My Little Pony: Floppy's Story

Floppy woke up feeling rather...quiet this morning. She had that dream again. A pale Pegasus of yellow, singing her songs and cradling her like she was a filly. Who was this pony and did she dream of her so often? And the words were always the same. The same song and the same tale.

“Luna, Luna shining so bright. Why do you look so lonely tonight?

Ponies are yawning in your stead. Everyone is sleeping in their bed.

As you sit alone in the sky, you can’t but help wonder why

Luna, Luna shining so bright. Why do you look so lonely tonight?”

And she would always end the same.

“Sweet dreams little filly. May this song bring you peace”

Well she could certainly use some of that, that’s for sure. Floppy had been awake for some time now so she got up from her bed when she heard someone outside. She looked out the window to see Applejack talking to some pony at the door. It was clear to her at first that this pony wasn’t local. She had never seen this pony before. Even more than that! She couldn’t believe her eyes when she soon realised she had the same pastel yellow body and soft gentle mane of the pony in her dreams. She was even a Pegasus! The same Pegasus that put her wing gently around her every night.

But obviously, it must be her imagination. It’s impossible for a pony to just appear from your dreams right? Even so, this was a crazy coincidence. Floppy couldn’t help but be restless. Try as she might to forget and dismiss the idea it just refused to leave her mind. Then Floppy had an idea. THE CUTIE MARK! There is NO WAY this pony would have the same cutie mark as the one in her dream so this would settle her brain once and for all.

Floppy wasn’t one for conversation with strangers so she usually kept to herself when visitors came but this was an exception. She trotted down the stairs, trying not to make them creak like crazy as usual as that would be embarrassing, obviously. Applejack had always warned her about first impressions so she had to be careful. All she needed was one quick peek. Floppy approached and her ears, despite not trying, started to pick up on the conversation.

“It is a pretty hard question. I’m sorry I couldn’t help ya” Applejack said, sounding disappointed with herself

“Oh, no. It’s alright, really” a new voice said.

The voice was very gentle and soft like a cloud of words, possibly even more soft than Fluttershy if that was even possible. She was rather quiet, like she was whispering and yet she wasn’t raspy in the slightest and her words were still strangely clear to hear. It was like a whistling wind on a summers morning, just the same as she had heard sing to her before. She thought such a gentle voice couldn’t possibly exist, that she was perhaps making them out of the sound of the winds whistling through her window at night but nevertheless there it was. It can’t be! It just CAN’T BE!

The strange pony sighed deeply “I didn’t expect you to even be able to remember that far back. It is a rather silly question after all but do please tell me if you see anybody new around here any time soon, especially if they are from the Everfree forest” the stranger recounted with sadness but a formality as if she had said it many times before.

“The Everfree forest?” Applejack remarked with surprise.

That was certainly strange. A pony wouldn’t usually talk about that place let alone talk about some pony they were looking for from there. The only pony she knew of that came from the Everfree forest was...her! Now this HAD to be investigated! Now she HAD to see this cutie mark and tell herself this wasn’t that pony otherwise this would bother her for weeks! Floppy had no choice but to push past Applejack, despite that being a little rude. She HAD to get to her somehow!

“Excuse me I-” and suddenly Floppy stopped as her eyes glued to the ponies eyes.

Their blue eyes shone in the light like moonlight and she felt such a sense of calm it was like she was in some kind of psychic trance. But more, something MORE than that! Those eyes she couldn’t mistake. Those were the eyes of the pony in her dreams. Time seemed to slow down as her mind raced and her eyes quickly darted to her cutie mark to check...

It was her...

No-one but her. Definitely her! The cutie mark was a little pale blue hammock with a silhouette of a filly inside and stars all around. The filly had z’s coming from their head, symbolising it was asleep, in every detail, just as she remembered it. Floppy’s eyes quickly darted straight back to her eyes and she could soon see she was welling up with tears. Despite feeling a little awkward, Floppy felt like she was in a dream and she didn’t even think once about talking or moving aside. She just...stared...

“My baby” the pony said as she smiled the most gentlest smile Floppy had ever seen.

A smile only the pony of her dreams could do for her. The only thing that made her feel calm amongst all the stress and sleepless nights. Her voice had a sense of wonder as if she couldn’t believe her eyes either but yet it didn’t sound very surprised. More content. Before she knew it, Floppy was swept into a winged hug. The warmth and gentleness of that hug was so familiar to her and she felt just like a filly again. Then Floppy was snapped out of her stupor when she heard Applejack yelling.

“WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOIN’ ON?!” Applejack screeched in panic.

It seemed a rather over-the-top reaction for Applejack so Floppy turned around and stared at her. Applejack just looked back with what like a mixture of anger, sadness, confusion and possibly every emotion all at once. To be honest, Floppy had no idea what that mixture of expressions meant. She seemed to switch between emotions faster than a clocks second hand.

“Oh my. Please calm down” the Pegasus said with a hoof slowly to her mouth.

“CALM DOWN?!” Applejack cried in desperation

“who are ya and what are ya talking about?” Applejack yelled in protest

“Oh, yes of course!” The stranger said before turning to Floppy with a smile as sweet as a bag of gumdrops

“Do you know who I am, sweet heart?” the pony asked. Floppy shook her head, unable to give a more social response

“I’m Bedtime Drift. I’m your mother, sweet heart. The mother you lost so long ago” the pony said, sounding more fantastical and joyous as she went

“w-wha-w-” Floppy couldn’t respond.

It was just too much for her to handle. HER MOTHER?! She didn’t even think she had one! And for her to come back so late in her life and be so perfect. It was all just too good to be true and yet here she was. It was happening. As Floppy stumbled to speak the pale yellow pegasus put her hoof to her mouth ever so gently and shushed her in the most kind way she could imagine.

“It’s OK, sweet heart. You don’t need to say anything” she said calmly

“B-But why? How?” Floppy finally managed to muster. The pegasus smiled gently yet again, as if expecting it and was happy to answer.

“When you were a baby, you fell from Cloudsdale sailing above the Everfree forest at the time. I wasn’t the best at flying or balancing and a fellow Pegasus bumping into me was enough for me to lose you. The officer pegasi told me it was dangerous and held me back when I tried to get you. I screamed but they wouldn’t let me go! They told me to give up, that you were as good as gone but I couldn’t just forget about you. I could hear you screaming! Crying for me! I went to see you that night, as soon as they had lowered their defences. I searched and searched but all I found was tiny drops of blood and some little wing feathers” The pony was unable to continue for a while as her tears started to fall and her voice started to crack, making her soft uttering voice less sweet than before

“I thought the Timerwolfs had taken you. I thought you were dead! I’m so sorry, sweet heart!” she cried as she pulled Floppy closer with her wings and rubbed her cheek on hers but Floppy just stared into the distance.

Really? Is this really what happened? Did this explain her whole life? Is this why she was in the Everfree forest? Why she had no mother? Why she had suffered all these years? There was a mother out there for her and she didn’t even know! Floppy couldn’t even think properly as her mind was so scrabbled but then one question quickly entered her mind and she said it without hesitation.

“What about my farther? Where is my farther?” Floppy asked desperately

Bedtime Drift’s face fell and she looked up as if in reminiscence of past events “you’re farther was a great man. A kind man. He died as he tried to save everyone from the great Bertha tragedy” she said with great sadness.

Applejack had calmed down somewhat or at least wasn’t screaming anymore and continued the conversation “I remember that. Many great Ponies died during that storm” Applejack sighed

“Wait...so there was a storm called Bertha?” Floppy said with surprise. Bedtime chuckled a little as she answered

“Yes, of course. You silly filly. Didn’t you learn that in school? It wasn’t that long ago”

“I’ve never been to school. I have been adopted by a family of ponies within the Everfree Forest” Floppy explained

“Oh!” Bedtime said, finally sounding surprised, and tilted her head to listen intently

“They didn’t treat me well. They practically tortured me. I think the only reason they kept me was so I could do chores for them. My brother hated me and always bullied me and beat me” Floppy continued and watched as Bedtime’s face fell with concern

“Oh sweet heart” she cried and pulled her wings around her. Floppy carried on

“But eventually, I was crying and Applejack found me and I have had friends and a new life ever since” Bedtime looked over at Applejack and smiled and then looked back at Floppy

“Oh that is wonderful! I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you, honey. I’m so sorry” she said with tears welling up in her eyes again

“It’s OK. I never even thought about you” Floppy said without a second thought as to how that would sound but Bedtime burst into laughter which somehow was also very soft and smooth

“That’s my girl” she said while pulling her close to her chest with a wing yet again. Floppy rubbed her head against Bedtime’s chest and she had never felt so content.

Bedtime turned to Applejack as she said “Thank you so much for-” but before she could finish Applejack interrupted

“SHUT YER FUCKIN TRAP!” she cried and Floppy and Bedtime took a step back. They soon noticed the tears in her eyes.

“Applejack?” Floppy asked with confusion and concern.

“get out” Applejack said as she started to sob. Floppy hesitated but looked up at Bedtime’s smile as she stepped away. She tried to encourage her to move away with her by pushing her gently with her wing but Floppy stayed firm.

“GET OUT!” Applejack screamed in Floppy’s face. Floppy did as she was told and legged it away from the doorway and out of the house. Bedtime put her wing around her gently once again and spoke like the summer wind

“Don’t worry, Floppy. She just needs some time to calm down. I think I know what it is” she said as she gestured with her wing towards the grave stone on the far side of the farm.

Floppy knew about this grave stone and yet Applejack had always refused to talk about it whenever she brought the subject up. Floppy couldn’t quite understand what she was getting at but it didn’t matter as it was easy to occupy some time just by talking to Bedtime Drift about the latest in her life. It felt strange to explain this in detail to anybody as she had never met someone who didn’t already know and also wanted to talk to her about it. Bedtime listening carefully to everything she said with such interest she almost felt like a celebrity. She felt like anything she said this pony would love her for and it wasn’t long before she started to become very comfortable with her. It felt as if she already knew her.

Before Floppy knew it, it had been a while and she heard the old house door slowly creak open. Applejack came by with her hat off and looking very shameful. Floppy had never seen Applejack look so forlorn and guilty. She had always been a role model of sorts for her so it seemed very odd to see her looking so defenceless and lacking in confidence. It was as if she was a filly again, going to be punished by her parents for a misdeed. Applejack slowly approached and gave a deep sigh before talking.

“I’m awful sorry, Bedtime” she said before turning to Floppy

“and you Floppy. I’m sorry. It wasn’t responsible to act like that. Nor was it fair” Applejack explained

“It’s alright. These things happen” Bedtime said with her upmost calm voice

“Especially at a time like this” Bedtime continued.

Applejack looked down with shame and sadness as if she knew what she meant and they both looked towards the grave stone. Floppy knew something serious was going on so she kept her mouth shut. Although she didn’t know exactly what was going on, she could feel the weight of the situation and could sense a feeling of understanding between them.

“I was like that once. It’s no use trying to cover it up and pretend it hasn’t happened. You need to let go” Bedtime said.

Floppy’s heart sank at those last few words and it cut deeply into her soul. Now she knew what they were talking about but she had never experienced such a thing before. She thought it best to just leave them to it as she had no input on the situation and even if she did, she would probably ruin the atmosphere by screwing up somewhere.
Applejack stood there and sighed deeply with her hat tightly clutched in her hoof against her chest. After a while of silence, Applejack nodded and went to the grave.

“Come on” Bedtime whispered as she gently ushered her in the same direction with her.

Applejack stood in front of the grave and sighed deeply again. She paused for a while and then put the hat on the raised ground in front of the grave. Then she fell to her knees and started to cry her heart out. Floppy jumped a little at the sound as she had never heard her cry like that before. Floppy’s heart felt like it had sank to the bottom of the ocean. She even shed a few tears herself after a while. She just couldn’t stand to hear Applejack’s tears. She could just hear the pain and suffering oozing out of every wail she made. Bedtime pulled Floppy gently closer to her chest for comfort and Floppy just tried hard not to interrupt her wailing moment with her own crying.

It took quite a while for Applejack to be done but when she was she sat there quietly for a while before getting up and giving Floppy a hug. Floppy had no idea what to do so she just stood there and tried to put her hoof around her to.

“Thank you, Floppy. I’m sorry I made you so upset” Applejack said with a voice now croaky and tired from tears

“Errm OK...” Floppy said, having no idea how else to respond. Applejack smiled and chuckled a little at the remark

“Sometimes, all someone needs is for you to be there” Bedtime said to Floppy

“Thank ya to you to, Bedtime. I think I needed that” Applejack said with a little tired sigh

“I’ll always be here if you need someone to talk to” Bedtime said with the sweet smile she was so good at doing. Floppy wanted to agree but didn’t end up finding the courage to say something so bold in such a strange situation. Then she realised

“Wait, what?” Floppy asked as she turned to Bedtime in confusion

“What? Did you think I would spend years looking for you only to just go home afterwards? I’m staying here where you are!” Bedtime Drift said with glee

“Oh, OH!” Floppy said as she realised what this meant and again realised how important this was

“You silly filly.” Bedtime said as she cuddled and snuggled her head against hers

“You haven’t changed one bit”