And so that's the reason why I haven't been able to get any sleep lately. That voice is always waiting for me. Even if I only close my eyes for a second, I can hear her, trying to tell me how mean I am on the inside."

The two mares were relaxing in an herbal bath as Fluttershy concluded her confession. Rarity was deep in thought, wearing a small frown as she contemplated everything she had been told. Fluttershy grew more nervous as her friend's silence stretched on for several moments, questions racing through her mind. Did Rarity think she was crazy? Did she think she was dangerous? What about the voice? Would sharing these feelings help silence it? Or would it only be angrier? Fluttershy sank lower into the water as she waited for Rarities verdict, finding it very difficult to hope for a positive reaction.

"Well..." Rarity said at length. "I can certainly see how you've been losing sleep over this. Having to face something like that nightmare every time you fall asleep... I can only imagine how awful that must be."

"You mean you believe me?!" Fluttershy asked in surprise.

"Of course I do, darling" Rarity replied with a soft smile. "What sort of friend would I be if I didn't trust you at your word? And besides, you certainly look like you've been haunted by something as of late."

Fluttershy returned Rarity's smile, heartened by her friend's compassion and understanding. "Thank you, Rarity. It's nice to be able to finally tell somepony about this. It really is scary, being told that you're a monster by yourself."

Rarity frowned, a thought suddenly coming to her. "You know what this voice reminds me of?"

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. "What's that?"

"Well, do you remember that little, ah... incident... with the hedge maze from after Discord escaped?" Rarity really didn't like this subject, as she had promised herself that she would never speak of it again. But if the memory might in some way help her friend in need, then she would revisit it for her sake. Fluttershy merely nodded her confirmation, knowing full well that this was a sore topic for the proud mare. "Well, it's occurred to me that this voice sounds an awful lot like the way you were after discord cast his spell on you."

Fluttershy looked shocked for a moment. Of course she could remember the way she had acted back then, much in the way that Rarity could remember thinking that a boulder was a diamond. But she had hated every second of it! She remembered the feeling of her body being taken over by mean and hateful thoughts, helplessly looking on as those thoughts forced her to do things she would never even dream of doing. If Rarity was right and this voice was some remnant of those thoughts, then what did that mean for her? Where those thoughts originally hers, and Discord had only dragged them to the surface? Or had they been given to her unwillingly, forced into her mind by magical means?

"You really think this voice might have something to do with Discord's magic?" Fluttershy asked, curious and fearful at the same time.

"I'm not sure, but it certainly seems like a possibility, doesn't it? I think you should talk to Twilight and ask her about it" Rarity suggested, feeling very inadequate wherever magic was concerned.

They lapsed into silence, each deep in their own thoughts as they continued to relax in the warm water.

"There's something else that's bothering me" Rarity spoke up after several minutes of silence.

"Oh?" Fluttershy asked curiously.

"Well, you said this voice only showed up when you flew into the Everfree forest, after Rainbow and Applejack's argument, correct?" Fluttershy nodded. "I was just wondering, why then? Why would it wait for so long to make its presence known?"

"I'm not sure" Fluttershy stated sadly. "Maybe it was because I shouted at my friends for the first time."

"Hmm..." was all Rarity had to say. Fluttershy waited for her to elaborate, but when she didn't speak up she didn't press the issue.

~~~

The rest of their spa visit was enjoyable, though uneventful. Feeling better than she had in days, Fluttershy parted ways with Rarity, promising that she would seek out Twilight's help should the dreams continue. Rarity really is an amazing friend she thought to herself as she walked back home to her cottage, a new hope fluttering inside her heart. How could a monster ever deserve a friend like that?

The sun sat low on the horizon, casting a soft orange glow over everything beneath it. As the fading light caressed her coat, an observant pony might have noticed that it was just a shade lighter than it had been that morning.

Two Birds

Rarity and Rainbow Dash were sitting in the unicorn's kitchen in the back of her boutique, relaxing with tea after fixing a rather urgent situation that had suddenly arisen. Rarity had awoken that morning to thunder coming from the main room of her store. Somepony had placed an angry storm cloud in the store, thinking it would be funny. Rarity was slightly ashamed to admit that she had at first thought it to be the work of Rainbow Dash, but that assumption was dispelled when Rainbow had been flying nearby, drawn by the commotion, and offered her assistance in dispersing the annoyance.

After the cloud had been dealt with, Rarity had invited Dash to stay for a cup of tea. She would be the last to admit it, but the unicorn could make the best tea in all of Equestria. So, going against her better judgement, Rainbow had agreed.

"I really must thank you again, Rainbow. You just can't imagine how absolutely dreadful it was to find that awful storm cloud sitting in the middle of my boutique."

"No problem, Rare" Dash waved a hoof nonchalantly, demonstrating how effortless her rescue was. "It was just some pony's idea of a bad joke. Nothing a little buck couldn't fix."

"Still, you truly saved me. I would never have been able to get my work started today if you hadn't come along." Rainbow smiled as she sipped her tea, pleased that she had gotten the chance to play hero so early in the morning.

Rarity noticed all too well how her words were boosting her friend's ego, and decided it was time to change the subject to one that she was very much interested in hearing about.

"So, how has Fluttershy been doing? I haven't seen her today and I was wondering if she went to see Twilight after our talk."

Raibow Dash cocked her head quizzically. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You mean she hasn't told you?" Rarity sounded surprised by Dash's ignorance.

"Told me what?" Rainbow asked rather forcefully. Rarity suddenly buttoned her lips, believing that if Fluttershy hadn't told the pony she was closest to about her nightmares or their discussion, she probably had a good reason to keep it a secret. Dash noticed how Rarity had suddenly gotten quiet, and looked at the mare intently. "Come on, Rare. Tell me what's going on with Fluttershy."

Rarity started to wilt under Rainbow's glare, small beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow. "N-nothing, Fluttershy's fine. Nothing to worry about, haha... heh..." She slurped her tea in an uncharacteristically noisy fashion, attempting to avoid Dash's stare.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed menacingly as she began to hover over Rarity, placing her drink down and putting her face mere inches away from the panicking unicorn's. "What's. Wrong. With. Fluttershy."

Rarity swallowed nervously. Would Fluttershy ever purposefully keep a secret from Rainbow Dash? Would she be mad if she told her? Rarity considered her options, all the while being pierced by that intimidating glare

"... Alright..." she said at length. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise to stay calm. It's not like it was your fault or anything..."

~~~

A soft knock came from the front door of the library. Inside the tree house, Twilight Sparkle, still in bed despite it being nearly noon, groaned in agony from the sound of somepony's hoof gently tapping against the solid oak door. Although it was an extremely quiet sound, it may as well have been mortar shells dropping after the long night of studying that the book-crazy unicorn had put herself through. She put a hoof to her temple, trying to nurse her terrible migraine.

"Spike!" She called out to her draconian assistant. "Quick, get the door, before that pony brings the library crashing down!"

Spike chuckled as he headed towards the door to answer it. "Yeah yeah, I'm on it" he assured her.

Spike opened the door to see Fluttershy on the other side of it, looking as dead-on-her-hooves as Twilight. "Hey, Fluttershy. Gee, you aren't looking too hot. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no. I mean, well, yes. Um, maybe. Kind of..."

"Come on inside. Twilight should be up soon. I'm sure she could help you with... uh... whatever you need help with."

"Oh, um, alright. Thank you."

Fluttershy stepped inside while spike went to fetch Twilight. Five minutes later, the two extremely tired mares were sitting at the table in the middle of the library, each with a cup of hot coffee in front of them, courtesy of spike, who had retreated into the kitchen to prepare their lunch. The pegasus proceeded to tell her friend about what had happened at Sugar Cube Corner the previous week, the reason for her lack of sleep, and the discussion she had had with Rarity the previous day. Unfortunately, their talk hadn't helped with the nightmares at all, as they had returned last night in full force.

"So what do you think? Can you help make this voice go away?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

"Well, what you describe does sound an awful lot like your behavior from back then" Twilight stated thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her hoof as she considered Rarity's theory. "But then again, I just can't see how that could possibly be the cause of this voice."

"Huh? You mean you don't think Discord's magic has anything to do with it?"

"Well I didn't say that" Twilight clarified. "The similarity between this voice and your darker self can't be denied, but I think the connection may be more psychological rather than magical."

This only caused Fluttershy to look more confused. Twilight sighed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts to try and find the best way to explain her theory to the less-bookish mare. "What I mean is, when Discord transformed you back then, the transformation was so sudden and unnatural to you that it may have left a wound in your psyche; A wound that was opened last week at Sugar Cube Corner. That would explain why you hadn't heard the voice until then. It also seems unlikely that the voice is any lingering magic, simply because when you reformed discord, he reverted every unnatural change that he had made to Equestria up until that point. It would also be strange that you would be the only one to experience any lingering magical effects out of our entire group of friends."

As Twilight spoke, Fluttershy's look of confusion slowly gave way to tepid understanding. "I... I think I understand what you're saying..."

"Lunch is served!" Spike called from the doorway to the kitchen. He emerged wearing a floury apron and carrying a silver platter with two dandelion sandwiches for the mares. Twilight thanked him as he set the tray down on the table between them before he retreated to the upstairs loft.

Fluttershy took a dainty bite from her sandwich and swallowed before she spoke again. "Um, so, if the problem is in my head, then how am I supposed to make this voice go away?

Twilight took a much-less dainty bite out of her sandwich as she considered the dilemma. "It seems to me that the voice only appeared after you yourself had thought you had done something terribly mean and cruel. So it stands to reason that if you can find some way to convince yourself that you are a truly kind and gentle soul at heart, then the voice will have no more dark thoughts to draw upon and will have no choice but to leave you in peace."

Fluttershy's throat dried and her chest tightened painfully, the question she was afraid to ask raging inside of her mind. "What... What if..." she whispered, barely audible as she tried to choke out the terrifying thought in her head. She closed her eyes, as if blocking out the world and pretending it didn't exist would ease the taxation on her nerves. "What if I'm not kind or gentle at all" She finally managed to ask as her closed eyes started to tear up. "What if the voice is right, and I really am mean on the inside? What if--"

Fluttershy flinched as she felt warm hooves wrap around her shoulders and her eyes shot open in surprise. Twilight had moved around the table while she had voiced her worries. She now sat beside the pegasus, giving her only the second warmest and most reassuring hug she had ever received in her entire life. Fluttershy's mind flashed back to the previous week, when Rainbow Dash had found her in the forest. She felt a light heat rise in her cheeks at the memory,

Thankfully the blush went unnoticed by Twilight as she had closed her eyes during the embrace. "Don't ever think that you're not kind, Fluttershy. You're the nicest, sweetest, most lovable pony in all of Equestria, and that's a fact. I know you may not believe me, and you're doubting yourself right now, but all of your friends are going to be here for you and help to prove to you just how wrong that stupid voice is."

Tears finally fell as Fluttershy returned Twilight's hug, quietly sobbing into her friend's shoulder. It felt good to cry, to just let out all of her frustration, anger, and fear. Twilight attempted neither to retreat nor to comfort her, but simply sat there and let Fluttershy's tears soak her fur.

~~~

Rainbow Dash blasted out of the doors of the boutique, Rarity's angry shout barely audible behind her.

"You promised to stay calm!"

Rainbow ignored her as she flew straight for Flutterhsy's cottage.

Darn it Dash, how could you have been so stupid?! she thought angrily to herself. Of course Fluttershy was upset about something! Of course she would still be beating herself up about that little argument last week! And where have you been, huh? Practicing your stunts? Some friend you are. Well, you're going to make this right, right now! You're going to find Fluttershy, tell her to tell that voice to go buck itself, and then your going to throw yourself at her hooves and beg her forgiveness for being the worst friend in the history of friends!

Rainbow reached Fluttershy's house moments later, but the pegasus didn't seem to be home. Dash grunted in frustration. Ok, think. Where could she have gone? Oh yeah! Didn't Rarity say something about suggesting she go see Twilight?

Turning around, Rainbow headed back into Ponyville, setting her sights on the library. Don't worry, 'Shy. I'm going to make this up to you if it kills me.

One Stone

High up in the clouds, a yellow pegasus filly sat on the cloud bleachers as all the other young ponies practiced there flight techniques. She let out a sad sigh as she watched them. It was only the first day of Flight Camp, and she had already been teased about her weak flying ability. She unfolded her scrawny wings and looked down at them wistfully, all of the other students' taunts and jibes seeming brutally honest to her now.

As she let her wings fold back to her sides, a small noise caught her attention. It sounded like sniffling, but she couldn't be sure. As she paid more attention to the slight sound, she realized that it was coming from beneath her hooves, underneath the very bleachers she was sitting on. Her curiosity pricked, she did a little hop-skip-glide to the edge of the seats and poked her head over, attempting to find the source of the sad noise.

There, sitting with her back to the filly, was another young pegasus. Her coat was blue, and she sported the most beautiful mane the filly had ever seen before, with all the colors of the rainbow streaked through it. It was from this prismatic pegasus that the sniffling was coming from. She was obviously upset about something.

The yellow filly hopped off the bleachers and glided down to land a good ten feet away from the upset pony. She wasn't sure what she was planning to do, but she had to try something to cheer her up.

"Oh my. What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

"G-g-go a-away" the little pegasus ordered through broken sobs.

Normally, the timid and borderline-antisocial filly would be more than willing to obey such a command. But there was something, some nurturing instinct inside of her, that told her she could not just abandon a pony in need. And this little cyan pegasus was clearly in need.

"Maybe if you told me what was bothering you, we could--"

"STOP PRETENDING TO BE NICE TO ME!" The yellow filly reeled back in surprise from the sudden outburst. The rainbow pony was now standing and facing her accusingly, tears still streaming from her rose-tinted eyes and down her face. "That's what they all do! They pretend to be nice to me. They act like they're my friends. And then the second I mess up? WHAM! They're pointing and laughing and calling me names! So just go away! I don't need fake friends, and I don't need pity. I don't need anything, 'cause I'm... 'cause I'm..." She sat back down with her back once more to the shocked filly, letting her ears droop in sadness. "'Cause I'm the coolest pony around" she finished quietly, sorrowful yet resolute at the same time.

The cyan pegasus closed her eyes and waited like that. She waited for her to say something cruel, or to fly away and leave her forever. A few moments passed before she heard the soft rustle of feathers and the telltale sounds of a pegasus taking off behind her. She sighed, though whether in relief or disappointment she could not be sure. What if she really was trying to be nice to me? the filly thought idly. What if I just threw away my one chance at having a true friend? Agh, come on. When are you gonna learn your lesson? No pony's ever gonna be your fri--

Her eyes shot wide open as warm hooves and soft wings gently wrapped around the filly from behind. It was the warmest embrace she had ever received. That one simple action conveyed the loving and caring nature of a parent, the kinship and protectiveness of a sibling, and the understanding and trust of a friend. Friend...

Instead of struggling or trying to escape the yellow filly's hug, she simply sank into it, now openly weeping without any restraint. It was an odd and unique sensation for her, to be this painfully open and honest with anypony nearby. But, somehow, it just seemed right. It was as if she could share anything with this pony, a pony that she didn't even know, and she would never be judged or ridiculed for doing so.

The yellow filly waited patiently until all of the pony's tears were spent before ending the embrace. "Feel better?" she asked in genuine concern.

She nodded in response. "Yeah, thanks" she sniffed. "You must think I'm really uncool, crying like a little foal..."

"Not at all. Even the cool ponies feel like crying sometimes" she said sagely with a smile.

"Hehe. You know, you're alright. I'm sorry I acted like such a jerk to you earlier."

"Oh, I don't mind. But are you better now?" she asked with a worried frown. "Do you want to talk about why you were over here crying?"

She gave a tired sigh. "My name's Rainbow Dash, see? But everyone calls me Rainbow Crash, just because my landings aren't always the best." The little filly sniffed again, still trying to reign in her tears in an attempt of keeping up her tough persona.

"I think Rainbow Dash is a very pretty name" the yellow pegasus replied honestly. "At least your name isn't something plain or boring like Fluttershy."

"Are you kidding me?" Dash burst out. "I wish my name was half as beautiful as that!" The shy pegasus blushed at the unintentional compliment. "By the way" Rainbow continued, wiping the last of her tears away. "You never told me your name."

"Oh, um... It's Fluttershy..."

"Oh..." was all Dash could say before an awkward silence enveloped them.

Dash was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, um... Do you think you could, maybe, not tell anypony that I was crying? It's bad for my rep., you know..." Fluttershy smiled and nodded in understanding. "And, uh... maybe, we could... talk again later? You know... about feelings, and... stuff?"

Fluttershy's smile broadened at that. "That's what friends are for."

~~~

Rainbow Dash wiped away a tear at the memory as she approached the library. That's exactly what friends are for... to be there when you need them... to cheer you up... to listen to your problems... everything that I've failed to do for Fluttershy. My first true friend. Well don't worry, 'Shy. I've learned my lesson. I'm gonna be there for you no matter what from now on. I'll be the best friend you deserve. I'll--

Dash reached her destination and stopped outside of one of the libraries many windows, and what she saw inside broke her heart. Twilight was embracing Fluttershy, and the pegasus was crying into her shoulder, letting out all of the pent-up emotion inside of her, just as Dash herself had done all those years ago. The crushing reality that hit Rainbow right then nearly made her wings stop working.

She had been replaced.

When Dash was a filly, Fluttershy had been there for her, been there to embrace her and comfort her. Now, all these years later, she had failed to uphold her end of their unspoken agreement. She had failed to be there. To hold her. To comfort her. And in her absence? When Fluttershy had needed a friend most? She turned to Twilight. Rainbow was too late, and now their friendship had been diminished, tarnished and turned dull. Never again would she be the one for Fluttershy to confide in, and vice-versa. How could Dash ever hope to confide in 'Shy, when she was incapable of returning the favor?

Rainbow was forced to land as the weight of her utter failure and all that entailed began to pile on top of her. Broken and defeated, she turned and began to walk away, head hung low and a dark cloud of despair floating overhead.

Dash hadn't gotten very far when she heard somepony galloping straight towards her. She lifted her head somewhat to see who it was, more for her own safety rather than actually caring. She found it hard to care about anything at the moment. To her slight surprise, she found Rarity standing in front of her. Her mane was disheveled and she was gasping for breath. Rainbow idly realized that if Rarity had ran straight here from the boutique, she must have flown all the way to Fluttershy's cottage and then to the library in about a minute. Huh. Nope, still couldn't care.

Aside from looking like she could drop dead at any moment, Rarity looked pissed. "YOU! Irrational, feather-brained, reckless FOAL of a pony! If you've said anything to hurt Fluttershy's feelings, I'll... I'll..." She trailed off as Rainbow continued walking right past her, head once again hung low. "What... What happened? Rainbow? Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow just kept on walking, not feeling any desire to chat with anypony at that moment. Anypony except one... but she would be lucky if she ever saw Fluttershy again after the way she failed her.

Rarity's apprehension grew by the second as she watched her friend's departure. What in Equestria could have caused her such sadness? She was afraid to hear the answer to that question.

Judging from the direction that Rainbow had been walking in, Rarity assumed she had just left the library. So she headed towards the massive tree house, steeling herself for whatever she would find there.

At first everything seemed normal when she arrived, but as she was about to knock on the front door, she could hear the distinct sound of Fluttershy crying inside. Throwing caution to the wind, Rarity flung the door wide open with her magic and galloped inside. She was met by the shocked looks of both Fluttershy and Twilight, still embracing each other, albeit feeling slightly more awkward about it with the addition of a third pony. Rarity was oblivious to this in her current worry for her fragile friend.

"Fluttershy! Oh Fluttershy, darling, you mustn't blame yourself! It was me who told Rainbow Dash about the voice, and then, well, you know how reckless she gets. She just flew out my door before I could convince her otherwise! She really was only trying to help. If only I had never opened my big mouth, she would never have come here!"

"Wait, Rainbow Dash was here?" Fluttershy asked, obviously surprised.

Rarity's brain did a double take, and all she could manage to say was "...huh?"

"Wait, you didn't tell Dash about the voice?" Twilight asked Fluttershy, sounding the most surprised of them all.

"I haven't seen Rainbow all week" Fluttershy replied defensively (or as defensively as Fluttershy could).

"Why did you think Dash had been here?" Twilight asked, returning her attention to Rarity.

"Because I saw her leaving the... Why was Fluttershy crying?"

"What's all the commotion?" Spike asked from the stairs. "Oh, hey Rarity. Want a sandwich?"

"That's it, time out" Twilight said, putting an end to the questions. "We need to get everypony together right now and get everything out in the open."

"Marvelous idea. Maybe then I can stop making matters worse" Rarity added with only the slightest hint of sarcasm.

Fluttershy was still scared of what her friends would think when she told them she had a voice in her head. Although the only ones who didn't know by now were Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "Oh, um, I don't know..."

"Don't worry, Fluttershy" Twilight assured her. "Your friends will be right next to you every step of the way."

Fluttershy smiled gently, bolstered by her words. But Twilight still didn't have the power to turn her uncomfortably sad feelings into uncomfortably happy ones. Only one pony in all of Equestria had the power to do that.

Tough Love

Later that day, all of Fluttershy's friends had assembled at the library. All except one, that is. Twilight had taken it upon herself to travel to Sugar Cube Corner and the Apple Family Farm to invite Applejack and Pinkie Pie. She had flown up to Rainbow Dash's cloud home as well in the hopes of finding her there, but there was no sign of her. Twilight looked to her clock on the wall and noted that it was approaching five pm. She felt mildly frustrated that Rainbow was nowhere to be found when Fluttershy needed her, but she reminded herself that she must have been dealing with her own issues if Rarity's account was accurate.

"Has anypony seen Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked the group, hoping for some answers.

"Not since I passed her on my way here" Rarity said, a worried frown on her face. "She seemed awfully sad when I spoke to her. And then she walked off without so much as a 'hello'. Oh, I do hope she's alright."

"Can somepony tell me what the hay is goin' on?" Applejack spoke up, feeling incredibly out-of-the-loop.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie said as she hopped in place. She inhaled dramatically before she spoke next. "Fluttershy-heard-this-scary-voice-in-her-head-after-Rainbow-Dash-found-her-in-the-Everfree-Forest-where-she-went-to-hide-after-yelling-at-her-and-Applejack-and-now-she-has-nightmares-every-night-and-can't-sleep-and-is-doubting-whether-or-not-she's-really-kind-deep-down!" She rattled off the synopsis at lightning speed, and everypony simply stared at her with differing levels of surprise.

"How did you..." Twilight began to ask. "Never mind" she said instead, just chalking it up to pinkie being pinkie. "Do you know why Rainbow Dash was upset?"

"Not a clue" Pinkie said with a shrug.

"Wait, what's this about ya wonderin' if'n yer kind or not?" AJ asked Fluttershy, looking at her with concern.

The timid pegasus averted her eyes, attempting to hide behind her pink mane and made a sound half-way between a whimper and a whine. She knew it was silly, but she was embarrassed that she felt she might no longer represent the element of kindness. Having ponies' attention drawn to her insecurity, even though they were her friends, caused her no small deal of discomfort.

Twilight was the first to pick up on this. She placed a comforting hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. She jumped at the touch, but didn't shy away from it. "Maybe we should go and find Rainbow Dash before we deal with this" Twilight suggested. "We should all be here to help Fluttershy. And it sounds like Rainbow could use some help as well."

Fluttershy gave a tiny nod in agreement. "Oh, my problems can wait. Rarity said that she looked really sad. I hope she's alright." Fluttershy's voice was noticeably stronger when she spoke of her concerns for her friend, betraying just how much she cared about her wellbeing.

Twilight smiled at her. "You really are a kind pony" she said simply. Fluttershy's cheeks grew warm at the unexpected statement and she quickly turned her face away to hide her blush.

"Alright girls" Twilight said, turning her attention back towards the others. "We've got another friend out there that needs our help, so lets go find her. We'll meet back here in one hour."

"Right!" they all said in unison.

They each departed the library to begin their search. Fluttershy was the last to leave. As she closed the door behind her, a cold chill ran up her spine.

Do you really want to find her, Fluttershy? Wouldn't it be nice if you never had to listen to Rainbow's bragging ever again?

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she tried desperately to block out the cold words. She hoped they found Rainbow Dash soon. She really needed her best friend.

~~~

Rainbow Dash sat on the sand at the edge of her favorite lake, staring dismally at her own reflection. She was not at all deep in thought, despite how it may have looked to the casual passerby. Rather, she had figuratively "shut down" her brain, leaving only the bare essentials running. If she thought about anything at all, it would inevitably be something pertaining to Fluttershy. But any thought relating to her best friend (she supposed that would be ex-best friend now) only caused a dull ache in her heart and a lump in her throat, so she elected to not think about anything at all and to simply stare at her reflection until it would not hurt to think anymore. How long until that would happen she did not know, but she was willing to wait as long as she had to. The pain she felt inside was just too much to bear.

"Ah thought Ah might find ya here."

Dash was brought out of her stupor by Applejack's familiar voice. She lifted her head to see the orange country mare approaching from her left along the lake shore.

"Oh, it's you, AJ" Rainbow Dash said in a monotone. She still didn't feel like talking to anypony, and she wasn't trying very hard to hide the fact. "I thought Pinkie would be the first one to bother me. She always seems to know where I am."

Applejack stopped a few paces away from her. "Well Ah guess she just doesn't know ya as well as Ah do." She could sense Rainbow's hostility well enough, but she kept a friendly air, understanding that her feelings were directed at something else. What that 'something else' might be she wasn't sure, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Ya know everypony's out lookin' for ya? We were all worried about ya after we heard how ya blew Rarity off today."

"Huh..." was all Rainbow Dash deigned to say, turning her attention back towards the gently lapping waves of the lake at her hooves.

Applejack was really worried now. Dash hadn't even tried to deny or excuse the way she had treated Rarity. This doom-and-gloom mentality that Rainbow was showing wasn't like her at all.

"What's with ya, Dash?" she asked in concern. "What could'a happened to make ya so miserable all of a sudden?"

"I don't wanna talk about it" she replied flatly, leaving no room for debate.

Applejack was becoming irritated by Rainbow's attitude, but she exercised her self-control and quickly suppressed the feeling. "Well could ya at least come back to the library with me? If'n ya don't wanna talk about yer problems, ya can at least help Fluttershy with hers. Or have ya forgotten about that?"

Rainbow Dash turned towards her angrily. "Hey, I want to help Fluttershy with her problems!" She turned back towards the water, quickly switching from anger to sadness. "But that doesn't mean I can" she tacked on quietly.

"An' just what the hay is that supposed to mean?" AJ asked incredulously. "If ya wanna help her, then help her. There ain't no middle ground."

"Don't you get it?" Rainbow scoffed, kicking the water half-heartedly with her hoof. "Fluttershy doesn't need me anymore. She has Twilight."

"What are ya talkin' about?" Applejack asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Of course Fluttershy needs ya. She needs all of us right now."

Rainbow turned angrily towards Applejack, frustrated that she couldn't understand how useless she felt. "I can't help her, alright?! She needs somepony she can trust! Somepony she can rely on!"

"She's yer best friend!" AJ retorted, raising her voice to match Dash's. Her self-control was beginning to slip as her irritation rose to the surface. "If she can't rely on ya, what can she rely on?!"

"What don't you understand?! I FAILED! 'Shy's already moved on!" It was becoming difficult for Rainbow to stay composed. Tears were trying to escape, despite her best efforts to suppress them.

"Dang it, Dash, Fluttershy's still your friend!"

"She doesn't need me anymore! So just LEAVE ME ALONE!" Rainbow shouted angrily.

Applejack brought her hoof up and smacked rainbow's face with enough force to bowl her over onto her back. The action was so sudden and unanticipated that Rainbow had to just lay there on the sand in shock for a moment as the realization that her friend had just hit her in the face slowly sank in.

Applejack stood over Rainbow Dash. She looked tired, as if slapping her friend had drained everything from her. "She needs ya, Dash" she said softly, all sense of hostility gone from her. "Yer her best friend. She'll always need ya. An' right now she needs ya more than ever before. So what are ya gonna do? Are ya gonna sit here an' mope? Or are ya gonna go ta her an' prove that yer worth every ounce a' faith she's put in ya?

Dash's mind began to clear as the pain receded from her swollen cheek. With her two options laid out so plainly before her, the choice was obvious.

"You're... You're right, AJ. Even if 'Shy never wanted to see my face again, I gotta be there to support her. Sorry I was acting like such a foal."

"Ah ain't the one ya should be apologizin' to" AJ responded simply, a smile playing at the edge of her mouth. She offered her hoof to help Rainbow up, and she accepted it gratefully.

Dash stood and dusted off the sand from her coat. As they started walking back towards Ponyville and the library, Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"Hey, AJ?"

"Yeah Rainbow?"

"You ever hit me again, I'm gonna hit you back."

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash and she returned the glare. After a few seconds, Applejack broke out into laughter, soon followed by Rainbow Dash, both of them laughing until their sides hurt. This was the kind of companionship that Rainbow Dash desired between her and Fluttershy, and she would do anything to get it back.

True Kindness

The sun was starting its decent below the horizon as Applejack and Rainbow Dash entered the Ponyville library. It looked as though the rest of their friends had returned before them, though Dash noticed the absence of the pony that she was most anxious to meet. Had Fluttershy just not come back from her search for her yet? Dash's thoughts were interrupted by Pinkie Pie as she immediately leapt atop Dash as soon as she saw her and embraced her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Dashie!" she cried. "Everypony was sooooo worried about you! Are you alright?!"

Applejack chuckled. "She will be as soon as ya let go of her." Dash emphasized the point with a pained grunt as her face began to turn a darker shade of blue.

Pinkie Pie took the hint and set her friend down, allowing the others to greet her.

"Rainbow darling, are you feeling better now?" Rarity asked with a concerned frown.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just needed a little sense knocked into me, that's all." She glanced at AJ with a knowing smirk that she returned. "I'm sorry I brushed you off earlier, Rare. I, uh, wasn't really myself."

"Oh not to worry, dear. I knew you didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Rainbow" Twilight cut in. "But Fluttershy still needs our help and she hasn't come back yet."

So she was still out there. Great. As if Dash needed another reason to hate herself. If only she had come to her senses sooner, Fluttershy never would have gone out looking for her and they could be solving her problems right now instead of worrying about her whereabouts.

"But we agreed tah meet back here in a hour." Applejack's voice brought Dash out of her thoughts. "We were already late gettin' back. Where could she have gone?"

"I don't know" Twilight said. "But I'm worried about her. She was really upset earlier today. I'm afraid she might have done something drastic."

Rainbow Dash felt a weight drop in the pit of her stomach. Twilight's statement brought back the memory of looking through the window and seeing her and Fluttershy holding one another as Fluttershy cried into her shoulder. It was a strange and foreign feeling she felt as she looked at the purple alicorn. She realized what it was: jealousy.

But why? What reason could she possibly have to be jealous of her? Sure, an hour ago she had thought Twilight had replaced her as Fluttershy's best friend, but she had gotten over that silly sentiment, hadn't she? Shouldn't she have felt happy that Fluttershy had so many friends to rely on? Why was it that she felt some sense of possessiveness towards the mare?

"Uh, Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?"

Rainbow shook herself out of her inner monologue to see all four ponies in the room looking at her strangely. She realized she had been glaring at Twilight for some amount of time.

"Uh, alright? Yeah, I'm alright. Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright? Never been better, hehe... he..."

"Well, ok then..." Twilight looked less than convinced, but she didn't press the issue any farther, much to Dash's relief. "Well girls, looks like we're going out there to look for one of our friends again. You all know the drill. Meet back here in one hour. I'll stay here this time in case Fluttershy comes back on her own."

"Right" they said in unison.

"Good luck, everypony" Twilight said as they walked out the door.

~~~

The first place that Rainbow Dash chose to search was the Everfree Forest. She hadn't had any particular plan on where to start looking for Fluttershy when she left the library, but she found herself flying in the forest's general direction, as if she were being drawn by some magnetic force. Perhaps she just subconsciously thought that Fluttershy might be there because it was where she had hid from the monster for the first time nearly a week ago. In any case, she figured her best course of action was to stick with her gut instincts.

She had not been flying over the forest's canopy for long when a voice suddenly rang out through the cool air of twilight.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Dash stopped her search, happiness rising in her chest. That had been Fluttershy's voice. She knew it. She hovered there above the Everfree Forest, scanning the foliage for any sign of her best friend's butter cream coat, a task that was made increasingly difficult by the fading light of the setting sun.

"Fluttershy! Where are you?!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy's voice called out again. This time Dash was able to tell the general direction that the voice was coming from. She flew down beneath the tops of the trees. The darkness down here was much more prevalent than above as each and every rock and tree seemed to eat up any light that made it down this far. Rainbow squinted in the half light, trying to make out any shape that might have been her best friend's silhouette.

"Fluttershy?!" she called out once more, and she heard her name called once again.

"Rainbow Dash!" The voice was closer this time, and much clearer. Rainbow knew for certain that it was Fluttershy's voice, but... there was something off about it. Fluttershy wasn't calling out for help or trying to get her attention. Instead, it was almost luring her, like somepony calling out to their lost puppy. Needless to say it was unlike Fluttershy to ever use such a tone with her, or anypony for that matter, and that fact sent a shiver down her spine.

"Fl-Flutters'? Is that you?" Rainbow asked the darkness in a shaky voice. She had followed her instincts into the forest, but now every fiber of her being was screaming at her to take flight, to leave that place and never return. And she wanted to. She really, really wanted to.

But she wouldn't.

Rainbow Dash wouldn't allow herself to run away, not when there was the slightest possibility that Fluttershy was nearby and needed her help. Rainbow placed a lot of faith in her instincts; probably more so than anypony rightly should. But where Fluttershy was concerned, Dash was willing to put her gut and her head on the sidelines in favor of exploring that one-in-a-billion chance that her instincts were wrong.

And so she hovered in the darkness, challenging it to play its hand and reveal what secrets it hid.

"Rainbow Dash!" The voice was behind her, the words no longer bright and shiny as the need for the lure was over. Now they were sharp and harsh as the metallic clang of a hunting trap closing around its prey.

Rainbow Dash spun around lightning fast, though she wasn't fast enough as a huge weight crashed into her barrel, tossing her to the ground with savage strength. She landed hard on top of her right wing, causing it to break with a dull crack. She opened her mouth and screamed silently as all the air had been driven from her lungs by her impact with the forest floor. The weight that had hit Rainbow Dash now rested on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She opened her eyes and blinked through the darkness and the tears to try and get a look at what she was facing.

"Hey, Rainbow" Fluttershy said with a cruel, grey smile as she looked down at her.

~~~

Fluttershy was in a dark place. She lay curled in a ball with her eyes closed, trying to imagine she was somewhere else. Anywhere else but where she was.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy? Don't you like me? Don't you want to stay with me?" The voice was as chilling as the first time she had heard it in the Everfree Forest, dripping with malice and cruel intent.

Your not going to give me a choice, are you? she said in defeat. You're never going to leave me alone. No matter how much I ask, or plead, or beg. You're going to make me your prisoner until the day we die.

"Maybe, but It would be more fun for me if you fought back a little." The voice laughed cruelly at its own joke.

Why should I bother anymore? she asked as tears started to fall down her cheeks. You've already won. You have my body. What more could you want?

"I want you to suffer, Fluttershy, just like I want the world to suffer. Now watch as I murder the one you love!"

What?!

Fluttershy's eyes snapped open. There, pinned to the ground by her own hooves, was Rainbow Dash. Her right wing was sticking out at an odd angle and she was looking up at her with an expression of intense sadness and confusion that cut deep into Fluttershy's heart worse than any blade ever could.

NO! STOP IT! I WON'T LET YOU! Fluttershy cried as she suddenly threw all her willpower into regaining control of her body.

~~~

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to make of it. Her best friend in all the world had tackled her and thrown her to the ground, breaking her wing. Now Fluttershy was pinning her to the ground, but tears were cascading down her face and she wore an expression of extreme concentration. Rainbow could feel her hold on her shifting between lessening and increasing in pressure.

"...Fluttershy...?"

Fluttershy's hoof suddenly went from pressing down on her chest to pressing on her neck.

"Ah, that's more like it" Fluttershy said, the cruelty coming back into her face. She no longer shed any tears and the pressure on Rainbow's body was now constant. "That little foal put up more of a fight than I thought she would. I guess she really does love you."

"I don't understand" Dash said. "Who are y--" Her words were turned into guttural noises as Fluttershy's hoof began to press down on her throat with vicious force.

"Which means," she continued as if Rainbow hadn't interrupted her, "that killing you will cause her that much more pain!"

Rainbow Dash suddenly realized that her life was in danger. She had refrained from bucking Fluttershy off of her earlier for fear of injuring her, but better she injure Fluttershy than let her commit murder. Especially since she was the victim.

Rainbow Dash began to thrash under Fluttershy's hooves, but try as she might, she couldn't dislodge the mare. Her wing and the mud made it difficult to find any sort of purchase, and she was stronger than Dash would've anticipated.

Now she truly began to panic as she started to become lightheaded and her thrashing grew weaker and weaker. No!she thought. I refuse to believe that this is how I die, under my best friend's hooves! She had to do something now, or else it would all be over. Her only hope was to somehow get Fluttershy to come to her senses. But how?

"Oh my. What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

Huh?

"G-g-go a-away"

This is...

"I think Rainbow Dash is a very pretty name. At least your name isn't something plain or boring like Fluttershy."

The first day of Flight Camp. I remember. Fluttershy saved me back then by becoming my first real friend.

"Hey, um... Do you think you could, maybe, not tell anypony that I was crying? It's bad for my rep., you know... And, uh... maybe, we could... talk again later? You know... about feelings, and... stuff?"

"That's what friends are for."

Rainbow Dash stopped thrashing. With the last of her strength, she opened her eyes and looked deep into Fluttershy's teal pools, past all the anger and the hatred on the outside. She was looking at the real Fluttershy when she spoke.

"...'Shy..." It was barely a whisper on her lips, but it was enough. "Remember... the day... we... met..."

Hesitation. For a moment, Fluttershy's hoof stopped pressing on Rainbow Dash's neck. She registered surprise as she looked down at her own hoof.

"Wha...?"

Now I know.

Fluttershy suddenly leaped away from Rainbow Dash as if she were scolding hot.

"No! Stay down!" she cried out.

The answer to whether I'm truly kind...

"I said stay DOWN!" she shouted forcefully, holding her head in her hooves.

I had the answer all along. I knew it from the moment I saw Rainbow Dash all those years ago.

Kindness in its truest form... is love.

"No!"

I love you Rainbow Dash!

"Stop!"

I love you!

"STOP IT!"

I LOVE YOU!

"I LOVE YOU! RAINBOW DASH!"

Author's Note

Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion! :D