Chapter 9

When they all exited the sacred chamber and returned to the castle, the girls all sat at various parts of the throne room in silence. They really messed up this time, arguing so badly right in front of Celestia and Spike. Celestia looked so sad as she faded away, and while Spike was always hard on them, he had never outright yelled at them like that.

It was no wonder they couldn't morph.

“Can someone say something?” Pinkie Pie asked softly.

“What's there to say?” Rarity asked, “Spike is right. Luna is here now, and we're nowhere near ready.”

“I'm sorry everyone,” Twilight said hugging her knees, “I don't know how I did it. I even tried it again when we got up here, but it's hopeless. I'm hopeless.”

“No, you're not,” Fluttershy sighed, “You're the only one who's got the right idea. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me…”

“I should apologize too…” Applejack added, “I shouldn't have attacked you like that, Fluttershy,” she laughed sadly, “All I do is attack. Some leader, huh?” Applejack looked up at the moonlit sky, “I guess… in the end I am jus' a screw up.”

“No, you guys at least have valid feelings,” Pinkie Pie said, sitting down in the throne and kicking her legs out, “I forgot how serious this is. So far, all I've been doing is playing.”

“Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?” Rarity asked folding her arms and leaning against a pillar, “We fucked up, big time. I wouldn't be surprised if they never wanted to see us again after that.”

“What is that mental block we keep hittin?” Applejack asked, “It don't make any sense. We're tryin our best, we're thinkin about each other when we morph. I know I'm thinkin about y'all.”

“I think about you all the time,” Twilight said, “But I can't morph on command.”

“The issue is, we don't care about each other,” Rarity said, “I mean, can we really say that we'd ever hang out with each other if not for this?”

Pinkie Pie looked around trying to answer one way, but then shook her head, “Nope, sorry. I mean, you girls are cool and all, but… I don't think anyone here besides Twilight would like anime.”

“I've never watched it,” Twilight said with a sigh, “I'm always either on my computer, or playing a video game.”

Pinkie Pie sighed, “See? That proves it.”

Fluttershy looked to the side a bit rubbing her arm and then closed her eyes, “Follow me.”

“Where are we goin’?” Applejack asked.

“Someplace where we can fix our issue,” Fluttershy said, “This is a special place to me so…”

Instead of finishing her sentence, Fluttershy walked off. Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack all looked at each other, and then followed after Fluttershy. The walk to wherever she was taking them was silent, and she was leading them deeper into the Everfree Forest. Eventually, they all came to what looked like a small cave. The inside of it was surprisingly pretty, as it was lined with moss and the ground was covered in a bed of soft green grass. In the center of the cave was a circle of stones surrounding a pile of wood, and nearby was a blanket that looked like it had been burned a few times, probably to put out fires.

“Well, here we are…” Fluttershy said awkwardly, “Make yourselves at home, I guess.”

“This place is so pretty,” Pinkie Pie said as they all walked in and sat down.

“The décor is surprisingly nice,” Rarity pointed out, “Almost like a home.”

“That's the idea,” Fluttershy said taking a deep breath, “My parents don't practice wicca, so I need a place where I can safely worship, cast spells, and just… be alone.”

She reached behind a stone and pulled out a box of matched, and used one to light the fire in the middle. She then walked to another section of the cave, grabbing a handful of a shimmering powder from a bag and throwing it into the fire, not only making it shoot up a bit, but also causing a relaxing sweet scent to emanate from the middle.

“That feels really nice,” Twilight said with a relaxed smile, “What is it?”

“It's a special herb that I ground into a powder,” Fluttershy explained sitting down by the fire with everyone, “It relaxes both the mind and body.”

“This must be hard for ya,” Applejack said looking around, “This place looks like it's important to ya, so invitin’ the four of us here…”

“It… is,” Fluttershy admitted, “But… I figured I owed you this much after, you know…”

“You're letting us into a place close to your heart,” Rarity said, “That means a lot, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy nodded, hugging her knees tightly.

“So… we're here now,” Applejack said, “Now what?”

“We need to get to know each other,” Twilight said, “So far we only know each other at face value, but I think to morph on command, we need to know each other on a deeper level.”

“You only know us on a shallow level, and you still managed,” Fluttershy pointed out. Twilight looked down and rubbed her leg.

“I… think that was just luck,” Twilight admitted, “I was scared because… I didn't want to lose any of you. I've never had real friends before, but since becoming Power Rangers I became friends with the four of you.”

“I know you and Applejack are friends,” Rarity said, “but you mean me, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy too?”

Twilight nodded as if it were obvious, “Before all I ever did was go to school, get bullied by Sunset, do my homework, go home, and then play by myself. But now,” her expression lit up, “I get to come here and hang out with other girls my age. I've never had a reason to leave out my house before, and I really like spending time with all of you.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes pained, “I don't know how you don't have more friends. You're probably the nicest person I've ever met. Especially if you think of me as a friend…”

“Why are you so standoffish anyway?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I mean, you actively push everyone away.”

“I'll tell you,” she looked at Applejack, “If she tells us why she has a record.”

“Ya jus' want me to lay it all bare, huh?” Applejack asked.

“If you're going to be the leader, I think we deserve to know,” Fluttershy said, adjusting to rest elegantly on her side and leaning forward a bit, “So go on. Tell us why you're wearing that ankle brace that apparently doesn't work.”

Twilight raised her hand slightly, “That was me. I did that, just so you know.”

“Actually, why don't we all do that,” Fluttershy said looking around at the group, “Tell us all something that you don't want anyone else to know.”

“Ooh! Ooh! Let me go first!” Pinkie Pie cheered, “Can it? Can I please!”

“I don't think any of us would mind it if someone else went first,” Rarity said laughing awkwardly.

“I… could have gone first…” Twilight said quietly.

“Alright, so… I don't live with my parents,” Pinkie Pie said, “I live with my big sister, Maud in her small apartment. She's the best, you know. I mean, seriously, Maud is the best big sister in the world!” Pinkie Pie smiled brightly, but then wilted, “But… I rarely ever see her. That's one of the reasons I'm able to stay out like this. She's only ever comes home a few times a week. Every other time she's at work.”

“So… you're always alone?” Rarity asked.

“Pretty much,” Pinkie Pie said with a sigh, “That's why I immerse myself in anime and comics. By distracting myself with the fantasy world, I can forget about how lonely it is in the real world.”

“I can go next,” Rarity said, “It's not a big one. Nothing at all like Pinkie Pie's. But… my accent? It's fake.”

“So… you're not British?” Twilight asked. Rarity shook her head laughing.

“Actually, I'm from Manehatten,” Rarity said, her voice now sounding American, “I talk like a Brit because well… Brits are sexy. I'm wearing false eyelashes, too,” she took a deep breath, “So yeah, everything about “Easy Rare” is really just… an act.”

Applejack briefly looked at Rarity and frowned. Something about that didn't feel right.

“I'll go next,” Twilight said raising her hand, “I um… have a big crush on Sunset's boyfriend, Flash Sentry.”

“Um, no offense Twilight, but that's common knowledge in the school,” Pinkie Pie said giggling, “No one speaks about it, but a lot of students know.”

“Yeah, even I could tell,” Applejack said.

“I figured more people knew,” Twilight said, “But what they don't know… is how badly I like him.”

“Are we talking stalker with a crush levels, or something more… hot and heavy?” Fluttershy asked.

“The latter,” Twilight admitted blushing, “I… use thoughts of him to get to sleep at night. They help me… r-relax…”

Rarity smirked at Twilight, “You masturbate to him, don't you?” Twilight's eyes went wide.

“W-what?! Um…. W-well I uh…”

“Oh my God, you do!” Rarity said, laughing a bit and covering her mouth in shock. Everyone was looking at Twilight with shocked smiles.

“Damn girl, I didn't think you were the type.” Applejack said patting Twilight on the back.

“Not going to lie, that's kind of hot.” Fluttershy admitted.

Twilight looked down bashfully, “Next person please.”

“Well, I'm the last one, right?” Applejack asked, “I mean, before the big one. So… how I got on house arrest. I guess it started a few weeks ago after my… Dad died…”

Everyone looked surprised to hear that.

“Oh dear,” Rarity said, “Your father passed away so recently?”

“Y-yeah…” Applejack said looking into the fire, “He an' I were super close. He called me his princess. My hat actually belonged to him before he died. He was sick, leukemia I think.”

“Ooh, that's bad,” Pinkie Pie said wincing, “I hear that's like, super painful.”

“It is,” Applejack said, her eyes watering a bit, “He was always in pain, but he fought through it. One day though, he couldn't fight anymore. He died on the way to the hospital. I was in school at the time, but I could feel it. I knew he was dead. First my Ma… an' then my Pa…” Applejack closed her eyes tightly to hold in her tears, “My relatives wouldn't leave me alone after that! Everyone kept tryin’ to talk to me, ask me if I was okay! I was sick of it! I wasn't okay! I'm not okay! My Dad is gone, and I'll never be held by him again!”

For a few seconds everyone was silent, just looking at Applejack in shock as the normally strong teenager completely broke down before them.

“I was so angry,” Applejack continued, “I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care! I broke into the school at night, and just started vandalizin’ the whole place! I don't even know why I did it! I jus'… couldn't take havin’ everyone coddle me! The police showed up, an' sent me to juvie. I thought it was over but… my Grandma showed up at the center. Apparently my dad's will said she was responsible for me now. She vouched for me, an' convinced the judge to let me finish my year long sentence under house arrest.”

“And that's when you came here to Ponyville,” Twilight said. As Applejack continued to cry, Rarity scooted next to her and leaned into her lovingly.

“So there ya have it,” Applejack sobbed, “I ain't some hero. I'm jus' a punk little kid who don't know how to process grief, an' did somethin’ stupid to basically ruin my life.”

“Applejack…” Pinkie Pie said sadly. Fluttershy took a deep breath and turned away.

“Sorry for how I acted before,” Fluttershy said, “You think you have issues, and then you hear someone else's troubles and your like 'fuck, I'm a bitch!' you know? That's… how I feel right now.”

“I kept my end of the deal,” Applejack said, wiping her eyes and pulling herself together, “So it's your turn now. What's your issue with all of us?”

“I don't have an issue with anyone,” Fluttershy said softly, “I just… know how this is going to turn out. First off, my family? They're not my real family. I'm adopted. Rarity knows that part.”

“She told me yesterday,” Rarity added.

“So… when you said that your brother made lewd comments about your body after the change…” Pinkie Pie said.

“I guess he figures since I'm not his biological sister it's okay,” Fluttershy stated, “It isn't, but he's not the point here. See, apparently I'm a rape child.”

Rarity frowned at that, “A rape child? I don't follow.”

“It's simple. My Mom was raped, and I was conceived,” Fluttershy explained, “After I was born, she put me up for adoption because she didn't want me. That really messes with a kid's head, you know? Knowing that the second they're born they're not wanted. Knowing that their birth wasn't even meant to happen. So I ended up with serious mental problems. Worst one… being anthrophobic.”

“What… in tarnation is that?” Applejack asked.

“Anthrophobia, a pathological fear of being around people,” Twilight explained, “It often manifests as high levels of timidity within the person.”

“So… when we met you…” Rarity started, “You were actually afraid of us…?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Still am to a degree. There was only one person besides my adopted family who didn't set off my internal alarms. She was a girl my age, and my best friend. Her name was Rainbow Dash. She was the opposite of me in everything. Where I was clumsy, she was athletic. Where I was always picked on, everyone loved her. Where I was super quiet, she always spoke loudly and with confidence. And finally… where I was afraid all the time, she was never afraid,” Fluttershy looked up with a soft smile, “I loved her so much. She protected me, and let me know that I'd always have a friend.”

“I don't like how you keep mentioning her in the past tense,” Pinkie Pie said nervously.

“She's… not dead… is she?” Twilight asked.

“I don't know,” Fluttershy admitted, “One day though, she was just… gone.”

“Gone?” Applejack asked, “Like, how so?”

“Like she wasn't there anymore!” Fluttershy fussed, tears falling freely from her eyes, “She didn't tell me anything! Her house was just empty one day! Not a phone call, a letter, or anything! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SAY GOODBYE!”

When she fell to the ground and broke down, everyone was shocked. But also, they got it, as their expressions all changed to ones of understanding.

“That sent me even deeper into myself!” Fluttershy continued, “I avoided everyone, and just wanted to fade into the background and be forgotten! That way no one would ever be my friend again! It worked for seven years…” she sat up and grabbed her breasts, “until these came in! Everyone was looking at me! Judging me! Probably wanting to talk to me! I couldn't take it! So I left school, and had my adopted Mom arrange so I could do my lessons at home!” Fluttershy held her head and curled up tightly still sobbing as she spoke, “But it's getting worse! My fears are coming back, but they're stronger than ever now! I have nightmares every night, and just thinking about going back to school is-” she cut herself off with loud sobs, which eventually turned into full on screams.

She was actually terrified now.

Rarity reacted immediately, shooting up and embracing Fluttershy tightly.

“Shh… Shh… it's alright, darling,” Rarity said softly, “No one here is going to hurt you.”

“I'm sorry if I seemed pushy sometimes, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, “I don't know how to approach people, so if I ever upset you, I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, ya got me beat,” Applejack said rubbing the back of her neck, “I thought I had it bad. Most of my issues are ones of my makin. You're almost a prisoner in your own mind though.”

“Makes sense why you didn't want to be a Power Ranger now,” Pinkie Pie said, “You were afraid of all of us.”

“That's why you were always so mean to us, isn't it?” Rarity said cupping Fluttershy's cheek, “You were trying to get us to leave you.”

“I don't know what else to do…!” Fluttershy sobbed, “My fears won't go away no matter what…!”

“For starters, you can try trustin’ us more,” Applejack said, “We ain't perfect, but we're not gonna leave ya.”

“I can't believe that,” Fluttershy said sadly, “I know it's not true. Once I let you in completely, and trust you, you'll disappear too. I'd rather have no friends at all than to go through that again…”

“But… you can always make more friends,” Twilight said, catching Fluttershy's attention, “That's what I'll do.”

“What… you'll do…?” Fluttershy asked.

“I might be a little different, but I'm not stupid,” Twilight said honestly, “I know one day we'll all have to go our separate ways, and I'll be sad when that happens. But until then, I'll enjoy having my best friends with me while they're here. And when you all leave, I'll try to make new friends, while still keeping my old friends close to my heart.”

“Make new friends, but keep the old,” Applejack said, “One is silver, and the other is gold. Sides, if Rainbow Dash were here, how would she react to seein’ ya close yourself off like this?”

“She'd… be really angry at me…” Fluttershy said looking down somberly, “She hated seeing me alone… so she'd drag me along with everything she did, even if it was something I didn't like. She'd say… 'I don't want to leave you alone with your thoughts'…”

“I don't know why this Rainbow Dash left, but she doesn't sound like a bad person at all,” Rarity said, “Actually, she sounds like a truly loyal friend.”

“I hope we get to meet her one day,” Pinkie Pie said, “Hey! Maybe after we fight off Luna, we can help you search for her!”

“I can probably track her down on my computer,” Twilight said.

“Why…?” Fluttershy asked looking around at the group with her, “Why are you all doing this…?”

“Because like it or not, we're a team now,” Applejack said with a soft smile, “That means we're friends now too.”

“No one can know what will happen in the future,” Rarity said, “But trust that while we're here, we'll always protect you.”

“I… I'll try…” Fluttershy said, “I can't promise that I'll be okay right away but… I can at least try.”

“So now that we did that, there's only one thing left to do,” Pinkie Pie smirked, “Tell scary stories around the campfire.”

“Do friends do that sort of stuff too?” Twilight asked.

“Yep yep! All the time, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said, “And boy do I have one for you guys.”

As the night went on, the five of them told stories, laughed, and joked about various things. By the end as they all started making their way home, everyone could feel it. They had succeeded in somehow becoming actual friends.

Author's Notes:

So far one of my favorite chapters in this story, and probably my favorite scene in the movie.

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