Fear and Doubt Clip Wings

Fluttershy lay back in the booth, her hunger satisfied. Her mother sat across from her, her gaze looking to the left, her eyes lids lowered. She followed Fallenfeather’s gaze. She was staring at Fine Service, the nice waiter who'd served them. She'd liked him, the handsome stallion was fun to talk to despite the age difference. She'd only known him for an hour, yet she felt comfortable with him. She'd giggled silently when she noticed the obvious attraction between the waiter and Fallenfeather. This inaudible laughter stopped abruptly when she realized something, But... what about Daddy?

Smack Down was cruel, Fluttershy knew that, yet she still felt the natural tug of affection for him, the affection of a daughter to her father. Cruel or not, she still loved him. She had no idea what might happen if her father found out about this attraction. He'd be furious no doubt, but how furious? A voice sounded in her head Furious enough to kill-. She shook her head, as if to shake the thoughts out of her mind. It wouldn't come to that. It couldn't

Fallenfeather eyed the check. $38.46, it wasn't cheap, but it also wasn't enough to empty her wallet. She took her credit card and lay it on the piece of paper, waiting for Fine Service to retrieve it. "How was your meal, dear?" she asked her daughter, who seemed deep in thought on the other side of the table.

The gentle filly looked up. "Hm? Oh, the meal. It was great." she answered. Fallenfeather tilted her head, her daughter seemed distant.

"Everything alright?" she asked, a concerned tone in her voice. Fluttershy nodded her head, her long mane bobbing with it. She sighed, her daughter wasn't going to reveal anything. Not now.

"Excuse me, have you seen a tall orange Pegasus mare come in?" Fallenfeather froze. She knew that voice. Smack Down. Oh, God no! Not here! she prayed silently. She remained still and eyed Fluttershy who looked as if she might have an anxiety attack right on the spot. Don't panic. she mouthed to her filly. Fluttershy nodded and closed her eyes, taking a deep inhale through her nose.

"There..." Smack Down's deep voice said. Fallenfeather felt her mane being tugged as she was lifted off of her seat, gasping in pain. "..you are." He looked into her eyes, deep green pools of unfathomable horror. Fluttershy whimpered and began crying.

"Smack Down, stop." Fallenfeather whimpered through her tears. Her head felt as if she were being scalped. "Not in front of 'Shy, please!"

"Sir!" Fallenfeather was dropped back into her seat. Her chin smacked the table, earning a long groan of pain to escape the orange Pegasus. She glanced up at Smack Down,who was now face-to-face with Fine Service.

Shit! she thought. Fine Service was strongly built, but no way would the waiter win a fight against a seasoned boxer.

"Sir, you're going to have to exit the establishment." Fine Service spat at him. His blue eyes were reflections of Smack Down's: Full of hatred and rage. Fallenfeather felt a flitter of hope in her heart. Was somepony finally going to stand up for her?

Meanwhile, Fluttershy sat, petrified, on the other side. While her father argued with the waiter, she kept her gaze fixed on her mother's pleading expression. Her eyes were red from silently sobbing, she looked so desperate. Her eyes were huge and scared as she stared at the two stallions. You've got to stop this, Momma. Only you can stop Daddy. As much as she wanted to say it, she held her tongue.

"I don't give a damn if she wasn't home to make your precious breakfast." Fine Service was saying. "That wasn't necessary. Now get the fuck out of my restaurant before I call the police."

Smack Down glared at the other stallion. He smacked Fallenfeather on the shoulder, prompting her to flinch. "Get up." He looked over his shoulder at the terrified filly. "You too." He gave another disgusted look at Fine Service before turning around.

Fallenfeather slid shakily out of the booth with Fluttershy following closely behind. She gave one last begging look at Fine Service as she passed, then gave a quiet "thank you" to the greeter as he opened the door. She blinked as she felt the door slam behind her.

The street was nearly abandoned, it seemed so gloomy and depressing compared to the lively atmosphere of the building behind them. She yelped as she felt her neck being tugged and soon she was staring into her husband's icy gaze. "You are in for such a beating." He released her roughly and galloped in the direction of the house.

Fallenfeather shuddered and took out her cellphone, pressing the number "2". She held it to her ear and listened to mechanic ringing before she finally heard somepony pick up. "Hello?"

"Strike... I need you to take Fluttershy for tonight." she pleaded her best friend.

The two mares had met in their senior year of High School. Fallenfeather hd sat alone at her table at lunch, picking at her food, only to be surprised when a pink and blue mare shot into the seat in front of her. "Hey!" the mare had said.

Fallenfeather looked for a while. "Hi."

"Name's Colorstrike. Now I don't know who your are, or where you're from,but I can tell you're new." she smirked as she finished speaking.

Fallenfeather laughed. "I am." she confirmed.

Colorstrike swirled her hoof in a beckoning motion. "Name?"

"Fallenfeather."

Fallenfeather and her daughter flew to Colorstrike's house, where they were greeted as warmly as always. Colorstrike's pink eyes were warm as she looked at Fluttershy. "Dash is in the kitchen, honey." she told her. The two mares smiled as the filly ran inside, happily squealing. Strike's gaze hardened when she turned back to the orange mare in front of her. "What happened?"

"Long story." Fallenfeather sighed. She looked at her hooves that rested on the fuzzy "WELCOME" mat at the doorway. She heard Colorstrike sigh. "Tell Fluttershy I love her and I'll pick her up tomorrow." She heard her friend's mane swish as she nodded, then watched her pink hooves disappear as she softly clicked the door shut. She looked up at the solid door in front of her, recalling Strike's words. Fluttershy wil never grown up happy with him in her life. He's going to end up killing you.

"Yeah. I know Strike." she murmured, before lifting her wings and taking off.

Note from author: Sorry this chapter was a bit short, I kinda ran out of ideas. I need some time to brainstorm. I can't decide if the next POV should be Colorstrike's while taking care of Fluttershy, Fluttershy's, or Fallenfeather's.