//------------------------------// // 5 – Reinvention // Story: Thicker Than Water // by Krickis //------------------------------// Chapter Five Reinvention ⠀ ⠀ As she often did, Fluttershy found herself staring at a mirror. She never liked what she saw. She was overweight, she had bags under her eyes, she barely found the energy to brush her long hair most days. She told herself it didn’t matter, she was on tour with a punk band. None of them looked presentable in the traditional sort of way. Who cared if she was a mess? So was everyone else. But there was a difference, she knew. The others cultivated a certain look, they had an intentional aesthetic to them. Fluttershy just looked sloppy. She sighed and turned on the water, rinsing her face off. Not that it would help much, but it was something. She was in a hotel bathroom, wondering what to do with her time. They had a day off, so she could actually do something to feel better about herself, but she was in a city she didn’t know and her friends were all sleeping in, as usual. There was a knock on the door, so Fluttershy dried off her face. She must have forgotten to put the “do not disturb” magnet on the door. She put on a smile and answered the door, prepared for room keeping, but instead she found Gilda on the other side. “Hey, Shy. Figured you’d be up already.” That was fair, she was usually up pretty early. “Surprised to see you up at this time, though.” “Yeah, I just… couldn’t really sleep. Mind if I come in?” “Oh, of course.” Fluttershy stepped aside, so Gilda came in. Fluttershy closed the door behind her. She frowned briefly, but fixed it before Gilda could see. Rainbow was wrong, she reminded herself; there was nothing to worry about. “I’d offer a drink, but I never stocked my fridge.” “Yeah, I figured as much. No worries.” There was no couch, so Gilda took a seat on the bed. Fluttershy opted to sit down on an armchair on the other side of the room. “So what’s up? Something on your mind?” “I guess.” Gilda looked away from Fluttershy and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s not, like, a big deal or anything.” “Okay,” Fluttershy said, then waited for Gilda to continue. She didn’t, however, which left Fluttershy thinking it was, in fact, a big deal. “You can talk to me about anything. Is it a problem with the band?” “Tch, no, nothing like that.” Gilda looked to the side and grumbled, “Though it might be nice if Dash would stop staring daggers at me.” Fluttershy wasn’t sure she was meant to hear that, and she was sure that it wasn’t what Gilda wanted to talk about. Not that it mattered – Fluttershy was Bitchette’s manager, she had to try and smooth things over in the band before they grew out of hand. “I’ll talk to Dash about it.” “It’s fine, I get it.” Fluttershy frowned. “It’s not fine. You’re a part of this band now, that’s what matters. Not what happened in the past.” “So it’s not just me then?” Gilda asked as if she already knew the answer. “She really is still holding that against me.” “Yeah, she is…” Fluttershy sighed. “Rainbow is… very protective of me. If you had been mean to her instead, she would’ve forgiven you by now.” “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Again.” “I don’t hold it against you.” Fluttershy showed Gilda a warm smile. “We’re friends now, that’s what matters.” Gilda smiled a little as well. “I know you’re still kinda unsure of me too. It’s fine, I know it’ll take some time before you both trust me again.” Hearing Gilda say that made Fluttershy feel guilty for having doubts about her. She always tried to push them down, but there was no denying she had her own doubts. “I’m sorry…” “Don’t sweat it. You’ll see in time. I’m not the same bitch I was back then.” Fluttershy nodded and smiled. “Yeah, you’re a much nicer bitch now.” “Damn right!” Gilda grinned as if that was the biggest compliment anyone had ever said about her. Fluttershy laughed. “So, uhm, if that’s not what you came to talk to me about, what was on your mind?” “Oh. That.” Gilda looked unsure once again. It was strange that she could talk about Rainbow and Fluttershy doubting her so openly, but this gave her pause. Come to think of it, it was strange to imagine Gilda being unsure about anything. “I just… look, don’t take this the wrong way, but how did you figure out that you’re gay?” Fluttershy frowned, more out of confusion than because she had a problem with the question. “Well, I’ve sort of always known. Even when I was little, I knew I really liked girls and didn’t see anything in boys. I didn’t really think of it as romantic at the time, it was just a sort of… I don’t know, girls were nice and pretty and boys just usually weren’t.” “Really? So you never really doubted it?” “I did, but deep down, I knew better. I’m a Christian, which made it hard once I was old enough to understand things. I tried, you know. Seeing what other girls saw in boys. But I knew enough to know I was gay, even if I was trying not to be.” “Huh. Okay then.” “Why do you ask?” Gilda ran her hand through her hair again and sighed. “It’s just… I’ve always been bi. Or at least, I always said I was. But I’ve only been with guys.” Fluttershy shook her head a little. “You don’t have to date a girl to know how you feel about them.” “It’s not that. Or, well, not exactly.” Gilda frowned. It was obvious this was hard for her, even if it wasn’t yet clear exactly why. “To me, I think it was just a sort of natural thing. I hated everything back then, you know? I hated the heteronormative system and didn’t want to be a part of it.” “Oh. So it was more a rebellious thing than how you really felt?” “Yeah, kind of. I guess I always thought girls were okay, you know. I can appreciate a hot woman as well as a dude can. But I never knew if I wanted to actually date them, you know?” “It’s okay to not know,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “But I can’t really help you figure it out. That’s something you need to find out on your own.” “Yeah, I know. I was just, I don’t know. Hoping this whole thing didn’t sound stupid, I guess.” “Of course it doesn’t.” Fluttershy leaned forward. “You know, if you really want to try to find a girl, I could probably help.” Gilda smirked. “Wow, maybe get me a drink first?” Fluttershy blushed but she laughed it off. “Oh, I didn’t mean me. I, uhm, don’t think we’re really each others’ type.” Gilda laughed as well. “Yeah, I was joking. But I guess that is also part of why I wanted to talk to you. You, uh, you seem to know a thing or two about picking up girls.” “It’s not that hard. The thing I remember is that I’ll never see any of these girls again, so I can take risks. Sometimes I strike out, but it’s not like I’m trying to start a relationship with them.” “Yeah…” Gilda scratched at her neck. “Look, it’s not my place to say, but are you happy with that? Different girls every night and all that, it just… doesn’t really seem like you.” “I know, but I’m not looking for a relationship. This is easier to just get what I want for now and not have to worry about trying to make something work long term.” “I guess. So, hey, if you don’t mind me asking, have you ever actually been in a relationship? Like, tried to actually make things work with the touring and all that?” “I… I have. Not when we were touring, that’s what ended things for us once and for all. But we dated for about a year.” “Guess it’s probably impossible to actually have something work long term on tour.” Fluttershy shrugged. “None of us ever really tried. But you know, I’ve met people in other bands who made it work. Some of them were even married with kids.” “I don’t think I could ever do that. Not be there for my kids, you know? Like, I don’t even think I want kids anyway, but if I did, I’d have to give up touring.” Fluttershy’s hand moved to her stomach. “I feel the same way.” Gilda shifted a little bit, but she talked openly as if this wasn’t a deeply personal conversation. “We grew up poor as fuck, but at least my parents were there for me. So now, I guess I’d want to combine what I had with what I wish I’d had. Be able to give kids my attention and have a more stable career.” Fluttershy smiled. “You sound like you’ve thought about it a lot for someone who doesn’t want kids.” Gilda blushed. “Well, I’m not out looking for a stable career, am I? I play in a fucking punk band, I’m not exactly parent material.” “You could always retire. Record a couple albums, then get a regular job with the royalties supplementing your income.” Gilda smirked. “Trying to get rid of me already?” “Oh no, of course not. Just…” Fluttershy frowned and her tone grew subdued. “I guess I’d hate for anyone who wanted to be a parent to miss out on that chance.” Gilda was, of course, oblivious to the fact this subject held weight for Fluttershy. “Eh, I’m not worrying about it right now. Maybe someday, but for right now, I was just trying to think of how to score with a chick some time.” Fluttershy laughed. “Oh, right. Uhm, it’s really not hard. We have a lot of lesbian fans because of my lyrics, even though they all think Rainbow is the gay one. It’s, uhm… Well, a lot of people come to shows looking to party and sleep with the band.” “Yeah, they’re called groupies, Shy.” “Yeah… Well, it makes it easy if you just want sex, anyway.” “Makes sense.” Gilda didn’t look too comforted by that, so Fluttershy asked, “Or did you want to try actually dating someone?” “I don’t know.” Gilda ran a hand through her hair. “I guess I’d like to, but come on. How the hell is that going to work?” Fluttershy remembered an option that had once been presented to her. “Find someone we can invite as a roadie.” “I guess. But like, I’d have to meet someone, date them, and then ask them to drop their whole life to come tour with me? In what, a couple days because that’s the longest we ever stop anywhere.” “Yeah, that’s true.” Fluttershy thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Sex is a lot easier. Maybe you could meet someone online so the distance doesn’t matter as much? I’ve never tried online dating before.” “I never really did a lot online period. But I guess it might be worth thinking about.” It didn’t really look like Gilda was convinced, and to be honest, Fluttershy wasn’t either. “It was just a thought. We’ll take a break for a while after the tour’s over, so you might find someone then. For now, there’s nothing wrong with just having a little fun.” “Yeah, fair enough.” Gilda shifted in her seat. “So I guess one of these nights, I should just… go for it.” Fluttershy laughed a little at seeing Gilda so nervous. “Gilda, if it works for me, it’ll work for you.” “You say that as if you’re not, like, super pretty.” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Gil, I probably weigh more than you and I’m like a foot shorter.” “Weight isn’t everything.” “And I don’t think I’m the type of girl a lot of our fans go for.” “You’re changing the subject.” “I am.” Gilda sighed. “Look, Shy… You gotta just not give a shit about that stuff. You’re not some little toothpick like Dash, and you know what? Hell yeah! Why should you be? Because society says that’s what women should look like? Fuck that!” Fluttershy smiled a little. “That’s a nice thought, but it doesn’t stop me from hating what I see in the mirror.” “Maybe that’s because you’re trying, like, way too hard. If you can’t fit in with how they want you to look, then don’t bother trying.” “So how should I look? Shave my hair and wear punk clothes?” Gilda shrugged. “Not unless you think you want to. But you know, looking punk is about embracing ugly things about us. Do you have any idea how liberating it is to look in the mirror and say ‘I look like shit and I love it’?” Fluttershy laughed a little. “I’ve, uhm, I can’t say I’ve ever felt like that.” “Hey, here’s an idea. You make, like, crazy money, right?” Fluttershy averted her eyes. “Well, not crazy money.” “Let’s go fucking shopping!” Fluttershy blinked. She’d never really stopped to think about what she and Gilda might do if they spent the day together, but if she had, she was sure she’d have come up with a different answer than shopping. “What?” Gilda just grinned. “Come on, a new wardrobe to get you out of your funk.” Maybe it was just that she reminded Fluttershy of Rarity while being as positively un-Rarity as anyone could ever be, but the suggestion got Fluttershy to smile again. “Are we gonna dress me up like a punk?” “Why not?” “Well, I don’t know…” Fluttershy shifted and smiled a bit. “Wouldn’t that make me a poser?” “Oh please.” Gilda rolled her eyes. “Do you really think the others aren’t posers? Dash grew up in an upper-middle-class household and her political beliefs are essentially ‘we should all be friends’. Zest is a little better if only because she actually cares about politics a bit, but like, only a little, plus she comes from more money than Dash. Windfall is more punk than either of them, and it’s literally not even his scene.” “Is it all about money?” Fluttershy frowned. “It’s more about politics, but like…” Gilda sighed. “The whole punk movement started with poor working class people who got screwed by the system. Dash and Zest are great, but their parents are part of the system that screwed people like me.” “So then if you’re a real punk, why did you join a band of posers?” “Because the music kicks ass.” Gilda shrugged. “Most punks are full of shit these days anyway. Besides, I never said I’m a ‘real punk’. Most people who talk about being ‘real punks’ are the type of people who would write me off just for playing in a band I like and hoping to actually be successful with it. The whole ‘big labels are selling out’ crowd.” “So since everyone’s full of shit, we might as well do what we want?” “Yeah, now you’re getting it!” Fluttershy smiled. Not because she agreed – she knew just enough about punk ideologies to know she shouldn’t presume to know anything – but because Gilda was really trying to sell her on it. “Well, why not?” Fluttershy stood up and stretched. “I’ve kind of wanted to try looking the part for a long time.” “There you go!” Gilda got up as well and pumped a fist. Fluttershy led them out of the room and down the hall, looking up a mall on her phone while they walked. “A mall?” Gilda asked skeptically when she noticed what Fluttershy was doing. They were in the elevator heading for the lobby. “Look, you may be a punk poser, but you’re not gonna be that much of a poser. Gimme that, I’ll find somewhere good. We’re going to look for a local store, bitch.” “Oh, okay.” Fluttershy handed over her phone, and Gilda found a store she said was worth taking a look at. She gave Fluttershy back her phone as the elevator door opened, so she used a ridesharing app to get them a cab. They sat outside while they waited for their ride to get to them. To pass the time, Gilda explained about how most punk clothing was traditionally made at home, but that it was fine to buy from smaller businesses. It was an interesting topic, and one Fluttershy knew next to nothing about. That was fine, though. It made it easy to spend most of her time listening without worrying about talking. “You sure care a lot about this for a poser,” Fluttershy said as their ride got there. “Look, I never said I was a poser either. I’m just… I don’t know, this is me.” Fluttershy laughed. “I’m just teasing. I think it’s good that you actually know all this stuff. I think Dash just thinks it’s cool.” “Oh, Dash definitely just thinks it’s cool. She probably does shop at the mall for her clothes. But who knows, maybe you’ll be different.” “Sometimes she does,” Fluttershy admitted with a slight grin. Gilda laughed. “Anyway, it’s not that complex. It’s not about cred and all that like some jackasses think it is, it doesn’t matter if you make or buy your clothes or whatever. What matters is that big corporations are shit, they profit off paying their employees poverty wages and stuff like child labor in third-world countries.” It was interesting hearing Gilda be so principled. On the surface, she seemed crass and didn’t seem to care about anything. Fluttershy enjoyed seeing a little more inside her mind. “I can agree with that. But earlier you said Dash and Zest’s parents were part of the system. What about me? I’m a manager in the music industry.” “You’re a manager of one band. And the way you do your job, you’re there to protect us as much as you can from the wolves in the industry that try to prey on us.” “Well, I’m glad you think so highly of me. Not sure I agree with that part as much.” “That’s because you’re too hard on yourself.” “Dash says the same thing.” “I never said she isn’t right about some things.” The drive into town was more fun than Fluttershy expected. She went back and forth with Gilda about her punk ideologies and how she fit into it all, and she found she agreed with most of what Gilda was saying. The shop they went to was small and tucked away in a downtown minimart, squished in between a small pizzeria and a shop that sold knickknacks. It didn’t look like much on the outside, and if she were walking past it, Fluttershy never would have given it a second look. Heading inside, it didn’t exactly look much better. There weren’t any other customers and only one employee. She was dressed in ripped jeans and had studs on her leather jacket, and she smiled at them as they walked in. “Hey there, can I help you two find anything?” “We’re trying to do a punk makeover for this one,” Gilda said, gesturing towards Fluttershy. “Got any ideas?” She quirked her eye at Fluttershy. “You sure this is your scene, honey?” Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Well, uhm…” “We’re just trying something different out for her,” Gilda answered. “Alright. Here, let’s see what we’ve got.” The three of them looked through clothes and picked stuff out for Fluttershy to try. If the clerk had any doubts about it, she soon got over them. She offered as many suggestions as Gilda did, and did so more enthusiastically. They decided on a black tank top with a denim jacket which didn’t have studs, but did have patches covering various parts of it. To go with it, they chose a pair of pants which seemed to be made of usable parts of two different pairs of pants, one faded black and the other faded red. All in all, it gave her a sort of patchwork look. They picked out a few other outfits, but that was the one Fluttershy decided to wear out. In the end, there was just one thing that didn’t quite fit. “Dunno about that hair,” the clerk said. “Maybe if we tied it back?” Gilda suggested. “Or, uhm…” Fluttershy ran her fingers through it. They got caught on tangles she hadn’t bothered to brush out. “Maybe I could just… cut it.” “You sure about that, Shy?” Gilda asked. “It’s just hair,” Fluttershy said, as much to herself as to Gilda. “If I don’t like it, it’ll, uhm, grow back, right?” “Well, yeah, but… I dunno, I always thought you must love your hair.” In truth, she always did. Sort of. She hated maintaining it, especially in the past few years, and had often thought about cutting it shorter. She kept it long almost out of habit as much as anything. She smiled at Gilda. “I think I’d like to get it cut shorter.” “I think you’d look wicked with a fade,” the clerk said. “A fade?” Fluttershy asked. “What’s that?” Gilda snickered. “That might be a little too short. Look it up on your phone.” Fluttershy did, and she noticed all the pictures were of men. She frowned, but then Gilda took her phone and specified ‘women’ in the search. “Oh, some of them are pretty,” Fluttershy said. She could definitely see the appeal in it when it was on someone else. But on herself? The sales clerk smiled. “Well, whatever you decide, I’ve got a place you can go.” They followed the sales clerk to the checkout counter, and Fluttershy noticed a bunch of pins near the register. She looked through them and had to smile when she saw a Bitchette pin. She added it to her order, as well as another pin that had two interlocking female symbols, which she pinned to her new jacket as her debit card processed the payment. The clerk wrote down the address of the stylist she went to, so they got another cab and took it across town. Fluttershy expected the driver to say something about her new outfit, but of course he didn’t. As far as he was concerned, he was just bringing a couple local punks across town. The thought made Fluttershy smile. When they reached their destination, they found that the stylist turned out to be a simple barbershop. They went inside and found a casually dressed guy cutting another customer’s hair, so they took a seat. “Be with you two in just a moment.” “Take your time,” Fluttershy said with a smile. She was a little surprised that nothing about the place looked punk in any way. As far as she could see, it was just a normal barbershop. They waited for about fifteen minutes, listening to the radio play classic rock songs. Gilda didn’t seem to think anything of the fact that it seemed to be a normal barbershop, so Fluttershy didn’t say anything. Once the other client was finished and on her way out, he turned to Fluttershy and Gilda. “So what can I do for you ladies today?” “I… I’d like a haircut,” Fluttershy mumbled. He smirked. “Don’t sound too sure about that.” “She is,” Gilda said before Fluttershy could reply. “It’s talking to people when she’s not in boss bitch mode that she’s not sure of.” “Gotcha. Well, come on up.” Fluttershy stepped up to the chair and took a seat, and the barber put a cape on her. “I was thinking, uhm…” “Do you really want a fade?” Gilda said doubtfully. “Well, I did like them…” “So we’re thinking short short?” the barber asked, to which Fluttershy nodded. He disappeared for a moment and came back with a book, which he flipped through and then handed to Fluttershy. “Here, take a look at some other short women’s styles. See if anything else sticks out to you, because it may grow back, but you’re gonna be living with it for a while yet.” Fluttershy flipped through the book, and found she liked a lot of the short hairstyles more than she thought she would. It took a while and she had to get Gilda’s input on it, but she eventually settled on a sort of messy pixie cut. They had to brush her hair first, which was a bit embarrassing. Once that was done though, the barber had her lean back and in a smooth move cut off the bulk of her hair. Fluttershy had to fight to keep from crying. She wanted to do this, she did. She was young, and if there was a time to make decisions she’d regret, it was now. More to the point, she didn’t think she would regret this decision. But even so, she had been growing her hair for so long, it was hard to not have mixed feelings about having it cut off. “We can donate it, if that’ll help you feel better,” the barber said. “Really?” “Aye, for use in making wigs and stuff. They go out to cancer patients and the like.” That did, in fact, make Fluttershy feel a lot better. It was yet another reason why this was a good idea for her. “So, why the change?” the barber asked. “Just trying something new out,” Fluttershy said. “Hell of a change.” Fluttershy giggled. “I guess it is.” They kept talking, but Fluttershy didn’t notice much of what was said – even when she was the one who was talking. She was just too out of it by the whole experience. At least it served to make it all go by faster. Hardly any time seemed to pass by the time the chair was turned around so she could see herself. It left her breathless. She looked so different. Her hair had gone all the way down her back before, and now it barely reached her ears. She reached up her hand to run her fingers through it, and she was amazed at how short it felt. “So, what’s the verdict?” the barber asked. “I don’t know…” Fluttershy said. She moved her head to different positions to try and get a better feel for it. “Oh, I mean, it looks incredible! I’m just, uhm…” The barber laughed. “It’s a big change.” “You look amazing, Shy,” Gilda said. Fluttershy turned to look at her and saw she was grinning. “Rainbow is gonna flip.” “Oh, shit…” Fluttershy hadn’t thought of that. What was Rainbow going to say? She laughed a moment later. “I… I think you’re right.” Fluttershy paid the barber and they left the shop. Outside, Gilda threw an arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “I can’t believe you did that!” “Me either.” Fluttershy smiled and was glad that since they were side by side, she had an excuse to not look Gilda in the eye. “I… I kind of want to do more.” “Shy, you don’t want to be bald.” Fluttershy laughed. “No, not my hair. Uhm, I meant like… maybe a piercing?” “Whoa, okay, haircuts are one thing, but you want me to take you out to get needles shoved in you? Rainbow would kill me.” “I mean… I am her boss…” Gilda burst into laughter and clapped Fluttershy on the back. “You’re really serious?” “Well… yeah. I don’t mind the pain, and if I don’t like it, I can just take it out and let the hole heal up.” “This is wild. Rainbow is going to flip shit.” That was the common thread of conversation as they made their way through another cab to another shop – a tattoo and piercing parlor. This was a familiar place to Fluttershy. She had gotten two tattoos at different times – a sun on one shoulder and Bitchette’s logo on the other – and she had pierced her ears. This time, she thought she’d get something a little more extreme. “Do your nipple!” Gilda said as they looked through options. Fluttershy laughed. “I’m not getting my nipple pierced. Maybe my eyebrow, like Lemon Zest?” “Hey, it’s your face.” Fluttershy nodded and turned to the piercer. “I’ll do my eyebrow.” She sat in the chair just like she had when she had gotten her ears pierced. That was her only piercing, but she wasn’t worried about this part; her hair had been a much bigger deal to her. It hurt more than she expected, but then, she only had her pierced ears from years ago as a reference point. Still, it wasn’t anything she couldn’t take, and she liked the result. It was just a simple barbell on the outside of her eyebrow, but it was just the accent she needed to complete the look. “Shit, we’re already here.” Gilda took off her jacket and T-shirt, stripping down to her bra. It was the first time that Fluttershy had seen so much of Gilda’s skin, and she found that she already had a lot of tattoos. “I’ve been meaning to get this done for a while now. Let’s get me a Bitchette tattoo on my shoulder blade. The space wasn’t a random choice, it was where she had some bare skin to fill in. On her right shoulder, she had a griffon and falling feathers trailed down her arm. Her left arm had vines and flowers growing over it. “Interesting tattoos,” Fluttershy said. “Thanks. Right’s for my dad. Don’t know what his thing with griffons is, but he loves them. Left is my mom, who had to give up her flower garden when we moved.” Fluttershy frowned, remembering Windfall mentioning that. “Back in middle school, right?” “Yeah. Dad lost his job, Mom couldn’t support us. We could’ve been out on the street, but my uncle helped us get a shitty little apartment.” “I’m sorry. That sounds tough.” “Yeah, well… They won’t be living there long. The first thing I’m doing with my money is buying them a fucking house.” “With a garden?” Fluttershy asked. “Hell yeah with a garden! What kind of daughter do you think I am?” Fluttershy smiled. “The best kind.” It was refreshing to hear how close Gilda was with her parents. Fluttershy didn’t have any parents of her own, of course, and Rainbow had always had a strained relationship with hers. Lemon Zest and Windfall both thought highly of their parents, but they never talked about them like Gilda talked about hers. She didn’t seem to care about looking soft or anything of the sort; Gilda loved her parents and wanted everyone to know. Gilda had no problem talking about them more as she got her tattoo. Fluttershy took off her jacket so that the artist could use her Bitchette tattoo as a reference point. Fluttershy didn’t usually like showing off her tattoos – or rather, her sun tattoo – but she felt pretty good about it this time around. “What do you think?” the artist asked once it was all done. Gilda craned her neck to try and see it in a mirror, but Fluttershy just laughed and took a picture with her phone. “It looks great,” Gilda said, with Fluttershy echoing the sentiment. “Now unless we’re getting you another tattoo while we’re at it,” Gilda said with a smirk, “I think we should head back.” “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Fluttershy agreed. She was kind of excited to see what everyone else would say, even if she was a bit nervous about Rainbow’s reaction. They caught one more cab back to the hotel, and texted the band on the way to be out in the lobby waiting. They figured they could all celebrate Fluttershy’s new look by going out for lunch. And, of course, it wasn’t like they had any food in their hotel rooms anyway. “Here it comes,” Gilda said as they stood outside of the hotel. “You ready?” “As I’ll ever be,” Fluttershy said, although she was smiling. Gilda held open the door, so Fluttershy stepped in. Windfall noticed her first. Or rather, he glanced up at her first, then he simply turned away. A moment later, he did a double-take, looking up and blinking. “Holy shit.” Fluttershy giggled, and both Lemon Zest and Rainbow noticed her as well. Rainbow was stunned speechless, but Lemon Zest ran over to her. “Dude! What the fuck, you look so good!” “Thank you.” Fluttershy beamed. “Yeah, wow.” Windfall laughed. “I didn’t even recognize you for a minute.” Rainbow continued to stare. “Shy, you…” “Is that a piercing?” Lemon Zest asked. “No shit, we match! That’s so awesome!” “Love the hair,” Windfall said. “And just, like, everything. You really look like one of us now.” “Shy… did… did Gilda put you up to this?” Rainbow asked, staring directly at Gilda. “No,” Fluttershy said sharply. “Gilda helped me because I said I wanted to. It was all my idea, she just helped me decide on what to do.” “Most of it,” Gilda said with a shrug. “I wanted her to get a nipple piercing.” “Oh, ow.” Lemon Zest grabbed her boobs. “Why would you do that?” Gilda snickered. “I mean, I’d do it if Dash does.” Rainbow walked over to Fluttershy as if she was in a daze. She gingerly reached her hand up to Fluttershy’s hair, but stopped short of touching it. “But… why would you…?” “Because I don’t like myself, Dash.” “Shy –” “I don’t. Maybe I should, but I don’t. So… I wanted to reinvent myself. And I don’t know if I’ll like this me, but I wanted to try.” Lemon Zest cupped her hand around Fluttershy and squeezed. Windfall smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hopefully this helps you see the you that we do.” Fluttershy smiled back, then she turned to Rainbow. She frowned when she saw Rainbow was still looking at her like she was injured. “Dash, it’s hair for goodness sake. It’ll grow back.” “I… I guess.” “Now, I’m gonna drop these other clothes we bought off in my room, then we can get going.” “Sounds good,” Windfall said. He nudged Rainbow. “I’ll try to get Dash to snap out of it.” Fluttershy nodded, then took the elevator up to her room. She let out a sigh when she was alone in the elevator, though she wasn’t sure if it was out of frustration with Rainbow, exhaustion from a busy day, or contentment with herself for making a change. The elevator reached her floor, and she went to her room. She unceremoniously tossed her new and old clothes onto her bed, then she took the time to go into the bathroom and look in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection and ran her hand through her hair again. She wasn’t quite sure what she felt when she looked at herself. She supposed it didn’t feel like she was looking at herself at all. But then, that was the point. Fluttershy wouldn’t do the things she did, and yet, she had done them. It was all to be a new Fluttershy, a better Fluttershy. If she didn’t like herself, she would just be someone else.