The old, rickety ladder creaked as it stressed under Fluttershy's weight. She made sure to be extra cautious and methodical with each step, knowing that she hadn't made this particular climb in well over 10 years. That ladder had been out in her yard exposed to the elements all that time, so who knew how much life it had left in it?
She could feel the familiar rough wood texture each time she placed her hand on a new rung, and all at once she was bombarded by memories of her childhood. Times where she would come here because she was sad, or because she was scared; Even the rare occasion in which she came here because she was excited about something.
The world seemed different, back in those days. The sun shone just a little bit brighter, the days were a little bit longer, and the future was nothing less than an unwritten book. The pages of which she could fill with whatever her heart so desired.
As she made the ascent, she couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, had changed. Why exactly was the sun so dim these days? Why did the passage of time seem to speed up so drastically, feeling like an out of control train than only lead her further and further from the comforting naivety of childhood?
Fluttershy finally reached the top of the ladder, and carefully sat herself on the edge of the makeshift deck of her treehouse before swiveling her legs up and over the ledge. She then stood up and took a few dragging steps towards the door. She reached for the knob, and ducked slightly as she entered to avoid bumping her head on the low frame.
Had she really grown that much since the last time she was here? As a child, that treehouse her father built for her may as well have been a fortress, big enough to roam without constraint. Now, it was a box barely big enough to squeeze her adult form in to. It was just one more reminder among many that she was getting older, and things were changing. Always changing.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she had nearly forgot what she'd come to this bygone safe haven for in the first place. Then, up on the far wall barely illuminated by the setting sun glistening through the windows, an old photograph served as the perfect reminder. It displayed Fluttershy and her 6 best friends, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, and last but not least, her oldest friend of the bunch; Rainbow Dash.
It was a candid photo, taken by Fluttershy's parents the first time Fluttershy ever had a slumber party. All seven of the girls were pictured in the kitchen, completing various tasks required to bake cupcakes. Pinkie was whisking a bowl of batter, splashing some of it on to an annoyed Rarity. Sunset, Twilight, and Applejack were around the table decorating some of the baked goods that had already been made and drinking soda. Finally, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were side by side, leaning against the countertop with smiles that went from ear to ear.
Just looking at that photograph, Fluttershy couldn't help but get a little misty eyed. Though she hadn't seen the picture in years, she didn't need to. The memory of that night played in her mind on repeat every day of every month. It was the memory that she clung to when the days were dark, and when the winds of change attempted to topple the house of cards she called her life. It was the happiest she had ever been, and now, the happiest she felt she was ever likely to be.
Fluttershy knew she couldn't let herself get too wrapped up in her emotions, though. She was on a mission, after all. Rainbow Dash was moving away for the Wonderbolt Academy soon, and there was no way Fluttershy was letting her leave before she could return a certain special item to her.
She tore her old bedroom apart, digging through every nook and cranny hoping to find it. When it didn't appear, she tried her luck searching her apartment, hoping she had simply moved it in with her and forgot. When that endeavor, too, had left her empty handed, she knew that there was only one other place it could be. The place where she kept everything dear to her in her younger years. A few hours later, and she was climbing that rickety old ladder to her treehouse.
Fluttershy scanned the small room in search of her old wooden chest that she reserved for all of her prized childhood possessions. Given that the treehouse contained very little in the way of furnishings, it was easy to spot. Between two small stools in the far leftmost corner, right behind a window, she found it.
She knelt down on her knees, careful to use her dress as padding to avoid splinters. Unlatching the wooden container, she wasn't entirely sure what memories she'd be greeted with. That thought caused her to pause, unsure if she was emotionally prepared for what she might find. But as she reminded herself of her purpose for coming here, she opened it anyway.
A large leather-bound book rested at the top of the pile of stored items within. Fluttershy gasped, taking it in to her hands as a few rogue tears fell from her cheeks and dampened the cover. It was her old diary. The book which little Fluttershy had written all of her thoughts, feelings, questions, anxieties, and ambitions. This one book practically held an instance of Fluttershy inside of it's pages, frozen in time and blissfully ignorant to all that had happened after she closed it's binding for the final time.
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"Dear Diary, today was my 9th birthday! I had such a great time! Mom and Papa took me to the park and we had a wonderful picnic together. When we were done eating, they gave me my birthday present. It was a book about wildlife, and I can't wait to read it! In fact, that's what I'll be doing as soon as I'm done writing this. I'm gonna stay up here in the tree house and read until bed time."
"Dear Diary, today was my first day doing track at school. I'm not sure why my parents signed me up for it, because I'm not very athletic. There was a race, they called it the 50 meter sprint. I tried my hardest, I really truly did! Unfortunately, I finished last. The other kids were making fun of me for it, and one of them even pushed me. I thought I might cry... But then, something amazing happened. The girl who won the race scared the bullies off! She told me they were cowards, and even gave me the gold medal she won. She told me I deserved it for being brave. I did cry, but not because I was upset. I was happy that somebody was so nice to me. She said her name was Rainbow Dash. I really hope she can be my first friend!"
"Dear Diary, this is the day! I'm having my first real slumber party with all my new friends! I'm so excited I could scream! (yay!) . It's all thanks to Rainbow. Without her, I never would have broken out of my shell and been brave enough to meet new friends. I'm just so thankful, I have this amazing group of friends just like I always dreamed about! How can I even begin to repay her?"
"Dear Diary, the slumber party was a huge success! I'd write all about it, but I think my parents got enough pictures that I don't have to. They tell the story better than I ever could."
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Fluttershy closed the book, unable to read any more. The few tear drops had grown in to a fully formed stream, blurring her vision and flowing down her face as she choked back her sobs. She set it down beside her and buried her face in her hands, the small wooden interior of the treehouse softly echoing her sniffling.
There were hundreds more diary entries in that book, but Fluttershy knew the story already. It was one that hit it's high note early on with the slumber party, then slowly but surely fizzled out to one of mundanity and struggles.
The first upsetting entry Fluttershy would have gotten to, should she have kept reading, would be only a few pages later. The entry about Applejack and her family having to move far away due to their farm being foreclosed.
That was the first time Fluttershy ever felt the pain of having something taken away from her. It's one thing to live a solitary life, and to know nothing more. But Fluttershy saw what more was out there. She was exposed to the magic of friendship, and the indescribable joy that came with it. "How", she wondered, "Is somebody supposed to cope with the idea of losing a friend?" For it was surely harder than the constant isolation of her childhood.
By the time the other blows had struck in her life, the diary was just an artifact from an earlier era. Fluttershy had stopped updating it, and left it to stagnate in that small wooden chest. Honestly, she preferred it that way. Facing hardships in life was difficult enough as it was, and writing about those hardships would only make it worse.
The unwritten events in her story included Rarity leaving town to go to an art school for fashion, Pinkie opening a successful bakery in her late teens that consumed all of her time, Twilight being accepted in to the best school in the country that happened to also be 800 miles away, and Sunset becoming a famous actress after finding success on the internet.
The running theme was that everybody moved on. One by one, Fluttershy watched her friends leave. With each friend's departure for bigger and better things, Fluttershy was one step closer to being alone again. One step closer to being that scared little girl reading books in her treehouse, while everyone else made something grand of themselves. The one constant in her life, the rock that kept her spirits high no matter the circumstance, was the same girl who'd saved her from the bullies all those years ago. Rainbow Dash. Friends came and went, and that was hard to accept. But, as long as she had Rainbow in her life, she felt like she'd be alright.
Then came the news that Rainbow had joined the Wonderbolt Academy, premier flight school for jet-plane pilots. Rainbow was so excited when she told Fluttershy, it was as if her mouth was moving a mile a minute as she gushed about the idea of learning to fly. But soon, it was apparent that this excitement was underlined with fear.
"It's just... This is my dream, Fluttershy. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything! When I was a kid, being a pilot was basically all I ever thought about. I never considered another job or anything. If I mess this up... What would I do?" Rainbow asked, her smile fading from her face, and an uncharacteristic quiver in her voice.
"You won't mess it up, Rainbow Dash. I've known you for so long, and I've never seen you fail at anything that you had your heart set on doing." Fluttershy assured, rubbing Rainbow's shoulder.
"I know, I know... But, this feels different. If I lost a race in track and field, there would always be another race to try and win, ya know? But getting in to the Wonderbolt Academy is kind of a one shot deal. Failure isn't exactly an option, and I'll be honest, Fluttershy... For the first time ever, I think I'm afraid."
Fluttershy forced the memories from her mind and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She began rummaging through the box, setting the various belongings aside one at a time until she finally happened upon it. A gold medallion with a blue neckband, inscribed with the image of a runner.
"When Rainbow gave this to me, it made me feel brave. It made me happy. Hopefully it can do the same for her, now."
Author's Note
I know the ending is a tad abrupt, but as I learn to write, endings seem to be the hardest thing to craft. This issue can largely be seen in my last story as well, "The Rain, the Darkness, and Fluttershy."
I'll work on that, but for now I hope this ending is decent enough given it's a short story and doesn't require a huge wrap-up.
