Strained and Flexed Bridges

by YukiSN

Thanks For Her Memories

Chapter 7 - Thanks For Her Memories

Rainbow Dash stood in the threshold, staring at her life long friend in shock and horror. A million thoughts were racing through the pegasus's head and her mother's stare and Fluttershy's red puffy eyes didn't help.
"Shy…" Rainbow Dash choked, feeling tears well up in her own eyes before her gaze fell on her mother, anger suddenly surging through the mare.
"Why didn't you tell me mom…" Rainbow Dash whispered softly, her voice frightening Colormane as she sensed the rage behind her calm mask.
"I made her promise Dashie. It's my fault," Fluttershy sobbed quietly, Colormane holding the yellow pegasus close while she stroked her mane.
"But why Shy?! Why?! Why did you put yourself through that?!" Rainbow Dash nearly screamed at the already frightened pony.

"You had enough injuries for a day… and it was all my fault! If I hadn't..." Fluttershy trailed off as tears poured from her eyes once more.
"That wasn't your fault though! It was… … mutual…" Rainbow Dash blushed softly at the memory. Fluttershy continued to cry as she began to remember what happened to her.
"It was Dashie… it was. It was my fault that our years at Flight School were so horrible. If it wasn't for me you could've gone on and graduated with flying colors! You could've been a Wonderbolt by now! But instead I threw your future out the window," Fluttershy yelled weakly, Colormane and Rainbow Dash could only stare and listen as the pegasus continued.
"I deserved everything those ponies did to me. Every hit, every insult, every threat, every time they touched me…" Fluttershy sobbed, Rainbow Dash's eyes widening at the last statement and turning to her mother who simply looked away, a guilt expression on her face.
"Wait, Fluttershy… are you saying they… ra-" Rainbow Dash tried to speak before Fluttershy cut her off, continuing her list.

"Every cut, every bruise, every broken bone, every black eye, every thrown stone, every -" Fluttershy continued before Rainbow Dash pressed her lips against Fluttershy's.
"Shut up Fluttershy! Just shut up! Please… just shut up…" the cyan pegasus sobbed, holding onto her crush tightly. The once confident mare that everyone knew Rainbow Dash to be slumped to the floor, her hooves still wrapped around her neck while she bawled like a newborn foal.
"Just stop it Fluttershy… stop it…" Rainbow Dash sobbed, passing out before the yellow mare.
"Looks like she cried herself to exhaustion. Poor Dashie. I'll set her up in the other bed in the room. Would you like a bed to sleep in? Consider that is if you're staying the night," Colormane asked, Fluttershy nodding.

Smiling softly, the nurse called in for another bed. Carefully, Fluttershy and Colormane lifted Rainbow Dash and tucked her into the bed on the other side of the separating curtain. A nurse soon came into the room, wheeling in an extra bed and placing it right next to Sven's.
"I'll bring you three dinner. Just take a nap or something, rest," Colormane smiled gently before placing a gentle kiss on Fluttershy's forehead. Still teary eyed, Fluttershy nodded, allowing herself to be taken by the warmth of the blankets and the softness of the pillow. Glancing to her left, she spotted one of Sven's hooves lying outside of the blanket. Slowly, she took his hoof in hers and began to drift off to the world of dreams.

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"Ugh… what happened?" Rainbow Dash muttered slowly coming to. Glancing around, she found herself tucked into a warm hospital bed, a light green curtain to her right and the basic white wall to her left. Realizing she must have passed out she quickly leapt out of bed, searching for Fluttershy. Her search was cut short when she heard a familiar whimper to her right. Quickly rushing around the curtain she found her friend and Kozak, Fluttershy's hoof still holding the stallion's. Tears were gently streaming down Fluttershy's face, whimpers slipping from her lips and her free hoof batting at the air pathetically. Rainbow Dash could not help but give a bittersweet smile, her friend and crush just looked so vulnerable, so scared, so innocent.
"And she blames herself…" Rainbow Dash muttered, cursing beneath her breath. Rainbow Dash's mind began to recall everything that Fluttershy had said before she cut her off. Slowly, Rainbow Dash lifted her hoof to her lips, gingerly touching them before blushing softly as she stared down at the sleeping pegasus who had captured her heart.

Her magenta eyes soon turned to the stallion lying next to Fluttershy.
"Now what happened to you?" Rainbow Dash wondered aloud, looking at the clipboard hung on Sven's bed. Amongst the paragraphs of illegible scribbles, Rainbow Dash was able to make out a few words: self mutilation, attempted suicide, minor internal bleeding, Rainbow Dash looked at Sven and then back at the clipboard.
"Well…" she muttered, placing the clipboard back. Rainbow Dash's attention soon turned to Fluttershy, the mare still crying in her sleep. A bright light suddenly appeared behind her, Princess Luna slowly making her way to the bedside.
"Princess! What are you doing here? I thought you and Celestia would be discussing ways to fight back against the Changelings," Rainbow Dash gasped, bowing respectfully.
"I have come here to answer a question of yours. What happened to Fluttershy in the past," Princess Luna informed, ignoring the pegasus's question.

"What? Why? And how?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.
"Fluttershy was the only one of you to spend time with me, become my first best friend," Luna explained, "It is thanks to her that I've become much more friendly and accepted today. I must repay her kindness and since she always talks about you, I assumed that if I help you, then she would be most pleased." Rainbow Dash stared at the princess, confused by what she was proposing but decided to roll with the idea.
"So what are you going to do?" she asked, watching as Princess Luna's horn began to glow. Dark blue magic soon surrounded Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, raising both pegasus' higher into the air.
"What's going on?!" Rainbow Dash yelled, struggling to get down.
"I will allow you to see her memories," Princess Luna replied before everything around Rainbow Dash went black.

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"FLUTTERCRY! FLUTTERCRY! FLUTTERCRY CAN HARDLY FLY!"

The loud chants of the other fillies echoed in a younger Fluttershy's ears, tears pouring from her eyes as she shook with fear, covering her ears with her hooves and hiding behind her mane. The pegasus had been cornered in the locker room after another failed flight practice class.
"Stop it! Please stop it! I can fly!" Fluttershy cried, curling up even tighter into her ball to try and shut out the constant teasing that she endured daily. A tall stallion soon emerged to the front of the group. He had a dark grey coat, light blue mane that was shaped into a mohawk, amber eyes, and a storm cloud with a lightning bolt as a Cutie Mark. His name was Thunderlane, and he was responsible for the constant torment that Fluttershy had to face daily.
"And why don't you make us? Or is the failed pegasus and fillyfooler too wimpy to even speak now?" Thunderlane sneered, flashing his wings out, startling the scared mare.
"See? She can't even speak!" Thunderlane laughed, suddenly shoving Fluttershy into her locker and slamming the storage unit shut.

"Hey! L-l-let me out!" Fluttershy screamed, pounding on the metal door. Thunderlane laughed loudly, kicking the locker before casually walking out of the locker room, the rest of the fillies laughing at Fluttershy's cries.
"No! Please! Someone!" Fluttershy sobbed, her beatings on the locker door growing weaker until she used all her energy. She leaned against the cold metal door, sobbing, fearing that she wouldn't get home and that nobody would ever look for her.
"Well… it's not like I had a home anyway…" Fluttershy muttered, trying to lighten the mood with some dark humor only to break down into tears again.
"Hey! Is someone still in here?" a familiar voice yelled, the sound of hooves trotting along the tiled floors echoing in Fluttershy's ear.
"Just me…" she replied weakly, the sound of her locker rattling before a magenta eye peered through the four slits.

A soft gasp was heard before the locker was thrown open, Fluttershy falling out and collapsing onto the floor, her eyes still red and tears still staining her coat.
"What happened to you?" a younger Rainbow Dash asked, concern in her voice as she picked up Fluttershy, making her way to the nurse.
"Nothing unusual… just the usual…" Fluttershy sobbed softly, Rainbow Dash looking sadly at the mare.
"Well what about your friends? Surely they stick up for you!" Rainbow Dash asked, confused why the mare's friends didn't bother to stand up for her.
"I don't have any friends, all the other fillies pick on me because I'm such a worthless flier… Maybe they're right… Maybe I'd just be better off if I clipped my wings or just kill myself," Fluttershy sobbed, Rainbow Dash now shocked to hear such atrocious thoughts and horrible jokes that the other fillies made towards the yellow pegasus.

"Well they don't know what they're talking about, not every pegasus learns to fly at the same time as others, you just have to take your time!" Rainbow Dash assured, smiling gently at Fluttershy.
"And you know what? Do you want to be friends? You seem like a nice pegasus," Rainbow Dash smiled, flashing her signature goofy grin. Fluttershy smiled gently at Rainbow Dash, suddenly bursting into a fit of giggles.
"Sure. I've heard about you, you're Rainbow Dash, the fast flier in the school! But…" Fluttershy trailed off, her happy mood suddenly deteriorating and falling back to her sad state.
"But what?" Rainbow Dash asked, curious about what had suddenly brought her new friend down.
"But do you really want to hang out with me? I mean, look at me. I can't fly for my life and I'm a nobody. You, you're the school idol and popular amongst everyone!" Fluttershy cried, the two mares reaching the nurse's office.

Pushing open the door, a white pegasus with a red mane and a red cross as a Cutie Mark came trotting up to the two.
"Ah Fluttershy, welcome back, do you need to rest again?" the nurse smiled warmly at the yellow mare. Fluttershy nodded, weakly limping away from Rainbow Dash before being assisted into the soft bed in the room and tucked in. Rainbow Dash watched as her eyes slowly began to close and she drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The nurse sighed, turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash.
"Oh poor dearie, she often comes in here, every time either bawling or with fresh injuries. Say, you're popular aren't you? Can you be her friend? I know this is sudden but she doesn't have any friends," the nurse asked.
"I asked her but she basically said she doesn't want to ruin my reputation," Rainbow Dash sighed.
"She's always too worried about everyone else and never herself. I never will understand how ponies can bully such a kind and loving filly like her," the nurse sighed, Rainbow Dash looking down.

"I'll start hanging out with her, maybe that'll help her," Rainbow Dash spoke with determination, the nurse smiled.
"Thank you dear, now you better hurry along to class. Wouldn't want to be late," the nurse smiled as she watched Rainbow Dash quickly zoom out of the room.

A few hours later, Rainbow Dash burst from the door of her last class.
"FREEDOM!" she cried out loudly, the teacher throwing her a disapproving glance while the other fillies laughed.
"Hey Rainbow! I hear there's going to be a fight later today, you game to watch?" a filly whispered to the pegasus.
"A fight?! Of course! I'm always game for some action!" Rainbow Dash laughed, following her friend. The filly led Rainbow Dash into the gymnasium, where a circle had formed around two ponies. Making their way to the front, Rainbow Dash froze as she saw the competitors.

"AHAHA! Take that!" Thunderlane yelled, his hoof colliding with Fluttershy's snout, sending the weak filly to the ground, blood dripping from her mouth and nose.
"What's the matter? You seemed so energetic when confronting me but now it looks like you've lost all motivation! You cryfilly!" Thunderlane laughed, kicking Fluttershy in the stomach.
"Ooooh, it's that pegasus," Rainbow Dash's ex-friend chuckled before the rainbow mare ran into the center, pushing Thunderlane away.
"What the? Hey! What gives Rainbow Dash?!" the stallion yelled, obviously upset that the mare had ruined his fun. Ignoring the stallion's protest, Rainbow Dash quickly made her way to Fluttershy, helping the mare back up to her hooves.
"You okay?" she asked, looking over Fluttershy. She was covered in bruises with a few shallow cuts, she had a black eye and there was blood dripping from her mouth.

"What's the matter with you all?!" Rainbow Dash yelled, angrily glaring at the ponies who now stared back at her.
"Rainbow…" Fluttershy weakly whimpered, Thunderlane moving in to try and hit her again before Rainbow Dash moved in his way.
"Rainbow… move… Just let them…" Fluttershy coughed, Rainbow Dash spun around, grabbing the yellow pegasus and staring her in the eye.
"How about no Fluttershy! Look, this isn't right and there's no reason why you should let them do this to you! I'm your friend! And friend's help each other," Rainbow Dash yelled, the group of fillies that surrounded the two gasping. Tears began to well up in Fluttershy's eyes.
"Why…" Fluttershy spoke, her voice barely registering as a whisper.
"Why what?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Why are you doing this?! I'm a nopony! An outcast! If I died later today nopony would care tomorrow!" Fluttershy screamed, the tears had stopped flowing but it was evident that she was struggling to hold back freshly brewed ones.

"Because I care about you Shy," Rainbow Dash replied, smiling at her, Fluttershy's eyes tearing up once again.
"And I ca-" Rainbow Dash began before Fluttershy pressed her lips against the other mare's. A wave of disgust shot through the crowd before yells of anger rang through both mares' ears.
"Fillyfoolers!"
"Disgusting!"
"Get them!"
Rainbow Dash suddenly felt herself being beaten, hooves striking her from every angle and bruises beginning to form. Her magenta eyes pierced throw the crowd of angry fillies who were hitting her left and right until she spotted Thunderlane leading the lashings on Fluttershy.

"Fillyfooler!" he spat, throwing his hoof at Fluttershy's face. Droplets of blood flew into the air and splattered onto the floor beneath the yellow mare.
"Disgusting!" Thunderlane yelled, bucking Fluttershy in her gut with his hind legs, the pegasus' eyes widening drastically as she began to cough and struggle to regain her breath. Rainbow Dash had also now noticed how a few other fillies were holding Fluttershy up so Thunderlane could continue to deal punishment.
"You sicken me…" Thunderlane growled, suddenly ripping Fluttershy out of the other fillies hands and throwing her to the floor. As the yellow mare began to pick herself up, the grey pegasus leapt into the air, landing on Fluttershy's wing. A sickening snap rang through the gymnasium and a bloodcurdling scream emitted from Fluttershy's mouth as she collapsed to the floor in pain. The other ponies quickly dispersed as the sounds and voices of teachers' hooves and voices drew closer rapidly. The doors were thrown open and the nurse rushed in, gasping at the sigh of the two beaten mares.

Fluttershy lay on the floor, unconscious from the sudden pain. Blood droplets were splattered all over the floor while purple bruises began to form on her. Her black eye was more swollen than earlier and her cuts had been ripped open once again. Limping over to her was a beaten up Rainbow Dash, her mane was a mess, she had bruises all over her body and a few shallow cuts.
"Nurse… they… they… they broke her wing!" Rainbow Dash sobbed.
"Who? Who broke her wing? I'll have them expelled!" the principle bellowed furiously. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak before she heard a soft whimper from Fluttershy, the yellow mare shaking her head weakly before passing out once again. Clenching her teeth, Rainbow Dash stared at the floor.
"I didn't see."

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The flashback was cut short abruptly, Princess Luna appearing before Rainbow Dash, the two mares floating in a black void.
"That day… I'll never forgive Thunderlane! And to think he and I work together to clear the clouds!" Rainbow Dash yelled, anger burning in her eyes.
"The memories are not over yet, next to come are those days…" Princess Luna spoke sadly as she began to disappear and a bright light engulfed Rainbow Dash once again.

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"Hi Rainbow, I'm back from Chemistry, Beaker was going to bore us all to death!" Fluttershy called out as she stepped through the threshold of her dorm room. Rainbow Dash looked up from her newest issue of Teen Pony and smiled.
"Hey Shy! Sounds like Beaker, I swear, I find it amazing that the stallion is married!" Rainbow Dash laughed, Fluttershy giggling too.
"Well, it's finally the weekend, do you have any plans?" Fluttershy asked, making her way towards her bed. However, Rainbow Dash noticed something as she moved; she was limping.
"Shy, you okay? You're limping," Rainbow Dash asked, putting down her magazine and facing her friend. Fluttershy flinched as Rainbow Dash pointed out her limp.
"Y-y-yeah, I'm fine," she smiled; she was a terrible liar.

"Shy, have they been bullying you again?" Rainbow Dash growled, approaching Fluttershy, the later tripping and falling back onto her bed.
"N-n-no, I just tripped down the stairs," Fluttershy stuttered, Rainbow Dash sighed, somehow falling for Fluttershy's lie.
"Shy, you've gotta be more careful! So what caught your attention? Another bird?" Rainbow Dash teased.
"No, it was Soarin'!" Fluttershy teased back, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened.
"SOARIN'?! HE'S HERE?!" the pegasus squealed giddily.
"No Dashie, I was just kidding," Fluttershy smiled, suddenly feeling guilty when she saw Rainbow Dash's expression of disappointment.
"Oh… Um… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- Eek!" Fluttershy squeaked as Rainbow Dash tackled the pegasus onto her bed, mounting her and looking at her with a mischievous grin.
"Tickle time!" she laughed.
"NOOOOO!" Fluttershy screamed, tears leaking from her eyes as Rainbow Dash relentlessly tickled her.

An hour passed and both mares had fallen onto the bed, panting and giggling gleefully.
"Oh Dashie, I'm so glad we're friends," Fluttershy smiled, resting her head on the cyan pegasus' chest.
"Yeah, same here. Speaking of which, I just remembered that my parents are going to be in town, wanna join us? We'll be off campus though," Rainbow Dash asked, excited and hopeful that her friend would join her.
"Oh… I'm so sorry Dashie, but I told Quill that I'd help him over the weekend in the library, sorting the books," Fluttershy frowned, looking down. She felt horrible, she had just let down her friend who was so excited about the weekend.
"It's okay Shy, maybe another time," Rainbow Dash smiled, mussing Fluttershy's mane.
"Dashie!" Fluttershy whined, combing her mane back to normal.

A knock on the door drew the cyan pegasus up from the bed and scurrying over. Throwing the door open, Colormane smiled brightly at her daughter while her father, a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane hugged Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash's parent's soon spotted Fluttershy on her bed and waved.
"Hello Fluttershy," the stallion waved.
"Good afternoon Mr. Lightning Chaser," Fluttershy greeted, waving sheepishly back.
"Oh dearie, we told you don't have to be so formal with us, remember?" Colormane smiled. Fluttershy nodded, quickly apologizing and earning a chuckle from Lightning Chaser.
"Nothing to apologize for dear, are you joining us this weekend?" he asked, Rainbow Dash informing him on Fluttershy's situation.
"I see, that's too bad. Perhaps another time then?" Colormane asked, Fluttershy nodding happily.
"Splendid! Well, are you packed Dashie?" Colormane asked, her daughter nodding proudly.
"Fluttershy probably reminded you," Lightning Chaser teased, Rainbow Dash nodding with a soft blush of embarrassment.
"Typical. Well, let's go!" Colormane smiled, she, Lightning Chaser, and Rainbow Dash leaving the room, Rainbow Dash waving goodbye.

Fluttershy watched as the three flew away and sighed. She had always wished she could do something like that with her parents but her situation was quite different. Sighing, she quickly reached beneath her bed, grabbing a cluster of used bloody Band-Aids and antibacterial pads. She often used these on Rainbow Dash whenever she came back from fighting Thunderlane and his gang. Even though it had been years since the teasing had started, Thunderlane and his gang always seemed to take time to make sure that Fluttershy's and Rainbow Dash's lives were miserable. While Rainbow Dash would not stand for anyone bullying Fluttershy, she had no problem with getting physical with anypony who provoked her.

Unknown to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy would often go out in the afternoon when Rainbow Dash would take her daily afternoon four hour nap and head to the back of the school. There she would meet Thunderlane and his gang and allowed them to do whatever they wanted to her, whether it be beating her up, throwing rocks at her, cutting her with shards of glass, spat at her, insulted her, or even breaking her bones. This would often last for three hours on average, Fluttershy would often leave a note on her bed telling Rainbow Dash she went out to check up on a sick relative or to visit a pet shop. After her beatings, the injured mare would often drag herself to Cloudsdale General Hospital to look for Colormane who would often tend to her injuries or mend broken bones with the help of her assistant. And near midnight when Luna's Moon was almost fully raised, Fluttershy would sneak back into her dorm room, slipping beneath the covers and softly crying herself to sleep.

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"Fluttershy…" Rainbow Dash choked on tears as the flashback ended. Princess Luna appeared from the darkness of the black void where the pegasus stood.
"No more… please no more…" Rainbow Dash sobbed, Princess Luna's stoic expression remaining firm.
"There are more memories that you must see to understand the repressed pain that your friend hides," Princess Luna spoke, vanishing once again while a white light flashed and more memories flashed before Rainbow Dashes eyes. Memories of Fluttershy attempting to kill herself through overdosing, cutting, or even hanging herself whizzed past Rainbow Dash's eyes. Other memories of Thunderlane and his gang or other ponies constantly beating up the poor mare, breaking her bones or cutting her up, also whipped by. By now, the cyan pegasus was in tears, the salty liquid pouring from her eyes freely.

More memories were revealed to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy secretly drinking to repress her pain, the months she spent in therapy, the time she was violated by Thunderlane and his gang during their final year at Flight School, Fluttershy constantly blacking out at as memories of her experience at Flight School began to reemerge in her subconscious, and even her father's funeral, the audience consisting of only her and Princess Celestia. The memory of when Fluttershy met Sven in the Everfree Forest soon began to play. However, before the memory could continue, Princess Luna stepped in, cutting the memory off and returning Rainbow Dash back to the real world.
"Now you know the pain she carries in her heart and mind. Give her my love when she wakes up," Princess Luna spoke, opening the window and leaping out, taking the skies and making her way to Canterlot.

Tears stained Rainbow Dash's coat as she tore her eyes from the window and stared at Fluttershy. She rested her head on her chest and sobbed. Seconds past, soon minutes, and eventually hours as Rainbow Dash poured her eyes out, her tears soaking the white sheets that Fluttershy slept beneath.
"How does she do that…" she sobbed quietly, her magenta eyes looking at the tortured expression on her sleeping crush's face.
"Why did you hide it away… Why Shy… Why…" Rainbow Dash sobbed, exhaustion taking over once again as she continued to cry before passing out, her hooves wrapped around her sleeping friend as she drifted off to a restless sleep.

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Princess Luna landed back in her room in the Canterlot Castle. Quickly, she raised her moon and trotted to her thinking room. Climbing the spiral stairs to the top tower of the castle, Princess Luna opened the locked iron door to reveal the now clean room. once dusty and covered in cobwebs, the room was now spick and span with a near shine to everything. Princess Luna smiled, remembering the times that she had invited Fluttershy over help her and spend the night. She sat down and remember her first official slumber party with the yellow pegasus and how their game of truth or dare became quiet interesting. A wave of peace seemed to suddenly wash into the room, Princess Luna glancing around at the boxes of trinkets or old scrolls that rested comfortable atop one another. Rising to her hooves, the princess of the night made her way to the balcony, glancing up at the stars.

"Oh Fluttershy, how I wish things were better for you," she sighed sadly. She looked to her right, an empty spot that was once filled in by a yellow pegasus. Princess Luna blushed gently as she also recalled this spot being where she shared her first kiss with the mare. A gentle tear rolled down her cheek and stained her dark navy blue coat.
"I miss her," she cried softly.

"I do too dear sister," Princess Celestia spoke, emerging from the shadows and proceeding to make her way towards her sister.
"Celly! When did you get here?" Princess Luna gasped, quickly wiping away her tear.
"I just got here Lulu, you seemed bothered earlier today. I came to see if everything was resolved now," Princess Celestia spoke, standing next to her younger sister.
"Indeed it is, I have just only begun to repay Fluttershy for her kindness towards me," Princess Luna replied, filling her sister in on her earlier adventure to Cloudsdale General Hospital.
"I see, and what did Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, say after you showed her Fluttershy's, Element of Kindness, memories?" Princess Celestia asked, watching her younger sister's gaze turn towards the sleeping city of Cloudsdale. A brief moment of silence passed between the two rulers before Princess Luna finally spoke.
"Thanks for her memories."