Dissonance
Chapter 3: Cruelty
Previous Chapter Next ChapterI wipe my eyes, there's no turning back now. I flip the page.
Kindness
I smile, oh Fluttershy. I remember when we first met how totally enthralled she was with me. She was the only pony who ever took interest in my life. It was easy to see to any one who ever met her that she was the element of pure kindness. I smile in remembrance of her. There was no softer heart than hers.
"Well, I guess forgiveness is important. I forgave them throughout the years. It was hard at first especially with all that they did…"
The small filly sits alone in her room again. She plays with her small dolls.
"No Mr. shoeshine! Please don't take me away," She whispers, very quiet as to not wake her mother. "Oh Miss. Candysweets you shall come with me" She does all the voices for the different characters. Alone in her little cloud room in her little cloud house within the vast city of Cloudsdale lives a small family.
The filly suddenly stops her play at the sound of a door slamming. The color fades from her yellow fur. Her father's home. She is still as a rabbit hearing a predator.
"FLUTTERSHY!" Yells the strong male voice coming from downstairs. The yellow filly lowers her head so her soft pink mane falls forward covering her face. She slowly steps out of the room and into the hall.
"Yes father?" She whimpers, her voice is soft and barely audible.
"Get down here now!" he orders. Quietly, Fluttershy steps down the cloud stairs and approaches the tall yellow stallion standing in the living room. The scent of alcohol reeks around him and wafts around the room hitting Fluttershy's eyes and causes them to sting. "Have you practiced flying?" He roars.
"I…I tried…sir…" She mutters.
"Tried!? There is no try!" He growls.
"Yes sir." Fluttershy lowers her head.
"I was captain of the Wonderbolts for crying out loud!" He roars. "I didn't give that up to have a filly who can't even fly!" Rage is etched on his face. Fluttershy doesn't attempt to make eye contact.
"He would come home every day the same way. He would drink so much hard cider that our house permanently smelled like it. I guess that's why I like to keep a clean house…" I stop reading for a moment to get a glass of water. This is going to be a doozy I can feel it. I leave my chambers and walk to the kitchen, inside sitting at the head of the table is Princess Celestia. She is alone.
"Hi Princess" I make my presence known.
"Hello Spike. Are you finished with the book?" She asks.
"No I'm still reading it. Just getting a glass of water." I state, grabbing the glass and filling it with water from the kitchen sink.
"I see. Well tell me when you are finished. I would sure like to read it when you are done." The Princess reminds me.
"Of course" I smile and make my exit. I wonder why she's in the kitchen alone. No doubt trying to steal some of the cake the chef made last night. I shake my head while entering my room and plop back down on my bed to continue reading.
"You wanna know something?" He looks down on her, as she quivers in fright from him. "I wanted a son. A strong young colt to take after me and all I got was you!" His drunken ramble increases. Fluttershy closes her eyes out of fear.
"Stop it!" Came a mare's voice from atop the stairs. "What did I tell you about coming home drunk and tormenting our daughter like that!" She starts to make her way down the stairs to confront him. She is a tall mare with a light teal coat and a pink mane.
"Shut up!" He raises his hoof and strikes her across the face. She stumbles. "And what can you do? All you do is lay in bed all day moping! You good for nothing mule!" He strikes her again, this time the mare falters and falls to the floor, her eyes closed and sobbing lightly. Fluttershy stands up and races to her mother. She nuzzles her. "Get away from her!" yells her father as he lunges after Fluttershy, who quickly sidesteps him. He stumbles forward as Fluttershy runs and hides under their couch. "Get back here!" He roars and uses his massive strength to move the couch. He bites her tail and drags her across the room.
Fluttershy opens her wings and tries to fly but she barely gets in the air. He easily pulls her down and she hits the cloud floor with a thwop.
I wipe tears from my eyes. Never would I have ever of guessed that a pony so kind to every animal and creature she ever met was subject to such torture. I feel awful that I never knew, that I couldn't be the one to help her.
Part of me wants to close the book and forget that I ever read this intimate testimony. But I know I can't. That would be wrong of me to disgrace her memory. I shall continue on.
"Not long after that I was enrolled in flight school…"
"I'm sick of looking at you" Was the reason given to Fluttershy when she asked her father why she was being sent to summer flight camp. She held her emotions inside and tried to hide the tears that were knocking at the door.
Her bags were already pre-packed for her and the taxi was paid for. She left in the morning. Forever leaving her parents behind, she didn't look back, instead she kept her eyes planted on the floor of the cab.
"The filly's and colts at flight camp were not nice, their insults still ring out in my head, "Klutzershy", "Flutterfail" among many others still haunt my memory. I could never understand how some ponies could be so cruel. I guess I never will.
"When I found out my father drank himself to death I did not cry. I guess that is my own cruelty showing through. I didn't loose a wink of sleep over the letter from my mother that said what he had done. In fact, and I hate to admit it, I was kind of glad. Oh my that sounds truly awful. I am so sorry."
My brow furrows as the story ends. Just like that. I can't begin to comprehend what Fluttershy held in for so many years.
I look outside and see Celestia guiding her sun down over the horizon and Luna raising her moon. I turn on my lamp and continue reading.