Superfluousby LillyBird69ChaptersSuperfluousVundabarReading RainbowParty CannonTo New FriendsSuperfluousSuperfluous. That's the word of the day. My therapist says it's a combination of ADHD and anxiety - and probably a few other things - that cause these words to get stuck inside my head. But for some reason, that's the word stuck inside of my head for the day. I don't know why that's the word of the day. I don't even know what it means. I think it has something to do with doing too much? Normally I would look it up to figure it out, that helps get the word out of my head, but I don't know where my phone is nor do I have a dictionary on hand. Well, even if I did have a dictionary on hand I wouldn't be able to use it. Right now I'm stuck in the inky black void that is my mind. The last thing I remember was getting into my truck, driving to work, lighting a cigarette, and then… a loud bang? I don't know what it was. Probably that tree. There's this really scary corner that if you drive too fast you'll probably hit this massive oak that leans out over the road. It's been hit at least 10 times since I moved here a few years back. People have gone to the city about getting that turn made safer but they haven't listened. Damn government… Focus, Lilly. DING Wait, that was my phone. Okay, so I must still be in my truck. I'm just unconscious. And that was probably my manager asking where I am. If only he knew… "Okay, enough dickin' around. Let's try and wake back up." I fold my legs and sit in the void, taking in a deep breath and focusing on waking up. "...shock…" I look around, trying to figure out who said that. My stomach drops as I recognize the sweet British accent. "Chloe! Help! I'm still here!" I shout, immediately losing my cool and waving my arms in the middle of the void. Of course it had to be my friend Chloe who answered the call. She was a paramedic for the county that I had met about two years ago. Normally she worked the third shift though, so I don't know why she was answering my call. It had to be about… well, I had no idea what time it was. I left the house at about 11:30 a.m. but there's no telling what time it is now. If only I had my phone. Suddenly the black void starts to become brighter, the inky blackness turning into a dull grey then a blinding white light. Is this… death? Oh shit, I'm actually dying. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. Chloe, please for the love of all that is holy, SAVE ME. I let out a scream as electricity courses through my body, my muscles tense and my back arches as my lungs are quickly devoid of oxygen. But just as quickly as it came, the electricity goes away. Hunching over, I pant heavily as I try to regain my breath and start to open my eyes. I notice that the bright white light has disappeared and the black void is back. "Okay, guess I owe you yet another one, Chloe." I pant, looking around at my surroundings. Instead of being in an endless aether, the area surrounding me is starting to take shape. I feel light pressure on my back and legs, and have to fight to turn my neck. They must have me on an immobilization board. Ow, the fuck was that? Ow! Fucker! 3 rapid bee stings moved down my right arm, then a final fourth one on the back of my hand. I look down and see there's now an IV hooked up to my hand. I rub my sore arm and then look around again. While my back was turned, someone must have come in and changed the room I was in. Gone was the black void and now I was in a full-size hospital room with numerous people swarming around me all looking down with varying degrees of worry on their faces. I looked down at my body, seeing that I was in fact on the immobilization board, along with a few splints and heavy gauze wrapped around various limbs and parts of my body. "Fuck…" those were my final words before I passed out again. This time, there was no inky void or blinding light. There is only the faint hum of the fluorescent lighting overhead and the beep of the heart monitor that slowly faded out as I lost consciousness. =-(+)-= I regained consciousness sometime later. I have no idea how much time passed, but it was now dark outside. I had to fight to open my eyes, the crust of many nights and mornings had welded them shut. The darkness outside the window was the first thing I noticed. The lights were dimmed in my room. The second thing I noticed was a four-legged animal standing by a wall of cabinets, reading over a clipboard that seemed to float in front of them with a white aura shimmering around it. Wait, is that a horse? Why is there a horse in my hospital room? And why is it wearing a lab coat? My panic started to rise as it noticed me looking at it and started to walk toward me. A little-known fact about me, but horses scare the absolute shit out of me. I can appreciate them from a distance but getting near them just scares me. They're huge, extremely strong, and can be intelligent, but are also extremely skittish and can be extremely dumb. One wrong move and they'll take your head off. I know this because I watched my father get kicked by a horse and now he walks with a limp. The clipboard it was looking at floats over to my bedside table as it stands over me, looking down at me with intelligent blue eyes. "Ah, good morning! Or should I say good evening?" The horse says with a chuckle. "How are you feeling today?" All my thoughts come to a screeching halt as this horse talks to me with a deep voice I would expect to hear on the radio. "Uhh… fine?" I stammer out, looking around my room again. I've spent a good amount of time in the hospital growing up, but I'd never seen a room like this before. Everything was so…short. Like the room was built for - oh no. I look down and see that the bed I'm laying in is much wider than any hospital that I've been in but is also much shorter. It looks like they had to remove the bars at the foot of the bed and put a table there for my feet to rest on. I knew I was tall, but never had I had that issue before. Seeing my panic, the horse puts a hoof on my shoulder. "Everything is okay, you're safe. I'm Doctor Sawbones. You're at Ponyville Hospital. You were in an accident and were brought here." Like a switch being flipped back on, my mind starts racing. Before I can ask a question, my therapist's voice echoes through my head. Breathe. I take a deep breath, then another, then another. "Okay. Doctor Sawbones." What the hell kinda name is Doctor Sawbones? I look back at the horse. Wait, he's pretty short to be a horse. He's about as tall as a Great Dane but much stockier. So he's a pony. Much less terrifying. Actually, kinda adorable. I can't help but picture him wearing a silly little cowboy hat like I'd see at the rodeo all the time as a kid. I snap back to reality realizing he's waiting for me to keep talking. "Where am I?" "You're in Ponyville Hospital in, believe it or not, Ponyville." He chuckles again to himself. Pony or not, I do enjoy his bedside manner. Much better than the doctor I had for my last surgery. "What the f-... Okay. Are there any human doctors here?" I ask cautiously. He tilted his head again. "I'm sorry I don't know what a human is. Is- is that what you are?" He looks a bit uncomfortable asking that question, as if he was embarrassed to have to ask such a thing. "Is that what I am…?" I mumbled to myself thinking about what he meant by that, terrified of the actual answer. "Uh, y-yeah. I am human." He perks up at my answer, seemingly excited to finally know. "Ah! Wonderful. Now if you don't mind me asking, we need a bit of information from you. We don't know anything about you." "What do you need to know?" I always hated going over medical history with doctors. It took forever and was so complicated. "Well, let's start with your name." "Lillith Craig. Lilly, for short." The horn on his head that I somehow missed glows bright white as the clipboard floats back over in front of him and a pen comes up from his coat pocket. He starts filling out whatever form is on the clipboard. I stare, dumbfounded. "How did you just do that?!" "Do what?" He looks up from his clipboard with a quizzical look. Tracking my eyes, he looks up at his horn. "Oh! You mean my horn! Yes, I am a unicorn. Do they not have unicorns where you're from?" I think for a moment. "...technically? It was always thought to be a myth though. Like dragons, pegasuseses, and griffins." "Interesting! We have all of those here. Well dragons and griffins not so much in Ponyville, but we do have pegasi." "Ain't that some shit," I mumble as he starts on more personal questions. Medical history, any allergies, and any real information they should know. "Alright, I think that about does it." He clicks the pen shut and then pauses. "Oh, I have a final question," he pauses for a moment, looking a bit uncomfortable. "While admitting you, we noticed your teeth. Do you have any dietary restrictions?" My teeth? The hell is he- oh. Ohhhh… "Uh, nnnno. I'm a vegetarian. Well, trying to be at least. I'll occasionally have a burger or something, but I try to eat healthier." He looks a bit relieved but not fully. "You don't… eat ponies do you?" I laugh a bit then shake my head. "No, of course not. No one eats horses where I'm from. They're companions and work animals that don't… talk. I typically only eat…" I pause for a moment, wondering if cows are sentient here as well. "Uh… cow. And occasionally chicken." "Well, unfortunately, we don't typically keep," he swallows, "meat on standby. I hope the vegetarian meal will suffice." He offers a smile, still looking a bit green around the gills. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Might finally get me into shape." I look down at my stomach and then cock my head. I wasn't an unhealthy weight, just had a little extra belly fat. But that appeared to be gone. I looked borderline emaciated. "Before you go, doc. How uh… how long was I out?" He sets the clipboard on the side table and then grabs another paper. "You were found in the woods about 2 weeks ago. We don't know how long you were there, but judging by the state you were in, it had been a day or two." "In the woods? Did y'all find my truck?" My mind raced back to the contents of my truck. It wasn't illegal per se, but it wasn't strictly legal either. "The pony who found you did say you were next to a heap of twisted metal, so possibly? I can't say I know what a truck is." "That…" I frown. I liked that truck. It was the first car I ever bought by myself and it helped me with multiple moves. We had been through a lot together. "That was probably my truck. How much longer do I have to be here?" I was scared of how much longer I'd be stuck here. Part of me wanted to get out while the other half was terrified of this new world. "Well, we were waiting to see if you'd wake up first. We'll monitor you for a few more days then make our decision on whether we need to keep you or not." Translation, they don't know. Been there, done that. "Gotcha…" I sigh a bit then lay back in the surprisingly soft bed. My hand moves for my phone out of instinct then stops. "Gonna assume y'all don't have cell phones?" I look around the room at the lack of any real modern machine. Namely a TV. Shuffling papers onto the clipboard and getting ready to leave, the doctor looks up. "I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure what that is." "No worries. I figured as much." Damn it, I liked that phone too. Satisfied with his paperwork, the doctor heads for the open door. He stops in the doorframe and spins to look at me. "Well Lilly, it's been a pleasure meeting you. If you need anything, please feel free to press the blue button next to your head. A nurse will come in and be able to assist you. I will also have a meal sent to you. You get some rest and have a wonderful night." "Thanks, Doc. I'll try." I fake a smile and lay back in the bed as he leaves. This was gonna be a long few days. Might as well be months, or even years. I settled into the bed, taking in my surroundings. To my right was an ugly green and blue painted wall lined with brown cabinets. They looked like the standard pressboard crap you'd see at an Ikea or in a college dorm. To my left was the same ugly wall but this time with a low window with green drapes that matched my hospital gown. Looking up and behind me, I could finally see the machine making that insistent beeping noise. It looks similar to a heart monitor back home, but something straight out of the 90s. Next to the heart monitor is the IV bag connected to my hand. The bed itself has the standard hospital railing in case you try to fall, and even has a button about the size of my fist built into the side. I assume it's to call the nurse, but I don't want to find out at the moment. Going from the room, I check on my body and casts. My right arm is free, thankfully. I'm right-handed and am useless with my left. It has a few cuts and scrapes on it but nothing extreme. My left arm is in a full cast, a deep purple spiraling up from my fingers to my armpit and bending ninety degrees at the elbow. Looking down at my legs - half of which were on the table - each was in their own purple cast. My left leg had the cast going up from my toes to just below my hip while my right was just from my toes to my knee. My chest had a tight gauze wrapping and after feeling my head, realized my head had the same wrap. Thank God there are no mirrors in here. I'm sure I look horrible. With all the exciting and interesting things out of the way, I lean back into the bed and sigh. This is going to be my life for the next week. Great. Wait. What about after? I don't… I don't know anybody here. I sat up quickly, panicked thoughts filling my mind. Tears well up in my eyes. "Everyone I know… I'm…" Suddenly a knock comes at the door. I wipe my eyes and look up. A white-furred pony wearing an old-style nurse's cap with her pink mane in a tight bun is in the doorway with a metal tray balanced on her back. She has a nervous look on her face. "Is this a bad time? I can come back." I take a deep breath and then shake my head. "No, no. I'm fine. Just realizing I know no one here and trying to figure out what I'll do when I get released." I shrug a bit. She frowns a bit as she walks in, setting the tray from her back on the bedside table. "It's a daisy sandwich, I hope that's okay. At this time of night, the kitchen isn't open, so I made you something." She says as she sets the plate in my lap. "Daisy sandwich?" I lift a piece of bread. It's exactly what I thought it was. "I don't mean to be rude but humans can't eat… flowers." "Oh! I'm so sorry! I can make you something else if you'd like." She goes to pick up the plate with her mouth. "I can pick around it, it's not a big deal. I don't want to impose." "Oh, no. It's no problem! I insist." She smiles as she picks up the plate and sets it back on the tray. "What would you like instead? I can make you a salad or a different sandwich." I think for a moment. "A peanut butter and jelly sandwich sounds amazing actually. If that's not too much." "Of course not, Lilly. I'll be right back." She sets the tray on her back and then leaves the room. "The hell was her name?" I mumbled to myself in the darkness. I had always been terrible with names. Even at my current job where everyone wears nametags, I still don't know most people's names. A few minutes later the nurse returns with a new sandwich, and a few crumbs stuck to the hairs on her muzzle. "Okay! Attempt number two." She sets the tray down and then puts the plate on my lap. Looking down at the sandwich, my stomach growls. "This looks perfect, thank you." I pick up the sandwich and then take a bite. Blueberry jam? That's a new one. Good though! "Oh! I'm Nurse Snowflake. I'll be helping you on the road to recovery!" She grins from ear to ear. "Is there anything I can help you with?" I finished the sandwich far quicker than I meant to. It was delicious and I was starving. I wipe my mouth with the napkin then lay back, looking over at the pony. "Can you just stay here and talk for a bit? I don't want to be alone right now…" "Oh, of course." She offers a smile and pulls up a chair. We talked for a few hours. She told me about Ponyville, a bit of the history of Equestria, who the Princesses are, and the ponies who found me. "Oh my! Look at the time!" She looks at the clock on the wall above the door. "My shift ends in 15 minutes, but I'll be back tomorrow." She stands up and stretches. I try to hide my disappointment as she stands. "Aw, man… Okay. Well, I'll be here. I need to get some sleep anyway." She giggles and picks up the tray. "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." She sets it on her back and then walks out of the room. "Goodnight, Snowflake." I lay back in bed, my mind racing with this new information as sunlight starts to creep in through the window. Okay, so first things first. Find this Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and thank them for saving me. Second, find a place to live. Third, well, we'll figure that out when we get there. Vundabar♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ I don't think I'll ever get Greenland out of my head. It's such a good song but holy shit, brain. Pick a different fucking verse. ♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ Where's my- God damn it, that's right. No phone. I wonder if I could get the doctor to send someone out to my truck and grab my bags. At least there are a few books in there I like. And my laptop! Yes! I forgot I packed that for D&D after work! My eyes quickly scan the room for any signs of an outlet but find none. Even if I could find one, I highly doubt it is wired the same as my socket at home. "Are you okay with having visitors?" A familiar voice calls out from the doorway. I hadn't even seen her walk in, nor did I know it was time for her shift. Honestly, I had no idea what time it was. The clock stopped working when I was asleep and I'd been keeping an eye on the sun moving across the sky to track the time. Once it does go down, I am kinda SOL. "How do I have visitors?" I look up from the corner I had been staring at then at her. "These are the ponies I was telling you about. The ones that found you." "Oh! Right! Yeah, that'd be great! I'd been wanting to talk to them." That'll save me some time tracking them down after I get out. Nurse Snowflake smiles and then motions for them to come in. My eyes widen in surprise when I see a nervous-looking rainbow-maned pony walk in alongside a yellow and pink pony who looks like they have a million questions. I figured all ponies had natural coat and mane colors here, but pastel blue with literal rainbows was a surprise. Maybe it was dyed? "Lilly, this is Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They were the ponies who found you out in the Everfree forest." She introduces us. "Nice to finally meet y'all," I say, cringing a bit at my southern accent coming out. It only ever really came out when I was drunk, extremely tired, or stressed. "Nurse Snowflake told me all about y'all." Rainbow Dash goes to talk but stops when she sees Fluttershy quickly move into the room. Fluttershy stops at my bedside and puts her forelegs on the railing on the side. She was much taller than the other ponies I'd seen and had a very earthy smell, not the sterile smell I was used to with Nurse Snowflake and Doctor Sawbones. She looks up and down at my broken body with a concerned look. "How are you feeling today? I'm so sorry about what happened to you. Rainbow Dash and I brought you here as quickly as we could." I look from Fluttershy standing next to me to the rainbow-maned one walking in. She was much shorter than Fluttershy but I could see through her blue coat that she was much stronger. Not jacked like a bodybuilder, but more like a runner. A few of the people I work with are marathon runners and have similar body types. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you. Both of you. I'm not sure I would've survived if you hadn't pulled me from my truck." I offer a smile. Rainbow Dash looks a bit uneasy at the sight of my teeth but Fluttershy gets closer and stares. "You have an interesting set of teeth! Are you an omnivore?" Fluttershy asks, getting a little too close for me as if she's going to put a hoof in my mouth and give me a dental exam. She has a very interesting smell, like dirt and wet dog mixed with hay. It reminds me of the horse my sister took care of as a kid. What is their obsession with my teeth? I look over at Rainbow Dash for an answer then back to Fluttershy. "Yyyes, I am," I answer a bit unsure. "But I have been trying to become a vegetarian." Rainbow Dash seems to relax a bit but still doesn't speak up. Fluttershy nods as if she's taking mental notes. "Do you have a preference? What is your favorite? Do you eat it raw?" "Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash finally speaks up. "Stop asking her so many disgusting questions!" She looks over from her friend to me. "You don't have to answer any of that. Actually, please don't answer any of that." "Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I guess I just got a little carried away…" She hops off the railing, her ears flat against her head. I lean over to whisper to Fluttershy. "I'll tell you later." Then sit back up as if nothing happened. Fluttershy smiles wide as Rainbow Dash points at her open mouth with her hoof and makes a gagging noise. "Maybe you can settle a bet, 'human'." The way Rainbow Dash said human made it sound like a curse word. "What were you doing out in the Everfree Forest? And what was that heap of metal?" "That was my truck, I was driving to work. As for the forest, I have no idea. I don't remember a whole lot. Just looking down to light a cigarette then looking back up and suddenly blackness." I had forgotten about my nasty habit. Being in a coma for a few weeks probably helped with that. Holy shit a cigarette sounds amazing right now. "Y'all didn't happen to grab any of my bags from my truck, did you? There were 3." I always kept a bug-out bag with me with at least 96 hours worth of supplies. My others were full of clothes, toiletries, my laptop, medicines, and a handgun. My dad always told me to be prepared for an 'SHTF scenario' and I guess I took that to heart. They both look at each other and then shake their heads. "No, we only took you," Rainbow Dash says. Third, go to my truck and get my bags. "Ah, well, no worries. Maybe I'll make the trek out there once I get out." "Oh, no. We couldn't possibly make you go out into the Everfree Forest all by yourself after an accident! We can get them." Fluttershy looks up from me to Rainbow Dash, who then rolls her eyes. "I guess we could. Hey, Fluttershy? Can I talk to you real quick?" She motions for her friend to follow her. "We'll be right back." Fluttershy smiles then heads out the door with Rainbow Dash. They have a quiet conversation just outside in the hallway that I'm only able to get bits and pieces of. My tinnitus blocked out most of it. Years of metal shows and shooting in the woods without ear protection did a number on my ears. "...I just don't want you getting attached again… Discord?" I could barely hear Rainbow Dash say. "... different. She's…chaos." I am pretty chaotic. "Just… be careful." Rainbow Dash sounded sincere and genuinely worried for her friend. Was I that bad already? They soon walk back in. Fluttershy seems a bit apprehensive to get close to me again and stays quiet. Rainbow Dash speaks up after a few moments of awkward silence. "I think our friend Twilight Sparkle would love to meet you. She is a huge egghead and would have like, a million questions." I side-eye Fluttershy who is now just staring at the ground with her ears flat against her head. "Yeah, she sounds interesting. I'm sure I'd love to meet her." I must've not sounded too interested. I was too focused on Fluttershy. "Right…" Rainbow Dash says quietly. Another awkward silence. "Well, I think I'm gonna head out. There are a few clouds I need to clear out for Pinkie's party tonight. I'll see you there, Fluttershy?" She nods silently, staring intently at the floor. I was starting to feel incredibly awkward. I wasn't great at social interactions as is, but this was brutal. ♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ "See you, human." She says then walks out the door. I somehow hadn't noticed up until this point but she had a set of blue wings folded at her side. Holy shit, they do have pegasuseses here. Pegasi? Flying horses. I offer her a wave and then look at Fluttershy. I could see her eyes tracking Rainbow Dash out of the room from behind her mane. With her friend gone, she quickly moves to my bedside again and practically climbs in bed with me with how high she jumped onto the railing. She also has wings. Sick. "I have so many questions. What do humans like to talk about?" "What do you want to know?" "Everything!" She beams, staring intently at me. "Oh, well, uh…" I think for a moment. I hate those 'So tell me about yourself' questions. I never know what to say. "Well, my name is Lillith, but I go by Lilly. I'm 25 years old, I'm six foot four, I'm really into metal, goth aesthetics, and I'm trans." That was usually my go-to. She listens closely, nodding along. "I don't know what half of that means but it sounds amazing." I then explain what it all means. Metal music, goth, what a foot is, and the basic premise of being transgender. "Wow, those all sound amazing. It's incredible you live in a world where you can just change your body like that. We're only able to just change what we go by." She frowns a bit. "Oh, are you trans too?" I loved making trans friends. There was always something comforting about meeting someone who has had a lot of the same struggles as you. "Well, we don't have a word for it but I guess I would be. I was born with a different name but go by Fluttershy now." She offers a sheepish smile, hiding behind her mane. "It's not something I like to talk about though…" She trails off. "I understand completely." I put a hand on her hoof, dropping the subject completely. She looks down at my hand, almost like she's studying it. Oh Lord, here we go with the hand questions. "I love your hoof polish," She says as she studies my nails. The alternating black and purple colors were chipped and even a few broken, but the general idea was there. Actually, the whole look was kinda punk. I didn't hate it. "Thanks! I did it myself a few days - weeks - ago. Though I think it's time to redo them. They're a little scuffed." "You did that?" She looks surprised then sheepish again. "Would… Would you want to do my hooves? I've always wanted black hoof paint. I really like the…" she pauses for a moment then smiles. "The goth look." If she wasn't a literal horse, I would have the biggest crush on her. "I would love to paint your hooves." She smiles from ear to ear, doing a little dance with the two hooves on the floor. "Really?" "Absolutely." Fluttershy leans in and nuzzles my cheek then quickly pulls back with a blush and hides behind her mane. "OhmygoshI'msosorry!" I put my hand up and gently pat her head with a smile. "Don't be sorry. That was sweet." Okay, I might actually have a crush on her now. =-(+)-= A few hours after the arrival of my saviors, well after the sun had set, Fluttershy lets out a small yawn and then stretches in the chair she dragged in from the hallway. We had been talking about anything and everything under the sun. "I need to get going… Pinkie Pie is having a party tonight and I'm already late. I think. Your clock doesn't work. It was great talking to you though. I haven't felt this comfortable or confident since I was with…" Her smile fades then she shakes her head and smiles again, trying to find the words to say. I give her a nod, not wanting to press. We all have our boundaries and I'm not one to push them. "It was great meeting you, Fluttershy. Will you visit me again? I could do your hooves. Give you a whole goth makeover." Her cheeks flush again, something I've learned is very easy to do, as she stands up. "W-well I. I g-guess we could. If that wouldn't be a problem…" She stammers out. "Of course not. I'll need both hands to do a full makeover, but I can do your hooves with one hand." Damn this cast. If they can do magic, why not heal me? Someone somewhere must know a healing spell. "That sounds like fun." She climbs onto the railing of the bed again and gives me another nuzzle. "I'll try to come by tomorrow, assuming Angel Bunny doesn't keep me busy all day. He can be such a hoof-full." "No worries if you can't. I think Nurse Snowflake is gonna try to bring me some books tomorrow. Said I'd like 'Daring Do', whatever that is." "When Rainbow Dash was in the hospital a few years ago with a broken wing, she fell in love with the Daring Do series. I think we've all read them at this point." "Must be a good series then. Well, I won't keep you. Thank you so much for coming by. It was a blast talking and I can't wait to do it again." She smiles and gives me another nuzzle then leaves with the hallway chair in tow. I lay back in bed and can't help but smile. Fluttershy is such a kind pony and has the most genuine heart I've ever seen. I can see why she's the Element of Kindness. Fuck. I have a crush on Fluttershy. Reading Rainbow♪ Butterfly in the sky I can go twice as high Take a look, it’s in a book Reading Rainbow I can go anywhere friends to know, ways to grow Reading Rainbow I can be anything Take a look, it’s in a book Reading Rainbow ♪ For some godforsaken reason, Psychostick’s version of that song always plays in my head any time I pick up a book. This time was no different. "Uh…" I look down at the hieroglyphs on the thick book in front of me. Since the ponies seemingly spoke English, I figured they'd write in English. But apparently not. "Is everything okay?" Nurse Snowflake asks, walking back to my bedside. She had brought in a few books from the hospital's book cart and highly recommended the Daring Do series. "I just didn't expect this to be y'all's script is all. Hieroglyphs are… a tad retro." I struggled with English as is, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to learn a language that used drawings and pictures to write. Cocking her head like a confused dog, Snowflake looks at the book and then at me. "What do you use then? We've pretty much always used this." "Characters and letters. Pass me that paper and pen and I can show you. Please." I motion toward the clipboard on the chair near the door. She had brought back the chair Fluttershy used last night and told me I could keep it in here if she was coming back. Her bone white horn shimmers as the clipboard is enveloped in a sparkling white aura then slowly floats over and into my lap. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," I mumble as I pick up the pen and then write out my name in big letters. "This is how we write." She cocks her head again, a loose strand of her pink mane dropping onto her nose. "And that makes sense to you?" "Took a few years to beat it into me, but yeah. I still struggle with it sometimes though. I barely know my native tongue." Thanks, southern public schools. She studies it closely and then shrugs her shoulders. "Looks like gibberish to me. But you are also equipped with a different way to write, it seems." She motions at my hand gripping the pen. "We either have to write with magic or with our mouths." "That doesn't sound very hygienic." I think back to all the times I've chewed on pens and pencils in school. "Though I don't think I have room to judge. I've always had a huge oral fixation so I tend to chew on everything. Being a smoker probably made that worse too." "Is this common with omnivores?" She didn't seem as apprehensive about the whole meat-eating thing as Sawbones was. "For the most part. A lot of my friends were always chewing on stuff. One guy I worked with would open beer bottles with his mouth and then chew on the bottle cap. But that's pretty rare. Only a special few are that hardcore." "That sounds like a horrible idea." "It is. I always cringed watching him do it. It was a neat party trick though." "Well, I'm sorry the book was a bust. Maybe Fluttershy can read it to you if she comes by. You two seemed to have hit it off rather well," she says with a smirk. I feel my cheeks burn as I think about her. I may be asexual, but I still liked her. She was a very interesting pony and I loved hanging out with her. It had been a while since I met someone I could just sit and talk with for hours. "Well… y'know… we have a lot of common interests." Snowflake brings a hoof up to her muzzle as she giggles. "You like her, don't you?" I had only been conscious in this new world for 72 hours and Snowflake was already teasing me as if she knew me for 20 years. My cheeks burned hotter from the teasing. "N-no!" I stammer out, obviously lying. I can bullshit with the best, but I'm a terrible liar when I'm nervous. "Okay," she says, obviously not believing me. "Your business is your own and I won't pry." She looks up at the clock that has since been replaced. "Well, I hate to leave you with a book you can't read but I have a few other patients I need to care for. I'll come by later with your dinner. Is a salad okay?" I close the book and lay back in bed. "Salad sounds wonderful, thank you." "Okay. I'll be back later. You relax and focus on feeling better. Hit the button if you need anything." She smiles and then heads out the door. "Will do," I call out as she leaves and then look back down at the book. "Well, shit." =-(+)-= One of these days I'll actually hear someone before I see them. Fluttershy and a pony I hadn't met yet suddenly appeared in the doorway. Fluttershy gives a friendly smile as her friend walks into the room with a piece of paper in front of her. She hadn't looked up yet and appeared to be writing furiously with a pen suspended by her horn. "Um, Twilight?" Fluttershy says, watching her friend about to run into my bed. "Not now, Fluttershy. I need to finish these notes before we- oof!" Her train of thought crashes into the foot -or rather table- of my bed and she falls onto her rear with a thud. Her eyes follow my legs on the low table and bed then up at me, making intense eye contact. Her eyes go wide as she shoots back up and to my bedside, pelting me with a thousand questions. As I'm answering her questions, her pen is writing furiously on sheets of paper. I notice Fluttershy quietly move from the doorway and move to her chair. She sits down and patiently waits for her friend to stop her questioning. I offer her a smile as Twilight impatiently clears her throat after another question about my height. I catch Fluttershy's blush as I quickly look back to Twilight. "A foot is a form of measurement, it was based on a king's literal foot hundreds of years ago. I think." I remember reading that on Twitter or something years ago but didn't know how true it was. "A measurement system based on a dead Monarch's hoof from hundreds of years ago that isn't a standard size isn't exactly… exact." "Yeah, I know. But it's what I was taught and it works for me. The rest of my world uses the metric system but I was never officially taught it. It makes a bit more sense for some stuff." Except for temperature and I will die on this hill. "That doesn't make sense." "Welcome to being human. We don't make a lot of sense. Kinda just… fly by the seat of our pants. What happens, happens, y'know?" Twilight nods as she writes down my words. "Humans sound fascinating. I would love to be able to visit your world sometime and just observe." "Well, if we can figure out how I got here, I'd love to take you." I think back to my car accident. "Actually, I have a question for you. Do you know how I got here?" Twilight lowers her paper and then sets it on the bed. She thinks for a moment then shakes her head slowly. "Honestly? I… I don't know. I've been examining the area around your vehicle but haven't found any evidence as to why. The only odd thing was the circle of mushrooms around it." "Circle of mush- you mean a fairy ring?" "You have fairies in your world too? I didn't think their magic was that powerful, but maybe fairies from both sides…" She picks back up the paper and begins writing again, clearly deep in thought. "Fairies are just a myth though! It's called that because people way back didn't understand what caused it and assumed it had something to do with fairies or elves or even dragons! But none of those are real. They couldn't possibly have transported me and a three-ton truck here." Panic was creeping into my brain. "R-right?" "I would need to do some research, but unfortunately we know nothing about your world. So we…" she pauses, looking nervous. "may not ever fully find out." "But you'll be able to get me back, right? Right?" Truthfully, that was the panic talking. I wasn't exactly sure if I did want to go back. "I'll need to do a bit of research, but I'll try my hardest." She offers a reassuring smile. I didn't notice it, but Fluttershy frowned at our conversation and tears welled up in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. I go to take a deep breath but go into a coughing fit instead. I'm sure my body was happy I hadn't smoked in almost 3 weeks, but I was starting to feel it. I was having dreams about smoking. My lungs were starting to feel better, but my brain screamed for nicotine. I was even regaining feeling in my toes and fingers. I bet I could run more than 100 feet now. Well, aside from the two broken legs and bruised ribs. Twilight sets down the paper full of notes and then shuts her eyes. Her horn glows bright and a purple aura surrounds my body. I slowly stop coughing as my lungs clear up and my brain stops scratching and screaming for nicotine. This may be the painkillers I'm on talking, but even the pain in my broken bones subsides. The purple aura fades and she sways a bit. Whatever she did clearly took a toll on her. I blink a few times then flex my fingers on my left arm then raise and lower it. No pain. Not even my normal shoulder pain from my torn rotator cuff I got a few years ago when I tried to play football with my brother's friends. I look up at Twilight as she regains her composure. "What just happened?" She clears her throat. "Your cough sounded awful and you looked like you were in pain. I used a healing spell on you." She smiles then mumbles as she looks away. "That may or may not be experimental still." "Well, experimental or not. Thank you. I think you healed more than just my lungs. My ribs don't ache anymore. Hell, I bet if we did an x-ray right now I'd be released today!" I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy here. The only things keeping me sane were Fluttershy and Nurse Snowflake. Twilight gives me a proud smile then picks back up the notes. We had somehow filled 6 pages in the half hour she was here. Time flies when you're filling out paperwork, I guess. "Well, that was all the paper I brought. I didn't think we'd fill it that quickly. I'm going to run back to the library and grab more if that's okay. Shouldn't take me too long." "Fine by me." I shrug, just wanting a little time alone with Fluttershy. "I'll be back." She gives me a determined nod and then trots out the door. I hear her hooves at the end of the hall. Actually, I can hear a lot of things now. The beeping of the heart monitor is louder, and the ticking of the clock on the wall is audible, even Fluttershy quietly mumbling to herself. I'm not able to pick out any words, I don't think anyone's ears are that good, but I can now hear her. "Hey, Fluttershy? You okay?" She snaps back to the real world and looks at me. Her eyes are a little red and she's sniffling softly. "Y-yeah…" "Whoa, hey…" I try to sound reassuring. "What's up?” "I-I'm not crying…" She looks down at the ground as a tear rolls down her cheek and onto the floor. Steeling myself for the possible pain to come, I throw the blanket to the side and turn to climb out of bed. I put both feet on the floor and brace myself against the railing as she sniffles again. I take a deep breath and then stand on wobbly legs, using the railing as a crutch. Once sure of my footing, I wrap my free hand around the IV pole and wheel it over to the crying pony. Aside from being a little sore from not moving for almost 3 weeks, I felt great physically. I lean over and wrap my arms around her neck, causing her to jump. She must not have noticed me move to her. "Everything is okay," I say softly as I hug her close. Feeling my embrace, she hugs me back tightly and soon devolves into a sobbing mess. "Shhh… it's okay… you're okay…" I whisper as I gently stroke her neck and mane to help comfort her. Her mane smelled different today. It didn't smell like someone who had been working with animals all day. It smelled like… lilies. My favorite flower. She had asked me what it was the night prior. Did she use lily-scented shampoo for me? Or was that shallow thinking? A few minutes pass as she continues to sob and I hold her close. Her coat and mane were so soft. Honestly, I didn't want the hug to end. I just wish it was under better circumstances. Her crying soon subsides and is now just occasional sniffles. "What's wrong, Fluttershy? Did we say something?" She says something but it's muffled by my chest. I pull back from the hug and lift her head slowly. Her eyes are bloodshot and puffy, and her fur is matted around her mouth and eyes. "I…" she takes a deep breath. "I don't want to lose you already." I pause as my brain tries to process this information. I wasn't expecting it. "You don't want to lose me? What do you mean?" She brings a hoof up and wipes her eyes. "You and Twilight were talking about sending you back. I… I can't handle losing another friend." "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." I look around the empty room and then back at her. "Truth be told, I… I don't really think I want to go back. There's not much for me there. I have my mom who lives far away, and three friends I occasionally talk to online. But that's really about it. My fiancée left me two years ago and I'm entirely on my own. But here? I have already made an amazing friend and I haven't even left this hospital room. Hell, I'd say three friends." Fluttershy sniffles again, looking down at the ground. "But you sounded so worried about getting back earlier." "That was just me panicking. I'm going through a lot of emotions right now. My brain has been-… oh shit. I haven't taken any of my medicine in weeks. No wonder I'm all over the place." I lift her chin again, looking deep into her blue eyes. "Can I tell you a secret?" Fluttershy blinks away a few tears. The way the sun reflects off the window and into her eyes makes my heart beat faster. She gives me a nod. "Fluttershy, I… I'm sorry if this is too forward, but I have a huge crush on you. You've been so sweet to me since the moment we met. You are one of the very few people in my entire life that has just listened to me. I feel so comfortable and safe around you. I mean, shit, you saved my life. I probably would be dead in the middle of the woods if it weren't for you." Fluttershy just stares back at me silently for what feels like an eternity then pulls me into a tight hug. She puts her head on my shoulder as she squeezes me. "I feel the same way. That's why I was so scared of losing you," She says softly, barely above a whisper. "I… I lost my partner a year ago and it's been so hard. The day we found you was the first time I had left my home in almost three months. And ever since you woke up, I've been having trouble staying at home. I've just been wanting to be here with you." I run my fingers through her soft mane, the faint smell of lilies makes me smile. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Well, hopefully outside this hospital room sometime soon, but I won't leave you." My ear twitches as I hear hooves on tile heading our way. I give Fluttershy a final squeeze then let go and take a step back. She nods as I let her go then stares at the floor with a small smile as the hooves enter our room. "I brought more paper!" Twilight calls out with a large grin. =-(+)-= "I don't care if you're feeling better, you need to be in bed." Nurse Snowflake scolds me as she sets my dinner down on the side table. "What if you slipped and hurt yourself? You have 9 broken bones, including your skull, 3 bruised ribs, and a concussion. You should not be walking!" Holy shit, I didn't know I had that many broken bones. I hate getting scolded. Especially by her. It made it feel like my mom was scolding me. "I'm sorry, Snowflake. It's just… Fluttershy was crying and I couldn't just lay here doing nothing. Plus Twilight used some healing spell on me and I felt fine! Hell, better than fine. She even fixed some issues I've had for years." Snowflake stops with the salad in mid-air. "Why was Fluttershy crying?" She asks quietly, almost sounding concerned. "Twilight and I were talking and I panicked and started worrying about going home. But honestly, I… I don't want to go home. There's not much for me there anymore." I look down sadly. "And you want to stay here, with her." She says quietly as she sets the salad in my lap. "I get it." She sighs and walks over to the railing then jumps up and rests her forelegs on it. "Look, Lilly. I'll be honest with you. Fluttershy is an amazing pony. Anypony who can get her out of her house like that is okay in my book. But she's also one of the most sensitive ponies I've ever met. The only other pony that had the same effect wasn't even a pony. He was the literal God of Chaos. Discord." Rainbow Dash's words echo in my head. "...I just don't want you getting attached again… Discord." It made sense now. Mostly. "They were together for a long time, but one day he just… vanished. Didn't say anything, no note, nothing. It destroyed her. She didn't leave her home for months on end. Then seeing how excited she was to meet you, it's like Ponyville was alive again. Seeing the Element of Kindness broken like that really put a cloud over us all. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anypony." "Oh my God, I had no idea. She told me she lost her partner, but nothing like that." I idly poke at the salad. My appetite disappeared a long time ago. "And that explains why her friends are so apprehensive about her getting attached to me. They think I'll leave her and destroy her again." Snowflake gives me a nod. "If you genuinely care for her, then… you should think long and hard about whether or not you want to stay." "Yeah… I think I already made up my mind." I stab at a cherry tomato but it rolls away, almost as if it’s taunting me. "I hope it's the correct choice.” She gives me a nod then pauses. “Now what the hay were you saying about Twilight using a healing spell?!" =-(+)-= "You're getting released? Already?" Fluttershy stares at me dumbfounded. "I guess Twilight's spell worked." I nod as I scratch at my newly released arm. "Yep! Doc says my bones are stronger than ever. I still need to take it easy for a few days though." I stretch in the bed and then bend my knees. For the first time in 15 years, it didn’t pop or creak. "Hey, so… I hate to ask since we just uh… met." I rub my neck anxiously. "I don't exactly have a place to stay…" Fluttershy blushes and nods, getting what I was too scared to ask. "Of course, you can stay with me. You can stay in the guest room." She smiles and effortlessly jumps up to rest her forelegs on the railing. "I just hope you don't mind animals." "Thank you, Fluttershy. I won't be a burden." I smile and pat her foreleg. I still couldn’t get over how soft she was. "And I adore animals." "I even have a few crows I think you'd love to meet." My jaw drops. "You have crows?! I love crows so much they're so perfect and sweet and smart and beautiful and dumb and I love them!" Crows are by far my favorite animal and it has been my lifelong dream to have a crowbro. The closest I ever got was when I lived with my partner. I bought a crow call from my local gun store and would call with it, but I never got anything more than a few replies. She giggles at me babbling about crows then shoots up. "Oh! In all the excitement, I forgot! I haven't had the time to go into the Everfree Forest to get your bags, but I asked Rarity to make you some clothes. I asked Nurse Snowflake for your clothes when you were brought in and Rarity did an amazing job duplicating them. Though she refused to do the design on the front." She looks away shyly. "It was… gruesome." Oh yeah, the Cannibal Corpse shirt. Right. Forgot I was wearing that. My manager hated that shirt. Tried to write me up for wearing it under my work uniform, but there was nothing against it in the guidebook. Prick. "Oh, right, sorry. I really do appreciate y'all doing that." I smile as she steps out into the hall and comes back with a neatly wrapped box with a large purple bow on it. She sets it in my lap. I carefully pull the bow off and then undo the tape on the edges. I was never one for just tearing at the paper like an animal. Neatly folded inside the box in a soft black t-shirt, a purple and black striped long sleeve, a pair of black jeans, a set of purple panties and a bra, and a pair of pink and white striped socks. "Holy cow, Fluttershy. These look amazing. And they're so soft." I smile as I feel the shirt again. "Rarity said they're on the house and hopes you'll come by sometime so she can get your measurements. She seemed to like the idea of being your tailor. Something about the challenge." "I will certainly do that. She did an amazing job." I smile and start to get dressed. After I finished getting dressed, with Fluttershy seemingly averting her eyes during the more intimate parts, Doctor Sawbones walks in with his famous clipboard floating behind him along with a small bag. "Good afternoon, everypony. Ready to go ho- uh, get out?" I can see him kicking himself in his mind from the slip. "More than you could ever know." "Good! Now, here are your discharge papers." He floats over a few papers from the clipboard. "There you will find some basic strengthening exercises, what you should and shouldn’t do, and a few prescriptions. Though, to be honest…" He nervously rubs the back of his neck. "We're not entirely sure what you can and cannot take, so… use your best judgment. You mentioned spending a lot of time in hospitals, so I'm sure you know what to do." "I understand. Y'all aren't exactly equipped to handle someone like me, so you're just kinda wingin' it. It's cool. I know the drill. No heavy lifting, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep, all that jazz." I give him a nod. "Yes, exactly. Thank you." He smiles and offers a hoof. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Lilly. I wish you the best." "Thanks, Doctor." I look down at his hoof and shake it. "I think I'll be okay here." I give Fluttershy a smile and then look back at the doctor. "You're in good hooves." He gives me a nod. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here are your boots. Nurse Snowflake missed them when giving your clothes to Fluttershy." He floats over the small bag to me. "You two stay safe out there. And try to not crash into any more trees." I laugh a bit. "I'll try. No promises though." He chuckles and heads out the door. I take my boots out of the bag. "Perfect, I was hoping I'd get these back." I untie them and slip the Doc Martens over my new pink socks then tuck my jeans in. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and put an arm around Fluttershy. "So to your place?" She wraps a leg around my waist as I slowly stand. I may have been healed by Twilight’s magic, but I was still sore. The walk back to her home was going to be long. "If it isn't too much trouble, I was wondering if we could go by Sugarcube Corner? Pinkie has been dying to meet you but has been so busy with side work for the Cakes." "She's the one that throws all the parties, right? The baker?" Fluttershy avoids looking at me as we shuffle down the hall. "She's throwing a party for me, isn't she?" I say flatly, wishing I had lighter shoes. She lets out a small squeak. "N-no?" I pat Fluttershy's side, my arm still around her. "I won't say anything." She gives me a small smile as we turn the corner and head out the sliding glass doors. "Holy… shit…" My jaw drops as we clear the doors and now stand in the bright mid-afternoon sun. The air was pure and light with no signs of pollution or intense humidity. It was pleasantly warm and the sun felt amazing. The surrounding area had a rustic vibe with different colored ponies milling about. A few pegasi fly overhead and attack a group of dark clouds that quickly disappear and then fly off. My head starts to swim and I stumble but Fluttershy catches me. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy looks at me with a worried look. "Y-yeah. Just… overwhelmed. It happens occasionally. Can we sit for a moment?" I look around for a bench and point to one nearby. "Of course!" She hurries us over to the bench and sets me down carefully. "Do I need to go get the doctor?" "No, I'll be fine. It's just…" I look around and see a few ponies that stare at me in amazement as they walk by, whispering to each other. "The whole 'pony world' thing is sinking in." I sigh softly and then realize what I said. "N-not that that's a bad thing." Fluttershy moves in front of me and sits on her rear like a dog, looking me in the eyes. She puts a hoof on my shoulder and rubs it gently. "Take your time, just breathe slowly and deeply." I close my eyes, goosebumps rising on my skin from her reassuring voice and gentle hoof rubs. I take in a few deep breaths and focus on lowering my heart rate to normal levels. "There you go." She smiles and starts breathing with me, still rubbing my back. A few minutes pass and I open my eyes. I see her smiling face and smile back then hug her tight. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I feel much better." "I understand being overwhelmed. It happens to me all the time," she says as she hugs me back. I pat her neck then pull back. I take another look around. There are fewer ponies walking around and the intoxicating air isn't as strong now. "Okay. So, Sugarcube Corner?" She gives me a nod and a smile then stands. "We should get going. Pinkie'll send out a search party if we don't hurry up." I nod and stand slowly. "Okay, okay." Parties have never really been my thing but I was curious what a pony party was like. I wonder if they have Pin The Tail On The Donkey? Party Cannon"I wonder where they could be? Fluttershy said she was getting released at three today." Twilight looks at the clock on the wall. It read 3:46. "This is pushing fashionably late and into being just plain rude." Rarity huffs and tosses her head to the side to get her mane out of her face. "I'm sure they're just a little behind. You know the hospital never releases you at the time they say they will." Rainbow Dash shrugs a bit. She's had her fair share of hospital visits and knows how they work. Pinkie Pie doesn't say much, she's too busy doing last-minute adjustments to the streamers and balloons. Ponies being late always made her antsy and second-guess herself. And now that there was a human in the mix, she was more nervous than ever. "Here they come! Everypony shush!" Applejack calls out to the large gathering of ponies at Sugarcube Corner as she stares out a window near the front door. =-(+)-= "So will there be any booze at this shindig? I would love a beer." I look around at the buildings lining the dirt road of Ponyville, admiring their design. This place is really interesting from an architectural standpoint. It reminded me a lot of a replica medieval village I visited on a school field trip as a kid. "Applejack most likely brought a keg of her apple cider. It's really good and is alcoholic." "Ah," I say flatly. "I can't really do apple cider anymore. Too many bad experiences. Any liquor?" Fluttershy turns her head to look into my eyes and sees the pain on my face. She frowns and leans against me as we walk. "Most likely. But we can stop and get you some if you'd like." I drape my arm over her shoulder and idly pet her side. Some of her actions reminded me a lot of the Great Danes my family would foster when I was a kid. They liked to walk next to you and put their weight into you as if they were making sure you were still there. "Nah, I'll be fine. Probably shouldn't drink too much with painkillers still in my system." "Okay. If you change your mind, we can always go. There's a store right down the road from Sugarcube Corner." "I appreciate it. But I'll be fine." I pat her side again as Sugarcube Corner comes into view. "Jesus Christ. That has to be Sugarcube Corner." I stare at the gaudy, sugar and cake-covered building that looks like it's right out of a Brothers Grimm tale. "It is. The Cakes own it but Pinkie lives and works there. She throws a lot of parties there too." "How can anyone stand that much partying?" Fluttershy sighs a bit, stopping just outside the store. "I have no idea. We all love her to death, but she can be a bit…" Her train of thought is interrupted by movement in the window and a light turning off. "I get it." I take my arm from her side and then take a deep breath. "Ready when you are, Flutters." A small blush spreads over her cheeks as she walks up the few steps to the door and then opens it for me. The inside is dark but I can see a few shadows scurry to cover and the sounds of hooves on the tile. I slowly walk up the steps and into the bakery. The floorboards creak beneath my heavy boots. The lights flick on and over two dozen ponies all stand up at once, shouting "Surprise!" Party streamers fall from the ceiling as a multitude of different colored ponies converge on me. I notice a banner above the counter in front of me says something in their weird hieroglyphic language. Even though I was expecting it, my heart races and my anxiety shoots through the roof. I try my best to be polite as everyone introduces themselves but quickly lose track of the names and just smile and nod. A bouncy pink pony with the most tangled mane I've ever seen walks up to me with a large grin as the group starts to disperse. She quickly takes my hand and nearly shakes it out of its socket. "Hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Pinkie Pie! Do you like your party? I hope you do because we all worked reeeeally hard on it!" There was a tinge of passive-aggressive annoyance in her voice. Freeing my hand from her, and making sure my arm is still attached, I give her a nod. "Yeah, it looks great. I had no idea there'd be a party. Thank y'all for doing this." I offer a smile. "Of course! Anytime there's a new pony in Ponyville, I have to throw them a party! Well, you're not a pony but you know what I mean!" She still has that massive smile on her face. I could feel my jaw locking up just from looking at her smile. "Well, I greatly appreciate it. Fluttershy told me so much about y'all. All good, of course." I fake a laugh at my bad joke. Small talk has never been my thing, now more than ever. This was such an alien world and my anxiety was already high. "That's Fluttershy for you!" She giggles as she walks over to Fluttershy and puts a leg over her shoulder. "Always such a chatterbox!" Fluttershy just smiles faintly and hides behind her mane, clearly hating being the center of attention. I felt her plight. By now most of the ponies have dispersed and are talking and eating in their own little groups, leaving me with the main group of Fluttershy's friends. Applejack is the next to speak up and shakes my hand firmly. "Nice to meet ya. I'm Applejack. Twilight told me all about you. Said you grew up on a farm? If you're ever looking for work, we'd love to have you at Sweet Apple Acres. Someone with your build would be mighty useful." "Uh, yeah, sure. That sounds like a great idea. I'm not too sure I have many other marketable skills here, so the work would be greatly appreciated." I give her a nod. I liked her already. She reminded me a lot of my sister. The hat was also a great touch. Rarity extends a hoof. "Nice to meet you, Lillith. I am Rarity. I hope you are enjoying your clothes. I tried my best with what I was given, but I would love the opportunity to get your measurements and tailor something for you. Something with less…" she swallows, looking me up and down. "Black." I look down at my outfit. Minus the band logo, this is pretty much what I wore every day. Black shirt, a choker or collar, black jeans, my Doc Martens, and either my Pabst Blue Ribbon hat or Professional Bull Riding hat. I had a thing for PBR, apparently. "I appreciate the offer. I'm happy with my everyday clothes. Though I wouldn't mind a dress. I had this really cute dress back home and never really got the chance to wear it." Rarity's frown from my comments quickly turns into a smile. "I would love the chance to create a dress for you! Just think about it, the first dress created for a human! By me!" She giggles and is quickly lost in her thoughts. "Right…" I look at Fluttershy who just shrugs. Twilight walks over with a small purple and green lizard and smiles. "Hello again, Lilly. Glad to see you up and about. How are you feeling?" "A little sore, but great outside of that. Thank you again for the healing spell. It seems to have fixed a lot of the issues I had." I smile at her and then look at the small lizard that comes up just above my knees. "Who's your little friend?" "This is my number one assistant Spike. He's a baby dragon. Say hi, Spike." Holy shit, an actual dragon. I thought Sawbones said they didn't live in Ponyville. "Um, hi. I'm Spike." He says, avoiding eye contact. I crouch down to his level and smile at him. I offer my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Spike. I like your scales. They remind me of a friend back home." He quickly looks up. "You have dragons back home? Twilight said you didn't!" He looks up from me to Twilight and then back to me. "Well, not exactly." I realize what I said and let out a nervous chuckle. Eject. "There are no actual dragons like you, but there's a group on the internet called furries, and they… create…" Eject. "Fictional characters. One guy I knew had one that looked similar to you." E-ject. "...huh." He gives me a confused look as I stand back up. Everyone around me looks a bit confused. "It's not important," I say as I rub my neck nervously. Should've ejected. "Right, well. Could I get you something to drink? An apple cider maybe? I brought a keg all the way from the cellar at Sweet Apple Acres and just tapped it. It's still ice cold!" Applejack motions towards the table with a keg resting on it. I must've made a face as Fluttershy speaks up before I do. "Lilly is still on some painkillers from the hospital and shouldn't drink. Doctor Sawbones said she should be okay twenty-four hours after her last dose. So about six tonight." "Ah, well, more for us then. C'mon, Dash. I know you've been wantin' some of my cider." "About time! I was about to start drinking without you all!" She says as she and Applejack walk towards the table with the keg. I hadn't noticed it until just now, but Rainbow Dash hadn't said a single word to me and even barely looked at me. As they leave, I look over at Fluttershy and smile. "Thank you," I whisper and pat her side. She gives me a nod in response. "I think I'm also going to go get some cider. Rarity? Pinkie?" Twilight asks, motioning for her friends to follow her. She looked like she had something important to tell them. They both nod and make their way to the keg along with Spike. "Is there somewhere quiet we can go for a minute? I need to sit down," I ask Fluttershy. My social anxiety was still high and my back hurts. She nods and leads me through the crowd to a more quiet and secluded corner. I sit in a padded booth and take a deep breath. Fluttershy sits across from me and puts her hooves on the table. "Are you okay?" "Yeah. Just… anxious. Really need to go by my truck and get my medicine." I rub my neck again. "If it's not too much trouble, could we possibly do that tomorrow?" Fluttershy puts her hoof on my hand and nods. "Yes, of course. If you feel like you're up for a small hike." I look down at my hand then up at her and into her eyes. "With you, I can do anything." Her cheeks flush bright red as she moves to hide behind her mane. I enjoyed teasing her, it was one of my favorite things to do with my partner when we were together. "O-oh, w-w-well um…" She stammers, trying to find the words but can't. I give her a smug grin and pat her hoof. "A hike sounds great. Wouldn't hurt to get a few extra steps in, explore the area, all that jazz. I just hope it's all still there." After finally regaining her composure, Fluttershy clears her throat. "I don't think anypony would go out into the Everfree Forest. Especially to steal from you. You're a bit of a town celebrity at this point." She motions to the crowd of ponies in the bakery diner. I look across the groups of ponies talking and notice a mint-colored pony staring at me with golden-yellow eyes. We make brief eye contact and then she quickly looks away. I shrug it off and look back at Fluttershy. "Fair enough." I lean back in the booth. "Do you think any of your friends would want to come?" "We can ask them if you'd like. I'm sure they would be more than happy to come along," she says with a smile. "Hella." I nod and then look back at the crowd. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are headed over to our booth with a few mugs. "Oh Lord, here we go," I mumble to myself. Rainbow Dash scares me. Not because she's big or intimidating, but because she doesn't like me. That scares me more than anything. I'll admit it, I'm a very sensitive person and people possibly not liking me for reasons out of my control terrifies me. "There y'all are!" Applejack says as she sets two mugs of cider on the table. "What're y'all doing all the way over here? The party's still goin' on!" "I just needed to sit for a moment. The walk here really took it out of me." I shrug and scoot over. "Y'all want to join us?" There's my accent again. It also comes out when talking to people with thick accents. As much as I liked Applejack, she brought out a side in me that I'm not the biggest fan of. "Well, shoot. I guess we could relax for a couple minutes. Pinkie has been drivin' me plum crazy with her antsiness," Applejack says as she scoots into the seat next to me. I hadn't noticed before but she has an intense smell of dirt, apples, and sweat. "Here you go, Fluttershy. We got you a cider." She slides the wooden mug over to her. "You looked like you could use a drink." "Oh, thank you." She takes the mug and then sips it. Rainbow Dash silently slides into the booth with Fluttershy and looks down at her mug of cider. "Is everything okay, Dash? You've been quiet." Fluttershy looks at her friend sitting next to her with concern. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Just…" she takes a deep breath and then sighs. "Just thinking is all." "About what, Sugarcube?" Applejack asks. Rainbow Dash’s eyes quickly flick from me and then back to her mug. “Nothing important. Just thinking about my Wonderbolts training.” “You’ve been working on that for months. Relax for the night. This is a party after all.” Applejack sends her point home by chugging her drink and slamming the empty mug on the table. “Don’t make me sic Pinkie Pie on you.” Dash’s eyes go a bit wide and she quickly picks up her mug. “Let’s not do that.” Fluttershy smiles softly at her friend’s exchange and sips her cider. I look at my empty hands. “Damn, now I’m feeling left out. Y’all got anything a bit harder than cider?” “Oh, big pony in town. Thinks cider is too weak.” Applejack laughs and slaps my back. “I got something I think you’d like. Wait right here.” Rainbow Dash watches Applejack leave then looks at me. “Okay, look. I didn’t want to say it in front of Applejack. But…” She looks at Fluttershy. “Are you two going to be a thing? I-I’m cool with it, I just…” She rubs her neck as she looks for the correct words. I glance at Fluttershy who has a face as pink as her mane and is quickly sinking into the seat then back at Rainbow Dash. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about it, but yeah. I think so. We’ve both talked about our feelings a bit and it seems like that is the way it’s going to go.” Rainbow Dash nods softly. “Gotcha. I figured as much. Saw you guys all cuddled up on the way in and just wanted to talk about it. Fluttershy is like a sister to me and I can get a little protective.” She wraps a foreleg around Fluttershy and leans against her. “I get it. I have a sister that constantly falls for shitty guys. I’m a little protective of her too.” Rainbow Dash nods then sticks out a hoof. “No hard feelings?” “No hard feelings.” I reach out and fistbump her. Fluttershy puts her hoof out and hoofbumps us then lets out a tiny “Yay.” I pull my hand back as Applejack comes up with a small tray with shot glasses and a clay bottle with XXX painted on the side. "Alright, everypony. I got a special surprise for y'all." "No bucking way! You did not bring your moonshine!" Rainbow laughs. "Yup! And this pony thinks she's hardcore," Applejack says as she motions her hoof towards me. "I'm gonna put that to the test." She sets the tray on the table. "You and I are gonna go shot for shot." "You reeeeally don't want to try to match me shot for shot. The Craigs have a fabled history of alcoholism and I'll be damned if I fail them now. Bring it." Applejack takes the bottle and pours two shots. "I'm gonna make you eat those words!" She slides a glass to me and then gives a countdown. We both slam back the orange-tinted liquor. Much to my surprise, the moonshine was very smooth with a hint of apple and cinnamon. It reminded me of the apple pie moonshine my friend makes. "Damn, that's smooth as shit." I take a deep breath, admiring the burn as it sits in my stomach. "Tasty too." Applejack slides the bottle toward me with a devious grin. "I'm glad you like it. This recipe has been in the Apple family for generations." I nod and grab the clay bottle then pour two more shots. "Might have to order a few bottles from ya. Reminds me a lot of the stuff my buddy Gauge makes back home." "I usually just make this for special occasions, but I might be able to do that," she says as she takes hers again. I raise the shot glass. "Kippis!" "Cheers!" We both shoot again. This is gonna be a long night. To New FriendsThe sound of birds chirping and flying overhead drags me out of my drunken slumber. My senses are immediately overwhelmed with the smell of animals and the light of the sun coming in through an open window. A cool breeze flows through the window as I lift my head from the wooden floor. I crack open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I’m in a wooden cottage full of birdhouses, sacks of birdseed, and adorable yet beautifully carved wooden furniture. Wherever I am, they clearly love birds. I’m more than okay with this. I wonder if they have any crows? I roll onto my back and a wave of nausea hits me like a truck. I focus on not barfing as I look around for something to drink. Was I smart enough to leave out a glass of water and some ibuprofen? A blue jay flies over and lands on my leg; the feeling of its scaly foot on my bare skin making me jump a bit. I look down at the bird sitting on me and realize I’m not wearing any pants. Why am I not wearing any pants? It's been a hot minute since I've been this hungover. Not since my trip to Atlantic City, now that I think about it. I'm not sure how I got here but all I remember is drinking a shitload of moonshine with Applejack, eating my weight in cupcakes and cookies, and a very long walk with very heavy boots. And now I’m here laying on a dirty floor with a blue jay staring up at me from my naked leg. At least I still have my underwear on. There’s some dignity in that. At least I hope so. "Hey there, Mr. Blue jay. What are you doing here?" I go to move my arm across the floor to pet the small bird but the movement scares it off. It hops off my leg and then flies off out the open window. "Damn it. One of these days I’ll get to touch a bird." Focus Lilly. First things first. Find your pants. I slowly sit up with a groan. Between my head and my stomach, I didn't know which hurt more. But I know which one will complain more. I scan the room again then see my pants draped over the armrest of a nearby couch. Perfect. With zero grace I turn onto my side and clumsily try to get to my feet. I stumble and almost throw up but I make it to my feet. I shuffle over to the couch and grab my pants. Why did I have to get into an accident wearing skinny jeans? I could have nice comfy pajamas right now. But no, I have to wear skinny jeans. I lower myself onto the couch and put on my pants with more difficulty than I’d like to admit. It wasn’t pretty or graceful but I now have pants on. Step two, get some water. I stand back up causing my stomach to do a flip and my vision to fade for a moment. I take a deep breath as I hold my stomach and make my way toward one of the two open doorways. I peek through the first one and Inside is a simple kitchen with a small sink the same style of carved wood cabinets and a small table big enough for two people to eat at. I move to one of the cabinets and open it. It doesn’t have any cups, just plates, and bowls. I shut the cabinet then move to the second one and take out a glass. I go to the sink and fill it with water then quickly chug the cold water. It's probably because I'm still drunk but this is the purest-tasting water I’ve ever had in my life. I fill it back up then drink the entire cup again. I set the glass on the counter and smile softly. Much better. Would still love some ibuprofen but this will do for now. As I make my way back towards the couch I hear faint singing through the open window. I shuffle over and listen. In the distance is Fluttershy singing a soothing song as she flies to different nests and birdhouses with a sack of presumably bird seed in her hooves. Her voice is beautiful and calming even at this distance. I'm not able to pick out any of the words, not that I could with my ruined hearing, but her voice is still amazing. As I go to get my boots on, kicking myself again for not wearing more comfortable shoes, she finishes up feeding the birds and heads towards a cart on the ground. She sets the bag in the cart then grabs a basket full of fruit and vegetables then flies down to the river. I finish putting on my boots and head out the front door. The fresh air and bright morning sun hit me again causing my stomach to do another flip. This time something is coming up. I quickly run from the door down the bridge and into the tree line. I barely make it into the woods before I lose my dinner and an ungodly amount of moonshine. I slowly stand back up and wipe my mouth. "How much did I drink last night? I don't even know if I won-" I hold my stomach as I heave again but nothing comes out. With my stomach now empty I stand up again. My stomach feels much better but I still have a splitting headache. Step three, find some ibuprofen or equivalent. I spit the last bit of stomach acid into the forest then make my way toward Fluttershy. She has flown away from the river and is heading towards the cart still singing. She sees me walking up the path and waves. I return the wave as she changes course and heads over toward me. "Good morning, Lilly. I didn't think you would be up this early. I hope I didn't wake you." She says as she flies over and lands in front of me. This was the first time I'd seen her fly and it was surreal. Something about seeing an actual horse fly this close just felt weird. "Nah you didn't. The sun did." I offer a smile. "You sleep okay? I hope we didn't get home too late." "I was worried about you but I slept okay once I got you settled in." She smiles back. "It wasn't too late when we got back in. The Cakes cut the party short at about midnight." "Midnight? Damn. Sorry to keep you out so late." I have no idea what her sleep schedule is, but if she's up this early then she's probably in bed early most nights. Unlike me who has always been a night owl. "Oh, it's no biggie. It's been a while since we all partied like that." "Well, I had an amazing time and hope my drunken self wasn't too hard to herd back here." "Not at all. In fact, you were very easy. You stumbled along with me for a while but eventually, I had to carry you on my back.” I laugh a bit at the imagery of me riding a pony. “Must’ve been quite the sight.” She giggles. “I’m sure it was.” =-(+)-= “But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more. Just to be the woman who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door!” I slur sing as we trudge down a dirt path through the woods outside Ponyville. “DA DA DA… DA DA DA! Da-da-da dun-diddle un-diddle un-diddle uh da-da!” Fluttershy fights back laughter as she watches me sing poorly. “What in Equestria are you singing?” “When I’m lone- huh?” I look over at the voice, not able to see much more than a blurry yellow blob in the darkness. “I’m singing 500 Miles by uhhhh…” I pause, trying to remember the name of the band. “The… I don’t know. I can’t remember the name of the band. But it’s a really good drinking song!” I laugh as I trip slightly on a root. Fluttershy quickly catches me before I even know what’s going on. “Do you want me to carry you? I don’t want you getting hurt,” She asks as she helps me stand back up. I look down at her and smile as I try to focus my eyes. “Nah, I’m good. I can walk.” “Are you sure?” “Crystal.” “What?” I blink a few times, trying to figure out what I just said. “I have no idea. How much farther?” I ask as she lets go of me and we start walking again. “Not much longer. Should only be-” “Proclaimers! That’s their name, The Proclaimers!” I unintentionally interrupt her. Fluttershy jumps a bit at my sudden shouting but quickly collects herself. “That’s a very… interesting name.” “A lot of bands just use random words for their names. My band’s name wasn’t much different though.” “You’re in a band?” “I was. I played bass. Wasn’t very good though. We made a demo but didn’t have the drive to continue.” “Aw, that’s too bad. I’m sure you sounded wonderful,” She says as she starts to lean against me. I put my arm around her again, partly to keep her close but mostly to keep my balance. “Eh. If you’ve ever listened to one heavily distorted note being played every five minutes through the cheapest amp at Guitar Center, you know our band’s extended discography.” Fluttershy looks down at the ground, having no idea what any of the words I just said meant. “Neat.” “Assuming we can find my phone or laptop, and it still works, I can play a song or two for you. Though I doubt you’d like it. It’s… rough.” “I’d still love to listen to it. It sounds interesting. I'm not quite sure exactly what you just said, but it all sounds interesting." She smiles up at me. “Well, here’s hoping they work.” I pat her side then trip on a large rock and quickly fall face-first into the dirt. “Ohmygoodness, are you okay?” She asks with motherly concern in her voice as she moves to my side. I roll over onto my back and look up to see her worried face inches from mine. A meme I saw months ago flashes in my head and I lose it, cackling at the picture of a horse saying ‘are u a grass’. She cocks her head a bit at my laughter. “What’s so funny?” I try to wheeze out an answer but can’t with how hard I’m laughing. I reach up and pat her head, trying to show I’m not laughing at her. She seemingly understands the pats and smiles a bit. “Okay, Miss Giggles. Let’s get you home, okay?” Taking my hands away from her to wipe the tears from my eyes, I nod and try to sit up as the laughter dies down. I hold my stomach as a few more snickers escape. “H-holy shit.” I laugh. “I can’t even begin to explain why that was funny.” I laugh a bit again. “But it was nothing at your expense, believe you me.” I giggle a bit and let her help me up. The world spins as I stand up and nearly fall again but she keeps a firm grip on me. “Ooooh shit…” I groan as my stomach does a flip. “Okay. Fun Lilly is gone. It’s now just Sick Lilly. Can we go home?” Fluttershy nods and turns her body towards me. “You can ride me if you’d like. Might be quicker and easier.” Giggity. Oh shut up, brain. I look over her yellow body. While she was still shorter than a horse, she was still tall enough that my feet wouldn’t drag the entire way. “Yeah, alright. Fuck it,” I mumble while I shuffle over and she lays on the ground. I swing my leg over her back and then sit down. She stands up slowly with a quiet groan, clearly not used to carrying someone so heavy. I couldn’t be more than 160 pounds at this point, but I wasn’t going to say anything. “If I get too heavy, let me know.” I lean forward into her neck and wrap my arms around her. I feel her nod and say something but I couldn’t make it out as I drift off to sleep. =-(+)-= “Are you hungry? I can make us some breakfast if you'd like." My stomach answers for me as it growls angrily. We both look at it and then back at each other. "I think that was a yes." Fluttershy giggles and nods in agreement. "I guess so. Let me just get my cart and we can head back." "Hella." I nod and follow her, draping my arm over her shoulder again. She leans against me. "Did I make an ass of myself last night? I got absolutely hammered and don't really remember a lot" I ask as we walk. "Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, everypony loved you. After you beat Applejack in the drinking contest you finished the rest of the bottle and ate over a dozen cookies and cupcakes." "I won? Holy shit." "Mhm. After that, you apologized to Pinkie at least 5 times for being late and going to one of the booths so quickly. But she was understanding and I think she wants you to come by the bakery sometime and teach her what a Dr. Pepper cake is. You said it was something your mom used to make?" "Oh my god. Dr. Pepper cake. I completely forgot about that! She would make that every year on my brother's birthday and it's soooo good.” My stomach growls again at the memory of that delicious cake. "And you gave Rarity a few ideas for clothes you'd like. Do humans commonly wear collars?" I cough nervously. "N-not really. It's more of a… goth thing for me at least" I half-lie, "but other groups might wear them." "Humans sound really complicated." "You don't know the half of it, dude. We make no goddamn sense." I laugh a bit. Fluttershy nods in agreement. "I'm slowly learning that. Oh! And Rainbow Dash said she'll try to come by today to help us find your truck, assuming she isn't too hungover." Still feeling my own hangover, I nod. "I completely get that. I'm still hungover. Hell, I'm probably still drunk. When did we get back here? And what time is it now?" I look up at the morning sun and immediately regret it. The bright light burns my pickled brain. "I don't know the exact time but we left Sugarcube Corner at midnight and it's a bit of a walk to my cottage from there." She shields her eyes as she looks at the sun. "It's maybe eight?" "So maybe six hours of sleep combined with most of a bottle of moonshine and a dozen sweets." I shake my head. "I'm getting too old to be doing shit like that." "Oh no. You two went through three bottles of moonshine. Well, you drank most of the last bottle. So I guess you went through about two bottles." "Jesus. That explains not remembering anything. That's a lot of 'shine," I say as we walk up to Fluttershy's cart. The wooden cart was small and basic but had a half-empty bag of birdseed, numerous empty plates and baskets, and a few loose carrots laying around. Fluttershy walks up to the front and hooks herself into it, clamping the metal O ring around her midsection. "Now we can head back for some breakfast. What would you like?" "Uhhhh…" I think for a moment, still trying to wake up. "I honestly have no idea. Whatever you want works for me." "How about pancakes?" "That sounds wonderful." Fluttershy nods and pulls on the cart. As we make our way back to her cottage I can't help but look at her cutie mark. "So Twilight explained the concept of cutie marks when we first met but I still don't fully understand them. Is it similar to a brand? Or what?" Fluttershy looks over at me and then at her cutie mark. "Oh no. Nothing like that. Once a pony finds out what makes her special, it appears on her flank. My special talent is animals." "Huh. Neat. I kinda wish we got something like that. Would make things a lot easier." "Humans don't have a way to know what makes them special?" "Not really, no. We just… flounder through life trying to figure that out. Some people figure it out, some don't and work a dead-end job till they die." I shrug. "Life seems a lot easier here, not gonna lie." Fluttershy frowns at my comments about human life. "It's not all perfect days here. We still have to work hard. We control the weather, the setting and rising of the sun and moon, and even take care of all the animals. Not to mention all the spooky scary stuff that happens. Like Nightmare Moon, Diamond Dogs, Manticores, and even Dragons. And don't get me started on the Everfree Forest." "Okay yeah. What's up with the whole dragon thing? Spike seems like a decent guy." I cringe a bit at the memory of comparing him to a furry I knew. I wish that one was lost to alcoholic amnesia. "Spike is only a baby dragon. He is still very young and small. Full-sized dragons are massive!" "Holy shit, really?" She nods. "They're terrifying. I had to confront one back when he moved into the nearby mountains. I'd never been so scared in my life." I look over at the massive mountain peaks in the distance then back at Fluttershy. For someone so timid, she was so brave. "I don't think I could do that, to be honest. I've stared down pissed-off bulls and rattlesnakes but nothing like a friggin' dragon. That's just hardcore." Fluttershy gives a bashful smile as we walk past her chicken coop. I look at the different colored birds. "Y'all keep chickens? I thought you were vegans or something?" "Vegan?" "Vegetarian but you also don't eat or use animal byproducts. Meat, eggs, milk, honey, leather, stuff like that." "Oh well um… I guess we're just vegetarians." "So it wouldn't be taboo to ask for eggs with the pancakes?" "Not at all." She smiles as we walk up to a small shed behind the cottage. She backs the cart into the shed and then unhooks herself from it. "Would you mind taking in the birdseed? I'll get the plates and baskets." "Not at all." I nod and grab the half-empty bag. "I saw a few other birds but do you have any crows? I love crows." "Crows are typically more independent but they come by when I leave out peanuts or other food. I'm sure we could get a few to come by." She braces the plates against her side in her wings and takes the handles of the baskets in her mouth. "Leth go." I follow her out of the shed and then close the door behind us. "Right behind you." We walk in through the back door of the cottage and into the kitchen. She sets the baskets on the small kitchen table and then goes to put the plates in the sink. "Would you mind setting the bag in the pantry? Mr. Bluejay likes to be bad and get into it. Even though he knows he shouldn't." She gives a disapproving look over her shoulder at a light blue and white painted birdhouse hanging from the ceiling. "Of course." I walk over to set the bag in the pantry. "Can you also grab the flour, baking powder, and sugar, please? I'm going to get started on breakfast." "Of course," I repeat and search the surprisingly roomy and well-stocked pantry for the requested ingredients. I quickly find them, grab the assorted bags, and walk back out with them. I look up from the pantry door handle after opening the door and see Fluttershy leaning against the counter with her forelegs in the sink quietly humming the same song from this morning. The morning light coming in through the window shines through her well-brushed mane and off her coat, adding a luminescent sheen to them. My heart flutters as I stare at her, unable to take my eyes away. "Wow…" I whisper. Fluttershy senses my stare and looks over her shoulder at me. A blush spreads across her face as she quickly breaks eye contact. "D-did you find everything?" I nod slowly as a cloud floats in front of the sun breaking the spell cast on me. I shake my head and then nod. "Uh y-yeah. Sorry. I did. Got it right here." I awkwardly show the assorted bags in my arms to her. "Perfect." She smiles and hops off the counter, still blushing. "Set them on the counter and I'll get started." She makes her way over to an oven that looks like it's right out of the 1950s and grabs a skillet. I walk over to the counter and set the bags down then lean against it. "What can I do to help?" "While I work on this would you mind checking on Angel Bunny? He didn't eat last night and was a little grumpy this morning." "Angel Bunny?" I cock my head a bit. "Angel Bunny is my pet rabbit. He's been with me for a very long time and helps… keep me on track sometimes." "Oh, okay. I'll go check on him." I shrug and stand back up. I walk out of the kitchen and into the living room I woke up on the floor of. I look around for the rabbit or at least any sign of him. By the front door is a small bed frame with a pink heart carved into the headboard. Tucked into the covers in a small white rabbit, happily snoozing away. “Aww, I don’t want to wake him up…” I crouch down next to the adorable bed and pet his soft head. “Angel Bunny, it’s time to get up now,” I whisper, trying my best to emulate Fluttershy. The small bunny slowly opens his eyes and gives a big stretch. He rubs his cheek and then looks over at me. Fear slowly replaces sleepiness as he looks deep into my eyes then he quickly sprints out of the room and into the kitchen. I frown as he sprints out of the room. “Damn it.” I hear some rodent-like chittering followed by Fluttershy speaking in her soft and motherly voice. "...live here…. not scary… marefriend…" I can barely make out what she's saying, but I swear she said those words. What the hell is a marefriend? It's gotta be their version of a girlfriend. I think about this for a moment and smile softly. "She called me her marefriend," I whisper to myself. My heart flutters again and I soon make my way back into the kitchen. Fluttershy looks up from Angel Bunny, who looks very angry, and at me. "Oh! H-hey! I see you found Angel Bunny." I nod, looking down at Angel. He's hiding behind her foreleg but is peeking his head out. "I did. I guess he's a little cranky. I don't like being woken up either." She just nods in agreement and then looks over at the stove, changing the subject. "How many pancakes would you like?" "I feel like I could eat a dozen, so let's just go with three for now." "Okay." She nods and turns to the stove, making sure not to step on Angel Bunny while he continues to hide behind her leg and give me the stink eye. I pull out a chair from the table and sit down. "Thank you for making breakfast. I was getting sick of hospital food." "Of course. I don't get to make-" A knock at the door interrupts Fluttershy. "I got it," I say as I stand up. "That must be Rainbow Dash." I nod and make my way to the door. I open the short door and look down at the tired mare in front of me. She looks just as ragged as I'm sure I do. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." "Hey, Lilly. I see you're hungover too." I nod and let her in. "Yeah. Struggling this morning. Is Applejack okay? I uh, don't really remember last night." She walks in and I shut the door behind her. "Last I saw. And I'm not surprised. You two really put some back." "So I hear. You want some pancakes? Flutters is making some right now." "Pancakes sound amazing right now." We walk into the kitchen and Rainbow Dash sits at the small table. "Hey, Fluttershy." "Good morning, Rainbow Dash. How are you feeling?" Fluttershy asks as she moves a few pancakes to a pink plate. "Exhausted. Hungover. Sore. Y'know, the usual." "You really should take better care of yourself." There's that motherly tone again. "Yeah yeah. I've heard it all before." Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes and leans back in the chair. "After breakfast, are we going to the Everfree Forest to get your stuff?" She asks as she turns her gaze to me. "That's the plan," I reply. "I really appreciate you helping us with that, by the way." "No prob. Not our first foray into the Everfree. Know it like the back of my hoof at this point." "I remember Nurse Snowflake briefly mentioning it. What's the deal with the forest anyway?" "It's full of scary stuff, for regular ponies at least. Plus our friend Zecora lives there, so it's not all bad." "Zecora?" "She's a zebra. Really weird pony but she's cool enough." "Huh. Y'know, now that I think about it, there's a really interesting overlap between our worlds. We have ponies and zebras and chickens and stuff, but none of them talk." "Weird." Rainbow Dash looks a bit too hungover to really care about the intricacies of our worlds but Fluttershy is listening in while she flips a pancake. "Do humans take care of animals like I do?" Fluttershy asks. "Kinda? There's some people that work stuff like rehabilitation centers but not like… all wild animals. They fend for themselves, for the most part. Those that aren't pets, at least." "What do you consider pets?" "Dogs and cats are the most common. Some people keep birds, rodents, and fish. Stuff like that. Though farms have cattle, chickens, goats, and even horses. No lions, tigers, and bears though." "Oh my," Fluttershy says softly. "Those poor animals." "They do fine," I say with a shrug. "Our world is built around survival of the fittest. Those that can take care of themselves pass on their genes. Except for humans. We all try to take care of each other." Fluttershy nods softly and turns her attention back to a pancake she burnt. Rainbow Dash and I make small talk as breakfast is prepared. "Okay, everypony. Breakfast is ready!" Fluttershy calls out as she lifts a large plate of pancakes. She walks over and sets it on the table. Rainbow Dash and I quickly pile them onto our plates as Fluttershy goes back to grab a plate of scrambled eggs and a pitcher of orange juice. "This looks amazing, Flutters. Thank you." I smile at her as the new dish and pitcher are set on the table. "Thank you, Lilly. I never get to cook for anypony else, so enjoy." Rainbow Dash picks up the pitcher and pours us all a glass. She raises her glass for a toast. "To new friends. Among other things." "To new friends!" We all toast and dig in.
SuperfluousSuperfluous. That's the word of the day. My therapist says it's a combination of ADHD and anxiety - and probably a few other things - that cause these words to get stuck inside my head. But for some reason, that's the word stuck inside of my head for the day. I don't know why that's the word of the day. I don't even know what it means. I think it has something to do with doing too much? Normally I would look it up to figure it out, that helps get the word out of my head, but I don't know where my phone is nor do I have a dictionary on hand. Well, even if I did have a dictionary on hand I wouldn't be able to use it. Right now I'm stuck in the inky black void that is my mind. The last thing I remember was getting into my truck, driving to work, lighting a cigarette, and then… a loud bang? I don't know what it was. Probably that tree. There's this really scary corner that if you drive too fast you'll probably hit this massive oak that leans out over the road. It's been hit at least 10 times since I moved here a few years back. People have gone to the city about getting that turn made safer but they haven't listened. Damn government… Focus, Lilly. DING Wait, that was my phone. Okay, so I must still be in my truck. I'm just unconscious. And that was probably my manager asking where I am. If only he knew… "Okay, enough dickin' around. Let's try and wake back up." I fold my legs and sit in the void, taking in a deep breath and focusing on waking up. "...shock…" I look around, trying to figure out who said that. My stomach drops as I recognize the sweet British accent. "Chloe! Help! I'm still here!" I shout, immediately losing my cool and waving my arms in the middle of the void. Of course it had to be my friend Chloe who answered the call. She was a paramedic for the county that I had met about two years ago. Normally she worked the third shift though, so I don't know why she was answering my call. It had to be about… well, I had no idea what time it was. I left the house at about 11:30 a.m. but there's no telling what time it is now. If only I had my phone. Suddenly the black void starts to become brighter, the inky blackness turning into a dull grey then a blinding white light. Is this… death? Oh shit, I'm actually dying. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. Chloe, please for the love of all that is holy, SAVE ME. I let out a scream as electricity courses through my body, my muscles tense and my back arches as my lungs are quickly devoid of oxygen. But just as quickly as it came, the electricity goes away. Hunching over, I pant heavily as I try to regain my breath and start to open my eyes. I notice that the bright white light has disappeared and the black void is back. "Okay, guess I owe you yet another one, Chloe." I pant, looking around at my surroundings. Instead of being in an endless aether, the area surrounding me is starting to take shape. I feel light pressure on my back and legs, and have to fight to turn my neck. They must have me on an immobilization board. Ow, the fuck was that? Ow! Fucker! 3 rapid bee stings moved down my right arm, then a final fourth one on the back of my hand. I look down and see there's now an IV hooked up to my hand. I rub my sore arm and then look around again. While my back was turned, someone must have come in and changed the room I was in. Gone was the black void and now I was in a full-size hospital room with numerous people swarming around me all looking down with varying degrees of worry on their faces. I looked down at my body, seeing that I was in fact on the immobilization board, along with a few splints and heavy gauze wrapped around various limbs and parts of my body. "Fuck…" those were my final words before I passed out again. This time, there was no inky void or blinding light. There is only the faint hum of the fluorescent lighting overhead and the beep of the heart monitor that slowly faded out as I lost consciousness. =-(+)-= I regained consciousness sometime later. I have no idea how much time passed, but it was now dark outside. I had to fight to open my eyes, the crust of many nights and mornings had welded them shut. The darkness outside the window was the first thing I noticed. The lights were dimmed in my room. The second thing I noticed was a four-legged animal standing by a wall of cabinets, reading over a clipboard that seemed to float in front of them with a white aura shimmering around it. Wait, is that a horse? Why is there a horse in my hospital room? And why is it wearing a lab coat? My panic started to rise as it noticed me looking at it and started to walk toward me. A little-known fact about me, but horses scare the absolute shit out of me. I can appreciate them from a distance but getting near them just scares me. They're huge, extremely strong, and can be intelligent, but are also extremely skittish and can be extremely dumb. One wrong move and they'll take your head off. I know this because I watched my father get kicked by a horse and now he walks with a limp. The clipboard it was looking at floats over to my bedside table as it stands over me, looking down at me with intelligent blue eyes. "Ah, good morning! Or should I say good evening?" The horse says with a chuckle. "How are you feeling today?" All my thoughts come to a screeching halt as this horse talks to me with a deep voice I would expect to hear on the radio. "Uhh… fine?" I stammer out, looking around my room again. I've spent a good amount of time in the hospital growing up, but I'd never seen a room like this before. Everything was so…short. Like the room was built for - oh no. I look down and see that the bed I'm laying in is much wider than any hospital that I've been in but is also much shorter. It looks like they had to remove the bars at the foot of the bed and put a table there for my feet to rest on. I knew I was tall, but never had I had that issue before. Seeing my panic, the horse puts a hoof on my shoulder. "Everything is okay, you're safe. I'm Doctor Sawbones. You're at Ponyville Hospital. You were in an accident and were brought here." Like a switch being flipped back on, my mind starts racing. Before I can ask a question, my therapist's voice echoes through my head. Breathe. I take a deep breath, then another, then another. "Okay. Doctor Sawbones." What the hell kinda name is Doctor Sawbones? I look back at the horse. Wait, he's pretty short to be a horse. He's about as tall as a Great Dane but much stockier. So he's a pony. Much less terrifying. Actually, kinda adorable. I can't help but picture him wearing a silly little cowboy hat like I'd see at the rodeo all the time as a kid. I snap back to reality realizing he's waiting for me to keep talking. "Where am I?" "You're in Ponyville Hospital in, believe it or not, Ponyville." He chuckles again to himself. Pony or not, I do enjoy his bedside manner. Much better than the doctor I had for my last surgery. "What the f-... Okay. Are there any human doctors here?" I ask cautiously. He tilted his head again. "I'm sorry I don't know what a human is. Is- is that what you are?" He looks a bit uncomfortable asking that question, as if he was embarrassed to have to ask such a thing. "Is that what I am…?" I mumbled to myself thinking about what he meant by that, terrified of the actual answer. "Uh, y-yeah. I am human." He perks up at my answer, seemingly excited to finally know. "Ah! Wonderful. Now if you don't mind me asking, we need a bit of information from you. We don't know anything about you." "What do you need to know?" I always hated going over medical history with doctors. It took forever and was so complicated. "Well, let's start with your name." "Lillith Craig. Lilly, for short." The horn on his head that I somehow missed glows bright white as the clipboard floats back over in front of him and a pen comes up from his coat pocket. He starts filling out whatever form is on the clipboard. I stare, dumbfounded. "How did you just do that?!" "Do what?" He looks up from his clipboard with a quizzical look. Tracking my eyes, he looks up at his horn. "Oh! You mean my horn! Yes, I am a unicorn. Do they not have unicorns where you're from?" I think for a moment. "...technically? It was always thought to be a myth though. Like dragons, pegasuseses, and griffins." "Interesting! We have all of those here. Well dragons and griffins not so much in Ponyville, but we do have pegasi." "Ain't that some shit," I mumble as he starts on more personal questions. Medical history, any allergies, and any real information they should know. "Alright, I think that about does it." He clicks the pen shut and then pauses. "Oh, I have a final question," he pauses for a moment, looking a bit uncomfortable. "While admitting you, we noticed your teeth. Do you have any dietary restrictions?" My teeth? The hell is he- oh. Ohhhh… "Uh, nnnno. I'm a vegetarian. Well, trying to be at least. I'll occasionally have a burger or something, but I try to eat healthier." He looks a bit relieved but not fully. "You don't… eat ponies do you?" I laugh a bit then shake my head. "No, of course not. No one eats horses where I'm from. They're companions and work animals that don't… talk. I typically only eat…" I pause for a moment, wondering if cows are sentient here as well. "Uh… cow. And occasionally chicken." "Well, unfortunately, we don't typically keep," he swallows, "meat on standby. I hope the vegetarian meal will suffice." He offers a smile, still looking a bit green around the gills. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Might finally get me into shape." I look down at my stomach and then cock my head. I wasn't an unhealthy weight, just had a little extra belly fat. But that appeared to be gone. I looked borderline emaciated. "Before you go, doc. How uh… how long was I out?" He sets the clipboard on the side table and then grabs another paper. "You were found in the woods about 2 weeks ago. We don't know how long you were there, but judging by the state you were in, it had been a day or two." "In the woods? Did y'all find my truck?" My mind raced back to the contents of my truck. It wasn't illegal per se, but it wasn't strictly legal either. "The pony who found you did say you were next to a heap of twisted metal, so possibly? I can't say I know what a truck is." "That…" I frown. I liked that truck. It was the first car I ever bought by myself and it helped me with multiple moves. We had been through a lot together. "That was probably my truck. How much longer do I have to be here?" I was scared of how much longer I'd be stuck here. Part of me wanted to get out while the other half was terrified of this new world. "Well, we were waiting to see if you'd wake up first. We'll monitor you for a few more days then make our decision on whether we need to keep you or not." Translation, they don't know. Been there, done that. "Gotcha…" I sigh a bit then lay back in the surprisingly soft bed. My hand moves for my phone out of instinct then stops. "Gonna assume y'all don't have cell phones?" I look around the room at the lack of any real modern machine. Namely a TV. Shuffling papers onto the clipboard and getting ready to leave, the doctor looks up. "I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure what that is." "No worries. I figured as much." Damn it, I liked that phone too. Satisfied with his paperwork, the doctor heads for the open door. He stops in the doorframe and spins to look at me. "Well Lilly, it's been a pleasure meeting you. If you need anything, please feel free to press the blue button next to your head. A nurse will come in and be able to assist you. I will also have a meal sent to you. You get some rest and have a wonderful night." "Thanks, Doc. I'll try." I fake a smile and lay back in the bed as he leaves. This was gonna be a long few days. Might as well be months, or even years. I settled into the bed, taking in my surroundings. To my right was an ugly green and blue painted wall lined with brown cabinets. They looked like the standard pressboard crap you'd see at an Ikea or in a college dorm. To my left was the same ugly wall but this time with a low window with green drapes that matched my hospital gown. Looking up and behind me, I could finally see the machine making that insistent beeping noise. It looks similar to a heart monitor back home, but something straight out of the 90s. Next to the heart monitor is the IV bag connected to my hand. The bed itself has the standard hospital railing in case you try to fall, and even has a button about the size of my fist built into the side. I assume it's to call the nurse, but I don't want to find out at the moment. Going from the room, I check on my body and casts. My right arm is free, thankfully. I'm right-handed and am useless with my left. It has a few cuts and scrapes on it but nothing extreme. My left arm is in a full cast, a deep purple spiraling up from my fingers to my armpit and bending ninety degrees at the elbow. Looking down at my legs - half of which were on the table - each was in their own purple cast. My left leg had the cast going up from my toes to just below my hip while my right was just from my toes to my knee. My chest had a tight gauze wrapping and after feeling my head, realized my head had the same wrap. Thank God there are no mirrors in here. I'm sure I look horrible. With all the exciting and interesting things out of the way, I lean back into the bed and sigh. This is going to be my life for the next week. Great. Wait. What about after? I don't… I don't know anybody here. I sat up quickly, panicked thoughts filling my mind. Tears well up in my eyes. "Everyone I know… I'm…" Suddenly a knock comes at the door. I wipe my eyes and look up. A white-furred pony wearing an old-style nurse's cap with her pink mane in a tight bun is in the doorway with a metal tray balanced on her back. She has a nervous look on her face. "Is this a bad time? I can come back." I take a deep breath and then shake my head. "No, no. I'm fine. Just realizing I know no one here and trying to figure out what I'll do when I get released." I shrug a bit. She frowns a bit as she walks in, setting the tray from her back on the bedside table. "It's a daisy sandwich, I hope that's okay. At this time of night, the kitchen isn't open, so I made you something." She says as she sets the plate in my lap. "Daisy sandwich?" I lift a piece of bread. It's exactly what I thought it was. "I don't mean to be rude but humans can't eat… flowers." "Oh! I'm so sorry! I can make you something else if you'd like." She goes to pick up the plate with her mouth. "I can pick around it, it's not a big deal. I don't want to impose." "Oh, no. It's no problem! I insist." She smiles as she picks up the plate and sets it back on the tray. "What would you like instead? I can make you a salad or a different sandwich." I think for a moment. "A peanut butter and jelly sandwich sounds amazing actually. If that's not too much." "Of course not, Lilly. I'll be right back." She sets the tray on her back and then leaves the room. "The hell was her name?" I mumbled to myself in the darkness. I had always been terrible with names. Even at my current job where everyone wears nametags, I still don't know most people's names. A few minutes later the nurse returns with a new sandwich, and a few crumbs stuck to the hairs on her muzzle. "Okay! Attempt number two." She sets the tray down and then puts the plate on my lap. Looking down at the sandwich, my stomach growls. "This looks perfect, thank you." I pick up the sandwich and then take a bite. Blueberry jam? That's a new one. Good though! "Oh! I'm Nurse Snowflake. I'll be helping you on the road to recovery!" She grins from ear to ear. "Is there anything I can help you with?" I finished the sandwich far quicker than I meant to. It was delicious and I was starving. I wipe my mouth with the napkin then lay back, looking over at the pony. "Can you just stay here and talk for a bit? I don't want to be alone right now…" "Oh, of course." She offers a smile and pulls up a chair. We talked for a few hours. She told me about Ponyville, a bit of the history of Equestria, who the Princesses are, and the ponies who found me. "Oh my! Look at the time!" She looks at the clock on the wall above the door. "My shift ends in 15 minutes, but I'll be back tomorrow." She stands up and stretches. I try to hide my disappointment as she stands. "Aw, man… Okay. Well, I'll be here. I need to get some sleep anyway." She giggles and picks up the tray. "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." She sets it on her back and then walks out of the room. "Goodnight, Snowflake." I lay back in bed, my mind racing with this new information as sunlight starts to creep in through the window. Okay, so first things first. Find this Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and thank them for saving me. Second, find a place to live. Third, well, we'll figure that out when we get there.
Vundabar♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ I don't think I'll ever get Greenland out of my head. It's such a good song but holy shit, brain. Pick a different fucking verse. ♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ Where's my- God damn it, that's right. No phone. I wonder if I could get the doctor to send someone out to my truck and grab my bags. At least there are a few books in there I like. And my laptop! Yes! I forgot I packed that for D&D after work! My eyes quickly scan the room for any signs of an outlet but find none. Even if I could find one, I highly doubt it is wired the same as my socket at home. "Are you okay with having visitors?" A familiar voice calls out from the doorway. I hadn't even seen her walk in, nor did I know it was time for her shift. Honestly, I had no idea what time it was. The clock stopped working when I was asleep and I'd been keeping an eye on the sun moving across the sky to track the time. Once it does go down, I am kinda SOL. "How do I have visitors?" I look up from the corner I had been staring at then at her. "These are the ponies I was telling you about. The ones that found you." "Oh! Right! Yeah, that'd be great! I'd been wanting to talk to them." That'll save me some time tracking them down after I get out. Nurse Snowflake smiles and then motions for them to come in. My eyes widen in surprise when I see a nervous-looking rainbow-maned pony walk in alongside a yellow and pink pony who looks like they have a million questions. I figured all ponies had natural coat and mane colors here, but pastel blue with literal rainbows was a surprise. Maybe it was dyed? "Lilly, this is Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They were the ponies who found you out in the Everfree forest." She introduces us. "Nice to finally meet y'all," I say, cringing a bit at my southern accent coming out. It only ever really came out when I was drunk, extremely tired, or stressed. "Nurse Snowflake told me all about y'all." Rainbow Dash goes to talk but stops when she sees Fluttershy quickly move into the room. Fluttershy stops at my bedside and puts her forelegs on the railing on the side. She was much taller than the other ponies I'd seen and had a very earthy smell, not the sterile smell I was used to with Nurse Snowflake and Doctor Sawbones. She looks up and down at my broken body with a concerned look. "How are you feeling today? I'm so sorry about what happened to you. Rainbow Dash and I brought you here as quickly as we could." I look from Fluttershy standing next to me to the rainbow-maned one walking in. She was much shorter than Fluttershy but I could see through her blue coat that she was much stronger. Not jacked like a bodybuilder, but more like a runner. A few of the people I work with are marathon runners and have similar body types. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you. Both of you. I'm not sure I would've survived if you hadn't pulled me from my truck." I offer a smile. Rainbow Dash looks a bit uneasy at the sight of my teeth but Fluttershy gets closer and stares. "You have an interesting set of teeth! Are you an omnivore?" Fluttershy asks, getting a little too close for me as if she's going to put a hoof in my mouth and give me a dental exam. She has a very interesting smell, like dirt and wet dog mixed with hay. It reminds me of the horse my sister took care of as a kid. What is their obsession with my teeth? I look over at Rainbow Dash for an answer then back to Fluttershy. "Yyyes, I am," I answer a bit unsure. "But I have been trying to become a vegetarian." Rainbow Dash seems to relax a bit but still doesn't speak up. Fluttershy nods as if she's taking mental notes. "Do you have a preference? What is your favorite? Do you eat it raw?" "Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash finally speaks up. "Stop asking her so many disgusting questions!" She looks over from her friend to me. "You don't have to answer any of that. Actually, please don't answer any of that." "Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I guess I just got a little carried away…" She hops off the railing, her ears flat against her head. I lean over to whisper to Fluttershy. "I'll tell you later." Then sit back up as if nothing happened. Fluttershy smiles wide as Rainbow Dash points at her open mouth with her hoof and makes a gagging noise. "Maybe you can settle a bet, 'human'." The way Rainbow Dash said human made it sound like a curse word. "What were you doing out in the Everfree Forest? And what was that heap of metal?" "That was my truck, I was driving to work. As for the forest, I have no idea. I don't remember a whole lot. Just looking down to light a cigarette then looking back up and suddenly blackness." I had forgotten about my nasty habit. Being in a coma for a few weeks probably helped with that. Holy shit a cigarette sounds amazing right now. "Y'all didn't happen to grab any of my bags from my truck, did you? There were 3." I always kept a bug-out bag with me with at least 96 hours worth of supplies. My others were full of clothes, toiletries, my laptop, medicines, and a handgun. My dad always told me to be prepared for an 'SHTF scenario' and I guess I took that to heart. They both look at each other and then shake their heads. "No, we only took you," Rainbow Dash says. Third, go to my truck and get my bags. "Ah, well, no worries. Maybe I'll make the trek out there once I get out." "Oh, no. We couldn't possibly make you go out into the Everfree Forest all by yourself after an accident! We can get them." Fluttershy looks up from me to Rainbow Dash, who then rolls her eyes. "I guess we could. Hey, Fluttershy? Can I talk to you real quick?" She motions for her friend to follow her. "We'll be right back." Fluttershy smiles then heads out the door with Rainbow Dash. They have a quiet conversation just outside in the hallway that I'm only able to get bits and pieces of. My tinnitus blocked out most of it. Years of metal shows and shooting in the woods without ear protection did a number on my ears. "...I just don't want you getting attached again… Discord?" I could barely hear Rainbow Dash say. "... different. She's…chaos." I am pretty chaotic. "Just… be careful." Rainbow Dash sounded sincere and genuinely worried for her friend. Was I that bad already? They soon walk back in. Fluttershy seems a bit apprehensive to get close to me again and stays quiet. Rainbow Dash speaks up after a few moments of awkward silence. "I think our friend Twilight Sparkle would love to meet you. She is a huge egghead and would have like, a million questions." I side-eye Fluttershy who is now just staring at the ground with her ears flat against her head. "Yeah, she sounds interesting. I'm sure I'd love to meet her." I must've not sounded too interested. I was too focused on Fluttershy. "Right…" Rainbow Dash says quietly. Another awkward silence. "Well, I think I'm gonna head out. There are a few clouds I need to clear out for Pinkie's party tonight. I'll see you there, Fluttershy?" She nods silently, staring intently at the floor. I was starting to feel incredibly awkward. I wasn't great at social interactions as is, but this was brutal. ♪ What did you come here for? Tell me what you come here for ♪ "See you, human." She says then walks out the door. I somehow hadn't noticed up until this point but she had a set of blue wings folded at her side. Holy shit, they do have pegasuseses here. Pegasi? Flying horses. I offer her a wave and then look at Fluttershy. I could see her eyes tracking Rainbow Dash out of the room from behind her mane. With her friend gone, she quickly moves to my bedside again and practically climbs in bed with me with how high she jumped onto the railing. She also has wings. Sick. "I have so many questions. What do humans like to talk about?" "What do you want to know?" "Everything!" She beams, staring intently at me. "Oh, well, uh…" I think for a moment. I hate those 'So tell me about yourself' questions. I never know what to say. "Well, my name is Lillith, but I go by Lilly. I'm 25 years old, I'm six foot four, I'm really into metal, goth aesthetics, and I'm trans." That was usually my go-to. She listens closely, nodding along. "I don't know what half of that means but it sounds amazing." I then explain what it all means. Metal music, goth, what a foot is, and the basic premise of being transgender. "Wow, those all sound amazing. It's incredible you live in a world where you can just change your body like that. We're only able to just change what we go by." She frowns a bit. "Oh, are you trans too?" I loved making trans friends. There was always something comforting about meeting someone who has had a lot of the same struggles as you. "Well, we don't have a word for it but I guess I would be. I was born with a different name but go by Fluttershy now." She offers a sheepish smile, hiding behind her mane. "It's not something I like to talk about though…" She trails off. "I understand completely." I put a hand on her hoof, dropping the subject completely. She looks down at my hand, almost like she's studying it. Oh Lord, here we go with the hand questions. "I love your hoof polish," She says as she studies my nails. The alternating black and purple colors were chipped and even a few broken, but the general idea was there. Actually, the whole look was kinda punk. I didn't hate it. "Thanks! I did it myself a few days - weeks - ago. Though I think it's time to redo them. They're a little scuffed." "You did that?" She looks surprised then sheepish again. "Would… Would you want to do my hooves? I've always wanted black hoof paint. I really like the…" she pauses for a moment then smiles. "The goth look." If she wasn't a literal horse, I would have the biggest crush on her. "I would love to paint your hooves." She smiles from ear to ear, doing a little dance with the two hooves on the floor. "Really?" "Absolutely." Fluttershy leans in and nuzzles my cheek then quickly pulls back with a blush and hides behind her mane. "OhmygoshI'msosorry!" I put my hand up and gently pat her head with a smile. "Don't be sorry. That was sweet." Okay, I might actually have a crush on her now. =-(+)-= A few hours after the arrival of my saviors, well after the sun had set, Fluttershy lets out a small yawn and then stretches in the chair she dragged in from the hallway. We had been talking about anything and everything under the sun. "I need to get going… Pinkie Pie is having a party tonight and I'm already late. I think. Your clock doesn't work. It was great talking to you though. I haven't felt this comfortable or confident since I was with…" Her smile fades then she shakes her head and smiles again, trying to find the words to say. I give her a nod, not wanting to press. We all have our boundaries and I'm not one to push them. "It was great meeting you, Fluttershy. Will you visit me again? I could do your hooves. Give you a whole goth makeover." Her cheeks flush again, something I've learned is very easy to do, as she stands up. "W-well I. I g-guess we could. If that wouldn't be a problem…" She stammers out. "Of course not. I'll need both hands to do a full makeover, but I can do your hooves with one hand." Damn this cast. If they can do magic, why not heal me? Someone somewhere must know a healing spell. "That sounds like fun." She climbs onto the railing of the bed again and gives me another nuzzle. "I'll try to come by tomorrow, assuming Angel Bunny doesn't keep me busy all day. He can be such a hoof-full." "No worries if you can't. I think Nurse Snowflake is gonna try to bring me some books tomorrow. Said I'd like 'Daring Do', whatever that is." "When Rainbow Dash was in the hospital a few years ago with a broken wing, she fell in love with the Daring Do series. I think we've all read them at this point." "Must be a good series then. Well, I won't keep you. Thank you so much for coming by. It was a blast talking and I can't wait to do it again." She smiles and gives me another nuzzle then leaves with the hallway chair in tow. I lay back in bed and can't help but smile. Fluttershy is such a kind pony and has the most genuine heart I've ever seen. I can see why she's the Element of Kindness. Fuck. I have a crush on Fluttershy.
Reading Rainbow♪ Butterfly in the sky I can go twice as high Take a look, it’s in a book Reading Rainbow I can go anywhere friends to know, ways to grow Reading Rainbow I can be anything Take a look, it’s in a book Reading Rainbow ♪ For some godforsaken reason, Psychostick’s version of that song always plays in my head any time I pick up a book. This time was no different. "Uh…" I look down at the hieroglyphs on the thick book in front of me. Since the ponies seemingly spoke English, I figured they'd write in English. But apparently not. "Is everything okay?" Nurse Snowflake asks, walking back to my bedside. She had brought in a few books from the hospital's book cart and highly recommended the Daring Do series. "I just didn't expect this to be y'all's script is all. Hieroglyphs are… a tad retro." I struggled with English as is, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to learn a language that used drawings and pictures to write. Cocking her head like a confused dog, Snowflake looks at the book and then at me. "What do you use then? We've pretty much always used this." "Characters and letters. Pass me that paper and pen and I can show you. Please." I motion toward the clipboard on the chair near the door. She had brought back the chair Fluttershy used last night and told me I could keep it in here if she was coming back. Her bone white horn shimmers as the clipboard is enveloped in a sparkling white aura then slowly floats over and into my lap. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," I mumble as I pick up the pen and then write out my name in big letters. "This is how we write." She cocks her head again, a loose strand of her pink mane dropping onto her nose. "And that makes sense to you?" "Took a few years to beat it into me, but yeah. I still struggle with it sometimes though. I barely know my native tongue." Thanks, southern public schools. She studies it closely and then shrugs her shoulders. "Looks like gibberish to me. But you are also equipped with a different way to write, it seems." She motions at my hand gripping the pen. "We either have to write with magic or with our mouths." "That doesn't sound very hygienic." I think back to all the times I've chewed on pens and pencils in school. "Though I don't think I have room to judge. I've always had a huge oral fixation so I tend to chew on everything. Being a smoker probably made that worse too." "Is this common with omnivores?" She didn't seem as apprehensive about the whole meat-eating thing as Sawbones was. "For the most part. A lot of my friends were always chewing on stuff. One guy I worked with would open beer bottles with his mouth and then chew on the bottle cap. But that's pretty rare. Only a special few are that hardcore." "That sounds like a horrible idea." "It is. I always cringed watching him do it. It was a neat party trick though." "Well, I'm sorry the book was a bust. Maybe Fluttershy can read it to you if she comes by. You two seemed to have hit it off rather well," she says with a smirk. I feel my cheeks burn as I think about her. I may be asexual, but I still liked her. She was a very interesting pony and I loved hanging out with her. It had been a while since I met someone I could just sit and talk with for hours. "Well… y'know… we have a lot of common interests." Snowflake brings a hoof up to her muzzle as she giggles. "You like her, don't you?" I had only been conscious in this new world for 72 hours and Snowflake was already teasing me as if she knew me for 20 years. My cheeks burned hotter from the teasing. "N-no!" I stammer out, obviously lying. I can bullshit with the best, but I'm a terrible liar when I'm nervous. "Okay," she says, obviously not believing me. "Your business is your own and I won't pry." She looks up at the clock that has since been replaced. "Well, I hate to leave you with a book you can't read but I have a few other patients I need to care for. I'll come by later with your dinner. Is a salad okay?" I close the book and lay back in bed. "Salad sounds wonderful, thank you." "Okay. I'll be back later. You relax and focus on feeling better. Hit the button if you need anything." She smiles and then heads out the door. "Will do," I call out as she leaves and then look back down at the book. "Well, shit." =-(+)-= One of these days I'll actually hear someone before I see them. Fluttershy and a pony I hadn't met yet suddenly appeared in the doorway. Fluttershy gives a friendly smile as her friend walks into the room with a piece of paper in front of her. She hadn't looked up yet and appeared to be writing furiously with a pen suspended by her horn. "Um, Twilight?" Fluttershy says, watching her friend about to run into my bed. "Not now, Fluttershy. I need to finish these notes before we- oof!" Her train of thought crashes into the foot -or rather table- of my bed and she falls onto her rear with a thud. Her eyes follow my legs on the low table and bed then up at me, making intense eye contact. Her eyes go wide as she shoots back up and to my bedside, pelting me with a thousand questions. As I'm answering her questions, her pen is writing furiously on sheets of paper. I notice Fluttershy quietly move from the doorway and move to her chair. She sits down and patiently waits for her friend to stop her questioning. I offer her a smile as Twilight impatiently clears her throat after another question about my height. I catch Fluttershy's blush as I quickly look back to Twilight. "A foot is a form of measurement, it was based on a king's literal foot hundreds of years ago. I think." I remember reading that on Twitter or something years ago but didn't know how true it was. "A measurement system based on a dead Monarch's hoof from hundreds of years ago that isn't a standard size isn't exactly… exact." "Yeah, I know. But it's what I was taught and it works for me. The rest of my world uses the metric system but I was never officially taught it. It makes a bit more sense for some stuff." Except for temperature and I will die on this hill. "That doesn't make sense." "Welcome to being human. We don't make a lot of sense. Kinda just… fly by the seat of our pants. What happens, happens, y'know?" Twilight nods as she writes down my words. "Humans sound fascinating. I would love to be able to visit your world sometime and just observe." "Well, if we can figure out how I got here, I'd love to take you." I think back to my car accident. "Actually, I have a question for you. Do you know how I got here?" Twilight lowers her paper and then sets it on the bed. She thinks for a moment then shakes her head slowly. "Honestly? I… I don't know. I've been examining the area around your vehicle but haven't found any evidence as to why. The only odd thing was the circle of mushrooms around it." "Circle of mush- you mean a fairy ring?" "You have fairies in your world too? I didn't think their magic was that powerful, but maybe fairies from both sides…" She picks back up the paper and begins writing again, clearly deep in thought. "Fairies are just a myth though! It's called that because people way back didn't understand what caused it and assumed it had something to do with fairies or elves or even dragons! But none of those are real. They couldn't possibly have transported me and a three-ton truck here." Panic was creeping into my brain. "R-right?" "I would need to do some research, but unfortunately we know nothing about your world. So we…" she pauses, looking nervous. "may not ever fully find out." "But you'll be able to get me back, right? Right?" Truthfully, that was the panic talking. I wasn't exactly sure if I did want to go back. "I'll need to do a bit of research, but I'll try my hardest." She offers a reassuring smile. I didn't notice it, but Fluttershy frowned at our conversation and tears welled up in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. I go to take a deep breath but go into a coughing fit instead. I'm sure my body was happy I hadn't smoked in almost 3 weeks, but I was starting to feel it. I was having dreams about smoking. My lungs were starting to feel better, but my brain screamed for nicotine. I was even regaining feeling in my toes and fingers. I bet I could run more than 100 feet now. Well, aside from the two broken legs and bruised ribs. Twilight sets down the paper full of notes and then shuts her eyes. Her horn glows bright and a purple aura surrounds my body. I slowly stop coughing as my lungs clear up and my brain stops scratching and screaming for nicotine. This may be the painkillers I'm on talking, but even the pain in my broken bones subsides. The purple aura fades and she sways a bit. Whatever she did clearly took a toll on her. I blink a few times then flex my fingers on my left arm then raise and lower it. No pain. Not even my normal shoulder pain from my torn rotator cuff I got a few years ago when I tried to play football with my brother's friends. I look up at Twilight as she regains her composure. "What just happened?" She clears her throat. "Your cough sounded awful and you looked like you were in pain. I used a healing spell on you." She smiles then mumbles as she looks away. "That may or may not be experimental still." "Well, experimental or not. Thank you. I think you healed more than just my lungs. My ribs don't ache anymore. Hell, I bet if we did an x-ray right now I'd be released today!" I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy here. The only things keeping me sane were Fluttershy and Nurse Snowflake. Twilight gives me a proud smile then picks back up the notes. We had somehow filled 6 pages in the half hour she was here. Time flies when you're filling out paperwork, I guess. "Well, that was all the paper I brought. I didn't think we'd fill it that quickly. I'm going to run back to the library and grab more if that's okay. Shouldn't take me too long." "Fine by me." I shrug, just wanting a little time alone with Fluttershy. "I'll be back." She gives me a determined nod and then trots out the door. I hear her hooves at the end of the hall. Actually, I can hear a lot of things now. The beeping of the heart monitor is louder, and the ticking of the clock on the wall is audible, even Fluttershy quietly mumbling to herself. I'm not able to pick out any words, I don't think anyone's ears are that good, but I can now hear her. "Hey, Fluttershy? You okay?" She snaps back to the real world and looks at me. Her eyes are a little red and she's sniffling softly. "Y-yeah…" "Whoa, hey…" I try to sound reassuring. "What's up?” "I-I'm not crying…" She looks down at the ground as a tear rolls down her cheek and onto the floor. Steeling myself for the possible pain to come, I throw the blanket to the side and turn to climb out of bed. I put both feet on the floor and brace myself against the railing as she sniffles again. I take a deep breath and then stand on wobbly legs, using the railing as a crutch. Once sure of my footing, I wrap my free hand around the IV pole and wheel it over to the crying pony. Aside from being a little sore from not moving for almost 3 weeks, I felt great physically. I lean over and wrap my arms around her neck, causing her to jump. She must not have noticed me move to her. "Everything is okay," I say softly as I hug her close. Feeling my embrace, she hugs me back tightly and soon devolves into a sobbing mess. "Shhh… it's okay… you're okay…" I whisper as I gently stroke her neck and mane to help comfort her. Her mane smelled different today. It didn't smell like someone who had been working with animals all day. It smelled like… lilies. My favorite flower. She had asked me what it was the night prior. Did she use lily-scented shampoo for me? Or was that shallow thinking? A few minutes pass as she continues to sob and I hold her close. Her coat and mane were so soft. Honestly, I didn't want the hug to end. I just wish it was under better circumstances. Her crying soon subsides and is now just occasional sniffles. "What's wrong, Fluttershy? Did we say something?" She says something but it's muffled by my chest. I pull back from the hug and lift her head slowly. Her eyes are bloodshot and puffy, and her fur is matted around her mouth and eyes. "I…" she takes a deep breath. "I don't want to lose you already." I pause as my brain tries to process this information. I wasn't expecting it. "You don't want to lose me? What do you mean?" She brings a hoof up and wipes her eyes. "You and Twilight were talking about sending you back. I… I can't handle losing another friend." "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." I look around the empty room and then back at her. "Truth be told, I… I don't really think I want to go back. There's not much for me there. I have my mom who lives far away, and three friends I occasionally talk to online. But that's really about it. My fiancée left me two years ago and I'm entirely on my own. But here? I have already made an amazing friend and I haven't even left this hospital room. Hell, I'd say three friends." Fluttershy sniffles again, looking down at the ground. "But you sounded so worried about getting back earlier." "That was just me panicking. I'm going through a lot of emotions right now. My brain has been-… oh shit. I haven't taken any of my medicine in weeks. No wonder I'm all over the place." I lift her chin again, looking deep into her blue eyes. "Can I tell you a secret?" Fluttershy blinks away a few tears. The way the sun reflects off the window and into her eyes makes my heart beat faster. She gives me a nod. "Fluttershy, I… I'm sorry if this is too forward, but I have a huge crush on you. You've been so sweet to me since the moment we met. You are one of the very few people in my entire life that has just listened to me. I feel so comfortable and safe around you. I mean, shit, you saved my life. I probably would be dead in the middle of the woods if it weren't for you." Fluttershy just stares back at me silently for what feels like an eternity then pulls me into a tight hug. She puts her head on my shoulder as she squeezes me. "I feel the same way. That's why I was so scared of losing you," She says softly, barely above a whisper. "I… I lost my partner a year ago and it's been so hard. The day we found you was the first time I had left my home in almost three months. And ever since you woke up, I've been having trouble staying at home. I've just been wanting to be here with you." I run my fingers through her soft mane, the faint smell of lilies makes me smile. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Well, hopefully outside this hospital room sometime soon, but I won't leave you." My ear twitches as I hear hooves on tile heading our way. I give Fluttershy a final squeeze then let go and take a step back. She nods as I let her go then stares at the floor with a small smile as the hooves enter our room. "I brought more paper!" Twilight calls out with a large grin. =-(+)-= "I don't care if you're feeling better, you need to be in bed." Nurse Snowflake scolds me as she sets my dinner down on the side table. "What if you slipped and hurt yourself? You have 9 broken bones, including your skull, 3 bruised ribs, and a concussion. You should not be walking!" Holy shit, I didn't know I had that many broken bones. I hate getting scolded. Especially by her. It made it feel like my mom was scolding me. "I'm sorry, Snowflake. It's just… Fluttershy was crying and I couldn't just lay here doing nothing. Plus Twilight used some healing spell on me and I felt fine! Hell, better than fine. She even fixed some issues I've had for years." Snowflake stops with the salad in mid-air. "Why was Fluttershy crying?" She asks quietly, almost sounding concerned. "Twilight and I were talking and I panicked and started worrying about going home. But honestly, I… I don't want to go home. There's not much for me there anymore." I look down sadly. "And you want to stay here, with her." She says quietly as she sets the salad in my lap. "I get it." She sighs and walks over to the railing then jumps up and rests her forelegs on it. "Look, Lilly. I'll be honest with you. Fluttershy is an amazing pony. Anypony who can get her out of her house like that is okay in my book. But she's also one of the most sensitive ponies I've ever met. The only other pony that had the same effect wasn't even a pony. He was the literal God of Chaos. Discord." Rainbow Dash's words echo in my head. "...I just don't want you getting attached again… Discord." It made sense now. Mostly. "They were together for a long time, but one day he just… vanished. Didn't say anything, no note, nothing. It destroyed her. She didn't leave her home for months on end. Then seeing how excited she was to meet you, it's like Ponyville was alive again. Seeing the Element of Kindness broken like that really put a cloud over us all. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anypony." "Oh my God, I had no idea. She told me she lost her partner, but nothing like that." I idly poke at the salad. My appetite disappeared a long time ago. "And that explains why her friends are so apprehensive about her getting attached to me. They think I'll leave her and destroy her again." Snowflake gives me a nod. "If you genuinely care for her, then… you should think long and hard about whether or not you want to stay." "Yeah… I think I already made up my mind." I stab at a cherry tomato but it rolls away, almost as if it’s taunting me. "I hope it's the correct choice.” She gives me a nod then pauses. “Now what the hay were you saying about Twilight using a healing spell?!" =-(+)-= "You're getting released? Already?" Fluttershy stares at me dumbfounded. "I guess Twilight's spell worked." I nod as I scratch at my newly released arm. "Yep! Doc says my bones are stronger than ever. I still need to take it easy for a few days though." I stretch in the bed and then bend my knees. For the first time in 15 years, it didn’t pop or creak. "Hey, so… I hate to ask since we just uh… met." I rub my neck anxiously. "I don't exactly have a place to stay…" Fluttershy blushes and nods, getting what I was too scared to ask. "Of course, you can stay with me. You can stay in the guest room." She smiles and effortlessly jumps up to rest her forelegs on the railing. "I just hope you don't mind animals." "Thank you, Fluttershy. I won't be a burden." I smile and pat her foreleg. I still couldn’t get over how soft she was. "And I adore animals." "I even have a few crows I think you'd love to meet." My jaw drops. "You have crows?! I love crows so much they're so perfect and sweet and smart and beautiful and dumb and I love them!" Crows are by far my favorite animal and it has been my lifelong dream to have a crowbro. The closest I ever got was when I lived with my partner. I bought a crow call from my local gun store and would call with it, but I never got anything more than a few replies. She giggles at me babbling about crows then shoots up. "Oh! In all the excitement, I forgot! I haven't had the time to go into the Everfree Forest to get your bags, but I asked Rarity to make you some clothes. I asked Nurse Snowflake for your clothes when you were brought in and Rarity did an amazing job duplicating them. Though she refused to do the design on the front." She looks away shyly. "It was… gruesome." Oh yeah, the Cannibal Corpse shirt. Right. Forgot I was wearing that. My manager hated that shirt. Tried to write me up for wearing it under my work uniform, but there was nothing against it in the guidebook. Prick. "Oh, right, sorry. I really do appreciate y'all doing that." I smile as she steps out into the hall and comes back with a neatly wrapped box with a large purple bow on it. She sets it in my lap. I carefully pull the bow off and then undo the tape on the edges. I was never one for just tearing at the paper like an animal. Neatly folded inside the box in a soft black t-shirt, a purple and black striped long sleeve, a pair of black jeans, a set of purple panties and a bra, and a pair of pink and white striped socks. "Holy cow, Fluttershy. These look amazing. And they're so soft." I smile as I feel the shirt again. "Rarity said they're on the house and hopes you'll come by sometime so she can get your measurements. She seemed to like the idea of being your tailor. Something about the challenge." "I will certainly do that. She did an amazing job." I smile and start to get dressed. After I finished getting dressed, with Fluttershy seemingly averting her eyes during the more intimate parts, Doctor Sawbones walks in with his famous clipboard floating behind him along with a small bag. "Good afternoon, everypony. Ready to go ho- uh, get out?" I can see him kicking himself in his mind from the slip. "More than you could ever know." "Good! Now, here are your discharge papers." He floats over a few papers from the clipboard. "There you will find some basic strengthening exercises, what you should and shouldn’t do, and a few prescriptions. Though, to be honest…" He nervously rubs the back of his neck. "We're not entirely sure what you can and cannot take, so… use your best judgment. You mentioned spending a lot of time in hospitals, so I'm sure you know what to do." "I understand. Y'all aren't exactly equipped to handle someone like me, so you're just kinda wingin' it. It's cool. I know the drill. No heavy lifting, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep, all that jazz." I give him a nod. "Yes, exactly. Thank you." He smiles and offers a hoof. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Lilly. I wish you the best." "Thanks, Doctor." I look down at his hoof and shake it. "I think I'll be okay here." I give Fluttershy a smile and then look back at the doctor. "You're in good hooves." He gives me a nod. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here are your boots. Nurse Snowflake missed them when giving your clothes to Fluttershy." He floats over the small bag to me. "You two stay safe out there. And try to not crash into any more trees." I laugh a bit. "I'll try. No promises though." He chuckles and heads out the door. I take my boots out of the bag. "Perfect, I was hoping I'd get these back." I untie them and slip the Doc Martens over my new pink socks then tuck my jeans in. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and put an arm around Fluttershy. "So to your place?" She wraps a leg around my waist as I slowly stand. I may have been healed by Twilight’s magic, but I was still sore. The walk back to her home was going to be long. "If it isn't too much trouble, I was wondering if we could go by Sugarcube Corner? Pinkie has been dying to meet you but has been so busy with side work for the Cakes." "She's the one that throws all the parties, right? The baker?" Fluttershy avoids looking at me as we shuffle down the hall. "She's throwing a party for me, isn't she?" I say flatly, wishing I had lighter shoes. She lets out a small squeak. "N-no?" I pat Fluttershy's side, my arm still around her. "I won't say anything." She gives me a small smile as we turn the corner and head out the sliding glass doors. "Holy… shit…" My jaw drops as we clear the doors and now stand in the bright mid-afternoon sun. The air was pure and light with no signs of pollution or intense humidity. It was pleasantly warm and the sun felt amazing. The surrounding area had a rustic vibe with different colored ponies milling about. A few pegasi fly overhead and attack a group of dark clouds that quickly disappear and then fly off. My head starts to swim and I stumble but Fluttershy catches me. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy looks at me with a worried look. "Y-yeah. Just… overwhelmed. It happens occasionally. Can we sit for a moment?" I look around for a bench and point to one nearby. "Of course!" She hurries us over to the bench and sets me down carefully. "Do I need to go get the doctor?" "No, I'll be fine. It's just…" I look around and see a few ponies that stare at me in amazement as they walk by, whispering to each other. "The whole 'pony world' thing is sinking in." I sigh softly and then realize what I said. "N-not that that's a bad thing." Fluttershy moves in front of me and sits on her rear like a dog, looking me in the eyes. She puts a hoof on my shoulder and rubs it gently. "Take your time, just breathe slowly and deeply." I close my eyes, goosebumps rising on my skin from her reassuring voice and gentle hoof rubs. I take in a few deep breaths and focus on lowering my heart rate to normal levels. "There you go." She smiles and starts breathing with me, still rubbing my back. A few minutes pass and I open my eyes. I see her smiling face and smile back then hug her tight. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I feel much better." "I understand being overwhelmed. It happens to me all the time," she says as she hugs me back. I pat her neck then pull back. I take another look around. There are fewer ponies walking around and the intoxicating air isn't as strong now. "Okay. So, Sugarcube Corner?" She gives me a nod and a smile then stands. "We should get going. Pinkie'll send out a search party if we don't hurry up." I nod and stand slowly. "Okay, okay." Parties have never really been my thing but I was curious what a pony party was like. I wonder if they have Pin The Tail On The Donkey?
Party Cannon"I wonder where they could be? Fluttershy said she was getting released at three today." Twilight looks at the clock on the wall. It read 3:46. "This is pushing fashionably late and into being just plain rude." Rarity huffs and tosses her head to the side to get her mane out of her face. "I'm sure they're just a little behind. You know the hospital never releases you at the time they say they will." Rainbow Dash shrugs a bit. She's had her fair share of hospital visits and knows how they work. Pinkie Pie doesn't say much, she's too busy doing last-minute adjustments to the streamers and balloons. Ponies being late always made her antsy and second-guess herself. And now that there was a human in the mix, she was more nervous than ever. "Here they come! Everypony shush!" Applejack calls out to the large gathering of ponies at Sugarcube Corner as she stares out a window near the front door. =-(+)-= "So will there be any booze at this shindig? I would love a beer." I look around at the buildings lining the dirt road of Ponyville, admiring their design. This place is really interesting from an architectural standpoint. It reminded me a lot of a replica medieval village I visited on a school field trip as a kid. "Applejack most likely brought a keg of her apple cider. It's really good and is alcoholic." "Ah," I say flatly. "I can't really do apple cider anymore. Too many bad experiences. Any liquor?" Fluttershy turns her head to look into my eyes and sees the pain on my face. She frowns and leans against me as we walk. "Most likely. But we can stop and get you some if you'd like." I drape my arm over her shoulder and idly pet her side. Some of her actions reminded me a lot of the Great Danes my family would foster when I was a kid. They liked to walk next to you and put their weight into you as if they were making sure you were still there. "Nah, I'll be fine. Probably shouldn't drink too much with painkillers still in my system." "Okay. If you change your mind, we can always go. There's a store right down the road from Sugarcube Corner." "I appreciate it. But I'll be fine." I pat her side again as Sugarcube Corner comes into view. "Jesus Christ. That has to be Sugarcube Corner." I stare at the gaudy, sugar and cake-covered building that looks like it's right out of a Brothers Grimm tale. "It is. The Cakes own it but Pinkie lives and works there. She throws a lot of parties there too." "How can anyone stand that much partying?" Fluttershy sighs a bit, stopping just outside the store. "I have no idea. We all love her to death, but she can be a bit…" Her train of thought is interrupted by movement in the window and a light turning off. "I get it." I take my arm from her side and then take a deep breath. "Ready when you are, Flutters." A small blush spreads over her cheeks as she walks up the few steps to the door and then opens it for me. The inside is dark but I can see a few shadows scurry to cover and the sounds of hooves on the tile. I slowly walk up the steps and into the bakery. The floorboards creak beneath my heavy boots. The lights flick on and over two dozen ponies all stand up at once, shouting "Surprise!" Party streamers fall from the ceiling as a multitude of different colored ponies converge on me. I notice a banner above the counter in front of me says something in their weird hieroglyphic language. Even though I was expecting it, my heart races and my anxiety shoots through the roof. I try my best to be polite as everyone introduces themselves but quickly lose track of the names and just smile and nod. A bouncy pink pony with the most tangled mane I've ever seen walks up to me with a large grin as the group starts to disperse. She quickly takes my hand and nearly shakes it out of its socket. "Hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Pinkie Pie! Do you like your party? I hope you do because we all worked reeeeally hard on it!" There was a tinge of passive-aggressive annoyance in her voice. Freeing my hand from her, and making sure my arm is still attached, I give her a nod. "Yeah, it looks great. I had no idea there'd be a party. Thank y'all for doing this." I offer a smile. "Of course! Anytime there's a new pony in Ponyville, I have to throw them a party! Well, you're not a pony but you know what I mean!" She still has that massive smile on her face. I could feel my jaw locking up just from looking at her smile. "Well, I greatly appreciate it. Fluttershy told me so much about y'all. All good, of course." I fake a laugh at my bad joke. Small talk has never been my thing, now more than ever. This was such an alien world and my anxiety was already high. "That's Fluttershy for you!" She giggles as she walks over to Fluttershy and puts a leg over her shoulder. "Always such a chatterbox!" Fluttershy just smiles faintly and hides behind her mane, clearly hating being the center of attention. I felt her plight. By now most of the ponies have dispersed and are talking and eating in their own little groups, leaving me with the main group of Fluttershy's friends. Applejack is the next to speak up and shakes my hand firmly. "Nice to meet ya. I'm Applejack. Twilight told me all about you. Said you grew up on a farm? If you're ever looking for work, we'd love to have you at Sweet Apple Acres. Someone with your build would be mighty useful." "Uh, yeah, sure. That sounds like a great idea. I'm not too sure I have many other marketable skills here, so the work would be greatly appreciated." I give her a nod. I liked her already. She reminded me a lot of my sister. The hat was also a great touch. Rarity extends a hoof. "Nice to meet you, Lillith. I am Rarity. I hope you are enjoying your clothes. I tried my best with what I was given, but I would love the opportunity to get your measurements and tailor something for you. Something with less…" she swallows, looking me up and down. "Black." I look down at my outfit. Minus the band logo, this is pretty much what I wore every day. Black shirt, a choker or collar, black jeans, my Doc Martens, and either my Pabst Blue Ribbon hat or Professional Bull Riding hat. I had a thing for PBR, apparently. "I appreciate the offer. I'm happy with my everyday clothes. Though I wouldn't mind a dress. I had this really cute dress back home and never really got the chance to wear it." Rarity's frown from my comments quickly turns into a smile. "I would love the chance to create a dress for you! Just think about it, the first dress created for a human! By me!" She giggles and is quickly lost in her thoughts. "Right…" I look at Fluttershy who just shrugs. Twilight walks over with a small purple and green lizard and smiles. "Hello again, Lilly. Glad to see you up and about. How are you feeling?" "A little sore, but great outside of that. Thank you again for the healing spell. It seems to have fixed a lot of the issues I had." I smile at her and then look at the small lizard that comes up just above my knees. "Who's your little friend?" "This is my number one assistant Spike. He's a baby dragon. Say hi, Spike." Holy shit, an actual dragon. I thought Sawbones said they didn't live in Ponyville. "Um, hi. I'm Spike." He says, avoiding eye contact. I crouch down to his level and smile at him. I offer my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Spike. I like your scales. They remind me of a friend back home." He quickly looks up. "You have dragons back home? Twilight said you didn't!" He looks up from me to Twilight and then back to me. "Well, not exactly." I realize what I said and let out a nervous chuckle. Eject. "There are no actual dragons like you, but there's a group on the internet called furries, and they… create…" Eject. "Fictional characters. One guy I knew had one that looked similar to you." E-ject. "...huh." He gives me a confused look as I stand back up. Everyone around me looks a bit confused. "It's not important," I say as I rub my neck nervously. Should've ejected. "Right, well. Could I get you something to drink? An apple cider maybe? I brought a keg all the way from the cellar at Sweet Apple Acres and just tapped it. It's still ice cold!" Applejack motions towards the table with a keg resting on it. I must've made a face as Fluttershy speaks up before I do. "Lilly is still on some painkillers from the hospital and shouldn't drink. Doctor Sawbones said she should be okay twenty-four hours after her last dose. So about six tonight." "Ah, well, more for us then. C'mon, Dash. I know you've been wantin' some of my cider." "About time! I was about to start drinking without you all!" She says as she and Applejack walk towards the table with the keg. I hadn't noticed it until just now, but Rainbow Dash hadn't said a single word to me and even barely looked at me. As they leave, I look over at Fluttershy and smile. "Thank you," I whisper and pat her side. She gives me a nod in response. "I think I'm also going to go get some cider. Rarity? Pinkie?" Twilight asks, motioning for her friends to follow her. She looked like she had something important to tell them. They both nod and make their way to the keg along with Spike. "Is there somewhere quiet we can go for a minute? I need to sit down," I ask Fluttershy. My social anxiety was still high and my back hurts. She nods and leads me through the crowd to a more quiet and secluded corner. I sit in a padded booth and take a deep breath. Fluttershy sits across from me and puts her hooves on the table. "Are you okay?" "Yeah. Just… anxious. Really need to go by my truck and get my medicine." I rub my neck again. "If it's not too much trouble, could we possibly do that tomorrow?" Fluttershy puts her hoof on my hand and nods. "Yes, of course. If you feel like you're up for a small hike." I look down at my hand then up at her and into her eyes. "With you, I can do anything." Her cheeks flush bright red as she moves to hide behind her mane. I enjoyed teasing her, it was one of my favorite things to do with my partner when we were together. "O-oh, w-w-well um…" She stammers, trying to find the words but can't. I give her a smug grin and pat her hoof. "A hike sounds great. Wouldn't hurt to get a few extra steps in, explore the area, all that jazz. I just hope it's all still there." After finally regaining her composure, Fluttershy clears her throat. "I don't think anypony would go out into the Everfree Forest. Especially to steal from you. You're a bit of a town celebrity at this point." She motions to the crowd of ponies in the bakery diner. I look across the groups of ponies talking and notice a mint-colored pony staring at me with golden-yellow eyes. We make brief eye contact and then she quickly looks away. I shrug it off and look back at Fluttershy. "Fair enough." I lean back in the booth. "Do you think any of your friends would want to come?" "We can ask them if you'd like. I'm sure they would be more than happy to come along," she says with a smile. "Hella." I nod and then look back at the crowd. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are headed over to our booth with a few mugs. "Oh Lord, here we go," I mumble to myself. Rainbow Dash scares me. Not because she's big or intimidating, but because she doesn't like me. That scares me more than anything. I'll admit it, I'm a very sensitive person and people possibly not liking me for reasons out of my control terrifies me. "There y'all are!" Applejack says as she sets two mugs of cider on the table. "What're y'all doing all the way over here? The party's still goin' on!" "I just needed to sit for a moment. The walk here really took it out of me." I shrug and scoot over. "Y'all want to join us?" There's my accent again. It also comes out when talking to people with thick accents. As much as I liked Applejack, she brought out a side in me that I'm not the biggest fan of. "Well, shoot. I guess we could relax for a couple minutes. Pinkie has been drivin' me plum crazy with her antsiness," Applejack says as she scoots into the seat next to me. I hadn't noticed before but she has an intense smell of dirt, apples, and sweat. "Here you go, Fluttershy. We got you a cider." She slides the wooden mug over to her. "You looked like you could use a drink." "Oh, thank you." She takes the mug and then sips it. Rainbow Dash silently slides into the booth with Fluttershy and looks down at her mug of cider. "Is everything okay, Dash? You've been quiet." Fluttershy looks at her friend sitting next to her with concern. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Just…" she takes a deep breath and then sighs. "Just thinking is all." "About what, Sugarcube?" Applejack asks. Rainbow Dash’s eyes quickly flick from me and then back to her mug. “Nothing important. Just thinking about my Wonderbolts training.” “You’ve been working on that for months. Relax for the night. This is a party after all.” Applejack sends her point home by chugging her drink and slamming the empty mug on the table. “Don’t make me sic Pinkie Pie on you.” Dash’s eyes go a bit wide and she quickly picks up her mug. “Let’s not do that.” Fluttershy smiles softly at her friend’s exchange and sips her cider. I look at my empty hands. “Damn, now I’m feeling left out. Y’all got anything a bit harder than cider?” “Oh, big pony in town. Thinks cider is too weak.” Applejack laughs and slaps my back. “I got something I think you’d like. Wait right here.” Rainbow Dash watches Applejack leave then looks at me. “Okay, look. I didn’t want to say it in front of Applejack. But…” She looks at Fluttershy. “Are you two going to be a thing? I-I’m cool with it, I just…” She rubs her neck as she looks for the correct words. I glance at Fluttershy who has a face as pink as her mane and is quickly sinking into the seat then back at Rainbow Dash. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about it, but yeah. I think so. We’ve both talked about our feelings a bit and it seems like that is the way it’s going to go.” Rainbow Dash nods softly. “Gotcha. I figured as much. Saw you guys all cuddled up on the way in and just wanted to talk about it. Fluttershy is like a sister to me and I can get a little protective.” She wraps a foreleg around Fluttershy and leans against her. “I get it. I have a sister that constantly falls for shitty guys. I’m a little protective of her too.” Rainbow Dash nods then sticks out a hoof. “No hard feelings?” “No hard feelings.” I reach out and fistbump her. Fluttershy puts her hoof out and hoofbumps us then lets out a tiny “Yay.” I pull my hand back as Applejack comes up with a small tray with shot glasses and a clay bottle with XXX painted on the side. "Alright, everypony. I got a special surprise for y'all." "No bucking way! You did not bring your moonshine!" Rainbow laughs. "Yup! And this pony thinks she's hardcore," Applejack says as she motions her hoof towards me. "I'm gonna put that to the test." She sets the tray on the table. "You and I are gonna go shot for shot." "You reeeeally don't want to try to match me shot for shot. The Craigs have a fabled history of alcoholism and I'll be damned if I fail them now. Bring it." Applejack takes the bottle and pours two shots. "I'm gonna make you eat those words!" She slides a glass to me and then gives a countdown. We both slam back the orange-tinted liquor. Much to my surprise, the moonshine was very smooth with a hint of apple and cinnamon. It reminded me of the apple pie moonshine my friend makes. "Damn, that's smooth as shit." I take a deep breath, admiring the burn as it sits in my stomach. "Tasty too." Applejack slides the bottle toward me with a devious grin. "I'm glad you like it. This recipe has been in the Apple family for generations." I nod and grab the clay bottle then pour two more shots. "Might have to order a few bottles from ya. Reminds me a lot of the stuff my buddy Gauge makes back home." "I usually just make this for special occasions, but I might be able to do that," she says as she takes hers again. I raise the shot glass. "Kippis!" "Cheers!" We both shoot again. This is gonna be a long night.
To New FriendsThe sound of birds chirping and flying overhead drags me out of my drunken slumber. My senses are immediately overwhelmed with the smell of animals and the light of the sun coming in through an open window. A cool breeze flows through the window as I lift my head from the wooden floor. I crack open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I’m in a wooden cottage full of birdhouses, sacks of birdseed, and adorable yet beautifully carved wooden furniture. Wherever I am, they clearly love birds. I’m more than okay with this. I wonder if they have any crows? I roll onto my back and a wave of nausea hits me like a truck. I focus on not barfing as I look around for something to drink. Was I smart enough to leave out a glass of water and some ibuprofen? A blue jay flies over and lands on my leg; the feeling of its scaly foot on my bare skin making me jump a bit. I look down at the bird sitting on me and realize I’m not wearing any pants. Why am I not wearing any pants? It's been a hot minute since I've been this hungover. Not since my trip to Atlantic City, now that I think about it. I'm not sure how I got here but all I remember is drinking a shitload of moonshine with Applejack, eating my weight in cupcakes and cookies, and a very long walk with very heavy boots. And now I’m here laying on a dirty floor with a blue jay staring up at me from my naked leg. At least I still have my underwear on. There’s some dignity in that. At least I hope so. "Hey there, Mr. Blue jay. What are you doing here?" I go to move my arm across the floor to pet the small bird but the movement scares it off. It hops off my leg and then flies off out the open window. "Damn it. One of these days I’ll get to touch a bird." Focus Lilly. First things first. Find your pants. I slowly sit up with a groan. Between my head and my stomach, I didn't know which hurt more. But I know which one will complain more. I scan the room again then see my pants draped over the armrest of a nearby couch. Perfect. With zero grace I turn onto my side and clumsily try to get to my feet. I stumble and almost throw up but I make it to my feet. I shuffle over to the couch and grab my pants. Why did I have to get into an accident wearing skinny jeans? I could have nice comfy pajamas right now. But no, I have to wear skinny jeans. I lower myself onto the couch and put on my pants with more difficulty than I’d like to admit. It wasn’t pretty or graceful but I now have pants on. Step two, get some water. I stand back up causing my stomach to do a flip and my vision to fade for a moment. I take a deep breath as I hold my stomach and make my way toward one of the two open doorways. I peek through the first one and Inside is a simple kitchen with a small sink the same style of carved wood cabinets and a small table big enough for two people to eat at. I move to one of the cabinets and open it. It doesn’t have any cups, just plates, and bowls. I shut the cabinet then move to the second one and take out a glass. I go to the sink and fill it with water then quickly chug the cold water. It's probably because I'm still drunk but this is the purest-tasting water I’ve ever had in my life. I fill it back up then drink the entire cup again. I set the glass on the counter and smile softly. Much better. Would still love some ibuprofen but this will do for now. As I make my way back towards the couch I hear faint singing through the open window. I shuffle over and listen. In the distance is Fluttershy singing a soothing song as she flies to different nests and birdhouses with a sack of presumably bird seed in her hooves. Her voice is beautiful and calming even at this distance. I'm not able to pick out any of the words, not that I could with my ruined hearing, but her voice is still amazing. As I go to get my boots on, kicking myself again for not wearing more comfortable shoes, she finishes up feeding the birds and heads towards a cart on the ground. She sets the bag in the cart then grabs a basket full of fruit and vegetables then flies down to the river. I finish putting on my boots and head out the front door. The fresh air and bright morning sun hit me again causing my stomach to do another flip. This time something is coming up. I quickly run from the door down the bridge and into the tree line. I barely make it into the woods before I lose my dinner and an ungodly amount of moonshine. I slowly stand back up and wipe my mouth. "How much did I drink last night? I don't even know if I won-" I hold my stomach as I heave again but nothing comes out. With my stomach now empty I stand up again. My stomach feels much better but I still have a splitting headache. Step three, find some ibuprofen or equivalent. I spit the last bit of stomach acid into the forest then make my way toward Fluttershy. She has flown away from the river and is heading towards the cart still singing. She sees me walking up the path and waves. I return the wave as she changes course and heads over toward me. "Good morning, Lilly. I didn't think you would be up this early. I hope I didn't wake you." She says as she flies over and lands in front of me. This was the first time I'd seen her fly and it was surreal. Something about seeing an actual horse fly this close just felt weird. "Nah you didn't. The sun did." I offer a smile. "You sleep okay? I hope we didn't get home too late." "I was worried about you but I slept okay once I got you settled in." She smiles back. "It wasn't too late when we got back in. The Cakes cut the party short at about midnight." "Midnight? Damn. Sorry to keep you out so late." I have no idea what her sleep schedule is, but if she's up this early then she's probably in bed early most nights. Unlike me who has always been a night owl. "Oh, it's no biggie. It's been a while since we all partied like that." "Well, I had an amazing time and hope my drunken self wasn't too hard to herd back here." "Not at all. In fact, you were very easy. You stumbled along with me for a while but eventually, I had to carry you on my back.” I laugh a bit at the imagery of me riding a pony. “Must’ve been quite the sight.” She giggles. “I’m sure it was.” =-(+)-= “But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more. Just to be the woman who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door!” I slur sing as we trudge down a dirt path through the woods outside Ponyville. “DA DA DA… DA DA DA! Da-da-da dun-diddle un-diddle un-diddle uh da-da!” Fluttershy fights back laughter as she watches me sing poorly. “What in Equestria are you singing?” “When I’m lone- huh?” I look over at the voice, not able to see much more than a blurry yellow blob in the darkness. “I’m singing 500 Miles by uhhhh…” I pause, trying to remember the name of the band. “The… I don’t know. I can’t remember the name of the band. But it’s a really good drinking song!” I laugh as I trip slightly on a root. Fluttershy quickly catches me before I even know what’s going on. “Do you want me to carry you? I don’t want you getting hurt,” She asks as she helps me stand back up. I look down at her and smile as I try to focus my eyes. “Nah, I’m good. I can walk.” “Are you sure?” “Crystal.” “What?” I blink a few times, trying to figure out what I just said. “I have no idea. How much farther?” I ask as she lets go of me and we start walking again. “Not much longer. Should only be-” “Proclaimers! That’s their name, The Proclaimers!” I unintentionally interrupt her. Fluttershy jumps a bit at my sudden shouting but quickly collects herself. “That’s a very… interesting name.” “A lot of bands just use random words for their names. My band’s name wasn’t much different though.” “You’re in a band?” “I was. I played bass. Wasn’t very good though. We made a demo but didn’t have the drive to continue.” “Aw, that’s too bad. I’m sure you sounded wonderful,” She says as she starts to lean against me. I put my arm around her again, partly to keep her close but mostly to keep my balance. “Eh. If you’ve ever listened to one heavily distorted note being played every five minutes through the cheapest amp at Guitar Center, you know our band’s extended discography.” Fluttershy looks down at the ground, having no idea what any of the words I just said meant. “Neat.” “Assuming we can find my phone or laptop, and it still works, I can play a song or two for you. Though I doubt you’d like it. It’s… rough.” “I’d still love to listen to it. It sounds interesting. I'm not quite sure exactly what you just said, but it all sounds interesting." She smiles up at me. “Well, here’s hoping they work.” I pat her side then trip on a large rock and quickly fall face-first into the dirt. “Ohmygoodness, are you okay?” She asks with motherly concern in her voice as she moves to my side. I roll over onto my back and look up to see her worried face inches from mine. A meme I saw months ago flashes in my head and I lose it, cackling at the picture of a horse saying ‘are u a grass’. She cocks her head a bit at my laughter. “What’s so funny?” I try to wheeze out an answer but can’t with how hard I’m laughing. I reach up and pat her head, trying to show I’m not laughing at her. She seemingly understands the pats and smiles a bit. “Okay, Miss Giggles. Let’s get you home, okay?” Taking my hands away from her to wipe the tears from my eyes, I nod and try to sit up as the laughter dies down. I hold my stomach as a few more snickers escape. “H-holy shit.” I laugh. “I can’t even begin to explain why that was funny.” I laugh a bit again. “But it was nothing at your expense, believe you me.” I giggle a bit and let her help me up. The world spins as I stand up and nearly fall again but she keeps a firm grip on me. “Ooooh shit…” I groan as my stomach does a flip. “Okay. Fun Lilly is gone. It’s now just Sick Lilly. Can we go home?” Fluttershy nods and turns her body towards me. “You can ride me if you’d like. Might be quicker and easier.” Giggity. Oh shut up, brain. I look over her yellow body. While she was still shorter than a horse, she was still tall enough that my feet wouldn’t drag the entire way. “Yeah, alright. Fuck it,” I mumble while I shuffle over and she lays on the ground. I swing my leg over her back and then sit down. She stands up slowly with a quiet groan, clearly not used to carrying someone so heavy. I couldn’t be more than 160 pounds at this point, but I wasn’t going to say anything. “If I get too heavy, let me know.” I lean forward into her neck and wrap my arms around her. I feel her nod and say something but I couldn’t make it out as I drift off to sleep. =-(+)-= “Are you hungry? I can make us some breakfast if you'd like." My stomach answers for me as it growls angrily. We both look at it and then back at each other. "I think that was a yes." Fluttershy giggles and nods in agreement. "I guess so. Let me just get my cart and we can head back." "Hella." I nod and follow her, draping my arm over her shoulder again. She leans against me. "Did I make an ass of myself last night? I got absolutely hammered and don't really remember a lot" I ask as we walk. "Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, everypony loved you. After you beat Applejack in the drinking contest you finished the rest of the bottle and ate over a dozen cookies and cupcakes." "I won? Holy shit." "Mhm. After that, you apologized to Pinkie at least 5 times for being late and going to one of the booths so quickly. But she was understanding and I think she wants you to come by the bakery sometime and teach her what a Dr. Pepper cake is. You said it was something your mom used to make?" "Oh my god. Dr. Pepper cake. I completely forgot about that! She would make that every year on my brother's birthday and it's soooo good.” My stomach growls again at the memory of that delicious cake. "And you gave Rarity a few ideas for clothes you'd like. Do humans commonly wear collars?" I cough nervously. "N-not really. It's more of a… goth thing for me at least" I half-lie, "but other groups might wear them." "Humans sound really complicated." "You don't know the half of it, dude. We make no goddamn sense." I laugh a bit. Fluttershy nods in agreement. "I'm slowly learning that. Oh! And Rainbow Dash said she'll try to come by today to help us find your truck, assuming she isn't too hungover." Still feeling my own hangover, I nod. "I completely get that. I'm still hungover. Hell, I'm probably still drunk. When did we get back here? And what time is it now?" I look up at the morning sun and immediately regret it. The bright light burns my pickled brain. "I don't know the exact time but we left Sugarcube Corner at midnight and it's a bit of a walk to my cottage from there." She shields her eyes as she looks at the sun. "It's maybe eight?" "So maybe six hours of sleep combined with most of a bottle of moonshine and a dozen sweets." I shake my head. "I'm getting too old to be doing shit like that." "Oh no. You two went through three bottles of moonshine. Well, you drank most of the last bottle. So I guess you went through about two bottles." "Jesus. That explains not remembering anything. That's a lot of 'shine," I say as we walk up to Fluttershy's cart. The wooden cart was small and basic but had a half-empty bag of birdseed, numerous empty plates and baskets, and a few loose carrots laying around. Fluttershy walks up to the front and hooks herself into it, clamping the metal O ring around her midsection. "Now we can head back for some breakfast. What would you like?" "Uhhhh…" I think for a moment, still trying to wake up. "I honestly have no idea. Whatever you want works for me." "How about pancakes?" "That sounds wonderful." Fluttershy nods and pulls on the cart. As we make our way back to her cottage I can't help but look at her cutie mark. "So Twilight explained the concept of cutie marks when we first met but I still don't fully understand them. Is it similar to a brand? Or what?" Fluttershy looks over at me and then at her cutie mark. "Oh no. Nothing like that. Once a pony finds out what makes her special, it appears on her flank. My special talent is animals." "Huh. Neat. I kinda wish we got something like that. Would make things a lot easier." "Humans don't have a way to know what makes them special?" "Not really, no. We just… flounder through life trying to figure that out. Some people figure it out, some don't and work a dead-end job till they die." I shrug. "Life seems a lot easier here, not gonna lie." Fluttershy frowns at my comments about human life. "It's not all perfect days here. We still have to work hard. We control the weather, the setting and rising of the sun and moon, and even take care of all the animals. Not to mention all the spooky scary stuff that happens. Like Nightmare Moon, Diamond Dogs, Manticores, and even Dragons. And don't get me started on the Everfree Forest." "Okay yeah. What's up with the whole dragon thing? Spike seems like a decent guy." I cringe a bit at the memory of comparing him to a furry I knew. I wish that one was lost to alcoholic amnesia. "Spike is only a baby dragon. He is still very young and small. Full-sized dragons are massive!" "Holy shit, really?" She nods. "They're terrifying. I had to confront one back when he moved into the nearby mountains. I'd never been so scared in my life." I look over at the massive mountain peaks in the distance then back at Fluttershy. For someone so timid, she was so brave. "I don't think I could do that, to be honest. I've stared down pissed-off bulls and rattlesnakes but nothing like a friggin' dragon. That's just hardcore." Fluttershy gives a bashful smile as we walk past her chicken coop. I look at the different colored birds. "Y'all keep chickens? I thought you were vegans or something?" "Vegan?" "Vegetarian but you also don't eat or use animal byproducts. Meat, eggs, milk, honey, leather, stuff like that." "Oh well um… I guess we're just vegetarians." "So it wouldn't be taboo to ask for eggs with the pancakes?" "Not at all." She smiles as we walk up to a small shed behind the cottage. She backs the cart into the shed and then unhooks herself from it. "Would you mind taking in the birdseed? I'll get the plates and baskets." "Not at all." I nod and grab the half-empty bag. "I saw a few other birds but do you have any crows? I love crows." "Crows are typically more independent but they come by when I leave out peanuts or other food. I'm sure we could get a few to come by." She braces the plates against her side in her wings and takes the handles of the baskets in her mouth. "Leth go." I follow her out of the shed and then close the door behind us. "Right behind you." We walk in through the back door of the cottage and into the kitchen. She sets the baskets on the small kitchen table and then goes to put the plates in the sink. "Would you mind setting the bag in the pantry? Mr. Bluejay likes to be bad and get into it. Even though he knows he shouldn't." She gives a disapproving look over her shoulder at a light blue and white painted birdhouse hanging from the ceiling. "Of course." I walk over to set the bag in the pantry. "Can you also grab the flour, baking powder, and sugar, please? I'm going to get started on breakfast." "Of course," I repeat and search the surprisingly roomy and well-stocked pantry for the requested ingredients. I quickly find them, grab the assorted bags, and walk back out with them. I look up from the pantry door handle after opening the door and see Fluttershy leaning against the counter with her forelegs in the sink quietly humming the same song from this morning. The morning light coming in through the window shines through her well-brushed mane and off her coat, adding a luminescent sheen to them. My heart flutters as I stare at her, unable to take my eyes away. "Wow…" I whisper. Fluttershy senses my stare and looks over her shoulder at me. A blush spreads across her face as she quickly breaks eye contact. "D-did you find everything?" I nod slowly as a cloud floats in front of the sun breaking the spell cast on me. I shake my head and then nod. "Uh y-yeah. Sorry. I did. Got it right here." I awkwardly show the assorted bags in my arms to her. "Perfect." She smiles and hops off the counter, still blushing. "Set them on the counter and I'll get started." She makes her way over to an oven that looks like it's right out of the 1950s and grabs a skillet. I walk over to the counter and set the bags down then lean against it. "What can I do to help?" "While I work on this would you mind checking on Angel Bunny? He didn't eat last night and was a little grumpy this morning." "Angel Bunny?" I cock my head a bit. "Angel Bunny is my pet rabbit. He's been with me for a very long time and helps… keep me on track sometimes." "Oh, okay. I'll go check on him." I shrug and stand back up. I walk out of the kitchen and into the living room I woke up on the floor of. I look around for the rabbit or at least any sign of him. By the front door is a small bed frame with a pink heart carved into the headboard. Tucked into the covers in a small white rabbit, happily snoozing away. “Aww, I don’t want to wake him up…” I crouch down next to the adorable bed and pet his soft head. “Angel Bunny, it’s time to get up now,” I whisper, trying my best to emulate Fluttershy. The small bunny slowly opens his eyes and gives a big stretch. He rubs his cheek and then looks over at me. Fear slowly replaces sleepiness as he looks deep into my eyes then he quickly sprints out of the room and into the kitchen. I frown as he sprints out of the room. “Damn it.” I hear some rodent-like chittering followed by Fluttershy speaking in her soft and motherly voice. "...live here…. not scary… marefriend…" I can barely make out what she's saying, but I swear she said those words. What the hell is a marefriend? It's gotta be their version of a girlfriend. I think about this for a moment and smile softly. "She called me her marefriend," I whisper to myself. My heart flutters again and I soon make my way back into the kitchen. Fluttershy looks up from Angel Bunny, who looks very angry, and at me. "Oh! H-hey! I see you found Angel Bunny." I nod, looking down at Angel. He's hiding behind her foreleg but is peeking his head out. "I did. I guess he's a little cranky. I don't like being woken up either." She just nods in agreement and then looks over at the stove, changing the subject. "How many pancakes would you like?" "I feel like I could eat a dozen, so let's just go with three for now." "Okay." She nods and turns to the stove, making sure not to step on Angel Bunny while he continues to hide behind her leg and give me the stink eye. I pull out a chair from the table and sit down. "Thank you for making breakfast. I was getting sick of hospital food." "Of course. I don't get to make-" A knock at the door interrupts Fluttershy. "I got it," I say as I stand up. "That must be Rainbow Dash." I nod and make my way to the door. I open the short door and look down at the tired mare in front of me. She looks just as ragged as I'm sure I do. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." "Hey, Lilly. I see you're hungover too." I nod and let her in. "Yeah. Struggling this morning. Is Applejack okay? I uh, don't really remember last night." She walks in and I shut the door behind her. "Last I saw. And I'm not surprised. You two really put some back." "So I hear. You want some pancakes? Flutters is making some right now." "Pancakes sound amazing right now." We walk into the kitchen and Rainbow Dash sits at the small table. "Hey, Fluttershy." "Good morning, Rainbow Dash. How are you feeling?" Fluttershy asks as she moves a few pancakes to a pink plate. "Exhausted. Hungover. Sore. Y'know, the usual." "You really should take better care of yourself." There's that motherly tone again. "Yeah yeah. I've heard it all before." Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes and leans back in the chair. "After breakfast, are we going to the Everfree Forest to get your stuff?" She asks as she turns her gaze to me. "That's the plan," I reply. "I really appreciate you helping us with that, by the way." "No prob. Not our first foray into the Everfree. Know it like the back of my hoof at this point." "I remember Nurse Snowflake briefly mentioning it. What's the deal with the forest anyway?" "It's full of scary stuff, for regular ponies at least. Plus our friend Zecora lives there, so it's not all bad." "Zecora?" "She's a zebra. Really weird pony but she's cool enough." "Huh. Y'know, now that I think about it, there's a really interesting overlap between our worlds. We have ponies and zebras and chickens and stuff, but none of them talk." "Weird." Rainbow Dash looks a bit too hungover to really care about the intricacies of our worlds but Fluttershy is listening in while she flips a pancake. "Do humans take care of animals like I do?" Fluttershy asks. "Kinda? There's some people that work stuff like rehabilitation centers but not like… all wild animals. They fend for themselves, for the most part. Those that aren't pets, at least." "What do you consider pets?" "Dogs and cats are the most common. Some people keep birds, rodents, and fish. Stuff like that. Though farms have cattle, chickens, goats, and even horses. No lions, tigers, and bears though." "Oh my," Fluttershy says softly. "Those poor animals." "They do fine," I say with a shrug. "Our world is built around survival of the fittest. Those that can take care of themselves pass on their genes. Except for humans. We all try to take care of each other." Fluttershy nods softly and turns her attention back to a pancake she burnt. Rainbow Dash and I make small talk as breakfast is prepared. "Okay, everypony. Breakfast is ready!" Fluttershy calls out as she lifts a large plate of pancakes. She walks over and sets it on the table. Rainbow Dash and I quickly pile them onto our plates as Fluttershy goes back to grab a plate of scrambled eggs and a pitcher of orange juice. "This looks amazing, Flutters. Thank you." I smile at her as the new dish and pitcher are set on the table. "Thank you, Lilly. I never get to cook for anypony else, so enjoy." Rainbow Dash picks up the pitcher and pours us all a glass. She raises her glass for a toast. "To new friends. Among other things." "To new friends!" We all toast and dig in.
