The Bits and Pieces of a Life Flown By
Fluttershy packed up her things, carefully placing everything in boxes and stacking them neatly. She worked at a steady pace, not eager to get going but not too upset about leaving behind her cottage on the edge of Ponyville. She was just moving on. After all, all of her friends had moved on with their lives. Twilight had gone back to Canterlot for Princess duties; Rarity had gone to Manehatten for her fashion business, which was now booming. (Fluttershy had heard a lot about her in all the magazines at the spa.) Applejack and her family had moved to Appleloosa to help Brayburn with his apple orchard, and Pinkie Pie was traveling all over Equestria, making friends.
And now it was time for Fluttershy to move on as well.
Even though the bright, sunny daylight filtered nicely through the window and made everything clear and shining, shadows crept to the edges of Fluttershy's mind. She remembered when she heard that Rainbow Dash, her lifelong friend from Flight School, was going back to Cloudsdale to join the Wonderbolts. Though her friend had promised to stay in touch, Fluttershy hadn't gotten a letter from her in 2 years.
Yes, it was definitely time to move on.
Sighing, Fluttershy moved a box away from her desk and stared at what had been lying behind it for Celestia-knows-how-long: her diary.
Dust had coated the cover in thick layers, and the lock was dull and a tiny bit rusted. "I forgot all about this thing," Fluttershy whispered, and she looked down at the key she had strung on a cord around her neck, which she had also forgotten was there. She didn't remember how long she had that key around her neck, or when she had stopped paying attention to it, but she knew it went to her diary. Carefully, Fluttershy put the key in the lock of the diary and turned it, and the heart-shaped lock popped open.
Sitting back on her bed, Fluttershy opened her diary, brushing away the dust, and began to read silently:
June 1
Dear Diary,
Those bullies teased me again today. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash stood up for me, since I can't do it myself. She doesn't pay me much attention when we're in class, but at least I know she watches out for me. She says that I have to stand up for myself and not let them bully me, but it's hard when I'm so shy. I tried to tell her that but all that came out was a stammered, 'I-I', like always. Rainbow just shook her head and walked away, but she looked over her shoulder at me with concern. I think she's still looking out for me. I hope she is. I need all the support I can get just to get through the day sometimes, and that glance told me that maybe--just maybe--I had found a friend to give it to me. Now if only I could be brave enough to approach her...
~Fluttershy
Ah, Summer Flight Camp. Fluttershy vaguely remembered those days, full of taunting and teasing and jokes at her expense, which had definitely increased after her mother had died from cancer. She had been so timid, so afraid then. But Rainbow Dash had been her light at the end of the tunnel, the sturdy promise that everything would be okay. So maybe she hadn't comforted Fluttershy when she cried herself to sleep every night or helped her work on her flying, but she had been there to defend her and that had given her bits of confidence that had eventually built up to her being able to glide above the tree tops in a serene peace. It was better than staying grounded, anyways. In a way, perhaps Rainbow had taught her how to fly. She'd just done it in her own way.
Fluttershy looked to the next entry, which was about a year later:
April 11
Dear Diary,
I can't believe how long it's been since I've written in this! So much has happened! I'm out of Flight School now and I live in Ponyville. Oh, and I have my cutie mark! It's a group of pink butterflies, and my talent is communicating with animals! How exciting is that--and so perfect for a pony as shy as me! I think Rainbow Dash would be proud. I hope she would be. I never found out if she won that race the day I got my cutie mark--that was the day I had fallen into Ponyville, literally. I should send her a letter or something...but what if she thinks I'm some kind of creepy stalker pony that she stood up for a few times? No, no, I won't send a letter. Hopefully I'll just see her again some day...and hopefully she'll remember me...because I have a lot to thank her for. A lot that happened in this past year.
I've got to go--Angel is demanding to be fed! I'll pick this up later and tell you everything, diary, I promise!
~Fluttershy
Fluttershy looked for the next entry. It wasn't there. Tears quickly filled her eyes as she looked at the last few words she had written. 'I'll pick this up later and tell you everything, diary, I promise!'
She had broken her promise.
She had never picked up this book again, and now she couldn't remember what she had been going to tell it.
Fluttershy let the book drop onto the bed, and as it did, a photo slipped out from between a few pages towards the middle of the 99%-blank diary. Curious, Fluttershy picked up the photo and turned it over, and this time, a few more tears spilled over and down her cheeks.
It was a picture of her and Rainbow Dash after Fluttershy had found out that Rainbow was back in Ponyville working as a weather mare--they were flying through the clouds together at a leisurely pace, smiling and laughing and talking. For once, Younger Fluttershy looked completely at ease and unafraid.
Rainbow Dash always kept her promises, no matter what, Fluttershy recalled. When she said that she would defend my honor, she did. When she said that she would keep me safe, she did. If she did all those things for me...helped me fly, stood up for me...then I can at least keep a promise I made several years ago and fill out a diary entry, right? About all the things I need to thank her for.
Silently agreeing with herself, Fluttershy found a quill and began to write, filling in all the bits and pieces that she could remember of her life, and of Rainbow Dash.
...And I guess the thing is, diary, I never really thanked Rainbow Dash for all she did for me. She upheld every promise she ever made to me, and I never thanked her for it. Is that why she isn't writing me letters now? But she promised she would...and she hasn't failed yet... I wish I knew what was going through her head right now... After all, she was my first, and best, friend.
Fluttershy set down her quill, not bothering to sign off her entry, and stared at her ten-page-long summary of all the things she owed to Rainbow Dash. As she reread her last paragraph, over and over, she felt her tears dry up and her courage swell for the first time in years.
"I'm going to find Rainbow Dash, and I'm going to thank her!" she shouted to herself, brimming with confidence. "I'm going to Cloudsdale!"
After hastily getting Rose & Lily to look after her cottage for her, Fluttershy started the short journey up to Cloudsdale, flying as fast as she could, which was only about 5 miles per hour. However, she was determined to get to the Wonderbolt's first show and find her old friend.
She reached the stadium after some long hours of travel and purchased tickets for the next show, which was the following afternoon. Fluttershy rented a room at a hotel and spent all night in a half-asleep, half-awake daze, wondering if she was going to be reunited with Rainbow Dash and what was going to happen if she did. Was Rainbow even going to remember her? Was she going to bully her because now, she was so much more powerful? What if she didn't want to be Fluttershy's friend anymore? Fluttershy whimpered and cowered under the blankets, already imagining the taunts that were sure to come the following day. However, she still went to the show, perhaps because of some residual courage or the connection she felt to her old friend. Maybe both. But, sleepy and teary-eyed, Fluttershy went to the Wonderbolt's show, scanning the sky her cyan, rainbow-maned friend.
Rainbow Dash did not appear for quite some time, which caused Fluttershy some alarm, but when the young Wonderbolt did a Sonic Rainboom into the stadium for her dramatic entrance, she felt relieved. She watched her friend fly through the air, doing amazing tricks and feats that the other Wonderbolts hadn't even attempted during the show. Rainbow really had hit it big time. Everyone in the crowd seemed to love her. With all her adoring fans, how could she possibly remember me? Fluttershy thought dismally.
She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed Rainbow walk up onto the stage and pick up the microphone. Instantly, the talk around Fluttershy died down and she snapped to attention at the sudden quiet, wondering what was going on and why Rainbow was delivering a speech. Rainbow hated speaking!
"Hi, everyone," her friend began steadily, a small smile on her face. Her magenta eyes were searching the crowd, for who, Fluttershy didn't know, but it couldn't be for her, it had to be for someone else, or maybe her eyes were just deceiving her...
"I'm so glad you were all able to come to our show today. I'm happy to know that we have such good fans and supporters out there." This was met by cheers and applause, and Rainbow was back to viewing the audience as a whole.
"As you know, it's coming to be this time of year when we start our Pony Cancer Rally. And, while this is a time to recognize and support Cancer patients everywhere..." Rainbow paused, "...there is a special shout out I'd like to make, to a mare who probably isn't here today, but lost her mother to cancer when she was just a filly. Her peers teased her about it. They didn't understand."
The whole audience was silent, hanging onto her every word. Fluttershy's heart was racing. Her mom had died from cancer...others had teased her about it in school. Could Rainbow Dash's shout-out actually be to...?
"Fluttershy, my fillyhood friend, is this pony. You've probably never heard of her, because she moved to Ponyville a long time ago and always sort of kept to herself. But she saved Equestria many times over, and has gotten me out of some pretty sticky situations. I owe her a lot. She taught me how to keep going when I had it rough, because even though she doesn't think it, she's one of the bravest, most resilient ponies I know. I wouldn't have been able to face teasing like that every day, even with a parent figure in my life. How Fluttershy did it...I don't know how. But that's why I wanted to say this. She can give everyone hope. She can give bully victims, cancer patients, and soldiers hope that if you just keep hanging on, everything will be okay. You just have to be brave. So..." Rainbow Dash looked sad, but she stared at the audience, never backing down, "...remember Fluttershy. Remember what she stands for. When you think everything's gone dark, remember that yellow and pink mare with the teal eyes who made it through everything life had thrown at her. Remember her, and her memory can help you make it through."
The audience burst into applause and Fluttershy felt hot tears run down her face uncontrollably. She looked at the stage and saw her friend--who was really her friend--duck her head away from the crowd, and Fluttershy realized that the rainbow-maned Wonderbolt was crying too.
July 6
Dear Diary,
Yesterday, I was reunited with my old, good friend, Fluttershy. I had thought that she had forgotten about me, since she didn't reply to any of the letters I sent to her. But it turns out, she hadn't gotten any of them! We don't know how it happened, but we think Derpy might have put them in the wrong mailbox again, but we can't really blame her, right? She can't really help the way she is. But boy am I glad that Fluttershy is back in my life again! She said that she wanted to thank me for everything I've done for her, but I wanted to thank her for everything she taught me. I don't think that Fluttershy realizes how strong she is inside. That pegasus has a heart of gold, and I have never been prouder to call her my friend.
I might not have kept a steady journal--I might have only written one or two entries--but just being with Fluttershy now made me realize that I hadn't filled anything out because I was waiting for the extraordinary to happen. But the extraordinary isn't what you're supposed to put in a diary. It's those little moments, the ones that define you and your friends and are the glue that hold your life together. You might have all the excitement, all the bricks, but without the glue to hold them together, all you have is a pile of junk. I realize that now, and I'm going to tell Fluttershy everything that I can remember--just the bits and pieces of a life flown by.
~Rainbow Dash
Author's Note
Sorry for any mistakes, and I hope you all enjoyed this! It wasn't meant to be FlutterDash, but you can picture their reunion any way you please. :-)
