A Bond Never Broken

A BOND NEVER BROKEN

By Knightcommander

CHAPTER ONE: Heartbreak

Ponyville was a town that prided itself on its adherence to the old customs of the past. As such, holidays and the traditions that surrounded them were almost sacrosanct there. When winter came along, the town held a huge town feast for Hearth's Warming Even and day, along with plays, caroling and other customs. Before that, Fall brought with it Nightmare Night, with costumes, festivals with games, door-to-door candy collecting by the young ones, and even an appearance by Princess Luna herself, who had managed to make the holiday her own, despite it being about a part of her past she would rather forget. The Summer Sun Celebration, Winter Moon Festival, all of them celebrated with the unique flair that only a small town like Ponyville could pull off.

Now it was time for another one.

It was now mid-spring, and the sun was gradually warming up the days as summer rapidly approached. Flowers were blooming, and crops were being planted or harvested. Animals were settling down as it came time to find mates. The ponies were no different. Across the town, the residents set up displays of pink and red hearts, red and pink ribbons, and floral displays of roses, forget-me-nots, and anything else having to do with love. For that was what they would soon be celebrating. It was nearly time for Hearts and Hooves Day, which was only two days away, something that was one of the most fun days on the entire calendar. It was at this time of year that ponies would take the time to do something extra special for the special mare or stallion in their life. Soon planned special dinner dates, others gave extra special gifts, and still others felt it especially appropriate to propose marriage on the day. Not surprisingly, the last-minute gift seekers made the marketplace and shops of the town quite hectic.

Especially when one was trying to do their job with the weather patrol and they had to dodge other pegasi zipping about.

"Hey, watch it!" Rainbow Dash shouted for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"Sorry!" The sea green pegasus stallion called back to her. She huffed. This was the only thing she hated about this day. Every time, a whole bunch of ponies forgot their gifts till the last minute and tore about the town, and the sky, searching for something special. It annoyed her, as she was always at work that morning, clearing clouds or moving them about so folks get some shade from the heat, and the extra traffic only made her job aggravating.

"Yah!" She yelped as she dodged another pegasus, this one a purple mare. "There's other ponies flying today, ya know!" She shouted. She growled in frustration. She had half a mind to clock out early and go home, but she had promised to pull a full shift today, and she wasn't one to break her promises. But, couldn't they at least slow down?

"Excuse me!" A feminine voice called. Rainbow Dash was grateful someone had taken the time to warn her before tearing through, and was about to fly off to go clear some pesky cumulus clouds when she saw that it was her friend, White Out, trying to move a particularly stubborn dark cloud. Rainbow Dash flew over.

"Need help with that?" She asked.

"Please." White Out said, clearly tired. White Out's talent was making snow, so cloud pushing was something she wasn't used to doing. It had been a few years since she had joined the Ponyville weather patrol from Cloudsdale's famous weather factory, but she still had a hard time with the big clouds.

Rainbow joined her and helped push the cloud of the way of the town. No storms were scheduled for today, so dark clouds weren't needed. Smaller ones they would have just broken up, but big ones tended to be a bit more stubborn, so it was often easier just to push them outside town.

"Thanks." She said, huffing a bit from the effort.

"Anytime." Dash said, just as another pegasi in a rush screamed past them so fast, Dash swore the mare was doing mach 2. "Hey, cool your jets!" She called after them. "I hate this. Every last minute shopper screaming through the air is a potential skull fracture."

"Tell me about it." White Out said. "And it's only going to get worse once the rush really gets going. I just talked to Boss, and he says he wants everyone to leave early, noon sharp, no exceptions."

"Ugh, I was supposed to do a full shift today." Rainbow said. "Guess I have to put in for overtime tomorrow."

"Least I'll be able to pick Scootaloo up from school today." White Out said. "On time, that is." Rainbow Dash chuckled a bit.

"I might hop over to Cloudsdale to go see Firefly." She said. Firefly, a pink pegasus mare and Dash's younger sister, worked as a supervisor at the weather factory, and Dash rarely got to see her due to the distance between Cloudsdale and Ponyville, and her work schedule made it even more difficult. But it seemed she finally had an excuse.

"I'd better finish up clearing that last bit of cloud." She said. "Cya later, and tell Scoots I said hi."

"Will do." White Out said. "Have a good one." She said, before taking off to finish a last job before she clocked out. Rainbow went over to the cloud cluster and bucked them away at a leisurely pace. Once that was done, she killed time until noon, flew over to the weather patrol building and clocked out for the day, and just in time, as the rush was starting to pick up.

Her stomach started to growl, so she decided to pick up a bite to eat at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had mentioned that the Cakes were working on a new muffin recipe that was supposed to be super delicious, so she decided to head there and try some. She laughed, thinking what the town's mildly scatterbrained but endearing mailmare, Ditzy Doo, would do when she found out about that. Probably buy the whole first and second batches, she thought.

Along the way, she passed by a familiar looking yellow pegasus mare, her saddlebags full of fresh vegetables for the animals she cared for. Recognizing her, she called out.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" The yellow mare jerked her head up and looked around, before her cyan eyes fell on Rainbow Dash's magenta ones

"Oh, Rainbow Dash." She said. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you pass by." She said. Rainbow took note of her tone. Fluttershy had always been soft-spoken, but her voice today seemed to be softer than usual, and almost sounded weak. She felt a small twinge of concern for her old friend.

"Hey uh, you alright?" She asked. "You sound kinda... out of sorts." She said, trying to put it tactly.

"Well, now that you mention it... I am feeling a bit out of it." She said. "It's just this day, it's so hectic and there's so much hustle and bustle... it's getting to me." Fluttershy had always been highly sensitive, and it didn't surprise Rainbow to hear this. But something was still nagging at her...

"Say, I was on my way to lunch." She said. "Wanna come with?" She smiled at her old friend. To her surprise, the pink-maned pegasus shook her head.

"Well no, I think it might be better if I went home to rest... that is, if it's OK with you..." She trailed off. Rainbow frowned. Fluttershy had never turned down a lunch invitation before. She wanted to protest, to try and convince her otherwise, but she decided against it. She knew how sensitive she could be, and she didn't want her to misinterpret her actions as being pushy or aggressive, so she just nodded. Fluttershy noticed her frown though. "Though... I can go if you really want..." Rainbow cut her off.

"Nah, it's alright." She said. "You rest up." Fluttershy nodded.

"O-OK." She said, her voice seemingly growing more frail and weak. "I'll see you later, if you don't have plans or anything..."

"Actually, I was gonna head to Cloudsdale for a bit to go see my sis." She said. Fluttershy's expression fell noticeably, which caused Rainbow Dash concern, but she cut her off before she could say anything

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just going to ask if you wanted to get supper or anything/" She said. Dash opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off again. "OK, bye for now." She said. She walked off quickly before Rainbow could say anything else.

Rainbow's mouth opened in shock. In what was probably the biggest display of irony of all time, the shy pegasus was the closest of her five friends, having known her since they were fillies. She knew her better than anyone, and could practically predict every reaction just by looking at her. This was completely weird. Her voice, the way she was carrying herself, everything was out of whack. What was going on? Clearly something was bothering her, and from the looks of things it was really bad. Her element screamed at her to forget the trip to Cloudsdale, chase after her and find out what was bothering her, but another, more rational part of her told it was better not to push it right now. The sensitive pegasus might only feel worse if she was forced to reveal what was bothering her before she was ready. Rainbow ultimately elected not to push it, feeling it was better to give the pegasus some time to get her feelings in check before she asked her about it. She briefly flew back to her cloud house and left a note for her friends in case they went looking for her telling them where she was going, before she flew off in the direction of Cloudsdale, hoping that Fluttershy would be OK.

***

Fluttershy entered her cottage and plopped down on her couch. She curled up on the cushion and hunkered down into one of the pillows, trying to get comfortable. She sighed. She had tried to put on a brave face for her friend, but she just couldn't hide it anymore. She placed a hoof over her heart, as though she could feel it physically break in two. Unable to get comfortable, she walked up to her bedroom and lay down on her bed. She opened a drawer on her night stand and pulled something out, a small leatherbound object, and opened it. She took a look at the contents.

And then she started to cry.

***

"How's the reshelving coming, Spike?" Twilight Sparkle, the purple unicorn mare who ran the Ponyville library, asked her assistant, a baby dragon named Spike. He was currently helping out with the reshelving, which Twilight took care to do every week. He was currently working on a shelf of encyclopedias.

"It would be easier if Owloysious was awake to help out." He said, trying to balance on the ladder while at the same time holding a stack of books in his hand. "Whoa!" He said as the ladder wobbled. Twilight held it with her hoof.

"There you go." She said.

"Thanks." He said, quickly organizing the books and then climbing down. Twilight reshelved the last bit of books and decided to call it a day. It was too nice of a day to be cooped up in the library, so she decided to go visit her friends. Spike declined, wanting to take a nap to rest from his chores. Twilight gave him an affectionate nuzzle before stepping out into the gorgeous spring day.

A cursory glance at the Hearts and Hooves Day decor reminded her that she needed to find something for Caramel. Twilight wasn't always the best at finding gifts, but she did remember that he mentioned something about needing some new tools, so she decided to make a last minute trip to the hardware store. She purchased some fine new blacksmithing tools for him and placed them in her bag. After that, it was time for a visit to Carousel Boutique, to visit her friend Rarity. The white unicorn was sure to be busy, but she never refused a visit from Twilight. Twilight opened the door, ringing the customer bell overhead.

"Rarity!" She called. The white unicorn came running in, clearly frazzled from work. Her normally impeccable mane was sticking up in places, and she was panting as though she had just run a marathon.

"Oh, it's you." She said. "Thank goodness, I don't think I can take another order." Twilight frowned.

"Too much work?" She asked.

"Two wedding dresses, a dress and a suit for two fancy dinner dates, and that's just today." She said with a long winded sigh. "Oh, I love this holiday as much as anypony, but it can be so stressful."

"I know how you feel." She said. "Well, sort of. My poor father often ran himself ragged planning something extra special for my mother." She smiled. "It's almost noon, would a lunch break be alright?" She asked. Rarity smiled.

"I could use a break." She said. "Our usual spot?" Twilight nodded.

"I could go for a nice caesar salad." She said. The two mares left the shop, Rarity making sure to lock up.

"Oh, Twilight, I just remember something." She said. "Have you seen Fluttershy today?" She asked.

"No I haven't." Twilight said. "Why do you ask?"

"She came by my shop today." Rarity explained. "She wanted to ask if I could fix the clasp on the cape I made her a while back, but when she spotted the wedding dresses I was making, she suddenly changed her mind and left without saying another word."

"That's odd."

"I'll say." Rarity said, as they arrived at their favorite restaurant. To their surprise, their other two friends, earth ponies Applejack and Pinkie Pie, were already there. Both of them were munching on hay fries and talking in bewildered voices. Twilight and Rarity joined them.

"Howdy girls." Applejack said. "Taking a lunch break too?" Pinkie Pie shoved some more hay fries in her mouth.

"Why yes." Rarity said. "Um, forgive the intrusion, but what were you talking about?" Pinkie said something that they couldn't make out. Rarity winced.

"Um, Pinkie." Applejack said, pointing at some of the chewed up hay fry that landed on the table. Taking the hint, she swallowed the hay fries before repeating herself.

"Fluttershy was acting weird today." She said. "She came by Sugarcube Corner, and I thought she was gonna get her usual, but she didn't, just looked around at some of the H and H Day decorations and left lickety split like." She said, hopping out of her chair and striking and "up up and away" pose.

"The same thing happened to me." Rarity said. Applejack took a bite of hay fries.

"I saw her walkin' by the farm earlier." She said. "Gal was hanging her head and looked like she was about to tear right up." Twilight frowned. Fluttershy was sad? About what?

"Wait a minute." She said. "Rarity, you said she left because she saw you working on wedding dresses, and Pinkie, you said she left after she saw your decorations." It suddenly clicked. "Tell me, how is she usually on Hearts and Hooves Day?" They pondered for a moment.

"Now that I think of it, 'taint never seen her out on H and H." Applejack said. "You don't think she's shutting herself in because of it, are you?"

"I think we should ask." Twilight said. "We're her friends, and if she is upset, she's going to need us." Everypony nodded.

"Alright." Rarity said. "Lunch can wait, we must first see to our dear Fluttershy." The other two paid for their food and left with them for Fluttershy's cottage.

***

The cottage was silent. All the animals were strangely inactive, despite the fact that it was nearly feeding time for them. The girls swore that they could see the plants and trees drooping, like weeping willows. Even the very air felt melancholy. All in all, it was like sadness itself had descended upon the scene.

Twilight shook it off as she knocked on the door. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Still nothing. A third knock, and the door finally opened, only to reveal it to be angel. He was no different from the rest of the scene. His ears drooped, and his eyes looked like they had lost the fire of life. His lip quivered, which made his whiskers twitch. Twilight was surprised by this.

"Is everything OK, Angel?" She asked. Angel shook his head. He gestured for them to come inside. Everyone was suddenly concerned. If Angel was upset, did that mean something was wrong with Fluttershy? She didn't have very long to think, as Angel led them upstairs to Fluttershy's bedroom. He pointed at the door, his eyes beginning to glisten. They approached, and that's when they heard what was making everyone melancholy... muted sobs.

Everyone gasped when they heard that. Applejack knocked on her door.

"Fluttershy?" She called. "What's wrong, sugarcube?"

"A-Applejack?" Fluttershy called from inside. "P-Please don't come in... I don't want you to see me like this..." Applejack didn't listen, and opened her door.

"Sorry, sugarcube." She said. "We can't leave ya like this." Fluttershy said nothing, only looking up at them from eyes that streamed with tears no matter how much she tried to dry them. At that instant, the heart of every pony in the room broke into pieces. Pinkie Pie even felt herself start to get teary eyed. Applejack instinctively crawled into bed next to her and nuzzled her, trying to make her feel better.

"Please," Fluttershy said, "I don't want you to feel bad for me..."

"We just want to help, darling." Rarity said, getting a handkerchief from the nightstand and giving it to her to dry her eyes. Fluttershy thanked her and and blew her nose a bit before trying to dry her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Pinkie Pie, on the verge of tears herself, asked. Fluttershy shook her head. Applejack rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"You can tell us." Twilight said. "We're your friends. We want to help." She smiled at Fluttershy, who managed to return it.

"OK." She said. She dried her eyes again and reached under her pillow, pulling out the leatherbound object from before. "I have to tell you a bit of story." She said.

"We aint going nowhere." Applejack said. Fluttershy sat up and opened the object. It turned out to be a holder for photographs, containing two of what appeared to be Fluttershy as an older filly. Next to her was a white pegasus colt with a blue styled mane and icy blue eyes. From what they could see, his cutie mark was ice blue dots, which they guessed were meant to be hail. In the photograph they first saw, he was making a goofy face at the camera, which elicited a giggled from Rarity.

"Quite handsome." She complimented. "You knew him?" Fluttershy nodded and pointed at the second photograph. In this one, he had his forelegs wrapped around a young Fluttershy, planting a kiss on her cheek, which as blazing red from blushing. "You mean he was..."

"Yes. His name is Hailstorm Tempest." She said weakly. "We met in intermediate flight school in Cloudsdale, a year or so after I got my cutie mark. It wasn't the best time for me, and pretty much my only friend was Rainbow Dash, until he came along and... I fell in love for the first time." She said wistfully.

"Awwwww." Pinkie Pie said. Fluttershy managed a smile.

"We were together for two years." She said. "We were... actually planning on getting married after school, so we could go on to university together."

"Oh darling." Rarity said, everything beginning to click in her head. "Did something happen? He didn't leave you, did he?" He asked.

"Oh no, nothing like that." She said. "Well, our relationship never ended, but... he ended up being selected for a very prestigious school and... I couldn't go with him." She sniffled. "He promised he would come back... that we would be together again, and all our dreams... would come true."

"But then you had to move to Ponyville." Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded, before bursting in full on tears.

"I miss him so much..." She sobbed, burying her face into her forelegs. Applejack snuggled her to comfort her, tears in her eyes. None of the others managed to keep their eyes dry either. They stayed there with her for what seemed like hours, trying their best to comfort her and ease her pain. Fluttershy continued to cry, drenching her sheets and comforter, until she finally managed to stop. "I'm sorry girls." She said.

"Please, sugarcube, 'taint nothing to be sorry for." She said. "What are friends for?" Fluttershy smiled, grateful for them.

"Thank you." She said. She then yawned.

"Do you need rest, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. She nodded.

"I think I'll be alright now." She said. Her friends nodded, and with some last comforting nuzzles, left their friend to sleep. Fluttershy hunkered down under the dry side of her comforter before falling into a deep sleep.

***

There were no dry eyes when they left the cottage. Applejack, Twilight and Rarity all sniffled, while Pinkie Pie, unable to contain it any longer, burst into tears, sobbing at the top of her lungs.

"Ah feel awful." Applejack said, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.

"Oh my goodness." Rarity said, beginning to cry herself. "How could we miss this? How could we not see she was so heartbroken?"

"We never thought to ask because we never saw it." Twilight said. "She always stayed in and we never saw her." She began sniffle and sob. She felt so horrible for Fluttershy; to fall in love, and be loved so much in return, only to have it end because of necessity, and now she didn't know if she would ever have it again.

"What are we gonna do?" Pinkie asked, in between her sobs. Twilight shook her head.

"I don't know." She said. "I just don't know."

***

She spent the rest of the day in seclusion at the library. She kept thinking about Fluttershy and how much she was suffering. She wanted so badly to do something, anything, for her suffering friend. But she was just a pony, what could she do? This Hailstorm Tempest was probably long gone by now, to who knew what corner of Equestria. It would be like looking for a... she sat right up from her bed. No, she thought, I can't despair. Fluttershy deserved every ouch of her effort.

She knew what she had to do.

She quickly grabbed a quill and parchment and wrote a quick note, made some copies, and then woke up Owloysious to go deliver them. The owl took all the copies and flew out the window, saluting Twilight as he left. Then, she waited. She paced about the library, anxiously awaiting a reply, and was finally rewarded with a knock at the door, which she opened with her magic to reveal Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.

"You called, Twilight?" Applejack asked. Twilight gave a determined grin.

"Pack your bags, girls." She said. "We're going to Cloudsdale."