Fluttershy was taking a long time to get dressed. It wasn't that she was having a hard time deciding what to wear ( which she was) but because she knew her mother had been drinking again and she didn't want to wear anything that might set her off. Fluttershy's mom wasn't a mean drunk. She was a mean sober and drunk. It's just when she was drunk, she was extra mean.

Crystal Shy was about 5'5" - 5'7" and north of 350 pounds. She walked with a cane because her knees could no longer support her bulk. She had short, thinning hair and a face prematurely aged by too much drink, smoking, and anger. She hadn't always been this bad. Oh, she always had a mean, narcissistic streak to her; but she also used to be hot. And being hot covers a multitude of sins for most boys. She had many would be suitors. She played them all to get what she wanted. A little eye flutter, a little pout, and they gave her whatever she wanted. She never took any of them seriously; until she met Hank Shy.

Her father had been a geeky, but good looking boy. Unlike the others, he showed no interest in her. She was so shocked by his lack of interest, she pursued him as the other boys had pursued her. Eventually she wore him down and they started dating. After graduation, they got married. He went to college to become an engineer and she stayed home. A year later, they had their first child, a boy. Three years after that, they had Fluttershy.

As Hank graduated, got a job, and started to climb the corporate ladder, Crystal became bitter and resentful. She started drinking and smoking and binge eating. She would lash out verbally and sometimes physically at the others. Eventually Hank had enough and got a divorce. He got custody of the boy, she got the house, alimony, and Fluttershy; who she blamed for everything.

Life with her was hard. Fluttershy often wondered what she did that nobody loved her, Her dad took her brother, but left her. She hadn't seen either of them in years. And her mother had crushed her spirit inside. Only her friends kept her going. And her best friend was Rainbow Dash, whom she had known the longest.

She decided to go with a grey pair of sweat pants and an oversized green shirt. She put on a pair of sneakers, tied her hair back, and didn't even bother to put any make-up on; which she hated. Fluttershy was a girlie-girl. She loved fashion and dressing up and make-up and just being a young girl. It was the reason she and Rarity bonded so quickly. But now was not the time for that. Now was the time for caution.

Slowly and gently Fluttershy made her way down the stairs. Slowly and quietly, she made her way to the front door. She had just grabbed a hold of the door when she heard her mother call out.

"Fluttershy! Where you at girl?"

Fluttershy cringed. So close, yet so far from escape. "I'm here momma. I'm just on my way to school. You need anything?" she called back.

"Yeah, a daughter who isn't a whore! But that ain't gonna happen now, is girl?" Crystral drunkenly sneered.

"Momma! Please!" Fluttershy pleaded to her mother.

"'Momma, please!'," Crystal mocked back. "Don't Momma please me! I know what you're up to. That outfit isn't fooling me. Same way with that 'band' of yours with your whore friends. The only thing you're shaking is that butt of yours for all the boys." Crystal got up and waddled over to Fluttershy. "Well guess what girlie? - I aint takin' care of any of your bastard children for you."

"Momma, I'm not like that! I haven't even been out on a date yet. I'm a good girl momma." Fluttershy was in tears now.

Crystal shouted, "LIAR!" and brought her massive arm down across Fluttershy's face, causing her to fall out of the door. " You ruined my life! You caused my husband to leave me and take my son with him! I lost everything cause of you!"

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Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were walking to school. They preferred to walk. Both were athletic and saw walking as another opportunity to workout. Rainbow was Scoot's idol. She was a tom boy like herself and was a world class athlete, which Scoot also wanted to be. The only difference was Rainbow tended to go for more team sports, like soccer and Scoot was more into individual, "extreme" sports. Also, both were only children and saw in each other the sister they always wanted. So every morning, Rainbow walked to Scoot's house, then they both went to Fluttershy's, and they all walked to school together.

As they got to Fluttershy's house, they gasped at what they saw, Fluttershy falling out of the front door with her mother coming out after and yelling at her. Rainbow knew the hell Fluttershy had to endure. Rainbow started running over to the house yelling, "LEAVE HER ALONE YOU FAT DRUNK!"

Crystal looked over to Rainbow. "Well, well. If it ain't little miss; it is miss now, cause I can't really tell."

"Why? Too drunk to see you old witch?" Rainbow angrily responded back.

Scootaloo grabbed Rainbow's arm to hold her back. When Rainbow was mad, she didn't think straight. She would try to take on this mammoth woman and lose.

"Your little boyfriend there has the right idea. You better all just get now," Crystal mocked, hoping to get Rainbow to attack.

Fluttershy, who was still down on the porch saw an opportunity and knocked her mother's cane out from under her mother; causing her to fall forward. "RUN!" Fluttershy shouted and all three took off.

Crystal yelled from behind them, "YOU GOTTA COME HOME SOMETIME GIRL! AND I'LL BE WAITIN' ON YA!"

Rainbow turned around, shot Crystal the finger, and yelled, "EAT IT WITCH!", and turned back around. All three ran all the way to school.

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Rarity and Sweetie Belle were the first to arrive at the statue, the gang's new meeting spot. There they made small talk until Applejack and Apple Bloom arrived.

"Applejack darling, I have a formal invitation to my birthday party for you and all the girls. Let me give it to . . ." Rarity stopped dead as she stared at something behind Applejack. Applejack turned around to see what Rarity was looking at. "Is that Pinkie and Sonata? And are they holding hands?"

Applejack looked and sure enough, Pinkie and Sonata were walking towards, holding hands. "I knew they were close, but that's a bit much, dontchya think?" Apple asked, confused.

"Maybe they're closer than we thought." Rarity responded, raising her one eyebrow.

"Pinkie? Nooooo. Rainbow Dash, sure, I'd believe that. But not Pinkie." Applejack said.

Just then Pinkie and Sonata got up to them. "Girls," Pinkie said. "Sonata and I have a special announcement to make; WE'RE IN LOVE!" Pinkie and Sonata yelled the last part together and started jumping up and down.

"You were saying?" Rarity said to Applejack.

Before she could respond, they were all struck speechless by what they saw next. It was Sunset Shimmer walking with, "TWILIGHT!" they all shouted and ran over to her.

"Oh, hey girls. I told you I'd be back." Twilight laughed nervously as she spoke.

But just as they were about to pepper Twilight with questions; they saw Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Scoot-a-loo running onto campus. And as they got closer, they could see Fluttershy had a black eye.

"Fluttershy! What happened?" Sunset exclaimed.

"TWILIGHT!" Flash shouted and everyone turned to face him. He came running, grabbed Twilight and kissed her. "So you decided to come to school while you're here?"

"ALRIGHT!" Applejack shouted. "Would any of y'all, any, mind tellin' me what in they hay is going on here?"

They all just kind of looked around at each other, not knowing what to say. Then Twilight stepped forward. "Um, I think I'll start. It goes like this . . ."

Author's Notes:

Ok, this is the second version of this chapter. The one I originally wrote, which was much better imho, got lost when my computer decided to take a dump on me. What really sucked was that I was almost done with it and had to start from scratch again, from memory. That sucked!

Story points; I went a little dark with Fluttershy, I know. But she always seemed too shy to me. I had to think of a way to explain it to myself. I figured an abusive parent would be the most logical assumption. It may not fit as neatly with the films, but it makes sense to me and as another level of drama to the story.

As I said, this version is the second and I believe inferior. But I still believe this does what it needs to do and sets up another major scene latter on in the story. Hopefully you all stick with me.