Memories in the Clouds

Chapter 1: Chances

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

High atop the Wonderbolt Towers Apartments in the heart of Cloudsdale a small yellow filly looked out through the wispy haze of one of many windows that covered the ornate towers rising among the clouds. She laid on her cloud bed and nervously gathered white tufts of blanket as she looked down towards the crowded streets.

Its just so... high up here. Her thoughts send a shudder down her spine to the tips of her wings. A sigh escaped her as she stared at the wisps of clouds that floated by her window. How she envied their freedom.

She watched as the brisk wind carried the clouds ever higher. She flipped herself around and laid on her back. The fluffy cloud bed enveloped her making her think she was sinking, she jolted up and propped herself up on the top layer of the bed. Her eyes locked on to the window and she peered warily towards a small opening through the cloud streets to the green grass of Equestria below.

If only it was just another day... The thought bounced around her head.

She closed her eyes and whispered, "But it's not..."

Fluttershy woke up hours ago. But laid on her bed restless and lost in thought. It was difficult falling asleep last night the storms were pretty fierce the night before. Her fear of the booming of thunder and howling of the wind just never went away. She had finally fallen asleep after the storm died down and was awaken by the morning sun's warmth. Its rays cascaded a golden hue around room and light cool spring breeze came in from the crack in the opened window. It smelled of sweet morning dew, which marked another beautiful day in Cloudsdale. In spite of this, she only felt dread as hoof-steps came towards the bedroom door.

She peeked through her pink mane at the door as the hoof-steps came closer and abruptly opened hitting the wall with a loud bang. A fast-moving blur of pink came in and flipped the switch to the lightning bulbs in the room.

"Wake up Shy! Today is the big day!!" The a pink coated mare beamed.

Fluttershy stared her mother's trademark blue eyes and long lashes. She looked so beautiful in the sunlight and her smile so sincere. Fluttershy's mouth quivered with a soft whimper and her eyes looked up at her smiling trying to hide the palpable fear. Her mother stood by the door and looked at her daughter expectantly with furrowed eyebrows of concern.

"Can I have couple more minutes..please?" Fluttershy pleaded as she rolled her face away from her mother and wrapped herself tightly in the cloud blanket.

"Honey... you have stalled long enough. The bus will be here any minute! You can't be late to your first day to camp..." Her mother insisted. But Fluttershy remained motionless and closed her eyes tightly to feign slumber. She heard hoof-steps come closer to the bed and a gentle hoof brushing her mane and squeezing her shoulder.

Her mother came down towards her ear and gently whispered, "Shy.... Come on now... let's get up."

Fluttershy turned slowly and sat up to look her mother. Her mother's smile had faded away.

Fluttershy kept her eyes locked into her Mother's eyes, her voice rose up quietly from her chest, "Mama... why do I have to fly?"

Her mother's eyes shifted away from her daughter's stare and she sighed softly in frustration and turned around walking towards a dresser. She began to quickly put Fluttershy's scattered belongings quickly into the bag. Each item was placed in the bag at a quicker, desperate pace. It was until there was almost nothing left that could fit in the small saddle bag, did she finally speak in a practiced stern voice, "Fluttershy, We talked about this...it's what we do... everything we do involves flying! You're a pegasus."

"But I don't feel like one." Fluttershy spoke out reluctantly.

"Well... I can't have you become just a plain-old factory pony... you deserve better than that dear." Her mother turned to look at her daughter with a look of concern and urgency.

Fluttershy looked away through the window past the grandeur of Central Cloudsdale towards dark clouds that billowed from the rain factories in the distance. Along the factories were gray houses shrouded in a foggy mist. But in stark contrast to the gray houses there were streams of brilliantly colored rainbow water that flowed from the cloud factories. The small streams flowed out into a large canal that leaded towards the edge of the city and faded into nothing upon the sky.

Her mother's voice came from behind, "Come on Shy. What would Daddy thi-"

Fluttershy turned quickly and cut her mother off, "Whats to say that a factory pony is any different from me!? whats to say that I'm... any better? Who says your better Mommy?"

Her mother's frustration boiled over as she turned around yelling, "You know that is not what I meant!... You deserve more than those foggy streets and rainbow stained homes! You don't have to live that life! You have a chance to do more in the world than just push clouds around!"

"Mama, I don't want to fly! I wish... I was just a regular pony! I feel worthless and I don't want to go to camp! I just want to stay here! But you?... you don't even care! " the small yellow filly's voice started to crack as she hid the tears in her eyes with her pink mane.

Her mother's her voice rose in desperation, "What?! Don't want to fly?! Fluttershy, I care about what happens to you! I'm... I'm your mother! All this nonsense about not being better than any pony else! Not wanting to fly!... not wanting to be a pegasus... Fluttershy! What would Daddy think?!"

Fluttershy glared at her mother and clenched her teeth in anger as she stood up tall on her bed, "Daddy is gone! and you are a liar! you don't care about worthless me! All you care about is your projects..."

Her head lowered as the tears started falling off her cheeks, "There's never any room for me."

The edges of her mother's eyes glistened as she looked away from Fluttershy. She picked up the saddle bag and placed the bag softly on the base of Fluttershy's bed and started slowly walking towards the door.

She stopped at the frame of the door and her voice wavered in desperate attempt to hold back the tears, "This isn't up for discussion... I care... You are not worthless... Now get your saddle bag or you'll be late!" The door slammed behind her violently.

Fluttershy lowered her head in shame as the tears came pouring from her eyes. She glanced towards a small picture on her desk.In the photo her mother was smiling and handsome stallion in a Wonderbolt uniform put his wing around her. Between the two was a wide-eyed, smiling yellow filly. On the uniform was a name eloquently sewn in with gold thread and a badge of wings rested below it. It read, "Lightning Sky". She looked up on the wall of newspaper clippings that lined her wall next to her bed.

Lightning Sky Honored for saving Rain Factory Families from the Great Tornado Storms
Hottest New Unlikely Couple in Cloudsdale!
Hope for Cloudsdale's Rain Factory Slums? Lighting and Flutter say "Yes"
Greatest Storm on Record Approaching, Cloudsdale Prepares.
Lightning Sky Appointed as Sky Leader for Storm Fighter Squadron for New Super Storm.
Fallen Heroes Remembered as Cloudsdale Rebuilds.
Continual Aid for the Slums, Flutterlash's Never-Ending Battle.

She looked away at the last headline and reminisced of that night and hearing hoof steps coming to her bedroom door. It would softly open and gentle hoof steps would come close to her little cloud bed. The scent of wet rain would cascade down to her nose as she fought the urge to cry. She always pretended to be asleep those late nights. But it had never worked, she started to sniffle and tears fell down her face. He would slowly place his strong warm wings around her cowering body as he whispered her, "Hush now... Quiet now... Its time to lay your sleepy head... Hush now... Quiet now... its time to go to bed. Hush now... Quiet now... I'll be back for you in the sun's rise..." Her eyes fell heavily and the scary world vanished.

The thunder boomed loudly and the wind screamed in anger. Rain pattered violently on the windows and no star or moon graced the sky. The door never opened to her room. No smell of rain fell upon her nose. No warmth from strong wings as cold crept up her hooves. No loving song of comfort. No whispered promises. Nothing. Her mother came into her room the next morning. Together they cried as their very world crumbled around them. It had been three years since and the world still seemed to lie in ruin.

From the glare off the picture frame's glass Fluttershy saw her tear-stained face. Just like the picture; who she was to who she is now was a distant memory. She put the picture frame face down and whispered softly, "You never came back..." She turned away and grabbed her saddlebag and went down the stairs.

Pictures hung from the stairway wall as Fluttershy went down the stairs. As she glanced at them small echoes of memories flooded her mind. She passed the kitchen where she always swore she smelled her father's famous pancakes. Often times as a baby filly many of the pancakes ended up on the floor than her mouth. Fluttershy's eyes began to water again at thought of the bittersweet memories. Fluttershy looked down passing the living room where her mother sat on chair facing the window noticeably sobbing.

Fluttershy stopped as her mother's voice echoed from the other room. "Daddy was always there for us... I know I haven't been here... Now he isn't here for either of us... Its unfair... But I still want to give you what your father wanted for everyone... A chance. I can't let everything that has happened make me forget and that's not for just us... its for those that we help too Shy..."

Her mother walked out of the room towards her daughter. She smiled warmly again as tears streamed down her face and hugged Fluttershy softly with her dainty wings.

"He wanted to see you soar... All of us. But here we are... grounded. I... see him in you every day. I just can't be the one you can count on... I'm such a coward... leave this all behind Shy. I love you. I will always love you." Her mother stammered as she kissed Fluttershy on the forehead and turned around as she walked towards her room sobbing softly.

Fluttershy reached a hoof out and tried to stop her. She tried to speak, but her voice cracked in the silence and only in her mind did she know what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry mommy... forgive me for what I said... I love you... I love Daddy... I want this all to go away. I want us back together again."

Her mother's door closed softly and she stood alone in the silence. Her mother will continue her projects tirelessly and their once beautiful home will collect dust. There was nothing here for the both of them. In this small apartment the only happiness they had experienced was now all the pain they suffered. It would be the last time that she would see this place. No doubt her mother will move to a smaller area in Cloudsdale. Fluttershy looked around to see her home in front of her. The soft glow of sun from the windows fell upon objects of distant memory. Her eyes looked down as she walked out of the beautiful apartment and slowly closed the door.

She walked down towards the elevator and as the doors slide shut, it zoomed down towards the lobby. The lobby was brightly lit with many lightning-crystal chandeliers as she walked towards the doors and saw a large bus parked on the curb. The long-limbed skinny filly meekly walked towards the curb and the bus doors open and the foreign sound of laughing and talking came into earshot. The bus teemed with life as fillies and colts looked out all around the bus' windows. Fluttershy wiped her tears from her face, took a deep breath, and walked up the bus stairs.