“…And don’t you forget it, Mister!!!” screamed Fluttershy after she read Discord the riot act.

“Hmph! Don’t worry, my dear; I won’t!” he huffed as he beelined out the door.

“Umm…! Where are you going?” she queried as she began cooling her jets. “If you don’t mind me asking?” Again, she tagged the last question rather grimly.

Discord sighed as he woefully looked back at his friend. “I think… I need a bit a break from all this.”

“What do you mean, ‘a bit of a break’?”

Discord turned back with a grim gaze of his own. “Exactly that!” he intoned heatedly. “A bit of a break!”

Fluttershy’s heart started sinking under his gaze; her hooves started growing cold and her stomach started getting a bit heavy. “Did I… did I do something wrong?” she whimpered meekly. Her meek, timid self started showing through in spades.

Discord closed his eyes and thought very deeply. “Well… yes and no. Look, I understand how you really like being a superhero and all that… but…”

“So are you saying I should stop being a superhero and just be a little wimpy wallflower again?” she replied sadly. “Is that what you want?”

“Never mind what I want, right now. What I’m asking is this: Do you want to live vicariously through somepony else… or yourself…?”

Fluttershy whimpered and grunted in frustration. She kept her gaze away from Discord as she replied, “All I ever was, was just a little weakling! A nopony!”

“WHAT?!” sputtered the draconequus in shock as he flew into her field of vision. “A nopony?! How can you possibly say that?!” He fell flat on his back, his hands over his head and his face distorted in shocked, demented disbelief. “How can you even THINK that?!!” He stood back up and gazed in her eyes again. “You! One of the Mane Six, holder of an Element of Harmony – Kindness, to be precise!”

Fluttershy tried to retort… but couldn’t.

Discord pressed on: “You dealt with an injured manticore; boldly stared down a dragon and a cockatrice; negotiated with a heavy negotiator; saved both a royal couple and the Crystal Empire from unspeakably powerful foes; and – as a crowning achievement of sorts – you, a so-called mere ‘wallflower of a pony’, made me that kinder and gentler spirit of chaos that I am today… AFTER – I might also add – you defeated me with your powerful magic of friendship!” He lowered his glare down to Fluttershy’s eye level. “And you’re going to stand there and – gallingly – tell me that you, of all ponies, are a meek, wimpy, weak nopony?”

Fluttershy pursed her lips, her misty eyes averted to the floor, her bottom lip starting to tremble.

Discord plunked his jaw on the floor, his snake-like body bowed in the air like a bent hose. “Oh, how I would laugh at such a laughable joke,” he grumbled. “If only I didn’t feel instead like throwing up.”

Fluttershy turned her back to him again. “Well… I’m so sorry if I can’t make you understand,” she replied with a strained voice, again fighting her tears.

Discord slowly stepped towards the door. “No. No, you can’t make me understand all this. And do you know why?” he asked as he stopped on the other side of the door.

He waited for Fluttershy to turn and look at him… even though she didn’t.

“Well I’ll tell you. It’s because you’re the one who doesn’t understand.”

Just then, the scanner crackled, “All units, we have a 10-91-Alpha around the vicinity of Sugarcube Corner, possible Code-Purple.”

“And if you do continue this charade, well… I’m sorry, but… I won’t be here when you get back.”

“10-4, Dispatch. Charlie Oh-Eight en-route.”

Fluttershy just glared back at him.

“Charlie Six-Two, almost 10-97. I’ll scout the 20 for you.”

Discord waited for an answer.

“From deepest earth to highest sky,” she stated defiantly. “Comes the might of Powerfly!” Captain Powerfly once again stood tall, daring him to make his next move.

“Charlie Two-Five. If it’s what or who I think it is, you’ll need help. Lots of it!”

Discord turned on his heel, wheeled suitcase suddenly in tow. “Well, then... I leave you to think about what you’re doing. Goodbye, my dear.” And off he went into the distance, not even so much as taking a glance backwards.

“Angel Bunny?” he heard Captain Powerfly cry in surprise. “You as well?!”

He only stopped to glance at his suitcase… where Angel sat, a grim, miserable demeanour in his eyes and a bindle stick over his shoulder. He very firmly pointed forward as if to say, “Go! Now!”

Off they went, still not looking back.

They heard Captain Powerfly snort loudly. “So be it!” she roared hotly. “Good day to you both!!” And off she flew towards Sugarcube Corner to save the day… a bit too peeved to remember her catchphrase.

*******

Discord dejectedly took another sip of his tea in Twilight’s castle tea room, his face laying pathetically flaccid and flat on the table.

“So-ooo, Discord,” said Twilight after fifteen minutes of waiting for the draconequus to mull over his woes. “Care to talk about your problems with Fluttershy yet?”

“Or are you trying to turn yourself into a permanent fixture in the room?” queried Spike sarcastically.

“Well…” he finally began. “You’ve seen it all, haven’t you?”

“I’m guessing it all boils down to Captain Powerfly, am I right?”

“Yes! Yes you are!” he replied as he raised his head. “Captain Powerfly is where it all begins and ends. With insecurity, self-loathing, feelings of inadequacy, and an inferiority complex bigger than the moon sandwiched in between; add a cold glass of delicious gratification to help wash it all down. And the next day, repeat the process all over again.” He plunked his head back down on the table again. “Now I ask you, what could be more pitiful?”

“Now, Discord!” said Twilight with a dismissive smile. “I’m sure Fluttershy just needs a little something for her… self-confidence.” Her denial shone through like a flaming beacon.

“Oh? Did she need to tear a strip off of you for daring to remind her to be careful? I’m willing to bet she didn’t.”

Twilight jerked her head toward Discord. “Tear a strip off…? What do you mean?”

Discord hung his head backwards over his chair. “Oh, if you had heard the riot act she read me earlier this afternoon…! Oh, my word!” He related the story from the beginning.

Angel pointed at Discord, nodding vigorously, wordlessly telling Twilight she might want to listen to him.

“Oh, wow!” muttered Spike. “Somehow, I think this was my fault.”

Twilight stood up and sighed, finding it hard to believe that Fluttershy would be so harsh. She slowly stepped towards the draconequus and placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder. “Did you want me to have a talk with her, perhaps?”

“I’d like to come along, too,” said Spike.

He took her hoof in both paws. “Oh, could you? Please? Maybe if she talked to somepony who she trusts more…!”

*******

Back at the cottage, Twilight, with Spike in tow, knocked on her friend’s door. “Fluttershy? Are you home?”

No answer.

Twilight knocked again. “Fluttershy! It’s me, Twilight! Please open the door!”

“Is she even home?” asked Spike.

A sudden gust of wind unexpectedly answered that question.

Twilight and Spike whirled around to come face-to-face with a rather harried-looking Captain Powerfly. “Oh, Your Majesty! And Spike as well!” said the superheroine as diplomatically as she could in such a hurry. She bowed before the princess. “How may I be of service this day?”

“Um… hello, Fluttershy. I was wondering if we could…”

“I’m sorry, Princess!” Powerfly replied in a slight panic. “Who might this… er… ‘Fluttershy’ be… that you speak of…?” She trailed off, knowing full well Twilight was not going to buy it. She sighed. “I’m sorry. You… wanted to speak to me, I gather.”

Twilight and Spike nodded rather solemnly. “Yes.”

“Did Discord set you up for this?” she asked rather heatedly.

“Well, he told me the story.”

“And…?”

“Look, Fluttershy, whatever’s going on, I’m sure there are better ways to deal with it than… well, hiding behind a mask… right?”

Captain Powerfly gazed cold and hard into Twilight’s eyes. “So I take it you also feel I should be that weak and powerless nopony, am I right?!”

“No!” hollered Twilight in a regal, commanding voice as she thumped the ground with her front hoof. “You are wrong! We do not ask you to just be weak and powerless!”

Captain Powerfly was taken very much aback at this, suddenly not having a clue what to do or say next.

Twilight heaved a sigh and continued. “We want nothing – but nothing more - than for you to just be yourself!” She stepped closer and held her friend by the shoulders. “Look at me, Fluttershy!”

Captain Powerfly looked up into Twilight’s eyes.

“You might not know it, but there’s really nothing weak about you at all.”

“In fact,” said Spike. “You, yourself, are a lot stronger where it most counts!” He placed a paw over his heart. “Especially right here.”

“Just like Discord was saying,” said Twilight. “It’s your kind-heartedness that makes you strong.”

“So, please…” begged Spike as he gingerly held her by the arm. “Just be that Fluttershy that everypony loves so dearly. Please?”

Powerfly closed her eyes, as a tear fell down her mask. Her amulet glowed, the light spread across her body, and her costume disappeared.

Fluttershy’s face drooped in sorrow and she dropped to her belly. She grabbed Spike and hugged him tightly, sobbing heavily. “I’m… (hic) sorry…!” she cried. “I... I j-just wanted t-to…(hic) to be s-somepony every… (hic)… every…pony liked!” She sobbed even more.

Spike and Twilight both hugged her back. “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied tenderly. “Everypony gets that awful feeling now and again.”

“You know what else, Shy?”

Fluttershy tearfully looked up at Spike, still sniffling, but now otherwise done crying, waiting for him to continue.

“Everypony’s just going to have to like you for who you are, aren’t they?”

“Absolutely!” added Twilight.

“Yes!” said Shy as she wiped her tears. “You’re absolutely right! I only have to be myself and nopony else!” She hugged Twilight again. “I’m so sorry. I really only wanted to feel stronger, that’s all.”

“Actually…” uttered Spike awkwardly. “I think I’m the one who’s gotta shoulder the cross on this one.”

“Oh?” asked Fluttershy.

“Why’s that, Spike?” asked Twilight.

“Well, I am the one who talked Fluttershy into this, right?”

“It’s okay, Spike,” said Fluttershy, patting him tenderly on the shoulder. “I was the one who got carried away.”

“True… but I’m also the one who made the superhero… so, let’s just say I gotta shoulder a good part of the blame and be done with that, okay?”

“Okay… even though I’m to… blame…” She trailed off very quickly when she caught Spike’s withering glare.

“Anyways,” continued Spike. “I have a question: how long have you been using that amulet?”

Fluttershy thought back. “Oh, gosh. I think it’s been… around eight days, so far.”

“Okay, but about how many hours in total, would you say?”

Fluttershy thought back even harder. “Let’s see. Let’s see. Ummm…” She mentally crunched the numbers. “Almost… Twooo--…”

“Ah, okay…” said Spike nonchalantly.

“…--Enty…?”

Spike’s jaw dropped. “Uh…! Twenty?! Really?? Total?!?”

“Oh?” said Twilight, not having a clue why Spike was surprised.

“Um… yes, I think so…” replied Fluttershy. “About… twenty…ish, in an approximately rounded-off total… give or take.”

“Whoa! Yeeee-eahhhh, that’s pushing it a bit!” said the drake in dire amazement. “Anyways, I ask because… well, you know about the limit on your amulet, right?”

That really got the alicorn and pegasus’ attention.

“Limit??” replied Fluttershy in alarm. “What limit?”

Spike nodded grimly, sighed very deeply. “There’s a twenty-four hour consecutive limit. After that, it’s…” He snapped his fingers. “Poof! ‘Goodbye, Captain Powerfly; we barely knew ye!’”

Fluttershy huddled into her hooves, getting somewhat panicked. “Oh, no!! What have I done?!” she wailed. “I wasted twenty whole hours already!!” She sobbed into her hooves again.

“Fluttershy! Relax!” said Twilight, comforting her friend as best as possible. “It’s not the end of the world!”

“Yeah! I mean, yeah, be Captain Powerfly if you must! But… be sparing, okay?!”

“I can’t believe I did that!” continued Fluttershy. “I just can’t believe I did that! How could I be so stupid?!”

Twilight and Spike just rolled their eyes. “Oh, come on, Shy!” barked Spike. “You’re only equine, y’know!”

Author's Note

Oh, absolutely, she's equine, amiright?

But it's not quite over. Stay tuned...

(Don't forget to comment, 'kay? Thanks!)