Author's Note
- Author's Notes from B_25 -
Behind a piece is a story. Little changes result in new narratives. Fluttershy wears a mask with a sombre mood settling in the air. That was enough to spawn this tale. Don't be fooled by the name of the writer.
The works often overshadow most names for their quality cannot be denied.
Routine
“Oh dear, it seems Angel Bunny is still out there somewhere.”
Fluttershy pulled the kitchen drapes together as she looked at Angel’s food bowl.
All the carrots and other vegetables inside had turned green and brown.
But Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she turned and went to her living room.
“These flowers are turning out beautifully!” Fluttershy grabbed some clippers with her mouth and snipped a few small bouquets. Using a rubber band, she secured the flowers to each other and placed a dozen of them in a basket.
Putting the basket on her flanks, Fluttershy looked up at her clock.
Seven in the morning. Perfect timing.
Fluttershy knew her friends would love these flowers. They always did. She was sad that they hadn’t visited her at home in a while, but she knew they were busy with the crisis. Once it was all over, she knew things would go back to normal.
Fluttershy told herself that every morning. She truly believed it.
On her way to the outside world, Fluttershy grabbed a mask full of herbs and spices and strapped it on. She couldn’t remember exactly how she got it; she thought she remembered some animals bringing it to her when they were still around.
Fluttershy could hear Twilight Sparkle’s voice in her head though, telling her how dangerous the air quality outside was. That was the last thing she remembered from her friend before the storm and everyone became busy.
Fluttershy wouldn’t doubt Twilight though. She stuffed it with a sweet mixture to help block out the sickly smell of the world out there.
Mask now on, and some fresh gray water in Angel’s bowl just in case he came home before her, Fluttershy slowly opened her and began her walk to Ponyville.
~~~
“Hmm, they must be opening late today.”
Fluttershy used a gentle wing and grabbed a bouquet full of pink and red flowers and left it on the counter.
Dozens of rotted flowers littered around the new, vibrant ones.
“Maybe I’ll come back later, and see if she’s open.”
As she walked out of Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy stopped by a stall outside, and greeted the stallion behind it. “Hello, Mr. Newsfeed. How are you today?”
Newsfeed’s skeleton didn’t respond. Fluttershy didn’t mind, he wasn’t much of a talker nowadays.
Fluttershy, not wanting to take too much of his time, left a couple of bits and another bouquet on his stand and took a newspaper. Taking a quick glance at the cover, she noticed that the news still didn’t change much.
Trotting over to the Ponyville fountain, Fluttershy stopped to take a break on a bench. Like always, she spotted an old friend taking in the morning lazing on the bench she always went to.
“Oh, good morning Mr. Ingot! I grabbed today’s newspaper for you, I know how much you like to sit here and read them.”
Mr. Ingot just laid in the sun. It must have been hard to read without a head, but Fluttershy didn’t want to be rude and ask where it went. Instead, she sat down beside him and hoofed the newspaper over to him.
“It’s been so hard these last couple of weeks. Everyone has been so scared, and Angel hasn’t been around for a while. I do hope he’s ok and he’s having fun with his friends. But I miss Twilight, and Rarity, and Applejack…”
As Fluttershy trailed off, she carefully used her hooves to grab sole purple, yellow, and blue flowers out from her basket. Those colors were Mr. Ingot’s favorite.
“I do enjoy our talks, but I simply must go. I need to go visit my friends and make sure they’re ok.”
Mr. Ingot didn’t have any objections. Fluttershy bid him farewell, and trotted off towards the Apple family barn.
~~~
Knock knock.
“I wonder if no one’s home today.”
Fluttershy waited a minute before knocking one more time. She had hoped Apple Bloom would be home from school, or Big Mac was in the barn, but it seemed like she would have no luck.
Sighing, Fluttershy simply left another few bouquets for Applejack and her family. She turned back around and walked off the farm back towards the town.
Fluttershy took it rather slowly this time around; her breathing was becoming labored and her head was starting to hurt.
Fluttershy began talking to herself to take her mind off it.“I hope I’m not getting a cold. I would just hate to be stuck inside without seeing anyone.” Losing her balance momentarily, she hastily sat down and rubbed her temples through the mask.
Something seemed off. As she nursed her growing headache, Fluttershy tried to think of what was wrong. It just seemed like a normal day, so why was she feeling so ill?
“Maybe I’ll stop by the spa on the way home…” she whined. The twins always helped her feel better.
Powering through the pain ringing in her head, Fluttershy was able to walk all the way to the spa. She didn’t visit as much anymore, especially since Aloe and Lotus weren’t there hardly any now. She really hoped they would be in today though, Fluttershy really needed to relax right about now.
Coming to the front of the spa, she tested the door.
Locked.
“Oh please, please just be a mistake…”
Fluttershy knocked rather hard on the glass doors. She tried to see through them, but they were caked with dust and dirt.
Fluttershy waited. And waited.
No one answered the door.
“I still haven’t visited all my friends yet,” Fluttershy said softly to herself. “Perhaps I can visit them tomorrow though.
With a shaky hoof, she left two bouquets outside the spa, one for each twin. Their beautiful blue, pink, and yellow color stood brilliantly against the cracked brown and gray building.
Fluttershy went home as quick as she could. She wasn’t feeling any better by the minute, and she just wanted some rest. Practically throwing open her front door, she tossed herself inside and kicked the door shut behind her. She ripped the mask off, gasping for air as she coughed up a lung.
After a few minutes recovering, she croaked out, “Angel? Are you home?”
No answer. Again.
Fluttershy inspected his food and water bowls.
Still full of moldy food and gray water.
Fluttershy began to cry. She really hoped he was ok, and wasn’t avoiding her. She could really use a friend right now.
Picking herself up, Fluttershy weakly walked to the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of murky water and ate a brown apple from the fruit bowl. It didn’t make her feel better.
“I guess I just need some sleep. I hope the others won’t be mad that I didn’t visit them today.”
Throwing the apple core into the overflowing trash can, and bringing the water to her bedroom, she pulled the sheets of her bed down and climbed in.
Fluttershy laid her head against her pillow. She didn’t know how long it had been since she had seen all her friends. Maybe she should try writing them a letter. Maybe encourage them to go out on a picnic like old times.
Vision blurry and head still pounding, Fluttershy eventually fell asleep.
The remaining flowers growing inside her living room stood still, waiting to be cut in the morning, and to be delivered to the same spot like always.
