A whole new world; a long way down

Yawn.

Stretch.

Fail knuckle crack.

Morning ritual completed I open my eyes and seeing that I am not in my dreary room that I remembered but the cozy home of Fluttershy I couldn't help but fall back on my cloud and smile.

I had no idea what was going on I still don't but I'm not passing this up, if I'm stuck here then I'm going to enjoy myself.

Gathering my hooves beneath me I hopped down from my floating bed.

After the excitement of yesterday I never really got to actually take in my surroundings what with my being unconscious or being swept off my hooves with all the excitement of ugh salad.

Looking round I did a small circuit of Fluttershy's living room to both get a better look at everything but also to acclimatise my self walking on all fours.

The first thing I noticed was the sheer number of bird houses hanging from the exposed rafters it was a strange sight to see them inside of a home.

The second thing I noticed wasn't something I would have considered while watching the show but the place had pleasant smell to kinda like wood shavings and a more earthy smell to it, I was immediately reminded of days when I was getting occasionally lost in the woods back when I lived with my parents as a kid, especially when I wandered into clearings filled with bluebells.

It was a good scent, it was soothing and I felt myself relax just breathing it in.

If I had to put a word to Her home I would have to say Fluttershy's home was cozy it was small but in a good way.

"Oh good morning Cloud" said a soft voice behind me.

Smiling as I turned around seeing Fluttershy standing behind me across the room from me.

"Oh yes uhm good morning Fluttershy"

Again I resorted to nervously smiling never having been the most confident of people I proved to be just as much as a pony.

"Did you sleep well last night Cloud?" she asked me smiling softly even as her pink mane fell across half her face.

A huge grin spread across my face this time it was all genuine.

"Yeah I did, I always wanted to sleep on a cloud and I did and it was soo soft and comfy and I don't think I could sleep in a bed ever again and I er"

The heat spread quickly across my face as I realised I was rambling in my excitement my voice trailing off as my mind reeled my mouth back into line.

"Uhm sorry got a bit carried away there" I said nervously rubbing the back of my neck finding myself unable to look at Fluttershy.

"Oh no its alright Cloud I'm just glad you slept well I would have felt terrible if I had the bed and you didn't sleep well"

I smiled at that, Fluttershy always was the kind one.

Suddenly I was hit with a familiar organic sensation.

"Uhm sorry but uh do you have a bathroom Fluttershy?"

"Oh yes its the door over there" smiling as she pointed across the room.

"Thank you Fluttershy" I said as I quickly made my way to the bathroom hoping in my mind toilets worked the same in Equestria as they did back home.

Backing the door closed I eyed my target breathing a sigh of relief at the familiar porcelain shape against the wall.

Need less to say I wont go into detail on my actions lets say I resorted to sitting and leave it there.

As I went to wash my hooves in the sink I caught movement out the corner of my eye, panicking thinking that I was being watched I turned to find myself face to face with a blue pegasus.

So I freaked out jumping in shock which the pegasus also did.

Cold realisation seeped through my body as I and in turn the blue pegasus moved closer raising a tentative hoof until they met.

Clink.

For a sound of self discovery it was anti-climatic to say the least.

I'm not sure how long I stood there but it seemed like an eternity.

Taking my hoof off the mirror as I saw myself for the first time and I had to say however I came to be here they did a damn good job.

My coat was my favourite shade of blue I always looked for when I walked home late at night when the sky wasn't day or night, turning my head to the side I saw my mane was longish and wild just like I had uh used to have back home I just hoped I wasn't going to be mistaken for a girl like I did back home, however unlike back home it was a hundred shades of icy blue.

Okay so I looked awesome, I'm cool with that at least I wasn't some abomination born from a drunken pony creator session.

The grin on my face fell away as I turned to the side revealing that true to my fears I was a blank flank.

I know I shouldn't have one yet after all I had been a pegasus for a day and knowing what you are best at as one so soon would have been too convenient.

Sighing I prayed to Celestia that I didn't have to crusade to get mine.

Finally my eyes fell to my wings and I felt mixed feelings of joy and frustration knowing that they was mine and that I couldn't do anything with them at all.

My inner brony jumped for joy as I considered asking Rainbow Dash for flying lessons, my inner common sense told me that she was too good to teach me I knew she was a natural and I doubted she could tell a pegasus how to flap their wings, after all pegasi naturally knew how to fly, it was what they did and then it hit me.

Fluttershy.

She was never a powerful flyer probably the only pegagus close enough in skill to teach me who wasn't teething.

I had to ask her, I was never a person to ask for help but back home I could go it alone but here I was a homeless pegasus who cant even fly let alone fend for themselves.

Taking a few deep breaths I turned to the door steeling myself to ask for help and then I suddenly came upon an obstacle of a different nature.

Door handles.

Thankfully it seems Fluttershy chose a door handle over a door knob as the lack of fingers led to either flailing at the handle with my hooves or using my mouth and I don't think I could ever open a bathroom door with my mouth.

With the door open I was greeted with the sight of Fluttershy seated at the table with two places set.

Taking the free place at the table as I sat down smiling at Fluttershy.

"So uhm I wanted to ask you something" I started to say as the pegasus placed another bowl of greenery in front of me.

Sighing mentally as I realised salad was on the menu permanently from here on in.

Pulling myself together I perked up knowing what I was about to say would more than make up for a herbaceous diet.

"I don't want to be a bother but is there any way you could teach me to fly please?" pressing my hooves together as I made my request.

"Oh my uhm I don't think I would be a good teacher, wouldn't Rainbow Dash be a better she fly's so much better than I do?" her eyes widened and she backed away slightly as I knew she would.

I had to explain why it had to be her.

"Rainbow Dash is an amazing flyer I know but she is a bit too good to teach me the basics, I don't even know how to flap my wings let alone do anything near what she would expect of a pers uhm I mean pegasus like myself" I explained smiling sickly as I admitted my own incompetence even if I hadn't been me for long it was still something I had to work on.

"I need the help of a pony who is a bit more uh sedate and controlled in their flying, like you to teach me" I smiled as I said it hoping she could see I was being sincere.

I think I may have been a bit too forward in my request as we ate the rest of breakfast in silence, Fluttershy gathering the bowls and vanishing to the kitchen leaving me sitting awkwardly at the table.

Sighing as I stood and trudged my way outside shaking my head at my foolishness, I should have known thrusting such an extreme request on somepony as shy and timid as Fluttershy was a long shot at best.

Standing outside I tried to calm down closing my eyes and taking in a few deep breaths.

As I stood there with my eyes closed I tried focusing on the aching locations either side of me, it wasn't so much a bad feeling but more like that feeling you get when you need to stretch after sitting still for too long but you don't know how.

Actually now I think about it its really annoying, its like my wings have to be in motion and having them idle for so long is starting to physically bother me.

So with my eyes closed I focused on the ache thinking of it as my wings visualizing them in my mind, which of course that is what they were but it was still an alien concept to me.

I pictured them moving up or down or in any way that I could imagine them flexing just as long as they did something, anything to make the ache go away.

Screwing my eyes up in concentration every muscle in my body was tensed up with the all consuming focus and then I felt it my wing flexed, slightly.

"Uhm I'm sorry Cloud if you still think my help would be enough, I could show you some basic techniques if you want me to I guess" a soft voice said behind me.

Snapping my eyes open from my deep concentration as I turned around to see Fluttershy standing there a gentle smile on her face, well what was showing past her mane anyway.

In that moment of distraction all the tensed up energy I had coiled within myself drained from me leaving me feeling tired and weak for a moment causing me to fall back onto my haunches.

"Of course I would love your help Fluttershy, After all I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing" I said turning to face the mare grinning sheepishly as I did.

She said nothing, just quietly sitting down beside me brushing her mane aside giving me a full view of her face, the first time I think she had let me see her now that I think about it.

"Uhm sorry for not answering you and uhm running off" she said to me looking down and blushing as she apologised.

"I just didn't know what to say when you asked me, I have never been a strong flier myself but I remembered when I fell from Cloudsdale when I was just a filly" I sat there quietly listening as Fluttershy told her tale her eyes closed a hoof pressed to her chest a soft smile on her face as she reminisced.

"I was falling to the ground and nopony was coming to save me, I was all alone and I didn't know what to do but I was saved by my friends the butterflies" opening her eyes as she looked at me smiling.

"Right now Cloud needs the help of a friend because he too fell only yesterday"

I felt a lump in my throat as she said those words, I had spent so much time watching the show I knew all about how kind she was but being on the receiving end of Fluttershy's kindness was almost overwhelming, I had a few friends back home but I was a bit of a shut in and never really socialised and being here so short a time only to make a friend, it was in its own way kinda crazy.

My mind spun and I tried to say how happy I was and how much I appreciated not only her friendship, hospitality and help but the fact that she was so trusting of a perfect stranger.

"Uhm, yay?"

Naturally words had to fail me at that moment.

I face hoofed resulting in a yelp as I managed not only to forget I had rather solid hooves but that I had a colossal lump bandaged on my head.

"Sorry uhm what I meant to say was thank you, thank you for everything you have done for me" briefly rubbing my head as I knew it was my turn to reminisce from my past taking a deep breath as I began.

"Back home, where I came from I never really liked to depend on others I was very independent, I was always happy to help and do what I could but I could never ask for help in return"

I sighed thinking of home where I belonged and how it seemed so faded and pale after only a day.

"I don't know why but asking for help bothered me deep down, I felt wrong at the notion and I often suffered as a result either from lack of money or other horrible situations, but here and now this isn't something I can just do by myself." opening my eyes I looked up to the sky and smiled at the serene sky above me.

"Before I came here I was aimlessly living, no real goals or anything so grand, but after seeing Dashie fly through the air knowing I could do that too I felt purpose for the first time in my life I felt like there was something I truly wanted"

Feeling better than I had in forever I turned back to Fluttershy grinning as I jerked my head down to my side.

"hey check this out" I said as I waggled my wings slightly feeling yet another grin spreading across my face as I displayed the fruits of my efforts.

"That's wonderful Cloud" she exclaimed bringing her forehoves together clopping them together happily.

I beamed at the praise.

"Uhm could you stand up for me please uh when you are ready that is" Fluttershy said to me gesturing shyly with a hoof.

I Climbed up to standing wobbling slightly before I got my hind legs better aligned, chucking quietly to myself as I watched the yellow mare rise with fluid grace making my stance positively crude in comparison.

"Okay now uhm could you close your eyes now please Cloud?" she said as she turned to walk beside me.

Closing my eyes slowly I calmed my breathing as I relaxed awaiting Fluttershy's next command.

Instead of the words I was expecting I jumped feeling something touch my wing.

"Hey whats..." I started to say turning my head to my left side opening my eyes to see what was going on.

"Please don't look Cloud, just keep your eyes closed and focus on your wings" Fluttershy's voice while not stern had a convincing element to it that made me turn my head away and return to breathing calmly screwing my eyes closed as I focused instead on my wings like she had said.

Again I felt the pressure on my wing, flinching again from the anticipated contact I instead took another deep breath and concentrated on my wing feeling it open out, the muscles creaking slightly at the long awaited motion.

An unexpected sigh escaped my lips as the movement felt so right, I shook my head and returned my thoughts to the repeated gentle flexing of my wing feeling each individual flex as it was moved stretching it from fully open to folded flat against my flank as my left wing was released the same motions again repeated on my right followed by the same creaks and sighs as before.

I soon lost myself to the motions almost reaching a meditative trance as my breathing became slower and I relaxed my eyes letting them rest closed instead of clamping them shut.

"Uhm Cloud you can open your eyes now"

I opened my eyes blinking the suddenly bright sunlight out of them as I turned to face the butterscotch mare.

"What did you do to my wings that felt amazing where did you learn to do that?" the words tumbling out of my mouth as my curiosity got the better of me yet again.

"Well uhm you see I look after the birds as well as the other animals of the forest and sometimes they hurt their wings, that was an exercise for wings that have been broken or unused for a long time" she said to me that caress of a smile spreading across her face as she said it.

I turned my head to look at my wings, they seemed no different than before but now I knew how they felt when they moved and flexed, as I tried my experimental wing wiggle again I couldn't believe it when they moved properly.

Okay so they weren't mighty the pinions that I wanted to launch me into the mighty blue yonder but I'll be damned if they didn't move up and down like I wanted them to, I mean they moved sluggishly and they weren't the smoothest of movements but it was an amazing thing to do after so short a time.

"Wow Fluttershy I cant thank you enough for this!" tearing my eyes away from my now functioning wings and turning to face her with what was probably a smile big enough to put Pinkie Pie to shame.

"Oh uhm no its okay really no need to thank me it was nothing" the yellow mare protested as though she hadn't just performed the equivalent of a miracle in the past ten minute for me.

I could have hugged her then, uh not that I really have the co-ordination for something like that.

"There has to be something I can to to repay you for this?" I asked actually it was nearly pleading I have never been one for taking help without repaying in kind and this was no exception.

"Repay? Oh no no you don't hate to repay me its not that I don't want you to or anything but um its okay" my enthusiasm was maybe a little too much attention for her as she had again retreated not only away from me but under her mane as well.

In a flash of inspiration I had an idea of how I could return the favour to Fluttershy.

"Maybe I could help you with looking after the animals with you to uhm you know make up for your time?"

At the mention of the woodland creatures Fluttershy immediately perked up looking up at me the shyness melting away as she smiled.

"Uhm well it is time to feed the chickens and if you really want to help then I guess that's okay" she said as she turned around and began slowly walking around the side of her home.

I turned to follow after Fluttershy trotting catch up to her occasionally flexing my wings as I did enjoying the freedom of movement they gave me.

I was looking forward to helping Fluttershy after all they were only chickens we were feeding it was going to be a piece of cake.