Dear Princess Celestia,

I learned a truly valuable lesson about just being yourself and counting on your own deepest inner strengths.

As you know, I am a very shy and gentle sort of pony… but I really mistook that as being a weak, wimpy nopony. Yet, I had no idea how truly low my self-esteem was until I entered a contest to create my own hero – or I should say, our own hero (Spike created the comic) – and won the grand prize: an amulet that transformed me into my hero, Captain Powerfly.

And what a magnificent superhero she was! She had the amazing ability to fly with pinpoint accuracy and lightning-fast manoeuvrability… more so than any other pegasus that I know of! (Even Rainbow Dash! I guess that's why she might have been jealous, but I guess I can't blame her either...)

But that was really not me! Captain Powerfly was not who I truly was!

I learned the hard way when my amulet died out (As I’m writing this, I’m still wearing the costume that was left over when it finally did. I admit that I still yearn to be Captain Powerfly!) But I also learned in a more valuable way when I saved somepony from ending his own life… using my own abilities: just being a good, kind friend with a good ear and a shoulder to cry on… if need be.

And, sometimes, that’s what everypony really needs when times get tough, isn’t it?

Your Faithful Disciple
Bearer of the Element of Kindness

Fluttershy

“Done?” asked Spike as he waited for the Shy to finish.

She read and re-read her letter to the princess. “Let me just see…”

Rainbow Dash, who was silently sitting next to her, read it as it was being written.

Spike shoved his nose into the letter and read it for himself. “You know what, Shy? It’s perfect! The princess will love it…!”

“Oh, I don’t know…” she whimpered, still very uncertain.

“Fluttershy…!” said Spike very firmly. “Trust me! It’s done!”

She sighed. “Okay. If you say so… it’s just that…”

Spike very loudly cleared his throat and beckoned her to give him her letter.

Rainbow gently wrapped her arm around her friend. “I think it’s a very beautiful letter, Shy.”

Fluttershy very slowly and reluctantly rolled up the parchment and hoofed it over to Spike. “Thank you!” he said with a grin on his face. He took a deep breath, and lit the parchment with his special flame.

Shy heaved a deep sigh… in mournful, yet very liberated relief. She watched the scenery roll by as their train continued on from Manehattan to Ponyville.

Yes, Captain Powerfly was gone, never to return. And after all that rigmarole her very presence caused, it was clearly the way it was meant to be.

Obviously, Mr. Liveryfield knew exactly what he was talking about. But then again, being in the comics industry for as long as he was, it was pretty much granted he would know.

Everypony was rather exhausted from the final adventure. For the remainder of the trip, the two pegasi huddled together and fell asleep.

*******

Days later, everything returned back to normal around Ponyville.

Fluttershy was once again attending to her normal duties, taking care of her animals.

“There you go, little birdies,” she cooed to the flock around the feeders. “A nice, hearty blend for a complete breakfast. Bon apetit!”

Discord and Angel were once again busy keeping the place clean and tidy. “Hey, Angel!” teased the draconequus. “You missed a spot!”

Angel once again gestured what a slacker Discord was.

Good buddies jiving each other, as usual.

Reggie the robin stopped by, causing a bit of mayhem as usual… naturally not learning any lessons… and knowing that Captain Powerfly was gone for good.

Except, this time, Fluttershy wasn’t near as prone to reacting with as much terror to his antics; her tolerance threshold had recently multiplied at least a hundredfold.

“Still being a little stinker, huh, Reg?” queried another voice from somewhere not far away.

Fluttershy finally caught Reggie’s line of sight… and gave him her infamous glare. Naturally, he settled down. “Yes, he is being a big stinker!” she said.

Spike just arrived with an envelope in tow. “Good morning, Shy! Discord; Angel! How’re things so far?”

“Good morning, Spike!” she replied sweetly. “I’m very good, thank you for asking!”

“Likewise!” replied Discord.

Angel also replied with a thumbs-up.

“Right on! This came in the mail for you, care of Princess Twilight.” He showed her the envelope from Catalyst Studios, Inc. “I think Mr. Liveryfield wanted to say a few things he couldn’t find the time to say yet.”

“Oh, thank you, Spike!” She took the envelope, opened it, and found a letter with the company’s letterhead inside. In roughly penned writing, it read:

Dear Fluttershy,

I would’ve sent you a typed up letter, but I figured it would’ve been more meaningful by pen.
I heard about your little adventure about a dozen blocks from our office, and (yah, I’ll admit it) I thought, “Oh, yeah; Captain Powerfly. Yay. (sarcasm)” But then I got wind of the real story.
I heard it was actually you yourself who saved some poor dude from suicide! Then I was like, “Cool!! (4 real!)”
So I thought I would write you a letter just to say how cool I thought you really were doing all that with only your own REAL inner powers! And not with something made-up!
So, until next time, stay Faithful, Comrade!

Peace!

Rob Liveryfield
President & Comic Creator
Catalyst Comics Studios, Inc.

Tears of elation and pride formed in Fluttershy’s eyes.

After so many years of insecurity, she finally felt all was just right with the world, and she was able to hold her head even higher than before.

She squeaked in delight as she hugged the letter. “Somepony thinks I’m cool!” she whispered excitedly.

“Oh-hoooo!” said Discord with sheer elation. “And why wouldn’t they, after the incredible way you helped Mr. Meadows?”

Angel nodded vigorously.

“It’s like I said, Shy,” said Spike. “You did it just being yourself.”

Fluttershy wiped her tears away. “I should write him back, one of these times, to thank him for the wonderful compliment.”

The group started sharing some small talk and chuckles for two minutes.

“And, POOF! If you see me, it’s too late!!” hollered another voice from out of nowhere. Then in another spot in the trees, she cried, “Is she here?” Another spot near the stream: “Is she there?” Then on top of one of the cottage’s branches. “She could be anywhere!! It’s…!”

Suddenly, the branch snapped very loudly.

The occupant screamed as she hit the ground… hard and painfully.

Then, she moaned, “It’s Any-Mare… er, I mean… Anywhere-Mare. Augh! I gotta do more seriously serious work on that schtick!!”

It was Pinkie Pie, dressed in a white, long-necked leotard with a red and orange flame design flowing down from her shoulders. Her poofy hair was wrapped in a matching red cloth band and a mask around her eyes.

In her possession was a flyer from Catalyst Studios’ main competition, PhenomeComics from out of Los Pegasus. A comic-con was being held in Baltimare that weekend.

And a make-your-own-superhero contest was on.

Spike, Fluttershy, Discord and Angel all cringed. Not this rigmarole again?!

“So… um, Pinkie…?” uttered Spike.

“Wha… Say what? Who? I don’t know any pony named ‘Pinkie’? Who is this ‘Pinkie’?!” she stuttered, trying to play dumb.

“You!”

“Whoa, not me, little dude! You’re talkin’ to the next big thing, the Anywhere-Mare!” She performed a rather amazing act of disappearing and reappearing in spectacularly unexpected places. “And POOF! You see me, it’s too late!!”

Spike and the other spectators cringed again, and shook their heads.

He looked again at the flyers in his paw.

One of them looked just like…

“Hey, Pink… er… Anywhere-Mare!”

“Wazzup, li’l dude!”

“Is this the entry form, here? The one that has a line for the artist to sign?”

“Yeah! You wanna be the artist? Because you were the prizewinner in the last contest, right? So can you be my artist?” She pointed at Shy and Discord as she danced near them. “And you two can be my backgrounds! You would be totally the awesomest backgrounds! How about it? Could you?”

Fluttershy could only lay her arm across her eyes in exasperation. Discord just glared.

“Yeah!” said Spike. “Let me think abou… ah… ah… ah…!” He was suddenly about to sneeze.

“Sure, think about it,” replied Pinkie… er… Anywhere-Mare. “But let me know by the end of the…”

“AH-CHOOOHFF!!” Spike sneezed out a big flame.

But it wasn’t his usual green courier flame.

This flame was a bright gold flame with a blue wick.

And the flyers and entry form immediately disintegrated into a fine, grey dust floating in the breeze.

Spike sniffled and rubbed his nose. “Whoops! Excuse me,” he said, not bothering to hide his satirical demeanour. “Yeah, I did some research. I guess I do have ties to the Hundredflame Clan,” he added with a snicker.

Pinkie’s jaw dropped, her eyes bugged-out in sheer horror. “Spike! You! Jerk!” she wailed as tears flowed out of her eyes. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?! Don’t lie! I totally saw you, you… you mean meanie-pants!!”

He snickered. “Yeah, I did. So what?”

The pink pony plunked down on the ground and started whimpering and whining, mournfully muddling about the ashes that once were flyers and a contest entry form. “Well, there goes my chance to be really cooler than Rainbow Dash,” she moaned.

As much as Fluttershy hated seeing Pinkie cry, it was for own good. It really was!

“Well,” said Discord, with a slight chuckle. “I’d love to stick around and watch this bout of chaos, but…” He turned back towards the animal pens. Angel eagerly followed.

“Someday, you’ll thank me for this, Pinkie,” said Spike.

“Oh, really?!” she sputtered.

“Thank you so much, Spike!” said Fluttershy… in rather satirical form.

“Yeah, big fat thanks for ruining my big chance, Spike!” snarled Pinkie as her tears fell to the ground.

Fluttershy glared harshly, straight into Pinkie’s eyes. “Trust me, Pinkie! You will thank him for this down the road!”

All Pinkie could do under the powerful glare was just gulp.

THE END
(That’s right! Don’t even think about it, Pinkie Pie!)

Author's Note

And so, Fluttershy, bearer of the Element of Kindness, once again earns her stripes as "Best Pony"; not as a superhero, but as a true, genuine REAL hero!

Am I right?

Am I right??

Anyhoo, I hope you liked my first true fanfic to this awesome website! Gimme your comments, gimme your ratings. Tell what you loved; tell me what you hated. I wanna hear from you awesome people!!

And hopefully, I'll be back with moar tales...

Peace out, bronies an' pegasistahs!