A Kind Doctor: Fluttershy's early life

        Once upon a time, long long ago relative to a filly or three, a young Pegasus fell from the sky. Sadly this Pegasus was weak and frail and had no means to right herself or stop her descent. It looked to be the end for her, and to this story. However, just before it came, a miracle occurred. For reasons even she still does not understand, a swarm of butterflies gathered and catch her in their gentle grasp before setting her down. It wasn’t long before she understood her innate connection to every living creature around her.

        She spent the entire day communing with animals, learning their names and desires beyond anything she had been taught before. It was sunset when other ponies found her. Earth Ponies from a little hamlet called Ponyville. The word was sent out and soon she was returned home. As soon as her hooves touched the first cloud, she was fretted on by everypony around her.

        Doctors and nurses surprised she had not an injury on her. Teachers and her parents who fawned and cooed over her with her new cutie mark and quite a few other fillies who were more excited to hear what the land below was like. It took a while for her to find Dash in the throng of ponies, herself being swarmed by two sides; one wanting to reprimand her for the illegal race, and the other congratulating her for her cutie mark and the amazing Equestria wide spectacle that was the Sonic Rainboom! They were the most popular kids around! For days, it seemed like they were in a dream, celebrities wherever they went.

        All too soon, it became a nightmare.

        The nightmare took the form of a Unicorn from Canterlot who arrived one day during a press conference. The little Filly Rainbow Dash was about to be commemorated into the Hall of Flight and was fielding some very easy and somewhat cute questions. What was it like to fly that fast? What does a Sonic Rainboom sound like from the inside? What was her favorite foods and colors? It was in the middle of this that she was hit with a rather hard question.

        “Can you prove that you actually did the Sonic Rainboom?” Everyone in the room froze and turned to the Unicorn that had entered the room. The Cloudwalking Spell making him able to cross the soft floor and stand in front of the podium that Dash was in front of. Everything, from the manner in which he walked, the way he stared down the little filly and the tone of his voice said just one thing and he put it into words, “I know you are lying, young lady. And I, Professor I.M. Dubious from the Canterlot University will reveal the myth that is this ‘Sonic Rainboom’,” He spoke the name with such condemnation that might as well have been a child’s drawing of a monster.

        It was enough to scare a young Fluttershy behind the podium but Rainbow Dash just grinned, “Go right ahead and try, Professor I.M. Dummy,” Dash smirked wider as she taunted the professor, “Everypony saw me fly out there and then they saw the Rainboom. There is no denying my awesome!” Sounds of agreement were all around as the Pegasi glared at the Unicorn. But he didn’t flinch, not even as the fillies from her class gathered around and stared daggers at him.

        Instead, he simply scoffed and turned to leave, saying only one last thing, “I hoped you enjoyed your fifteen minutes of fame.”

        Dash blew a raspberry at the departing unicorn to the chuckles of the pegasi around. Once he was gone, she hopped off the stool set in front of the podium and put a hoof around Fluttershy, “It’s ok, Flutters. He’s gone. Don’t let that guy scare you, he’s just hot air.”

        Fluttershy looked up through the parting of her hair at her chromatic friend, “But.. But what if he can? Prove you didn’t do what you did?” Her question left Dash confused for a bit before she shook it off.

        “There’s no way. You can’t prove a lie, Fluttershy. That’s just not how things work.” Dash picked up her skittish friend and lead the way as she continued, “I’ll give him a month or two before he either gives up or comes back with an apology. Come on, lets try some of the new ‘Rainboom Ice Cream’. I hear they put in pop rocks!” This was enough to make the delicate pegasus smile, a genuine and heartwarming smile.

        It would be a long while before Fluttershy would smile like that again, for Dash was sadly mistaken. It didn’t even take a month before Dubious had destroyed everything. One by one he went from pony to pony, grilling them with question after question until he found something that made them slip up, say something that he could use to twist their perceptions around. He wouldn’t let up on any pony no matter the age, so focused he was on finding the Truth. Even little Fluttershy found herself doubting her own memories.

        The Newspapers swung just as quickly. Despite all attempts at recreating the event in the skies over Equestria to prove that it was a trick failing miserably, the news stories still switched from praising Dash as a prodigy to calling her a fraud and a disappointment. Soon, the ponies she called friends before now joined the hecklers, their praises replaced with ridicule. Until it was accepted across Cloudsdale about the myth of the Sonic Rainboom. Until only Fluttershy remained behind has her friend.

        From then on out, it only got worse. Adults would look down at them in disappointment. At Dash for spreading what they believed to be lies and for Fluttershy for continuing to support her. The other fillies were not so kind. Their disappointment in losing a hero became resentment which grew further. Teasing and bullying the pair became the norm. Rainbow Dash was a tough Pegasus, even as a filly. She could take the punishment and keep going forward.

Fluttershy was a different case. Her meekness grew worse under the treatment. She spent more time crying in the bathroom than most anywhere else in the school. This only egged her tormentors on.

It wasn't until she took a new turn running away from her bullies that she found sanctuary amongst the tall walls of the school library. She dived around a corner and under a table. From there, she could see the hooves of the bullies as the searched for her, chanting, "Fluttershy, Fluttershy, there's no place for you to hide!" Hooves grabbed the chairs around the table, ready to rip them out and leave her trapped.

"What do you think you are doing?" Everything stopped when a mare's voice sternly interrupted the bullies. There was silence for a moment before the other fillies stepped away from the table and went to to the source. Narrow Margin was the school’s librarian. Grey hair up in a bun and wrinkles on her face under her grey blue coat, she never seemed to have a smile on her face, ever.

Fluttershy couldn't clearly hear what was said, but she could tell they were playing innocent again, like always and she closed her eyes as she expected them to get off the hook again.

A moment of quid again until, "If you want to be in the library in recess, you must respect the rules of being quiet. As you have shown no desire to do so, I'll have to ask you to leave." The bullies looked at each other with pained expressions until one of them brightened with an idea.

"Ok, miss," the mare started sweetly as she wakes back to the table, "let us collect our friend and-" Her hooves barely touched the chair before the librarian slammed her own hoof on the chair, holding it place.

The mare's voice was cold as she explained, " Your 'friend' hasn't made a sound since her arrival. I'm sure you don't want to needlessly put her in the same spot as you are." The librarian lowered her head and continued, "That spot being dangerously close to a write up." The message was loud and clear now. With a unified grumble of disdain, the bullies trudged off. It was only after she heard the door close and checked for any stragglers tha she pulled a chair out and spoke to Fluttershy, "Well? Come on out. They left."

It took a few moments before she actually did come out, shaking slightly as she looked up at the intimidating mare. She quickly moved her gaze down to her hooves as they shuffled a bit before she spoke in a soft voice. "Um.. Thank you for helping me." She looked back up again and quickly regretted it. The librarian's expression was impasse as a blank wall, leaving her to only default to running away, "Ok, I'll just go..  If that's alright with you, I mean. Sorry" she turned to leave but was stopped by a hoof on her shoulder.

        Fluttershy made it a few steps before the librarian stopped her, “And where do you think you are going?” The timid mare froze like a statue at the question and slowly looked up at the mare standing next to her. She pointed to the door and started to soft whisper out an answer when Margin put her hoof in the filly's shoulders. "When I said you could stay, I meant it. Follow me." The mare walked around the corner without looking behind her. Fluttershy, after a stunned moment followed after her.

A few winding turns and the pair ended up in a quiet and unused part of the area, fit with a small reading table and a lamp. "I'll be able to show you the way here until you know it yourself." The librarian pulled out the chair and patted the seat, no one will likely bother you here. And if they do, just give a shout." She gave the faintest of smiles through her wrinkles as she lowered her voice, "The state won't let me take direct action against those bullies. But I have control here. I can keep them out, I promise."

There was a tense moment as it sunk in before the mare was tackled by a ball of yellow and pink, the filly burying her face in the older mare's neck, thanking her perfusely. It took Narrow Margin a moment to realize that she was actually being hugged by a student. Gently, she pulled Fluttershy off of her and patted the filly on the head before returning to the front desk.

Fluttershy took a seat at the table and for a while was content. Though safety is no guard against bordum. Halfway through the out of class period and Fluttershy had exhausted all options of passing the time that didn't make much noise. With a soft sigh she floated off of the seat and headed for the door. "Maybe they are gone by now. Miss Margine is nice, but I don't think I can stand being alone." She turned down an aisle of books, "maybe I can find Rainbow... Dash?" Fluttershy stopped and floated back as the book names caught her attention.

Natural Encyckapidea. All about Animals. Woodland Creatures. Ponies and Pets. Fluttershy couldn't believe her eyes. Everything she could want to know about the animals she had encountered as a little filly in hoof's reach.

Gathering up several books, she floated to the front desk and set then down, much to the surprise of Narrow Margin who raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the shy Pegasus. The gaze made her retreat a bit before she asked in a soft voice, only audible thanks to the near silence I the library. "Um, I was wondering, if it's ok that is, if you could give permission for me to read these while I'm here?" She have a hopeful smile. Narrow Margin's expression changed to one of disbelief, As if such a question was unheard of. Quickly, Fluttershy retreated, "Oh, ok. Sorry for bothering you." She reached up to take the books back but they were held in place by the librarian mare's hoof.

"Miss Fluttershy," she said slowly as she leaned forward over the desk, "do you not understand where you are? This is a library. Do you understand? Then don't ask such silly questions." The librarian pushed the books forward to Fluttershy, who was looking very confused as she went from looking to the books, up at the mare and trying to find words. Finally, Narrow Margin settled the internal conflict by leaning forward and clearly saying, "Go. Read."

Fluttershy's smile lit up the room and she dive to give another hug, stopped only by a firm hoof from the librarian holding her back. Margin have her a shooing wave and Fluttershy gave a sheepish smile before quickly heading off.

Only to return just as quickly to collect the books.