“Which way do we go now?” Pinkie asked, staring at the fork in the path ahead of them
“We have to go left. The glitterflies are that way,” Fluttershy replied.
Both ponies walked down the path through White Tail Woods. The midday sun beamed down through the canopy of the trees, and intermittent light played upon the path they walked.
“Thanks for coming with me, Pinkie Pie. I would have brought Rarity, but she had to watch Sweetie Belle today.”
"No problem! You can always count on me to help out anytime. By the way, what are we doing?" Pinkie asked, a look of puzzlement adorning her face.
"We're collecting sparkles from the glitterflies. Rarity has been using them lately to make her dresses shine and sparkle extra bright."
The pink pony bounced down the path at a slower pace than usual, taking in the scenery around her. Fluttershy had learned by now that Pinkie would move slower so she wouldn’t have to struggle to keep up.
Pinkie is such a considerate friend.
A blush broke out on Fluttershy's face as her thoughts focused on the hyperactive mare.
"So when did you start doing this anyway? I certainly don't remember this glitterfly stuff, or I would've done glitterfly picnics, glitterfly parties, glitterfly anniversaries..."
"We've only done this twice. I found out two months ago that Rarity was capturing glitterflies at night and shaking the jar to get their sparkles! Can you believe it?" A bit of anger welled up inside Fluttershy's heart when she thought back to Rarity’s callous and selfish act.
Pinkie frowned and her hopping ceased. "Awww, but they have families and friends and stuff, don't they?"
"That's what I said. I told her if she wanted the glitterflies’ sparkles, she should bring some nectar and they would just give them to us."
"I wish I could talk to glitterflies like you. I'd ask them their favorite color, their favorite cake, and their favorite animal." Pinkie smiled.
"I don't think glitterflies care about those sorts of things," Fluttershy said, stifling a giggle.
Pinkie jumped in front of her and smiled. "I bet they do! They're probably just shy, like you. I know that your favorite color is pink, your favorite cake is black forest, and your favorite animal is every animal because you can't choose!"
Fluttershy smiled bashfully at the pink pony's accuracy. "Wow, Pinkie. How do you know so much about everypony?"
Pinkie scratched her head. "Well, I don't know everypony’s favorite color, cake, or animal, but I do know my very bestest friends!"
Fluttershy blushed again. Looking up, she realized they had made it to the most dangerous part of the path: a large, rickety wooden bridge that extended from the side of a cliff to another landmass with an enormous tree growing atop it.
Oh, no....
Fluttershy gulped nervously. She always locked up when she got here. It was just so... high. She would usually let Rarity levitate her over with magic and keep her eyes closed. Without Rarity, however, she would have to brave the bridge on hoof. Suddenly, she felt a firm hoof on her back.
"C'mon, Fluttershy. You can do this!" Pinkie announced. "Just put one hoof in front of the other!"
Fluttershy nodded and slowly extended her hoof, placing it on the first plank.
"That's right! See? You can do this," Pinkie said encouragingly.
Fluttershy put everything else out of her mind and focused on Pinkie's voice. Plank by plank, they crossed the bridge. With the pink pony shouting words of encouragement, and her eyes locked on the wooden planks beneath her hooves, she lost track of time.
"And that's the last one!"
Hearing Pinkie's proclamation, the timid pegasus looked up. True to her word, the very next step was not wooden, but soft dirt and grass. Bearing a large smile, Fluttershy placed her hoof on the firm earth. With a large leap, Pinkie soared over her head, landing a foot ahead of her.
"See? I told you! All you gotta do is take it one step at a time!"
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad to be back on solid ground."
Suddenly, a twinkling light landed on her nose.
"Oh, hello little fellow. We brought more nectar for you," the pegasus explained, pulling out a jar from her saddlebags. The glitterfly on her nose sparkled brightly and returned to the tree. Both ponies watched as it disappeared.
"Uhhh, do they normally run away like that?" Pinkie asked.
"Shh, watch."
Fluttershy opened the jar and poured the thick nectar onto the ground in a large circle. All at once, hundreds… no, thousands of shimmering lights flew out of the tree and descended upon the fresh nectar.
"Oh, wow. They look so cool! Wait... how do you collect their sparkles?" Pinkie asked.
Fluttershy pulled out another jar, this one completely empty. She took off the lid and left it near the feeding frenzy. "Here you go, if any of you can donate sparkles, we would really appreciate it."
As the glitterflies finished eating, they each flew over to the jar and bobbed in the air, dropping a few sparkles each. Pinkie and Fluttershy watched as the swarm of flies filled the jar and danced through the air in awe inspiring patterns before returning to the tree.
"Wow, Fluttershy. I think they really like the nectar!"
Fluttershy simply smiled. "I'm just glad they don't have to worry about being separated from their family anymore."
The last glitterfly dropped some sparkles into the jar and landed on Fluttershy's nose, making a happy chirp.
"Oh, you're ever so welcome. Thank you for donating some sparkles for my friend."
The creature chirped again and took off into the air. It swooped by Pinkie Pie while still chirping and disappeared into the tree. Pinkie Pie twisted the lid onto the jar of sparkles and offered it to Fluttershy.
"Next time we come, I'm totally bringing some bread and marmalade, so we can eat too!" Pinkie's stomach growled in agreement. "See? Watching other ponies eat always makes me hungry."
Fluttershy stared at her curiously. "But... they aren't ponies..."
Fluttershy's observation was lost on the pink mare, who began bouncing back to the bridge. "C'mon, you said we could get something to eat after we were done, and I know the perfect place."
Fluttershy nodded and followed the energetic mare back to the bridge. Pinkie stood off to the side, motioning for Fluttershy to cross. Reluctantly, the timid pegasus stepped onto the first plank.
"Just remember: step by step."
Fluttershy swallowed hard and began walking across the swaying bridge.
Step by step.
A gentle breeze played through her hair and Pinkie started humming a serene and gentle tune, easing Fluttershy's anxiety.
Step by step...
After what felt like a few short moments, Fluttershy saw the other side of the chasm come into view.
"See? You've totally got this now!" Pinkie cheered. Just like before, she leapt over Fluttershy and landed deftly on the second to last plank.
Both ponies eyes widened as the sound of splintering wood echoed throughout the open area.
"Fluttershy, help!"
The Pegasus gasped as Pinkie fell through the plank and hit the side of the chasm. She closed her eyes as her friend tumbled further into the valley below.
No! No, please no!
The horrible noises stopped, and then... silence.
Fluttershy started shaking uncontrollably.
Please let this be a bad dream! Please let me wake up!
Fluttershy opened her eyes, now laden with tears, and realized that it wasn't a dream. A wave of nausea overcame her. Summoning every bit of courage for her friend, she flapped her wings and took to the skies. Through the rapidly forming tears, she looked down and saw a bit of pink in the valley below.
No! I can't go! What if she's...
She shook her head as if trying to shake the horrible possibility out of her mind. She slowly descended into the valley, never once taking her eye off of her friend, yet dreading what she might find.
Please be okay, Pinkie. You've gotta be okay!
As she got closer, however, it became clear that the pink pony was not okay. Apparently unconscious with a trickle of blood running down the side of her face, it was obvious she needed help, and fast.
Help she couldn't get in the woods.
Landing next to her pink friend, Fluttershy finally lost it. She sobbed like a filly as streams of tears left her eyes.
"Pinkie Pie!" she screamed out pitifully between sobs. "I should have caught you! I bet a pony like Rainbow Dash wouldn't have let you fall! I'm such a pathetic pony!"
Fluttershy continued sobbing, frozen in place by remorse.
"Pinkie needs help... but I can't help."
Yes you can! You treat animals all the time!
"But she isn't an animal! She's my friend..."
Come on, Fluttershy. Your friend needs you now more than ever! You have to help her! Just treat her like you would any other animal!
Fluttershy's sobs became sniffles as she tried to focus on Pinkie. She looked at the wounded mare's chest, and put a hoof on her heart.
“She's breathing... and she has a steady pulse. Thank the princesses!”
Inspecting her friend's head, she saw a nasty gash where the precious blood was flowing from.
“She's bleeding really badly. I need to stop it!”
The realization struck that she was letting her panic get the better of her. She let out a deep, calming sigh.
One step at a time.
Looking around, she tried to find something to make a tourniquet with. She herself had nothing in her saddlebags up to the task. Delicately, she removed Pinkie's saddlebags and dumped them out. Astonishingly enough, there wasn't much inside but a few party supplies, a book and a sheet of paper.
Now what?
She stared at the saddlebags for a moment before an idea hit her. Using her teeth, she bit the saddlebag strap and chewed on it until it tore off of the bags. Gently, she wrapped the strap around the leaking wound and tied it tight. The blue strap turned red very quickly, but she kept the pressure on until it slowed.
Finally! Now you just have to get her back to Ponyville!
"But... you're not supposed to move a pony with a possible neck injury..."
You move animals with neck injuries all the time! You just do it carefully.
Fluttershy knew the only safe way to move Pinkie would be to secure her. For that, she would need help. She glanced around frantically.
"Please, if there are any animals out there... I need help!"
On cue, several critters popped out of the bushes and looked at her expectantly.
"I... I need vines, and large sticks about the length of her body," Fluttershy said, pointing at the unresponsive mare.
The critters scampered off, leaving Fluttershy, presumably to gather the materials she needed.
At least, that's what she hoped.
Fluttershy, now in survival mode, dug through Pinkie's belongings, trying to find anything that might help. A smile crept across her face as a bag of balloons caught her eyes. She dumped the colorful decorations out and started tying them together one by one until they formed a small rubber rope. She put it to the side for later and turned back to the pile. She rummaged through a few streamers, Pinkie's lucky rock, and a book she had checked out from the library. On a piece of paper in the pile, she spotted her own name.
Fluttershy knew it was wrong to go reading letters that weren't her’s, but curiosity got the better of her. She straightened out the paper and started from the top.
You're very very quiet, and not a little bit shy, but I'm super energetic and have a voice that's quite high.
I know I sometimes startle you and make you shout in surprise, but sometimes I get lost in your big and peaceful eyes.
I can work on being quieter and maybe not so loud, and try not to drag you into a giant crowd.
I'd like to know if there's the possibility, if you could see yourself with a silly pony like me.
Fluttershy, I guess what I'm asking with these frankly awful rhymes, is if you'll go out with me and maybe you could be mine?
Fluttershy lowered the letter completely speechless. She had long since had feelings for Pinkie who she affectionately referred to as the pink menace. Not that she ever called her that directly; no need to hurt anypony’s feelings.
True, Pinkie did oftentimes startle her, and indeed, she sometimes felt one step behind the whirlwind that is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but Pinkie always made sure to stop and think of her.
When the other ponies rushed the punchbowl at a party, Pinkie always made sure there was a glass for her. When Fluttershy felt worthless or helpless, Pinkie always made sure she didn't leave her side until Fluttershy felt like the kind caretaker everyone else saw her as. The words on that letter were everything that she could hope for.
And yet... at this very moment, they felt like daggers. Reading this heartfelt confession seemed damning as Pinkie lay upon the ground in desperate need of help. So tragic it would be to read these words and then to never...
No! I’m going to save her!
The clattering of sticks brought Fluttershy out of her thoughts. A wide variety of animals stared at her worriedly. Squirrels, badgers, geese, and even a bear stood ready to help. Sure enough, the animals had gathered plenty of vines and tree limbs for her.
"Thank you so much." Fluttershy smiled gratefully. Like greased lightning, she started lashing together the sticks and vines. She had made gurneys before, but never for one of her friends, and that was precisely the detail she wanted to forget about the most at this moment. After only a few minutes of feverish work, the final result lay before her. The wooden gurney was finally ready for use, she only had one problem. She looked to the bear with desperation in her eyes.
"Can you help me move her?"
The bear flexed his muscles and reached down for Pinkie's hooves.
"Wait! We have to do this carefully!" She gripped Pinkie's head tightly. "Okay, on the count of three. One... two... three!"
In one smooth motion they moved Pinkie onto the wooden gurney careful not to let her head move. With the pink pony now in place, Fluttershy grabbed her balloon rope and weaved it through the sticks, securing Pinkie's head to the gurney.
"Whew. Okay. Now that she's secure, we've just got to get her back to Ponyville." Fluttershy knew that the river—a scant few feet from them—cut right through Sweet Apple Acres.
"I'm afraid I need your help again," Fluttershy said to the bear apologetically. The bear simply grinned and flexed his muscles before lifting the gurney above his head effortlessly. She followed closely behind, anxious to see her friend through this ordeal.
"Whew! Ah’m beat!" Applejack sat beneath the shade of an apple tree in the evening sun with her brother. "Ya know, if Ah didn't know any better, Ah'd say we did the entire east field today!"
"Eeeyup."
Applejack took another sip of her apple juice as the sun dipped ever lower to the horizon. It wasn't long before an odd shape in the distance caught her eye.
"Whut in tarnation is that?"
In the distance she saw a giant brown speck carrying something pink above its head. Out of curiosity, she moved closer to the odd sight. Before long, the shapes came into view and froze Applejack's heart solid. She broke into a full gallop and closed the distance between them.
"Fluttershy! What the hay happened?" Applejack asked. Fluttershy had a grim but determined expression on her face.
"No time to explain! Applejack, go to Ponyville and get a doctor to meet us at my cottage!"
“Your cottage? Why not tha hospital?”
“My cottage isn’t far from here, and the hospital is on the other side of Ponyville. Dr. Trotting’s office is on the outskirts of Ponyville. He’s used to doing house calls, and is much closer than the hospital. I’ll have Pinkie ready for examination the moment he arrives. Go now, Applejack.”
Applejack didn't want to leave without getting any information whatsoever, but it was clear that the most important thing she could do for her friend right now was to get help. She veered off towards Ponyville to go find the doctor.
"Thank you so much for your help." Fluttershy handed the bear the best jar of honey she had, which he gratefully accepted. He walked out of the cottage with a visible line of drool hanging out of his mouth just as the doctor and Applejack galloped in.
"Excuse me, Fluttershy. Where's the patient?" Dr. Trotting asked.
"She's upstairs in the bed. She has a worrying cut on her head, and she might have a neck injury, so we made sure she was secured tightly while moving her," Fluttershy answered.
The doctor nodded and galloped upstairs with his bag.
Fluttershy, for the first time since the whole disaster happened, took a deep breath.
"Uhhh, not ta be nosy, but just what in the hay happened?" Applejack asked.
Fluttershy hung her head shamefully. "Oh, Applejack, it was terrible! As we were crossing the bridge, one of the planks gave way, and Pinkie Pie fell down the crossing!"
Applejack tossed her hat on the floor in frustration. "Consarn it! Ah knew we shoulda repaired that bridge! Darn thing’s been up since before Ah been born."
"Well, she did kind of jump on it, and it probably wasn't built for that..."
"Fluttershy, remember that time Pinkie jumped on that Hearth's Warming ornament and it didn't break?"
Fluttershy thought back to that night and the way Pinkie rolled about the room on the tiny glass bulb like a cartoon character. She always did have a weird way with things like that.
"I guess it could use some repair," Fluttershy admitted.
"So what's wrong with tha little gal?"
Fluttershy sighed. "I don't know yet. All I know is she had a bad cut on her head, and she was out cold! Oh, Applejack, it just..."
Fluttershy's words caught in her throat as the tears returned. The memory of the accident—still fresh in her head—cut like a knife. She felt Applejack's hoof on her side and wasted no time in clinging onto it.
"Ah know this ain't easy, sugarcube, but you acted quickly and got her back in time fer tha doctor to do his part."
"A-Applejack, you don't under-understand!" Fluttershy choked out between sobs. She pushed the cowpony away so that she could pull out the letter from Pinkie, and handed it over. Applejack scanned through it quickly while Fluttershy tried to stop sobbing.
"Oh... wow," was all Applejack could say.
"It's... it's so awful!"
"What? Ya mean ya don't like mares?"
Fluttershy shook her head frantically. "That's not what I mean! What if… what if she wrote all of this down, planned to ask me, and she never wakes—"
Fluttershy was cut off mid-sentence with a firm hoof. "Now hold yer horses! Don't go sayin’ things like that. Pinkie's gonna be just fine, you'll see.”
“Ladies?”
Fluttershy and Applejack’s eyes flew to the stairs. The doctor trotted down to meet them, the look on his face not as grim as Fluttershy feared.
“Is she alright, doctor? I did my best to treat her, but I don—”
“It’s okay, Miss Fluttershy,” The doctor reassured her. “You took fine care of her. My work here is done, but I’d advise letting her rest for awhile. I gave her something minor for the pain, and she probably won’t be up for talking anytime soon.
"Wait, you're done?" Fluttershy asked, unbelieving.
The doctor chuckled. "Why, sure I am. She has no broken bones or anything. The only major wound she has is the cut on her head. I stitched it up so those will have to come out later, but after a few short days, she'll be just fine."
Applejack nudged Fluttershy's side gently. "See there, sugarcube? She's gonna be just fine."
"Indeed. It was very wise of you to take the precautions you had. I could tell by the way she was secured and treated you have your fair share of first aid training," the doctor said.
"I may have had to treat an animal or two," Fluttershy admitted with a blush.
The doctor walked to the door, grabbed his hat and walked out. "That's all for me. Have her swing by the office once she's healed up and I'll take care of those stitches."
"Bye, doctor."
"Thanks a bunch, doc!"
The door shut quietly behind him and both of the ponies finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Wordlessly, they both looked at each other, and then trotted over to, and up the stairs. Opening the bedroom door, the first thing they saw was the makeshift gurney, disassembled and placed neatly at the foot of the bed.
Walking further into the room, they saw Pinkie Pie, her head turned sideways on the soft down pillows and covered by the comforter. As they neared the bed, it was easy to see the pink pony was out like a light. Applejack lightly touched her head and turned it. On the right side of Pinkie's forehead there was a large bandage going down a couple of inches. She lifted the bandage to get a better look at the wound.
"Awww, Party Girl. You gave yourself a right nasty cut didn't ya?" Applejack certainly didn't expect a response back given the line of drool coming out of Pinkie's mouth.
"It doesn't seem right, does it?" Fluttershy asked.
"Whaddya mean?"
"I mean, seeing Pinkie so quiet. She always seems... on, I guess."
Applejack chuckled. "Well, believe you me, Pinks here has to sleep jus like tha rest of us."
Fluttershy ran a hoof through the hanging lock on Pinkie's mane. "I know, it's just... so strange. I wonder when she'll wake up."
Applejack turned Pinkie's head back onto the pillow and pulled the blanket up. "Iff'n he gave her what he gave me when I took a shovel to the head last year, probably sometime in the morning."
"Oh..."
"I think that about does it then. Iff'n there's nothing else, I'll be headed back to tha farm," Applejack announced.
"Well, actually, can you stay here and watch her while I go tell the Cakes what happened?"
"Oh yeah. I guess somepony should let 'em know. You run along and tell em, sugarcube." Applejack sat down on a chair next to the bed where Pinkie lay unconscious.
"Thanks... I just don't know what I'm going to tell them."
Fluttershy knocked on the wooden door, hoping they weren't asleep yet. She waited a few moments before raising her hoof to knock again. At that moment, she heard hoofsteps approaching the door.
"I'm sorry, we're closed for the nig—" Mrs. Cake began, "Oh. Good evening, Fluttershy. Can I help you?"
"Ummm, well..." Fluttershy hesitated.
Mrs. Cake gasped in fright. "Oh no! Where's Pinkie Pie? Oh, please tell me she isn't—"
Fluttershy realized what must've crossed the older mare's mind given the horror in her eyes.
"She's alright, Mrs. Cake. She just took a bad fall earlier. She's resting up at my cottage."
The older mare sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! When I saw you standing there like that, I assumed the worst. Come on in, dear, and I'll fix you something to take back home."
Fluttershy started to protest, but quickly decided to just go along with it.
"Okay, but I can't stay for too long. Applejack is waiting for me."
Mrs. Cake smiled. "It won't take long. I can tell you haven't had anything to eat, and Pinkie will definitely want something sweet when she wakes up."
Fluttershy closed the door behind her gently, resulting in a barely-audible click. Quietly, she walked upstairs to her bedroom and opened the door.
As expected, Applejack sat in a chair, diligently keeping guard over Pinkie. Slowly, she rose to her hooves and met Fluttershy at the doorway.
"Ya got it from here, sugarcube?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I believe so. Thanks for keeping an eye on her, Applejack."
The cowpony tipped her hat and made for the door. "Thanks for bringing her back safely. We'll be by in the morning to visit."
"Good night, Applejack."
"Night, Fluttershy."
The door creaked slightly as the earth pony pushed it to.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting its gentle glow on the bed. She didn’t know why, but Fluttershy felt awkward next to Pinkie, who was fast asleep. She stepped over to the bed right next to the injured pony, and ran a hoof through Pinkie’s curly hair as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
“I’m… I’m so sorry. I should have been quicker. I should have caught you before you fell.”
The dam finally broke. Fluttershy started sobbing uncontrollably as the gravity of what had happened finally kicked in. She wrapped her hooves around Pinkie as the tears fell in streams. “I’m just so useless! I don’t know how you could like a pony like me. Rainbow Dash would have caught you! She’s saved us all so many times! But no… I let you down. I’m so sorry.”
She sobbed into Pinkie’s mane as time slipped away from her. She didn’t know how long had passed, but eventually she pulled away and wiped the few remaining tears from her eyes.
“Don’t you ever leave us, Pinkamena Diane Pie.”
Fluttershy stepped away from the bed and trudged downstairs. She hopped onto her couch to retire for the night. She closed her eyes, still damp from crying, and went to sleep.
A knock on the door stirred Fluttershy from her rest. She stretched and let out a quiet yawn before hopping off of her couch. Trundling to the door, she suddenly remembered what events had transpired the day before.
Oh no! It’s morning already and I haven’t checked on Pinkie! She might need something to drink.
She moved to run upstairs, but stopped when she remembered the person at her door.
Maybe I should answer the door first.
Hastily, she ran to the door and opened it. “Hello?”
“Hi Fluttershy!” her friends greeted in unison. They each looked anxious, and a few of them even had gifts.
“Good morning, girls… or it would be if Pinkie wasn’t…”
“Now, now, none of that business, ya hear?” Applejack reassured her as she and the rest of her friends walked inside.
“Yeah, where is Pinkie? Is she up yet?” Rainbow asked, hovering around the room with a present.
“I actually just woke up. I haven’t even checked on her yet,” Fluttershy said.
“Cool! I’ll race you to the top of the stairs!” Rainbow yelled, taking off at blinding speed.
Fluttershy watched as the others followed, albeit, less enthusiastically than Rainbow. She walked into her kitchen and opened the fridge pulling out the very special cupcakes Mrs. Cake gave her last night.
She'll surely want something to drink with them.
The pegasus reached into her cabinet and pulled out two glasses. She put water in one, and a teabag in the other. As she put water on to boil, she wondered what her friends were doing upstairs.
They're probably wondering why I didn't catch her. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Despite waking up feeling refreshed, ruminating on what she did wrong only served to drain her energy. She dropped a few cubes of ice into the glass of water and sat down, patiently waiting for the water to boil.
"Fluttershy?"
The pegasus turned to see who called her name. "Hey, Twilight. I'm just getting some tea made for Pinkie. Could you bring the cupcakes and water to her until the tea is ready?"
"Sure we can, right, Twilight?" Rarity asked, walking next to the alicorn.
"Yeah, sure. Are you going to bring the tea up?"
Fluttershy sighed and her head drooped. "I can't."
"What? Why not?" asked Rarity.
"I let her fall. I let her down. I can't face her, I just can't!"
Just then, Applejack walked into the room. "Y'all aren't still hung up on this now, are y'all?"
Fluttershy nodded.
"Fluttershy, you did a good job getting her back to us in one piece. More important than that, she don't feel like you let her down at all. She wants to see ya. She keeps looking at the door hoping you'll walk in," Applejack said.
"Fluttershy? Can I offer you some advice?"
"I guess so, Twilight."
Without warning, a purple glow surrounded Fluttershy, and then, a blinding light.
"Hey, Fluttershy," Rainbow said, greeting her. "Are those cupcakes for Pinkie?"
Fluttershy opened her eyes and realized she was in the bedroom with Pinkie and Rainbow. The plate of cupcakes and water she prepared sitting in her outstretched hooves. "They, uhhh... I...."
Rainbow Dash flew over and patted her on the back. "I think I'll head downstairs and raid your fridge. Have fun, you two!"
The door clicked as it closed behind her, leaving Fluttershy to stare awkwardly at the pony in her bed."
Pinkie clopped her hooves together excitedly. "Hi, Fluttershy! I've been dying to see you all morning! Oh wait, that might be a poor choice of words right now. Whatever, just give me a hug already!"
Fluttershy walked over to the bed and set the cupcakes down. She timidly opened her arms wide, and let Pinkie practically scoop her up like a frigid serving of ice cream.
How can she be so happy about this? I nearly let her die.
Fresh tears fell from the pegasus' eyes. She didn't want to, but she lost control of her emotions and started sobbing into Pinkie's soft mane.
"Fluttershy? Are you okay? You don't have to cry! I'm alright! Really, I am!" Pinkie pleaded with her.
"Oh, Pi-Pinkie. That's not why I-I'm crying," Fluttershy said between sobs.
"Then why? I want to help!"
She wasn't looking forward to this, but Fluttershy knew it was confession time. "Pinkie... I... while I was looking for supplies in your saddlebags, I... found your letter."
Pinkie's ears folded back. "You did? Awwww. I wanted to give you that over a romantic dinner!"
"I know, I'm such a terrible friend! I shouldn't have been snooping, but I had to have supplies to get you back to Ponyville. But that isn't the worst part."
"It isn't?"
"No. I let you down. A brave pegasus like Rainbow Dash would have caught you. I just... I locked up! The only thing I could do is listen as you fell. Oh, I'm so useless! There's no reason you should like a pony like me!" Fluttershy started crying harder. She felt a hoof touch hers almost instantly. Pinkie pulled her completely on the bed and put her head against her chest.
"You are not useless," Pinkie said, stroking the pegasus reassuredly. "You saved me. You used your cool first aid kung fu and got me back here, safe and sound. I bet it took a lot of courage to treat me in the middle of the woods with nopony else around!"
"It... it did."
"You even made a gurney for me in the middle of nowhere! And that balloon rope thing? Genius!"
"How do you know about that?" Fluttershy asked.
"Applejack told me. She said you had a bear carry me to your house. That sounded pretty funny."
"It might have been, if you hadn't been hurt," Fluttershy mumbled. Pinkie pulled her head until their eyes met.
"You saved me. Thank you so much."
Pinkie reached past Fluttershy and grabbed the tray of cupcakes. "I know it's breakfast and not dinner, but breakfast in bed is about as romantic as it can get. Fluttershy? Would you... be my special somepony?"
Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat. "I... well... only if you still want me to be."
"Of course I do! You're only like, the most fantastic, fantabulous pony I've ever met! I was so afraid you wouldn't want to be because I'm so loud, and I bounce around everywhere, and l get crumbs in the bed!"
Fluttershy smiled, finally free of the cloud that had been hanging over her head. "But, that's what makes you Pinkie Pie, and that's why I like you."
Suddenly there was a bright flash. Two cups of piping hot tea appeared on the tray next to the cupcakes, along with several sugarcubes. They both exchanged a bright smile and grabbed their cups.
"I guess this is pretty romantic, but next time we'll have to go out somewhere for dinner," Fluttershy said as she blew on her tea to cool it off. Pinkie leaned in and placed a quick peck on her cheek, spreading a bright red blush across her face.
"Next time we have breakfast in bed, I'm making us pancakes!" Pinkie said as she tossed an entire cupcake into her mouth.
