Fluttershy Stands Tall
Part 1
"Guess what?" Rainbow Dash asked her friends. The ponies, plus their sisters and their friend and pets were having a picnic.
"Is a new fashion store opening up?" Rarity guessed. Rainbow Dash shook her head.
"Nope!"
"Is a famous caleb coming?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "Who is it? Pony Gaga? Carly Rae Colt? Kathiawari Perry?" She then gasped. "Or it is a boy band? Many Directions? Big Pony Rush? Is a new theme park opening here?" She began jumping up and down, barely controlling her excitement. "What is it; what is it?"
"No, you guys will never guess it?"
"Is it a new skateboard park?" Scootaloo wanted to know.
"Is it a new playground?" Applebloom questioned.
"No and no." Scootaloo and Applebloom looked disappointed.
"Did you discover a cave full of gems?" Spike hoped.
"No." Spike frowned. Twilight then trotted closer.
"Just tell us Rainbow Dash." She told her. Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath.
"The Wonderbolts are building a sports arena!"
"Will it be in the sky?" Applejack wanted to know. "Like where they race?"
"No, this arena will be on the ground so they'll play sports like soccer, baseball, hockey and stuff. IN PONYVILLE! Isn't that great?" Spike and the ponies' heads all nodded in agreement. Rainbow Dash scanned all her friends but there was one who wasn't nodding her head; it was Fluttershy.
"Hold on." She said. She flew over to the shyest pony in the group.
"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said. She landed next to her. "What gives? Why didn't you nod your head? The Wonderbolts are building a sports arena; isn't that exciting?"
"Oh yes." Fluttershy answered meekly. "It is. I'm very happy for you." Rainbow Dash looked confused.
"You don't look so thrilled about it. Want to tell me what's the matter?"
"Uh…do you know where they're building this sports arena?"
"No, but that won't matter, will it? I mean, it's the Wonderbolts we're talking about!"
"Well, it might if they build it like, say the woods where a lot of animals live."
"Hmmm, I see where you might be concerned. But don't worry, they won't do that, and if they do they can find new homes, right?"
"Ummm…"
"I wouldn't worry about it now. Let's just enjoy the picnic, okay?"
"Okay." And with that, Rainbow Dash trotted off. Fluttershy still wasn't so sure about this Sports Arena plan.
"Let's eat!" Applejack announced. "I've brought apples all the way from Sweet Apple Acres!"
"So you know they're good!" Applebloom added.
"Right, so eat up!" And with that, the ponies and Spike set up the food and began eating.
"That was a good picnic." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm all stuffed! We should do this more often."
"Totally!" Pinkie Pie agreed, excitedly. "It's always fun to do stuff with your friends!"
"Okay, girls that sounds like a great idea." Twilight agreed.
"When were ya thinkin'?" Applejack asked. Twilight thought a bit, and then came up with a perfect solution. She turned to her friends.
"Maybe we can do it on Be Kind to the Earth Day!"
"Great idea Twilight!" Applejack said.
"Thanks!" Twilight then looked at Fluttershy. "So, Fluttershy, are you going to release that bird?"
"Yeah," Fluttershy answered. "I think its wing is all better." She then looked sad. Twilight put a reassuring hoof around her friend.
"I know it's hard Fluttershy, but it's for the best. The bird belongs in the wild, not all cooped up at your house. You should feel proud, healing it's broken wing. You did a really kind thing."
"I know." Fluttershy said.
"That's Fluttershy for you!" Rainbow Dash spoke. "Always kind and caring to all animals alike."
"That's so true." Rarity said. "It's her cutie mark after all."
"Can you not say 'cutie mark'?" Sweetiebell begged.
"Yeah!" Applebloom agreed. "When we see or hear about cutie marks, it makes us wants them even more!" Applejack looked at her sister.
"Don't worry," She told her. "You and your little friends will have cutie marks before you know it." Applebloom sighed in disappointment.
"That's what you always say!"
"And I mean it."
"Hey!" Sweetiebell piped up. "Maybe we'll get them on Be Kind to the Earth Day."
"Yeah!" Her two friends agreed.
"Oh," Applebloom spoke. "Don't forget to come to my house later so that we can discuss what we're going to do for our Be Kind To the Earth Day project for school."
"We will!" Her friends responded.
"Well, we better get going Applebloom!" Applejack told her sister. "Granny Smith and Macintosh can't handle the farm themselves."
"Right!" So after some goodbyes, the ponies and Spike went off.
Fluttershy trotted up to her house and opened the door.
"Birdie!" She called. "Birdie!"
"Tweet, tweet!" A bird called in a box. Fluttershy trotted over to it and looked down.
"Let's have a look at that wing, shall we?"
"Tweet, tweet!" The bird replied. Fluttershy then removed the bandages from the bird's wing. The bird looked at it.
"It looks 100% better. Are you ready to start flying again?" The bird looked at Fluttershy.
"Tweet, tweet!" It replied. It then spread it wings and flew around the room like the wing was never broken. "Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!" Fluttershy watched as the bird flew in circles above her. Angel nudged Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked at the bunny.
"Oh, right." She looked at the bird. "Are you ready to go back in the wild?" The bird tweeted with joy. Fluttershy sighed and looked determined. The bird landed on her nose.
"Okay." And with that, she went to her window and opened it. The bird flew off and looked at the pony. Fluttershy tried to fight back her tears.
"Tweet, tweet!" The bird said with reassurement. Fluttershy looked up and smiled.
"You be careful now, okay?" The bird nodded in agreement and flew off. "Bye bye birdie; I won't forget you!" She watched as the bird disappeared in the distance. Fluttershy sighed heavily.
"Well Angel," She began, turning to her pet. "Another animal come and gone. It's sad to see them go, but it always makes you proud knowing you did a good thing." The bunny nodded in agreement then hopped to the door. He then pawed at the door.
"Oh, you want to go out? Well, I guess it is time for your afternoon walk." Angel stopped pawing the door and tapped his foot, impatient. Fluttershy went to the door.
"Okay; I'm coming, I'm coming." She opened the door.
"Remember to stay by me," Fluttershy told the rabbit. "I don't want to lose you." Angel rolled his eyes and hopped towards the park with Fluttershy following.
"Howdy Fluttershy!" Applejack greeted her as they passed each other. "What's up girl? Getting some exercise?"
"Uh-huh." Fluttershy replied. "I'm taking Angel for a walk."
"Well, we're taking Winona for a walk." Fluttershy looked around; she didn't see her dog or anypony else. She looked back at Applejack in confusion.
"We?"
"Oh yeah." She then whistled. "Yo Applebloom; you comin' or what?" Applebloom then appeared with Winona. Winona's leash was around the tiny pony's neck.
"I'm coming; I'm coming!" Applebloom said to her sister. When Winona saw Fluttershy by her owner, she got excited. The dog was so excited that she bolted down the hill, lifting an unexpected Applebloom in the air.
"WHOA WIONA!" She screamed. "SLOW DOWN! IT'S JUST FLUTTERSHY!" The dog ignored Applebloom as the tiny pony tried to control her, but it was no use. She was dragged on the ground by an excited Winona. The dog stopped in a halt when she was by Fluttershy, panting with excitement. Applebloom collapsed to the ground.
"Why am I always the one that walks Winona?" The little earth pony groaned. Fluttershy looked at the dog.
"Well, hello there!" She greeted. "Are you enjoying your walk?" Winona gave out a happy bark. Fluttershy laughed as the dog licked her.
"Okay," Applejack spoke. "We better continue our walk." She trotted off. "Come on Applebloom; come on Winona." Applebloom let out a sigh.
"Well, it looks like I won't earn my cutie mark by walking the dog anytime soon." Winona took off. Applebloom was once again trying her best to control the crazy dog. Fluttershy looked at Angel.
"Well, we better be on our way too." She told him. Angel nodded and hopped off. Fluttershy followed the rabbit.
They passed by a flyer on a tree about the sports arena. Fluttershy stopped to read it. Angel just kept on hopping. When the bunny noticed that Fluttershy wasn't following him, he stopped and hopped back to her.
"I'm sure Rainbow Dash already knows, but let's see, when are they going to start construction?"
"Construction on the Wonderbolt's sports arena will begin on the day after Be Kind to the Earth Day," she read.
"Well, Rainbow Dash will be happy about that." She said to herself. "Come on Angel." Angel hopped off. Fluttershy was about to follow when something caught her eye. She scanned the whole flyer. Angel stopped, sighed, and hopped back by Fluttershy's side.
"It will be in Ponyville Woods. Some trees have to be cut down in order to make this project possible. Sorry for the inconvenience." As she read it, Fluttershy's mouth was opened and her eyes grew huge.
"Oh my gosh!" Fluttershy said to Angel. She turned to him. "If they do this, the animals that live there…. their homes will be…" She gulped. "Destroyed."