Author's Note

Time for escape.

Fluttershy

It was two months before Sombra had a chance to escape. Fluttershy did what she could to help but she couldn't do much. She cared for him and they had bonded almost as closely as her and the girls. On the big day, Fluttershy noticed that he was looking nervous. The day started normally, with them being fed and given water. Today, for breakfast they were having mushy porridge, applesauce and some strawberries. Sombra didn't eat anything so, when no one was watching, she stole his food. Not that he seemed to care. Fluttershy saw Rickshaw approaching their cages and signalled Sombra. However, he wasn't the one let out. She was.

"Her whole body filled with horror as their whole plan was destroyed.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" Rickshaw stopped and looked at her, his eyes clouded with a look Fluttershy knew on him all to well.

"You're going to be mine, sweet one. This time, your coltfriend isn't going to stop me from having you." Her eyes widened in freight and she began to fight. When that didn't work she did the last thing she could.

"HELP ME!!!" She at first didn't hear anything, until there was a loud clang and Sombra came barreling around the corner, his teeth bared and a look of pure, unbridled rage on his face. Rickshaw's eyes widened as the enraged stallion slammed into him. Fluttershy retreated as the fight ensued. It didn't take long for Sombra to overpower him and get away. Since she was now free, Fluttershy decided to go with him. Her unpreened wings were sore and she couldn't fly because of it. Sombra slid to a stop and pulled her close. She soon saw why as a group of guards raced past them. Fluttershy was shaking from fear as she followed Sombra out.

"Oh, shoot. The ramp's up." She looked up and saw the outline of their ramp. Sombra growled and began scraping at the suppressing ring on his horn. Fluttershy reached over and grabbed the device in her teeth, easily pulling it off. Once his horn was free he was bout to pull down the ramp when they both froze. In the hall behind them and growing closer, was the sound of their pursuers. Sombra looked down before turning towards her. Her frame was shaking and her beautiful eyes were glimmering with tears. In a split second decision, he grabbed her chin and gently kissed her. The contact only lasted a couple of seconds but it still managed to send her heart racing. He pulled the ramp down and shoved Fluttershy towards it.

"S... Sombra, what are you doing?!" He turned towards her and simply smiled before releasing the ramp, sending her up. She was frozen for a few seconds, listening to the sounds of fighting below her. However, she bolted as the ramp began to glow. Her sore wings flapped as she ran, giving her a boost. She began panting as she ran, not keeping track of time. However, when she saw the entrance she grinned and sped up. As soon as she was out of the forest, she collapsed, gasping for air. A rainbow streak across the sky caught her attention, especially when it began to curve towards her. She stood, took two steps and collapsed, still gasping. Rainbow landed and raced towards her.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!!" Fluttershy looked up at her friend as her vision started to turn black. Rainbow's voice started to warp as the lack of air started to take effect. She slumped to the side and her yelling friend faded away completely.
Rainbow panicked as her best friend slumped over and passed out. She snapped her wings out and shot towards Twilight's castle. If this went down in history, she definitely DIDN'T shatter a window and smash into the wall. Twilight screamed as shards of glass rained down around her. She looked up to see Rainbow pressed to the wall with cracks spread out around her. Shaking her head, she pulled her off the wall. Rainbow shook her head and quickly recovered. She suddenly shot right in Twilight's face and screamed one thing.

"I FOUND FLUTTERSHY!!!!!"

Fluttershy's eyes slowly fluttered open as she moaned. As her vision cleared, she saw that she was in a hospital room. She turned towards the door right as Rainbow poked her head in. She grinned and shot in, quickly wrapping her hooves around her neck. Fluttershy returned the hug as the rest of her friends poured in. It took a few minutes before Fluttershy could get them off her, though she was giggling hard. Rainbow turned towards Twilight.

"Did he let you in?" Twilight's face fell and she shook her head. Rainbow sighed and shook her head, her eyes downcast.

"Um... may I see to Miss Fluttershy?" The girls jumped before shuffling out of the way. Nurse Redheart walked over to the yellow mare, a clipboard hovering in her pink magic. After a quick check-over, she announced that Fluttershy was ready to go home. The necessary paperwork was filled out and she was allowed to leave. For the first time in a year, Fluttershy stood in her hometown. However, her relief was short-lived. Sombra popped into her head and she was soon extremely worried about him.

"Girls, there was someone who I left behind and he's.... he's in danger. We need to rescue him." The girls looked at each other and nodded. Fluttershy nodded and turned, shooting towards the Everfree forest. She didn't even notice that her wings had been preened. It took a short while but they found the entrance. Rainbow, though, was getting suspicious.

"Say, Flutters, who exactly are we saving? It had better not be Dumbbell." Fluttershy shook her head no, although she suddenly looked nervous.

"It's, um... Sombra."

"Eh?" Fluttershy sighed and steeled herself for the onslaught she was about to receive.

"Sombra" Instantly Rainbow started shouting, Rarity actually fainted and the other three remained silent.

"Girls, just trust me! He's changed a lot, and for the better." She didn't notice Applejack's ears prick and the glimmer of belief that appeared in her eyes.

"CHANGED!? Flutters, this is a guy that imprisoned a whole RACE! He won't change at all, no matter WHAT you do!"

"RAINBOW!!!" Everypony went silent and turned towards Applejack. She was leaning against a tree, her eyes disappointed. With a huff, she pushed of the tree and walked over to Fluttershy, intent to put her built-in lie detector to good use.

"Fluttershy, I want you to look me in the eyes and swear that Sombra has changed like you said." Fluttershy took a deep breath and met Applejack's steady gaze with her own.

"I swear on the lives of my mother, father and brother he has changed." Her gaze never wavered. Applejack took in her posture before nodding and turning towards Twilight and Rainbow.

"I believe her." Once they were inside and had incapacitated everypony, while freeing the prisoners, they split up into three teams. Twilight and Rarity. Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow and Fluttershy. Fluttershy whimpered, the dark halls bringing bad memories. As they searched, her thoughts turned to when she'd first told Sombra about her brother in detail.

Fluttershy looked at Sombra as he told a story of when he was a foal. She smiled and sighed, her eyes suddenly going down. Concerned, Sombra inquired what was wrong.

"I'm just missing my friends and family. My brother isn't very good at keeping a job. He gives up at the slightest hint of trouble."

"Sounds like me when I was young. Whenever something went wrong I would give up and go to the next thing in a cycle. It wa because of one reason." Fluttershy tilted her head, curious.

"What was the reason?" Sombra looked up at her and sighed, his eyes sad.

"I felt like a failure. I put up this façade like it was just to hard or wasn't right for me but in truth, I felt like I couldn't do anything right. When I quit, I felt like such a failure that I just didn't want to do anything. So, I lived with my family and leaned on them till the next failure. It was only after my brother asked me what was wrong that I gave in and changed my view. After crying like a baby, of course." Fluttershy was horrified as she thought about it. What was worse was that it explained a few things about her little brother. When she got out, she was going to have a good heart to heart with him.

Fluttershy was shaken from her thoughts when Rainbow gave a loud shout, like a battle cry. She looked up to see her wrestling with Rickshaw. Fluttershy looked around and finally noticed where they were. The persuasion rooms. Her heart seized with fear and she raced into the room. Blueberry wasn't there but the one she was hoping wouldn't be was. Sombra was laying on the platform, his whole body was limp and his head was lolling to the side. Letting out a cry, she shot forward, catching his head in her hooves. The warmth made him stir and his eyes cracked open and he looked up.

"F... Fluttershy?" Her heart broke as she heard how broken he sounded and her eyes filled with hot tears. She whimpered and curled around him, keeping a hold on his head so he didn't roll. Rainbow pooped up to see Fluttershy holding Sombra, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded and raced off to find the others.

"Fluttershy, what... what are you d... doing here? You're supp... pposed to be free. Not here."

"Shhh. It's okay, you're safe now. I brought my friends and we're going to get you our of here. I promised."