Lazy Eye for Fluttershy

by azile0

Chapter Three- Conflict

Knotted heartstrings

Derpy and Rainbow Dash slipped out of the side room and returned to the living room where Rarity and Fluttershy were still chatting. Neither mare seemed to notice the two pegasi had slipped off together. Derpy’s heart hammered in her chest out of anxiety. She and Rainbow Dash had thrown their gauntlets down and begun the battle to win Fluttershy’s affection. Sparks flew between the two mares as they calmly returned to a sitting position on either side of the yellow pegasus. The empathetic Fluttershy immediately felt the tension between the two, and tried to sidle out of the way. The mares sidled back next to her and simultaneously tried to strike up conversation.

“So, Fluttershy-” Rainbow began.

“What do you want-” Derpy said.

The gray and cyan pegasi glared at one another, fresh sparks exploding between them. Fluttershy whimpered and retreated away from the flames. Rainbow Dash put her hoof forward threateningly.

“You got somethin’ to say?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing to slits. Derpy’s lazy eye tried to retreat from the vehement stare and dropped to the ground. The gray pegasus’ good eye matched Rainbow’s glare. Rarity was the one to intervene, stepping between the two before a fight broke out.

“Girls!” she said in a scolding tone, “This is Fluttershy’s birthday party! Don’t ruin it with your squabbling!”

Derpy and Rainbow Dash cringed as Rarity’s words bit into them like blades of logic. Their shoulders sagged as they realized what they were doing. They turned to the nervous Fluttershy at the same time and apologized in unison.

“Sorry, Fluttershy.” they mumbled. Fluttershy shook her head.

“No, no, it’s no problem, really.” the yellow pegasus muttered timidly.

Rarity decided the party was over, stamping her hoof down with all the authority of a royal judge.

“Derpy, Rainbow Dash, I think it’s time for you two to depart for the evening. Work your problems out away from this establishment of merriment.”

The white unicorn drowned out the pegasus’ protests. Fluttershy was looking at her hooves sheepishly, not saying anything. Under Rarity’s severe glare, the pegasi shuffled out of the house with their tails hanging low in shame.

Outside the house, they were about to round on each other in anger when Rarity screeched from inside,

“NOT ON FLUTTERSHY’S PROPERTY! GO FIGHT IT OUT ON A CLOUD OR SOMETHING!”

That was motivation enough. Derpy leaped into the air, flying with all speed for a large and particularly fluffy cloud. Rainbow Dash was right behind her.

The gray pegasus stayed just ahead of the cyan mare, and Rainbow Dash felt a growing rage as she realized Derpy was just as fast as she was; however, there was no way she could compete with her stunts. She yelled out a challenge to the speeding mailpony, her voice barely audible over the wind.

“Hey! I bet your crippled ass can’t land in that grove down there!”

They were flying over a wooded island with a small circular clearing near the center. Rainbow Dash pulled her wings in for a dive, plummeting towards the earth. A rainbow contrail extended behind her. Stubborn pride got the better of Derpy, and she followed close behind Rainbow Dash. The stuntpony shot into the glade and pulled up just before she hit the ground, zipping through the trees at a breakneck pace. Derpy didn’t fare as well.

As soon as she was passing through the canopy, the gray pegasus knew she was in trouble. Her lazy eye refused to cooperate, and in the gloomy trees she had no depth perception. The world seemed flat, and dodging trees was extremely difficult. A thick oak tree appeared from the shadows, and Derpy was unable to get around it. She pulled up slightly, but not enough to avoid the massive plant. Her body smacked into the wood with a wet crack as her bones snapped. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she fell to the ground in a stunned heap.

Breathing was brutally hard for the grounded pony. Her chest was on fire, but her limbs were freezing cold. Each ragged breath sounded like she was breathing underwater as the air bubbled through the blood filling her lungs. Her head pounded with each heartbeat and a shrill ringing filled her ears. Her vision faded quickly, dimming to black.

I’m going to die here, she thought through a haze of pain. The world was dark, her body was cold, and her breathing slowed. Blood continued to dribble out the side of her mouth. Then the pain stopped.

“You sure have gotten yourself in trouble, dear.” Rarity said to Fluttershy. The two mares were sitting on the yellow pegasus’ couch. The unicorn lifted a cup of tea magically and sipped from it.

“Both of those ponies are after you,” she continued, “And I’m afraid they won’t give you up without a fight.” Fluttershy was staring at the cushions, her face blushing deep crimson. She mumbled something, but Rarity ignored her and kept talking.

“The trouble is that Rainbow Dash is stubborn as an ass and Derpy, well...” she trailed off. “I’m not sure. That girl wants to love again, and she wants to love you. I think she’ll be just as stubborn as Rainbow.”

Fluttershy quailed, but was more vocal this time. “But I don’t want them to fight over me, I-” Rarity interrupted her.

“Fluttershy, what you want isn’t important. Like it or not, you’ve been lashed into their little love triangle. You have to choose one or loose both.”

Tears welled up in the pegasus’ eyes. “But I don’t want to choose!” she said, anguish etched into her face. “Rainbow Dash has been my friend for almost my whole life, and Derpy...” she trailed off for a moment before continuing. “Derpy is special.”

Rarity set the tea cup down. “You have to decide who you want to spend your life with. There is no wrong choice here: both mares will make you happy, but in different ways. Think about it; analyze the pros and cons of choosing each pegasus.”

Against her better judgment, Fluttershy did stop and think about it. She verbalized her thoughts so that Rarity could hear and appraise her logic.

“Well,” she began, “Rainbow Dash and I have been friends since we were fillies- almost foals. She’s loyal, brave, and I think she has a lot of potential. But she’s brash, sometimes mean, and impatient. I think she would end up getting bored with me..” Rarity said nothing, simply nodded in a neutral way. Fluttershy continued,

“Rainbow Dash would bring a lot of variety and fun to a relationship, but I’m not really interested in joining her on her stunt flights. I love cheering for her, but flying fast like she does just scares me.”

“Now, Derpy and I just met today... But she has a great reputation around town, and after meeting her tonight I can say that she is one of the kindest and gentlest ponies I know. Her past scars make her slightly timid like me, but when she is faced with a challenge she over comes it. She’s really lonely, and has so far relied on her daughter to keep her company. The daughter adds a random element to the relationship, because I’ve never met her. She might like me, which would add extra pressure for me to choose Derpy. Or Dinky might dislike me, which would make it harder TO choose her mother.”

Rarity continued nodding, a thoughtful look on her face.

“Derpy would fit my personality better, because she is both strong and sensitive. But I’m afraid of what might happen if I don’t choose Rainbow Dash. We are both holders of the Elements of Harmony. That cycle might be disrupted if I choose Derpy. But if Derpy and Rainbow Dash can become friends, then it would be alright, right?”

Rarity was still nodding slowly, silently.

“But..” Fluttershy said quietly. “I still choose Rainbow Dash.”

Comments

[I hate myself]

I love this please make more!

[K_and_REDACTED]

i agree with Dany, but still i love this