Because She Loved Us: The True Story of Seven Mares

"The brave, little bunny trembled as he heard a knock on the giant wooden door..."

Knock knock

Fluttershy slowly looked up from the book she had been reading to a group of bunnies beside her. "Did any of you hear that?"

Looking at them, Fluttershy noticed them trembling, having been startled by the loud noises. "Aw it's alright my little bunnies. Mama is here."

The knocking occurred once more. Knock knock Lowering her eyes towards the ground, Fluttershy sighed. Reaching up with her left forehoof, Fluttershy removed the smoldering cigarette from her mouth and placed it, tip down in her nearby ash tray twisting it furiously. "I'm coming!"

Fluttershy slowly walked towards the door and opened it. As the door swung open, Fluttershy saw Starlight standing there with a big smile. "St-starlight? I th-thought Twilight was coming today."

Fluttershy's voice conveyed her surprise. Starlight scuffed a hoof and looked at her with soft eyes. "She has some things she needs to get done."

Fluttershy looked down. "I-I see, come in."

Starlight trotted in and glanced behind her as Fluttershy shut the door. "How've you been Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy stared at her silent for a moment, before the tears began coursing down. "Mo-mom!"

Starlight rushed to her and wrapped in a warm hug as Fluttershy continued. "No one has visited for years and I-I was really looking forward to seeing Twilight again!"

Starlight gently rubbed her back. "The others haven't been by to visit you?"

Fluttershy backed up and glancing off to the right, said. "No mom, no one!"

Starlight nodded thoughtfully as she glanced around. A baby bunny lay on a nearby table inside a cradle, asleep. Next to the rocking chair lay a young deer nestling her mother. Birds of all kinds dotted the window sills and stared back at her, not a sound, was uttered. Dishes of food for the animals lay beside a dining table near the kitchen. Starlight's voice was gentle. "Fluttershy, still very fond of the local wildlife, aren't you?"
The ashtray caught her eye as Fluttershy responded. "Oh very much so! They are so cute and cuddly, and they understand me unlike all those pon-"

Fluttershy stopped as her eyes widened in realization. Starlight gently gave her a comforting pat. "my darling daughter, perhaps it isn't they aren't visiting you, rather you simply have been turning them away as of late. Am I wrong, sweetie?"

Fluttershy shook her head, frantically. "Mom it isn't like that!"

Starlight gently held her daughter's head in her hooves and looked her in the eyes, stated in a tone of caring and compassion. "Fluttershy, when I am talking to you, look at me. Remember what I taught you, stand up straight, head held high and look me in the eye."

Fluttershy glared at her and struggled to break of Starlight's grip. "Mom stop it! I'm not a little filly anymore!"

Starlight nodded and released her. "You're right. You aren't a filly anymore, so stop acting like one. You are a mare, not a little girl, now act like the mare you are. Stop pushing everypony away."

Fluttershy looked down and scuffed her hoof muttering. Starlight raised an eyebrow. "What was that? Speak up."

Raising her head she angrily shouted at Starlight. "I said maybe I'm just shy!"

Staring at her with narrowed eyes, Starlight spoke softly. "Sweetie, you and I both know there is a difference between being actively shy and simply being an introvert."

"Mom I-"

"Fluttershy, I adopted you, I took you in and I raised you with all the love and care I could. I raised you from a filly. I was there for you when you got spooked by the loud thunder during rainstorms. I helped your wounds heal when you scraped or bruised your limbs, learning to fly. I encouraged your kinship with nature. Now, you are a grown mare which means you have to make choices for yourself but right now the choice you are making is hurting your sisters and breaking my heart in the process. Talk to me, let me understand what is causing this and why-"

Starlight's horn glowed and the severed head of a bear dripping, freshly killed appeared before her. As it levitated before the widening eyes of Fluttershy, Starlight spoke softly. "You are trying to kill us."

"But-I-I didn't try to...kill anypony"

Starlight sighed, her patience was waning thin. "Sweetie, why was I attacked by your animals upon arrival, then?"

Fluttershy scuffed a hoof timidly. "Because you came instead of her majesty!"

Pausing for a moment in disbelief, Starlight's horn glowed. The red-stained reaper scythe slowly rose off her back, and her expression went blank. "You've put me in quite a painful dilemma, Fluttershy."

The scythe pressed against the throat of the whimpering pegasus. "On one hoof, I am the queen's adviser. An attack on her is punishable by my very blade-"

Using her magic the scythe returned to her side and Starlight's eyes softened. "On the other, you are my daughter. I will give you one chance to explain why you set such a treasonous trap for her majesty. Your answer will determine your fate."

Fluttershy whimpered and spoke in an almost squeal of hurried speech. "I-I just wanted her to know I was worth her time, like my sisters!"

Starlight blinked, her scythe clattered on the wooden floor. That answer had caught her off-guard. "W-what do you mean Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy spent the next ten minutes explaining. She had spent her childhood, neglected by the queen. Her sisters had been given special attention and combat training. Not her, she had been pushed to the side and ignored. Fluttershy spilled what had been on her heart for the past 16 years. She left nothing unsaid and as she spoke Starlight felt her heart break. Fluttershy then concluded. "They were even given weapons, specially crafted by the queen herself!"

The lilac unicorn stood there, she felt physically ill. All that time, trying to protect her and she felt neglected. what have we done? "Fluttershy, the reason you weren't trained or even given a weapon wasn't because you were worthless. It's because in her eyes, you were perfect."

Fluttershy looked confused. "I don't...w-what?"

Starlight took a deep breath and picked up her scythe setting it back upon her back. Her tone was warm and uncharacteristically soothing. "Your sisters and yourself, as you well know embody the Elements of Harmony. Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty and Kindness. Unlike your element, Kindness, your sisters, all possess a discordant version or a flip aspect. Anger, Lying, Greed, Selfishness. You have no natural discordant nature unless you are forced to exhibit it. Knowing this, Twilight and I agreed that your purity must be preserved. Our goal is to return harmony to Equestria. For that to happen your kindness was invaluable. Therefore, you were perfect."

Fluttershy's face took on a stricken expression. "B-but what about the weapons?"

"Those weapons aren't made to kill. They are made to collect. When they pierce the flesh, they collect the soul within. This allows her majesty to bring that pony back in an unaltered form, a more stable one. Your sisters all have parts of their personalities that relish the idea of inflicting some form of pain, and so the weapons were individually forged and formed for their unique mindsets. You however, we felt a weapon in your hooves would make you uncomfortable. If you recall the night, the castle fell to us; we gave you a special role. That is why, Fluttershy."

"Mom I don't understand."

Twilight is going to kill me for this. Starlight explained further. "The only thing you need to know right now is the only reason anypony even exists in Equestria or any creature in general, is because the queen used part of her own being to create them."

Fluttershy blinked. "You mean-"

Nodding Starlight smiled. "If she didn't want you here, you simply wouldn't be here. She loves you just as much as every other pony. Please take pride in knowing you matter enough for her to have sacrificed part of her own lifeforce to bring you into existence."

Fluttershy smiled and hugged her mom. "I'm sorry about my freak out mom, i-"

Starlight patted her head and whispered. "I think this entire situation should stay between us. Don't you?"

Fluttershy responded with only four words. "I love you mom."

Sitting in the rocking chair with a cup of tea, twenty minutes later, Fluttershy's voice echoed happily throughout the wooden cabin. Her change in tone was such that the animals even took note of her happiness. "The brave little bunny went to the door and..."

As she read to the animals Starlight sat on the ground beside the deer, listening to the storytime, calmly sipping her tea and feeling very proud of her daughter. Sitting there listening to the story, a thought crossed her mind. Really hope the rendezvous with Applejack went as planned.