Flutter Island

The two mares trotted into the rather crowded hospital cafeteria, although several patrons were starting to leave to watch the commotion in the lobby. Redheart trotted up to the ice cream parlor, where eight large buckets of ice cream sat in the enormous white freezer-counter behind a shield of glass.

“Only eight flavors?” Fluttershy wondered.

“This isn’t Sugar Cube Corner.” Redheart replied.

“I guess I’ll have a zippy zap apple banana split sundae with fudge, if you don’t mind.” Fluttershy said without actually looking at the flavors.

“We can’t make that here.” said a large blue colt in a white server’s cap, looking suspiciously like a recoloring of Mr. Cake.

“She’s new here, Mr. Scoops.” Redheart said, “Give her a Scoops of the granny smith. It’s as close to zap apple as we got.”

Mr. Scoops scooped up the green granny smith ice cream (made with artificial apple flavoring) with his ice cream Scoops, scooped it onto a waffle cone, and handed it to Fluttershy.

“So what’s the Scoops with the broken wing, kid?” Scoops asked.

Fluttershy took one lick of the ice cream and decided she didn’t like it. Redheart handed a few bits to Scoops and tried to smile.

“Give me some of the hay bacon-flavored.” Redheart requested.

“Here you go, Red, er, I mean, miss.” Scoops said as he handed her the bacon ice cream come.

“Hey kid.” he said to Fluttershy, “You never told me about the busted wing.”

“She had a bad fall, Scoops.” Redheart said, “And frankly it’s none of your concern.”

“Sorry, Red.” Scoops replied, “Didn’t mean anythin’ by it. Just curious, that’s all.”

“Let’s find a place to sit, Fluttershy.” Redheart suggested.

“Say Red, can I catch you after your shift?” Scoops asked.

“Not tonight, Scoops.” Redheart replied, “I’m pretty bus-“

Redheart’s muzzle was muffled by a scoop of artificial granny smith ice cream being shoved into it. Fluttershy took her chance to escape and galloped back to the lobby. By the time Redheart had spat out the ice cream, the pesky pegasus was already out the door.

“After...her...!!” the nurse tried to yell between coughing up melted ice cream.

Fluttershy had already taken to the sky by the time Redheart had rounded up enough available staff to start chasing her. Ignoring her father’s admonition, Fluttershy was now flying lopsided on one wing. She was going to make it back to Flutter Island or die trying.

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed in panic as she saw one of the royal guards already flying beside her. It was Granite Shield, the same guard who had questioned her in the hospital, only this time he was flying a patrol chariot with a certain blue madmare as its occupant. Screw Loose barked happily at Fluttershy and panted.

“Get in, kid!” Granite shouted, “Hurry! You’re going to Flutter Island, right?”

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, now completely unsure of who to trust. Granite flew closer to her and Screw Loose licked the ice cream still on the pegasus’ face.

“C’mon, kid!” Granite assured her, “You’re just gonna have to trust me!”

Fluttershy nodded and awkwardly managed to fly in behind the chariot on one wing. She grabbed Screw Loose’s two front hooves and the madmare happily helped her onboard.

“Why are you helping me?” Fluttershy asked.

“I knew there was something big going down after the way that snooty doctor talked to me.” Granite said, “I know I work for the princess, but even she shouldn’t be allowed to cover up something like this.”

Fluttershy gasped and was about to defend her noble princess before she remembered the carved letters she found in the asylum’s electrotherapy room, ABANDONED BY CELESTIA. She was starting to think those words had merit after all.

“Did you let this poor mare out of the hospital?” she inquired of Screw Loose.

“Yeah, I busted her loose.” Granite admitted, “Not that it was that hard. From the way the staff acted, it seems she gets free all the time on her own. Besides, I’ve got a strong feeling that she has something to do with all this.”

Owing to Granite’s strength and practice, the three of them made it to Flutter Island in less than an hour. The chariot landed softly on the grass and Fluttershy looked up at the starry night sky. Granite looked over at the yellow pegasus as the night breeze blew through her pink hair. Even with a busted wing, she didn’t look half bad.

Screw Loose, on the other hand, started prancing around and sniffing the ground. Before Granite and Fluttershy realized what was happening, they both started gagging in disgust.

“At least go behind a tree, lady!” Granite complained, “I know she thinks she’s a dog, but that’s just nasty!”

“I know it’s the call of nature, but watching a full grown mare...” Fluttershy added.

It was true that when there was no outhouse or toilet to be found, there was just no other way for somepony to do their business, but decent ponies found a tree, bush, or boulder. Quite amused with herself, Screw Loose trotted back up to the other two ponies and panted, wanting to play.

“The sooner we find this cave, the better.” Granite said with a scowl, “So where is it?”

“Right under the hospital.” Fluttershy answered, “I fell into it after the ground collapsed. There should be a gigantic hole next to the building.

“Fluttershy?” a strangely familiar but wheezing voice called out, “Fluttershy is that you.”

A single tear formed in Fluttershy’s eye as she turned around. Standing before her was an old yellow pegasus with a greying pink moustache and balding mane. He still wore the same brown vest and pink bowtie he always did. Dr. Cuttershy was alive.

“Uncle...Uncle Cuttershy?” Fluttershy sobbed in disbelief, “Is that...is it really you?”

“Yes...yes...my dear Fluttershy...” the old colt said between breaths, “I...still...haven’t got much time...I really am dying...”

“Everypony told me you were dead!!” Fluttershy blurted, running into her beloved uncle’s front legs and crying into his shoulder.

“Not so hard...Fluttershy...” Cuttershy continued, “I’m frail...”

“What are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked, wiping her tears and sucking the mucus back up her nose.

“I see you’ve brought friends.” Cuttershy noticed.

“They’re not exactly my usual friends.” Fluttershy admitted.

Why didn’t she bring her friends along? Fluttershy wondered. Surely they would believe her? Everything had happened so fast, she didn’t really have much time. Would they even have gone along with her? If this conspiracy, or whatever it was, went as far up as Celestia, then maybe they would try to protect the princess instead...no...the magic of friendship went farther than that. Or did it?

“We must do this quickly.” Cuttershy said, “I’ve already seen the cavern. Everypony knows about it...but not everypony that needs to know about it...”

The old colt broke out into a coughing fit from speaking to fast. Fluttershy shuddered when she saw him spit out blood onto his hoof.

“It’s alright, Fluttershy.” her uncle explained, “I have lung cancer...too much love for the pipe, I suppose...I just sent that letter a few weeks, or days, early.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Fluttershy pleaded, “Don’t leave me again.”

“Death waits for no mare.” Cuttershy quipped, “Let us move on.”

Fluttershy, Granite, and Screw Loose followed the old mare to the gaping hole in the foundation of the asylum. The stars gave off just enough light for them to peer into the shimmering lake beside the underground cavern.

“Now what?” Granite inquired.

“We wait.” Cuttershy answered, “They’ll be looking for us. Your guard friends will soon be swarming this island. You will probably be arrested. The princess just wants this ‘Hurricane Fluttershy’ business to go away, but everypony needs to know the truth.”

“What happened?” Fluttershy asked, “Tell me everything.”

“I never meant to drag you into all this, Fluttershy.” Cuttershy began, “Please forgive me. I thought that if I gave you the island, then the princess would respect you enough to finally let Equestria know her secrets. If she can trust you as an element of harmony, then she can trust you with Flutter Island.”

“What is she trying to keep a secret?” Fluttershy wondered, “What happened to all those poor ponies?”

“Quite simply, most of them drowned.” Cuttershy explained, “This entire island was flooded in the hurricane. It ruined the facility. Usually the pegasii in Cloudsdale keep an eye on the weather. Apparently some madmare in her insanity had conjured up a storm after escaping the asylum. The storm just got bigger and by the time the weathermares found out about it, it was too late.”

“But that wasn’t Celestia’s fault.” Fluttershy argued, “There’s nothing to cover up.”

“She was embarrassed, devastated actually.” Cuttershy continued, “FIHM was at least partly her idea. Mental illness is not a common problem in Equestria, so the few ponies that did need extra care ended up at Flutter Island. The facility also doubled as a hospital for another controversial procedure...”

“You don’t mean?” Fluttershy whispered.

“Uncommon problems need uncommon solutions.” Cuttershy said, “Not everypony agreed with this, naturally, but I did what had to be done.”

“Well, I’ll be...” Granite said with a whistle, “A nut house and a womb ripper...”

“We prefer the term abortion clinic.” Cuttershy corrected, “Or better yet, a mare’s health center.”

“You know, it’s funny.” Cuttershy continued, “Many ponies say that Celestia is pompous and uncaring, but she’s really trying to please everypony at once. She built FIHM to cater to the ponies that don’t want all the mad mares and bad mares ruining their perfect little Equestria. Once word gets out that Ponyville General performs abortions, everypony will get their saddles in a wad, so to speak.”

“Won’t they get their saddles in a wad about this?” Fluttershy asked.

“Of course they will, my dear Fluttershy.” Cuttershy said, “Why do you think that everypony that knows about it wants to cover it up? The victims’ families, those who still had families, have already been compensated. It’s true that proper funerals were never conducted, but that’s a small price to pay for a memory that everypony wishes to forget.”

“That’s so terrible.” Fluttershy commented, her eyes watering again, “I thought I could trust the princess.”

“You still can, my dear.” Cuttershy consoled, “Here, have some tea.”

The old doctor suddenly produced a hot cup of tea out of nowhere. Without thinking, Fluttershy drank it to calm her nerves. She began to feel lightheaded and dizzy and soon went unconscious.

When Fluttershy awoke, having recently made a habit of dozing off for no reason, she was strapped to a gurney, the same kind of gurney she saw in the hospital, she saw in her dream.

“Ah, my dear Fluttershy, you’re finally awake.” Cuttershy’s voice announced, “I’m sorry it had to come to this. I suppose we could have taken you back to Ponyville, but it’s much easier to do this here, since we already have the equipment.”

“What, where am I?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes adjusting to the light.

“In the electrotherapy room, my dear.” Cuttershy answered.

Fluttershy took note of her surroundings. Her uncle, along with a certain nurse from Ponyville, looked down on her. Resting on her head was the same metal “helmet” that was also strapped around her chin. She then took notice of the carved lettering: ABANDONED BY CELESTIA.

“No!! NOOO!!! NOOO!!!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Yes, those poor ponies in the cavern were abandoned by Celestia in their hour of need.” Cuttershy remarked, “She wants to make certain they will never be abandoned again.”

The old pegasus then broke into another coughing fit, collapsing to the floor and spitting up more blood.

“Doctor! Are you alright?!” Redheart fretted, helping him up with her hoof.

“Fine...my dear...everything is fine...” Cuttershy whispered, letting a tear trickle down his cheek.

“Now, Fluttershy.” Redheart explained, affectionately holding her hoof, “You’re going to feel a slight pinch. We’ve powered this old machine with a small raincloud with just enough lightning to give you amnesia. The past week will all be a haze, but you’ll be back in your room. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this...doctor, we’re ready...”

“Throw the switch...” Cuttershy said regretfully.

“Wait.” a certain yellow colt asked, standing nearby, “She won’t remember anything?”

“Not for the past few days at least, Mr. Flutterscotch.” Redheart replied.

“Hang in there, kiddo.” Flutterscotch whispered.

“FOR CELESTIA’S SAKE, PLEASE!!” Fluttershy shrieked, eyes wide and bloodshot, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“This is for Celestia’s sake.” Cuttershy said as Nurse Redheart flipped the switch.

The last thing Fluttershy thought of before her mind became a blur was the rotting corpse that she thought had tried to drown her. She wondered if that was what everypony was trying to cover up all along. Who was that mare or colt?

The two brothers, Flutterscotch and Cuttershy, had to look away as their daughter and niece violently convulsed from the electricity. Redheart looked on in morbid, medical curiosity as Granite Shield stood guard, keeping hold of Screw Loose, who was next in line for treatment.

“So after we’re done with this...” Redheart wondered, “who’s up for some ice cream?”