Being Good to Her

“Good morning mom!” The little orange ball of energy screamed into the ear of her slumbering mother early in the summer morning.

Fluttershy, the ever cool, calm, collected and brave pegasus that she was, took this sudden disturbance with grace. If grace was leaping out of your bed screaming before leaping out of your second floor window and running as fast as possible into whatever random direction you were pointed at.

“Mom…?” Scootaloo mumbled as she watch her mother more than likely break every record Rainbow Dash has ever set in those short moments of blind, irrational fear. “Maybe I shouldn’t of yelled…” she hummed to herself as she trot out of the room.

“What?!?!” Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie collectively gaped at the words they’d just heard, the thought itself was shocking enough, let alone it being truth.

“Yes, Scootaloo is my… um… daughter…” Fluttershy whispered, head mostly hidden under the table after having been spooked by their outburst.

“Lahk, daughter, as in… adopted or…” Fluttershy shook her head “Oh wow… but h-” Rainbow Dash shook her head “Okay then…” Applejack dropped her line of thought

Noticing Rainbow dissuading her, Fluttershy pulled herself up “N-no need for that Dash… I w-want to tell them…”

Ears folded nervously, Rainbow replied “Are you sure, I mean, if you can handle it…”

Fluttershy nodded and inhaled before exposing her tragic backstory to her friends receiving a series of enraged outburst, sad expression and apologies, none of which were out of the ordinary “And that’s what happened…” Fluttershy ended weakly, tears glisten from off her cheeks

“Ah just, ah mean…” Applejack chose to take the less obvious path, deciding talking anymore about her incident would be unwise “Ah mean, so, how’s livin’ with’er?”

Fluttershy perked up a bit “Oh, it’s been… interesting. She’s so excitable sometimes, but very well behaved…” Fluttershy smiled briefly but just as quickly her eyes shimmered with thought before her ears folded as she muttered something to herself “No thanks to me…”

The others felt a pang of sadness at Fluttershy’s words, the hurt in her voice resonating between the six. Rainbow Dash, never one to let somepony kick themselves when they were down, gently rubbed Fluttershy’s back and was given a weak, albeit genuine, smile.

“Is she adjusting well?” Twilight asked

“I… um, think so.” Fluttershy muttered unconfidently

“I’m sure she’s doing great!” Rainbow spoke confidently, smiling wide as ever “The squirts as tough as her mom after all, she’s probably loving it!” Rainbow boasted to a rather unresponsive Fluttershy

“Darling, you seem depressed,” Rarity mentioned, tactfully neglecting the ‘more than usual’ she let cross her mind

“Oh, I’m fine.” Fluttershy feigned, twiddling her hooves anxiously on the table the six were surrounding.

“Well shucks, fer what it’s worth, ah think it takes a mighty strong heart to do what yall did fer yer child, an’ besides, yer Fluttershy, ah can’t think of a more fit care taker in all of Equestria! Ah reckon no one could.” Applejack urged, bringing a delicate smile to Fluttershy’s lips.

Fluttershy was never one to boast or brag, quite the contrary more often than not, but when she was given praise it always made her feel better, even when she didn’t believe any of it herself. “Thank you.” she said softly

“Of course, anytahm.” Applejack grinned back

“Speaking of time, I’ve got to go pick up Sweetie Belle, I promised her I’d show her how to style her mane like yours truly and, with me being quite free for a few days, would hate to be late.” Rarity spoke as she stood from her seat.

“I-I’ll come with you… I mean, if that’s ok…” Fluttershy muttered

“Oh course, Applejack, you should come as well.” Rarity offered

“Ah reckon, not that those fillies need us to pick’em up, but, heck, ah’ve nothin’ better t’do ah suppose.” Applejack shrugged nonchalantly as she too took from her seat.

“Well, you girls have fun!” Twilight waved

“What are you girls going to be… where’s Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, receiving a series of shrugs from the group “Oh, well, what are you two going to be doing today?”

Rainbow jumped a bit, looking from side to side nervously before kicking her hooves up overdramatically “Just flying around, hanging out, you know, the-”

“We’re going to do our first book club meeting!” Twilight blurted excitedly

As Applejack stood by the door she did a double take, a playful grin on her muzzle “We’re, as in you an’ Rainbow? As in THE Rainbow Dash?” she teased

“Laugh it up Applejack!” Rainbow hissed

“Well that sounds lovely, who else is going to be here?” Rarity asked, a few awkward moments of silence passed as the two shifted awkwardly “Did nopony else want to join your little club.”

“Who cares, this club is too cool and exclusive for them anyways” Rainbow huffed

“Not much of a club, but whatever…” Applejack muttered “Anyways, let’s get a move on girls, if we leave’em to their own devices one of us will be payin’ a settlement before long.”

“Celestia knows we can’t let that happen again, anyways, toodaloo.” the three waved the supposed book club off as they began toward the ponyville schoolhouse.

Moments into their travel, Applejack chuckled, gaining a few curious looks from her friends “And what, exactly, is so funny Applejack?”

“Nothin’ really, just a thought ah had.” She replied, looking away from Rarity

“Care to share it with us?” Rarity asked

Applejack turned to Fluttershy nervously, scratching the ground with a hoof for a moment “N-nah, it’s not that important.” she smiled

Fluttershy’s gaze softened as she watched the nervous eyes of her friend fall on her ‘She’s scared to say something in front of me, isn’t she...’ Fluttershy let her head dip slightly, cueing the others into her slowly building worry.

Upset with the farmmare beside her, Rarity nudged Applejack and whispered at her “Look’s at what you’ve done now.”

Offended, Applejack, using a more than necessary amount of her earth pony strength, nudged back “Me, if yalls just kept yer trap shut this wouldn’ta happened.” she whispered back

Fluttershy, quite aware of her friends argument over her, felt tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. Maybe she shouldn’t be so hurt, they just wanted to take her feelings into account afterall, but she loved her friends and she cherished their relationship and to have that change hurt her. The thought that she’d force her friends to tip-hoof their words when around her made her feel awful, and it was beginning to show as he timid form began to shake.

“Well you shouldn’t try hiding anything, if you would have said it before you should say it now.” Rarity, forgoing the whisper in her anger, scolded

“That was before ah knew she-” Applejack was cut off by the sudden whimpering of Fluttershy who’d stopped walking and now struggled to stay on her hooves “Ah-ah mean… uh…” Applejack gulped “No, yalls d-don’t understand, ah was just, ah mean.”

Rarity gave her quite the death glare before turning her attentions to the pre-cowering phase Fluttershy “Darling, please, don’t cry. We apologize, it’s just a bit hard to adjust to afterall.”

Fluttershy barely turned to see the ivory mare behind her, rubbing her back with a single hoof. Fluttershy sighed and turned to Applejack who just hoofed at the ground, looking quite upset with herself “I-it’s ok, I, um, shouldn’t be so sensitive.” Fluttershy forced a fake smile on her muzzle

“Look, ah… ah was jus’ thinkin’ how odd it was, y’know, ah mean… “ Applejack thumped her head several times in irritation with her sudden murder of the very idea of eloquence “All ahm sayin’ is ah was so sure ah’d be the first to be a mother among us, that’s it, really.” she forced out, and much to her comfort it brought a small smile to Fluttershy’s face, not quite a happy smile, but it was real atleast.

“Oh…” she hummed weakly, a small blush on her face “I would of put money on… umm… Rainbow Dash.” she chuckled lightly

“What?” Rarity raised a brow, drawing away from the, now, less tense mare

“Ah jus’ gotta know, why?” Applejack fell on her rump and crossed her hooves.

“Well… let’s just say I had to explain to her that ‘the first time doesn’t mean you won’t get pregnant.’” Fluttershy’s smile widened as Applejack and Rarity began to share in mirthful, and ladylike, laughter “Two months ago.” she added before joining in the laughter

“Wow, y’alls is kiddin’ me. Who in their right mind believes somethin’ like that?” Applejack asked

“And where in Equestria did she hear that?” Rarity followed

“Apparently she heard it when she was a filly and believed it, to be honest, she was very convinced. At one point I offered to get Twilight to lecture her, but if anypony would be more shy than me about the subject it’s probably her.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you told her, but now I wonder how that was even brought up between you two.” Rarity asked, beginning her way towards the school house, prompting the others to move forward as well

“Well, umm…” Fluttershy’s face was beet red at this point “Oh, well…” she shuffled a bit but steeled herself “I… I mean…” she gulped, inhaled, gulped again “Well… Rainbow knows, and I want to t-tell you all this stuff but…”

“If yalls is uncomfortable…” Applejack began

“No, I mean yes, I mean…” Fluttershy sighed, feeling her confidence drain away “Maybe it’s a talk for another day.” her ears folded against her head

“Of course darling, getting so much off your chest in one day must be more than enough considering your month thus far.” Rarity reassured.

Fluttershy’s face formed into a frown “It only get’s worse…” she muttered much to the others confusion as they finally reached the schoolhouse, just in time to see the filly’s leaving school no less

Rarity and Applejack turned to one another, hoping the mare would turn back and claim her statement to be a joke, but that wasn’t Fluttershy and they weren’t quite so lucky.

The two perked up when they say the bright, proud smile of Fluttershy form as she eyed Scootaloo, whose wings buzzed in delight as she ran into the barrel of her mother.

“Hey mom!” she yelled as she squeezed tightly into Fluttershy who hugged just as tightly back, prompting Applejack and Rarity to audibly ‘D’aww’. Blushing profusely, Scootaloo pried away from her parent, sweeping her mane back and tried desperately to regain the sense of cool she tries to hard to pick up from Rainbow Dash “Uh, hey…” she said blandly.

Fluttershy giggled and pat Scootaloo on the head “Oh you and Rainbow Dash, never wanting to let anypony see those big hears of yours.” she teased as she tickled the orange filly with her snout until she collapsed onto her back

“M-mom, hehe, s-stop!” Scootaloo, losing the war of coolness, giggled madly at her mother's affectionate ministrations, mad that much worse when she heard chuckling from behind, the chuckling of the other two thirds of her little club.

“Havin’ fun.” Applebloom asked

“Sh-shut up.” Scootaloo said wriggling away just before being grabbed by her mothers hooves

“Ooh, look, momma’s little foal is being craddled.” a pink filly said mockingly from a safe distance away beside a little grey filly in glasses

“Yeah, look at her, acting like a foal, that’s so sad.” the two shared a laugh at Scootaloo’s expense.

Suddenly, Rarity, Applejack, Applebloom , Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo felt the most terrifying chill of their life as Fluttershy set her filly down a wide, creepy smile on her face “Stay here sweetheart.” Fluttershy ordered as she began over

“Did yalls feel that?” Applebloom asked Applejack

“Uh…” Applejack sputtered nervously

“It’s just Fluttershy, she’ll just talk to them nicely and surely they’ll behave…” Rarity said to reassure the group.

“Yeah, it’s just Fluttershy, right?” Applejack joined

Sweetiebelle, unlike the rest, was smiling and rubbing her hooves together “Wish I had popcorn.”

Fluttershy made it to the filly’s and sat in front of them “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon right?” she asked

Diamond Tiara whipped her hair and looked up at her elder smugly “Yeah, and?” however, upon looking at the mares face she felt her smugness bleed wildly away from her “I-I mean, uh… no?”

“Oh, don’t be so scared, let’s just have a few words.” Fluttershy offered, her smile never leaving her face

“M-my daddies very rich… h-he…”

“Oh, how cute.” Fluttershy pat the filly on the head “You think your daddy can help you.”

Suddenly the pair of filly’s regret every action they’ve ever made in their short life, especially being born.

The next few moment would never be spoken aloud to anypony, the four onlookers would only have known the event from afar without ever having the excruciating details of their chat, never to be heard by any ears other than three involved.

Not but a few moment passed before Fluttershy and the two, now thoroughly disturbed fillies returned. “Now missy, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“We’re very, very, very sorry…” Diamond Tiara spoke in a half whisper

“Yeah, we, uh, we’re sorry…” Silver Spoon added

“Very...very sorry…” Diamond Tiara spoke again, almost in a trancelike way “C-can we leave now, um, m-mam?”

Fluttershy gave the two a nod as they booked it with all the strength their little legs could output before Fluttershy turned around “Would anypony like ice cream?”

“No thanks, that was all I needed for the rest of my life.” Sweetiebelle squeaked, a look of disturbingly great pleasure on her face. “Mmm… “ Sweetie hummed, eyes closed

“That’s messed up.” Applebloom said what everypony was thinking

“Wha-what did you…” Rarity began, but she wasn’t a fool “I mean, yes, ice cream, let’s.. um… yes…”

“So, they won’t be bugging us anymore, right?” Scootaloo asked

“Oh my no, but that’ll keep them off your back for a while.” Fluttershy smiled

“ What the hay was that.” Applebloom muttered into Scootaloo’s ear

“And how can I capture it to look back on for the rest of my life.” Sweetiebelle joined in

“First off, I don’t know. Second off, you’re messed up.” Scootaloo answered, trying to move away from the white unicorn filly beside her

“Maybeh it was the stare…” Applebloom muttered with a shudder

“Oooh, those poor souls, now I feel bad…” Scootaloo added

“I don’t.” Sweetiebelle chirped happily

Rocking back and forth in the corner of Diamond Tiara’s estate “Silver Spoon…”

“Yeah Diamond?” Spoon replied

“Can you hold me?” Diamond asked as the two balled up together “Spoon?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we dead?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Ok… Spoon?”

“Yeah?”

“Wasn’t she supposed to be the nice one?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think she was very nice.”

“Yeah.”

“Spoon… can you sleep with me tonight?””

“Ok… do you think she meant that thing about the fishing line and 17 liters of Sulfuric Acid.”

“Why 17 liters, why that exact number, why, why!?”

“Let’s hope we never find out…”