Chapter 3: Rain Before The Rainbow

Rainbow Dash wakes up to darkness. She lies in her bed, slowly re-entering reality. Minutes pass, and the cyan filly grows restless, finding herself somehow unable to sleep. Suddenly, soft, panicky squeaks emanate from below. Rainbow Dash lies transfixed in place as realisation of whom her roommate is re-enters her mind. It occurs to her that Fluttershy is having a nightmare. Instantly invigorated, Rainbow Dash leaps out of bed, falls onto the cloud floor beneath her, and then spins around to face the sleeping filly.

The sight before her comes as a nasty shock. The young filly’s brow is furrowed and her hooves swipe uselessly at the air as she spasms and writhes before cowering in the terrifying grip of her nightmare. Rainbow Dash leaps in, attempting to rouse her new friend and save her from her nightmare. Dash gets in close, about to attempt a rescue, only to be roughly grabbed by the writhing filly in a vice grip. A yelp of surprise escapes Dash's lips as Fluttershy pulls her into the bed with her. Stunned by the force exerted upon her, Dash finds herself helpless.

"Fluttershy, wak-" Rainbow Dash chokes, cut off as Fluttershy's hoof digs into her windpipe.

They roll around in Fluttershy's small cloud bed, constantly smashing against the wall beside them. Under the onslaught, Rainbow feels weaker and weaker. Totally trapped within the yellow hurricane’s grip, she continues to fight on. Their manes and tails become as interlocked as their owners as Fluttershy continues to panic in her sleep. Pain lances through Dash's already sore body as Fluttershy wriggles about and then flips Rainbow Dash under her. An awkward feeling wells up inside Rainbow Dash as she attempts to escape the nightmare-induced hold upon her. Fluttershy's body remains tense, ready for action. She quietly whimpers into Dash's ear, then proceeds to snuggle the surprised, trapped and totally helpless pegasus under her.

"Fluttershy, wake up!"

Dash feels her friend’s hold slacken as her dream takes a turn for the better. Rainbow wriggles around, tiring out but desperate for release. It doesn't help that she has the full body weight of the taller filly lying on top of her. Rainbow gives one last shove. Resigning herself to her predicament for now, she lets out a sigh. Fluttershy slowly draws her new friend into a tighter hold again, smiling. She decides to speak up again, but all train of thought is derailed in surprise as a yellow muzzle buries itself in her messed up mane. Their cheeks brush as Fluttershy lovingly nuzzles her, murmuring incoherently as she shifts position on the frozen, freaked out Rainbow Dash.

Dash looks upon Fluttershy in her cute slumber. She slowly relaxes as her tired mind comes to terms with her predicament. Dash’s eyes become heavier as she loses herself in thought of what all had just taken place. 'I wonder what her nightmare was about?' she ponders to herself, completely stunned. She then gives into the need to sleep, letting her eyes close and her thoughts fade.

Fluttershy once again finds her peaceful sleep contorted, tossed into in the realm of nightmares, dredging up memories she would rather forget.

Fluttershy nervously sits down in class, doing her best to not freak out in the presence of all the strange new faces. She had chosen the back right-hand desk because it placed her further away from the rest of her fellow classmates. Most ignore her, but she is certain she can feel herself being watched by unfriendly eyes. She recognizes the feeling. It was regular enough all throughout kindergarten and she hadn't expected anything to change now at school. The bland cloud walls complete with various trinkets their teacher had put up to liven the classroom up surround her, pressing in on her senses. She gives a nervous smile to the colt next to her and receives a bland glance in return just before their teacher cuts into her world. The rest of the dozen-strong class attentively look to the front.

"Good morning, class! My name is Ms Breeze and I'll be your teacher for your first year here at Cloudsdale Central school. If you ever need help with anything, just ask!"

Ms Breeze is a fluffy cloud-white mare with a flowing sky-blue mane and sparkling eyes to match. She smiles down at her class, caring and warmth emanating from her features. Fluttershy's attention to her is interrupted as a wad of paper speeds through the air and clips her on the muzzle. She squeaks in shock and buries her face in her mane, hiding from her unknown assailant. A ripple of laughter passes through the class, causing Fluttershy to sink into her seat, trying to become invisible. Ms Breeze catches on to what is happening and a quick flash of annoyance crosses her friendly face.

"All right, cut it out, class. You can see the poor filly doesn't like it."

Laughter is stifled but the atmosphere remains as the class falls into silence. Ms Breeze relaxes back into her introductory speech. Fluttershy inwardly sighs. If only that cool pony she had smacked into were here, too. That filly is the first to bring her so far out of her shell and Fluttershy knew it. 'I just need to wait half a year. Then she will come here, too.' A smile almost reaches her face before the following train of thought killed it. 'But half a year will take forever.' She cautiously glances around, paying no attention at all to the lesson. 'Maybe one of these ponies wants to be my friend. Then it won't be so bad.' She notices a dark brown colt mischievously grinning in her direction. The evil look on his face says it all, and she hides behind her mane. 'Maybe it would be better if I was out there playing pranks with Rainbow Dash. I hope they are nice pranks.'

She realises that somepony is standing over her and glances up.

"Eeep!"

Her yellow muzzle disappears behind her pink mane as she springs backwards, toppling over. That somepony is Ms Breeze, patiently awaiting her recovery. A look of calm acceptance for the zoned out filly in front of her is written all across the mare’s features. Fluttershy timidly picks herself up. She can hear whispers and giggling and knows it's directed at her.

"Fluttershy, you really should be paying attention in class. Please don't let me catch you drifting off like that again."

Ms Breeze wanders back to the front of the class, conflict once again forgotten. Fluttershy picks up her chair and sits back down in front of her desk.

The lesson did not improve for the poor filly as it went on.

Alone in a corner of the majestic school playground sits a yellow filly, trembling and doing her best to hide the tears streaming down her face. All the beauty of the floating clouds and playground is lost on Fluttershy as she continues to quietly cry alone. Her legs ache from too much running and her mane is soaked with sweat and tears. At the edge of her vision she can see the light and dark brown coats of two colts approaching. The same two she had been fleeing from all lunch. She attempts to make herself smaller, knowing it won't help, hoping to be left alone to cry. Harsh words fly in her direction, unheard by the intended victim as she continues to cry, lost in her tears. The clots move in, grinning uncontrollably, knowing no pony will try and stop them.

Fluttershy face-plants into the cloudturf. 'Not again!' She pulls her head up only to see several nearby foals snickering at her. She immediately hides behind her mane, emitting a small 'eep' as she does so. This causes the dam to burst for a few of the foals who enjoyed picking on her and they burst out laughing. She tears up as the teacher arrives.

"Fluttershy, don't cry. You will only make things worse for yourself." She walks up to the cowering yellow filly and awkwardly extends a comforting wing. As soon as the sobbing subsides she removes her wing giving the class a once over with her stern gaze.

"Alright class. Lets try that again. I can see a few of you are starting to find your wings. Just don't forget, not every pegasus learns to fly straight away."

Fluttershy felt like the last part was directed at her and lets out a small sigh. She picks herself up, and makes her way back to the starting marks to fail again.

Although the class had been told not to expect to be flying immediately it didn't stop them teasing the filly who did the worst. Weeks had passed and still she could do no better than crash on take-off in their morning flying exercises. The normal classes were just as bad. Everypony seems to know Fluttershy makes a good doormat and took every advantage of it. Days dragged by slowly and months, slower still.

Fluttershy sits at home feeling all washed out. All her tears had been spent on the trip home and she feels the urge to never go back to school again. She can feel her dad’s disappointed look drilling into her skull as her mother tenderly holds her. It was not the homecoming she had hoped for after her first term at school. She falls asleep in the embrace of the one pony who seems to be able to instil calm upon her.

Back at school. The second half of the year started no better.

Hiding in the filly’s toilets, hunkering down to attract as little attention as possible, sits Fluttershy. She can hear the calls of the other foals drifting in from outside.

"Hey, Fluttercry! Why not come out so we can see those tears!?"

"Oh, I bet she's crying her eyes out right now."

"Come on out Fluttercry, we won't hurt you!"

The sound of cruel laughter accompanies the last speaker. Fluttershy reaches behind her head to feel her latest painful addition, wincing as her hoof comes into contact with the offending bump. She blocks out the speakers as they continue to call. Hooves over her ears for extra security, she lets her thoughts drift, waiting for the moment the meanies will leave her alone like her wise old mother told her they would.

She waits till the voices fade then waits some more, just to make sure that class had started. She fearfully peaks out of the cubicle door. 'No pony in sight. Good.' She breathes a sigh of relief. She sneaks off, making her way to her dormitory room, uncaring about missing important learning opportunities.

She sneaks inside and makes a beeline toward the small set of draws by her bunk bed and begins to write.

Dear diary,

My first week back in this place has been terrifying. I can't even move without making a fool of myself.  At last the weekend is nearly here. Yay!

At least I'll get to

Fluttershy abruptly stops writing. All colour drains from her world as she remembers her parents are out of town this weekend. 'Looks like I'll be hiding here, then.' She sighs, no longer carrying the energy within herself to continue writing about her worst week yet. She sits forlornly, resting against her bed again, thankful that she doesn't need to share it with anypony else.

After an eternity of letting her mind wander into darker and darker thoughts she lets out a slow sigh.

"I wish I could have a friend. Just one." Her meek voice barely seems to reach the walls of her small empty looking room. She looks toward the door, considering the prospect of running away. She entertains the idea for a few mindless moments before remembering her wings. 'I can't fly. I would fall.' Fear grips her and she shudders, thoughts of crashing into something harder than a cloud entering her young mind. Her young body hunches up in defeat and she lowers herself into bed. She doesn't notice how her mane and tail stick out in an untidy manner as she tries to escape into the world of her dreams.

'Singing. Singing is good. Singing is amazing,' Fluttershy thinks to herself as the melodies roll off her tongue. She stands in her room, happy to be away from the foals that mean her harm. She slowly finds words to accompany her feelings of freedom. Alone in her room, with no pony to harm her, Fluttershy feels like she can finally enjoy the rest of her Sunday. Her spirit finds joy deep within and she begins to dance to the tune in her heart, singing as best she can to articulate her feelings. She begins to swish her pink mane around, enjoying the feeling of freedom that comes with the a breeze in her hair. 'I wish I could fly. Then I can experience this feeling all the time.'

She leaps for joy as blissful thoughts enter her mind, made real for her by her imagination. Suddenly she sees the ponies who call her names and mean to her. Her song alters course, melodies changing to her new mood. A tear leaks down her face but she doesn't mind this time. 'No pony is watching me, I'm free." She attempts another leap, tripping and smashing into the impossible. Her world is remade as she stares into the rainbow mane in her face. 'It can't be…’ Fluttershy thinks as she disentangles herself from her impossible intruder, not caring in the slightest that she had just been performing to the rainbow maned prankster.

"Hi there Fluttershy. Guess what?" Rainbow leads off with her usual enthusiasm.

"Um… what?" Fluttershy asks, wondering what the filly she has collided with for a second time is doing in her sleeping quarters.

"I get to be your roommate! Isn't that so awesome?" She pounces on Fluttershy, and draws the nervous filly into a hug. A few shocked moments pass. Rainbow is about to pull away in embarrassment when Fluttershy warmly returns the unexpected show of affection. She stays locked in the embrace for an eternity.

Her nightmare has just become a dream come true. Fluttershy feels like she never wants to let go of the cool filly in her embrace. Her mind flashes through the events that happened next, rendering to her why her life has just become a dream.

'I have a guardian angel.' She smiles. Her hold on her imaginary Rainbow Dash tightens. 'Shy buries her head in her saviours mane, savouring the sweet smell of the rainbow. She gives her a thankful nuzzle, filled with love for her first friend and protector, safety and bliss washing over her in waves, annihilating the pain.