On The Wings of Love

Twilight stirred in her bed yet again... Pinkie was twitching in her sleep.

Again.

The purple unicorn couldn't help but wonder what made her lover tick sometimes. As the pink mare before her quieted down though, she herself couldn't help but wonder what was going on in a small cottage at the edge of the everfree forest.

Dash's face wore a look of complete shock and horror. She had just been given a peek into a past that nopony here knew Fluttershy had. She had heard about the murders on the east side of Cloudsdale, even heard about their little filly who was Dash's age having her wings broken. She never would have guessed that the sweet pegasus before her was the filly who'd been hurt so badly.

"How did you not go after those guys?!" Dash asked, almost enraged. "I would have gotten revenge!"

Fluttershy winced as Dash hit another memory.

"I- I did Rainbow." She looked up to meet her friend's shocked gaze. "I did go after them."

"What?" Dash asked dumbfounded.

"I did get even... with one of them anyways." Fluttershy said as she averted her eyes. "It happened about a year before I met you."

Fluttershy hung her head.

"I took a father away from his family. I ruined innocent lives."

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Fluttershy was settling into her new life fairly well. It had been a little over a year since that fateful night and she had been living with her new family for about the same amount of time. The family that had adopted her were good ponies. They lived in the northern part of Cloudsdale, A part of town that was synonymous with being fairly well-to-do. It was a peaceful neighborhood, smiles on everypony's face.

Except Fluttershy's.

While she had settled in well, the local colts and fillies didn't take kindly to her. Whenever they found out she was adopted, they had started to pick on her because she was "different" and didn't have the 'lineage' that so many of them claimed..

Her adoptive parents were mortified and enraged when they had found out. They truly treated her as their own and after many "discussions" with the worst offenders parents, she was left alone after school. During school was another thing entirely. There was only so much they could do though, and she knew that. When a week-long vacation was announced one day, Fluttershy was quietly thanking Celestia. She needed some peace and quiet.

"Fluttershy, I heard the school is going to be out all next week. How would you like to go to Manehattan for a few days?" her adoptive mother, Cloud-dancer, asked that Thursday.

"Manehattan?! You mean it?!" Fluttershy was excited. She had never been out of Cloudsdale before!

"Absolutely! Mark and I were talking it over and we wanted to take you out for a bit. We know its been hard deary..." Her expression was earnest. It had become a face that Fluttershy had grown to trust.

She ran up and hugged her. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Cloud-dancer felt her chest grow tight as she hugged Fluttershy back. She was happy she could make Fluttershy happy. She still held on to the hope that Fluttershy would one day call her "Mom" but at this stage... she knew it was too early to hope for anything like that.

As soon as her husband came home, she told him the news and they started packing for the trip.

School on Friday FLEW by for Fluttershy. She was so excited she almost wanted to jump through the halls and cheer!

As soon as the bell rang and school let out, she and her new family made the trip to Manehattan via a taxi-carriage. She was excited the whole time. When Cloud-Dancer pointed Manehattan out in the distance, Fluttershy could barely contain her excitement! If only her Mom and Dad were here...

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She would enjoy this trip... but it wouldn't be the same. The ponies across from her, smiling as they watched her, they weren't her parents. She looked back towards the city skyline as it grew.

They would want you to enjoy yourself. She thought to herself. She looked back to her new family and smiled. She wanted to heal.

The sights and attractions of Manehattan seemed to be everywhere. Cloud-Dancer and Mark had chosen to rent a small cottage in the shadow of the town. The busy skyline could still be seen, but they were well away from all of the bustle and noise that was infamous for the city that never slept. Beautiful maple trees lined the streets in the place they had decided to stay. It was as picturesque as one could get.

"Need any help unpacking my little filly?" Mark Time, her adoptive father asked her as she pulled her suitcase into her room.

"No thanks, I've got it Dad." Fluttershy said, the slip automatically caused Mark's and Fluttershy's breaths to catch in their throats. Mark's eyes held a glimmer of hope, while Fluttershy's grew sad as tears started to stream from them.

"I- I didn't... that is... I... I-" Fluttershy stammered before Mark held up a hoof and looked at her sympathetically.

"I understand Fluttershy. I'll be around if you need me." Mark said with a soft smile.

She walked over to him and hugged him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered as she squeezed him in her tightest hug.

Mark simply stroked her mane and hugged her back comfortingly.

"It's alright. I understand its got to be hard for you. To be honest, I know a little of what you're going through. I was adopted into a family when I wasn't much younger than you are now." He said, recalling his own past.

"R-Really?" Fluttershy stammered.

"Mhmm." Mark nodded. "Long story short my father was never really in the picture to begin with and my mother... well, lets just say that she wasn't exactly a 'model citizen." He said, hanging his head a little at the memories.

"I got pretty lucky in the end. Got taken in by a good family and they raised me right. It took a while, but I eventually started calling them "Mom" and "Dad" because they were as much family as I had ever had. I won't push you to do that, and neither will Cloud-Dancer. Whether you consider us your Mom and Dad is up to you Fluttershy. Just know that we'll always be here for you." He said, smiling at Fluttershy at tears streamed down his own face.

"I-... Thank you." She said, giving him another squeeze in the hug.

"Think nothing of it Fluttershy. Now, go ahead and get unpacked. We're planning on going to dinner on the strip tonight and we're letting yooouu choose." He said with an exaggerated movement of his hoof and a smile.

"Really?!" Fluttershy asked, excited again.'

"Haha, Yes. Now go on." He said gesturing for her to go as he started walking down the hall. Calling out behind him as he went "Remember, your choice!"

**In Mark and Cloud-Dancer's room

"Hello Sweetie, Hows Fluttershy doing?" Cloud-Dancer asked as she saw her husband walk through the door while she was unpacking.

"She's doing good honey. She..." He hesitated for a second. "She called me Dad a few minutes ago."

Cloud-Dancer's head snapped over to look at her husband, her expression hopeful.

He shook his head lightly. "Not yet love. She broke down into tears after she said it. She still has a lot of healing to do I expect."

Cloud-Dance's expression fell a bit but she understood. Perhaps not as well as her husband did, but she did know what Fluttershy had been through. She knew it would take a while for her to open up.

"Give her some time honey. She'll come around." Mark said as he hugged his wife.

"I hope so Mark... I truly do."

"She will." He said before playfully slapping his wife's flank.

"Now lets get unpacked, we're heading to the strip tonight and Fluttershy is picking where we're eating." He said with a smile.

"Ow!" She said, feigning a hurt expression before giving her husband a grin. "Okay hun."

For the first three days of the trip, things had gone better than anypony could have possibly expected. The fourth day in Manehattan, Mark and Cloud-Dancer took Fluttershy for a walk along the lake near their cottage. It was a perfect day. She was enjoying herself. As they walked to leave, something caught Fluttershy's eye. A cutie mark she had seen before. She froze as her adoptive parents rounded the corner of a shop. One of the pegasi who had broken into her house was right across the street from her. She recognized him... he was one of the pegasi who held her wings when the brown stallion had-. She cringed at her memory. But there he was, walking down the sidewalk without a care in the world.

She couldn't help herself, she froze. She was looking at one of the ponies who had ripped her life away from her.

"Fluttershy, are you okay deary?" Cloud-Dancer asked when she notice that the young pegasus had stopped. The question snapped Fluttershy out of her daze.

"I..." Words weren't coming to her. She could only give a small nod. Every memory, every pain, everything had just flooded her mind.

Mark looked up to where Fluttershy's gaze went, taking a good look at the ponies before he suggested that they all go to a great place to eat that he knew about a few blocks from where they were.

"How do you know this area so well hun?" Cloud-Dancer asked him as they walked.

"Well, my parents used to take trips out here when I wasn't much older than Fluttershy and I remember walking these very streets as a colt. They actually owned that little cottage right up there." he said, pointing a hoof at a structure that looked as pristine as could be, a light blue cottage with a small rose garden in the front.

"Hmm, used to be green though." He chuckled as they passed the small cottage.

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile. Such kindness from ponies who had no familiar ties to her. No blood relation. Just kind hearts and love.

A love that she was beginning to return.

Yet... she still felt like she would be betraying her mother and father's memories. Could she ever call anypony else "Mom" or "Dad" ever again and mean it? Not feel the pain of the memories she now carried? Could-

"We're here! Now, you two have GOT to try the apple pie here!" Mark nearly shouted, bringing Fluttershy back to the present. "They only get apples from a small town in the shadow of Canterlot. Can't for the life of me remember what they said the name of the town is though. Either way, best apple pie you'll EVER eat!" Mark said enthusiastically.

"My flanks would never forgive me." Cloud-Dancer said, stifling a giggle as he lightly smacked her flank.

"Your flanks are just fine and you know it." He said, kissing her on the cheek before getting them a table.

The restaurant had been nice. The apple pie was every bit as good as Mark said it would be. Maybe even more so. They had all walked back to the cottage, cracking jokes about how stuffed they were as they walked. Once they arrived at the lakeside retreat, they all retired for the night.

Fluttershy had awoken to a quiet house, the full moons light shining in through the windows of her room. Even having just woken up, she felt like her brain was buzzing. Sliding from her bed, she quietly made her way out the door and walked to the lake shore.

Her wakefulness did not go unnoticed though.

Mark had gotten up to get a drink of water when he had heard small hoofsteps go down the hall and quietly open the door. He looked out the window to see Fluttershy walking towards the lake.

"What is she doing?" Mark wondered to himself as he made to follow her.

Reaching the edge of the lake, Fluttershy looked up at the moon as she sat back on her haunches. The water lapped up quietly at her hooves as she quietly started crying. The sobs quietly wracked her body for a few minutes before she felt somepony wrap their forehooves around her in a hug.

"There, there Fluttershy. It's alright." Mark said, cradling the weeping pegasus close to him.

"No Mark... it's not." Fluttershy said. She couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You know how I... lost my parents right?" Fluttershy asked, hoping she wouldn't have to tell the story.

"Yea." He said, making his hug just a bit tighter.

"I... I... Isawoneoftheponieswhodidthattoday!" Fluttershy burst out before she started crying again.

Mark was absolutely shocked. She had seen one of the ponies who had killed her parents, and in a place he thought to be safe.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

Fluttershy nodded. "Do you remember when I froze earlier today before we went to that place for pie?"

"Yes, I remember." he said, hanging on her every word.

"The blue stallion with the red mane... He was one of the ponies who-" A sob wracked her body before she continued. "He held my wings out... so another stallion could break them."

Mark tensed. He recalled to when he looked over the crowd of ponies. He remembered the only red mane in front of them that day. It had belonged to a blue pegasus.

"Are you SURE it was him?"

Fluttershy looked up at him, her eyes showing pain, but also an anger... almost hatred as she said "His cutie mark was an billiards eight-ball. I'd remember that anywhere. He laughed after they broke my wings. Said it sounded like when you break in pool." She shuddered.

Mark's chest was tight an his heart was racing. She had even caught his cutie mark and made the connection. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He wouldn't let that miserable excuse of a pony get away with what he had done.

"Fluttershy, I promise you, before we leave... He'll be behind bars for the rest of his life."

He meant every word.

After sitting and listening to the sounds of the waves from the lake for a while, letting it soothe both ponies, they went back inside. Mark tucked Fluttershy in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight, my little angel." Mark said as he closed the door.

"... Goodnight... Dad..." Fluttershy whispered as she let the warmth of sleep overtake her.

Mark had told Cloud-Dancer what had happened that night and shortly thereafter, gotten in touch with the local guard. They had sent a few ponies to investigate the claims and even had one of the guards from Cloudsdale who had been involved in Fluttershy's case, fly in to see if everything matched up.

In the end, Mark and Cloud-Dancer wound up in a stalemate with the guards-ponies. The guard reasoned that there wasn't enough proof, just the word of a traumatized filly. They reasoned that it should at least be investigated. Things were starting to escalate when Fluttershy walked in, silencing everypony. She then said something that shocked everypony in that room.

"What if I could give you proof that it was him? Undeniable proof." Her voice was steady despite what she had in mind.

"If you could give us solid evidence, we'd apprehend him, take him in for questioning and might even convict him. Now, how would you give us solid evidence?" The guard from Cloudsdale asked a bit tersely.

"I'll have the words come out of his own mouth. You'll have to trust me on this though..." she looked over to Mark and Cloud-Dancer. "Because its going to be dangerous."

Fluttershy went over her plan, leaving both the guards-ponies and her adoptive parents in a state of shock.

"Have you been watching too much "Guards" kid? This isn't one of those 'plant a spy in the works' deal you're talking about here. You'd be in danger, we can't allow that!"

"Absolutely not!" Mark and Cloud-Dancer agreed.

"Then you'll be letting one of the ponies who killed my parents just get away with it! I'm willing to risk it! If you won't help then I'll do it myself!" Fluttershy said, her anger starting to build. Why wouldn't they just help her?!

The ponies before her were stunned speechless again.

"Do you really believe that this is the guy little filly?" The local guards-pony asked her.

"I know its him. I can prove it."

"How? Go through with your plan and wind up dead before we could intervene?"

"No, because if you're watching... he could never expect it."

"I can't let you do this Fluttershy." Cloud-Dancer said, starting to sob. "I don't want to lose you. You're the daughter I never had."

That hit Fluttershy and Mark both right in the gut.

The guards-pony across from her closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Then, his eyes snapped open and he looked at the ponies around him.

"I just remembered something. We have a new unicorn in the local guard, that guy can turn invisible and I mean COMPLETELY invisible. Doesn't even cast a shadow, make a sound or leave a hoof-print behind. If he was beside Fluttershy the entire time... We could nab him if he tried to make a move. We'd have to clear it, but I think with this thrown in the mix... it would work."

"And how do we know that it would work?!" Cloud-Dancer yelled, she was still stressed at the mere idea of putting Fluttershy in harms way.

"Ma'am, this unicorn I'm talking about is the best pony on our force. Nopony within 100 miles, especially no pegasus, could take this guy." The pony flexed his wings slightly. "I know, because I tried and failed... miserably."

"Do you really think we'll let you put your daughter in jeopardy?" A voice from nowhere asked.

Everypony jumped at the voice and watched in awe as a solid black unicorn seemed to materialize from nowhere.

"You know, when I heard about this..." he said, walking over towards Fluttershy. "I'll admit that I didn't really think much of it. However... I can't help but look at it like this. If she's wrong, we've merely had a little filly annoy the wrong pegasus. If she's right though, we could put that pegasus behind bars where he belongs. I'm game for it." he said, seeing the worried glances on Mark's and Cloud-Dancer's faces.

"Oh, and don't worry about her safety. He won't even be able to touch one hair on her pretty little head." He said, ruffling Fluttershy's mane playfully.

"I-... we-..." Cloud-Dancer stammered, looking at Fluttershy.

"Please... let me do this." Fluttershy said, pleading.

Mark put a hoof on his wifes, before looking at Fluttershy. "Ok, lets do this."

Fluttershy was sitting on the lake shore, watching the ponies go by. She had seen him walk into one of the houses along the street but couldn't remember for the life of her which one.

"He's coming from your left." Fluttershy suddenly heard beside her, causing her to flinch a little. She had forgotten that the unicorn was even there. Turning to look, she saw that he was right. The pegasus she had seen the other day was there, walking towards the line of houses. That's when she stood up and started walking towards him.

"She's on the move." A guards-pony hidden on a nearby rooftop said into an enchanted jewel that allowed him to communicate with the ponies involved. "Eyes up everypony. Keep her in your sight."

Fluttershy heard everything too. She had passed the small jewels off as ear-rings. Not unusual for a pony her age to have.

She took a deep breath, she was nervous.

"You okay?" the invisible unicorn behind her whispered.

She nodded in response. She was right where she needed to be.

The red-maned pegasus was walking along the path, about to turn to go into his house as Fluttershy reached out as he passed and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hmm, who are you little filly?" He asked, a caring tone in his voice that surprised her. "Where are your parents?"

Looking up at him, she said "You killed them... One year and two months ago on the east side of Cloudsdale. Don't you remember? You held out my wings for that brown stallion to break." Her eyes were cold and flat.

The look on the stallions face went from confused for a brief moment to a look of sheer terror. His eyes went wide and he paled as he whispered. "You! You're that little filly!" as he backed up slowly.

"NAIL HIM!!" the voice from the jewels came through as the unicorn beside Fluttershy appeared then levitated the pegasus into a field and held him there as he just blankly stared at Fluttershy. Several more guards-ponies came out and surrounded him, one pulling out a set of shackles while another secured his wings. He was well and truly caught. What surprised Fluttershy is that he offered no resistance. He just stared at her. His family walked out of the house, they had literally arrested him in his own front yard.

"What's going on?! Why are you arresting my husband?!" The white earth pony mare screamed, her young foal cradled against her.

A few guards-ponies held her back as the charges and rights were read to the pony.

"Trick Shot, you are under arrest, charged with aiding in the murder of Azure and Redwing Calmwind and the assult of Fluttershy Calmwind. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and WILL be used against you in a court of Equestrian law..."

As the guards-pony recited the charges, Trick Shot's wife looked at her husband, completely shellshocked.

"I- is it true? IS IT TRUE?!" The white mare yelled at her husband as they took him away.

Fluttershy had turned away and was walking back to her cottage, the black unicorn escorting her. It was then that a loud wail rose above the general din of the scene behind her.

"DADDY!!! DADDY!!!" The small foal was calling to his father. The cries made Fluttershy's breath catch in her throat and made her stop.

"Are you okay kid?" the black unicorn asked.

"DADDY!!!"

Fluttershy broke into a gallop towards her house, the confused unicorn following her until she made it home.

What had she done?

Bursting through the door, she looked at her adoptive parents and broke down crying in the floor. Both of whom rushed over to comfort Fluttershy.

"Mom... Dad..." she choked out. "I've done something horrible!" She cried, telling them about what had happened only minutes before.

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Fluttershy was crying again, the tears streaming down her face as she looked at Rainbow.

"I ripped that foals father away from him. He pleaded guilty and wound up getting life in Stalliongrad. I... I..."

"You did nothing wrong." Dash said, surprising Fluttershy.

"But I did! Now that foal won't have his father in its life! All because of me!"

Dash pulled Fluttershy into a hug, her sense of right and wrong completely sure of itself.

"And your whole life got ripped from you, because of him and his friends."

"But that little foal! I-"

Dash cut her off.

"The wrongs he did came back to haunt him. Honestly, he's lucky he didn't get banished if you ask me!. He probably thought he had gotten away with it so he settled down. Nopony was the wiser. You brought him to justice Fluttershy... that took a lot of guts. You have nothing to be ashamed of." Dash said, nuzzling Fluttershy comfortingly.

"b-but I- I..." Fluttershy tried to protest.

"No buts." Dash said firmly as Fluttershy stifled a yawn. Her recalling of memories had wreaked havoc on her mentally. She was exhausted.

Sensing her friend's state, Dash laid Fluttershy down gently and cuddled up against her.

"Now get some sleep." Dash instructed, leaning up and kissing Fluttershy on the cheek.

"O-*hic*-kay." Fluttershy said, complying with no resistance. In no-time at all, the butter-yellow pegasus was asleep. Her breathing and heartbeat finally slowing down.

Dash was almost asleep as she heard something take in a breath behind her, turning her head, she saw it was a rooster about to crow!

Moving to cover Fluttershy's ears, Dash was surprised to hear a thud followed by a quiet squawking noise that kept getting quieter until it vanished. Turning her head back around, Dash saw the windowsill vacant but noticed a carrot just below it. Looking over to the door, Dash saw Angel, his usual expression gone from his face. Instead, he wore a sympathetic, worried look.

He nodded solemnly to Dash before turning around to leave.

"Hey Angel..." Dash said quietly.

The bunny stopped and glanced over his shoulder, not fully turning around to face her.

"... thanks."

Angel paused before just looking away and hopping out the small door.

After all, Fluttershy was his friend too.

Pinkie woke up tired. She could tell that she had been twitching all night.

Somehow though, she felt happy. She felt as though... yes. Something big had happened in the night.

Smiling, she looked over at the sleeping form of Twilight and cuddled against her.

Despite the pain that had been felt this last night, today was going to be a good day. She could tell.