Vinyl Scratch is in Wub Wub Wub!

The moon shone a luminescent light down from the sky, the stars shimmering from the heavens. The hill was merely a silhouette from the distance, reigning taller than then the forest surrounding it. The two equine figures atop the hill, frozen in place, deadlocked in each others eyes. Rainbow’s single thought bounced around her head repeatedly, in the same soft, high pitched, soprano voice.

‘Don’t deserve…don’t deserve… don’t deserve… Fluttershy…’

The realization hit Dash like a tidal wave. She wasn’t worthy. Her dream mare spent all her time caring for animals, making sure that others were safe before her, and if it came down to it, protecting her friends. On the other hand, Dash wanted to be the best. She wanted to be the fastest. She wanted to be pull the best stunts in Equestria. She wanted the most beautiful mare.

Her heart dropped from it’s usual spot held high in her chest, down to the pits of her stomach. The pain and gnawing set in her abdomen, like being eaten from the inside out. All that was left in her chest was a vacuum, forcing the pressure of the outside world onto her chest. She thought she might implode at any moment, with the overbearing force centered at where her heart used to be.

Her legs frozen to the ground, bound by the tendrils of fear and betrayal, all Dash could do was watch the sharp cardinal eyes bore into her soul with the same pain as if someone had thrust a broadsword through her heart. Rainbow Dash barely felt the strength to continue to breathe, as the enigmatic Vinyl Scratch slowly stalked past her, and down the hill, leaving the down trodden pony to sulk in her sorrows.

The warmth and light of Celestia’s pride and joy landed upon Fluttershy’s face, lighting up her sharp face and light pink hair. Her nose gave way to a small ruffle, before she slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the new light. Letting her eyes open to their fullest extent, she was hit with a barrage of images in her mind, along with the dull thump in the back of her head. The remnants of the previous night shot through her head. Vinyl. Lunch. The kiss…. Rainbow Dash… it all happened so fast. ‘I couldn’t even stop it… why would she…’ Fluttershy didn’t know.

She spent the entire night after that trying to figure out why. She hadn’t even seen Dash in weeks. She tried to push it out of her throbbing head, but couldn’t manage to quite escape it. Rolling out of bed, she slowly made her way to her bedroom door in a down trodden trot. She pushed open the door, and found herself in her home, the small cottage off to the side of Ponyville. Walking her way towards the living room, the small clops from her hoofs on the wood floorboards alerted Angel that she was awake.

Fluttershy merely glanced towards the kitchen, and gagged in disgust. All the food in the kitchen made her sick to the stomach. Instead, she merely sank onto the couch, and covered herself in a big, forest green blanket, and oversized beanie. She took in deep breaths, trying to keep from crying, while recollecting the events that transpired the night before.

Deep in thought, she didn’t notice the small thumping noise on the table in front of her, but what DID catch her attention, was her face catching the side of a carrot. Fluttershy let out a small cry in surprise, and fell backwards off the couch, landing on her back, hoofs cocked below her chin. She looked up past her hoofs to see Angel’s beady eyed bearing down at her.

“Oh… A-angel… do you have any advice for me?”

But Angel merely stood there and stamped his foot against the table.

“Do… you have something you want to show me?”

Angel nodded, and hopped off of the table. Before Fluttershy could get back up, Angel was back, holding a picture frame. He laid it down on the table, and waited impatiently as Fluttershy got back to her feet. With Fluttershy finally settled, she looked at the picture, and saw none other than her friends, all bunched together and smiling.

“You want me to… hug my friends?”

Angel bunny merely shook his head, and let out a stream of incomprehensible gibber jabber. Fortunately enough, Fluttershy had lived with Angel long enough to know what he is trying to say.

“I should… go talk to my friends?”

Angel bunny shot his hands up in the air in the shape of a goal post, while nodding furiously. Was this what Angel wanted her to do?

‘What would my friends think of me… what if this is all my fault? Oh no… are they going to pick sides? What if this splits us apart?! I couldn’t do that-‘ Fluttershy, deep in thought caught the other side of the carrot, and a glare from Angel. Fluttershy knew she couldn’t do this alone. She needed the help of her friends, even if they thought badly of her.

Fluttershy got up, and headed for the door while wrapping a scarf around her neck. She opened the door, and stepped outside, calling a short goodbye to Angel. With a steady pace, she cantered down the short dirt path that leads into Ponyville. One question kept pacing her mind.

‘Who do I talk to first? Pinkie Pie is… well… Pinkie pie… god knows what Rarity would do….’

She kept pondering the question, when she found herself entering the outside edges of Ponyville, when the answer became clear.

‘Applejack. I should go to Applejack. I mean… she’s Dashie’s best friend right? I’m sure she’ll be able to help… and… she’s the Element of Honesty and all… she will tell me what’s on her mind… I’m sure she has had suitors before… I mean… she’s an attractive pony… her brilliant green eyes… long blonde hair… No. I shouldn’t be thinking about her like that! It’s wrong!’

She made sure that that particular train of thought had come to a complete stop before arriving at the path that led into the heart of Sweet Apple Acres. Small amounts of dirt kicked up from around her feet as she walked. She could hear a small thud around a few large apple tree’s, as she spotted the large red stallion striking a wide apple tree with his southern leftmost hoof. With a sharp crack, the apples fell from the tree and landed in the strategically placed baskets at the bottom.

Fluttershy pondered approaching the large stallion, but before she could decide, he spun around on his hind legs and let out a large whinny, as he whirled to approach the mare who failed to compare in size. A look of bewilderment swept across his face as he saw nothing behind him. His mind sank back into his work, until he noticed the tree a short distance away from him was shaking uncontrollably. His deep, baritone voice echoed out.

“Fluttershy? Is that you?”

Fluttershy slowly drifted towards the ground, averting her gaze.

“Is… Is AJ h-here?”

“Eeeyup. I’ll take ya to her if ya want.”

Fluttershy merely nodded as Big Mac turned around and cantered at a steady pace farther into orchard. They passed slowly, tree by tree, until they arrived at a clearing. Big Mac said his farewells, and disappeared back into the orchard to presumably buck some more apple trees. Fluttershy stalked her way into the clearing, where she saw Applejack.

The sunlight flashed off of Applejack's mane, making Fluttershy blink in astonishment. Applejack was a beautiful mare, even if Fluttershy was too shy to say it out loud. Fluttershy thought about being in a relationship with Applejack once, but she was scared that the farm would come first in AJ's life. However beautiful she was, Fluttershy just didn't feel that way about her.

Fluttershy trotted across the clearing to where Applejack was content with some mid season applebucking. With the grass rustling beneath their feet, AJ turned around to see the little yellow mare trotting up to her.

“Well shoot, sugarcube, what are you doin’ here?”

“AJ… we really need to talk…"

AJ nodded and slumped down to the ground, her back resting against her tree. She shifted herself so that her forehooves lay behind her neck, and her legs were crossed, with a thin piece of wheat resting in her jaw. She motioned for Fluttershy to sit next to her. Fluttershy walked over next to her, and dropped to the ground, keeping her hooves curled up beneath her. AJ was the first to speak.

“Alright darlin’. What’s got you in such a slump?”

“Well… It’s about last night.”

“Ah. The tussle between Dash and that other pony.”

“Y-yes… that… I need your advice on that…”

“Shoot ‘Shy, I don’t even know what happened. Y’all and that other pony took off while me n’ Big Mac were holdin’ down Dashie.”

“Well… y-you see… I think I know why she did that… you see… do you remember when we w-went to that club?”

AJ nodded.

“I kind of… met… somepony… and… well…before dash came at her… she kind of…” Fluttershy averted her gaze to the ground, letting her voice drop to a barely audible whisper.

“Kissed… me.”

AJ’s eyes opened a little.

“Sugarcube, you ever think that Rainbow might be… ya’ know… jealous?”

“J-jealous? What do you mean?”

“Ah can’t speak for her, but ah do know one thing. That mare owes a lot to you. I mean…she was standin’ up for you when she got her cutie mark, right? And when that dragon bashed the Dash out of her, you came to the rescue, righ’?”
Fluttershy wanted to say something, but she was at a loss for words.

“All ah’m sayin’ is that it’s possible Rainbow could have developed certain feelings for you. I mean, ah’ve known her for a while, and she’s a lot more sensitive than she lets on.”

Fluttershy’s worst nightmare had come true. As much as she wished she hadn’t she had been the one to cause harm to Dash. It was her fault that Dash had lashed out, and for everything else she had been feeling. Dash had gone missing for over a week. Was that her fault too?

The thought of bringing harm on another animal was too much for her. Fluttershy buried her head inside her mane as small tears began to crawl down her face, and roll off into the grass. Fluttershy couldn’t help a small whimper as she failed to fight back the tears. Through all the pain and torment swirling through her heart, she felt something warm touch the side of her cheek.

She looked up to see Applejack’s orange muzzle pressing against her neck, making Fluttershy slowly crane her head up. Applejack wrapped her forhooves around Fluttershy’s neck, and pulled her into her embrace. Slowly brushing the pink mane out of Fluttershy’s face, she talked with a soft, sing-song voice.

“Shh… It’s okay Shy… let it all out… crying is good for you.”

Fluttershy's tears became a solid feature on her face, the small, clear line easily visible. She could do nothing but let all of her sorrow and frustration out, without the prohibition of being alone or in a crowd. She laid there with her hooves to her eyes, leaning against one of her best friends.

After minutes of verbal silence, Fluttershy finally was able to stop crying. The small clearing in the apple orchard was silent and still without the sounds of her sobbing. She still wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry. Nothing more would come out. She tilted her head up slightly, and looked at the horizon. The sun was starting to go down, leaving the sky mostly blue, but tinted a bright orange near the edges. She looked up a little more, until she was looking into crystal cut emerald eyes looking back at her. The deep pools of green were filled to the brim with sorrow. Applejack was never one for emotional confrontation, let alone between her two friends. She was fighting back tears when she finally spoke.

“Are we okay now?”

Fluttershy let out a small sniffle, and let her head fall back into the mélange mare’s lap, and let out a large sigh.

“Applejack… what should I do?”

Applejack paused for a moment, and stared inventively into the distance.

“Fluttershy… Ah can’t tell ya what ta do. Ah can’t tell ya what ta feel. But ah can tell ya this. If ah was you, ah would talk to Rainbow. You owe her that much, right?”

“I… I guess so…”

“Find her. Talk to her. Get this out in the open with each other. Before she hurts herself or anypony else.”

Fluttershy looked at the sky again. The sun was finally beginning to set.

“AJ?”

“Yeah sugarcube?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for darlin’?”

“I kept you from the farm… for… I don’t know how long…”

Applejack let out a big, heartfelt grin, and touched Fluttershy on the cheek.

“Sweetie, no amount of apples could compare to seein’ my friends happy. It’s gettin’ late. We should head back… I’ll walk ya out of the orchard.”

Applejack and Fluttershy slowly rose to their legs, stretching their limbs, trying to get the blood back into their limbs. Together, they slowly trotted back through the thicket of apple trees, in a comfortable silence. It was quiet, but they could hear each other’s emotions loud and clear. They finally crossed over onto the dirt path that was a few feet from the big entrance to the apple farm. With a quick hug and a warm smile, Applejack gave one final piece of heartfelt advice.

“Shy. If you take anything from today, let it be this. Don’t be afraid of your feelings. You need to choose what your heart tells you, not what others tell you. Okay sugarcube?”

Fluttershy nodded, fighting back the tears in her eyes. She turned around and slowly stalked her way away from the farm, and started her trek back into Ponyville. As she walked down the long path, she took a moment to lose herself inside her head. What she could do… what she wanted… what the best for the others is. She thought about Vinyl, the mysterious DJ whom had saved her. She was brash, and she was reckless. It was something about her care free attitude that drove her to stay with her… almost like another pony. But there was something different.

No matter how fast she was, she always looked back to make sure that Fluttershy was with her, always ready to help. That was more than dash could ever say. While Fluttershy had no doubts that Dash was there for her, Dash always put herself first. Even when Dash had stuck up for her, she nearly killed Fluttershy, and didn’t even notice. That alone had always convinced Fluttershy that the rainbow mare only cared for herself.

Fluttershy took a moment to recollect herself. She looked around, not just at the town she was in, but the world she was in. Seemingly, around her were trees, benches, a fountain, and some ponies, but to Fluttershy, all she could see, was unconventional love. These ponies probably didn’t have to choose. While Fluttershy had spent most of her time alone, or caring for others, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to have someone caring for her. Making sure that HER needs were met. All around her, she could see love building up between ponies.

Off to the side, she could see the mint green unicorn she guessed was Lyra sitting upright on a park bench, with the pewfy swirled mane of Bonbon resting on her lap. Over by the fountain, she could see the pale toned Colton hugging a lightly colored pink Daisy. It seemed like all the ponies except for her had found their better halves. Even Ditzy Hooves could be seen lying in the grass in the distance, caressing a banana nut muffin. That didn’t even make sense, but it didn’t have to. She was happy.

Fluttershy skulked passed the town square, feeling even more alone than ever. Here she had two amazing ponies, each after her heart, and she couldn’t even tell either of them how she felt. Like always, her words had never ceased to fail her. Her stutter and shyness had always been embarrassing, and no matter how hard she tried, it was difficult to make herself heard. Every time she practiced her words, it would come out as a jumble of nonsense and mumbles.

It always left her with a heart full of pain, a head full of stress, and a hoof full of anger, held in her chest. Not being heard is one of the worst feelings in the world. Like you can’t do anything. Like no one will ever hear the stories you tell. Like nopony’s listening.

Building after building passed, yet she felt no different. The pain and pressure of today's and yesterday’s events took a heavy toll on her mind. She barely did anything today, yet it felt like she held the weight of the sky. Fluttershy kept on walking, drudging her feet one after another down the road, trying to get back to her cottage where she can rest, and put the day behind her.

Sleep seemed to be the one place she finally found sanctuary in. She seldom had dreams that she remembered. Every once in a while, she would have an abstract dream, or even the rarer nightmare, but most of the time, she didn’t remember anything. All she seemed to remember, was going from tossing and turning in the bed, into a hazy like state. After that, she would wake up in the morning, without a single memory of falling asleep. It had just become normal for her.

But her day was not over yet. Before she could lay her head down to rest, she had one more trial to face. As she rounded the corner, she became face to face with the one pony in Equestria she was not ready to deal with. She was right in front of the same rosy eyes and cyan body that had plagued her emotions and haunted her thoughts.

She was inches away from Rainbow Dash.