This story is a sequel to Playing House
Life for a band on tour always brings fresh challenges. Fluttershy is ready to meet them, having grown confident as a band manager in the past two years. It’s just about the only thing she’s good at, after all.
If you want to read this story but you haven’t read any of the stories leading up to it, I wrote a summary of the events important to this story in the comments here.
A story set in the Who We Become series.
Content warning: The narcotics tag is included for heavy alcohol use, not hard drugs.
This story wouldn’t be what it is without Wendy Gowak, who workshopped the chapter by chapter outline with me.
Thanks go out to Gowak, Moonlight, TeamSpen210, Krixwell, and Sapphire for proofreading.
Cover art by Pasu-Chan and Adgerelli.
For anyone who wants to read this but hasn't read previous Who We Become stories, I've got you. This is a short summary of relevant events of this story:
About a year and a half after graduating, Fluttershy and Sunset move in together and start dating. Unknown to either of them, Fluttershy was already pregnant before they got together. They both fall into the role of expectant mothers, and are both extremely happy with each other and the idea of raising their child together. Upon learning that their future child is a girl, they name her Sky Shimmer after an imaginary friend Fluttershy had when she was younger. All goes well for the couple until a car accident leaves Fluttershy comatose for a week, during which she miscarries their daughter. The couple fall heavily on drinking as a coping mechanism, and soon start to fight before eventually breaking up.
Meanwhile, Rainbow starts a punk band named Bitchette with Lightning Dust. Rainbow plays lead guitar and sings, while Lightning Dust plays bass. They recruit Lemon Zest to be their drummer and Windfall, a middle school friend of Rainbow and Fluttershy, to be their rhythm guitarist. As they work on writing songs and rehearsing, Fluttershy puts more and more effort into the band, cowriting songs with them and getting them gigs. They eventually formally decide to make her their manager.
Although Fluttershy and Sunset get back together, things aren't the same. They fight and drink a lot, which Rainbow blames exclusively on Sunset. In addition, Fluttershy is torn in her attention between the band and her girlfriend. After Fluttershy plays a part in getting the band a tour spot, she decides to leave Sunset to go on tour with the band instead. Sunset takes the breakup harshly and decides to move back to Equestria, where she eventually rebuilds a life for herself, entering a relationship with the pony Fluttershy and Twilight. Fluttershy ignores an invitation to visit them and avoids ever reaching out to Sunset.
Well, I guess it’s time for Krickis to break my heart again
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Hahaha would I do that?
...
yesI spy with my little eye... a new good story about Shy and the Bichettes!
Can't wait to see the rest ^^
Well that's a hell of a way to start. These two years on tour have really changed Fluttershy. When Playing House ended, I never imagined how...flirty and open she'd be. Starting off the story with Dust leaving was equally unexpected. It's a shame; I really liked the band dynamic. I will say that she's definitely being mature about it. It's unfortunate that she has a more...hardline/purist desire for the band, but she's not screwing them over either. Hopefully they can all still stay in touch and be friends.
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Yeah, well, turns out I had some amazing help with workshopping this story
(for everyone seeing else reading this, Wendy Gowak here helped workshop this entire story into a workable outline with me! This story absolutely wouldn’t be what it is without him!)
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And yeah, life on the road has changed things for Fluttershy...
I actually really like Lightning Dust as well, which was a surprise because I had originally wanted to make her a huge jerk lol. But she’ll still be in the story as a supporting character, don’t worry
We are back to the future XD
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This story is chronologically before In Pieces and Piece by Piece, but that doesn’t really matter a whole lot since the characters from those stories don’t interact with the ones here.
lol well, progressing from where we were at least
I love the opening to this, and wow you can't get the two Fluttershy's mixed up anymore. If she and Sunset ever see each other again Sunny's going to be in for quite a shock.
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On the human side of the portal at least ^^
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Haha yeah, I love Shy’s new look. Although technically she doesn’t have it in this part of the story yet; she’ll get a punk makeover a few chapters in, so we’ll see the motivation behind that change
10065353
Ah lol, yeah that is true then
Saw this on the feature box and that shit was like mainlining Viagra. Never clicked so fast on a story before. Time for MOAR horsepeople drama! A loose Flutters, banging roadies and groupies and drowning her sorrows over Sunset and Sky and basically not giving a damn? Here we go, son!
Excited to see this being started after I just finished rereading looking glass then reading the rest of the series over a weekend.
Really holding out hope Fluttershy is finally going to get a happy ending.
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Hope you continue to enjoy what’s coming! 
Haha glad to see you’re excited for the changes in Fluttershy, I was worried people would slam me for being out of character with her in this fic
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Damn, the whole series (minus Looking Glass) over a weekend? That’s some reading speed! My lips are sealed on whether Fluttershy gets her happy ending here, but she’s definitely due for some ups and downs along the way
I can already tell this isn't really Fluttershy anymore. If this were a standalone fic, that might be disconcerting, but because it's not, it makes sense. After the trauma she experienced during playing house, she's changed. And I'm already seeing how the 'thicker than water' metaphor is coming into play.
I can also already tell this fic will be a tough read, in the same way playing house was. It'll probably wind up in my favorites because of that.
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I’ve been a bit concerned that people would react negatively to how much Shy has changed, but so far so good! I’m glad to hear it’s all making sense. And while this has some heavy drama like Playing House does, it should all in all not be as tough to read. There’s more breathing room in this story, more good things happen to space out the bad stuff.
I see what you did there. Lightning Dust kinda referencing pony Lightning Dust's actions while staying in character for the story. Pushing herself in a different direction than Rainbow Dash perhaps even in a better way than the show itself did.
Wonder if the
washoutswhatever the new band of lightning dust is going to be called called is going to make an appearance.Also nice was the hurricane drink reference but I had to read the authors notes to get that. very fitting as that was the episode I think when she first felt confident enough to perform in front of others and by doing so excelled at said performance despite her initial shyness.
And Gilda is apparently going to play a big part in this fic that has rainbow dash in. Yay.
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And yeah lol even though I debated leaving her character tag off until she makes an appearance, Gilda is a major character in this fic 
Lol I'll be honest that I didn't think the Hurricane Fluttershy reference out that fully, I just thought it was a fun pun (it wasn't even my idea, actually). Dust's new band may very well be making an appearance later
And you're back. Welcome back, time for more heart wrenching. Good story so far eager to see where this leads, also
feels like she's referring to sunset in this statement? Also is rainbow still angry at sunset?, And are we gonna see that side of the start after sunset leaves?
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Glad you're enjoying it so far, I think what I have to come is pretty good
I hadn't meant for that to be read as being about Sunset, but now that you mention it, it definitely does sound like it could be. Rainbow is indeed still mad about Sunset, and Fluttershy has her own feelings on her ex, both of which will come into play during this story.
I'm not really sure what you mean here, I'm afraid
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Not sure what I meant with that last statement either so just ignore it.
Really hyped to see where we go this time round. Can't wait to hear more :D
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Glad to have you on board, and I think you'll enjoy what's to come
So Rainbows fixation on protecting Fluttershy is starting to cause problems for the band.
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It was bound up cause problems eventually
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Well, it was causing problems pretty much the entire second half of playing house, so 'eventually' may be a bit of an understatement.
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Haha yeah, that's true. I guess more so she was bound to get called on it eventually then
Well it's a good thing Sunset's not here, then. Grow up, Rainbow. Fluttershy's changed a lot since Sunset left.
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Yeah, it's about time that Rainbow's issues start to take center stage here
Great chapter I feel rainbow wanted to protect fluttershy is gonna be a major problem, we all know how stubborn she can be. Plus the fact she's comparing Gilda and sunset is probably gonna be the biggest road block for her can't wait for more
Like this story so far
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Yeah, it's a major issue for Rainbow that'll be confronted in this story.
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Thanks, glad you like it!
Bleehhh, Rainbow, what the fuck is wrong with you? Shit's already hella tense, can't imagine it'll get any better once they start touring and things about Gilda and Fluttershy's past start coming out, much less the truth about certain incidents from PH.
Please be Gilda...
Yes!
Hell yeah it is.
Love it!
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
*thinks about it for a moment* maybe they can work through there differences and presumed past and be best/girl friends.
Unless this is some kind of krickis fan fic.
Hmmm do i smell an ex.
It's happening.
First real reference to sunset i think, though she seems to remain she-who-must-not-be-named.
Great stuff especially with Lightning Dust working though Rainbow's problems with herself and Glida (and i guess Fluttershy although that doesn't seem fully resolved). Also, good send off (from the band not the fic) with Lightnings monologue.
Hehe. Glida said dweeb, and it felt natural for once well done.
:)
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Lol that seems to be the mood for the chapter. Rainbow hasn't really been confronted on her behavior yet so she hasn't had reason to change it. Than be more of a thing in this story.
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Haha glad you like Gilda's appearance so much, I've been looking forward to including her here. Also dammit, having Gilda and Windfall be exes is such a good idea and I didn't think of it... Sigh, oh well.
Rainbow Dash, i get you want to protect Shy...
But back the fuck up.
Your treating her like a toddler.
You dont want her around anyone that hurt her?
You hurt her, you stopped being her friend during highschool (case by Sunset being a bitch back then, but she NEVER directly did anything)
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Although many of the CHS friends stopped being friends in EqG 1, Fluttershy and Rainbow remained close. The movie only shows that Rainbow stopped getting along with Applejack and Fluttershy stopped getting along with Pinkie. So the five of them split up, but not every individual friend pair necessarily did, and in this series, Sunset was never able to come in between Rainbow and Fluttershy.
None of this is to say that Rainbow's not in the wrong here, she is
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Yet she was no where to be seen when Sunset was harassing her... and it was Implied that happened almost daily (during school days at least). So i think Sunset managed to effect them a little.
Also she effected Rarity and Pinkie... Rarity wanted to help with events, but Sunset, posing as Pinkie rejected her... and visa versa with Pinkie asking for help.
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I never got the impression that Sunset messing with Shy was a daily thing, though I do think it was probably something that happened somewhat regularly. I do think Rainbow would've intervened if she could, but I think Sunset was smart enough to know better than to mess with Fluttershy when Rainbow was around, and I think she had ways of keeping Rainbow under control (in an earlier story in this series, she goads Rainbow into fighting her and then plays the victim so only Rainbow gets in trouble, as an example).
And I do remember Pinkie and Rarity, I was just saying Pinkie-Fluttershy and Applejack-Rarity were the only schisms we know Sunset caused for these two in particular.
Another great chapter it almost seems like fluttershy's in denial about sunset and just trying to ease the pain anyway she can
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Fluttershy’s certainly picked up a few bad habits in this story
Nice send-off for Lightning. Can't help but feel that groupie's comment about how the song that Fluttershy wrote helped her through her break-up will resonate well with Fluttershy, though, especially with Fluttershy having taken her back to the hotel for obvious reasons.
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Well at least she doesn't seem like she's drinking as heavily as she or Sunset did in Playing House.
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Hey, quick timeline question. This would take place before "In Pieces", right? Asking because I'm having a hard time remembering when/which story Fluttershy relayed through AJ that she'd be willing to try again with Sunset a third time, and figured I should just use spoiler tags for anything relating to that...
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It must be interesting for Fluttershy to hear her breakup song is helping others with their breakups.
Had to give Lightning a proper farewell
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This does indeed take place before “In Pieces”. The story that Fluttershy reached out to Sunset for a third try was “Finding Home”, or at least she sort of did. She sent Applejack to Equestria with a message, but Sunset wouldn’t listen to it.
It’s weird seeing Fluttershy drinking and bringing strangers to bed so casually and frequently, it shows how much the events in “Finding Home” affected her and I like how you’re doing that so far.
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The change in Fluttershy has been a lot of fun to write, and I'm glad to hear it's been going over well
Ah a typo, and with it my uncertainty as to whether it's an actual typo or not but for now I'm just assuming that it's intended to be : 'and she wrote lyrics about her life'.
I spent a good chunk of the chapter trying to figure out who the mysterious and as of yet unnamed fan was. I was like might be strawberry kiss, might be tree huger, I was trying to get ahead of the game as surely it was going to be an important reoccurring character. Then much like in the Simpsons two parter of 'who shot Mr. Burns?' the person everyone was trying to find didn't matter.
Or did they? The last time we had a reoccurring theme like this for Fluttershy was her inability or unwillingness to lose the weight she had gained in Playing House (i assume she did lose the weight as it used to come up every other chapter and now its not).
Where was i going with this?
So yeah her new thing is finding women to have sex with but not be in any kind of relationship with. Except this thing is a thing that so far no one is trying to help her out of or be concerned about.
Makes me wonder what she would do if the band hadn't been a huge success and she had stayed in Everton after sunset left. Because she hasn't seemed to move on like everyone else but if she stayed home would she be forced to? I dunno.
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It doesn’t matter who the fan is, they were just a random hookup. And Fluttershy still hasn’t lost the weight, I just didn’t find a place to work it in during this story yet (nor did I try too hard; it came up regularly in Playing House so people would remember the change since they can’t just see her, but here I guess I figured people who read PH would remember it). If she had stayed back in Everton is an interesting idea. I think you’re probably right that she would’ve needed to confront her issues with Sunset if she had. Being on tour all the time gives her a constant distraction, which could be a good thing but how she’s using it is bad.
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It is inevitable when you work in show business to pick up bad habits.
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Yeah, fair enough