Failure, Eternally Retold, Part Three: Morality

Fluttershy pulled herself out of bed the following morning. She hadn't slept well, and as a result, she was feeling ill. Fatigue, nausea and sensitive joints slowed her movement to the floor.

She looked around the room, having been too upset to really take it in last night. It was very minimalist, with just two beds, a table, and ensuite bathroom. The table had a complimentary notepad and pen, as well as a few of Rainbow's personal effects. She was wearing the cloak Kai had left behind, having wrapped it around herself before going to bed. Twilight had brought it with her from their encampment, a fact for which she was very grateful. The stones they'd collected thus far had been tucked neatly into the pockets the morning before, and kept secure behind a buckle. Thanks to Rarity's foresight, they weren't going anywhere.

Nik was still asleep in the other bed. She had to admit that the beds were soft and plush, if a bit small for him. She had spent the night next to Rainbow, which explained why her belongings were in the room. She was also still asleep, wrapped in a blanket and snoring softly.

Fluttershy hung up Kai's cloak on the small hook on the back of the door and made her way downstairs. The sun was only just about to rise, but the tavern was already full of ponies. The security had relaxed a bit since yesterday, now only barring entrance to the second floor. It looked like half the town was here, but in reality, there were more ponies in the dining area than lived in the town. Some of the guards were using their time between shifts to have a meal cooked by the owner, on top of everypony who ate here regularly. The owner didn't really mind; he was being paid extra for the extra work, though he did have to bring in some help.

"Good morning!" he called over the din of cutlery on plates, waving her over. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah." It was a lie and she knew it, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings by inferring that his beds were subpar. It certainly wasn't his fault that she'd been tossing and turning all night with nightmares plaguing her mind.

"Well, since you're here with Celestia, your breakfast is already accounted for. Royal line of credit, and all that. What'll you have?"

Fluttershy rubbed her stomach. She knew she should eat something, but she didn't know if she could keep it down. "Perhaps later. I'm not feeling very well right now.

The tavernkeep furrowed his brow. "Are you sick? We don't have a doctor in town, but the general goods trader has a few over-the-counter cures for common ailments. Just tell him you're here with Celestia, and he'll take care of your needs. If it's something serious, though, we need to send you over to the next town."

"I think I'll start with a simpler remedy, first," she nodded. "It's probably something minor."

She weaved her way through the tables and squeezed her way out the front door. The crisp morning air was nice, but it felt very normal to her now. Waking up in a patch of grass every day for a few weeks had the effect of familiarizing the scent of morning dew. Even the cold rush of air felt average at this point.

She turned and made her way next door to the general goods trader. There was a closed sign on the door, with the hours listed. She was about twenty minutes early, and she could see the owner inside, moving around and making sure everything was ready for opening. She didn't want to rush him or put too much of a strain on him, so she just sat down near the door to wait. As she had said, this wasn't likely a big deal.

"Did you need something?"

Fluttershy turned around. In the short time she'd taken in sitting down, she'd been noticed by the shopkeep and he'd come out to check on her.

"I can wait until you're open," she said, fidgeting with her tail. "Don't mind me."

"I don't mind opening a little early. The time on the card is just a suggestion." He flipped the sign around, indicating that the shop was now open. "Come on in and have a look around."

With a shy nod, Fluttershy stood up and walked in. "I was told you had some over-the-counter remedies?"

"Right over there." He pointed to a short wall with a few simple medications. Most of the section was what you might find in a really good first aid kit. Generally speaking, it was enough to keep somepony together long enough for a real doctor to come in and have a look. It was no substitute, of course, but if there was no doctor in town, it was at least comforting that they had a decent selection.

She grabbed two boxes off the shelves and brought them forward. "Just this," she said, placing the boxes on the counter.

The shopkeep pressed a few buttons on his register, printing out a receipt, then securing it to a clip he'd put up yesterday. "You're with Princess Celestia, right?" Fluttershy nodded. "Don't worry about paying now, we had a deal. You enjoy your day, miss, and uh..." he scratched the back of his neck. "I hope you find the answer you're looking for with that."

With a nervous smile, Fluttershy stepped out just in time to see Celestia raising the sun. It wasn't a big to-do like the Summer Sun Celebration, but rather a simple craning of her neck and the glowing of her horn. She supposed it was just a routine for her most mornings, and the fanfare would become tiring quickly.

"You're certainly up early," she commented, turning to Fluttershy. "Trouble sleeping?"

Fluttershy nodded and held up one of her boxes. "I was nauseated. I just went to pick up some antihistamines."

"Judging by that other box that you're hiding under your wing, I suspect that you have a theory as to why you're experiencing nausea." Celestia leaned in close. "You are free to make any decision that stems from this, but I want you to know that your friends are always ready to stand by your side. I don't mean to influence your decision; do whatever you feel is right. I just want you to know that your friends will be there beside you every step of the way."

Fluttershy nodded and returned to her room, slipping past Rainbow and into the bathroom. Celestia had probably meant to be reassuring with her words, but they had only served to upset her. In truth, she didn't want to admit that she hadn't thought this through at all. She was in over her head, and she didn't know what she wanted. All she knew was that she was curled up in the tub, crying her eyes out, and she only had herself to blame.