Crashing Angels Ch 4

Fluttershy idly plays in the rainbow pond. Liquid rainbow flows around her hoof. She twirls it around, slowly and gracefully making rainbow swirls. Her hoof impacts upon something warm and solid. She casts her gaze downwards, spotting her pillow. She extracts it from the swirling currents, noticing it is a strange light blue instead of its usual puffy white. She turns it over, confusion written across her small face as she examines it carefully. She notices nothing amiss so she shrugs her misgivings off and pulls it against herself, enjoying the warmth emanating from it. It feels amazingly good to the filly's touch, like a well cared for coat from a loving parent, transferring its homely temperature into Fluttershy's yellow frame.

A soft warm breath wafts her face tickling her nose. The creamy yellow filly continues to snuggle her cyan pillow but her mind rebells against her bodies search for slumber and she slowly drifts back into reality as warm breath continues to caresses her, coaxing her into life.

'Wait. Why is my pillow so warm and bumpy.' She realises her whole body is wrapped in an embrace with something warm and cozy. A yellow eyelid groggily opens, allowing it's shy owner a view on who or what is snuggled up with her. A yelp of shock rings out. "Dashie!?!"

Two surprised fillies topple out of bed collapsing in a heap on the soft cloud floor. Cries of surprise ring out from both youngsters as they do their best to orientate themselves while the mist of sleep still hangs over them, slowing their young minds. The light blue fillies face is pressed up against her own, mirroring her look of surprise. They freeze, awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

A half asleep Rainbow Dash carefully extracts herself from her new friend.

"Fluttershy wha..." then she remembers that her friend has no idea why the two were wrapped up together. Her cyan cheeks heat up like twin suns in embarrassment at her actions.

Her yellow friend is lying frozen on the floor staring up her, confusion written all across her timid features.

"D-D-Dash?"

"You were clearly having a nightmare. I tried to wake you up but you grabbed me, threw me into bed with you then used me as a pillow."

Fluttershy wears a horrified look on her face. Her blue friend sees the shock on her sunny profile and throws a comforting hoof around her shoulders, ignoring the pain that emanates from a sore blue foreleg.

"Don't worry. You seemed to calm down then. The only problem is-Wait. What did you call me?"

"Um… Dashie…" Fluttershy nervously trails off.

"Okay... Never call me that around other ponies. It makes me sound soft." The scowl on the egotistical filly's mug makes her annoyance clear.

"Oh… Okay Rainbow."

All annoyance fades from Dash as she stretches awkwardly, doing her best at losing the pains from having another filly sleep on her. Fluttershy gives her a lasting look of concern, the damage from yesterday is still clearly visible on her small frame. Fluttershy looks on with admiration as her new friend bears the pain without complaint.

"Hey, I'm fine. Just don't tell anypony else about this." The creamy filly nods, happy to have it all sorted out. Fluttershy feels even more embarrassed than her friend looks. The rumbling of a hungry tummy sounds ending the uncomfortable silence. Rainbow Dash caresses her complaining belly with a forehoof. "Rrrright… now lets go. I'm starving."

Fluttershy smiles thankfully as she sees the speedster turn a cute shade of red in embarrassment. She follows her best friend out of their dorm, exited at the prospect of their first day of school together.

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A silence hangs across the cafeteria as the duo enter. No pony wants to risk angering the dangerous newcomer or give the headmaster a reason to burst into the room and bite everypony's heads off once again. The bullies from yesterday are nowhere to be seen. This fills Rainbow Dash with courage and she struts across the room toward the serving counter, openly showing off her injuries as if they are trophies given to her by the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy follows shyly behind, giving apologetic looks to the foals who move out of the intrusive fillies way.

Dash quickly serves herself then boldly leads Fluttershy to their table. She deliberately looks around, her grin turns into a look of annoyance.

"What?"

The break in the silence causes most of the foals in the room to return to their previous interests.

"Come on Fluttershy, right here." She pats the spot next to her and the submissive filly slips herself into place next to her new friend. Dash launches into her meal only to freeze mid mouthful at the sight a nervous Fluttershy who timidly takes a bite of her own breakfast.

"Whats up Fluttershy?"

"Oh … Nothing…" Fluttershy clearly doesn't enjoy the attention given by their peers.

"Okay… Well," a cyan hoof extends and rubs the scardy filly's back, calming her with a surprisingly gentle touch.

They finish their meal in silence then head off to class. Rainbow and blue leads pink and yellow as the two fillies wander through the school grounds. Celestia's sun is shining, illuminating their world and giving confidence to the two fillies as they wander along. With a wonderful morning such as this, Rainbow Dash begins to feel invincible and her cocky spring in her step shows it. To their left towers the majestic walls of cloud that are their classrooms. In front of each classroom is number stating which of the twelve they pass. To their right are the administration buildings, playground and main gates. Although Rainbow Dash can feel that class will be boring, she figures that she might as well show up on the first day. Dash can feel her friend trailing her unhurriedly, enjoying the bright and cheerful mood of their lofty environment. The overconfident filly stops to allow her friend to catch up and gets rear ended by an unobservant Fluttershy.

"S-sorry. I-"

"It's okay Fluttershy. You can stop with the whole saying sorry thing already, it's getting old. I'm the one who stopped."

"Okay. Sorry..."

Rainbow resists the urge to facehoof.

"Look, I just wanted to wait for you to catch up. You don't have to walk behind me the whole time, thats just weird. You're my friend, not some random tag-along who can't stand up to my coolness."

"Oh. I didn't mean to. I'm just… shy I guess." Resisting the strong urge to reply to captain obvious that wells up inside the prismatic filly, she instead cracks a smile, doing her best to inspire some courage in her timid friend after the confession.

"I've noticed. It's cute," Fluttershy blushes at the compliment, "but please try and stand up for yourself a little more. I don't want to you be just following me like kind of shadow all the time. I have an image to keep here. I'm the super cool Rainbow Dash and no pony can mess with me."

Fluttershy matches her smile and the cocky filly can see she is getting through. Dash begins walking once more, ensuring her companion is keeping up this time.

"So what do we normally do in Monday's class? Something cool I hope."

"Oh, well. We normally start slowly, a few fun games and then she picks what she wants to teach us."

"Does she teach important stuff, like flying?"

"Sometimes…"

"Oh good. I was afraid she would only be teaching us boring stuff."

"Here we are Rainbow. Room 2."

Although Dash is nervous she does her best to cover any trace of her nerves with her cool tomcolt air. She strides through the door, noticing that over half the seats are filled already. She allows her sky high ego to wash over her class mates, grinning. Fluttershy hunkers next to her and with a swish of her rainbow mane, she continues on down to the back corner of the classroom where a shy looking filly with a light pink coat and white frosty mane sits, gazing at at her with questioning cool blue eyes.

She spots the bullies seated at the opposite side of the class, near the back. She can feel the menace emanating from them. 'Note to self; I had better avoid those idiots. They look like they have it in for me.'

Seating herself down beside the stranger, the bold rainbow maned filly introduces herself. "Hi I'm Rainbow Dash."

The frosty mane swishes as the filly turns to face the front of the class where their teacher is looking on with an impatient expression.

"Snowflake. Now... please..." The frosty maned filly's soft voice trails off in a nervous fashion.

Fluttershy slides in beside Dash, doing her best to appear invisible. The impatient rainbow gives up on the quiet filly beside her and does her best to appear like she is paying attention to the teacher as she begins to speak.

"Class I'd like you to meet Rainbow Dash. She has the privilege of joining our class. Say hello everypony." Ms Breeze's enthusiasm is well received by most of the class who, in mixed tones greet the bold new filly.

"Hello Rainbow Dash."

Keeping up her normal persona of awesomeness, Rainbow waves a hoof toward everypony in greeting.

The rainbow maned filly is about to speak when Ms Breeze opens back up with her energetic voice.

"Just to let you know my dear, there is to be no attempts at flying while in the classroom. As soft as you might think clouds are, they are a lot harder to repair than you imagine. You will have plenty of chances to fly at summer flight camp next year."

Rainbow Dash can't believe it, 'oh well… Time to sleep.'

Fluttershy sees her friends head resting on the desk, rainbow mane loosely dangling onto the table, hiding its owners eyes as Dash tries block out the teachers rambling in favour of a good snooze. The shy pegasus doesn't know what to do but she does know she doesn't want her new friend kicked out of class for not paying attention.

"Um Dash…" Fluttershy whispers, tapping the bored pegasus with her hoof.

Pink eyes met her own aqua ones, "what?"

"Um… nevermind…"

"Whatever." Rainbow turns her bored gaze back to their teacher who is engaged with her job and busy talking.

As soon as the bell rang, Dash is the first to react, up and out the door before their teacher had even finishes dismissing them. Fluttershy does her best to catch up to the speedy filly, darting between her other class members, narrowly avoiding several collisions.

"Dash... Wait," she quietly pleas, chasing after the rainbow. Dash leaps onto the playground clouds and turns to greet the lagging filly behind her broadcasting a cocky grin that gives full show of her ego. A Pink mane flows gracefully behind Fluttershy as she leaps up to share the low cloud with the cocky daredevil.

"Thought I'd lost you there for a sec Fluttershy."

"Sorry."

"'Na it's okay." Dash draws massive grin assuring the nervous pony in front of her that everything is okay. Other foals of various ages begin pouring in to the playground filling the space with joyful cries and energetic chatter.

Fluttershy flattens herself down freezing up. This isn't the normal way she would spend her lunch break.

Her thoughts and worries are cut short as a pair of blue hooves tackle her into the cloud.

"Wanna have some fun Fluttershy?"

Aquamarine locks with rosy pink and fluttershy feels herself physically incapable of saying no to the energetic yet pleading gaze she finds herself locked in. She smiles up at her protector. 'Whatever she wants do must be safe, right?'

"Okay Rainbow Dash. What did you have in mind?"

A jet-black colt with a red and black mane walks across the edge of Rainbows vision and the prankster selects the pegasus as her target.

"I'm not so sure about this Dash." Fluttershy mumbles as her friend tracks her target, a growing grin on her face.

"Oh come on Fluttershy. It'll be fun." Dash gives her friend a playful nudge, grinning encouragingly at her.

"Ok, Fluttershy, go and distract him, I'll sneak up on him." Dash commands.

"O-ok..." comes the timid response of the pink maned filly. She walks over to the colt. "H-hi there... Who are you?" She asks quietly.

"I'm Wolf." The strange colt responds.

"Th-that's an interesting name..."

"So I've been told, what's your name?"

"Flutter..." She whispers at an inaudible level.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Wolf asks.

"Fluttershy..." She whispers again, desperately wondering where her friend has disappeared of to.

"I see. Well it was nice meeting you Fluttershy."

"Th-thanks..."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash appears from behind Wolf and yells, "BOO!"

"And who might you be?" Wolf asks, unfazed by the sudden scream.

"Awwww, it didn't work!" Rainbow Dash complains.

Tearing her gaze from the colt Dash looks around, doing her best to find another target.

"Who was she?" Wolf asks again.

"Um… That was just Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy answers, doing her best to disappear into the cloudstuff under her hooves.

"Hmmm, charming... Well, still, it was nice to meet you. I have to be heading back to class now." Wolf replies, walking off.

Fluttershy lets out a breath, doing her best to relax once more.

The bold filly selects a new better target and a smile lights up her face. A group of foals who are sitting with their lunch. Perfect.  

"Ok, Fluttershy, I'll distract them this time, go up behind them and cause a lightning strike!" Rainbow quickly explains as they walk up to the unsuspecting group.

Before Fluttershy can enquire further into her friends hair brained scheme, the rainbow trots off leaving her behind to think for herself.


"Hey everypony." Dash says as Fluttershy sneaks up behind them.

"What do you want, Rainbow Crash?" A rude colt asks.

"Hey, I just wanted to say hi..." Dash calmly explains, ignoring the sting, knowing vengeance will soon be hers. Fluttershy sits above the group, shaking slightly because of the nerves associated with what she is about to do. She takes a deep breath and readies herself to jump on a particularly dark storm cloud. At the last second before impact she emits a quiet squeak and halts, hooves held high like a striking statue. The group below lose interest in Dash's flimsy conversation and the shy filly visibly loses more of her confidence backing away from the foreboding looking cloud. Rainbow Dash shoots her a look that tells her to hurry up.

'Here goes nothing..." Fluttershy whispers then jumps on the cloud. A loud flash of lightning appears and all the foals jump out of their skin.

"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!" They all scream.

Fluttershy panics, revealing her location as she falls off the cloud and into the crowd below.

"Eeep!" Fluttershy squeals as she lands into the middle of the group. All of the foals bear down on her in the most intimidating way possible.

"Ha, we got you!" Dash exclaimed, grabbing Fluttershy and running off.



After putting a great distance between them and the annoyed foals the two slow down, trying to regain their breath.

"Good job 'Shy. Just try not to get caught next time." Rainbow Dash explains as they walk across the opposite end of the playground.

"Sorry..." Fluttershy apologises.

"Don't apologize Fluttershy, you need to stand up for yourself!" Dash exclaims.

"Ok, sor-" Fluttershy whispers, but realises that, it would count as apologizing so falls silent.

"That's my filly" Dash praises.

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They head to their afternoon class and take their seats. Snowflake slowly enters and takes her seat next to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy occupies her chair on the other side of the bold filly, trying to blend in with the furniture.

"Hey Fluttershy. Can you please wake me when the class is over?"

"But Dash..."

"You can do it... I trust you."

Their teacher enters at the back of the class and strolls up to her blackboard.

"Right class. Who's up for some math?"

A collective groan escapes the seated foals.

"No need to be like that. It's fun. Oh, and Fluttershy could you please wake up your friend? I don't like foals falling asleep on me."

Fluttershy cowers under the teachers kindly gaze, her shy nature easily besting her. The collective gaze of the class rest upon her trembling shoulders as she tentatively prods the slumbering filly with a hoof. The zzz's continue, much to Fluttershy's embarrassment. Snowflake lets out a sigh. Fluttershy's clearly frozen. A little pink hoof ribs Dash.

"What-was-that!?! Is class over already Flutter-" She freezes in the spotlight, caught like a filly with her hoof in the cookie jar.

"Not disrupting your sleep I hope?" Ms Breeze is clearly not impressed.

"No… of course now Miss," Dash recovers, radiating nervousness from her normally cool and calm self.

"Good. Then I hope you won't mind telling me what we are about to move onto this afternoon."

"Uhhhhh..." Rainbow turns inquisitively to her yellow friend and quietly asks "What are we doing?" Fluttershy remains frozen. Pulled under the spotlight once more, the timid filly finds her mouth impossible to open and hides deep beneath her mane.

"It's math, stupid." One of the colts loudly whispers. Several members of the class snicker at the injection.

Dash knocks over her chair as she stands, taking offence at the verbal jab.

"Rainbow Dash! Sit down this instant!"  Ms Breeze cuts in, startling everypony present by her outburst.

"But miss... He-"

"Now please! You are ruining my fun lesson I had planned for you all."

An explosive feeling hangs in the air. "Fine..."

A rude snicker reaches the aggressive filly's ear as she seats herself once more. It requires all of her self control to stop herself from leaping up once more and take offensive action to shut whoever is making the noises up.

She glances across at the scared filly beside her and softens.

As the teacher resumes her talking Dash slips a comforting hoof over her friend, making sure none of the other foals in the class are looking. The physical comfort of her protector allows Fluttershy to relax and concentrate. Dash clearly couldn't care less about basic math for foals and allows her attention to remain fixed upon her friend.

The rest of the lesson is once again passed up by Dash who decides that she is in fact too cool for such boring things. Her filly mind can't comprehend the importance, so she puts in no effort. She stays however because she can sense that her new friend needs her.
She can feel her friend start to relax and a wave of happiness washes across the loyal filly, she fells good helping her friend out. One of the colts takes a look their way and Dash quickly pretends that she's just stretching. Once the unwanted attention is returned to the front, Dash checks her pink maned friend once more noting she appears okay without the physical contact with a blue hoof.

Suddenly bored now that her task is complete, the rainbow maned filly turns her attention back to the front and rests her chin on her desk. The two stay apart for the rest of the lesson, despite Fluttershy's secret wishes to have the comforts of her friend close up once more.

Class ends and a rainbow maned streak leaves the room, dragging a surprised yellow filly along behind her.

"Dash, why are we going so fast?"

"It's fun." All the colours of the rainbow flash past Fluttershy's vision as her friend slows and flicks her head around to face her. The two collide and Fluttershy emits an adorable squeal of surprise. She feels herself helped up by a cyan hoof.

"I was thinking, we can go exploring the city 'cause we have until dinner. No pony will miss us and we'll have a whole lot of fun! I haven't been around this area much. Come on."

Fluttershy follows her friend obediently and they scamper out of school like a pair of ponies on a mission.

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It starts off with the bold leading the shy and Fluttershy can't get a word in with her energetic friend. Both fillies found enjoyment in wandering the markets, drinking in the sights and sounds of Cloudsdales busiest district.

They wander for hours, Fluttershy taking solace from her friend, knowing she will be safe in Dash's presence. However their magical day is slowly brought to an end as the sun sinks low on the horizon. Rainbow Dash can feel it, they are lost. Unwilling to voice it directly she attempts to broach the topic in a more friendly way.

"Hey Fluttershy. Do you know where we are?"

"No…" Fluttershy stops, unsure about where her friend is taking the conversation.

"How is that you don't know this area? I thought you went to school here for like, all of this year so far."

"I've been too scared to Dash..."

A sigh of exasperation escapes the cyan filly's mouth. "Great now I'm stuck with a scared filly and no one knows how to get back to school before they start to wonder why we didn't turn up to dinner…" Dash is having a hard time keeping the annoyance out of her voice. Fluttershy cringes, she didn't want to let her new friend down but has wound up doing so anyway.

"I'm sorry Rainbow, but… I always stayed in my room. Whenever I went out, I always, always was picked on." Rainbow Dash sighs, giving up. Her shy friend can be impossible sometimes.

"No Fluttershy. I'm the one who dragged you out around town."

An unwelcome silence hangs between the two as overhead the last few pegasi were making their way home. Dash can see in her friend's eyes that she wants to be at home.

"Come here scaredy filly."

Fluttershy apprehensively steps toward her bold friend. She comes into reach of the rainbow and is enveloped in a awkward hug. After a few moments of contented silence Dash pulls away.

"Just… Please don't tell anypony else about that. I don't do hugs."

"Thank you Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy huddles up to her athletic friend. "Thank you."

"Let's just get out of here." Fluttershy nods, staying right beside her dauntless friend for moral support as the pair move out once more, yellow seemingly glued to cyan.

A great deal of time passes as the pair continue to wander in the tranquil night. Dash's heart leaps as she spots the small market place near their school.

"Look Fluttershy! I knew we could make it." Little blue limbs eagerly pick up the pace forcing Fluttershy to will her tired limbs onwards, matching the more athletic filly's speed.

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The two sneak in and with Fluttershy's guidance, make it to the dorms without getting detected by anypony else. A sigh of relief escapes the pair and they canter the remaining distance to their room.

"Good evening my dear fillies."

They freeze, mid stride and turn with shock written all over their little faces to find the headmaster, Greymane standing patiently off to the side of their door.

"I wanted to talk to dear Rainbow Dash about her little 'incident' the other day. But now I see she is breaking more of the school rules. Let me remind you, foals are to be in bed by 8. That is the rule for as long as you stay here. Do you know what time it is?"

Both fillies stock their heads mutely.

"It's almost ten past nine. Follow me please." His kind yet steel-like voice makes it clear, arguing with this stallion is pointless.

A scared yellow filly huddles up to her new friend as they trail after the greying stallion down dark hallways.

He leads them to his office, offering them passage into the well furnished room first like a true gentlecolt, following them in afterwards and seating himself gracefully, facing the reasons for his late night at work with a stony expression.

"As I'm sure you know, last night at the cafeteria was a disaster. Do you have anything to add before I continue?" He politely asks, attentively settling down.

"They started it!" blurts out Rainbow Dash.

"I've heard accounts that tell me you threw the first hoof. But-" he raises a hoof, cutting off the incoming smart reply from the angry filly in front of him. "I"m willing to give you another chance since you are new. But I must ask that you don't sneak out of school late at night."

A cyan mouth opens with a retort on her lips but is silenced by crash of a powerful aged hoof falling on the desk in front of them.

"You look like the kind of filly who doesn't listen Rainbow Dash so I will put it to you this. The reason I don't want my students going out after hours is because the city is dangerous at night and you don't know who you might meet. By the looks of things you already have enemies in the outside world too."

Dash nods, dumbfounded.

"Then please don't break school rules. We have them for good reasons, even if you don't like them. Now, I want to see you here in my office tomorrow after class young filly."

He turns his tiring gaze to the timid filly. "Fluttershy is it?" A small 'eep' is heard as the shy filly hides behind her mane.

"I can see you have made a good friend. Please try to be more assertive and keep her out of trouble next time."

Fluttershy mutely nods, relieved by the lack of punishment coming her friends way. The towering stallion breaks out into a kind smile, glad that his role as headmaster is finally over for the day.

"Good to see. Please excuse me but I really need to get home now. I trust you can find your way back to your dorms?"

Two nodding heads form the response. The trio get up and Greymane sees them out.

Rainbow Dash steps out of the administration building, breathing deep the cool night air, relieved that the two of them had got off lightly. She boldly trots off toward their dorms, head held high as if nothing had ever happened. Fluttershy trails behind her, regaining her composure slowly.

Rainbow breaks the silence, "I think he might okay."

"What?" Fluttershy questions, almost inaudibly behind her.

"Greymane. He knows he can't mess with my awesomeness." She puffs out her simmering cyan chest looking like she is about to explode. Fluttershy smiles in the dark, nothing seems to be able to dent her friend's ego.

"I still think you should listen to him. It was awfully scary out there tonight." A short wing covers her as best as it can as Dash replies with actions

She winks at her gangly yellow friend. "Then I should get you to bed. I don't want to be woken up in the middle of the night by a scaredy filly having nightmares." She gives off a massive yawn, "I guess even fillies as cool as me need a good sleep."

Fluttershy allows a calm silence to befall them and they wander along enjoying the beautiful night.

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In the cool of the night, two fillies make it back to their room. A rainbow mane disappears from sight as its cool blue owner sinks into her bed.

"Goodnight, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash goes out like a light leaving the poor shy filly feeling abandoned and alone in the dark.

"…Goodnight Rainbow Dash..." The whisper is almost inaudible, even in the still calm of the night.

She slowly wriggles into bed feeling depressed at being left hanging by a sleeping Rainbow. She perks up as she snuggles into her pillow remembering how different her new friend has made her life. 'It's only been one day too!' She squees to herself before slowly joining her small guardian in the peaceful realms of sleep.

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Light invades Rainbow Dash"s pupils, forcing her awake. It streams through the window of the small cloud room two colourful fillies share. A rainbow mane flops off the side of the bed as its owner gazes down upon the slumbering filly below.

"You know 'Shy… you look really cute when you're sleeping like that…" Dash wears a smile as she innocently whispers to the slumbering filly below.

She stays in her position of overwatch, happy with her role as protector. A peaceful minute passes and Dash starts to become restless.


Fluttershy is awoken by a small hoof prodding her belly. She groggily comes to, seeing her protector standing over her. The two friends share a broad smile for a moment.

"Alright. Ready for another day of awesomeness Fluttershy?" A slow nod is the reply. "Great. Now get up." Fluttershy allows her speedy friend to hurry her along and before the two know it, its lunch time.

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The two social outcasts stand alone on the edge of the flight course for the older foals. A staggering array of obstacles dot the course, filling Fluttershy's tummy with butterflies. It's void of other ponies as the older fillies and colts are away on a trip.

"Dash. I really don't think this is a good idea…"

"Nopony's going to catch us Fluttershy. I promise I'll be better than yesterday. We'll easily make it to class in the afternoon, so don't worry."

"But Dash, I can't fly."

"Neither can I. But that's not stopping me." She grins her big Rainbow Dash grin and Fluttershy can feel there is going to be trouble.