Fear and Doubt Clip Wings

Colorstrike leaned against the door as she closed it, watching Fluttershy and her daughter play in the kitchen. Both fillies had chocolate cake batter on their little faces, making the pink Pegasus grin when Dash smudged some on the older filly's face. Fluttershy retaliated and smudged her friend with a defiant squeal.

She looked up with a smile when she saw her husband enter - Bow n' Arrow. The dark blue Pegasus smiled warmly at her as he descended the small staircase above the kitchen doorway, stopping to smile at her. He and Strike had met at a museum, where one of her sculptures were being featured. She was admiring the other masterpieces farther away, chatting with the workers, and the big-wigs who had their own pieces being featured tonight. Her hair was longer then, and it fell into a side-swept style just above her eyes. Her mane tickled her eyelashes as she turned her head, stopping dead as she saw a stallion admiring her sculpture. The sculpture was simple, just a depiction of Princess Celestia, yet his orange eyes were captivated by it as he stared. After striking up a conversation, the two had been inseperable, getting married in the spring six years ago.

He gave her a peck on the cheek as he neared and glanced into the kitchen, a concerned look on his face. "Something happened with Feather and Smack Down."

It wasn't a question, but Colorstrike nodded anyway, not letting her gaze from the yellow filly. She was flying confidently now, and Dash gazed awe-struck up at her as she hovered. "I need to call the police." she said. "She'd hate me forever though. Then she'd forbid Fluttershy from seeing Dash, and both of them will be miserable, and-"

Bow n' Arrow stopped her with a gentle touch on her shoulder, earning a grateful glance from his wife's magenta eyes. "I know. She'll snap out of it, I know she will." he assured her. "She's blinded by the love she felt for him in high school, back when he was gentle and kind."

"But he could kill her before that happened."

"We wouldn't let that happen."

"What if he killed Fluttershy?" she insisted.

Bow n' Arrow stared at her with a black expression. "Fallenfeather would never let him hurt her. She'd sooner die."

Fallenfeather shuddered as she received another painful blow from her husband. Her cheek was stinging from the previous blow he'd given, and her forehead wound had opened up.

Fluttershy squealed from the kitchen, Dash's voice sounded after. "Mommy!" she called. She flew out, holding a cake in her small hooves. "Look, Mommy!"

She collapsed when the niche in her hind leg was struck, prompting a loud wail of agony to escape her orange lips. "You gonna forget my breakfast again, bitch?" Smack Down roared from above her. Tears darkened the carpet as the fell from her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

"Wow!" Colorstrike exclaimed as she walked up to the her daughter. The cake was sloppy, but it made Strike's heart melt just the same. It was beautiful because Dash made it. Everything her daughter did was flawless. She looked behind Dash at Fluttershy, who was smiling awkwardly.

"NO!" she sobbed. Her head hurt from her nerve-shattering cries. Her back throbbed. She screamed as Smack Down yanked her head up by her mane, whimpering pitifully in sheer pain. "Smack Down, stop! W- AHHA!" Her cry was cut off when she felt her self being lifted. Smack Down had her mane in his teeth as he flew upward. Fallenfeather shrieked as she felt the loose hairs in her mane snap off. Finally, he let go. Her slender body plummeted onto the glass table below her and it shattered on impact.

"Fluttershy, sweetie! Dash got some wonderful tips from her flight coaches. Eh- Dash. Why don't you show her that packet?" Arrow suggested.

"Oh yeah! C'mon Shy!" Dash squeaked as she flew to her room. Fluttershy followed more slowly, a smile on her face.

Fallenfeather lay in shock on the shattered glass underneath her. She felt the pain as several shards sliced her skin, some entered her. Her voice came out broken and quiet. "Ah- ah- ah..." Finally she found her voice as the shock ebbed and the pain hit her full on. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She sobbed as Smack Down exited the room. Whimpering she slid painfully over the floor, a cry escaping every time she dragged over the broken glass, a new tear sliding down her face with each tiny movement. She pushed the table beside the couch, seeing the phone barely hanging over the side. "C'mon, you sonofabitch!" she cried. She sobbed hysterically as it finally fell, and she pressed down on the "9"

"1"

"1"