//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Fluttershy's Deep Breath // by gchamp89 //------------------------------// There was nothing but silence as everypony and dragon stared, mouths agape, at Rainbow Dash. The silence seemed to go on forever until it was quielty shattered by a strange plopping sound. Six of the creatures in the room looked towards where they heard and discovered the source its source. It was the sound of Fluttershy's tears hitting the carpet as she was quietly sobbing. Seeing Fluttershy crying snapped Rarity out of her stupor. Reaching a hoof out to her, she quietly called out to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy dear, she-" But Rarity was quickly cut off as Fluttershy demonstrated a burst of strength that would make Big Macintosh proud and shoved her aside and ran out the door, tears streaming down her face along the way. Moments later, as everyone stared out the door where Fluttershy ran out, Rainbow Dash spoke up first, "Look, I know what I said was cruel, but it...was...necessary?" Dash trailed off her statement as she saw how everyone was looking a her. Spike stared angrily at her with his arms folded. Pinkie Pie's mane slowly deflated as she stared at Dash, eyes watering with tears that are on the verge of spilling out. The way Twilight looked at her reminded Dash the way Celestia looked at Twilight during that whole royal wedding fiasco. Disappointment seemed to radiate from her very being. Applejack glared at Dash as if she wanted to feed Dash her own teeth with her tongue as a chaser. And Rarity...? The anger and hate from everyone Dash expected, but the look that Rarity wore threw her off. She had look on her face that made Dash think for a second that there was a mix -up at birth and Maud Pie is actually related to Rarity instead of Pinkie. In short, Rarity had a look of almost complete apathy on her face as she was looking at Rainbow Dash. All of sudden, she raised a hoof to her mouth and politely coughed into it and gained everyone's attention. She then started to speak, "Alright, everyone.", her voice concise and clear as if she were a teacher giving a lecture, "here is what going to happen." "I am going to go to Fluttershy's house and try and to calm down the poor mare and get her to come back." She then pointed a hoof towards Rainbow Dash with her voice taking a sharper tone, "You are going to explain yourself to Applejack, Twilight, about every horrid thing you just said." She then looked towards Spike and Pinkie, her features and voice softening, "Spike, my love, and Pinkie will be coming with me to help coax out Fluttershy..." Pinkie shook her mane back to to its normal curliness and saluted her, ready to go cheer up a friend in need. Spike smiled and gave her a gentledrakely bow. Rarity smiled at their gestures and then turned towards Dash, her features hardening again, "...since the words that probably will be used to describe you and what you said shouldn't be heard by young growing dragons and I will probably need Pinkie's help getting in her cottage. Until then I leave you with this." The only thing Rainbow Dash saw was a white blur before she experienced Rarity's right cross on her jaw. Dash was floored instantly by the blow, stars and colors bursting in her eyes. As Rarity turned away from the stunned ponies to leave with Spike and Pinkie, she looked over her shoulder and called out, "Twilight, could you be a dear and check Rainbow for me, please? I don't want to inflict any permanent damage...yet" With that Rarity use her magic to put Spike on her back and galloped out the shop with Pinkie trailing behind her saying, "Hey Rarity, I thought your last name was 'Belle' not 'Ali'?" Rainbow Dash slowly got back up on her hooves, swaying a bit as she tried to regain her balance. "She didn't have to hit me that hard.", she groaned. Applejack shook her head, "Dash, that weren't a hit.", she said simply. "If that wasn't a hit then what the heck was it? ", Dash asked confused Applejack glared at her, "That thar'..." , she said with voice laced with venom, "...was a love tap. Ah'll let you experience a REAL buck if you don't start flappin' your gums and expalnin' why the FUCK you decided to make Fluttershy cry like that." Despite Applejack's intimidation, Dash stood her ground and retorted, "I was trying to protect Fluttershy! Don't tell me you all have forgotten about Tirek?! How can we trust Discord not to do something like that again? He turned on all of us without a second thought and nearly let Tirek destroy Equestria! And you guys want to set him up with Fluttershy?! Seriously are you guys all-" "Dash" Twilight interrupted, "Sorry to interrupt you but I have a question." Caught off guard by Twilight, Dash turns towards her, "Uh...okay, what is it?" "Exactly how stupid do you think we are?", Twilight said as she glared daggers at Rainbow's stunned face, "Everypony was there when Discord first escaped and turned Ponyville into his personal playground and we were also there when he betrayed us to join Tirek in his rampage. So of course we haven't forgotten what he put us through." Twilight continued as she slowly advance on a retreating Rainbow Dash, "Discord put us through Tartarus, screwed around with our friendship, and almost destroyed our home. Even after Celestia put him in Fluttershy's care, we still had to put up with his antics even when he was being helpful in his know-it-all jackass kind of way. But he still ended up backstabbing us in the end to join Tirek, a power hungry monster who, unsurprisingly, returned the favor and left him powerless. But after everything he put us through, I am going to support Fluttershy in trying to pursue him romantically. " Rainbow Dash felt her back hit the wall as Twilight advanced on her, "B-But Why?", she manged to choke out. Twilight didn't stop until her face was inches away from Rainbow Dash and looked her square in the eye. "Because they're my friends." Twilight retreated a couple steps and gave Rainbow her space back, "It must have taken a lot of courage for Fluttershy to confide her feelings for Discord in us and I am going to give that courage every bit of respect it deserves by supporting her anyway I can. Even if it turns out Discord isn't right for her I will certainly be more gentle about it than you were back there." "As for Discord...", Twilight closed her eyes for a couple of moments as if she was in deep thought and when she opened them her gaze had noticeably softened, "When Tirek gave me that choice to either sacrifice my power or my friends I realized in that one moment that I had to not only save you girls but Discord as well. Even after Celestia had pardoned him, I never bothered trying to be a friend to Discord like Fluttershy was trying. In fact I'm pretty sure we all just made him feel like more of a nuisance than a friend. So his betrayal shouldn't have really come as a surprise, we hadn't done anything to make his betrayal difficult. So in that one moment I decided that I show Discord a true act of friendship by getting Tirek to release him and forgiving Discord." Twilight looked on at Rainbow Dash as her words were starting to sink into the cyan pony, "I haven't forgotten what Discord has done, but I forgive him and I'm willing to give him a second chance to be a true friend." Rainbow Dash hung her head looking a little bit ashamed, "Yeah well...maybe I should go and apologize to Fluttershy about what I said." Applejack raised an eyebrow at that, "An'...?" Rainbow Dash huffed, "...and give Discord a second chance." Applejack smiled, "Ain't no pony sayin' that we don't keep the occasional eye on Discord an' make sure that varmint keeps his nose clean fer the most part, him bein' a spirit of chaos and all. But we gotta give the fella a second chance an' show him what real friendship is like. Plus if Twi, Celestia, and Luna can forgive him for all the damage he's done, then why can't I?" Rainbow Dash started to scratch the back of her head, "I guess you got a point there, but how am supposed to handle this whole forgiveness thing? Can you girls help me?" Twilight smiled, "Sure we can, because that's what friends are for."