It's Better Together

When we walked into the cottage, at least 15 animals greeted us, including that bunny that always picked on Fluttershy.

"Oh, hello everybody! Shoo, shoo!" The animals obeyed and scurried outside.

"Wow, Fluttershy!  I still can't get over the fact that you're basically able to speak to animals!" I exclaimed.

"Oh it's nothing, really." She said as she hid her face behind her long mane and drew circles in the ground with her hoof.

"Fluttershy, it's everything! I don't know any other pony who can do that!"

"Really? I-Is my talent that important?"

"Yep! Just like how I keep the town from going mad, you keep the animals  of this town sane so nothing bad happens! Aaannd it's a super cool talent. Only you can pull it off! Because if Rainbow Dash kept on taking care of them, I don't think they would survive!"

She giggled. "I Guess you're right." A few months ago, a spell Twilight casted, caused the five of our cutie marks to switch around, so I was working on Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy took MY job and Rainbow took Fluttershy's job, it was a mess in her cottage. "Um, shall we eat?"

"Sure!" I answered "what are we having?" I asked.

She smiled sheepishly. "Cupcakes?" My grin grew until it probably reached my ears.

"I knew you would catch on! Of course!"

"Great, you want to help me make them?" She asked.

"Sure!" I smiled. "All you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix!" I sang. "Now just take a little something sweet, not sour, a bit of salt, just a pinch!" I kept singing as I put in the things needed. Bake'n' this treats is such a sinch, add a teaspoon of vannila!" Fluttershy smiled.

"Add a little more and count to four, and you never get your filla!" We both sang.

"Cupcakes! So sweet and tasy, cupcakes! Don't be too hasty! Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!" I finished.

We both fell back on the floor laughing uncontrollably.

"I think we should bake the cupcakes intead of just making the batter." I laughed.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." I said while whipping a tear out of my eye from laughing so much.

We put the batter in the pan and put it in the oven. We sat down on the couch to wait for the cupcakes to bake.

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After we finished eating, it was about 9:00 (wow! We took a long time to eat!). We walked up to Fluttershy's room and I looked over to my marefriend.

"Well, it's not like sleeping in the same bed is a big issue anymore." I said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I smiled. We both got into bed and fell asleep face to face.

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I woke up to soft sobbing beside me. I looked over at Fluttershy and see she was the source of the sobbing.

"Umm, Fluttershy? Are you okay? Why are you crying?." I asked, knowing it's my job to make her smile!

"Oh, it's nothi-*sniff*-ng. I'm fine."

"Nonononononononono! Something is not right here! Why are you crying???"

"It's.... My childhood. It scared me for life. I have a younger sister, named Shutterbug. My dad was very strict. He often wanted us to do very hard chores, right when he asked is to do it. One day, Shutterbug was reading a story when my father came in and told her to vacuum the whole floor in the entire house. At the time, it was hard for Shutterbug because she could barely reach the handle, and it was a heavy vacuum. She said 'ok, just let me finish my book!' My father didn't like the sound of that. He started to yell at her, she started crying and ran past my room, running into her room. Next I saw my dad storming by, towards the same room. She said 'DONT YOU DARE WALK OUT ON ME LIKE THAT, MISSY!' The next thing I heard was a hard slap, and harder crying. Shutterbug ran into my room, crying. I had been beaten before, but this was probably Shutterbug's first time, she was only six. I was 13, however. She had said 'Flutty! Daddy hit me! She said through her sobbing.

I pulled her into a hug and she cried into my chest. Her green coat was already soaked, and so was my chest. She had a huge bruise on her cheek. I stroked her purple hair, trying to get her to calm down. My dad came into my room, and I looked up, with Shutterbug still pressed against my chest. I said 'how could you? She didn't even say no! She just wanted to finish her storybook! You can't just hurt ponies when you don't get your way!' He didn't say anything, but his eyes filled with anger and he pulled out his whip he uses for the horses, and struck me right under the eye. Blood started pouring from the cut right away. I started quietly sobbing.

My mom walked up behind him, got up on her hind legs and put a hoof on his shoulder. She said 'what's going on here?' My dad said 'nothing'. He swung his arm back and hit my mother right in the gut. She fell backwards and hit her head on the doorframe across the hall. She then fell on the floor and hit her head again. She said nothing, and she passed away instantly. We both yelled 'mom!' As we pushed past my dad. We gently shook her. Nothing. Shutterbug turned around and looked at our father and said 'this is all your fault! You killed her! She's gone.' She started sobbing and said 'forever." The next day, my dad woke up in a empty house. Me and my sister had run away, to Ponyville.

We lived together in this cottage together, until a few years ago, she was old enough to move out. Nobody really cared for me in this kind of way except our friends since Shutterbug moved out. That's why you make me feel good. You make me feel special. My father didn't care enough to plan a wedding, so me and Shutterbug had a small ceremony with just us. We planted a tree in her name: Flutterbug."

My jaw was wide open. I quickly closed it. "I-I'm so sorry. I hugged her and kissed her on the lips. "But in your story, you weren't shy!"

"After my mother died, I became very shy, because I didn't know who was going to hurt me. My father killed my mother. You would never know! So I became shy to everyone I didn't know." She said.

"Oh." I replied.

"I still have a few scars." She said as she turn her arm so I could see one. It was a long cut, from her father's whip, I'm guessing. "Now every once and a while, I start sobbing in memory of my mother." She said.

"Fluttershy? Remember the very first song I sung when we were all friends?" I asked.

"Yes...."

"You have to let it go!" I began to sing.

"When I was just a filly, and the sun was going down, the darkness and the shadows would always make me frown, I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw! But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal worth fear at alllllll! She said, Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears! You'll see there's nothing here, just laugh to make them dissapear!" I said while tickling Flutters' stomach. She started cutely giggle again, so I think my job was done.

I hugged Flutters' and she fell asleep in my arms. I notice Flutters' was hugging me as well. We fell asleep in each other's arms.