Flutter May Shy

by Wand3r3r3

~Leaving My Life

It was a Sunday. I hate Sundays, doesn't everypony? I mean, it's really meant to be some supposed God's day, when everyone goes out of their way to worship some fictional character who promises to help; who is apparently supposed to bring salvation-

Everypony here is the same way, waiting for the end, pretty much. Though, with the exception of my father and I, we hope to be somewhat of iconoclast characters with what we plan to do, on such an ironic day.

We're going to leave our history here to die and start anew, as father and daughter.

I've heard only stories of some of the feats that ponies and Pokemon have accomplished together; from building a prestigious bridge that connects two whole islands in the neighboring Unova region, to simply saving lives using electric Pokemon as an emergency power source-

It's all so amazing...

Everything I know about Pokemon--and I barely know anything--leaves me in an endless wanting to break away from this doomed society, in the middle of the ocean, for goodness' sake. We're totally oblivious to anything else segregated by fog; whatever adventures lie ahead of us, and I'm more than ready for them.

The Kalos region had never been blessed with the simple gift of Pokemon. There have been tall tales of a legendary Fairy Pokemon as an overseer of this land, a protector; a God. But we're-
No...

They're just an insane cult with no guidance.

I'm really sorry to say this, but it sucks to be them.

"Hey Fluttershy." My father called my name, my real name. With a simple response, I instantly answered him.

"Yes?"

Our house was cluttered along with the rest of the homes in a mundane single-file line, with not much space between each one. The interiors of each were all the same, but ours was different. My father took it upon himself to construct and add a hallway and a whole other room that was adjacent to mine.

My view fell from my bed, which I had neatly made for no real reason other than habit, to the kitchen right across from my room. The living room was actually own my room technically, and, while it was awkward for the kitchen to be visible with no trouble on my part, I accepted it. The couch might have been a bit more comfortable than my bed, which was pushed against a half-windowed wall in the same room, but sleeping on it just never seemed right to me.
My dad was still in his room; the one he had built himself.

He still hadn't responded.

"Dad?"

"Hey, have you ever given the whole Fairy Pokemon thing any real thought?"

He finally came out of his room and peeked out from the hallway, making his stature apparent as he walked the rest of the way out. He was of average adult height for a male, and his greyish beige fur was wet and still a little drippy from the shower he had just taken. He had a long brown mane and a short tail of the same color-both also; both of which were still a bit damp.

His name was Prezzi.

"Not really. Have you?"

He gave me a half-toothy smile as he took in a lungful of air. But he didn't seem very definite in his answer.

"Well, it makes me all the more eager for that ship to get here, that's for sure."

Was he sighing? Either way, I continued elaborating on my attempts to decide on what and what not to pack. A saddlebag could only carry so many things...

"You said that's your ship, right?" I said, as I felt the situation turn a bit awkward. "I don't know if you bought that before mom died or not, but I think I remember you saying that it was."

"You've got the story straight, yeah. I bought that thing when you were just a cute little foal. I mean, you're a cute little thing now, but-" He stopped himself; the situation had definitely become a bit awkward, that was for sure. It could have been because I mentioned something I felt I shouldn't have, but I couldn't make out why, exactly. "Yeah, that's it."

My mother, Snaps, committed suicide about a decade ago when I was only two or three. She's the reason why me and dad were so adamant about leaving and sticking to our plans.

She wasn't afraid to be the only indifference in an entire society, but the fact that her death was caused by such in-differences, the additional fact of where she died--the ocean--got us to thinking that this society isn't worth saving. It was best to trade our lives here for something new. And I could only hope she would be proud of us if she were still with us.

We'd take her along, no problem, and we knew she would have liked that very much.

After talking a bit about our eventual destination, we picked up our pre-packed bags from the night before and headed out the front door. He made his orange duffel bag look like it weighed nothing. It was a silly thought, but maybe he didn't have much in there.
Impossible. He, much as I, would need as many things as we could take with us, at least for safe keeping. But again, I merely dismissed it as an overly exaggerated thought.

He exited first, and just as I was about to, I took a glance at my bed, neatly made. A stuffed doll of my own figure sat upright against the wall. It was heavily slept with, as my mother had it for me. It was a treasure to me.

Call it a childish instinct, but I just had to run in and get it. I grabbed it in my hooves and slipped its midsection under the strap of the saddlebag on my back. Then, I started to walk back outside, but before I could finally feel the warmth of the sun, I swore I heard something call out something that sounded like my name, like a whisper.

Was it Mother?

"Mom?" In turn, I spoke to none other than myself, because there really was no one else in the room with me. My dad was outside, gladly waiting on me, and perhaps taking some final glances of his own, hoping to spot something he'd like to take with him.
Nonetheless, however, I spoke to her, and I made myself as clear as ever if she was even here with me. if she could hear me--if she was listening at all.

"Are you proud of me, Mom?"

My mother and I were of an above average relationship. Despite how little time I had spent with her, the majority of the walk to Coumarine's piers was spent discussing both of our relationships with my father.

"I know she'd be proud of you, Fluttershy." I wasn't sure why he always addressed me by my birth name the whole day thus far, but I really didn't think too much of it at the time, as excitement had consumed me, and would consume me entirely.
I felt respected when he did that, anyway.

"Yeah, I know she would too."

"You know... " Prezzi stopped himself, as if he couldn't find the right words to say. His mouth was open for half a second before he came forth with them. "She always wanted to go to Sinnoh..."

"That's where we're going, right?" I don't know exactly why I asked such a thing, but I guess I was just wanting a little more information.

"Yep, and I've got a memento of hers that she'd probably like us to take there."

"Really? What is it?"

At some point, hindered a bit by a detour down a scenic trail filled with pleasant chat, we had reached its end, coming clean from the urban road and traversing onto cold, concrete ground. There were plenty of stands around the edges of the enormous stone platform we now stood upon, but it was either too early for the owners to operate and sell their wares, or they had just simply traded their business for their beliefs.

"Look at this," Prezzi instructed as he reached for his bag and pulled out a brightly hued object. "I don't remember if I've shown this to you or not."

It was a huge chunk of some kind of mineral. It gleamed with its strong, bright orange transparency, and it radiated a special glow. Just looking at it made my mind grind its gears against each other--it was so beautiful.

"Wow, no you haven't!" I slurred, excitedly. "What is it exactly?"

"Your mom found it on one of her mining expeditions in the far east. I think she said it was a cave by Couriway. Anyway, one of the Elite Four is actually from Sinnoh, and she explained the purpose of two other special stones that were found in the same expedition.

"I had no idea she was into mining."

"Oh yeah. Made her feel like she was doing Kalos good."

"Hehe, so what's it called dad?"

"They don't know. They do know it's not from this place, though. I just call it your mom's Rock." I couldn't help but giggle a bit at that.

Afterwards, I was going to tell him how I could see my mother's spark from her rock--the one that only added to my inspiration and resolve to leave this place with no regrets. On our trip, I almost knew in my mind that I would remind myself of at least two or three other reasons, too.
But then, I was cut off by the bellows of my dad's ship that was coming closer and closer, piercing through a thick fog that failed to slow it down.

Ponies of all ages were seen coming out, snapping photos and pointing at the apex of Prism Tower, highlighting other curious areas of the region they were about to explore and possibly call home. Cheers were becoming more and more clear as we waited on the sidelines for the ship.

"There she is!" Prezzi called, aloud. "Glad to see it's still in one piece! Heh."

I felt like I should have waved at the coming tourists, so I did. It didn't feel weird at all, seeing as how I was going to be a tourist myself, soon enough.

Finally, the ship cruised between two piers that even surpassed the ships length, and a minute after it stationed, ponies started pouring from the mechanically extended walkways. It took about ten more minutes for the walkways and piers to be cleared and empty.

It was time to leave.

"Are you ready?" Prezzi asked me, and he then made some sort of snorting sound, accompanied by my look of silly confusion. "Pfft, what am I talking about, you're-"

"I'm ready, dad."

I teared up as I confirmed my passion behind my own words. Now that the situation was actually in front of me, I might have been scared, and I might have been more anxious than I could handle. I could have been guilty or angry or absentminded...
I didn't know what I was. Yet, when I trudged my legs forward toward the ship, and just before I was going to climb up the walkway-

"FLUTTERSHY!!"

Someone from the far distance behind me called my name in clear desperation. I didn't recognize the voice at first, but I could at least tell it was feminine. The figure was coming at me so fast to where it wasn't a question anymore as to who it was.

That blonde mane and tail flowing freely in the gusts she created. The heavy hoof steps she trampled the concrete with. Those emerald green eyes now only a few feet in front of me...

It was my best friend, Applejack, from Camphrier Town.

"Applejack??" I was shocked, really. I didn't think we were good enough friends for her to come all this way to see me off. She knew about my leaving, yes, but I soon found my deductible reasoning was futile, as I was aware of how capable she was, both in her body and in her mind.

"I took today off so I could see you off. Heheh..."

"Oh, Applejack..."

"I really appreciate that. It means a whole lot, but you- I mean, it must have taken you a long time to get here."

"Please, I wouldn't miss your going away for the world."

The ship then signaled that it was getting close to its time of departure. I was close enough to it that I didn't have to worry about that. Applejack continued. "So, uh... Sinnoh's an awfully cold place, you know..."

"I just hope I'll find a nice cute Pokemon to cuddle up with." I tried to joke around, but Applejack took it the wrong way and started crying under the warm-looking cap she was wearing. "Oh gosh, Applejack I'm sorry..."

"No. No, it's not you. I just don't... I just don't want to see you go, now that it's already happenin'." She wiped and flung her tears to the side and looked back at me with a hearty, confident chuckle. However, I could see tears coming, reflecting the color of her lustrous emerald eyes with help from the sun behind me.

"I'm really going to miss you, Applejack. I'm sorry I didn't arrange a final sleepover or something nice like that."

"Heeyyy..." She stopped to think, and quickly. "Here."

She took her warm cap off of her head and set it on my own, fixing and positioning it just right. I just let her do it as I looked at it in a strange sort of awe, eyes rolled upward. It was a solid color green with an image of an apple embroidered into the lower-left of its thick base. "You'll need it more than I will."

"Applejack, no-"

"Even so, I could ask my granny to make me another one. On her time, O' course."

"Well then, I guess that's okay..." I looked up at her with my own eyes, as enormous their expression was. "Thank you so much! I'll wear it al-"

And then she kissed me. It wasn't forceful, but it was sudden. It lasted for about six whole seconds, then she released me, blushing as she saw that I was doing the same, only with a brighter tint of red.

"...I'll always wear it." Blushing profusely, I had lost my train of thought, overtaken by the delicate contact that our lips just shared. "Oh my... I don't know what to say."

"I love you Fluttershy. If, ahem, ya couldn't tell before. Hehe..."

"Oh, I knew something was up, but not really something as strong as the kind of love where kissing comes in." I chuckled just as she did. "I love you too, Applejack. I always will."

At the worst of all times, the ship had to clear it's smog in the sky, bellowing and echoing its voice all around.

And now it was time to leave the one I loved...

"Write to me, okay?" Applejack cried a bit more, but then looked back up at me and gave a huge, contagious smile, almost forcing me do the same as I looked up at the deck to see if my father was watching or waiting on my. I couldn't see him, though.

"I will, Applejack!" My eyes gleamed. "I'll take so many pictures and send them all to you, and I'll tell you about the whole place and everything, anywhere and everywhere!! I'll even tell you about the Pokemon I see!!!"

"I'd like that very much, Fluttershy. But... I s'pose it's time for you to get going, now..." Applejack had the sweetest smile, and she shared one with me out of nothing much other than respect for me, and the promises I made for her.

"Yeah..."

At the last second, before I boarded the walkway, I gave Applejack a quick kiss of my own. She knew I really meant it, but she also knew I just didn't have the time to make it as long as I wanted to, even though I honestly tried to. Applejack gave me one last glance before she turned away and ran back the way she came.

The last thing I saw of her, however, was the swaying of her hair from my rising perspective, all as I walked up to the ship's ground floor.