Superfluous

♪ 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.