My Shy Filly

Chapters

The Start
The First Day
The Guide
The "Almost" Confession
The Bullies
The Hurt
The Sadness
NOTE

The Start

[MY SHY FILLY - THE START]

This is my first fiction and I really hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Any feedback is appreciated! The start of this really centers around Dew Drop for now, but in the next chapter I promise to include some of the mane 6, mainly Fluttershy :)
Thanks!

"Mom, Dad, please?"

"I won't allow it. I'm sorry son, but what have we taught you?" Maxwell picked up his tea and had a small tip, making a slurping noise. He nodded his head in apology. Such manners. He placed his tea down and looked back to his newspaper, which obscured his view of his son.

"Yes, Dewy, we just can't let you go to Flight School. Not now at least. You're still such a young colt, it wouldn't be fair to us to let you go so soon." Sapphire tilted her head to look past her glasses at her young, fair blue colt standing in front of her. She was sitting in her armchair recliner, footrest extended for her novel "Pegasus: The Only Good Ponies".

It was a novel describing the origin of Pegasus ponies and their jobs from the dawn of Equestria, but explained in a 'brain-washing' way to put down all other worthy ponies. Dew hated it, it made his parents go crazy.

Sapphire Drop and Maxwell Drop had been very Pegasus bound ponies since they were raised in Cloudsdale many years ago. By this, they simply would not accept any other way of life, or any other pony for that matter. They much preferred their own kind, often discriminating Earth and Unicorn ponies in the process.

They had carefully raised their young son in the same ways they were raised; to believe that a Pegasus has right of way over all and to not mingle with the other two kinds of ponies. They kept him indoors, being his only friends and giving him proper home-schooling as they had as young ponies. Dew had no idea how to properly communicate with anyone his age, and he had never met anyone his age. He had been pretty much alone since he was born, closed away to nothing but novels and clouds that supported a Pegasi way of life.

"You've taught me everything you can and I'm really happy for that but I really want to learn how to fly properly and meet other colts and fillies my age. I really want some friends..." Dew lowered his ears back, whimpering like the child he was. He really had no way of getting his parents sympathy without giving off a little cry. They immediately raised from their seats, heeling to his aid. Sapphire wiped his eyes and Maxwell held him close. As much as their beliefs and morals were the backbone of their life, Dew was their heart and their reason for life. They hated to see him hurt as such, even over something so simple.

"Look Dewy, we did go to Flight School, but once we were teenagers, thats when we enrolled and attended," Sapphire held her sons face in her hooves, using the softest motherly tone she knew she had. "We just don't want you to be hurt when you're out there and when you're so young..." She looked away, hiding her fright.

"Dew Drop, we understand the need and amazing feeling to be out there in the real world, learning how to use your wings for their own purpose, but it's all to protect you." Maxwell said, stroking his sons mane. He was still sobbing slightly, unable to stop the flow of tears that escaped his hazelnut tinted eyes. He gazed at his ever loving parents, wondering if they were right. Almost in submission to their denial, Maxwell spoke once more, in a very proud tone.

"I used to be one of the most successful students at that school. Wasn't I dear?" Maxwell nuzzled Sapphire's nose, where she attempted to stifle her giggles. "I know you'll be just the same, Dewy." His eyes lit up with pure excitement, immediately leaping into his parents forelegs.

"I can go? Are you really serious about this?" He exclaimed, the happiest smile sweeping across his face.

"Of course. You'll be as great as we were. And of course.. there are only Pegasi in Flight School, you'll be protected from the other ponies out there." Sapphire snickered, leering at her book on her recliner. Her morals always seemed to be the reason behind every little decision in that family.

Dew Drop thought to himself that his mother was indeed crazy, but his excitement seemed to overshadow everything else in his life at that very moment. He was going to attend Flight School, and he was going to make many Pegasus pony friends while he was studying at school. It was really the happiest day of his life. What else could he have asked for?

Maxwell frowned at the receptionist. "What do you mean he can't enrol? I don't understand.. We're in the right season to be enrolling him, aren't we?"

"Yes, you are, but he just seems to be a bit younger than we expected. You say he is 10 months from being a teenager," She leaned over the soft, fluffy cloud desk and squinted at Dew's much smaller size. "But he's so little, he can't possibly be that old now."

Dew cleared his throat, lifting himself to lean onto the cloudy desk. "I am almost a teenager, I've just been home-schooled so my growth is a little bit stunted from not really being outdoors." He smiled, and Maxwell sighed.

"Son, you really need to be-" The receptionist interrupted Maxwell and grinned with much joy.

"Well, in that case, you're now officially enrolled into Cloudsdale Academy! You can start as soon as I file these papers and figure out what class you should be placed in. At the moment, we have three classes you can choose from. They are your base classes that you must attend every morning," She grabbed a list of classes from the desk underneath her, and put it in front of Dew. "You can pick any of these, they're practically all the same, but with different teachers."

He studied the list very carefully, reading the information given about specific teachers and their short summaries located under their pictures. Apparently, the teachers were very similar to one another, but each had other activities they took in Homegroup, as they called it. He decided to take the teacher, Featherfew, who taught mainly about animals and plants. Dew pointed his hoof at which class he preferred, and the mare in front of him took the list, smiling.

"Mr Featherfew? Great choice. You'll love learning about animals and plants, but remember it's just extra knowledge, it's not going to have exams and tests." She laughed softly, writing down the teachers name on Dew's registration form. She put it away, and grabbed an introductory kit for Maxwell. "You can take this home and learn more about what we teach here at the Academy. Because your son is enrolled specifically for the flying courses and physical endurance, you don't need to read about the basic knowledge classes we hold here. There are forms for Flight Camp in there for later this year, which need to be handed in by next week, if Dew is interested."

Maxwell chuckled, looking at his son who was already wandering off into the doors of the Academy, face lit with pure delight. "I'm sure he will be honoured to attend. I came here when I was a colt, and so did my wife; Flight Camp was amazing, to say the least." He placed the kit in a saddle bag he had for shopping later that day. Maxwell smiled at the receptionist who was in front of him, although looking back to chuckle lightly at the re-call of Maxwell's flying days.

"I came here as a filly as well, but I never managed to get into the Flight Camp on time. Parents were silly ponies. They really didn't know how to keep things organised AND send things off in time," She rolled her eyes, a heaving sigh for emphasis. "But no worry, my friends told me all about it. Flying wasn't everything to me. I just love helping other ponies." She glanced at her cutie mark, which was a pen and a heart. Maxwell assumed it related to her receptionist job, but nonetheless it was a very meaningful mark. He glanced at his own, the image of wings behind a dark blue star. To him, he knew that his special talent was flying, but it was more than that. He was the star pupil in everything he did, but it co-mingled with his ability to fly so well. He smiled gingerly, trotting forward slightly.

"Dewy, I have to head off to the market, but I'll come pick you up once your classes end, alright?" His son gave a mutter, attempting to use his wings to speed off a little bit faster. He laughed loudly, heading out of the cloud doors.

Dew's heart was racing at 100 miles per second. He had never been so excited in his life to go to school.

The First Day

[MY SHY FILLY - THE FIRST DAY]

Who knew it was this amazing on the inside... Dew thought to himself, eyes on the magnificent structure he now attended, known as Cloudsdale Academy. It was beautiful inside and out. He had already been in awe of the building from when he had approached it with his father earlier, but he had never realised how beautiful it was. Cloud pillars, engraved with the finest pictures, and the most intricate patterns. They were shaped and formed into lovely, perfect stands that held the even more beautiful roof. It had an image of a Pegasus flying, ribbons lacing the hooves of the perfect pony. It had long flowing hair, but Dew couldn't tell if it were a girl or a boy. Either way, he couldn't keep his hazelnut eyes off of it. The clouds had tinted colours, like pink and light blue, and there were even some purple clouds there. He assumed they had been dyed with something, but if he were wrong, he would find out in one of his upcoming classes.

"Come on Dew, we need to head off to your first class. Are you ready?" The receptionist, whom he knew now as Quill Heart, held her clipboard in her teeth, looking at where Dew's class was situated. It was a basic flying lesson, where all beginner fliers were told the first most important things about flying. They didn't do any flying, however. It was really a theory lesson to help them understand what they expected and what skills they should have once they do begin to flap their wings.

"Sorry, this building is just really beautiful." He swivelled his head to look at Quill, a quaint smile creeping across his lips. In return, she smiled, but moved hastily forward so he would not miss his first class. She let go of the clipboard, which was on a cord around her neck. "We must move quickly, Dew. These classes are very important, and you must remember not to be late," She nudged him ever so softly forward, and he continued to move from his spot near the frame of the door.

"Now, I had a look and your basic flying teacher should be Rose Petal. After that, you have a weather class with Lulu Leaf. Then, you have one more class for the day with Polar Cap, who will be doing wing exercises and other strength tasks." She seemed to be counting the classes in her head to make sure she had not missed anyway.

Dew nodded up and down very fast, nearly trembling from sheer excitement. Quill laughed softly, walking a little faster to get to the next room up ahead. It had a sign over the top of it, which read "Basic Flying 101". Her eyes lit up and she trotted to the door. Dew was at her hooves, eager to meet his new class.

She opened the door with her front hoof, looking inside to find Miss Petal. There was no pony in sight. The room was a little dark, and she peered to the outer walls. There were no holes in the building to allow any light to peer in. She kicked a moderately placed and sized hole near the door way, allowing some light to be poured into the ghastly empty room. Dew was shivering with fear at this point; he had always been terribly afraid of the dark ever since he was a much younger foal.

"Ughh, Quill Heart!" A sweet, soft voice called out from the darkness. A pale pink pony trotted forward, green eyes showing signs of anger. Her yellow and white mane was tied into a bun, and as was her tail. She plotted herself onto the ground with a thud, staring at Quill. She lowered her voice to a dull whisper. "We are having a meditation session. I'm trying to teach them that when they do fly, they have to fly calm to be carefree." Her brow was furrowed, staring intently at Quill.

Quill held her ears back in fright, staring at the slightly angered Rose. "U-uhm.. O-oh." She said quietly, almost shyly. She wasn't exactly afraid of Rose, but she was intimidated by her anger. It gave her a shock, however she did slowly snap out of it. "S-sorry.. Anyway, we have a new student and he's enrolled into this class every day," She nudged the quivering Dew forward, who was bug eyed whilst staring at Rose Petal. "His name is Dew Drop, his father Maxwell Drop brought him here this morning." She smiled lightly at Rose, who had seemingly calmed down.

"That's wonderful then!" She exclaimed, leaning forward to greet the small, blue Pegasus colt. "My name is Miss Petal, but you are allowed to call me Rose if you wish. Dew, is it? Have you ever flown before?" He shook his head, glancing at his wings which he had only ever lifted whenever it was bath time. "Okay, well, that's perfect. You can learn the basics and work your way up to the big leagues." She grinned, giving a sly chuckle. For some reason, her laid-back attitude made Dew less frightened and he opened up quite fast.

"My dad used to be one of the best fliers at this school. I want to be just like him." He re-thought what he had said, and realised he didn't want all the traits of his father. He wanted to accept other ponies like they were his own, and not put them down like his father did. He wouldn't mention this, it wasn't usual conversation. He had a decent grasp of what conversation was considering his parents did nothing but talk all the time.

"Thats wonderful! Maxwell Drop, hmm? He has a trophy in one of the cabinets in the Winners Hall. I think I've seen one of his routines when I was a filly. Definitely a great flier." Rose smiled gingerly, looking into the room of other waiting fillies and colts. "Oh! I was in the middle of a class. Alright, well, thank you Quill for bringing me Dew. What class does he have next? I'll get someone to take him there later."

"I think he has Lulu for weather..." She grabbed the clipboard around her neck and viewed the sheet with Dew's information on it. "Yep, he has weather class next with Miss Leaf." She peered around the room at the other younger ponies, looking for someone she knew was in that class.

"Don't worry, I'll find someone to guide him for the day. What is his last class?" Rose looked at Quill's clipboard, nodding once finding the name. "Alright, Mr Cap. No worries, I know a pony who has the same classes." She immediately glanced at a particular young filly sitting in the far back of the room.

"Okay, all is well then! Have a good day, Dew. Remember to come back to reception to meet your father after Mr Cap's class." She turned around, smiling and making her way back to her designated area at the front of the school. Dew watched the tan pony with orange mane walk away, then turned back to the pink pony in front of him. He was surprised to see another filly in front of him.

"Dew, this is Fluttershy. She will be your guide for today, and she will take you to your other classes. She is a little shy but she will take care of you." Rose smiled, turning back to her class. "Now, we may have been interrupted but that doesn't mean we can't continue our relaxation. Back into position, chop chop!" She clapped her hooves together, watching her class scatter back to where they were before. Rose turned and fixed the hole in the wall, making sure the room was in complete darkness for her next exercise.

Dew gazed at Fluttershy for a fair while, and she returned the gesture. He looked down, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She whimpered a little, and he immediately lifted his head.

"What's wrong?" He questioned softly.

She cowered beneath herself. He frowned.

"I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. I just want to make friends." She looked up at him behind her beautiful, slightly curled pink mane. A little smile creeped across her face, but she still cowered.

Dew lowered himself to the ground and sat in front of her. "So what do we have to do for this part of class? Miss Petal said something about relaxing?"

"Uhm.. yes. You need to lay down.. if that's okay.." She said, her soft voice reaching forward to Dew's pounding little heart. He blushed even more than what he had before, glancing at her gorgeous teal eyes. What was he feeling? It felt really weird.

"Okay.." He laid down on the soft, cloudy floor, convincing himself he wouldn't randomly fall through the floor. It was always such a concern for him. "Now what?"

"Y-you... need to lay quietly and close your eyes.. are you okay with t-that?" She had such a tremble to her voice. He knew she was very frightened.

"That's fine with me." He closed his eyes, and he felt a small waft of air as Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground next to him. Dew smiled to himself, hoping she hadn't seen him do that. "Are you alright as being my guide for today..?" He questioned.

"It's okay... I'll do anything to help any pony... I'll, uhm.. make sure you're safe for today." She said, even softer and in more of a whisper than she had before. "Uhm, Dew?" Her voice was adorable, even when he could barely hear her.

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"Uhm.. I'm sorry if this is uhm.. too much but..." She paused, and he could feel her trembling next to him. He felt really bad that she was so shy. "..can we be friends? I don't... really have any..."

"Of course we can be."

Dew felt a strange, fluttering feeling in his stomach. It was soft, warm, calming. Something unfamiliar and new. What was it? Had it been because he had finally talked to ponies that weren't his parents? His mind was going a mile per minute trying to comprehend what had just happened. He nestled himself further into the cloud beneath him, finally realising something amazing. Something that made him smile with pure joy.

He just made his first ever friend.

The Guide

[MY SHY FILLY - THE GUIDE]

"How long have you been at this school?" Dew asked with a soft tone, walking down the hall with his new friend Fluttershy. She kept close but managed to still keep her distance with her slowly diminishing fear. As long as she spoke and kept him company, it didn't bother him that she was still a little hesitant in opening up to him. You haven't known her that long, give her a break. A little voice in his head told him, and he obeyed like a little puppy. He gazed ahead, rather than at her. Hopefully this would help her fear of communication, or whatever it was that was 'off' about Fluttershy.

"Uh... not long.." She muttered, pink mane covering the side of her face that Dew could vaguely make out. "...My parents made me come here.."

"Oh?" Inquisitive, he seemed to want to press the current conversation a little further. Pushy. The same voice muttered in his head. He hated his sub-conscious. Always so... right about everything.

"I hope you don't mind.. me talking about this.. Because I won't if you don't want to listen to it... If it's okay.." Trademark little 'if it's okay' sprawled from her mouth and Dew had to stifle a laugh. He had a feeling that this would come along in conversation a lot. In response, he simply shook his head.

"It's okay, I don't mind." The colt smiled.

"Well, uhm.. my parents left me here at school and I live with my cousin in Cloudsdale, near the.. uhm, shopping district. I didn't want to come here.. I'm not a strong flier," She paused and looked straight at Dew. "And I'm shy, if you haven't noticed."

As much as he wanted to burst out laughing, he refrained from the evidently rude gesture. He nodded, rather than embarrassing her and possibly causing her some hurt. "That's not great." He wasn't sure how to respond. Why was he so unfortunate to be brought up in a house where he had no idea how to talk to ponies his age? He sighed quietly.

"Yes.. Why are you here?" She asked, quite loud and fast too. With a face of slight shock, he answered quite bluntly.

"Well, I want to fly. That's all it is." He kept on walking, wondering why she would ask such a silly question. Then again, he was at a school that did cover a lot of other subjects OTHER than flying. Shrugging it off, he continued forward. "My parents taught me everything that I know. I just wanted to come here, make friends and learn to fly like all the other Pegasus ponies."

"Oh.. well that is good too then." She smiled and her voice lowered back to her original tiny tone. She peered around, desperately attempting to search for the next class. Slight fear creeped onto her quaint face, nearly taking over her. The yellow filly lowered herself to the ground and whimpered.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea where we are going.. Oh, I'm so stupid... I'm sorry..." She cowered and huddled herself into a tight little ball on the soft, fluffy cloud. She would have nearly started to sob if not for Dew's calming nuzzle to her face. Her body jolted as he touched her, but slowly eased back into her natural demeanour. Her beautiful teal eyes looked into the blue colts hazelnut's in return, and Fluttershy beamed with happiness. Her lanky body raised itself from the clouds, and she stood with a certain new grace to her, as if she had nothing to fear. Dew smirked lightly, moving a little ways from Fluttershy's evidently blushing face.

"T-thank you.. I needed that..." The yellow filly carefully composed herself without, again, bursting into tears. She was a sensitive filly, scared and apologetic about every single thing. Dew seemed to enjoy the strange composition this filly entailed, wondering what else he had to learn about her.

"It's fine, Fluttershy. And look, here is Miss Leaf's class. See? You aren't stupid. This place is just a bit confusing, even for a filly who has been here for a little longer than I." The blue colt was always full of manners and words, simply because of his parents. He seemed to know what to say in this situation considering the fact he always managed to have a fit, and his parents would respond with nothing but grace and respective wording. "Come on, we'll go inside."

The shy filly allowed Dew to go inside before she had. She had a considerate smile spread wide across her face. It was strange, but Dew had a feeling something was developing for this filly deep inside of him. Unexplainable, he decided to just play it safe and continue the way they had. It seemed best, for him and also for her.

That little smile she had was almost contagious; it lingered onto Dew's little colt face, right on through to the end of his first school day.

Although the day seemed to linger on and on for the young colt, he was sad to see it end. He had spent the entire day with the magnificent pony he knew as Fluttershy, learning all these new things with her and about her. Inside, every time he thought of her, and saw her, something strange seemed to surface. Not only did he smile, but he felt a flutter in his stomach. He called it his little Fluttershy, where all these emotions began to work their magic and it caused him to feel nauseous, but in the best way possible. He was ecstatic at meeting such an amazing first friend, but also finding more of a companion in her. Thoughts ran through his head at a mile per minute whilst he walked to the reception desk with his new filly friend.

"I don't understand though. Why do they make the rainbows spicy?" Dew questioned the teal eyed filly.

"I think.. that the combination of flavours kind of.. makes them not work with each other.. if you get what I mean. Uhm.. I suppose what I'm saying is that.. uhm.. they just don't balance and it makes it taste weird." Fluttershy carefully explained. She seemed to have a little trouble. Then again, it wasn't the easiest topic to explain. Honestly; a rainbow, spicy? Dew had no way of comprehending it.

"That makes sense but if you imagined all the sweet flavours together, despite the fact they may be full of citrus, they wouldn't taste spicy... right?" He scratched his mane with his hoof, slowing his pace to ponder the thought. He shook his head and heard Fluttershy laugh. "What?" He smiled widely.

"You are kind of silly Dewy."

Dew immediately frowned at the use of his nickname that his parents gave him. Why, all of a sudden, did she use that? He didn't understand how she suddenly knew his nickname...

"O-oh.. I'm so sorry Dew.. I didn't mean to call you that... Oh I always mess things up... I'm so clumsy.." She lowered her head and whimpered. "I was just trying to be friendly.. It's okay though, it's my fault, not yours." She lifted her head back up, sadness still lingering in her eyes despite her quickly recovering mood.

"It's not your fault, Fluttershy. It's just... My parents always call me that, I thought that was their way of addressing me. I didn't realise that any other pony could use the same nickname rather than the ponies who made it up." She cocked a brow at him, obviously confused.

"I know you told me about being... home schooled and all... Pardon me if I'm being too assertive.. but, uhm, a lot of ponies can use the same nicknames for you. Not just your parents." She smiled, simply trying to inform the young colt of the ways that a lot of colts and fillies used nicknames. He returned the smile, a little less confused.

Dew gained his composure. "That makes a lot more sense to me now. I'm very sorry, you know I don't really.. know how to react to a lot of things." He lowered his ears, again slowing his pace. He came to a halt. "Usually I wouldn't be so open about these things but.. Shya?"

"Shya?" The yellow filly questioned. She had a smile. One of the sweetest Dew had ever seen.

"Y-yes. Can I call you that?"

She grinned widely. "Of course. It's very nice."

Dew giggled nervously. It was a very feminine sort of laugh. He cursed his lack of teenage growth. "Okay. Well.. I think you are very special. I hope we stay friends for a long time.. and I hope this isn't forward either.. But, Shya, I think you are absolutely beautiful." He looked her in the eyes, and they shined with an amazing glimmer. Her smile hadn't faded, as he thought that it may have.

"T-thank you Dewy... Thats the... nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She blushed heavily. "It's.. weird but I don't feel as shy around you as I did." Her face made a sudden strange crook look. "And I've only known you a day."

They both laughed at the thought of the statement, and then nuzzled each others faces. "Best friends?" Dew said quietly, staring at Fluttershy.

"Of course, Dewy."

The tender moment between the two young ponies was interrupted by the clearing throat of an older stallion. Dew froze. He knew that sound. How did he come to know it so well? He turned to his left to see Maxwell staring at his son, and his new acquaintance Fluttershy. He seemed a little confused at the affection shown between the young colt and the yellow filly, but nonetheless, Maxwell managed to smile behind all the uncertainty. Fluttershy slightly cowered, but with a little help from Dew, she straightened her posture and smiled at the older stallion.

"H-hello Mr Drop. My names.. Fluttershy.." She said quietly.

"Hello Fluttershy, I am Maxwell. It is very nice to meet you. Are you Dew's new friend?" She nodded. "That is great. But I'm afraid I have to take him off your hands until tomorrow. We have to head off home." Again, she nodded. She smiled though, turning to Dew.

"I'll see you t-tomorrow Dewy.." She nuzzled the side of his face, flapping her wings and heading towards a similar looking mare over towards the front door. The mare was an orange-yellow colour, with a dark red, short mane. Her tail was braided into a short bun, and she had very beautiful teal eyes. Her cutie mark was a set of bandages, and she had a necklace with the doctors plus sign on it. Dew assumed she was a nurse of some kind, seeing that her entire physique seemed to relate back to the whole nursing/hospital idea. He smiled, watching the yellow filly greet the orange mare with a nuzzle to the cheek. The mare started asking her things about her day as they made their way out the door.

"So, son, Fluttershy, hmm? How did you meet?" Maxwell asked his son, feeling quite proud of his sons quick friendship with the lovely filly.

Dew began to explain exactly what had happened that day, from the moment he left to the moment that he came to pick him right back up. Every little detail was included whilst they made their way back to their cloudy home in the sky.

"That's great son. But I saw you nuzzling... What does that mean...?" Maxwell questioned, very concerned for the colt, considering the rapid increase in affection between the two.

"I don't really know, dad. But I do know something." Dew smiled widely. "She's the most amazing first friend I've ever met."

The "Almost" Confession

[MY SHY FILLY - THE "ALMOST" CONFESSION]

After hearing about the new episode coming up explaining the differences between each pony breed, I may have to revise the story if it doesn't fit with my ideas (knowing my luck, it won't be anything like my idea). Also, there are many background ponies as characters in this chapter so if you need an idea of which ones they are, just go onto the MLP wiki and look under Pegasus ponies.
And this is also set about three or four months after he first started at the school. No point having all the pointless filler, we all knew Fluttershy and Dew were gonna be the best of friends ;)
Thanks guys!

It was not long after the first class of the day, when four eager young flyers were hanging out in the clouds at Cloudsdale. Each of the ponies had just finished their basic classes after three months, and were moving onto intermediate lessons. They had been accepted into flying classes, although Fluttershy, being a weak flyer, had only joined in an attempt to heighten Dew's moral and give him a boost in his belief that he would be amazing, just like his father, Maxwell.

Dew had known Fluttershy since he started about three months before the intermediate classes had begun, and had become the best of friends with the filly. The four ponies were close to being teenagers, or were already in their teen years. Rainbow Dash was the youngest of the four, next being Fluttershy, then following Dew and Cappuccino.

After a month or two of being Fluttershy's best friend, Dew had eventually developed strong feelings for the filly. In denial, he often hid away from the fact he adored and loved his best friend. But Dew was beginning to contemplate telling Fluttershy about what he felt for her. That day, on the clouds with his friends, had been quite a great day for the blue colt.

"Oh come on, Dew! Lighten up, it was a prank. A joke. You gotta be cooler about it." The cyan filly sped past the clouds, knocking them as she went past. One, two, three; quickly and efficiently. Dew's jaw hung open, agape and nearly drooling from the shock Rainbow Dash left on him.

"How? HOW?" He nearly cursed under his breath at how fast the rainbow maned pony streaked across the sky, clearing the clouds like a professional. He had no idea how she could even fly that fast, with such small wings and such a tiny body. She was so small! His head jumbled the idea over and over, eventually shaking his head. He could never fly like that. His wings wouldn't allow him, they were far too weak.

"It's easy peasy. You just gotta have style, speed, and you gotta be awesome about it," Dash landed on the cloud that Dew, Fluttershy and their friend Cappuccino sat on. She closed her eyes and held her head high, breathing in the fresh air that the weather ponies worked so hard on. "And you gotta know the skies. Like me! Pure awesomeness." Still holding her head high, Dew knocked her over with his hoof. She landed face first into the light, fluffy cloud. Fluttershy released a high pitched gasp.

"Dewy!" She hopped to Rainbow Dash's aid. The cyan pony giggled, popping her head up with a beard of cloud hanging from her chin. Fluttershy's imminent kindness went unnoticed, as Dash leapt to tackle Dew Drop. The force of Rainbow Dash jumping onto Dew made the cloud beneath them collapse, sending all four ponies onto a cloud directly under them. All of them squealed in fear, particularly Fluttershy. She was still in hysterics even when they were safe on the white fluff-ball underneath them.

"Sheesh, Dew! You got some weird strength on you buddy!" Cino exclaimed, rubbing his forehead with his hoof. He was the largest of the four, and fortunately landed first. He was a deep chocolate colt, with a beautiful crimped, yellow mane. His eyes were a generous shade of leaf green, and he was graced with luxurious feathery wings. Closing his grassy eyes, he smiled and chuckled. Being a fair bit older than the other three, he hadn't taken it as harshly as Fluttershy.

She was sprawled across Cino's back and on Rainbow's head, shuddering in fear. Dew, sensing her discomfort, nuzzled her cheek and her fear vanished with a stomp of a hoof. He giggled, and hopped out from under Rainbow Dash. He high-hoofed his friend and dropped onto the fluffy cloud, watching the rest of his friends untangle themselves from one another. He saw small cloud puffs rise up next to him, and leaned his head to see his best friend laying next to him. Her teal eyes met his hazel eyes, and both of the ponies smiled.

Dash and Cino were busy comparing size of their wings, and stability. Dew knew that rainbow filly all too well now. She was all about flying, racing, being the best of the best, being a loyal friend. She was highly influenced by the Wonderbolts, and he knew she strived to be one of those amazing horses. She had collected all types of merchandise, from clothing to plushies, from posters to cups with the Wonderbolts faces on them. She had everything. Dew admired her for being such a devoted filly. He often wished that he had a trait like hers. Having something to wish and dream for. He often thought that his ambition in life was to be like his father, a competent Pegasus who had fame simply because he could fly. But at the same time, Dew hated the idea of being anything like his father. As much as he adored his parents and what they had done for him, he couldn't seem to stem the idea that maybe his parents were extremely racist.

He had often sat on the edge of Cloudsdale, staring down at Ponyville, watching other Pegasus ponies communicating with Unicorns and Earth ponies. Heck, even the past Winter, he watched Winter Wrap Up day and was close to tears at the moving moments he came across. He saw all types of ponies working together to wrap up the Winter holidays, Pegasus ponies moving clouds and melting the snow... In his mind, he wish he knew what the feel of real snow felt like. At the town square, closer to the shopping district, they had a fake snow set up for fillies and colts who couldn't fly to the ground and enjoy real snow. That was how close Dew had gotten to the real thing. It was never enough for him though. He wanted to feel, not be tricked. A struggle...

"Are you okay, Dewy?" Fluttershy placed the tip of her nose on his shoulder. He snapped out his trance, staring at the yellow cream filly's beautiful eyes. If only you knew... He thought, allowing a smile to peel across his face. I'll tell her today... I have to!

Dew's eyes sparked up a little. The filly noticed quite easily how the excitement showed in her best friends eyes. Fluttershy couldn't exactly pinpoint what was really going on in his head. She tried to hide her confusion, as well as stop her oncoming giggling.

"Shya... There's something I need to tell you. It's a little.. confronting." His excitement soon turned to a nervous bug in his stomach. He kept his words to a dull mutter, making sure his two flying friends hadn't heard his little statement that would turn into a massive confession.

"Yes, of course. But are you okay?" She rolled onto her side and stared at Dew Drop. She couldn't understand his body language, his stares, his strange tone of voice. She really just wished it wasn't something utterly horrible.

"I am perfectly fine. But Shya... We're best friends. And I wouldn't want to say anything that would ruin that but... I reall-" His adoring speech was interrupted by the bell for the next class. He stared at the building that adorned beautifully sculpted Pegasi, wondering why the timing was so off for what he had to say. Closing his eyes with defeat, he shook his head. Raising himself off the ground, he turned towards the building and flapped his wings.

"Nevermind." His voice was flat. Toneless. Nothing was there. Fluttershy frowned and stopped him before he could weakly fly away.

"Dew... What's wrong? Did I do something? I'm so sorry if I did something. I'm clumsy... Oh..." She whimpered a little, hiding behind her mane as she always did when something was wrong.

He looked at her and faked a smile. "Nothing is wrong, Fluttershy. We just have class, I'll tell you later. Come on! Flying class, aren't you excited?" A massive grin, a real one, spread across his face. He hoped that this class would at least stop him from being upset.

The Bullies

[MY SHY FILLY - THE BULLIES]

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"Flap your wings. Let the breeze slide under and lift you up. Once you master being off of the ground and holding your own weight, you should be fine! Derpy, what are you doing? NO! That's not how you fly! Oh dear Celestia..." The flying instructor, Songbird, cried out to the gray-blue pony flapping her wings out of unison, and spinning in wild circles. Derpy was far too busy attempting to catch her own tail to care about actually flying... or was she? Whilst Songbird attempted to slow Derpy down, Dew was trying to force his wings to carry him into the soft, beautiful air. With each movement of his feathery wings, he was beyond determined to be an expert in the sky. Devotion was his key. Fluttershy eyed the pony carefully, gazing at his ever constant tries to rise higher and higher. She had noticed he had trouble staying in the air, let alone being able to lift himself; his wings were under-grown and fragile. She didn't have this problem. For her, it was mainly the fact that she couldn't flap her wings for far too long. Looking back at the colt, she noticed his frustration was gradually getting worse and worse. She tilted her head and peered at him with sympathy lurking in her eyes.

"Ugh... Why is this so difficult? I hate my wings! They're refusing to even LIFT me! Useless things..." Dew groaned, dropping to the cloud allocated to him and giving up all hope. He took a glance around, feeling a set of eyes on him. But knowing who it was, he couldn't bring himself to turn those few inches to meet his gaze with hers. Somehow, in some way, the pain he felt overruled all else. Stupid Dew... Why are you so stubborn? He thought to himself, closing his eyes to attempt burying his face in the fluffy cloud below.

"Rainbow Dash, can you...?" He heard Fluttershy talking to Rainbow, but had no idea what she was implying, what her intention of the very vague statement was. Without his vision, he wasn't able to see if she were making actions or movements. He just ignored it, lifted his head from the clouds and focused on his wings. Within a second or two, he felt the tender bump of another cloud touching his. Barely a nudge. "Too far..." He couldn't help but smile. He swivelled around to eye Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The yellow filly had her eyes locked to Dew, but he avoided the awkward meet of their eyes and lingered his gaze to Dash. She was flying, with pure ease. He felt his heart drop. He had wished for years that he could be such a fantastic Pegasus, but to no avail.

"Sorry Fluttershy buddy! I couldn't really see where the cloud was going. I'm off! I'm gonna race Cino. He thinks he's better than me. Hah! Doubt it. Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt, OFF!" The cyan filly flew off with precision and speed. It was unlike anything Dew had ever seen, even though he had only seen ponies flying past his concealed room in his large, luxurious home. Even then, they were average ponies whose talents were not flying or racing. Rainbow Dash had that talent. Dew snapped back to reality, turning towards Fluttershy. The feeling of being nervous struck Dew like a rock.

"Dewy? Are you angry at me?"

He heaved a breath of remorse. "No. I'm annoyed at myself. Just don't worry Shya." Look at her Dew. "Really, it's no one's fault but my own. We're fine." He allowed a smile to pop up on his little face.

A hesitant Fluttershy let out her long awaited sigh. She nuzzled his face from her cloud, before then hoofing at it to make it separate from his. "I hope so, Dewy." She gazed at the sky, watching all the other ponies fly. "We really need to learn.. Oh dear..."

"It's alright. We're just not strong flyers. But we will be! I promise you that." Dew smiled at her. He was quite convinced that he would be one of Equestria's best flyers, just like his father. Just like Rainbow wanted to be. His ambitions were very similar to what hers were, he had noticed. It always managed to ponder in the back of his mind that maybe his special talent wasn't flying, but he kept all of his honest hopes high for the future.

Again, he lifted his wings and flapped at a flowing pace. Slow at first, gradually gaining speed. He watched Fluttershy who managed to get in the air, but stumbled and fell on the cloud. She grumbled.

"This is so frustrating! I could just scream... but I won't." She closed her eyes and shook her head wildly. "I really hope they don't come over and make fun of me again..." She muttered, nearly silent.

"What was that?" Dew questioned.

"Oh. Nothing." He frowned at her. Dew knew when Fluttershy was hiding something from him. Over the months, he had learned this quite easily. "Oh okay... Sorry. There are these three colts that teased me... They said I was a clutz.. They called me Cluttershy." She lowered her head, letting her mane droop sadly over her face. She was evidently hurt. She knew flying wasn't her strong point, and she accepted that more than other young ponies usually would. She just didn't like it when ponies made fun of her. It was mean. She hated mean ponies.

"Who was it?" With terrible timing, the ponies she spoke of appeared above the two best friends. Dew listened to them laughing before he had laid his eyes on them. They already sounded like idiots to him.

"Hey CLUTTERSHY! How is it in the sky? OH WAIT, you can't fly! Hahahah!" One of the colts said, flying around in circles around the pair. Dew examined the looks of this colt. He was light brown with a dark brown mane covering his eyes. Dew cocked a brow; how could he even fly with his hair like that? He gazed to the colts flank. He already has a cutie mark? It was three basketballs in a triangle formation. This pony must have been good at sports.

"Hoops shut up! She can fly, she's just no GOOD AT IT! Bahahaha!" A much darker brown colt said, with a creamy mane and blue eyes. His mane curled just above his eyes so he was able to see, unlike the other pony called 'Hoops'. This colt had no cutie mark. The third pony, who was gray-blue with a black mane, also covering his eyes, just laughed. Nothing else. He just chuckled, and continued to swirl around and around in circles. Dew began to get very aggravated at the continuous bullying and disrespect these three had been showing to Fluttershy.

"What do you want?" Dew Drop said loudly, keeping a tall proud stance. He had grown considerably since his first day at school. He was a little bit taller than Fluttershy, and had gained a lot more muscle and weight. He felt he could take on these colts. They didn't seem so tough. But then again, he wasn't the type of colt to start a fight. He was far too considerate to hurt another pony.

"Stay out of this, Dew DROP! Hahaha.. oh wait.." The darker brown colt said. Dew had heard this colts name been said before in classes; Dumb-bell. He thought... emphasis on Dumb, maybe. Could work for a nickname.

"Dumb-bell, shut up! Cluttershy's little boyfriend DEWY is just a brown nosing little jealousy pants! He can't even fly either! He's far too weak!" Hoops started laughing and they dropped to nearby clouds around the pair. Dew glared at them with near pure hatred, trying to understand why they started picking on HIM just because he tried to defend Fluttershy. He hadn't come across this type of attention before. He wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Why are you picking on us? We haven't ever flown before. Give us a break!" He shouted. Fluttershy stared at Dew, trying to inch herself closer to him. She was frightened, upset, trying to hide away from all the hurt.

"Pegasi like you are wimps! You can't even be called Pegasus ponies! You're just useless and you give us a bad name! Hahahahah!" Dumb-bell shouted at the two. They huddled in fear. Dew had no idea what to do. They continued to throw insults back and forth. Fluttershy began to cry but had no way of escaping the horrible comments. When she had tried to fly away, they pushed her back and made her sob even harder. Dew began to feel tears forming in his eyes, wondering when this would all stop.

Songbird appeared from above the colts and the even more terrified Fluttershy.

"Hoops! Dumb-bell! Score!" Her voice was piercing, nearly deafening. "To the headmare's office, NOW! I will be there in a moment." At the same time, they all grumbled and flew off towards the schools main building. Songbird watched to make sure they had gone the right way, and had entered the building. She knew they wouldn't leave as long as she could see their escape.

"Dew Drop, Fluttershy, are you two alright? What were they doing to you? Did they hurt you?" Constant concerning comments spewed from the teachers mouth. Her tone had an apologetic feel to it, Dew noticed. He was confused by this; it wasn't her fault...

"No... t-they kept teasing us because we can't fly.." Fluttershy whimpered quietly. It was nothing like her to speak up in a situation like this. Dew just wiped away his tears and huddled closer to the yellow filly's side.

"Come on, I'll make sure your parents or guardians come to pick you up." Songbird said sympathetically. She had no idea that it had happened, she was far too concerned about Derpy Hooves and her confused flying. She hurried the two to the main building, already seeing the headmare at the doorway.

As time passed, Dew Drop and Fluttershy had told the headmare exactly what the three colts had been saying. There was no doubt that the headmare believed every word, and immediately suspended the bullies for mentally harming two other students. They were sent home, with their parents, no words said.

When Maxwell and Sapphire had arrived at the school, as well as Fluttershy's cousin, Matilda, bad news arrived for Dew.

"No please don't. I have to be here. Don't pull me out of school!" He cried, tears streaming down his little colt face.

"What other choice do we have, Dew? None. We can't keep you here if it harms your mental health. I alone won't stand for it. Neither does your mother!" Maxwell's voice had continuously raised with every word spoken. He was nearing a rage at how poorly the school had handled the situation as it was happening, and how it had happened later on.

"I'm sorry Dew, dear, but if you can think of a better solution then this is how it has to be." Sapphire stated softly, her voice much more caring that her husband's, Maxwell.

Fluttershy's softer tone managed to get a word in before Maxwell roared about Songbird's poor handling of the situation. "I have an idea, if you don't mind me saying it."

"Of course dear, go right ahead." Sapphire exclaimed quite fast. She had known about Dew and Fluttershy's close friendship for a long while, and had suspected Dew's feelings for the filly.

"Well, if Dew is away from school for a week or two, there isn't any chance of it harming him in the long run.. Not that he would be harmed, I'm just saying that when he comes back he will be refreshed. And well.. he won't need to worry about the bullies 'cos they won't bully us anymore. If it helps, I can stay away for two weeks, too." She looked to Matilda. "If it's okay with you..."

In sequence, Maxwell, Sapphire, Matilda and the headmare managed to come to an agreement.

"It's settled then. The two ponies, Dew Drop and Fluttershy, will have two weeks of home studying to recover from the incident. All their homework and assignments will be mailed to them and they will return once the duration of the two weeks is over. Agreed, everypony?" Everyone nodded. The headmare signed a few papers with the fancy quill in her mouth, and sent the filly and the colt away. Songbird returned to her class, and the two families prepared to go their separate ways.

But not before Sapphire could speak to Fluttershy.

"Dear, would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow night? You can stay the night as well, if you may. You can prepare your homework with Dew and then catch up in the two weeks so you both don't get bored." She smiled widely at the two. It would have been good for them to at least see each other, rather than keep the distance and potentially forget to speak to each other, then get upset.

"O-of course! That would be lovely. But only if it's not too much trou-" She was interrupted.

"None at all, sweetheart! It's our pleasure." Sapphire looked at Maxwell, who seemed to have the same level of excitement as the loving mother.

"It's fine with me, Fluttershy. You can stay over there as long as you want, I have a lot of late shifts at the hospital. A lot of Pegasus ponies got hurt during Spring Break." Matilda nodded, her graceful mane flowing behind her. She was indeed a beautiful mare.

"Great! We will see you tomorrow night then. We can come get you if necessary?"

"No no, I know how to get here. Thank you very much, Mrs and Mr Drop."

With the agreement that Fluttershy would visit for the first time since the two became friends, Dew and Fluttershy nuzzled goodbye for the day. His heart was racing, he could barely speak after knowing she would be sleeping at his house more than once in the next two weeks.

"Thank you Dewy. I mean, for today. Y-you're really brave.." She stared him deep in the eyes, a line of blush appearing over her cheeks. He kissed one of them, he had done it plenty of times before. A slight peck, nothing too obtrusive.

"For you, Shya, anything in the world. I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked away with his parents. The happiness he felt was extraordinary. His heart was nearly bursting from his pounding chest. His mind was full of Fluttershy, from images to thoughts to the sound of her sweet voice. He could nearly imagine her smell, the touch of her wings brushing past him. The feel of her face nuzzling his. The feeling he got when she stared at him, deeply. The amazing flutter he got when he kissed her cheeks. He stopped for a moment, a tense feeling rushing over him. He felt weak at the knees. He had realised something wonderful.

He was falling in love with his best friend.

The Hurt

[MY SHY FILLY - THE HURT]

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"Make sure the house is completely clean!"

"Dew, cloud houses rarely get messy..."

"I don't care! Clean the clouds. Make sure they're white."

"Honey, all of our clouds ARE white..."

"THEN CLEAN SOMETHING." Dew squealed, perfectly propped into place on the table in the kitchen. He was panicking, furiously stampeding around for the past hour. It was only now that his mother managed to get him to stay still, even if it was on the kitchen table...

"Dew Drop, get down from the table and come here." Maxwell called from the study. For a few hours, avoiding household duties and carefully moving around stealthily, Maxwell had been precariously working on a novel. With all the ruckus from his wife and extremely nervous son, it was nearly impossible to get any work done. How else to deal with a noisy son then call him over to... well, calm him down?

"Yes father." Obedient and polite, he held his wings high and glided from the table to the floor. He had no problem going DOWN when flying. He just had an incline that maybe he would never be able to lift himself up and fly. Dew trotted to his father's study, shutting the door behind him to block out the noise of his mother's frantic cleaning of the dining area.

"Sit down." Dew looked around for a moment. He had never really been into his father's study before. From roof to elegantly plush floor, the entire area was crowded with bookcases and regal, vintage novels. Some of the shelves were adorned with beautiful and intricate carvings, and each shelf had their own gold plated labels. Dew had always wondered how such furniture was manufactured. It managed to comfortably sit on top of the plush clouds, with not a sign of wear or tear on either side. Glancing around further, he had noticed the red velvet seats located around the room. In a matching fashion, two rugs sprawled on the floor, with gold fabric for the tassels on the ends. Dew treaded carefully over the rugs, wondering if he dare step on such beautiful elements in his fathers study. He took a seat on the closest velvet chair, staring just below his fathers eye-line. For some strangely odd reason, he felt completely intimidated by his fathers power.

"Yes, dad?" A tremble quivered in his voice. Not through his recent growth, but through fear.

Maxwell took a sip of his chai tea sitting on the desk in front of him. "I understand the situation between you and Ms Fluttershy, you see... And your frantic bellowing around the house is quite normal." He eyed his son carefully, before continuing.

"When I was a colt, fresh to the Academy and feeling quite the same way you did, I wasn't too sure about who I was, who I wanted to be, who I would get along with in the world," Another sip. "Until I met Sapphire. She wasn't much of a confident flyer. She had the same problem Fluttershy does now, she had very weak wings but a very, perfectly capable body. It was something I found very unattractive in her, to be honest. After awhile of being in that Academy, my ambition was to become a fantastic flyer, or something greater than that. I despised any other who lacked the ability I knew I would become famous for." He lowered his eyes slightly, as if a great shadow had washed over him. "I bullied your mother for awhile. The same way those colts yesterday bullied you. I eventually saw what that did to a pony, not just yesterday, but when I had done it, and regretted what I had done to your mother."

Dew was silent. At that very moment, he was unsure of his father. Unsure of what he thought of him.

"I can see that expression on your face. It was what I expected when I told you this story, but I'm telling you this to make a point." Dew nodded, a soft, half hearted smile leering on his face. "What happened was that after I noticed what I had done to Sapphire, I apologised, and I tried to make it up to her by taking her on a date. She taught me much about myself, what I could be or become, and what she wanted in her life. I chose your mother because she gave me a second chance even once I hurt her."

"But what does this have to do with me? I haven't hurt Fluttershy..." Dew cocked his head to the side. He had no idea what his father was trying to explain to him.

"I'm getting to that, son. You see, she taught me about myself and when it came to that first date, I was frantic the way you are now. I was afraid. I didn't know whether or not to dress up in a suit, or put candles all over the house. I didn't know whether or not to buy her a rose, or some candy. I had no idea if I should have cooked or if I was going to make your grandmother do it for me."

Dew started to giggle a little bit. His father... he was so much like him.

"It's funny now but back then... Oh I was terrified. Look, I want you to know not to be afraid. I see what you two have between each other. Now, I don't know if she feels the same. Do you know that, son?" Dew shook his head, ears dropping back onto his head.

"I wouldn't fret. If anything, today is the perfect day to ask. Or, better yet, tell her how you feel. I know you're already the best of friends. From what I've heard, she seems far too kind to be inconsiderate about the whole situation. You'll be fine son. Take it from an old man who had himself in the same situation and had it almost end in turmoil." Maxwell reached over and put a hoof on his sons shoulders. Dew, in return, leaned forward for a powerful embrace.

"Thanks, dad." He leaned back and looked at his dad. A smile was still lingering, even after the giggles subsided from his fathers hilarious tale. "But one question...."

Maxwell tilted his head and smiled lightly.

"What should I wear?"

Dew's father instantly smacked his head on his desk. Dew let out a very loud laugh. "What? I listened to your story! But I wanna know what to wear." He grinned widely. He knew tonight was going to be amazing.

"Oh wow. That was amazing. What was in it?" Fluttershy exclaimed, her soft voice filled with excitement.

"Pistachios, beans, lemon dressing and some sautéed daisies. Did you enjoy it?" Sapphire's eyes gleamed with joy, watching the filly gingerly scrap the plate with her hoof, tasting the juices tenderly. She closed her eyes, letting out a noise of utmost pleasure and joy. Dew giggled at the filly's display of thrill; he hadn't seen Fluttershy enjoy something so much. Not in a long while.

"More than you know, Mrs Drop! This is one of the best meals I've ever had. How did you get such good ingredients? I mean, if you don't mind telling me, that is." Her eyes brightened widely. Dew wiped his messy face with a soft linen cloth, placing it in the bowl in front of him. He always managed to eat messy with those types of dishes. A horn would come in handy.

Dew listened intently to his mother and his best friend chatting away. The night loomed closer as the talking pursued. His father had already retired to bed, resting off a long days work and preparing himself for the working day ahead. He worked so hard for his family, providing them with all the love and support they needed. Too bad his morals were completely stunted and had no possible means for a good personality. Dew sighed, leaning back in the comfortable silk chair. They were so beautiful; his mother had gone antique shopping not too long ago and brought many items of worth into the family home. Dew only enjoyed a few, those which he could sit on.

"...And then I ordered the pistachios in from the Pegasus market in Ponyville. They sell such amazing food there."

"Why did you order them? I mean... you could have flown there yourself. But if you're too busy... then that's okay."

Sapphire paused, sipping from her tea in front of her. Chai, brewed to perfection and garnished with extra cinnamon. "I thought Dew would have told you about that already." Her tone was flat, with a hint of distaste.

"Oh, no, he hasn't. How come you can't go there, or even Mr Drop? It shouldn't be too much hassle..." She tilted her head slightly, taking a swig from her more common drink of Ponynade, a fizzy lemon flavoured drink.

Sapphire shot a glare at her son. Dew was unsure why.

"We are a household that prefers to keep to our own kind. We follow the original ways of Commander Hurricane, before he was corrupted by the Earth and Unicorn ponies," She looked down at the book on the table she had kept since she set up for dinner. "I refuse to communicate with those... fools, so I order through a private seller who delivers them within the hour."

Fluttershy was silenced. She glanced at Dew, and he lowered his ears. She had noticed his discomfort in the situation, as well as how much he disliked this side of his mother. She stuck to the topic of food, rather than pursuing the conversation of disharmony.

"Oh, well if I could fly to the ground I would get all the ingredients! These pistachios, especially. They're so soft and hardly chewy at all. My cousin got the gross ones from the market here... I mean, they're okay but.. I like the ones from Ponyville much more."

This had brought a more joyful mood to Sapphire, despite the throwdown of the Pegasus market in Cloudsdale. She smiled, standing up to clean the dishes.

"Oh! Let me help, I like to do the dishes." Fluttershy flapped her wings and grabbed a few plates. Sapphire laughed and took them from her, placing them in the sink next to a gorgeous golden framed window. It shimmered with dull sunset light, changing the colour of everything in the room to a soft orange hue.

"Dear, you're our guest! And besides, it is getting a bit late. You and Dew are excused, you can go up to his room. Dew, honey, did you clean your room and put the spare bed down?"

"Yes, mother." He was quiet. Her mood swings when speaking of the pony topic had made him a little upset.

"Alright. You two, off to your room now. You've got a bit of studying to do tonight and also tomorrow. I'll come say goodnight in an hour and a half. I'll be in here reading, but I'll bring up some snacks and drinks before I go to bed." She nuzzled Dew, who giggled from the gesture. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Is dad asleep?" Sapphire nodded. "Well if he wakes up when you go to sleep, tell him we said goodnight." He smiled, and off him and Fluttershy went to his room.

She had been reading over the studies of Pegasus culture and history for about half an hour, and Dew had wished she would stop speaking about it. Before he had a word in, the yellow filly had her words in.

"I'm sorry if this is bothering you, Dewy. I m-mean... what your mother said was a little strange and I just wanted to know what she meant. I can't understand it though..." She paused, staring deep into the blue colts eyes. "I've never met an Earth pony, or even a Unicorn, but how can they be any different to us?"

"Fluttershy, it says it in the book, silly." He smiled, slipping off of his bed to Fluttershy's bed on the floor. It was a soft, comfy blow up mattress with a foam base to keep it in place. "See, here: 'The Pegasi were the stewards of the weather. But, they demanded something in return: food that could only be grown by Earth ponies. The Unicorns, demanded the same, in return for magically bringing forth day and night.' They were all asking for things but wanted things in return. So basically.. they just took but didn't want to give, and that caused the separation. Does it make sense now?"

The yellow filly smiled, nuzzling Dewy's face. "Of course. Thank you, Dewy. You always help me all the time. You're a great friend."

Dew picked up his book with his mouth from his amazingly comfortable bed and propped himself on the mattress next to Fluttershy. He was reading something more laid back, something a little more... not for studying. It was a story about a Pegasus who could not fly, and was in love with an Earth pony. The Earth pony had a very studious Unicorn friend who forced a spell on the Earth pony to gain wings, natural Pegasus wings, and the power to walk on clouds. But the Earth pony began to feel homesick after a few days, and wanted to go home. Her wings, however, were 'broken' like her lovers. She decided to stay with her love forever, even if it meant she couldn't see her friends anymore. It was a sappy love story, but Dew loved the back story of it.

He was also trying to leave subtle hints on the unaware Fluttershy. Now was his time.

Before he was able to speak his desperate words, Fluttershy began to hum softly. She then started to speak.

"You are my best friend, right?" He nodded softly. She smiled at the gesture. "I need to tell you something... it's a secret... But it's about me, but also about someone else... Do you want to hear it?"

"S-sure... what is it?" Dew's heart was pounding a mile a minute. He had an idea of where this was going. But in what direction, he was unsure. There seemed to be a two way street here. It was either about him, or about someone else. Even then, there were more pathways from those individual choices. He started to sweat a little, but ignored it.

"You promise not to tell anyone? I mean it Dewy!" She exclaimed, staring widely into his eyes. He felt the tension, but also the warmth of her beautiful teal eyes penetrating his. He nodded again, his sweating beginning to rise. "This is so embarrassing... but... for awhile now, I've kind of had a crus-" She was interrupted by the press of Dewy's lips to hers.

He held her close, hooves wrapped around her neck. She wasn't struggling, he knew that it was him she was going to talk about. This was the moment. The amazing touch of her body this close, the amazing feel of her hot breath as he pressed his lips harder onto hers. She breathed heavily, a twitch in her body so tense that Dew could feel it. His heart was racing as her warm lips slightly opened against his. Dew opened his and attempted to slide his tongue into her mouth, but she squealed and he pulled back immediately. She had been struggling the entire time, but was immobilised by the situation.

"Dewy! What are you doing! Oh no no no... I didn't mean you! I meant Cappuccino! I'm so sorry!" She held her hooves over her mouth, eyes wider than he had ever seen them. Tears formed and she looked around frantically. Fluttershy relocated the rest of her belongings on the bed, pushing them to the side. She blew out a few candles, sniffling.

"I'm really sorry Dewy... I didn't mean you. You're my best friend, I could never have a crush on you. I'm sorry...." She swivelled to meet his gaze, but he had already snuggled warmly into his bed. He was far too embarrassed, too hurt to speak to her. The only words he said, were mumbled and extremely quiet.

"In the morning, I think you should go home." Fluttershy whimpered and softly whispered okay. Dew hadn't finished though.

"And you shouldn't come back. Ever."

The Sadness

[MY SHY FILLY - THE SADNESS]

This one is really short guys! I just didn't plan on having too much in this. It's mainly around Dew's feelings and thats it! Hope you enjoy. Tips are welcome
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"Dew, you can't continuously mope around like this." Sapphire placed herself on the bed next to the what would seem sleeping colt, but she could vaguely make out his blank stare through the reflection in the mirror. Her gaze wandered over her upset son, wondering what had happened. She ran her hoof along the length of his back, attempting to comfort him.

Since a few nights beforehand, Dew had been struck with a horrible case of rejection. He hadn't felt that stupid, that insecure about his feelings, or that horrible about any situation in his life. He had felt various amounts of feelings, which had led him to hide away in his room, bed ridden.

He had thought about the way he handled it over and over. In one aspect, it was immature of him to jump to the conclusion that Fluttershy had been speaking about him. It was also immature that he had reacted by telling her to leave as soon as the morning sun crept in through the windows. But... he also had thought about his feelings. Why didn't his feelings seem to matter now? Was it the guilt of hurting her? Why didn't she realise that he adored and cherished her in every way possible? When he thought of the way she hadn't realised, he knew why he was upset. He understood why he was locked away.

She was just too oblivious to his feelings and she had hurt him. Dew heaved a huge sigh. Love was a painful thing.

"Dewy...?" Dew's ears perked at the sound of his mothers voice. It was soft, soothing, the motherly touch he needed right now. He rolled to his side, facing Sapphire. His eyes were shut, brows furrowed deeply into his skull, mouth trembling slightly. Dew somehow felt worse now that he was close to opening himself up to his mother.

"Honey.. I don't know what happened. But please... tell me. I don't know if I can help, but I will make you feel a little better. Talk to me, please." She pressed her nose to his cheek, wrapping her fore-hooves around Dew's body. She could feel him tremble slightly, and a sniffle escaped his nose. She held him tighter than she had ever before.

Dew moved away from his mother, staring at her briefly with puffy eyes and a runny nose. He wiped it away with his hoof and breathed to catch his breath from sobbing.

"Well... last night Fluttershy was talking about some pony she liked and she kept describing it like me... And I thought she meant me. I kissed her and it felt like she liked it! But she was really just... moving away and trying to escape..." He tilted his head away and closed his eyes. His mane drooped slightly over his face. "She told me she liked Cappuccino... not me.. I told her to leave and never come back, and never talk to me again... That's why she left so early that morning and that's why I've been in here. I feel awful about what I did but I can't believe she didn't know... that I really really love her.."

Sapphire dropped her head low. "Is that what this is all about?"

Dew shot a dirty glare at his mother. He assumed her tone indicted that she didn't care, or that it wasn't a big deal. He turned over in his bed, sulking the same way he had before.

"Dew, no, I don't mean that in a bad way," She scooted closer to her son. With a quick motion of her hooves, Dew was sitting upright, a grumpy face set in stone. "What I mean is that your problem has an easy answer. You two need to discuss the problem to get this easy answer, that's all. The outcome depends on how you treat the situation."

He tilted his head. "Treat the situation?"

"Yes, son. If you tell her how you feel, apologise for what you said and get back to being close friends, then the outcome will be just what you want it to be," She closed her eyes and smiled lightly. "Girls sometimes fall for the guys who admit their feelings. She may just be in a very bad place right now."

"I don't understand mother... A bad place?" Dew rested his head against her chest. He could hear her heart beating. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Each beat in time. Soothing beats over and over. He closed his eyes, timing his breaths with every fourth beat.

"She could be having a hard time at home. She might be a little frazzled because of the bullies, or maybe she wants her cutie mark and it could be giving her some stress. She may not be telling you, so she is unsure on how she is dealing with it. She might just be dating Cappuccino because he's there... You know she values your friendship enough not to break it by being your marefriend." She brushed his mane from his eyes, watching him settle himself.

"What should I do?" The soft words escaped his little colt mouth.

"Whatever you feel is right. You go back to school tomorrow... Speak to her then." Sapphire smiled and nudged him slightly. He was dozing off; it was far too early for him to sleep at this rate.

"Thank you, mom," he sat up and nuzzled under her chin. "I wanna make myself look nice tomorrow. Can we go get my mane trimmed? And re-styled too?"

"Of course, my dear." She held her hoof out, and her son returned the favour.

NOTE

Hi guys!
I'm sorry it's been so long since I actually updated this story. I've been terribly busy with interviews, family, dramas, art, and the works.
It's not dead to clear that up! The new chapter has been half written, I haven't had the time to finish it for awhile now.
But I think maybe in a week when my university offer has come through I'll either write this fiction up or a new chapter of my other fiction, Diamonds on Show. It's saucy so... Careful yaha.
Anyway thank you for your patience and I'm terribly sorry it's taking so long!
Soon, I promise :)

Samie