"ShadowHeart!" The leader was scowling at her. "That's the third time you messed up the formation!"
ShadowHeart looked down in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry BlackJack.. I haven't been myself today."
BlackJack changed his mood, the ShadowBolts were may have been unpleasant in public but they cared for each other because that's all that most of them had. "Alright Shadow, I'll let you go for today so you can get your head straight. Go take a day off."
ShadowHeart looked at him, nodded and then slowly walked her way back to the ShadowBolt HQ so she could possibly get some rest from last night's dream that had robbed her of rest. She felt bad thinking about the dream as if it had caused her to act this way, she was grateful for the memories it had returned to her but also made her angrier about most of them. When she reached their home she went to her room and laid on her bed trying to shut her eyes, she was exhausted... but not sleepy. She had taken off her ShadowBolt uniform and walked to her mirror to look at herself, as she did this she stared at her own eyes. Starring at her own eyes made her tear up and look away from the mirror. She thought to herself for a moment and the only solution that came to mind was to just walk it off, she left the home and started walking into the EverFree forest which was the closest place to the HQ and deemed suitable.
ShadowHeart started feeling comfort as she was walking along an old dusty hoof-beaten path hearing the sounds of the forest. But even the soothing sounds didn't help she was tearing up again and couldn't help it, so she just kept walking regardless. She had heard a soft voice among the constant "bahh" she was hearing up ahead. She tried to keep away from the noise but the path had still led her there, she saw another Pegasus gliding above the goat's ushering them along a path into the mountainous terrain. ShadowHeart just glanced at the Pegasus and kept walking.
The Pegasus guiding the goats had spotted the mare along the path and noticed that she looked as if she was depressed, normally she would mind her own business but she thought that mare really needed a friend right now. She had fluttered over to greet the depressed pony. "Um.. hello? I'm FlutterShy, nice to meet you." She said shyly.
ShadowHeart looked up surprised that the pink haired Pegasus had paid her any attention, she had planned to just ignore her but she had a gentle look in her eyes that made her slightly trust the Pegasus. "Hi... nice to meet you." She was still depressed even starring at Fluttershy's smile.
"I'm sorry it just looked like you needed a friend" she said after landing and scratching her left hoof with her right.
ShadowHeart couldn't lie to FlutterShy even if she wanted to. "I'm just having a bad day and-" She was cut off by the surprise of a little alligator rested on her back. "Why do you have that alligator on your back? It might try to bite you!" She said terrified of the little creature.
FlutterShy giggled and just said. "Oh don't worry about Gummy he's harmless, he's not my pet im just taking care of him for the day for a good friend of mine who was to busy to pay any attention to Gummy." She smiled and let out a squee that ShadowHeart couldn't help but smile at.
FlutterShy offered to share her lunch with ShadowHeart and she accepted realizing she hadn't ate a thing that day.
FlutterShy swallowed a bite of her sandwich she had eaten and asked. "So whats your name?"
ShadowHeart felt bad that she had not even said her name to her new...friend.. yet."I'm sorry Fluttershy my name is Sha-" she paused for a moment but then continued. "ShadowHeart."
FlutterShy looked a little uneasy. "Oh...um.. that's a nice name." She took another bite of her sandwich as she noticed how awkward the moment had gotten after realizing her new friend's name.
At that moment Gummy had fallen off of FlutterShy's back and was on his own back now, almost as a statue but was still having a steady blink every 4 or 5 seconds. They laughed at Gummy together and ShadowHeart had wondered what that little alligator was thinking but her imagination couldn't reach that far.
"H...hey FlutterShy.. " ShadowHeart nudged her own hoof with her nose nervously.
"Yes?" FlutterShy quickly responded thinking something was wrong again.
"I have a rhetorical question to ask you.... If a friend breaks a promise to another friend does that friend still deserve to be that friend's friend? ShadowHeart asked feeling a little silly after asking it.
FlutterShy was confused a bit a first having the sentence imbued with so many friend's but answered. " Well.. promises are important in a friendship but breaking one doesn't mean the whole world is going to fall beneath you, it just means you should apologize to your friend and make sure everything is okay." FlutterShy smiled at her answer feeling it helped ShadowHeart alot.
It did, ShadowHeart felt alot better but still felt that she didn't deserve to be forgiven. "Thank you FlutterShy you don't know how much weight you took off my shoulders."
"Was that what you were sad about earlier?"
"Yeah.. but you really helped me out, thank you so much FlutterShy, maybe we can hang out again someday? Right now I better start heading back home before it gets dark." ShadowHeart enjoyed having a new friend, but still heart-heavy about SpitFire
They waved bye to each other and departed their ways, ShadowHeart walking slower than before thinking about what to do about SpitFire.
(In SpitFire's bedroom)
SpitFire was lost in thought looking for an answer, and then she gave a shout of frustration she couldn't take it anymore she had to talk to her friend. Just the thought of ThunderDancer acting in such a manor disturbed her and tore her very soul and heart apart in the burning mind retching agony in the memory of their once strong friendship that she cherished dearly and felt robbed of the happiness she had with ThunderDancer. SpitFire started crying to herself in her room, an old song appeared in her mind that she had listened to as a teenager... she realized it was never too late for understanding or having ThunderDancer as a friend. She decided to go talk with her even if it was risky. SpitFire took precautions and removed her WonderBolt uniform and walked out of the house and the setting sun hit her yellow coat, she took flight towards the EverFree forest where she would walk from there to keep her stealth.
(The EverFree forest)
ShadowHeart was still walking back still thinking about FlutterShy's advice when she heard a sound of a speeding Pegasus with the wind running through their wings and made her stare back thinking if it was maybe FlutterShy. ShadowHeart's stomach sank as she saw SpitFire flying straight towards her.
SpitFire spotted ThunderDancer and her heart jumped and started flying towards her with tears raining from her face. She screeched to a halt directly in-front of ThunderDancer tears still streaming down her face and wrapped her shaking hooves around ThunderDancer. "ThunderDancer i missed you so much! Please we need to talk!"
ShadowHeart stood there dumbstruck not knowing what to do especially with the unseen event that just took place that not even Celestia could have predicted it.
"ThunderDancer?" SpitFire looked as if she had been shot so she stepped backwards a few feet.
"SpitFire?...." ShadowHeart still couldn't believe it.
"ThunderDancer why have you been acting like this? I miss you please come with me we can be together again!" SpitFire had an expressionless face as she saw ThunderDancer hesitate.
"SpitFire... please go away i don't deserve to be your friend!" She screamed at the top of her lungs tears pouring from her face from seeing SpitFire gave the renewed effect of breaking her promise the first time she felt the self-disappointment she had many years ago.
"What are you talking about ThunderDancer! I don't care about that, the only thing i care about is you..." SpitFire's voice trailed off into a quivering statement. "P-p-please Thunder don't you remember the times we had when we were young? I want to have those times again don't you?"Tears were pouring rivers from both ponies.
They both were slowly edging toward each other to embrace in each others sorrow but they were interrupted by what sounded like a Jet-Plane breaking the sound barrier. It was BlackJack with an angry look on his face. "Shadow head home now ill take care of this." BlackJack had a look in his eyes that made SpitFire want to run and hide but her will to help ThunderDancer was even greater than her fear.
"Please no BlackJack leave her alone let's just go back to the HQ!" ShadowHeart was scared.
"Thunder please no come with me!" SpitFire extended her hoof out towards ThunderDancer.
BlackJack tried to charge SpitFire but was held back by ThunderDancer still urging him to go home. BlackJack finally agreed. "Lets go Shadow!" He shot another hateful look at SpitFire. "Stay away from Shadow or you'll regret it!"
The two flew away with SpitFire standing there staring at ThunderDancer who looked right back at her crying silently and mouthing the words 'I miss you SpitFire'
SpitFire's anger was ignited and she knew what to do. She Sped back to the WonderBolt Head Quarters making an even louder sound with her speed than two of BlackJack's sound deafening landings.