Superfluous

♪ 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?