Convergence Series: Journeys

by TheGreatEater

Chapter 18: Fluttershy: Fears

A/N: Don’t hate me. But yeah I have a hate on towards Hoops and Dumb Bell, as well as Fluttershy's parents and this chapter will make Fluttershy lovers probably foam at the mouth in rage at some points. If you hated Gilda, be prepared for worse.

As Fluttershy stood at the fog covered entrance as the others walked before her. She felt her legs shake with fear from the unknown challenges before her. It was a good idea at the time, standing beside Twilight as a way to show her thanks for the life changing even that she had given her. But her old, fearful self had poked its head as she was faced with moving forward into something that she had no idea what the outcome would be. I have to trust Twilight. She’s never let me down before and if it wasn’t for her I’d still be one step shy of being a hermit. So come on Fluttershy, you can do this.

As she moved forward she was enveloped by the fog. As she moved forwards the fog shifted to flight camp. She felt a tinge of dread as the old memories of that place hit her like a bag of bricks.

“Why am I here?” She asked her self, looking down to confirm her 9 year old self.

“Hey Klutzershy! You might want to step away from the edge of that cloud. You don’t want to fall again do you?” Dumb Bell laughed.

“Yeah there might not be any butterflies to save you!” Hoops chimed in.

“Ha! Butterflies are so weak, just like you Klutzershy, but at least they can fly.”

Fluttershy visibly recoiled at their taunting, as she tried to physically make herself as small a target as possible. “Why are you always so mean to me? What did I ever do to you?”

“What’s that? You want to know what you did?” Hoops asked menacingly strolling towards her, “Simple. You were born. You call yourself a Pegasus, but you can’t fly, you’re weak, and none. And I repeat, no one. Actually cares about you. Tartarus, even your so called friend Rainbow Dash let you fall, to what she could have know was to your death without so much as a second glance. Much less a first one. You. Should. Just. Die.”

This caused Fluttershy to weep her eyes out. She remembered this day, well not this particular day but many like it. Few know but her staying on the ground was less out of loving the earth and it’s animals. But rather out of the mental scars that were inflicted before and especially after she gained her Cutie Mark. To have Hoops basically say this pained her deeply.

“ Hey who are you bullying this time Hoops!” Fluttershy heard from her fetal position. Recognizing it as Rainbow Dash she hopped up and ran to her savior.

“It’s just Fluttershy.”

As Rainbow Dash landed, positioning Fluttershy between her and the edge of the cloud she was on gave her a look of pure disgust. “Oh it’s her. Well I should leave you too it, after all it’s not like she’ll ever be anything other than a burden to everypony she meets.”

By this time Fluttershy’s hopes were dashed and her voice quivered as she asked, “What are you saying Rainbow?”

“Easy Flutters,” Rainbow Dash answered as she placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s chest. With each word she gave a shove pushing Fluttershy closer and closer to the edge of the cloud. “You are a burden. You’re weak, pathetic, and you’re holding me back. You. Are. On. You’re. Own.”

As Rainbow Dash finished her last push shoved Fluttershy over the edge. Her heart just like her body plummeted as she fell. How can Rainbow do this to me? Am I really such a burden? Thoughts like those rose in her mind as her stubborn wings refused to open. Then just as she landed onto the cold, jagged, unforgiving earth. The fog wrapped around her.

The next thing she knew she was walking through the Everfree forest the dark woods closing around her like the jaws of a predatory beast that the forest was known for. She looked around and noticed the area, it was actually nearly a mile away from her cottage. She would come here from time to time to rehabilitate the more carnivorous animals that came to her hut to be tended to. As such a lot of the animals here that would tear into a pony in a moments notice protected her from preternatural creatures as well as other predators.

Off in the direction of her cottage she saw huge billows of smoke. Knowing the signs of a fire she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her wings all but forgotten in her mad rush to save her animal friends. As she drew near she noticed that her cottage was in flames. She her animals massacred as a huge red dragon flew above the cottage throwing boulders and breathing fire on her property. She went livid at the sight of all her friends maimed and burning bodies. As she flew at the dragon a boulder clipped her wings causing her to crash just as the clawed hand of the dragon pinned her to the ground.

“You thought that your stare was enough to permanently banish me? I am a dragon, we are the apex predators of the planet and more evolved than your pathetic race. You should have heard the animals scream for you to save them. Only to find out that you would never come for them. It was delightful.”

“M-M-My other fr-friends-s will c-com-come and save m-me!” Fluttershy stuttered in a mixture of pain and pure dread.

“Why not ask them yourself? There they are.” He said pointing to the side where the other Element bearers sat eating popcorn while Fluttershy’s world literally burned around her.

“WHY AREN’T YOU HELPING ME!?” Fluttershy screamed with enough force that it rivaled her cheering for Rainbow Dash when she did the sonic rainboom for the Young Flier’s Competition.

“Easy Flutters, as I said you’re on your own.” Rainbow Dash said while she stared daggers at Fluttershy.

“That and I can’t believe that a failure of a Pegasus such as your self could even be considered worthy of being an Element of Harmony,” Twilight chimed in. Giving Rainbow Dash a hoof bump. “Honestly speaking you’re not worth the effort to help. You never were and never will be. After all after all the help you get you rarely ever improve. Even then you fall right back into your old ways. Face it you are the most pathetic thing alive.”

“T-Th-This is Discord’s d-doing! I kn-kn-know it has to be!” Fluttershy said her body shaking like a leaf as her coat greyed.

“Ha! No it isn’t Flutters. As i said before you are nothing more than a burden. A waste of space. You are nothing. So why don’t you just die already.”

Just then the dragons maw flew to her and she knew nothing but pain. As the world faded into darkness she was aware of a dark fog wrapping around her again, from the cool moistness that clung to her body. When her sight returned she was in Cloudsdale at her families house. She tried her best to remember how she got here and what she was supposed to do. But for the life of her she could only remember that she had lost everything that mattered in life. Her friends hated her, her animals were murdered for no reason, and her fear of dragons had grown exponentially since she remembered being attacked by one.

As she walked into the living room she saw her mother and father sitting on the cloud couch. When they saw her they asked her to sit down across from them. She vaguely remembered this moment, and she hated what was coming. “So what do you want to talk about?”

“Listen Fluttershy, we love you but with your Cutie Mark we can’t be associated with you. We are from a long line of proud pegasi, your father’s family has been treasurers and accountants since Cloudsdales founding. While my family has been in the royal guard or military since the Equestria was created. We are direct descendants of Private Pansy herself. Your Cutie Mark is the most Earth Pony, un-pegasi like cutie mark one can have. I am afraid that we have to kick you out. We were hoping you’d learn to fly at Flight Camp, but apparently you only aim to crush our dreams for your future. Not only are you a Pegasi who can barely fly even though you have it in you to do so, but your Cutie Mark basically banishes you from a life in the skies. We’ll help you move out then your on your own.” Her mother lectured her while her father sat staring at the door as if he was pretending that Fluttershy never existed in the first place.

“But I’m only 9. How am I supposed to take care of myself?”

“That isn’t our concern. Just be glad we aren’t back in the good old days when a weak Pegasi would be kicked off a cloud to their deaths. At least you have a chance of living on the ground, up here you are nothing more than a burden the rest of us would have to carry.”

“I-I Love you Mommy! Daddy don’t make me go! I’ll do better I promise” A crying Fluttershy said.

“It’s too late. Either get packed or I’ll pack for you.” Her mother stated while rising from the couch.

I really am nothing more than a burden. I remember this moment, bit by bit. I never told anypony why I live on the ground. Or why I never speak to my family. It’s like I told Discord. I know I’m weak and useless, but I was grateful that they gave me the time of day. But now I really have nothing left. After all who could love me if my own parents think I'm worth even less than a common mule. By this time old wounds had opened up and her coat was a dull grey as she marched into the streets of Cloudsdale. The other ponies avoiding as if she had some communicable disease. This wasn’t her memory, just her feelings taking shape in the twisted landscape of her fears.

What am I doing? I have to stop being a burden to ponies! I need to toughen up! But I remember what this place is, it shows one their worst fears and I need to persevere. I need to get to Rainbow and the others. Then I need to show them that I can do better, be better. I won’t be weak any more.

Even with this resolve though the fog did not change. Since it was easy to try having resolve when things seem calm. But it is always the challenges that test it. So it was for Fluttershy when she was surrounded by all her tormenters, family, friends, and the dead, charred faces of her animal friends. Seeing them spin around and around singing the chant that she feared and hated the most. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can’t hardly fly!” As that chant went over and over again. She felt her resolve breaking away until she fully focused on Rainbow Dash.

“NO!” As she screamed that one word her will to move forward outweighed her fears and the fog wrapped around her before revealing a hallway. Before her she saw a dark colored Rainbow Dash and she ran towards it. She was always following Rainbow Dash, but now she’d catch up and tell her how she felt. Prove to her that she wasn’t a burden. Not anymore.

Comments

[Deathpony45]

I know the next chapter is just going to be harder on Fluttershy than this one. So her acceptance chapter better be good!! Come on man poor Fluttershy. Anyways as always loved it. One question was the thing with her parents a memory or a twisted possibility? Other than that the usually few grammatical mistakes just a few and not too many other than that I had no problems with the chapter oh but I can just tell imma love the next one