An awkward silence reigned as Twilight and I walked along the edge of the Everfree Forest. The sun shone against my back and heated my coat. I let out a sigh as I savored its warmth.

“So, we’re heading over to Fluttershy’s cottage now, and she’s a good friend of mine. Please don’t be snarky, she doesn’t respond well to that,” Twilight spoke up, breaking me out of my small trance.

“As long as she doesn’t give me a reason to be snarky, then we won’t have a problem,” I retorted as the two of us began to cross a small wooden bridge.

I could faintly hear the sound of a bird chirping as water rushed underneath us. The light was peeking through the leaves that surrounded the cottage, casting us in a makeshift spotlight.

“Flash, can I ask you something?”

I don’t like that tone.

“I… sure,” I replied.

Twilight quickly matched my stride, her eyebrows narrowing as she looked at me.

“When you made that comment earlier… about not having a foalhood of sunshine and rainbows… what did you mean, exactly?”

I gave a small huff, breaking eye contact with Twilight, my eyes firmly locked on the maple-colored door a few feet ahead of us.

“I guess that it just kind of… slipped out. It’s something I’d rather not talk about. It happened, and it’s over. There’s no use in dwelling on the past, right?”

Twilight and I stood in front of Fluttershy’s front door, an anxious expression plastered across her face. She parted her lips slightly before speaking, as if trying to select her words carefully.

“Well, I suppose I can’t force it out of you. Just know that bottling it up is only going to make it worse.”

I’ve heard that from more than one shrink, Sparkle. You’re no different.

“Just knock on the door, Twilight. I don’t want to draw this out.”

She shrugged and gave the door a few gentle taps. I could faintly hear a resounding squeak from the other side, somepony scurrying to the door in response.

A small yellow face, draped with a long pink mane, appeared in the frame as the door creaked open. Twilight waved, giving Fluttershy a small smile.

“O-Oh, hello, Twilight. Do you need something?” Fluttershy asked as she pushed the door open, eyeing me with trepidation. Her voice sounded as small as her stature, it seemed that she wasn’t nearly as keen on greeting me as Applejack was.

“We’re just here to check up on you. The Summer Sun Celebration is coming up soon, and I’d like it if you were in charge of the music again,” Twilight said as the two of us followed her into the living room, stepping around an injured fox as she walked.

I gave Twilight a look of bemusement as I stared at the overabundant amount of animals littered across Fluttershy’s home, a pair of mice grazing against my hind legs as they ran across the house.

I’ll bet my salary she doesn’t have a coltfriend.

The two of us sat across from Fluttershy as she took a moment to respond, “I suppose, if you really want me to…”

‘You’d think that much was obvious.’ I made sure not to make the remark aloud, reminding myself of what Twilight had said prior. The last thing I wanted was another reprimanding.

Twilight gave her a reaffirming smile, “I’d love it more than anything if you would have your birds sing at the celebration again, Fluttershy.”

She can make birds sing at her command? I have to admit, that’s pretty impressive for somepony as timid as her.

“Miss Fluttershy, is that what your special talent is? Controlling animals?” I asked her, making sure to keep my voice as soft as possible.

She shrunk back slightly, her mane falling over most of her face, shrouding her embarrassed expression, “W-well, I-I wouldn’t use the w-word ‘controlling’.”

I gave her a small smile. “Right, my apologies.”

Twilight stood up as yet another awkward silence fell between us, trotting over to what I assumed was the kitchen.

“Fluttershy? I’ll make some tea for us, okay?” she called out, disappearing from view and leaving the two of us alone.

Is this going to be a running theme with you, Twilight? Leaving me alone with your friends?

Fluttershy was now eyeing me with intent, a look of curiosity spread across her face. Her nervousness was ebbing away, but still present.

“T-Twilight didn’t introduce you. W-What’s your n-name?” she asked me.

Seriously? She didn’t even bother to introduce me this time?

“My name is Captain Flash Sentry, miss,” I replied, doing my best to return her gaze.

I had mixed feelings about Fluttershy thus far. On one hoof, compared to the saccharine exuberance that Pinkie Pie had displayed when I had first arrived here, Fluttershy was most certainly tame. That was something that I could appreciate.

On the other hoof, the stare she was giving me was uncanny. It was as if she was staringpast me, or through me, even.

Not to mention, the following words that she spoke brought a chill down my spine. The air in the room seemed to stagnate around me.

“Who hurt you, Captain?”

I let in a sharp intake of breath as Fluttershy continued to stare at me, her eyes seeming to bore straight into me.

“I-I know it may be forward of m-me to say, but you shouldn’t fake your kindness toward me. I-I’d like to know you for how you really act.”

Why are all of Twilight’s friends so Celestia-damned intuitive?

“I highly doubt that, Miss Fluttershy,” I said as I glanced over at the kitchen, I could still feel her gaze, “I don’t think I make the best company.”

Fluttershy shifted slightly, the mane falling from her face, allowing me to see her in full. It may have been my imagination, but it almost felt like the color in her eyes had faded slightly.

“And why do you think that is, Captain?”

When did she become so bold?

“I… uh, don’t know… miss,” I replied, the air feeling thicker around me. It was as if her stare was asphyxiating me, as if there was some insidious power that permeated from her.

My eyes began to dart around the room in fervor, I was desperately trying to not look at Fluttershy’s face. She was beginning to remind me of her.

“I may not be my friend Applejack, but it isn’t hard to tell when somepony like you is lying,” Fluttershy said. “Especially when they’re pretending to be something they aren’t.”

“I… I…”

Black spots clouded my vision as Fluttershy’s face faded into a blur. After several seconds of fighting unconsciousness, everything faded away.

Flash Sentry buried his muzzle in the textbook in front of him. He wasn’t paying attention to the content of the book, or even the teacher’s droning; rather, he was making an active effort not to look at anypony staring at him.

Even though he had inflicted near-grievous injuries upon the colts that had harassed him yesterday, they had fought back during the altercation. The visible bruises on Flash’s face and body were glaring indications of that.

The colts had suffered worse, though. For the two of them had to stay at home to recover from their injuries, probably requiring medical treatment to some extent.

Flash flinched as the school bell rung, remaining in his seat as the other fillies and colts walked past him and exited the classroom.

The chatter outside the hallway had begun to die down when Flash finally decided to stand up, only to be interrupted by the teacher clearing her throat.

“Flash, I think we need to talk.”

Flash paused next to his seat, giving her a small scowl in response.

“I’m guessing I’ll either get detention, or I’ll be suspended, right?”

The teacher’s expression softened in response, “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Can you please turn around and sit with me?”

Flash Sentry approached her slowly, refusing to meet the teacher’s gaze as he sat down.

Her face contorted into a grimace as she studied the wounds that had been inflicted. If he had fared better than the other two, than she didn't even want to know what they looked like right now.

Though she had to ask him something that had been bothering her for quite some time, a nagging possibility that seemed far too likely to her.

“Is everything… alright? I mean, are you having any trouble at home?”

Flash steadied his breath, his eyes gazing at the floor as he tried to stifle his involuntary twitching. “No, ma’am. Everything’s fine.”

The teacher pressed on, “And your father, he’s receiving our letters, correct?”

Flash’s reaction to the mention of his father remained neutral, albeit with great difficulty on Flash’s part.

He could feel himself almost beginning to sweat under her scrutiny. Her eyes trailed down his neck, where a charred burn mark was just barely visible enough for her to see.

“Did those colts… burn you?”

Flash’s mouth parted, as though he had to search for what he wanted to say as his hoof traced over the mark on his neck.

“One of them was carrying a lighter. They held me down and burnt my neck.”

She redirected her eyes to the window behind him, not staring at anything in particular, lost in thought. After a second of silence, she gave a soft sigh and rubbed a hoof against her head.

“Flash, you know we’ll have to talk to your parents about this, right? Even though this happened off-campus, you’re not off the hook for this. Just head home for now. And stay safe, please.”

Flash gritted his teeth as he stood up, making sure to lengthen the process as much as possible. “Okay, ma’am.”

Flash cursed to himself as he exited the classroom, having wished that he’d had an excuse not to arrive home on time today.

I snapped back into reality, gasping in shock and flailing my hooves, my chair toppling over in the process.

Fluttershy held out a hoof as I stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over my seat as my vision swirled.

How many hooves is she supposed to have?

“Wha— what the fuck?” I heaved as Fluttershy gave me a sympathetic frown.

“I apologize, Captain. My talent is dealing with animals, and that includes ponies to an extent. I-I’m sorry if I harmed you using my stare.”

I felt my anger grow as I stood up and pointed an accusatory hoof at her, “Harm? You basically hypnotized me, you bi—”

I felt the words die in my mouth as I looked over at Twilight, her eyes narrowed, a tea set held in her magic. Something told me that we wouldn't be drinking that tea anymore.

“Do not call her that, Flash. She was just trying to help.”

I'm not about to take this. I'm so sick of being pitied. Why is everypony so intent on “helping” me?

“You want to help, Fluttershy? Stay away from me,” I spat as her ears drooped, eyes beginning to water.

“I-I… I understand, Captain. I-I wish this could have gone better. I just s-saw that you were hurting a-and I wanted to help you. I’m s-sorry.”

Twilight delicately placed the tea set on the table between Fluttershy and I as she walked toward the foyer. A bitter frown encompassing her face.

“I’m sorry about all this, Fluttershy. It's clear that he doesn't want help from either of us. Flash, let's just leave.”

I wasn't particularly angry with Fluttershy, though somepony who had the ability to fuck with my head should never be underestimated. Evidently, I gave her less credit than I should have.

She was capable, that’s for sure. Unlike Applejack, she could force me to do whatever she wanted. Though I still felt pangs of guilt run through me as I stared at the tears running down her face. Apologizing right now would be rather untimely, and it certainly wouldn't look genuine.

I grinded my molars together as I followed Twilight out the door, trying my best to erase the image of Fluttershy’s crying face from my mind.

“Very well, princess.”

Author's Note

Sorry if this came out late, I was in the middle of writing this chapter as soon as I went to Europe, so there was a massive delay.

You see, I work very hard on this story, moreso than any other story I've ever made. I need a stable connection so that I can talk to my editor live while I'm working, and I didn't have that in Europe.

Go ahead and leave a comment, tell me if you liked the chapter. Also, don't be afraid to give the story a like if you are enjoying it thus far. Or dislike it, and tell me what you think should be done differently.

This chapter is dedicated to randome284, whose kindness is one of the reasons I come back to this site.