The Kindness of Laughter

by TheBronyAlliance

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Sad, Romance
Length: 5375

The sun was shining on another great day in equestria. That is what pinkie pie was thinking as she walked along the trail. She was looking for something super special...or somepony. Will the pink filly find what she's looking for?

The sun was shining on another great day in Equestria. That is what pinkie pie was thinking as she walked along the trail. She was looking for something super special...or somepony. Will the pink filly find what she's looking for? And if so, what the hay is it anyway? This is a collab fic between Kaii-Leiko and ParanomalPinkie.

Published 2013-01-22 04:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-22 04:40:02 UTC

A Smile and Some Cheer

A Smile and Some Cheer

Pinkie Pie wandered around a small wooded area aimlessly; looking from side to side at the trees along the path as she hummed a tuneless song in her head.

“Hmm, I wonder what I should do today.” The magenta maned filly thought aloud to the trees and shrubs. She had been trotting along for a while now, keeping up a steady pace as usual. “Daddy said I shouldn’t wander too far from the house, but my Pinkie sense is telling me something super cool is gonna happen. I can’t really trust it’ll happen without me looking for that super cool something.”

Pinkie giggled at what she had said and continued looking for what her Pinkie sense had warned her about. She knew it had to be somewhere around here, because as she walked Pinkie’s Pinkie sense began to act up more and more the farther she went.

It was a very odd sensation, she thought, though she had just started feeling these twitches a few days ago. Pinkie hadn’t had much time to determine what they all meant since they all came and went so quickly, but this one kept coming back. She decided to call it a-

“Doozy!”

Huh?

“A doozy. You know, what you were gonna say...only I said it before you did.”

Um, yes...well anyway, Pinkie decided to call it a doozy of sorts.

“Ooh that’s good. A doozy of sorts. I wonder what that means.” Pinkie whispered to herself as she stopped to ponder this new title.

So, as Pinkie pondered and pondered about what she should now call her twitchy feeling, something was happening in the air above her. In a cloud as a matter of fact.

***

“Hey Clutzershy, gonna try and fly and end up falling again?” Dumbbell snarked at the timid pegasus filly. She was perched precariously on the edge of a cloud, trying to work up the courage to try again. “I bet you’d be better off on the ground anyway, cuz you couldn’t fall from there...though I bet you’d find a way.”

“Heh yeah, uh, cuz...you’re such a clutz.” One of the other bully pegasi added lamely.

Fluttershy stepped forward to the very tip of the cloud’s edge, partly to find the ability to flap her wings from the breeze and partly to escape those mean bullies. It wasn’t working very well and Dash wasn’t around this time to help her out.

Fluttershy opened her wings and they slowly unfurled. She took a slow steadying breath as she prepared herself to jump, but deep down Fluttershy knew she would end up chickening out. As she looked to the ground far below, her wings closed tightly against her back as they had been moments ago.

“Please...just leave me alone.” Fluttershy begged in a mere whisper as she turned around to face Dumbbell. The cool breeze she felt wasn’t helping her get any lift in her wings, and it wasn’t much of a distraction from the bullies either. “What did I ever do to you colts?”

On impulse, the little pegasus took one last fearful step backward … and fell through the cloud.

***

She was falling. Faster than Fluttershy had ever imagined she could fall. The wind was howling past her ears and causing her eyes to water. She hated the sensation of falling. No matter how many times it happened, she was never comfortable with it.

Even if Fluttershy always fell into a group of butterflies or a comfy shrub, she didn’t enjoy the feeling one bit. It was worse than being bullied by those three colts. She had always been afraid of falling. Fluttershy just hoped something different would happen when she landed this time. Something that would cheer her up.

~~~

“Ooh ooh! Meanwhile, on the ground below.”

What the?

“Hi again, sorry...I kinda read ahead a bit and thought I’d change a few things. I hope that’s okay.”

...I.

~~~

As the yellow filly fell through the air, the little pink pony was still pondering what to call this new found feeling. Pinkie rested her head on her elbow and her elbow rested on a bush in a clearing of the woods.

“...so, do you think clouds would look more yummy if they were pink?” Pinkie asked the shrub she was leaning on. “Ooh yeah, cuz then it would look more like cotton candy. I love cotton candy, don’t you?”

However before the bush could get a word in to answer her-

“Ooph!”

Something fell into said bush and startled both it and Pinkie Pie out of their wits.

Pinkie sat back as the dust settled. The puff of smoke created from the sudden impact had blinded her a little. So she blinked the offending particles out of her eyes and looked up into the air. “Whoa, I’ve never seen fireworks like those before. Ones that drop FROM the sky TO the ground and THEN explode. Neat idea, but I don’t think it’s very good in practice.”

“Actually,” came a tiny voice from inside the small shrub. “I’m not a firework. I’m a pegasus.”

“A pegasus? Wow! That sounds super cool! You look more like a bush to me, but then again I’ve never seen a pegasus before.” Pinkie put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Although my dad’s told me about them a little.”

~~~

“Wait a minute!”

What?!

“Rewind that one second.”

I...wha?

<< (Rewind)

(Play)

“Wow! That sounds super cool!”

“Oh my gosh! Yes!”

What is it?

“Didn’t you hear it?”

Uhh...

“‘That sounds super cool!’ It’s what I said before, what I was looking for. It came true, woohoo!”

…..

“Oh, right back to the story...heh sorry.”

~~~

“Actually,” The little bush pegasus interrupted sweetly. “I’m...not a bush. I am a pegasus.” Feeling the soft dirt, that she was happy to meet again under her hooves, the yellow pony peeked through the bush to make sure there was nothing frightening behind it. But she couldn’t get a good look at who, or what, was talking to her. She raised her head above the shrub and smiled weakly at whatever the thing was.

“Oooh, well now I know you’re definitely not a bush. Where did you come from though?” Pinkie asked, becoming more excited to have found the super cool something her Pinkie sense had told her about.

“Uh, well...up there...in the clouds.” Seeing, at last, that she was talking to another pony, Fluttershy lowered her head slightly. She didn’t want to be made fun of again right now, for falling through the clouds.

Pinkie’s ears perked at hearing this. She tilted her head to the side slightly in thought. “Oh, but I heard from my dad that pegasi live up there in the clouds. What are you doing down here?”

“Oh, well um...I...” Fluttershy stuttered, disappearing further into her pink mane as the situation became more obvious.

“Well what? Did you fly all the way here from up up there?” Pinkie asked, pointing a hoof upward.

“N-no...I.....fell...all the way down here...” Fluttershy managed to say as she buried herself in her mane. She was hoping that something would cheer her up, but now it just seemed like this new pony was going to laugh at her too.

Pinkie glanced from the timid pegasus to the clouds above and then slowly drew her head back down to look again at the mangled shrub. “Wow...” she said, after a moment of silence. “That’s really cool! Can you teach me how to do that? Are you an expert faller or something? Have you been practicing that for a long time? I wish I could fall through clouds, but I’m an earth pony and all, so I can’t. Do clouds taste like cotton candy?”

Fluttershy took a step back, but brought her head out from behind her mane. This pony wasn’t laughing at her or calling her names. She almost seemed interested in talking to her. “What...do you mean?”

“You know, cotton candy. Do clouds taste like cotton candy? Haven’t you ever wondered and tried them while you’re falling?” Pinkie asked, bouncing around the small filly joyfully. Fluttershy just kept staring at the little pony, completely confused. “Cuz I would, if I were you.”

“No...I’ve...I’ve never had time to do anything like that...I’m too scared to even...open my eyes when I fall,” Fluttershy found herself saying. She didn’t know why, but she felt suddenly more safe with this pony. Only Dash had ever stood up for her, but this pink earth filly was being so nice to her. It seemed to be making up for what happened a few minutes earlier.

“Oh, really? Huh...well don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it...even though there isn’t anything to hang on to when you’re falling.” Pinkie giggled at her own joke and bounced once more, landing in front of the yellow pegasus and sitting her rump down. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie. Nice to meetcha!” She raised a hoof to Fluttershy and waited for her response.

Fluttershy stared at the hoof for a moment, not sure what she should do. Nopony had ever spent this much time with her before. A small smile worked its way onto her face as she raised her own hoof up to Pinkie’s. “I’m Fluttershy, it’s nice to meet you too Pinkie.”

“There ya go. I knew there was something missing. You just needed to smile a little bit, and Pinkie is glad to help.” Pinkie grinned widely at her job well done, mentally patting herself on the back.

“Oh...thank you. I guess I needed it too.” Fluttershy blushed and lowered her hoof back down to the dirt path.

“No problem ‘Shy. I’m always here for ya. Hey, we should totally do this again sometime. It’ll be sooo much fun. We can do tons of stuff together. My left ankle’s a bit tingly though; looks like another Pinkie sense feeling coming on, so I gotta get back before my dad gets more mad at me for disobeying him. Sorry Fluttershy.” Pinkie wiggled her left ankle and pondered a bit. This wasn’t going to be good.

“Oh, it’s no trouble...you really want to do something with me?” Fluttershy asked, showing interest in what tingly ankles had to do with dads being upset.

Pinkie nodded her head in quick succession. “Mmhm! You seem like oodles of fun Fluttershy. Ooh, I was trying to use that word ALL day. See? You are lots of fun, cuz you help me think of stuff...and I like stuff. Oops! I can’t get distracted. Sorry ‘Shy, but if you want we can meet up here again tomorrow and hang out some more...that is if my dad doesn’t ground me...” Pinkie looked sad for a moment.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but want to console her. A pony that’s so happy and cheery all the time doesn’t deserve to feel sad.

The little pegasus was about to reach out to Pinkie with a hoof, when the earth filly leapt up with renewed happiness in her bright cerulean eyes. “Well it was nice meeting you Fluttershy, see ya tomorrow, okie dokey?”

Before Fluttershy could respond, she was gone. The small filly sat dazed on the path for a few minutes, trying to process what happened. She had wanted something down here to cheer her up, and that sure did it.

“...I’m super cool?” She repeated to the open pathway.

*****

What a strange filly, Fluttershy thought to herself. She didn’t mean it in a bad way though! She’d never thought a mean thing about another pony, ever! She meant it more in a...strange-cool kind of way. It was weird that another pony was being nice to her and wanted to see her again but Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. It made her insides feel warm and tingly.

Fluttershy gasped.

Right now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. Right now was the time to be worrying about how to get back up to Cloudsdale. She stepped out of the bush and shook the branches off of her fur and mane. She looked up towards the sky, towards her home. The other ponies were going to have a field day with this one. The second time she’d fallen all the way to the surface.

She could hardly fly to begin with, so how would she fly all the way back to Cloudsdale? She figured the best course of action would be to find higher ground to start out on. She trotted along the dirt path until finally she made her way out to an open clearing. Conveniently, it had a hill as well. Fluttershy ran to the top of it and looked up towards Cloudsdale hopelessly.

I have to try...

Fluttershy felt at ease since there were no ponies around to make fun of her. She carefully unfurled her wings again and began flapping them. Slowly, inch by inch her hooves left the ground and she was lifted in the air. She smiled and looked down at the ground. She was having trouble believing she was actually flying and not instantly crashing. She felt something she didn’t get to feel very often. Pride.

Then Fluttershy’s thoughts went back to Dumbbell and the other bullies who always made fun of her. Their chants and the names they called her rung in her ears again. Her wings slapped back against her back almost on instinct and Fluttershy fell to ground with a loud thud, landing on her rump.

Luckily it wasn’t a very high fall and it hadn’t hurt very much, but tears of frustration still began gathering in the corner of her eyes. I can never do anything right...She lay her belly on the ground and rested her face into her two front hooves.

“Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy looked up. It was still distant but she could hear a familiar voice calling her from afar. It wasn’t long before she could see a rainbow blur in the sky. It darted back and forth in search of the little pegasus. It was quite obvious to her that it was Rainbow Dash looking for the yellow filly.

“O-over here Rainbow Dash.” came Fluttershy’s low voice of reply. Of course Rainbow Dash didn’t hear her at all. She continued to circle the area in search of the little filly. Fluttershy stood up and waited patiently for Dash to notice her. It took awhile but finally the nature loving filly was noticed and Rainbow Dash quickly flew down to meet her. She spoke almost as fast as she flew.

“Fluttershy! Are you okay!? I heard you fell again. Was it because of those jerks? I’ll clobber ‘em!”

Fluttershy used a hoof to wipe her eyes. “O-oh don’t worry Rainbow Dash...I’m okay there’s no one to blame other than myself.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to argue but decided against it in the end. She’d been through this before and Fluttershy would never point out or blame someone on bullying her. It was sad really. They weren’t great friends, but friends nonetheless. Dash wished the yellow filly would stand up for herself a little more.

“Okay, come on Fluttershy. I’ll help you home.”

Fluttershy nodded and Rainbow Dash lifted Fluttershy onto her back with a winded huff. This is going to be a long flight...

*****

As the sun reached it’s peak in the sky, Pinkie Pie skipped along the road merrily. Her mind still buzzed with excitement over this new friend she made. That made three this week. It was hard though, making friends when you lived on a rock farm. It took a little bit of time to get to any kind of town or city before you could meet many ponies.

Pinkie didn’t mind though. She loved to stretch her legs and get out of the rock fields for a little while. This however was the first time Pinkie had gone without her father or mother knowing, and she knew they discovered that she was missing.

Oh no, I hope they’re not too mad at me. I didn’t mean to be out this long, Pinkie thought to herself as she neared the woods before her parent’s house. She was trying not to think about it. Instead, Pinkie thought of the shy pony she had met and how she had thought she was a talking bush at first. She giggled at her crazy imagination. It always got her into trouble.

~~~

“Ooh ooh!”

What?

“Like that one time I went camping with my family and I got stuck in a cave. That was a mess of a trip, but I’m still here today so it must have turned out okie dokey.”

~~~

As she trotted through the small wooded area, Pinkie Pie’s mind continued to wander around in all directions. Oh, I hope my dad doesn’t ground me. I don’t want to not be there when Fluttershy gets back. That would be really rude of me. Pinkie shook her head. “Oh I’m sure it’ll be okay. I better hurry up though. I don’t want them to worry about me more.”

Pinkie burst into a gallop and reached the farm entrance in no time. The pink pony had tons of energy to spare, so it helped her get things done quickly. Setting up streamers and blowing up balloons was her specialty, but at the moment Pinkie was more interested in getting to the house to apologize to her parents.

“Pinkie!”

“Huh?” Pinkie’s ears perked. It sounded like it was down in the fields, close to the Everfree Forest. “Are they looking for me? For how long...?” The ceruse filly followed the shouts and eventually came across her mom and dad as they searched high and low for the little pony.

As she approached, Pinkie slowed down and nudged a rock with her hoof. The two ponies turned around to find their daughter with her head lowered sadly. She looked shyly at them first, worried about what they would say. Pinkie really hoped they wouldn’t yell at her, but she thought she deserved it despite that.

“Pinkie! Where have you been?!” Pinkie’s mother asked as she took the small filly in her hooves. She hugged Pinkie tightly, startling her out of her imaginings.

Pinkie gasped. She never expected this. She thought they would be mad at her and ground her for being out so late. Even what her mother said held no anger for what she had done. Instead, she sounded worried for her.

“Oh you poor dear. Are you alright?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay mom. Please don’t be sad.” Pinkie returned the hug and rubbed her cheek against her mother’s.

Her father put a hoof around the pink pony and held her close. “Are you hurt? We should get you inside now. Your sisters are worried sick.”

“I’m okay dad, really. I thought you’d be mad at me for being out without you knowing.” Pinkie wriggled around in her parents’ grasp.

“We’re just glad that you’re safe dear.” Pinkie’s mother kissed her cheek and smiled softly at the amaranth filly. “Please don’t go out like that again without us knowing alright?”

Pinkie returned her mother’s smile and nodded gently. “Okay mom. I promise.”

***

They returned to the house together and Pinkie hugged her sisters and apologized for making them worry.

“I’m sorry you guys. I hope you weren’t afraid I was hurt or anything. I just met somepony today.” Pinkie said as her sisters grinned happily at her.

“Really? My goodness Pinkamena, how far did you go from here?” Pinkie’s mother asked from the kitchen.

Pinkie bounced in to help her mom prepare dinner for the rest of the family. “Not too far, really. I was just near the Everfree Forest when a pegasus filly fell from the sky. I thought she was a bush at first, but then I realized, ‘bushes can’t talk’. So I asked the talking thing its name and it said it’s name was Fluttershy.”

“She fell? Are you sure she was a pegasus?” Her father asked from the living room.

Pinkie nodded her head and brought out a pot from the cupboard. “Yeah, she said she was practicing flying and kept falling instead. I hope she learns how to fly properly.”

“Well I hope she wasn’t hurt.” Pinkie’s mother replied with worry in her voice.

Pinkie shook her head with a smile. “Oh no, she was fine. I’m sure of it. We said we would meet up at the same place tomorrow and spend the day together...if that’s okay with you guys.” The pink filly’s eyes began to sparkle with hope. She stared into her parents’ eyes for quite some time, a really long time...well only a few minutes really, but it felt like forever to Pinkie.

Her mother was the first one to accept Pinkie’s request. “Alright dear. I don’t see why not, but don’t be out for too long. Make sure you come back here before it’s dark.”

“You gave us quite the scare today Pinkamena.” Her father said as he trotted forward to stand next to his wife. “I hope you understand that we’re letting you off this time. I don’t want you running off somewhere without telling us again, alright?”

Pinkie nodded once, sat down on her rump, and began the hoof gestures to the rhyme she made up recently. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She ended her promise with the customary hoof to the eye. She beamed brightly at her parents.

“Alright then. I think it’s time for dinner. Pinkamena can you set the table while your father and I finish preparing the meal?” Her mother asked as she turned to check on the pots boiling away on the stove.

“Okie dokey lokie!” The little pony replied with a salute. Pinkie grabbed the plates and bounded off to the dining room table. “Hey you guys, wanna help me set the table?”

“Yeah!” Her two sisters shouted in unison. The three fillies giggled together from the dining room and started setting everything up for their parents.

Pinkie’s father looked over at his wife, smiling gently. “I think she’s been spending a little too much time with her Granny Pie.”

“Oh hush,” Pinkie’s mother replied, chuckling softly. “She’s a very good influence on the little ones. Besides...she is your mother after all.” A smirk found its way onto her face as she turned to her husband.

He laughed softly at his wife’s response. “I guess you’re right. She is quite the character though. They both are.”

“Can we eat now?! Please?!!” Pinkie and her sisters yelled from the table.

Their parents laughed and brought the food out.

*****

The dinner was scrumptious. Pinkie’s mother’s famous spinach ravioli and red peppers, cooked to perfection as always. Every time her ravioli was mentioned, Pinkie’s mouth would tingle at the delicious memory of the last time her mother made it.

It was the first dish Pinkie Pie had learned to make too, and from that day on she was fascinated with cooking and baking and wanted to learn more about those arts. So her mother taught her how to cook and her Granny Pie taught her to bake. She generally liked baking more.

When they had finished off another delightful dinner, the sun was beginning to set and the little pony’s eyes were starting to flutter shut. Of course none of the fillies would have wanted to admit it, but their parents already knew.

“Alright my little ponies, it’s time for bed.” Pinkie’s mother spoke as she cleared the table. “Your father will tuck you in tonight while I clean up these dishes.”

After a few words of ‘I’m not tired’ and ‘can we stay up a little longer?’, Pinkie yawned heavily and hopped down from her seat. “Okay mom. Goodnight.” She trotted up to her and gave her a big hug.

Her mother returned the hug, balancing the plates easily on one hoof. “Yes dear. Goodnight. Sleep tight.”

Pinkie’s sisters followed swiftly and said their goodnights. When their mother disappeared through the kitchen doorway, the three fillies trotted sleepily up to their beds and their father tucked them in. He read them a bedtime story, The Ugly Duckling (of which always made Pinkie very sad), and blew out the candle on each bedside.

The fillies said their goodnights again and gave their father a kiss. Before long they were all fast asleep beneath their blankets.

*****

It had been a long flight and although Fluttershy was not the heaviest of ponies, it was still demanding. By the time Rainbow Dash arrived at Fluttershy’s cloud home she was tired and her wings ached from the added weight. Finally she landed and tucked them against her sides. Fluttershy slid off and looked towards her home; she didn’t seem very keen on going in. Rainbow Dash knew why, but she would never tell her friend that.

Fluttershy turned to the rainbow-maned pegasus with a timid, untruthful smile on her face. “Thank you Rainbow Dash...I’m sorry I was such a bother.” Her eyes immediately dipped to the ground in shame. A pegasus who couldn’t even fly. No wonder everypony made fun of her.

Rainbow Dash lifted Fluttershy’s chin up with one cyan hoof and grinned. “No problem ‘Shy.” Well, maybe a little one. No biggie, though. Dash thought to herself. “I guess I’ll see you a-”

“Fluttershy is that you?” A gruff voice came from the home, interrupting Rainbow Dash. The front door to Fluttershy’s house was shoved open. A rather large, mean-looking stallion stood on the front step. Even from far away a strong scent reached the nostrils of the two fillies. Fluttershy knew what things would be like tonight for her. It didn’t take Rainbow Dash too long to figure it out either. The scent was obvious and Dash could see why Fluttershy was the way she was. The other fillies didn’t help things either. If only they understood...But Dash would never reveal something like this to anypony else. In fact she was surprised Fluttershy hadn’t yet realized that Dash knew about this. She only hoped the old man, like the fillies, stuck to words...

“Y-yes dad...” Fluttershy was barely audible.

“Well hurry up then and get in here. I’m hungry, so get dinner started.” Rude, no manners and inebriated. Fluttershy thanked Dash again under her breath then began walking towards her home with her head hung low. Then Fluttershy’s father noticed Dash. He bopped his head towards her and spoke out. “Nice mane.” He then snickered a little.

Fluttershy was mortified. Rainbow Dash was the only one who’d ever been nice to her and now her father was ruining the only friendship she had. Oh wait, there’s Pinkie too... She wondered if even Pinkie could remain happy in such a situation.

Rainbow Dash considered retaliating but decided against it. She wasn’t afraid of the big grouch, but Fluttershy was, and that was enough for Dash. “‘Tch! Whatever!” Dash turned on her hooves and sprinted. She jumped up and unfurled her wings, catching a passing breeze and gliding off towards her house. “Catchya later ‘Shy!” she called out behind her.

Fluttershy was relieved. Maybe Dash wasn’t mad at her after all.

“I said hurry up and get in here!” Fluttershy’s father said as he turned around, letting the door hang open. He stumbled as he went back inside.

Fluttershy followed behind him. She made sure to breathe through her mouth. The intoxicating smell made her nauseous, and it upset her because she knew what it meant. As she walked in she told herself the same thing she did every day when she came home. She broke it everyday and the next day she’d convinced herself she’d do it. She’d never succeeded, but maybe tonight would be different.

Tonight I won’t cry...

Even as she said it tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

***

True to her name Fluttershy fluttered about the kitchen as she prepared dinner for herself and her father. She hummed a soft tuned under her breath. It was to block out the noise of her father’s grunts and the sounds of sloshing liquid every time he sipped from his bottle. She’d been at this for a good hour now. Not only was it a distraction but she wanted everything perfect. If she put her father in a good mood he’d be more likely to say yes to what she had to ask. I want to see Pinkie Pie again... She’d thought it to herself at least a hundred times since she’d gotten home.

“Dinner is ready, father.” She called into their living room.

There was the sound of her father coming towards the dining room. Fluttershy heard him stumble once or twice but he simply chuckled. It was as though he didn’t understand the damage he was doing to himself, and to his daughter too.

In their dining room the table was neatly laid out. Two places were set, one for each pony to sit at. Beautiful salads graced both bowls. The vegetables were arranged to make the dish look more visually appealing. The vegetables themselves were from the garden Fluttershy tended herself, another good distraction when she was sad or lonely. They each took their seat. Fluttershy stared at her father.

“What?” He called out, rather rudely.

Without another word he began devouring what his daughter had made for him. Fluttershy ate in a more civilized manner. Her father finished before she’d barely had time to even eat half of her portion. She heard him mutter something like ‘clean this up.’ and he was already heading back to the living room.

“W-wait...” Fluttershy called after the drunk.

“Huh?” He turned around.

“I, um, wanted to ask you something. If you don’t mind that is...” She couldn’t even bring herself to look up.

“What?” A man of few words.

“I, um, made a friend today at flight school. I was wondering if, um, maybe tomorrow, um, I could...Go see her, if it’s no trouble, um...Please?” Her legs were shaking, and she gnawed at her bottom lip. A nervous habit.

“Absolutely not.” His voice was cold, harsh. He hadn’t even taken the time to consider her question. He didn’t give her a reason why she couldn’t go. Heck he hadn’t even had the decency to look at her before saying no. He didn’t have to. He didn’t care. It was like he was going out of his way to make her miserable.

Fluttershy briefly considered arguing. She opened her mouth to do so but all that came out was. “Oh, um, okay...I’ll just clean this up then.”

Her father nodded and retreated to his usual spot on the sofa.

Fluttershy finished cleaning up the table quickly, the rest of her dinner went to waste.
She wasn’t very hungry anymore. There was no more humming as she worked and no emotion on her face. She was working now simply to get it done with. When she was finally finished, Fluttershy went up to her room without even saying good night. At this point her father probably wouldn’t remember anyway.

She crawled under the covers and despite the promise she’d made to herself earlier she begun to silently sob. Not all hope was lost though. As she cried herself to sleep she kept telling herself I will see Pinkie again, no matter what.

Author's Note

Now, a lot of you may be saying "Hey! This fic was published a while ago under Kaii-Leiko's account!" Yes it was. This is Kaii-Leiko right now, and allow me to explain the reason for republishing this.

As some of you who have read this may know, this is a colab fic between myself and a friend of mine (ParanormalPinkie). We also decided we're probably going to be writing other fics besides this one together. So we thought it was a good idea to have an account for our fics where we could both interact with our readers. This fic is going to be taken down from my own personal account in about a week once people have had time out what's going on. So thanks for understanding!