Collision Course

by journcy

V - Fluttershy

+ + +

Immediately.

+ + +

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Fluttershy said, rushing out into the street after her friend.

“R-Rarity… I… I made her leave,” Twilight sobbed.

“What?”

“I… I said… I said horrible things to her, Fluttershy! And she’s gone, and she isn’t going to come back, and it’s all my fault!”

“Now, now, I’m sure that’s not true…” Fluttershy consoled.

“It is! I… I said she didn’t care about Applejack! Or Pinkie Pie! Or Dash!” Twilight cried.

“Wh-“ Fluttershy began, but Twilight cut her off.

“I said she wasn’t mourning and that she was pushing away her feelings and that she needed to spend more time with us and that she cared more about those high society ponies and events and she left and it’s my fault!”

By now, a crowd had begun to form around the two ponies, drawn by Twilight’s wailing.

“Lady, are you alright?” A random stallion asked.

Twilight turned towards the sound of his voice, suddenly mortified to be sobbing in the middle of the street in Canterlot, of all places. She instinctually teleported herself and Fluttershy back into their rooms. She then summarily broke back down into hysterics.

“Fluttershy, Fluttershy, what do we do? It’s just you and me now… And… And…” She seemed unsure as to where she had been taking the sentence.

“And?” Fluttershy nudged her.

“And I don’t know how this could have happened!” Twilight let loose one final cry of sorrow, and collapsed on her bed, covering her head with her hooves.

Fluttershy was torn. Part of her wanted to run off after Rarity and find her, and bring her back. Part of her wanted to join Twilight in crying. Part of her wanted to just catch the next train home to her animal friends. And part of her… Part of her…

Part of her was mad. Mad! Mad at Rarity for running off. Mad at Twilight for apparently causing the situation. And even beyond that… Mad at Applejack for being so stubborn. Mad at Dash for not being smarter. Mad at Pinkie Pie for reacting so awfully to what was meant to be something so lovely…

Fluttershy was shocked. She had never been mad at anypony like this before. Hay, she had never been mad at anything like this before! Hay, she had never been mad like this before! She didn’t know what to do. Should she say—of course not. Why would she say anything? She- They were her friends…

But they had done so much…

Yes, but they were her friends! They deserved her kindness, and nothing less! Everypony did! Everything did! Every living thing deserved kindness!

But they had done so much…

“F-Fluttershy?” Twilight said, looking up at her. Fluttershy had been standing stock still, a terrified look in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Twilight jumped up to help her, but when she reached out a hoof Fluttershy sprang up just as suddenly as she had fallen and hissed at Twilight.

The purple pony recoiled. “Wha… What? Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, utterly dumbfounded.

“I’ve been nice enough, Twilight!” Fluttershy spat at her. She fixed Twilight with a glare. “And I’ve been nice for far too long! I’ve let you ponies push me around, and I’ve let you all hurt me! Well, enough is enough! Maybe Rarity was onto something when she stormed out of here, because you clearly aren’t worth staying for!” Twilight was, at this point, cowering back on her bed under the full power of Fluttershy’s Stare.

“M-Me?” Twilight managed to sputter.

“Yes, you! But let me tell you something, Twilight—Rarity might’ve been onto something, but I’m not following in her hoofsteps! No, I’m going to stay right here and tell you what’s what, so you had better get comfortable!” Fluttershy was screaming at this point. Twilight had the same look of terror in her eyes that Fluttershy had had in hers not moments ago.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to start yelling again, blinking, and Twilight, freed from the Stare for just a moment, teleported away.

+ + +

“Princess! Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried, charging into the main hall of Canterlot Castle. She had teleported to her old castle suite out of instinct, and it had taken her just a few minutes to gallop to the hall. She came in to find the Princess looking up from some noble she had been speaking with.

“Twilight Sparkle! Whatever is the matter?” Princess Celestia replied, just a hint of worry on the edge of her otherwise calm and collected tone.

“It’s… It’s Fluttershy and Rarity! Rarity’s gone and Fluttershy… Something’s really, really wrong, Princess! She… She started shouting at me… And… And…”

“Fluttershy was shouting at you?” Princess Celestia said, unable to process the idea.

“Y-Yes!” Twilight said, tears beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. “It was awful!”

Celestia looked down to the noble—Twilight didn’t recognize him—and asked him to please leave, she would finish discussing the matter later. He swiftly retreated, not wanting to be caught up in the drama. “Now, Twilight,” the Princess said, “Please, tell me what happened.

Twilight, beginning to sob at the retelling, informed Princess Celestia of what had happened with Rarity, and what had happened with Fluttershy—or rather, what was happening with Fluttershy. The face of the Princess became more and more contorted with worry as the story went on.

“…And—and now I’m here!” Twilight finished, now crying full-on once again.

“Yes… Yes, you are, my little pony…” Princess Celestia said, walking to Twilight and putting a wing over her. “You’re here, Twilight. You’re with me. It will all be all right.”

+ + +

Twilight wept on the Princess Celestia’s shoulder. The Princess knew that they had to get to Fluttershy as soon as possible…

…And it wasn’t possible right now. This, the Princess knew as well, was something that had to change.

“Twilight. I’m sorry. But we have to talk to Fluttershy. We can’t let her get any worse. Come,” Princess Celestia said, her voice strong once more.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at her Princess.

“Of—Of course, Princess,” she said meekly, doing her best to dry her tears.

The two of them walked, side by side, out of the Great Hall of Canterlot Castle.

+ + +

The two of them approached the tower.

As they came closer, Princess Celestia noticed something odd—the door appeared crooked. Upon reaching the tower, she realized it was much more than crooked, it was completely off its hinges!

This was her first warning.

“Twilight, are you prepared to face Fluttershy again?”

“I… I think I can—with you, Princess.”

That will have to be enough, Princess Celestia thought to herself.

The two of them walked, side by side, into the foyer of the tower.

Then up the stairs.

Then into Twilight’s room.

Then into Fluttershy’s room.

Then into all the other rooms in the tower.

And found no one.

Not Fluttershy.

Not anyone.

The fifth Element, like the others, was gone.

Comments

[journcy]

Fluttershy!
Sorry if this chapter is iffy... Fluttershy is hard for me to write--a lot like Rarity, actually.
But next chapter is last chapter (probably), and next chapter ought to be up soon! (Like, days at the most. Probably later tonight.)

That is all!
Journcy Out.

(P.S.- Fun fact--this chapter originally ended after "'Yes… Yes, you are, my little pony…' Princess Celestia said, walking to Twilight and putting a wing over her. 'You’re here, Twilight. You’re with me. It will all be all right.'" But then I started writing the next chapter, and the beginning just seemed to go better on the end of this, so I stuck it here.)

EDIT: I updated the coverart. Not sure how I feel about that. It's kinda abstract... What do y'all think, which is better? These arrows, or the posters?

[Avenging-Hobbits]

The posters where better.

Also, FLUTTERHULK SMASH

[shyguy7829]

Judging from her previous reactions, I believe Twilight is dangerously close to severe depression.

[CommanderFakingShepard]

Posters

[Mitsubishi Colt]

What a depressing story to read so far. But with such a title, what do you expect? I actually fear what will happen to Twilight now...seeing as she wields a lot of power and has a dragon that she was able to grow like it was nothing. If the poor mares sanity slips, maybe she forces her friends to return: A probably braindead Applejack due to coma. A zombie-version of Rainbow Dash. A party-mare named Pinkie who wants nothing to do with parties anymore. A snobbish turning Rarity, seemingly caring less and less for her friends. And Fluttershy, bursting with rage and probably attacking anything that arises her ire.
Sounds like a real horror-scenario to me, if you ask me. Of course, this is all speculation. But at the rate, this fic is going on...

...I wonder how Spike reacts to all of this.

[fluttershywriter]

oh god, the feels...