Just Keep Smiling

by Serenity Grace

Silent Night

Warning: The Ponies in this fanfiction are in human form, due to how I imagined and planned the piece. They will continue to be known as “unicorns”, “Pegasi” and “Griffons” out of respect for their certain races! Enjoy, and have a Merry Hearth’s Warming Eve!

Disclaimer: I do not own these ponies or the original Prompt for this (#208: The night before...), that belongs to 30minuteponies. The only thing that I do own is the ideas and the writing!

....

Twas the Night before of Hearth’s Warming Eve….and she just kept smiling.

“….tershy….?”

“…Fluttershy….?”

“Fluttershy!”

“H-Huh!?” The pink haired girl gasped, her thoughts broken by the sound of her name being called. She slowly glanced towards the owner of the slightly irritated voice. Her best friend and Ponyville’s top fashion designer stood there with a pout, dark purple curls covering a bit of her perfect complexion. “O-Oh….H-Hi, Rarity….”

“Darling, you really need to stop daydreaming like that. Somebody is going to take advantage of you eventually because of it….” Fluttershy slightly tensed up at the unicorn girl’s words, eyes widening ever so slightly.

Taken…advantage of….

Her hand slowly ran across her sleeve covered arm, as if looking for a specific area. Meanwhile, Rarity slowly rolled her eyes. “Come along now sweetie, we’re going to be late for Pinkie’s Hearth’s Warming Party. After all, some of us are going to be in Canterlot tomorrow and might not see the others….” And with a soft tug to her shyer friend’s hand, the girls began to walk down the cold yet busy street toward Sugarcube Corner. For those few minutes, silence overtook both friends, before Rarity once again spoke up.

“I had been meaning to ask, and Pinkie Pie was wondering as well….you seemed to disappear rather early during our little brunch yesterday, and no one had even seen you until this morning. Where in Celestia did your adorable self go wandering off to?”

….Fluttershy had been dreading for this question to come up. Still, her typical shy and gentle smile went across her plump, slightly pink lips.

“O-Oh…um, well….I was a bit tired, so I went home early to rest up for today. A-Also, I wanted to check on the animals and make sure they were all happy and warm enough….y-yeah…..”

Rarity glanced towards the winged girl with a cock of a brow, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel a lump enter her throat. Would….she buy it?

“…Mm, that does sound like you, after all. Alright, well hopefully you will stay late tonight and celebrate our second Hearth’s Warming…” The pink haired girl let out a barely audible sigh of relief. Good….she seemed to believe her. She just couldn’t tell Rarity, or anybody else for that matter….especially not….

“Oh! Did you know that Rainbow Dash will actually be joining us this time?”
It took all of the Pegasus girl’s willpower not to stop dead in her tracks.

“….She….She is….?”

“Yes, that adrenaline loving speed demon had actually managed to get a day off, though I still question how she managed to convince them,” The diva of Ponyville pushed some more of her soft and conditioned hair strands behind her ear, gently pulling Fluttershy towards a turn that they needed to take before arriving at that familiar pink bakery. “I think it is because that Gilda is back…”

….Just keep smiling….

“….O-Oh….? I…I thought she and Rainbow weren’t friends any more…” She faked innocence, averting her soft teal eyes back towards the cool and hard pavement.

“That’s what I had thought as well, but Pinkie had said that they have been talking for quite a while and decided to start over, so long as Gilda promises not to make fun of any of her friends, or anybody for that matter entirely. I haven’t seen her yet, but Pinkie told me that so far, Gilda’s been well behaved….say….” They were only a few feet away from their destination when Rarity stopped in tracks, glancing towards the older girl with another arch of her perfectly waxed eyebrow.
“Didn’t you say once that you knew Gilda back when you still lived in Cloudsdale?”

…Just….Just keep smiling….

“O-Oh, um….yeah…a little bit, I guess…I didn’t know her too well…she was always around Rainbow, and…well…I don’t think she liked me very much….” Fluttershy muttered, a smile with the tiniest hint of bitterness over her features.

That’s only an understatement…

“Mm, but that’s impossible! You’re such a lovable and gentle hearted person! In fact, I was outright APPALLED by the fact that she had even made you cry that one day! And you know if Rainbow Dash had heard about what happened-“

“She won’t know!!!!!!”

….Fluttershy hadn’t meant to shout, she really didn’t. She understood Rarity’s concern and was eternally grateful for it. But….it was too late. No one could help her now….she was in too far deep. And if Rainbow Dash knew what Gilda had did….among….other things…

Then Hearth’s Warming Eve would hold just another bitter memory for the already unstable girl…

“…..Dear…..” Rarity whispered, not out of hurt for being yelled at, but out of true worry for her shaking best friend. “…Is…something—“

The door to Sugarcube Corner burst open, and Pinkie Pie’s grinning face appeared from the warm insides of the already hustle and bustling party.

“There you two are!!! Come in Come in, everybody else is already here!!!” she chirped as she ran back inside, singing some type of song about the many holiday cakes and beverages that she had on the table. Rarity held back an urge to rub her temples out of irritation from her party-loving friend, before turning back towards Fluttershy to finish her question. But, instead of the shaky and silent pink haired girl from before, she saw that usual shy and loving smile adorned on that adorable face.

“W-Well….shall we go in?” she asked in a soft yet happy fashion.

Just....Just keep smiling....

…..

Pinkie’s party went off without a hitch, as per usual. There was plenty of talking, joking and laughing all around. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity handed out their presents towards everybody early, as both unicorn girls along with Spike and Sweetie Belle would be in Canterlot all of the next day. Fluttershy smiled at her two new presents: a handknitted scarf from Rarity and a book about tropical and jungle animals from Twilight. Spike even gave her a gift….it was a hug, but it was still a wonderful gift.

It was a perfect evening to spend with your best friends. There was only one small flaw in this celebration…

Gilda came with Rainbow Dash to the party, and Fluttershy was avoiding them both like the plague because of it.

At times, the greenish blue eyed girl could feel a pair of confused rose orbs glancing in her direction, but she would only swiftly walk over to talk with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Gilda barely even spoke (aside from talking to Dash about some new tricks she wanted to try with her), and that was just fine. So long as she continued to ignore the two of them, Fluttershy would be fine.

She just needed to keep smiling...

“Fluttershy, aren’t you really REALLY warm? That’s such a heavy sweater!” Pinkie Pie chirped at some point, causing Rarity to overhear her.

“Yes darling, it’s covering both your neck and practically your two little hands...”

“…I-I’m fine…” the girl in question managed a shaky response. Her two best friends were still not convinced.

“Are you wearing anything under it?” Rarity asked in a gentle fashion, and Fluttershy shook her head to respond with a ‘no’. “In that case, why don’t you ask Pinkie Pie for a change of shirts? You’re going to have a heat stroke at this rate.”

“I-I said I’m fine, b-but thank you though….”

“Buuuuuut!” Pinkie objected with a small pout, “You look really warm, I really think that you should-“

“I SAID THAT I’M FINE!!!!” Fluttershy practically yelled in aggravation, causing everybody to cease their mingling and turn towards the source of the loud noise, both Rarity and Pinkie Pie looking rather shocked by their quiet friend’s outburst.

“…Fluttershy…..?” The timid girl overheard Rainbow Dash’s soft and concerned voice from all the way across the room, and she shook her head, putting another one of her kind smiles across her lips.

“I-I’m really sorry, but I think I should head home now…it-it was great seeing all of you…!!” and without another word, Fluttershy practically flew out of the bakery and away from the many pairs of concerned eyes.

….
“Dash…isn’t coming?” a nine year old Fluttershy blinked with wide sea-green eyes, staring up at her sad looking parents with a surprised expression.

“No, sweetie…” her father began to explain, “She went missing this morning…along with that Griffon friend of hers. According to a letter left at her desk…the two of them had run away to ‘travel the world’ or something like that…”

“But….But she promised…she promised that she would see me on Hearth’s Warming Eve because she missed my birthday party. S-She promised me!” She could feel the tears start to build up in her eyes as her mother pulled her close, embracing the child in a loving hug.

“I’m so sorry, little angel…I’m sure Rainbow has been very troubled lately. She would never try to hurt you on purpose…” she whispered as her father growled.

“And I’m pretty sure that Griffon has been terrible influence on her….they’ve always been nothing but trouble.”
“Dear, stop….” Fluttershy’s mother warned her husband, then gasped when her only daughter pulled away from her hug…and ran off towards her bedroom. “F-Fluttershy!”

“Let her go….” Her husband sighed, placing a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I think she needs to comprehend this all on her own….”

On that particular night, it had begun to snow….

Fluttershy continued to stare out of her large window, watching each little snowflake fall down towards the ground. She wished she was one of those flakes…there was nothing here anymore.
The only reason she stayed here…the only reason she didn’t run away….was….because….

“You…promised you’d never leave……” the little girl whispered in barely an audible tone, pressing her tiny hand against the cool window glass as a lone tear slowly slipped down her cheek.

….

You promised me...

Fluttershy shook the memory out of her head, reaching into her sweater pocket to retrieve the key to her home. It was just a bad memory, nothing more….Rainbow Dash was back in her life and has been for a couple of years now, and they were rebuilding their friendship again. Everything was fine….then...why was she still so saddened whenever the night before this supposedly cheerful holiday came around? And...why did whenever she look at Rainbow...did a small tinge of bitterness go through her heart?

The sound of a footstep suddenly startled the young girl, and she slowly turned in response. Did somebody follow her from the party…? "R-Rarity, Pinkie Pie...? ...Y-You guys, I'm so--"

In a sudden and quick movement, the figure slammed Fluttershy back against her house door, a pair of piercing gold hawk-like eyes glaring into her own fearful ones.

“You haven’t said anything….right…?” Gilda snarled deeply, and Fluttershy slowly shook her head silently. It only made the Griffon girl madder, tufts of her short and messy white hair covering bits of her tan face. “Well!? Talk!! You certainly had the volume for it at the party!” the grip increased on the girl’s shoulders, and Fluttershy winced in pain as old bruises caused by this same person were beginning to throb once again, talons pressing past the sweater's barriers and into her already broken flesh. It hurt....It hurt so bad....and she really was too warm, like her concerned friends had mentioned.

But it was the only top she had that would cover everything up....

“N-No! I-I haven’t said anything, I swear!” she cried out. Gilda’s eyes narrowed, but she took the response and threw the girl from her grasp, causing Fluttershy to whimper in pain from the sudden impact.

“Good….you’re keeping your word…and you better continue to keep your word about these little ‘visits’…or I’ll make sure that Dash leaves again…and this time, for GOOD.” And with that, a cruel and dark smirk fell across her features. “Heh….you’re cute when you look like you’re about to cry….” And with that, the Griffon was gone.

Fluttershy could only stare at where she once was, eyes widening ever so slightly…

She just had to keep smiling....

She couldn’t hold back any more…

[iBecause as long as she pretended...and kept smiling...]

And tears slowly began to run down her cheeks.

[iShe would never be left again....]

Twas the night before Hearth’s Warming Eve…

And all a certain winged girl could do was cry and cry as the first comings of snow began to fall to the ground.

-end-

Author's Note:

....I'm horrible to Fluttershy, aren't I? And to think, she's my absolute favorite! At any case, this idea has been brewing through my head ever since I began talking to this chick who was also a Gilda cosplayer. Her Gilda and my Fluttershy now have this very dark headcanon where Gilda actually is crueler to Fluttershy behind the scenes and has been ever since they were little, treating her like a possession and...pretty much abusing her. Rainbow Dash (being the braniac she is) has no idea that any of this had been happening, and Gilda has fooled Fluttershy into thinking that if anybody finds out, Dash would leave and never come back. (When in reality, Gilda would be a roasted Griffon if Dash figured that ANYTHING had been happening to HER girl). So, consider this depressing little one-shot a teaser to a bigger production in the future! I really hope that you all enjoy!

Comments

[icemoonn]

sad