It had been a long day of Photoshoots for Fluttershy. Her very bones were shaking as she unlocked the door to her cottage.
 
When she swung open her door, the usual chirps and squeaks of her animals were replaced by a thick silence. Fluttershy’s hoof fell off the doorknob, quivering slightly as it did so. Her shoulder brushed against the door frame as she entered the house. The silence slowly overwhelmed her, so she turned, sticking her head outside for a few breaths of fresh air.
 
Then, she turned and re-entered the house.
 
~
 
It was cold. The house was so very… Very cold. Fluttershy’s breaths puffed out gently. Discord certainly wasn’t here, he’d never play a prank so cruel on her…
 
As she meandered along, a soft, gentle breathing was caught on the edge of her hearing. Cautiously, she approached the noise, ears flicking as she attempted to locate the source.
 
Eventually, she found herself in the kitchen. The breathing grew louder, and louder. Fluttershy began to tremble, as she approached one of the cupboards.
 
She swung open the door… Only to find her brother, Zephyr Breeze snoring away.
 
Startled, she sprung up into the air with a shriek. Zephyr jolted awake, turning to look at his surprised sister. His hooves reached up to rub his eyes, before he yawned, “Heya sis! Flutterbutter!” he sat up straight, a soft smile crossing his lips. “I, er… Couldn’t bring myself to move the animals off your couch, so I made do with a cupboard!” he flashed a large grin, but his ears slowly pinned back.
 
Still hovering in the air, Fluttershy found herself beginning to frown. “Zephyr? What are you doing?” she attempted to smile at him, but she couldn’t find it in herself to do it.
 
He sighed, “It seems that I have found myself jobless again.”
 
Fluttershy gently sat next to her brother, and rested a hoof against his. While she was annoyed, she still asked, “So… What happened?”
 
~
 
“And then this mare had the nerve to call me stupid, even though she was showing me a photo of a wig!? Like, what was I supposed to do? Make her hair synthetic!?” Zephyr cried, his voice raising in pitch with each pause, “I just couldn’t take it any more, it was so horrible!”
 
He clutched himself tightly, his ears pinning back as Fluttershy rolled her eyes at him. “You know, I thought I was bad with ponies,” she giggled, before giving him a slight shove. “But that is really bad.”
 
Zephyr nodded numbly, before taking a deep breath. “Look, sis… I’m kinda homeless. I really need a place to stay” he flinched as Fluttershy gave him a glare, “Just for a few days! I’m gonna get a job at Sugarcube corner or something. Please sis, you’re all I have! I-I can’t do it on my own, please! I’ll have another panic att”
 
He recoiled back as something hard hit him across the muzzle. Something warm slipped from his right nostril, as his upper lip began to quiver. “Wh-what? Why did you hit me, sis?” tears sprung into his eyes, and he scuttled away from Fluttershy, who was hovering in the air again, her hooves clasped over her muzzle in horror.
 
Then, she found herself screaming, horrible, horrible words she didn’t really mean. By the end of it, she was huffing, puffing, tears of anger and disappointment streaming down her cheeks. Zephyr had stopped talking, only staring with horror as Fluttershy finished her fit.
 
Finally, she lifted her voice to just above a whisper, “Get out of my house, Zephyr.”