Chapter Two
Hope
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It was another sleepless night, but that was nothing new to Fluttershy. The dull sense of malaise and the sluggishness were as familiar to her as the first rays of sunshine filtering in through the windows and the morning birdsong.
Resigning herself to a lack of sleep was an old experience, but doing so in Sunset’s house was a new one. For all the slumber parties she and her friends had thrown during their last year of high school, Sunset had never hosted one. In fact, she and Fluttershy were the only two who hadn’t. Sunset’s house was small and she lacked places for everyone to relax comfortably. Fluttershy had other reasons.
It had been over a year since Fluttershy and Sunset had become friends, and Fluttershy had hardly ever been to Sunset’s house. She did love to visit, but she was seldom invited. Of course, she knew it wasn’t anything personal; Sunset rarely invited anyone to her house, even when it wasn’t the whole group. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she struggled with finances, but it was a very sensitive subject for her, and she always seemed embarrassed by what she had to show when friends were over.
Sunset had so little, and yet she readily offered to share it with Fluttershy. She could give nothing in return, and would only be a burden to her friend. And yet, Sunset had offered, and Fluttershy had been unable to flat out refuse.
So Fluttershy had spent the night tossing and turning on Sunset’s couch, considering something that should be inconsiderable. Sunset was a good friend, and Fluttershy knew that accepting her offer would make things harder for her. There was only one decent thing to do, even if that meant she would have to give up the chance to get away from him…
With no hope of sleep, Fluttershy grew restless of trying. She sat up and stretched, then quickly pulled the sleeves back over her arms when they slid down. She had been so panicked when she left the night before that she had forgotten to bring pajamas of her own, so Sunset had lent her some. It had definitely made for a more comfortable night than staying in her jeans and T-shirt would’ve, but on top of the fact that Sunset was several sizes larger, she preferred loose fitting pajamas that practically fell off of Fluttershy.
Not quite ready to leave her warm spot on the couch just yet, Fluttershy grabbed her phone from the table. No new messages, so if he noticed she was gone he didn’t seem to be concerned about it. That was good, at least.
Fluttershy whiled away an hour on her phone before getting up. It was just after eight and they had stayed up well into the night, so it would probably be a while before Sunset woke up. Fluttershy appreciated how much Sunset did to make her feel at ease and she really had enjoyed herself, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty in retrospect. Sunset hadn’t slept well the night before because she was worried about Fluttershy, and now she’d kept her up late into another night…
Needless to say, there was no way she could do anything that would wake Sunset up now. She quietly walked into the kitchen, putting one more room in between herself and her sleeping friend. Not that Fluttershy was typically very loud. She had long since learned to preoccupy herself as quietly as possible so as to fade from the perception of others, but it never hurt to be extra cautious.
Sitting on a wooden chair at the kitchen table helped her feel a little more alert, but it did make her notice that she was getting hungry. She didn’t want to eat Sunset’s food while she was asleep, however, so she ignored it as best she could. Eventually she conceded to help herself to a glass of orange juice, both to get something in her stomach and to give herself something to do aside from her phone.
Rather than return to the table, Fluttershy sipped her juice near a window, observing the world outside. It wasn’t exactly much of a view. The kitchen was in the back of the house, so all Fluttershy saw was a bit of Sunset’s yard, her detached garage, and a fence separating the neighbor’s property. Even though the sun had risen, the dark clouds from that hung in the sky still made it hard to see. But it had snowed the night before and snowflakes were still lightly falling, which gave her something to watch absentmindedly.
She stayed by the window for a long time, even after finishing her juice. It was comforting to watch, even if Fluttershy didn’t feel especially comforted. She kept going over Sunset’s offer the night before in her head, weighing it against going back to her house.
It wasn’t like it was a real choice. She couldn’t stay with Sunset, that would put too much stress on her. But then when she thought about the alternative…
It was ridiculous. It was her life, the same as it had been since her mom died when she was fourteen. And it wasn’t that she thought it was going to get worse, or even that having Sunset’s offer was making it seem worse by comparison. It was just that nothing ever seemed to get any better, and she didn’t know how much longer she could take that.
It was an impossible choice. And yet, she had to make it. Fluttershy looked out the window and tried to find peace in the natural beauty of the gently falling snow. She took hold of what little she found and held it in her heart as she bowed her head, closed her eyes, and brought her hands together.
Fluttershy would not have said she was a devout Christian. There had been a time when she had gone to church every Sunday, but the past four years had seen many tests on her faith. Although she never lost her belief, she felt guilty as she prayed. How could she think to ask for help now when she had stopped all but the most superficial attempts to be close to God?
Still, the words came. They came quietly, scared as she was of doing anything to disturb Sunset, but they came all the same.
“Dear Lord, please forgive me for losing my way. I know I have no right to ask for your guidance now, but I need it more than ever. I’m so lost, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to be a burden on my friend, but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to go back to that house. Should I return and find my own path to freedom, or is this a chance I’m meant to take? Please Lord, allow me to know what the right thing to do is. Amen.”
“Morning, Fluttershy.” Sunset’s voice caused Fluttershy to jump. “You’re up early.”
Fluttershy turned to see Sunset, still in pajamas, yawning as she placed her phone on the table. How long had she been there? Fluttershy hoped she hadn’t overheard the prayer. “I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you…”
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, how do you expect anyone to sleep with all that racket?” She placed the coffee pot under the faucet and turned it on, then opened a cabinet and pulled out a canister of grounds while it filled. “Coffee?”
Fluttershy looked at her empty cup sitting on the table. “Uhm, yes please. I hope you don’t mind, I helped myself to some juice.”
“No problem, you can help yourself to whatever you want.” Sunset got the coffee going then took a seat. “Hope last night wasn’t too bad. I know the couch isn’t the best place to sleep.”
“Oh, no, it was fine,” Fluttershy said as she brought her cup to the sink. Since Sunset didn’t have a dishwasher, Fluttershy rinsed it then left it in the sink, resolving to do the dishes before she left.
It seemed that Sunset could see straight through Fluttershy’s attempt to dispel her concerns. “Yeah, I couldn’t really sleep either.”
Fluttershy took a seat across from Sunset. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have called you…”
“You definitely should’ve called me. I’m really not worried about missing a little sleep. Besides, I don’t work today anyway, so it’s no big deal.”
It definitely didn’t sound like Sunset was upset, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel guilty. Still, she knew there was no reason to argue the point, so she just smiled as if everything was fine.
At least Sunset was smiling as well. A friendly face did make for a nice way to start the day. “So how about you? Have anything going on with school or the shelter today?”
“No, I have Mondays off too.”
“Cool, so we have the whole day to ourselves. I’m open to anything you want to do.”
“Okay. Uhm…” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly. “Maybe we could start with breakfast?”
Sunset laughed. “Of course. Sorry, I guess it kind of slipped my mind since I usually skip breakfast. Let me see what I have to work with.”
While Sunset got up to look through cupboards, Fluttershy noticed the coffee was done. Eager to be helpful, she quickly retrieved and filled two mugs, setting them both on the counter.
“Speaking of not normally eating breakfast,” Sunset said awkwardly, “I don’t really have a whole lot. Looks like your options are toast or bagels.”
“A bagel sounds just fine.” Fluttershy blew on her coffee to cool it.
Sunset pulled a sleeve of bagels out of the cabinet and checked the expiration date. She cast a sideways glance towards Fluttershy, who pretended to not notice when she then examined the bagel for mold. Apparently it passed the examination, as Sunset then put it in the toaster.
“I got cream cheese and peanut butter.”
Fluttershy quirked an eyebrow. “Peanut butter?”
“Yeah.” Sunset smirked. “You’ve never had peanut butter on bagels? It’s good!”
“Maybe another time. I think I’ll just have cream cheese for now.”
“Suit yourself.” While the bagel was toasting, Sunset got out the cream cheese, a knife, and a plate. “We can go shopping for some stuff you like more if you want. Or you can just let me know what to get, and I’ll pick it up at work.”
Instead of answering, Fluttershy took a sip of her coffee. It was too hot, but she drank anyway. The heat distracted her from the guilt she felt at how casually Sunset talked about things like she was already living there. When the bagel popped up, Sunset moved to dress it before Fluttershy could do anything, so she just sipped some more.
Sunset placed the bagel in front of Fluttershy then sat next to her. She started sipping her own coffee, apparently unbothered by the heat, and neither spoke for a few moments as Fluttershy began to eat.
But of course, there was only one way the conversation could go. It was Sunset who eventually brought it up. “So have you thought about what you want to do at all?”
Fluttershy set aside her bagel and tried to turn to face Sunset. She couldn’t manage to meet her eyes, however. “Uhm, yes. I’m very grateful for the offer, but I couldn’t possibly accept it. It would make things too hard for you, and you don’t need that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.” Sunset picked up her phone from the table and held it so Fluttershy could see, then opened the calculator app. “Alright, so this is roughly what I make in a month.” Sunset typed twelve hundred into the calculator, then started subtracting numbers. “Then factor in the bills. We’ve got rent, water, electric, gas, internet, phone, and insurance for my motorcycle. Groceries and gas are a little less consistent, but we’ll estimate for those. That leaves us with around… two fifty.”
Fluttershy frowned at the numbers on the calculator. Two-hundred-fifty dollars didn’t sound like a lot of money, but when it came down to it, Fluttershy had no real concept of household finances. “But, uhm, what about if I lived here too?”
“Well, a lot of things aren’t gonna change. Rent, insurance, stuff like that. Electricity and water will go up some, but the main thing will be groceries. But like I was saying last night, Applejack’s already offered to help with that, and that was before you were even part of the picture. So we’ll have to be careful, but yeah, this can totally work.”
There was no denying that Sunset understood this much better than Fluttershy. She had been living alone and handling her own finances since before they met, while Fluttershy had never even had a paying job. Maybe if Sunset thought it could work, then…
Fluttershy drank more of her coffee as she tried to shake that thought from her head. It didn’t matter if it could work, what mattered was that it would make things harder on Sunset when they were already hard enough. Fluttershy was fine, she could just go back to her own house. Go back to… back to…
Her heart raced much faster than it ought to have when she thought of what waited for her behind the walls of her home. Fluttershy tried taking a few short breaths to steady herself and keep from crying, but she felt like she could explode at any moment.
Through the clouded world around her, Fluttershy felt Sunset’s hand on her own. She realized that Sunset was still waiting for an answer. How long had it been since she had made her assurances that things could work?
Instead of turning to look at Sunset, Fluttershy just stared at their hands. Maybe it was just from holding the coffee mug, but Sunset’s hand felt so warm against her own. Fluttershy closed her eyes and tried to shut out everything but that feeling.
“I know this is a big step to just jump into, but… if you’re still considering despite that, then don’t you think that’s kind of a big indication you need this change?” Sunset squeezed Fluttershy’s hand. “And it’s not like you don’t have options here. You could ask Rainbow, or anyone. I’m sure all our friends would gladly take you in, I’m just the one without parents to worry about.”
It was true that all of their other friends were in a better place to take someone into their household. Rainbow was like her family already, and her parents were successful in their careers. They owned a large house with a spare room, and they clearly made a lot of money with the expensive purchases they made.
The Apples did have it a little harder on the farm where even Apple Bloom had to work to help keep things going, but that just meant Fluttershy would have an easier time pulling her own weight. She wasn’t sure how useful she’d be doing farmwork, but she’d at least be able to do something.
And while Fluttershy didn’t know Pinkie’s parents as well, they had always been happy and able to accommodate everyone during sleepovers. Maud had recently left for college, so there was a little extra room despite the family being so large.
“And you know,” Sunset continued, “you won’t be locked into anything. Come stay with me for the week, and if you don’t think it’s working out, then ask someone else. If you make the decision to leave your dad’s, everything else can be worked out later.”
While that rung true, there was a catch to it that Sunset had barely touched on. “But I need to decide if I’m leaving today…”
Sunset hesitated a moment before answering. “Well, you do need to decide what you’re doing today. But if you decide to go back, you can always call me if you change your mind. Or even if you just need to get out of the house for a night again. This isn’t a now or never thing.”
“I guess that makes sense…”
“Of course it does.” Sunset pulled her hand back from Fluttershy’s, who finally looked up at her. She wore a cocky grin as she placed her hands behind her head. “I mean, what else do you expect? I said it.”
That made Fluttershy smile. Sunset’s confidence was reassuring, and something Fluttershy could enjoy being around much more. “I think… I should finish breakfast first.”
Sunset laughed. “Okay, fair enough.” Although Sunset wasn’t eating, she stayed at the table as she drank her coffee and managed to turn the conversation to happier topics. Fluttershy was surprised she was able to enjoy the conversation at all, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy.
They talked about Fluttershy’s work at the shelter, which always helped raise her mood, and about how she balanced that with college. Sunset took the lead in keeping the conversation going, and Fluttershy managed to stay out of her thoughts. It wasn’t that she ever forgot her dilemma entirely – it was far too big to be dismissed so easily – but she was able to devote most of her focus to something else, which she was extremely grateful for.
“Ten o’clock,” Sunset remarked after a while. Had it really been two hours already? “Any idea what you want to do today?”
Fluttershy wasn’t sure if Sunset was talking about her big decision or if she’d just meant it more generally, but the question still brought the negative thoughts back to the forefront.
“I think…” Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to say that she would just go home and call Sunset if she ever needed to, but she couldn’t bring the words out. Not after everything that had happened, not with the thoughts of him running through her head. “I think I should call Rainbow…”
“Good idea.” Sunset stood up and walked towards the living room. “I’ll give you some space.”
Sunset left and Fluttershy picked up her phone. Knowing Rainbow, she’d still be asleep, which Fluttershy added to her growing list of reasons to feel guilty as she pulled up the number and tapped the dial button. As the phone rang, she took a few more steadying breaths, which had no effect.
“What’s up?” As expected, Rainbow sounded groggy.
“Hi, Rainbow. I’m sorry to wake you up, but I…” Fluttershy’s voice caught in her throat.
“Shy? Is something wrong?”
Although she had been mostly fine talking to Sunset, hearing Rainbow’s voice made it impossible to hold herself together. It was just a natural thing. She didn’t need to be strong when Rainbow Dash was around. “Ev-everything’s happening so f-fast. I don’t know what to do, Dashie…”
“Hey, it’s okay. What’s going on?”
Fluttershy’s voice was thin and shaky, but at least her tears came quietly. “It’s… I left my house…”
“Oh gosh. I’ll come get you, where are you?”
“I’m okay now, I’m at Sunset’s. I stayed here last night.”
“Good.” The relief was obvious in Rainbow’s voice. “So what happened?”
“Well…” Fluttershy thought about how much to tell Rainbow, and decided to go with the same story she had told Sunset. “My dad was drunk when he came home… Nothing happened, but I got scared and called Sunset.”
“Nothing happened?”
Fluttershy winced. It had been stupid to think Rainbow would accept that as easily as Sunset had. “He, uhm… Well, when I saw him he looked really angry about something and I… I don’t know what would’ve happened if I stayed.”
“I’m glad you got out of there. So you’re okay now?”
“Yeah. I stayed at Sunset’s last night, but the thing is, uhm…” She glanced towards the living room and lowered her voice. “She… she said I should move in with her…”
“Woah, really?”
“She said I don’t have to decide now, but… whenever I think about going back…”
“Fluttershy, this is great! You should totally do that!”
Rainbow’s enthusiasm took Fluttershy by surprise. Was it really that obvious that this was the right thing to do? “You… you think so?”
“Heck yeah, I do. I told you that you should get the hell out of there ages ago.”
“I…” Fluttershy might as well be honest with herself. “I want to. I want to so much… But… I’m scared.”
“It’ll be okay. Want me to head over there?”
“If you can…” Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, even if her breaths were ragged as she did. This whole thing was too bizarre not to. “I, uhm, I don’t think we could get my stuff over on Sunset’s motorcycle.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Yeah, that might be pretty tough. He’s at work now, right? I’ll make sure the van is empty then I’ll head over. We’ll be in and out before he even realizes you’re gone, that way you won’t have to see him.”
“That’d be nice. Thank you, Dash.”
“No problem! See you soon.”
“Alright, bye.” Fluttershy hung up the phone and just stared at it for a moment. Her tears had subsided and she no longer felt like crying. She no longer felt like anything. With a plan ahead of her, all Fluttershy could think of was how surreal it was. She felt like she was watching a scene from someone else’s life, detached from the situation and whatever consequences they brought.
When she left the kitchen, Sunset was dressed and sitting on the couch. She smiled, so Fluttershy smiled as well. It was an automatic response. “I, uhm, I hope it’s okay that I asked Rainbow to come over.”
“Of course it is.” Sunset shifted to a more nervous look. “So… did you decide anything?”
Fluttershy looked at the ground for a moment before turning back to Sunset and answering. “I know I don’t want to live with him anymore. Rainbow’s bringing her van, and she thinks we can be in and out while he’s at work.”
“Got it. You probably want to get dressed then.”
Fluttershy looked down at the loose fitting pajamas and nodded. “That… might be a good idea.” She retrieved her backpack and took it with her into the bathroom.
Once the door was shut behind her, Fluttershy set her backpack aside. Instead of getting dressed, she walked over to the mirror and examined her reflection. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. She didn’t really know if she was looking for anything at all.
She didn’t see anything, and that was for the best. It was also for the best to keep moving. Don’t stop, don’t think about what was happening. If she did, she might change her mind.
Having seen the state of Sunset’s room with clothes lying around haphazardly, Fluttershy very much doubted Sunset would care, but she still folded Sunset’s pajamas up neatly and set them aside. She pulled her own clothes out of her backpack and dressed as slowly and meticulously as jeans and a T-shirt allowed, taking the time to smooth out wrinkles she’d made in her hasty packing.
Examining her reflection once more revealed the only thing out of the ordinary was her unkempt hair. There was a hairbrush near the sink, so Fluttershy took the chance to fix her appearance. Maintaining her long hair was always time-consuming, but Fluttershy didn’t mind. It was calming, in a way. She watched her reflection absent-mindedly as the gentle rhythm of running the brush through her hair dominated her focus.
By the time she was done, the only thing she was doing was brushing her hair for the sensation alone, having long since finished untangling it. Examining her reflection again revealed that something was still off, and she realized what it was. Fluttershy smiled, and suddenly things were as they should be. There. Now no one would suspect a thing.
“I hope you don’t mind I used your hairbrush,” Fluttershy said as she left the room.
Sunset looked up from her phone and matched Fluttershy’s smile. “Of course I don’t.”
Since they still had to wait for Rainbow’s arrival, Fluttershy took a seat on the couch beside Sunset. She wanted to talk about something to distract herself, but couldn’t figure out how to bring anything up, so she just hoped Sunset would take charge of the conversation again.
She did, but not in the way Fluttershy had hoped she would. “So how are you feeling?”
“I, uhm…”
“Right, that was a dumb question.” Sunset placed her hand on Fluttershy’s again. “I know you’re nervous, but things are gonna be okay. I’ll look out for you.”
Was Fluttershy nervous? She certainly had been, but now she tried to just not think about it. “Thank you, I’m sure you’re right.”
It seemed that Fluttershy’s smile did its job in keeping Sunset from worrying about her too much. She dropped all talk about the future, letting Fluttershy fall back into a comfortable routine of light conversation. She barely even noticed what it was they talked about, some movie or something.
A knock on the door brought the conversation to a close. Fluttershy wasn’t sure whether she should be anxious at what was coming or eager to get everything over with. But it didn’t matter; this was just the next thing, and she would just keep moving forward.
That was almost jeopardized when Sunset answered the door and Rainbow stepped inside. “You okay, Shy?”
It took a little more effort to keep her smile in place now that Rainbow was around, but she still managed. “Yes. Ready to go?”
“Of course, let’s do it!” At least Rainbow was excited. All Fluttershy could manage was to smile along as she followed the others outside.
The snow from the night before had been heavy, and they had to trudge through it to get to Rainbow’s van. Fluttershy sat in the front next to Rainbow while Sunset sat in the back. At least it was still nice and warm inside the van from the drive over, and Rainbow wasted no time in starting it and getting the heat on once again.
Still, the dark clouds in the distance added a feeling of urgency to the day. While the house was practically guaranteed to be empty while they were there, getting caught in a snowstorm was still a concern.
“This is so cool!” Rainbow said, oblivious to Fluttershy’s mixed feelings. She didn’t seem to mind the snowflakes that fell on the windshield as they began driving.
“Let’s save the celebration until after we get back from Fluttershy’s dad’s place.”
“Stepdad,” Rainbow corrected.
“Huh?”
Fluttershy frowned. It wasn’t a distinction she usually made. “Uhm, that’s right. He married my mom before I was born, though. So I really just always think of him as my dad.”
Rainbow scoffed. “He’s never acted like one.”
“Maybe we should focus on something else?” Sunset suggested.
“I guess.” Rainbow turned on the radio and started flipping through channels.
“Maybe… maybe Rainbow has a point,” Fluttershy said. “I… I used to want him to be more like other kids’ dads. But… I don’t think he ever wanted that.”
“It doesn’t matter what he wanted,” Rainbow insisted. “He was a dick, and you’re better off without him.”
Fluttershy wished she would have chosen a different insult, but she did have a point.
Sunset sounded a little less sure about jumping into that particular discussion, but she eventually did anyway. “You know, the other Fluttershy just calls him by his name. Keeps it impersonal, like he’s not even any kind of family.”
“I guess that makes sense…” Fluttershy wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that. In reality, she just wanted to not think or talk about him at all. Just get through the day and be done with it. Let whatever happened next happen, but he wouldn’t be a part of it.
A life without him. Her dad, or stepdad, or Stormy Skies. Whatever he was, he could be it somewhere far away from her. That was the life she wanted, and that was the only thing she was sure of.
The driveway was empty when Rainbow pulled into it, just as it should be. Fluttershy expected to feel something when they reached the house, but she didn’t. The house itself had never been what concerned her, after all.
“How long do we have?” Sunset asked.
“He’ll be gone most of the day,” Fluttershy answered as everyone got out of the van. “At least until six, and that’s only if he comes straight home.”
“Perfect, more than enough time,” Rainbow said.
They followed Fluttershy around to the back of the house, where she used a hidden key to get inside. It was more than a little strange to think that by the time the day was out, she’d never be coming back to this place.
“My room is over here,” Fluttershy said, if only to chase out the thoughts. It was better if she didn’t think about things like that, so she would just have to try and stay focused on the task ahead of her.
She led them through the living room, down a short hallway, and then into her bedroom. Sunset and Rainbow looked around her room while Fluttershy just found herself looking at the floor again.
“So what do we start with?” Sunset asked. “Maybe the bed? I don’t know if we’ll be able to get the frame with just us and Rainbow’s van, but we could always call Applejack.”
“Oh, uhm, I’m fine with your couch,” Fluttershy said. She’d just as soon leave the bed, all things considered.
“So what do you want to take, Shy?” Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy looked around the room uncertainly, but thankfully Sunset stepped in with another suggestion. “Let’s get the dresser at least. I don’t really have a place for your clothes.”
That was much more agreeable, so they removed the drawers and set them aside. Getting into the rhythm of work proved easy, even if moving the dresser itself was complicated. Fluttershy was almost tempted to call Applejack after all, but the three of them were able to carry it themselves with some difficulty.
The rest of Fluttershy’s stuff proved easier to move. Rainbow and Sunset made several trips back and forth to bring all the dresser drawers to the van while Fluttershy gathered her things. They only had a few boxes they had found around the house to pack things in, but Fluttershy didn’t have a lot of things to pack anyway. Aside from a few heavy jackets, her clothes were all in the dresser drawers, and the only other piece of furniture they took was a small bedside table. Books, movies, CDs, and decorations made up the bulk of other miscellaneous things.
“Anything else?” Rainbow asked as they looked around the baren room.
“No, that’s everything,” Fluttershy said. She followed the others as they left, but stopped at the door to look back. For the first time, she felt the pull of reality on her heart as she realized this was the last time she would ever look at what had been her only shelter for years.
Apparently her reservation was noticeable, because after a moment, Fluttershy felt an arm around her shoulders. She turned to see Sunset beside her, smiling a little. Fluttershy took a deep breath and reminded herself that while she may be giving up one shelter, she was gaining a better one.
They walked to the van side by side, Sunset keeping hold of Fluttershy the whole way. It was easier to keep from focusing on leaving with Sunset’s arm around her, but once they reached the van and Fluttershy got in the front while Sunset climbed into the back, she could do nothing but look at the house.
There had been many bad times there, but there had also been good ones. Times before her mother passed away, times she had been happy. Even if those days were long gone, it was hard to say goodbye once and for all.
“Rainbow and I talked a bit while we were bringing things out,” Sunset said as they buckled up. “She said you can stay with her if you want.”
“Yeah, of course,” Rainbow said. “I know my parents will be cool with it, so it’s your call, Shy.”
Although she knew this was coming, Fluttershy still frowned at the question. On the one hand, Rainbow had been her best friend since they were little. There was no one in the world that Fluttershy felt more at ease around, and she got along with Rainbow’s parents well.
But then that was the other hand. Rainbow’s parents. There was nothing wrong with them, hell, they had never said a single harsh word around Fluttershy. But would they want to know what happened? Of course they would. What would she even tell them? What would they do if they knew?
And even if they just accepted everything at face value, was that what Fluttershy wanted? She thought back to one day a year ago, when she first visited Sunset’s house. The idea of living on her own had taken hold and had never let go of her, and while she wouldn’t be alone in Sunset’s house, it was easier to feel that she was on equal footing with her friend than it would be with Rainbow’s parents.
“I… I want to go to Sunset’s,” Fluttershy answered quietly.
“Sure thing.” Rainbow didn’t sound like she took it personally, at least. “And you can always let me know if you change your mind.”
Fluttershy nodded. She looked out the window at the house and wondered why they were still sitting in the driveway, then got her answer as Rainbow held out her hand. “Here,” she said. Fluttershy turned to see she was holding something, fingers wrapped around it so that Fluttershy couldn’t tell what it was.
Confused, she held out her hand as well, and Rainbow dropped a locket into it. Fluttershy gasped and stared open-mouthed while Rainbow quickly started the van. “Wait, Dash –”
“No.” Rainbow shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway before Fluttershy could do anything. “I don’t care, he doesn’t get to keep it.”
Fluttershy stared at the locket in her hands. It was a brass heart on a chain, and when she opened it, she saw a picture of herself when she was a child opposite a picture of her parents on their wedding day. Fluttershy felt tears welling up as she looked into the smiling faces.
The locket had been one of her mother’s favorite possessions, and one of Fluttershy’s favorites as well. She had many memories of talking to her mother while she played with the locket as a child. Her dad had always been afraid she’d break it, but her mom had trusted her to be careful.
It had been a gift for Breezy Day from Stormy Skies when she was still pregnant with Fluttershy, at a time when the young couple still believed they were starting a happy family together. For Breezy, it must have been a memento of more hopeful times, before her condition had worsened and her new husband had taken to drinking.
Breezy Day had been sick for a long time and had seen the end coming, so she had time to say her final goodbyes. Her prized locket was to be passed to her daughter. Instead, Fluttershy was given a framed photograph while Stormy Skies kept the locket for himself. He had said that he was the one who bought it originally, and that he was the one whom it would mean more to. Fluttershy hadn’t dared to argue.
She opened the side with her parents’ picture and removed it. She had other pictures of her mother, ones that he wasn’t part of. She closed the locket and held it up by the chain, watching the heart swing back and forth. Ahead of her, the storm cloud broke and sunshine started to finally illuminate the world.
The locket had been her mother’s symbolic reminder of more hopeful times, and perhaps more. Perhaps it had held her hope that things could be better once more. Hope that was supposed to be passed on to Fluttershy, before he had taken it from her.
Well, she had it back now. Her hope. The promise that the future would be better. Although a tear was running down her face, Fluttershy fixed her expression into one of determination.
She had her life back. And she was going to make the most of it.