The routine was the same almost every night-
- Wake up at midnight, shrieking.
- Hastily clamber out of bed.
- Check on all of the sleeping animals.
- Grab a refreshment from the fridge and take a few swigs.
- Roll back into bed and wish that sleep wasn't such a frightening process.
The routine wasn't new to her. In fact, the regular basis on which this occurred was scary. But, what else was she to do? It was as if she were preparing for bed twice a night, a miracle if she could get to sleep again, and understandable if she could not. Sometimes her desire would be granted, and she could wistfully fall back into a trance that wasn't entirely sleep, but certainly wasn't agonizing wake. Other times (and most often times), she would lie in bed, eyelids drooping, but mind you never faltering to hold steady. With the sheer magnitude on which she practiced this routine, it was an incredible feat that she could even face the world come the next morning, let alone get up. Yet, it never broke her. She always addressed the situation in a meek, dignified manner that made her appear calm...
but inside she was a mess of loose screws and springs.
Now, everypony knew that Fluttershy had a sleeping problem. It wasn't such a big deal. Lots of other ponies suffered from various sleeping conditions- Lyra/insomniac, Big Mac/aggressive sleepwalker, and of course Twilight's ordeals with stress. Fluttershy's case was different, however. Whereas the other pony's conditions normally did not interfere with their everyday lives, Fluttershy's would. Sometimes she could get unnaturally cranky (It was dangerous to ask her about it), and it’d take an army to calm her down. Other times she just looked the part- her mane would be tangled or strands of hair would jump every which way, her eyes would droop or she would unexpectedly drop off into thousand yard stares. These were just common themes that they came to understand would happen every once in a while. They knew the procedure. What they didn't know, was to just what extent the problem entailed.
Did they know why she wasn't sleeping well?
No, they didn't.
Did they know how often this was trending?
No (once again, the asking thing).
Did they know that it was the same nightmare every night?
No, they couldn't possibly know that. It is also true that they didn't know that it wasn't a nightmare- it was a memory. An awful memory that she was forced to relive day in and day out.
A memory that still won’t go away after all this time.
o----o
Morning came slower than usual. That was a good thing. This was one of those nights where she was granted a bit of sleep near dawn. Well, that is if sleep meant tossing and turning uncontrollably in bed with your eyes closed. Still, she had more time to “rest up” so to speak. Now, realizing that the sun was indeed up, she knew she had a job to do. She would have to run through her daily chores and get those out of the way before she could go into town and see what the others were up to. She pried her eyes open, lifted half of the covers off and wriggled out of bed. Her knees buckled when she hit the floor, and she almost collapsed in a heap. Steadying herself on the bedpost, she took a deep breath in, and exhaled through her mouth.
A spa date with Rarity sounded more than wonderful to her at the moment, it sounded like a fantasy. Unfortunately, that date wasn't for another two days. She sighed at the thought, and simultaneously swung her mane out of her face. It was frizzy and dispersed itself around her head, producing a sort of hair halo. She began to scour the room for a brush. Shafts of light were beaming in through the windows, making her surroundings appear hazy. Perhaps that was the early morning grogginess. She squinted hard into the rays, but it was nearly impossible to see. Fortunately, Fluttershy had an uncanny ability to maneuver through her cottage aimlessly and avoid injury. She found her brush where it always was- sitting on the rug where she had thrown it the night before in her desperation to crawl back into bed. She lethargically plucked it from the ground and ran it through her coarse hair a few times, slipping in and out of consciousness along the way.
As Fluttershy continuously attempted to brush her mane, she didn't notice that Angel Bunny had entered the room. He had waited for as long as he could downstairs for her, thinking that at any moment she would float heavenly down the stairs as usual. When she didn’t, Angel had grown disconcerted. Didn't she remember the important town meeting scheduled for today? She had already skipped out on her daily chores, all of the animals contributed to finish them. They knew that she had probably had a rough night... again. Yet, this still rarely happened, this might be a serious one. Angel stood at the entrance to the room. He saw Fluttershy on the other side, where she had been combing her mane for a good half hour. Angel looked to the floor and shook his head. Where would she be without him?
Angel Bunny hopped over to her and pounded his foot impatiently into the floorboard a couple of times. The yellow pony was completely lost, and failed to look as she stood half asleep in the mirror. He performed several fake coughs growing louder in succession to sway her, and that didn't work either. Finally, he kicked her in the hind leg, hard enough to make her come to her senses.
“Wha?” Fluttershy whispered, wiping her eyes. “Oh, hello Angel. Good morning.”
Angel stared at her with those beady eyes that only Fluttershy could understand. They glared at her as if to say “Do you know what time it is?”
“Oh, yes,” she yawned softly before moving on, “it is the morning.”
Angel glowered at her sarcastically. He pointed to the clock up on the wall. Fluttershy had a difficult time focusing in on it. The numbers looked fuzzy, which just made her want to squint harder, and she unwittingly sat in silence just watching the clock. Angel had experienced enough. He rudely pushed her over directly to the face of the clock. Fluttershy passively let the rabbit control her, and she looked up to see the time. As if a sudden realization had just dawned on her, she sat down to ponder it over for a moment, quizically eyeing the numbers. The ‘tick tick’ lulled her into a strange hypnotic coma, and at one point, it looked as if she would just slump over and fall asleep. Her face then contorted to a look of sheer terror. She let out a shrill squeak and bolted out the bedroom door, leaving the bunny whirling around in a crazy pirouette.
o----o
Fluttershy rushed down the stairs in a flurry and nearly bashed down the front door to get outside. When she arrived, she frantically rushed through her chores which, unbeknown to her, had since been completed. She cleaned out the chicken coop that was already immaculate. She fixed any problems with the birdhouses that were already fixed... some of them fixing too much (trashing them, in other words). She even tried dusting the trees. All of the little animals either scurried or flew out of their resting spots to watch the commotion. A few of them tried to get close to her to calm her down, but she moved so deftly that it was hard to keep up with her. She’d kick and claw and dig with violence, making the stare seem like a cakewalk to handle in comparison.
After several minutes of hectic movement, and the assistance of a rope, the animals were able to wrestle her back down to Equestria. Fluttershy parked herself on the grass while an assortment of creatures gathered around her, concern on their faces. She stole a few looks at all of them, unable to control herself from becoming teary-eyed.
“You all did my chores for me?” She whimpered, growing unstable with the passing seconds. She lowered her head and shut her eyes tight. “I'm so sorry... I, I don't know what happened. I must... I must have dozed off... oh dear,” she said, trying to hold herself together.
The animals leaned in closer and used their means of consolation. Angel Bunny appeared from the front door, having adjusted back to normal. He peered at the poor pony across the way and immediately looked away in disgust. What an absolute mess. She had her head buried in her hooves and spots of dirt were speckled about her coat. He could hear her crying softly. Tears were snaking down her cheeks, turning the area around her face into a mud bath. Angel hung his head and turned, walking back into the cottage. He decided he would rather leave her alone than pressure her to go to this meeting. After all, being amongst such a large crowd would most likely just leave her in a more emotional state.
o----o
Fluttershy lay on the ground for several minutes. She had ceased crying, save a few sniffles, and just lay sprawled out on her back. The animals kept a slight distance between them, just enough to keep her wary of their presence. She stared mindlessly into the sky. She was insistent that she could watch it rotate, as Starswirl The Bearded noted so long ago. It was a brilliant shade of blue today, and not a single cloud burst through the atmosphere. Of course, the pegasus ponies had not scheduled rain because of the meeting today, so the skies were kept clear. Its immense span waned off into the distance. She closed her eyes and let the bright luminescence from the sun seep through her eyelids. By Celestia was it searing hot today! Oh, but this was how she liked it. She’d rather the sun melt all of Ponyville than cower under the couch during a much maligned rainstorm. The fact that she wanted to stay in bed more than enjoy this lovely day disturbed her slightly. It was a shame that she refused to get up for the time being. After all, she had already let her furry little friends down, and that alone was not acceptable.
As Fluttershy remained in her daydream, unperturbed, a certain blue pegasus floated about on a ponyhunt. She effortlessly glided through the sky, scanning the ground with her bright, fuchsia iris’. She headed straight for the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest, a sweet breeze flowing through her mane. Though she would never admit it, she was feeling a bit giddy. It was one of those days where resting on a cloud or taking a quiet stroll through town would float her boat. The chatter of squirrels and birds became more pronounced as she grew closer to the cottage. They were obviously out enjoying the beautiful day that the pegasi worked so hard to attain, and who wouldn’t be? It was marvelous! The pegasus sighted what she was looking for, and she zoomed forward, leaving onlookers only able to catch a fleeting glimpse. When she saw the ring of animals gathered on the lawn, she knew this was the first, and last, place she need look.
Rainbow Dash swooped down and hovered above Fluttershy’s head, eyeing her up and down. She couldn’t see that Fluttershy had been crying... but from the looks of it, she could tell that the pony was definitely out of whack. Dashie suspended herself in midair for some time before it became clear that Fluttershy was not going to acknowledge her. She spoke up-
“Hey, Fluttershy?” She said in a cute rasp, “We were all wondering where you were at, we couldn’t find you at the town hall meeting... are you okay?”
Fluttershy’s eyes whipped open and her pupils narrowed.
That familiar voice.
“Fluttershy, are you okay?”
“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!”
“The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well Stops Out of Control Cart: Saves Day!”
“I love Daring Do! I wish there were more!”
“Most people thought that the sonic rainboom was just an old mare’s tale, but that day, I proved that the legends were true!”
“Fluttershy!”
“Fluttershy!”
“FLUTTERSHY!"
Rainbow was screeching at the top of her lungs.
Fluttershy crooked her neck to look upwards. She appeared to be in disbelief. Rainbow had been hovering in front of her sun and she seemed to have a golden aura about her. There was an angelic feel to it, it was strange-
“Hey!” Dash waved her hoof across Fluttershy’s eyes. “Are you okay? What are you doing on the ground?”
Fluttershy quickly looked away as if she were keeping an embarrassing secret. “Oh, I was just, um, trying to feed the animals, cuz’ they were hungry, and, um, I was just... *meep*” She trailed off.
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, admiring the timid pony’s inability to produce an excuse.“You do realize there was an important meeting today, right? Everypony has to be there.” Rainbow said, alighting on the fencepost, “Everypony includes you. You’ve already missed about half of it, but I can fill you in on the details on the way back. So come on! We have to go catch the other half!”
Dash darted away, leaving a puff of dust in her wake. Fluttershy coughed a couple of times, but still lay undeterred on the ground. A few seconds passed before Dashie comically heaved a sigh and fluttered back over to the idle pony. Rainbow went through a quick checklist in her head of possible options to get Fluttershy up and moving. She looked around, quietly humming to herself. Then, an idea. She figured that instead of dragging Fluttershy all the way there, she would-
“Fluttershy, there’s a dragon coming this way and the only place you’re safe is in Town Hall.”
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEP!”
Fluttershy rocketed past Rainbow like a close encounter with lightning. Dash shuddered as the feeling shot up her spine and lingered there. She instantly regretted the decision, effective though it was. Rainbow turned, and saw a small yellow speck disappearing into the distance, making a B-line for Town Hall. Dashie took a quick glance at all of the creatures’ astonished expressions before she ascended and took off with good pace toward Ponyville.
o----o
Fluttershy sped into town and crashed straight into the back of a group of ponies, much to the disdain of one of them, who was holding a particularly delicious cupcake at the time. It soared into the air and came down with a splat on a little unicorn foal’s face. At first, the small foal was startled. Then, taking a peek to make sure no one was looking, she happily licked her face clean in one swift motion with her tongue.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” Thunderlane said, who was the pony that Fluttershy had run into.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry Thunderlane, I didn’t mean to bump into you so harshly,” Fluttershy claimed. She slowly started backing away. “but there’s a... a, um, dr-d-dragon coming this way, and-”
“A dragon!?” Berry punch gurgled, poking her head out of the group. She, too, had a fear of dragons... and an irrational fear of Pinkie Pie.
“Oh, yes.” Fluttershy continued, “Rainbow Dash said there was a big, scaly dragon coming, and he’s going to breathe fire and use his terrible dragon claws to snatch up everypony, and then he’ll burn down the village and-”
“Relax,” Thunderlane said, “what are you talking about? There’s no dragon. And, Berry, if you would?”
Berry Punch let go of her death grip around Thunderlane’s hooves.
“Oh, but Rainbow Dash said-”
Just then, Rainbow came down and landed next to Fluttershy. She looked around anxiously, anticipating widespread panic or destruction of some sort.“What happened? She hasn’t obliterated anything, has she?”
“No,” Thunderlane retorted, “but my hind leg is probably bruised.”
“Yeah... sorry about that. We’ll move along.”
Fluttershy’s eyes were darting back and forth in nervous twitches. “Um, excuse me, Rainbow Dash? Shouldn’t we find some shelter from the dragon com-”
“There’s no dragon, Fluttershy.” Dash stated coolly.
“B-but you said-”
“Just come with me and I’ll explain everything.”
Dashie began to push through the crowd to find a quieter spot. Fluttershy silently followed, apologizing to anypony she accidentally brushed up against. The mayor was still speaking off in the distance, but what she was talking about no longer concerned them. They had come back too late. Dash found a shady spot under a tree and plopped herself down.
“Oh, good,” Fluttershy said, “so the dragons won’t see us.”
“Fluttershy, there aren’t any dragons.”
“But, just in case there are drag-”
“Fluttershy! There aren’t any dragons!”
Fluttershy stayed still for a few seconds, taken aback. Then she fell down on the grass, keeping her eyes trained on Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow drew out a long breath. “Okay, so here’s the scoop-” Rainbow braced herself to tell the news she knew Fluttershy would not enjoy, “a couple of nights ago, a pony was reported missing. They think that she disappeared over in the abandoned cave mines a few miles outside of town.”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy grimaced, “who was it?”
Rainbow Dash again braced herself to tell Fluttershy news that she herself did not enjoy. She tried to say it with conviction. “... Derpy Hooves.”
Fluttershy let out a muffled gasp. “Oh, dear. What was she doing out there?”
Rainbow looked up into the tree, almost expecting to find Derpy randomly falling from its clutches and getting thrown on top of her. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
There was a pause as both ponies didn’t know what to say next. It was as if they both knew that the news was not going to be good, and keeping a blind eye would be a better solution. But it was Rainbow Dash who spoke first-
“Sooo... we have to go find her.”
“Oh Rainbow,” Fluttershy chuckled. “You’re really funny. That’s hardly a job for two ponies. You really had me going there.”
The corner of Rainbow’s mouth curled up, and she fought with herself, wondering if taking Fluttershy was such a great idea at all. “You’re right, too much for two ponies to handle,” she said, “That’s why Princess Celestia included Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie.”
Fluttershy shuffled backwards, bewildered. “What? Why would she have us do it? I mean, uh, not that I’m not honored, but, um-”
“She’s not making us do it, Fluttershy,” Dashie cut her off. She was none too enthralled about this either. She kicked the dirt with her hoof before moving on. “Twilight insisted. Something about friendship and the elements of harmony or whatever.”
Never before had Fluttershy felt like pulling a Derpy and disappearing into a place where she didn’t belong. She dropped her head and rocked back and forth, trying to soak it all in. “Oh, well I can’t go. I... I have to help the animals clean. It’s of utmost importance.”
Rainbow saw this coming. “Spike is already on the case. He will be watching over your cottage while you’re gone.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no. You remember the last time Spike watched over the animals. It was a disaster! I was cleaning feathers out of my drains for weeks and I don’t even know how they got there...”
Rainbow was quick to reply- “Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all agreed to help, too. Thought it might earn them their cutie marks.”
“The girls?” Fluttershy asked, starting to get antsy. “No, I just couldn’t.” She hesitated. “Some of the animals are very sick and they need my help.”
“Fluttershy, you’re going today, and that’s final.”
“T-today?”
“Yes, today. What, did you think we would wait a few days? It has probably already been too long.”
Suddenly Fluttershy was transported a thousand miles from the conversation. Time itself halted, and breathing became the only thing that was necessary.
“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Rainbow said, unsure of how to proceed. She knew she wasn’t very smooth in these situations, and this called for a certain delicate tone. Fluttershy’s chest was rising and falling in a broken rhythm. It was for the best that Dashie might as well have been talking to a brick wall, “Now, come on... I’ll take you to see the others, and then we can go back to the cottage so you can, uh, pack all of the things you need to take! ... sound good?” She put her front leg around Fluttershy’s shoulders.
The quiet pony nodded absently.
Suddenly, Fluttershy had wished it was raining. Not just raining, but also that earsplitting claps of thunder would roll by, so that she may sit in her cottage and let the thunder drown out anypony that came knocking on the door.
“Okay, everypony, I’m sure you know why we are all here. We have a missing pony and a general location as to where she might be. So, let’s run through the basics.” Twilight stated, pacing in front of the rest of the mane six in her personal library. “Here. I have a checklist for each of you to look at. Its contents being all of the tools that we will need for the job- flashlights, warm clothes, first aid kits, et cetera.” She handed out the checklist to Applejack, who studied it, impressed but not surprised by how thorough it was. Twilight began unfurling a map of the mines. “This is a map of the mines. It is a rather large outcropping, but we have refined our search to here,” she circled a smaller portion of the map with a red marker, “seeing as how the rest of it is mostly uninhabitable.”
“Excuse me,” Fluttershy said from the back corner of the room. She was jittering non-stop and ticking like a sprinkler, “but haven’t you heard the awful s-stories about the old rock quarries? I heard N-Nightmare Moon turned all of the workers who used to work there into z-zombie ponies, and at night, they still walk the grounds! That’s the reason they closed it down...”
“Oh, sugarcube,” Applejack spoke reassuringly, “You say the darndest things. Ther ain’t no such thing as zombie ponies. Rarity over ther hasn’t been makin’ ya watch those scary movies with ya again, has she?”
They turned to look at Rarity, who met their glances with remorseful eyes, “Why, whatever do you mean? I have done no such thing since... last... um, Tuesday. All right, fine. Well, I can’t watch them all alone, can I?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to Fluttershy, “There is no such thing as a zombie pony, it’s entirely fiction. May I continue?”
“Oh, um, yes, of course.”
“Right, well, Derpy disappeared three days ago. That doesn’t give us much time to find her. We will begin our search in the caves. If need be, we can split up into two groups to expand the search. We can cover specifics once we get moving. Is Everypony ready?”
“WAIT!” Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping to the front of the group. She looked as if she were about to explode. “Do you think we’ll have a need for emergency streamers?! The parties in those caves can get CRRAAAZZY! And don’t even get me started on not having the proper supplies!”
“Pinkie, we are already behind as it is! I’m sure that we won’t need your streamers.” Twilight said, unsettled.
“You never know, Twilight.” Pinkie’s eyes bulged. “You never know.”
“I think I’ll take my chances. Okay, let’s go. Everypony meet back here in a half hour, the trek to the mines is a half hour long in itself.”
Pinkie looked dejected for a second, then she perked up and bounded out down the hallway, the rest in pursuit. One by one they trotted down the winding hall. Rainbow Dash was the last to exit- and she knew that she shouldn’t be. She stopped at the base of the hall and reversed herself, looking to the topmost part of the room. She inverted her head sideways.
Twilight’s bedsheets were shivering.
Rainbow silently drifted to the upper part of the room, and readied herself over Twilight’s bed. With great precision, she ripped off the covers, hoisted Fluttershy up, and made way for the exit on a rope before Fluttershy could so much as squeak.
o----o
“This is fun!” Pinkie exclaimed as the six ponies had just reached the outskirts of town. “We should take walks like this more often! Wait, should we take walks, or strolls? What’s the difference, really? I’m not sure. Do you have to walk a certain way to stroll? Ooh! Maybe we can do both! We can call it Stralking! Hold on... no, that sounds creepy. Wrolling? No... what do you guys think? Should we be walking or strolling strolling or walking-”
“Pinkie, please!” Twilight remarked, having a rough time focusing in on the game plan.
“Sorry, Twilight... have you figured out which cave to search first?”
Twilight scanned the map once more. “Yes, I do. We can start directly in the middle, as that section houses the caves that are the most shallow and most reasonable for a pony to take shelter in. They also don’t have the threat of being the residencies of bigger and more malicious creatures.”
“Did you say reasonable?” Rainbow Dash inquired. “You know we’re talking about Derpy, right?”
Twilight shrugged the question off. She enjoyed the thought of taking on another adventure, but this one was proving to be a pain in the hoof right away. She undertook this mission so that she might discover an idea for a letter to write to Princess Celestia. What better way to do that than to go on a quest, right? Plus, the trip was supposed to be easy. After all, she did go spelunking with her parents when she was little. Then again, nothing ever seemed to be easy.
“Uh, Twilight?” Rarity spoke, whisking Twilight away from her thoughts. “What do you propose we do about rock slides? Isn’t that a serious danger in the area? Those cliffs really do jut out over the mines.”
Fluttershy was moping alongside Rainbow Dash at the time when she heard Rarity speak. Almost with hostility, she planted her hooves into the ground and stood alert. The others took notice and watched inquisitively. Her mind began to race-
“Fluttershy! You have to fly, dear! Go! Go!”
“Don’t be scared, sweetie. Go ahead, get in!”
“Ah, so she’s a bit of a fixer-upper. She’ll do, won’t she?”
“Fluttershy, listen to me. You are a very talented and bright individual. Promise me one thing, okay? Don’t you ever doubt yourself. Don’t you ever doubt who you are. Promise?”
“Fluttershy?”
“Fluttershy?”
“FLUTTERSHY?”
“What’s goin’ on with her?” Applejack spat. She was shaking Fluttershy ferociously. “Fluttershy, sweetie, c’mon now, yer scarin’ us!”
Fluttershy then spontaneously popped back to life. She shivered and came to, only to discover ten distraught pony eyes crowded in her face. She yelped.
“Fluttershy, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Twilight Sparkle had a first aid kit in hand, almost eager to use it after recently reading a book about hospital nurses. “Are you hurt?”
“Oh, no, I- I’m fine.” she replied. A sudden upwelling of sleep deprivation was making her feel delirious, but she held her composure.
Twilight looked skeptical. “Um, great. You tell us if you need anything, all right?” she said as she spun back around and started walking (strolling, if you will) away. Each of them followed suit, Applejack rushing to join Twilight’s side. Fluttershy staggered forward until she was able to grip the ground properly to proceed.
“Ya sure she’s in any condition to do this?” Applejack said aside to Twilight, “She’s lookin’ real pale, Twi.”
Twilight glanced back at Fluttershy, who was joyously watching Rainbow Dash play the “I’m not touching you!” game with Rarity. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She usually acts this way when she’s a bit frightened. We just need to show her that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“If you say so.” A.J. responded as she fell back amongst the ranks of the others.
o----o
They trudged along the desolate pathway for what they felt was a lot longer than it should have been. Fluttershy would fall quite a ways behind, and they would make infrequent stops so that Rarity could hydrate her. It wasn’t just Fluttershy suffering, everypony else was feeling the strain of stopping and going. Rainbow Dash stomped at the dirt out of her usual boredom, or she’d make pointless scouting trips out ahead, always coming back with the same news of ‘It’s just up ahead’. Pinkie was having a tough time keeping a smile on her face, and sometimes she caught herself sulking. She’d correct herself at random moments, and sporadically look around to assure that nopony had seen. Rarity made use of her time avoiding the dust clouds Rainbow kicked up.
Finally, as Twilight was about to crack from all the complaining coming from every direction, the old mines came into plain view. Everypony’s expression abruptly changed from despair to a sweet sign of relief. They exuberantly trotted onward, excited to get started. Fluttershy continued at her own pace, in no rush to enter a cave of any sort. Rainbow Dash sighed glumly. She doubled back and bent down to lift the surprisingly gaunt pony, holding her by her front legs to reach their destination.
“Girls, we’ve arrived!” Twilight exclaimed. She dug into her pack and fished out a flashlight with her mouth, “Mmk,” she said through clenched teeth, “I fink we kin stawt heer.” Twilight pointed down a deep, dark cave that lay directly in front of them. They all pulled out their flashlights, Rarity perhaps not needing the light that would soon emanate from hers it was so bedazzled with jewels. Twilight took the flashlight out of her mouth. “Let’s get going, we have a lot of caves to search through.”
The six ponies cautiously approached the mouth of the cave. They appeared nonchalant, but in the back crevices of their minds they remembered their filly fears. Fluttershy not so much. She wore her fear on her sleeves. She gulped down a throat full of nerves, covered her eyes with her mane, and blindly walked toward the entrance.
“Relax,” Rainbow Dash said, taking her place beside Fluttershy. “I’ll be right here the whole time, there’s nothing to worry about!”
Fluttershy parted her mane slightly to create a minute peephole. Rainbow fixed her eyes on her and motioned her head forward. The trembling pony obeyed, putting one hoof in front of the other. They all walked into the dark, flashlights leading the way.
“Okay, so it says here that this cave splits into two different sections about a hundred yards from here.” Twilight said, studying the map. “If we split up there, we can reach out to more caves at the end.”
“Didn’t you say we should be looking in shallower caves?” Rainbow Dash queried, taking Fluttershy a smidge farther into the cave with the sound of her voice.
“Yes, well, that’s the thing. This is really just sort of a starting point. The real caves we should be looking into are just on the other side of-”
“Hi guys!” A voice said in the darkness.
All forward progress halted. The greeting reverberated down the walls and back. Every flashlight crashed to the floor with a thud.
Twilight and Rarity froze.
Applejack immediately dropped and covered her face with her hat.
Rainbow Dash hid behind Applejack.
Fluttershy fainted.
Pinkie Pie vaulted up into the ceiling, getting her head stuck in the rock.
But that voice was unmistakable.
o----o
“Derpy?” Twilight asked, swinging her flashlight about.
“Over here, Twilight!” the voice said with enthusiasm. Twilight turned toward the source, and sure enough, there was Derpy Hooves silhouetted against the far wall. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting visitors, what er you guys doing here?!”
Twilight was dumbstruck. She kept the light focused on Derpy, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
“Well,” Rarity said, flipping her mane back, “I must say that that was probably the easiest mission we’ve ever had! Case solved! Now if we could just head back, I’ve an appointment with the spa that I simply cannot miss...”
“Hold on!” Twilight cried, freezing Rarity in her tracks, “This doesn’t make any sense! Derpy, what are you doing here?”
“Gosh, this is my summer home!” Derpy stated as she watched Rainbow Dash assist Pinkie in removing herself from the ceiling.
“What!? Since when?”
“Um... since a few days ago, I guess.”
“Wait, it’s not even summer!”
“Uh... spring cleaning...”
Twilight grunted. She swung the flashlight over to find Applejack standing over an unconscious Fluttershy as if she were an exhibit in a zoo.
“Twilight, really, can we go?” Rarity complained as Twilight beamed the light right at her. “Ah! Do be careful with that thing!”
“No, no, no!” Twilight exclaimed, striking her hoof into the ground, “This is all wrong! I planned this out perfectly! How could this be happening? Derpy!” She pointed at the grey pony, “ Go hide yourself so we can find you!”
“What?” Derpy asked, puzzled.
Rarity pranced over to her friend. “Twilight! This is no way to behave! Now look, we have two poor ponies in obvious need of getting home-”
“Three.” Rainbow Dash intoned.
“Four.” A.J. finished.
“Yes, well, see here. We have no more business in this dreadful place, darling. You can’t be serious, can you?”
Twilight looked around at her friends faces. It was no mystery that they didn’t even want to be here in the first place. AJ, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash looked to her. Their faces formed the expressions of something like- Oh, if she even thinks about doing this...’. She sighed. “Erm, I suppose you’re right...” She shined the flashlight over in Applejack’s direction, “AJ? Can you carry Fluttershy?”
“Can do, Twi.” Applejack carefully picked the pony up and rested her on her haunches.
“And Rainbow? How are we doing with Pinkie?”
“MMRRFFERHHMMFL! HRMVRMNFF!” Pinkie yelled incoherently from her rocky prison.
“She said we’re almost there.” Dash translated.
Twilight turned back to Derpy, disappointed with the days endeavor. The cross eyed pony was grinning, oblivious to the harsh light being shone in her face. “All right. Derpy, you... uh, have fun. I guess that we have to go back now. Next time, will you please tell somepony where you’ve gone?”
“Yes ma’am! Here, I’ll show you out, the exit’s over this way!” Derpy shouted, clumsily tripping over herself in her hurry to get out.
Rarity and Twilight looked at each other with a smirk before following Derpy back to the mouth. Rainbow Dash at last yanked Pinkie Pie from the ceiling and they fell, hard, Dashie cushioning Pinkie’s fall. Pinkie sat upright and stared at Dash for a while, blinking wildly. She extended a hoof and helped Rainbow get up, Dashie taking up the offer with one hoof and rubbing the back of her head with the other.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was waking from her dizzy spell. She opened her eyes, immediately sensing that she was being carried. “Wha- what happened? What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothin’ much sugarcube,” AJ said, never turning around. “We saw an ol’ friend and ya got so excited, you juss couldn’t contain yerself.”
“Oh, that’s weird. I’ve had the strangest dream.”
“Uh-huh, that’s nice, I’d like to hear ‘bout it. But first, do ya think that ya could walk, dear? I’ma be needin’ these legs fer applebuckin’ season.”
Fluttershy’s eyes flitted away sheepishly. “Oh, yes, I’m so sorry.”
Derpy, Twilight, and Rarity were the first to make it to the front of the cave. They took a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight.
“Here ya go!” Derpy said loudly. “You can go home now! Thanks for coming!”
Rarity looked around nervously. “Derpy! Do keep your voice low, you’re sure to cause a rock slide!” She said in a hushed tone.
“Ha-ha!” Derpy chortled. “A rock slide hasn’t happened here in hundredsa years! These rocks must be as strong as... rocks!” Derpy bounced up and down fanatically.
“Dear, I’m sorry to tell you, but I think your logic is terribly misconstrued.” Rarity said quickly. She scrunched her nose up at the ridiculous pony.
“No, my logic is totally unmiscon... whatever. See! Watch!”
The others arrived at the entrance just in time to hear-
“LA LA LA LA! OOOO WOOO!”
Derpy was flying about, rapping on the edifice of the cliff overhanging the cave. Nothing happened.
“See! I told you!”
Then a massive cracking sound was heard overhead.
Pinkie started to tremble convulsively.
“Oh-oh.” the cross eyed pony muttered.
o----o
The others looked at Derpy, then back to the edifice, then back to Derpy again. A tiny line appeared in the stone at first, then it rapidly began to spread.
“Derpy!” Rainbow Dash shouted, flailing her front legs at the grey pony.
Twilight Sparkle was quick to take action. She was calm and collected, and as usual, thrived in these situations, “Rainbow Dash! Take Rarity and fly her out of here! Applejack, Pinkie Pie, stick with me. Derpy, Fluttershy, go with Rainbow Dash. Get a considerable distance away from here.”
Everypony did what they were told. The crack was spreading to the top quickly, forming a rough, jagged line all the way up. Dash grabbed Rarity crudely around her body and airlifted her out. Rarity emphasized her dislike by making herself as heavy as possible. Rainbow didn’t appreciate the attitude. Derpy followed Rainbow, flying backwards. Pinkie Pie hopped jubilantly, getting stares from AJ and Twilight. By the time the crack had reached the top, everypony was getting safely out of the way-
Everypony but Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stood at the bottom, her mouth agape. Not because she was scared, but because this cliff side had a striking similarity to something she’d seen before...
Twilight reared back and saw that Fluttershy had remained dormant.
“Fluttershy! You have to fly! Go! Go!” She screamed.
“Fluttershy! You have to fly, dear! Go! Go!”
“Fluttershy!”
“Fluttershy!”
“FLUTTERSHY!”
“Fluttershy!”
Applejack realized the problem and turned back to help. She waved Pinkie forward, the smile vanishing from Pinkie’s face, and a sullen look replacing it.
“Applejack! What are you doing! Get out of here!” Twilight roared, seeing that AJ was chasing her.
“No way, sugarcube! Yer gonna need some help gettin’ outta this one!”
They stopped as a deafening crunching sound was emitted from the wall. The top of the cliff could no longer hold on to its broken counterpart. Twilight and Applejack gasped in horror as they watched a gigantic piece of the wall shake free and hurtle itself straight downward. The small yellow pony at the bottom merely stood and admired its grandeur.
“Twilight! Do something!” Applejack yelled, her voice shaky and fear crossing her expression.
Twilight wasted no time. She stormed directly into the fray and produced an incantation that created a force field over Fluttershy’s head. She held steady, focusing all of her energy into the spell. The cliff face was falling fast, and with nothing inhibiting it, it was maintaining its speed. Twilight recognized this and tripled her efforts. The rock completely missed a small section of the cliff that could have at least ruptured it, as if to mock her. ‘You can’t win,’ it guffawed at her, ‘You won’t succeed’. With great force, it rammed into the force field, erupting into several pieces.
Twilight winced. her head ached. She had one hoof grinding into the dirt, trying to keep a foothold. There was no way she could take another hit like that. Applejack galloped to her side, shouting at Fluttershy, doing anything she could to get her attention.
“Fluttershy! Can ya hear me?! Please! Ya hafta move! Twilight can’t keep this‘ere spell goin’!” Applejack wailed, her words floating out into thin air. Fluttershy didn’t stir. “Please, Fluttershy, move ...We love you! Ya gotta move now! We love you so much!”
“We love you!”
The cliff side then completely gave way, spewing hundreds of sharp rocks spiraling downward. Applejack hugged Twilight tight around the waist, sobbing on the pony’s mane. Twilight braced herself for the impossible.
o----o
Fluttershy sat underneath the transparent umbrella, awestruck. Suddenly, it was all so clear... and perhaps too late. She watched the force field falter, tiny, voltaic sparks shooting from its frame. The rocks were crashing down the edifice with menacing vigor.
She shifted ever so slightly to her left.
The barrage of rocks commenced, and the force field held for a split second. Then, without warning, it completely dissipated.
And everything went black.
“Fluttershy! I’m home! Wait til’ you see what I have for us to work on!” Fluttershy’s father said, entering the room briskly and closing the door behind him.
Filly Fluttershy popped her head out from behind the wall to the front door on their flat just outside of Ponyville. She grinned at her father in a sweet, childish manner. Her father met her gaze with those subtle, fatherly eyes.
“Well, are you gonna stand there like a foolish foal or are you gonna give me a hug?”
Fluttershy squeaked with joy and sprinted to embrace her father. He lifted her up and spun her around in circles, much to the delight of the small filly.
“Come on! Let’s run outside real quick and see what daddy got!”
“Okay!” Fluttershy squealed. They made way for the door, Fluttershy nudging her father in the sides hoping to be first.
“You’ll be back in time for dinner, right?” Fluttershy’s mother bellowed from the kitchen. She appeared in the entry way, wringing her hooves on her apron.
“Yes, of course, dear. Wouldn’t miss it!” her father retorted, discretely sticking out his tongue and making a face of disgust. Fluttershy giggled.
o----o
Her father led her outside, where, sitting on the lawn, was a cart suitable for a few ponies to fit comfortably in. Fluttershy’s eyes grew as wide as Aunt Misty’s stomach on Hearthswarming Eve. She had seen these carts before, nobleponies used them to get around from place to place. Either that, or they were used as tour carts. Her father was no noblepony, but he was still a prominent figure in Canterlot, where he worked as a carpenter.
“Ah, so she’s a bit of a fixer-upper. She’ll do, won’t she?”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
The cart definitely appeared disheveled. One of the wheels had been torn off entirely, the seats were missing boards and it was in need of new nails to hold it all together. But Fluttershy knew why her father had brought it home.
So they could spend the summer working on it together.
Her father paced around the cart a few times, studying it from varying angles. After a minute or two, he looked at Fluttershy, forming a poker face.
“Fluttershy...” he murmured, “I think that I know what this calls for...”
“What?” Fluttershy provocated.
Her father was silent for a time, his piercing blue eyes falling back to the cart. Then he smacked one of the boards and proclaimed, “Hammer!”
Fluttershy sucked in a breath of air and wheeled around, heading for the tool box. She found a hammer and picked it up with her mouth. Gleefully trotting back to her father, she placed it in his hoof and repeated “Hammer!” as if they were in a surgical hospital. Both of their faces grew stern as they began work on the cart.
They worked late into the evening, purposely forgetting about dinner. About an hour after dinner had been made, Fluttershy’s mother came to the front door, very upset. Her father looked up and wiped the sweat off his brow with a damp cloth. He knew he was in trouble.
“Fluttershy,” he said to the small pony who was still diligently working, “I think it’s about time for bed.”
“Aaaawwww!” She complained, dropping the hammer she held to the grass.
“Now now, all good little fillies need their rest. We can work on it again tomorrow. Come, mama will read you a bedtime story.”
Fluttershy gave her father those morose, “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me!”puppy dog eyes that absolutely nopony in Equestria would have been able to disregard. Nopony but her father. He strictly pointed to the doorway. Fluttershy passed her mother who was still standing there. Her father gave a vague smile to her as he tried to follow Fluttershy in. She stuck out a hoof to stop him before he could.
o----o
Fluttershy waited in her room until her mother snuck in and shut the door behind her. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at the young filly tucked neatly under the covers.
“What’ll we read tonight, dear?” She asked, though she already knew the answer to the question.
“Daring-Do, please, mama.” Fluttershy replied. They had been reading the series for several nights, already completing the first two. They were currently on the third chapter of the third book. Her mother lifted it from the night stand and opened it, the pages gathering a sweet smell from her perfume. She had opened her mouth to recite the first paragraph when Fluttershy cut her off- “Mama... can I ask you something?”
Her mother looked up from the book unexpectedly. “Of course dear, anything.”
Fluttershy observed her mother’s soft features. She had a beautiful, cream-orange coat and striking lavender eyes. Her mane matched her eye color, and she kept it straight, the front concealing half of her right eye. She usually donned a bow, but she had since taken it out for the night. “I was just wondering,” Fluttershy said shamefully, “why, um... why all of the other ponies go to school and I, um... stay here. Do they not like me? Am I not smart enough to attend?”
Her mother grew blush. She sat more upright and took notice of some of the objects in the room before replying. Then she sighed and turned to her young foal. “Fluttershy, listen to me. You are a very talented and bright individual. Promise me one thing, okay?” Her mother gently laid a hoof on Fluttershy’s forehead, “Don’t you ever doubt yourself. Don’t you ever doubt who you are. Promise?”
Fluttershy didn’t fully comprehend what her mother was saying, but she inclined. “Then you’ll make it far kiddo!” Her mother said, tickling the filly from atop the bedsheets. “Now, did you want to read some, or no?”
o----o
Several days passed, and Fluttershy and her father tirelessly worked on the cart. It was beginning to look more and more presentable. Sometimes, her mother even chipped in, mostly just to pester her father, however. After a month, the cart was nearly drivable. Fluttershy would sit in the refurbished front seat, pretending to steer it around.
“Daddy, I don’t get it.” She asked one day. “There’s no place for a pony to pull it. How are we gonna move it?”
Her father glanced down at her, then tilted his head to the sky. “Well, dear,” he said, “this is no ordinary cart. You see, it’s not pulled by ponies... it’s pulled by magic!”
Fluttershy was astounded. She had never heard of such a thing, surely they didn’t even exist. “Wow!” she said, “So, mama can pull it!?”
Her mother was a unicorn-
“Heh, maybe if I ask her on a good day. In the meantime, I think I will. We can put the saddle on tomorrow.”
-and her father was an earth pony.
“Can we take it out tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked.
Her father pondered over it. “I don’t see why not! Yes, we could definitely take it out for a test-drive tomorrow!”
A gorgeous grin crossed Fluttershy’s lips. She leapt into the front seat, again pretending to drive whilst uttering vrooming noises. Her father swished his jet black mane out of his face before approaching her. He lazily put a hoof on the side of the cart and propped his head up.
“You know what we’ll do,” he said, munching on an apple that was stored in a basket next to the cart, “I think we can head on in to ol’ Ponyville tomorrow. I know of a delicious pastry shop that sits in the middle of town. Perhaps if you’re good, you might get a special recipe cupcake.”
“Special recipe? Are they really good?”
“Better than your mother’s, that’s for sure.” He twisted his head back and forth, making sure no one had heard. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth and wiped it across, indicating a zipping motion.
“A’tta girl.” Her father said, winking. He lifted the filly onto his back, and they went back inside.
o----o
“Don’t be scared, sweetie. Go ahead, get in!” Fluttershy’s mother encouraged her, motioning her hoof to the cart.
The night had come and gone by, in which Fluttershy had tossed and turned in her bed with a fervor. She was dying to get in a few days ago, but now she was not so sure.
“It is safe, right?” The dreamsicle hued pony directed at her husband.
“Yes, it rides just fine. I was pulling it around this morning.”
“So I see. You got up dreadfully early so you could fasten the front on.” She gestured to the recent attachment on the front of the cart.
“Had to be done sooner or later.” He claimed, falling silent. He watched Fluttershy scramble into the cart, her stubby legs proving to be a burden. “You’re never going to push the thing, are you?”
“Nope,” The unicorn said straightaway, “but I know of a certain gentlemanly colt who wouldn’t mind if I didn’t.” She nuzzled up to her husband, wearing a cheesy smile.
“Don’t know who that could be.” He said, kissing her on the ear.
o----o
A grand rainbow was putting itself on full display as the family of three entered Ponyville. Fluttershy sat on edge, keeping her head on a swivel to ensure she captured everything. Ponies of all shapes, sizes and colors made their way up and down the streets, eagerly buying and selling goods.
“Everypony okay back there?” Fluttershy’s father shouted from the front.
“Fine, dear!” Her mother replied, lying back and soaking up the sunshine.
“A few more minutes and we hit the center of town!”
They continued on down the roadway. The smells of pies and fruits and cakes were drifting from the town, making Fluttershy’s mouth water. She licked her lips, already tasting the cupcake promised to her. Fluttershy’s father was about to turn down main street, when he abruptly changed his mind.
“Hold on,” he said, “I think an old friend of mine lives just down this road... mind if we take a detour?”
Fluttershy’s mother raised a hoof, unknowing if he could see it or not. Nonetheless, it told her spouse to proceed.
Fluttershy watched the main district of Ponyville waltz by. She thought she caught a glimpse of the confectionery shop that her father had talked about, but it sailed away like an alluring mirage. She put her head down, her mane being the only thing viewable from outside the cart. She was beginning to think she’d never get that cupcake.
o----o
Meanwhile, a grumpy old sophisticated pony in an ornate carriage was rolling its way through Ponyville. The pony eyed his hoofwatch and groaned. He was undoubtedly going to be late for his appointment in Canterlot. He got up from his seat and set aside the curtain in the front so that he could speak to the chauffeur.
“Why are we moving so slowly?” He asked. “You do know I’ve an important meeting!”
“Ponyville law.” The chauffeur said. “We are prohibited to go any faster.”
“Hmph,” The elder pony seemed to peer into the depths of the chauffeurs’ soul. His expression was more than worthy of scrooge.“You realize that I actually don’t need you... right? The stallions pulling the cart are more than capable of finding their way to Canterlot, making your position expendable. In fact, I think that the only reason they keep you around, Wilson, is because you can provide a good laugh or two every once in a great while. Do I make myself clear?”
Wilson looked unsure. He gingerly tried to tip-toe his way around the argument, which he knew he would be terribly outgunned in.“Um, yessir? crystal?”
“Ha! Well, it’s apparent that you’ve never escorted such a high status pony before, so I’ll pay you double to GET GOING!”
“But sir!” The chauffeur shook, ears ringing. “We can’t just gallop full speed through town, somepony could get hurt!”
“Ugh! Then go AROUND town!” With that, the grump closed the curtain, effectively curtailing the conversation.
The carriage suddenly banked to the right.
o----o
“I can see it!” Fluttershy’s father exclaimed, swinging the cart out wide to the left. “My, the house hasn’t changed a bit! By Celestia! Its even got the same, drab shutters!”
Fluttershy’s father stopped and wondered if he should knock at the door. It had been so long, and he didn’t want to appear rude by barging in on his old companion unannounced. He looked to his young foal. Cute, vibrant... and immeasurably bored. “I think I’ll skip the visit for today...” he said, reverting his head back to the road.
As they turned the corner, a black and white carriage flashed by in a blur. It careened outward and struck the family’s cart, flinging Fluttershy and her mother hard into the boards. The impact was strong enough to send all four wheels reeling sideways, precariously perching them atop a monstrous hill. Fluttershy’s father now knew why the pony he had bought the cart from wanted it gone. It was too heavy. The backside weighed as if it were carrying a load of anvils. The wheels rotated backwards, pulling along Fluttershy’s father.
“Get out! Get out!” Her father hollered, desperately tugging the saddle forward. But as he yelled, he lost his footing and fell to the ground with an oomph. The cart instantaneously rolled straight back, gaining momentum. By the time Fluttershy and her mother sat up, the cart was thrashing about down the hill, wildly out of control-
and it ended at the bottom in the form of a huge cliff side.
“Honey, do something!” Fluttershy’s father begged, his body fiercely scraping against the ground.
Fluttershy’s mother looked to Fluttershy first. The filly started crying profusely, more anguish filling her face with each bump in the dirt. Tears were welling in her eyes as she attempted to use her magic to brake the wheels, but her talent didn’t call for this.
“It’s no use! I- I can’t!”
Fluttershy saw her father recklessly being dragged down the hill. His wonderful, arctic coat was getting replaced by splotches of mud. Fluttershy never stopped screaming. Anypony anywhere close to the vicinity would have heard the bloodcurdling wails, but no help appeared at the top of the hill.
The cart kept rampaging down the hillside. Fluttershy’s parents attempted to steer it in another direction, but anything drastic and they would be flipped into an impressive barrel roll. It was beginning to become an irrefutable fact that this cart would not yield.
“Fluttershy!” Her mother cried. She had never seen her mother cry, but now heart felt tears were streaming down her cheeks. “You have to fly, dear! Go! Go!”
Fluttershy only stayed put. She didn’t know how to fly, no one had taught her yet. Her mother’s eyes started rolling to the back of her head as she began to lose grip on the helpless spell she was casting. She held steady for as long as she was physically able to before she passed out, her tears abruptly stopping to gush. Fluttershy screamed as she watched her mother get tossed to the back of the cart. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. Her parents could do everything, even stop an out of control cart. So this wasn’t happening... right?
Right?
There were a million things that Fluttershy was suddenly unsure of.
Her father knew he didn’t have much time. The grade was becoming less steep as it leveled out at the bottom. They were still sliding too fast to stop themselves before they fell off. In a last ditch effort, He picked an opportune moment to kick the right side of the carriage where Fluttershy was sitting. Her seat was still a tad loose. As the last massive bump came to pass, He kicked the board, and Fluttershy was sent skyward, her voice giving out from overuse.
Fluttershy had her eyes shut tight. She didn’t know what vertigo was, and she wasn’t about to find out now. She reached the peak of her flight, and then gravity played its role. Fluttershy was descending back to Equestria when she heard a distant-
“We love you!”
Suddenly, her wings expanded and she flapped them vigorously. She opened her eyes and noticed just how far above the ground she was. Her vision dimmed. She shot her head back up, refusing to look down. Now her wings just lay spread out in the air, unwavering. She glided back to safety around three-fourths of the way down the hill.
The last sight she saw before passing out were two strangers racing toward her.
o----o
Fluttershy awoke in a room she did not recognize. The walls were painted a puffy white, which didn’t look right with the off-white sheets strewn over her. She sat up, feeling parched and her head throbbing.
“Well, lookie here!”A stranger said from the door way. He was wearing a lab coat that matched the interior. “Our little patient is waking up!”
Fluttershy looked about, the situation beginning to feel like an enigma. She sat in awkward silence before asking the obvious question. “Wh-where am I?”
“Cloudsdale of course, home of the pegasi ponies. A couple called two days ago, said they found a pegasus filly who was flying around, screaming her head off. They picked her up and brought her here. More specifically, though, you’re in the infirmary. Now, can you tell me who your parents are, so that we might contact them?” The doctor explained, simultaneously running simple tests on her.
Fluttershy thought hard. She remembered nothing, it was as if she had just been born. “Parents?” She asked.
“Oh.” Was all the doctor mustered. “Well, do you know where you live?”
Fluttershy stared intently at the doctor before eventually shaking her head no.
“Oh, dear.” the doctor said, running a few more tests before leaving the room, quietly murmuring to himself.
One full day passed before a plump pony, one who did not work at the hospital, walked into Fluttershy’s room. She introduced herself as Silverlining, and she told Fluttershy she was here to take her to her new home.
“Do you have a name, dearie?” Silverlining asked, getting uncomfortably close to Fluttershy.
She thought about it. “Um... F-Fluttershy.” She responded weakly. The filly didn’t know why, but she was crying as she looked into Silver’s eyes.
“Well,” Silverlining said, toying with the bedsheets, “Fluttershy... I just know you are going to love it here. Cloudsdale is the ideal place for pegasi ponies to grow up.”
o----o
Twilight Sparkle sat in Fluttershy’s hospital room. It was very late into the evening, and she was up for a third night- three out of the five Fluttershy had been sleeping through. She had been teleporting in and out of the room ever since the disaster, each time wishing that Fluttershy had waken, and was waiting to fall into her embrace. On this particular evening, Twilight was an emotional train-wreck. Not because she didn’t know of Fluttershy’s status, but because she did-
and against all odds, Fluttershy was going to make a full recovery.
Twilight paced from wall to wall in the hospital room. Each step was filled with a mix of sorrow and anxiety. She sighed, resolutely developing enough nerve to speak up. “Fluttershy,” she said softly as she walked to her bedside. She took Fluttershy’s hoof with both of hers. “I know you can hear me. I don’t know how, but I just know you can.” Her eyes began to water, weary and pink from constant use.
“When the doctors told me that you would be all right, I thanked Celestia for the incredible news! I never cried so hard in my life.” She paused. “They said that if you had been standing inches to your right, you would have been crushed. They also said the emergency team got to you just in time, or you would have suf-suffocated.” Twilight sniffed, feeling undeservedly guilty. She thought a long moment, her head snuggling up into Fluttershy’s torso. “What were you thinking, you silly pony? Why did you do that? If only I could reach inside your head...”
Twilight sat at Fluttershy’s bed for fifteen minutes. She then lifted her head, trying to see if Fluttershy showed any sign of wake. The pony stay still, save the rise and fall of her chest.
“You come back to us soon, you hear?” Twilight said, getting to all fours. She laboriously started to exit the room.
Fluttershy sprang up with a jolt. Her covers were flung off her body, and various wires and cords were thrown everywhere. She was breathing heavily, and in a state of utter confusion she proclaimed, “Silverlining!”
Twilight spun 180 degrees in milliseconds. She had absolutely no idea who or what Fluttershy had just named, but that detail was hurled to the back of her mind like an unwanted frisbee.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight cried, flooring it back to her friend and nearly tackling her.
“Yowch!” Fluttershy yelped, both out of surprise and pain.
“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about your leg!” Twilight said through sobs of joy. She had her front legs wrapped tightly across Fluttershy’s frame.
Fluttershy returned the embrace. She looked down. Her leg was wrapped in a tight cast, and it felt bulky. She surveyed her surroundings. The room looked far different from the one in Cloudsdale, the color a deep beige... then again, Cloudsdale was but a memory. “Oh, it’s okay,” she said, “it only hurt a lot.”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Twilight repeated. “Hold on! I need to go find a nurse and the others!” She ran out of the room like a misfired cruise missile, almost nailing an unlucky passerby as she passed through the door frame.
In a matter of 30, odd seconds, Fluttershy was left to her thoughts. She first heard some chaotic shouts in the hall, then a curious popping noise, where Twilight must have teleported.
For the first time in her life, she understood everything. Her dreams-or memories-before would only play in snipids, leaving her wondering why in the middle of the night she was so scared. But now, she could remember the entire truth. Her parents, her home, her upbringing, they were all so vivid... so clear. On that fateful day atop the hill, her mind had erased everything, almost a self-defense mechanism to prevent herself from learning the unbearable. After years of inconspicuous nightmares, her mind finally allowed her to see, and she was greatly relieved.
Now, she got out of the bed, careful to keep her broken leg off of the ground. She approached the lone window carved into the wall, which revealed a spectacular moonscape complete with wondrous shades of violets and blues. She hinted at the peculiar lavender glowing around the moon, the color that seemed to stick out most. She stared out there for a long while, lost in a strange dramatization. Then, with longing eyes, she turned to the road, where five ponies were galloping full sprint toward the hospital.
Her five best friends.
She smiled, recounting all of the ridiculous adventures they’ve had, and she looked skyward.
“Mother, Father,” she said. “I think you’d be oh so proud of me.”
Epilogue
“SLEEPOVER!” Twilight Sparkle yelled, simultaneously smashing Rarity in the face with a feathery pillow. She cheesed at Rarity, taunting the white pony with her comic mischief.
Bad mistake. A mad Rarity is a bad Rarity.
“It... is... ON!” Rarity said absolutely, and with surprising agility, she chucked several pillows in Twilight’s direction, each one hitting their mark. Twilight was swarmed under a mountain of the things.
“Okay... you win.” Twilight announced from underneath the pile, her voice muffled by the fabric, “Where did you even get all of these?”
Fluttershy looked on, appeased. She usually didn’t partake in these sorts of games, but then again, she usually didn’t feel as wonderful as she did right now. About a month had passed since the accident, her leg was healed and her sleep habits had improved. Her friends had definitely noticed the difference and welcomed it, as she was now starting to get involved with more and more activities. But, a pillow fight? Oh, no, that was much too dangerous... not to mention violent.
Rainbow Dash then smacked her on the behind with a rough blow.
Fluttershy’s eyes went wide with panic. She blinked numerous times before turning around to find Dashie suspended over her, sticking her tongue out and waving. Suddenly, a diabolical smile veiled Fluttershy’s facade. She snatched a ridiculously over-sized pillow from out of nowhere and held it aloft, ready to bring it crashing down on Rainbow Dash. Dashie’s eyes narrowed in fear, and she had a split-second to react before the pillow was to come hammering down. Too late. Fluttershy engulfed Rainbow with the thing, flattening her. Then she wiped her hooves in a “mission complete” fashion.
“All right! Everypony stop! Let’s consult the checklist!” Twilight shouted. She received one last cheap blow to the back of her head from AJ. Twilight looked unamused.
“Sorry, Twi...” Applejack chuckled, her mouth scrunching up in an attempt to avoid a smile. Everypony else tried to stifle their laughter.
Twilight turned back around and picked the checklist up from the table. She studied the evening events down to the bottom of the list before proclaiming, “Oh, looks like it’s time for bed!”
Pinkie Pie yawned, “Hmm, yes ma’am! I’m pooped! But wait, one more thing...”
“Yes?” Twilight asked.
“Promise we can do this tomorrow! Promise Promise PROMISE!” Pinkie screamed, throwing herself into Twilight Sparkle with complete disregard for her personal space.
“Yes! Yes! We can do it tomorrow!”
“Pinkie promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight responded, going through the usual hand gestures.
“Okay girls! Time for bed!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping to get her pillow.
Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. The rest of the girls followed Pinkie’s lead and prepared themselves for bed.
Fluttershy grabbed her blanket and comforter from the corner and spread them out on the floor. She curled up in the middle and drew another blanket over her as she watched everypony else get settled. Rainbow Dash grabbed a chunk of cloud from outside and packed it in through the window, using it as a pillow.
“Good night, girls!” Twilight sang, magically flipping the lights off.
The room grew silent as they all rested. Fluttershy listened to the steady breathing of her friends, imagining it to be a lovely lullaby. The birds at the cottage could not have been better. Slowly, she drifted off, joining them in a peaceful slumber.
o----o
Filly Fluttershy stood in the meadows playing a game of peek-a-boo with her mother and father. The sun was setting low on the horizon, and she thought she witnessed Princess Luna swoop overhead, racing to the other side of the world. She giggled as her parents took the opportunity of her distraction to tickle her. She jumped about, ecstatically attempting to elude their grasps. Her father grabbed her, and she screamed as he tossed her into the air and caught her, her mother joining their side. Then, they lay back on the cool grass, anticipating the stars to float out in full bloom.
As they waited for the constellations to appear, Fluttershy became aware that random voices were trickling down from the hillside behind them. She flipped herself over and looked to the top, where there were five ponies playing in the sunset. Fluttershy sighed, and lowered her head. She watched a firefly land on a blade of grass just to the right of her, captivated by its graceful talent. Her parents nudged her in the side. She glanced up and searched their faces, wondering what they wanted her for. They both looked to the top of the hill, stood up, and, smiles never fading from their faces, backed away. Fluttershy, too, looked to the top of the hill, where the five playful ponies were now returning the favor.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked with her eyes. Her parents nodded, urging her onward.
The filly bounced up and jetted away, disappearing into the stretch of tall grasses that lay just before the hillside separating the two groups. Her parents watched the grasses wiggle around where Fluttershy was parting through. They started to fade as Fluttershy got farther and farther away.
Fluttershy emerged from the other side of the grasses, no longer a filly. She peered at the top of the hillside where her friends still stood in anticipation, looking down on her with an odd certainty. Fluttershy wandered half-way up the side, where she suddenly stopped and turned around, aware that somepony was still watching her. Her parents gazed at her, as if they hadn’t another care in the world. They waved to her, fading like spectres come for only a brief visit. Fluttershy waved back, absorbing these last moments spent together-
but never letting them disappear.
She wheeled back around and trotted up the rest of the hillside, where she sighted her friends walking side by side into the sunset. Fluttershy, heart pounding against the inside of her chest, galloped towards her friends, her eyes shining in the sun. Twilight Sparkle turned around in the distance, and motioned for her to catch up. Fluttershy smiled, and she hurried to join her friends...
which she did-
which she would always do-
and they sauntered off into the dream-scape, never breaking stride.
