//------------------------------// // I'm Okay // Story: The Glasshouse Butterfly // by TheShyPegasus //------------------------------// Fluttershy sprinted as fast as she possibly could through the maze, the anxiety of the situation mounting in her chest as she desperately searched for somepony, anypony. How could her friends just leave her like this? They surely knew how terrified she was of being lost, and especially lost and alone. But this wasn't the time for that, she had to find her way to the center, at least there they'd be able to regroup. She bolted through the maze this way and that, zigzagging through the hedges as the tears started to cloud her vision. How could she have possibly seen that loose branch lying in the path? She tripped and went tumbling head first across the path and into the hedges ahead of her. How could she have ever known that she was being stalked, helplessly running through the corridors of her worst fears? How could she have known her every move was being observed; her every thought being tapped; her every weakness and fear being carefully picked to pieces to find the root of all of her anxieties, all by the being that she was so desperately trying to get away from. "Interesting..." Discord chuckled to himself as he simply snapped his claws and, in a flash, transformed himself into a small kaleidoscope of pink and teal butterflies, all floating deviously towards the spot where the poor, unknowing young mare hid.... ~~~ o . O . o ~~~ "And Applejack's face!" The whole group burst out into a fit of furious laughter as they recounted each others transformations at the hands of Discord's corruption. Well, almost the whole group. Fluttershy simply sat quietly with her turned down and her hooves pulled up close to her chest. She didn't want to think about it, she couldn't stand to think about it, but it was there, and she just couldn't stop thinking about it... "Fluttershy..." That meek and feeble voice called out her. His voice. She just couldn't stand his voice... "It looks like you've been... Left behind by those friends of yours, huh?" "Fluttershy?" She was instantly snapped back to reality by that sweet, concerned voice, looking up from her trance and peering straight into a pair of big, crystal blue eyes. She blushed slightly, embarrassed as she jumped back a little, not expecting anypony to be right... there. "Fluttershy... What's wrong? Why are you crying?" "W-What?" Fluttershy asked as she blinked for the first time in a long while, feeling the wet sting of tears in her eyes. Anxiety gripped at her chest tightly as she searched desperately for an answer, any answer other than the truth, but nothing came. "N-Nothing..." She quickly turned her gaze back downward and covered herself with her mane, doing her best to hide the fresh tears that were forming in her eyes. She hated lying, she especially hated lying to her friends, but in this case, she had no choice. "C'mon, Fluttershy!" Pinkie started cheerfully, but calmly, trying her best to make her friend feel better. "You're not still upset about being a meanie-mean mean pants while you were under Discord's spell, are you?" It still stung though... It hurt so badly to know what she had done, the way that she had been, but it hurt even worse knowing the truth... It was so much more than just what Discord had done. She continued to stare at her hooves watching the tears drip and stain her coat. But she only stared for a moment before she raised her head up, and with her very best fake smile said, "Thanks, Pinkie. Don't worry everypony, I'm okay." I'm okay...