You wake up to pain. A dull pain that surges through all of your senses. You feel slightly nauseous, but every ounce of your being wants to stay exactly where you are. Even though, you really aren't sure where that is. Keeping your eyes closed, you take deep, careful breaths.
This isn't anything you haven't handled before. Just another night of too much partying. Or was it? You don't remember.
It doesn't matter. You have things to do today. Maybe. Was that right? Or was today Saturday?
You bring a hand to your pulsating head and try to get a bearing on your senses. The normal gentle chirping of birds was a harsh and sharp stab to your ear drums. Every muscle screamed in agony as you tried to sit yourself up. The covers fall off of you as you sit on the end of the bed. Your stomach lurches, but thankfully it's just a burp.
A part of you wants to stay here. It would be easier to just stay here, curled in pain and anguish, hiding away from the world until the bad feelings go away. However, you know there's something you have to do. You just can't remember what it is.
Something deep inside of you demands it. A nagging thought persists in the back of your mind like you've forgotten something extremely important, and that if you put it off any more that it could mean dire consequences. Carefully, you rise to your feet.
With a slight wobble, you manage to get your balance.
"Alright," you grunt, putting one foot in front of another.
You look around your surroundings, but find yourself at a loss. This isn't your room. This isn't your home. Everything feels so different. Yet at the same time, it's calm. Soothing. You'll have to thank whoever put you up for the night.
With a gentle sniff, you smell something delicious. Eggs.
The recognizable scent of a home-cooked breakfast sends all sorts of happy, joyous memories through you. You step outside of the bedroom you find yourself in and walk down the stairwell. The home was nothing you've recognized and was certainly much smaller than the average house that you're used to.
The walls were a bland green with many different animal feeding trays along one wall, some simple furniture along another wall while bird houses hung from the ceiling. Little animals curried along the red rug in the center of the room, all making their own mild, quiet noises.
A white bunny stares up at you intently, then scuttles towards the source of the aroma. You know you've seen this place before. Was it in your dreams? Was it in passing? You've been here... haven't you?
You take a deep breath and continue to the bottom of the stairs, where a few animals approach you with caution. Crouching down, you hold out a hand as a more daring squirrel approaches you for pets. A smile curls on your face as you give the little creature a pat on the head, then head towards the bunny's destination. Each step seems easier than the last as the pain begins to fall away.
Walking through the open walkway, you find another familiar sight. A yellow pegasus with long pink hair, a song in her voice, and butterflies on her rear. Fluttershy.
Your friend who was there for you, even when you were alone. On her back, a small white bunny. Angel. That was his name.
He taps her mane and she turns to you with a comforting gaze.
"Oh! You're here," she says gently.
You look around the room and find a plate sitting at a kitchen table with a glass of water.
"Yeah. Sorry. I don't really remember what happened…"
"It's okay... don't worry about it," Fluttershy says. "Sit down! Sit down! Breakfast is almost ready. Oh! And I have a few aspirin for you. That should make the pain go away."
You look to the kitchen table, where two white tablets are on a light blue plate, with a glass of water. Step after careful step, you make your way to the kitchen table and sit down.
"What... what happened?" you ask.
You pause for a reply, but she doesn't answer. She simply sings a song as she cooks your meal, not seeming to care that you suddenly woke up in her home. You grab the aspirin and down them instinctively. Taking the glass of water, you gulp down the precious fuel to replenish your dehydrated body. The liquid is cool and crisp against your tongue, rejuvenating you with every tiny sip.
This isn't your first rodeo. You know how to handle a hangover.
Taking a deep breath, you sit up straight as Fluttershy trots over with a hot pan of eggs. She pours the golden, fluffy breakfast onto your plate. You give them a whiff as Fluttershy takes the pan to the sink. The scent reminds you of your childhood, when your mom would make you a special breakfast on special occasions. It reminds of of your birthdays. It paints pictures in your mind of high school and high school graduations.
The aroma takes you back to a place when things were simpler. The stresses of the every day didn't weigh down on you quite so hard. A time when the world wasn't an oppressive place to live in. You blink, and you're back in Fluttershy's kitchen, as she sits at the table beside you.
Grabbing a fork and knife, you cut out your first bite. Placing it in your mouth, you remember the first day of kindergarten. Your Mom cried as you waved goodbye to join all of the other kids. You swallow your bite.
Cutting out another piece, you take another bite. Your mind takes you back to a family dinner where you talked about your day in middle school. You swallow.
Another bite. First day of High School and your Mom is just as proud of you as the first day of kindergarten. The food goes down your throat, making you feel warm inside. You smile, reminiscing on your wonderful past.
"These are amazing, Shy," you say to her.
Fluttershy smiles to you and nods.
"It's my duty," she says calmly.
You take another bite. High School graduation. One more bite. Going away to college. You swallow, but this bite seems to go down hard. Your throat feels raw as you look down at the final bit of food on your plate.
Looking up to Fluttershy, you pause. Her eyes don't move away, as she places a hoof on your leg.
"It's okay," she says.
You look down to the final bite. Stabbing it with a fork, you bring it to your mouth. Your twenty-first birthday. Drinking with college friends.
You try to swallow it, but you choke. You chew, but the taste is gone. In small bits, you finally force it down your throat. A wave of sadness flows through you. The meal is over.
You sigh as you notice the headache is gone. The soreness in your muscles has lifted. There wasn't any pain anymore. The hangover was gone.
"How was it?" Fluttershy asks.
You smile and look up to her.
"It was great... I guess I just didn't expect it to end so soon," you say.
You look down at your hands, adding the pieces up in your head.
Why were you here? Why were you in Ponyville? Why were you in your favorite television show?
"It's okay now though... It's okay," she whispers calmly. "I forgive you."
You shudder as you feel her wrap her hooves around you.
"I'm sorry," you stutter. "I didn't mean to."
"Shhhhh," she says peacefully. "It's okay. It's okay."
You wrap your arms around her, squeezing her tightly. Tears come to your eyes, but you know they won't change anything. It is what it is. What's done is done.
"Things are nice here," she says. "We'll take care of you."
You pull away from her embrace and look into her eyes.
"What about everyone else?"
"They'll be sad. For a while," she says. "They'll never forget you. But they will realize that you wouldn't want them to be sad for long."
You nod, looking down to your hands.
"I don't want them to be sad."
"I know, sweetheart," Fluttershy says.
You take a deep breath and rise to your feet.
"But... they'll all be okay?" you ask.
Fluttershy nods to you. You pace the floor, looking back to the pony before you.
"Will they be happy?" you ask.
"They'll all have happy moments and sad moments. But yes, for the most part. They'll be happy," she assures you.
A smile comes to your lips.
"Good."
You see the back door, where the bright light from outside streams in.
"Are you ready?" she asks.
You look back to her.
"Do I have to go alone?"
She shakes her head.
"Oh Anon, don't you see? All of your friends are here to join you."
You turn to find all of them beside you. In a white room, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack and countless other faces stand beside you in a wide, white space. The door stands in front of you. You turn to your six friends and kneel beside them.
"Thank you... all of you."
Fluttershy simply nods as your six friends wrap their hooves around you. Tears well once more as you hold them tightly.
"You're all my very best friends."
After a long, silent moment, you release them. Standing up, you turn to the door in front of you. Placing a hand on the handle, you let go of the past. It opens wide, and you walk into the bright shining light.
Peaceful. Renewed. And happy.
Author's Note
Written for a good friend of mine who recently passed away. I'll miss you dearly. I'm sorry I never wrote your Fluttershy request like you wanted. I hope this will make do. I know it's not my normal quality.
