//------------------------------// // Somites // Story: Midwife Crisis // by starshine_dash //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Somites Would anyone shoot me if I just started numbering them after this? The two mares gradually finished their late breakfast, discussing subjects from school days to what their jobs entailed. It took about an hour for them to finally complete their respective meals. Once they were done, they placed a small pile of bits on the table, despite having been told that the food was on the house. As they left the café, Fluttershy spotted a group of familiar ponies approaching them from behind the crowd. The yellow mare's countenance went from cheerful to crestfallen upon seeing Twilight emerge from the crowd, towing Rainbow Dash behind her on a small lead. The two were silent for the most part, only responding to Pinkie when they felt it was necessary. The hyperactive pink pony was given the other four a dissertation on the proper ratio of ingredients in the perfect cupcake when she noticed Fluttershy out of the corner of her eye. "Fluttershy! Oh my gosh I heard you had to use The Stare on somepony and that it was the greatest thing anyone had ever seen and- " she was cut off by Applejack shoving a hoof into her mouth. Despite the obstruction, she continued to emit sounds as if she were still talking. "Settle down, sugarcube. Ah think Shy knows what she did," AJ said, shushing Pinkie and turning toward the pegasus, "So ah heard you done stood up for a marefriend? Good fer you, sugarcube," the earth pony said with a smile before leaning against Rarity lightly. Fluttershy remained quiet, glancing at Rainbow Dash and Twilight before nodding at AJ with a shy smile. Derpy, for her part, decided to keep her mouth shut. She could feel the awkwardness and regret pouring off of the three quiet ponies. She looked around with a small smile and had no idea what she should do in this situation. "So, Dephina, darling!" Rarity said to break the silence, walking up to the grey-coated pegasus with a smile, "I haven't seen you at the shop for any maternity wear yet! Don't tell me you're not going to have at least one outfit for fancy dress later on?" "Oh, hi, Rarity! I've been really busy and don't usually go to many parties anyway..." "Nonsense, dear! Come by the shop later, I have this absolutely wonderful fabric that I think will go great with your coat." "O-okay," Derpy said with a smile, before looking worriedly at Fluttershy. Her eyes wandered between her companion, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash. She couldn't help but wonder what had gone on between the three. Rainbow Dash was looking down, and her eyes were glazed over slightly, unseeing. There had been some kind of accident the pegasus had been in, and hadn't been on the weather team for some time because of it. Finally, Rainbow spoke, "Shy, I know you're there... I can smell your shampoo." "H-hi Rainbow... I... You're up and about again, that's good... I hope... I mean... I'm sorry for what happened..." she blurted out at last, nuzzling her friend on the neck softly to let her know she was there. Dash shied away from the nuzzle, retreating closer to Twilight, "I know, Shy. I... I don't regret what happened... We're both alive, that's what matters..." "I-I know, but if I... If I'd listened to you..." Twilight took the opportunity to interject, "We all did what our hearts told us we had to do that day, girls. Let's just... try and enjoy the day, or did you forget we were all supposed to go to the spa today?" Fluttershy blinked and looked between the rest of the gathered ponies, "That was today? Oh my, I had completely forgotten! Are we... still on for that?" Rarity scoffed and shook her mane, "Of course! We're all still friends, aren't we? Sure... things are a little different, but this is group spa day. The only day we could all agree we could all go. We are not missing this!" she said with vigor, raising Dash's limp tail in her magic, "Rainbow Dash especially needs it, she hardly ever gets out these days." "Let go of my tail, Rarity," The blue pegasus said, looking in the unicorn's general direction but unable to pinpoint her exactly yet. Rarity let go and began to walk toward the spa with AJ in tow, "Come along, darlings. It is time we were pampered!" "Y'all best come along... She ain't gonna take no fer an answer today..." the farmer said, rolling her eyes and following her marefriend. Fluttershy sat in the mud bath between Derpy and RD, at a loss for words. She wanted to chat with the pony that she was falling for, but she also wanted to apologize to the pony she had fallen for years ago, literally. Until her brain caught up with her heart, she just sat there in silence. Twilight was discussing the finer points of growth magic in farming situations with Applejack, who kept telling her friend to tone down all the science stuff. Rarity was listening politely to Pinkie Pie, whose gesticulations were sending mud all over the room. Derpy's attention was split between enjoying her first ever "real" mud bath and worrying about Fluttershy. Taking matters into her own hooves, the blonde-maned mare turned to her close companion, "Shy... " she said as quietly as she could and still be heard, "Are you alright?" Fluttershy jumped a little, restrained mostly by the viscous mud surrounding her, having been lost in her own little world for a moment, "Oh... I... I'm fine, Derpy..." she said, smiling unconvincingly. "Well, if you want to tell me about it later, I'll listen," the concerned mare said, smiling reassuringly. The spa visit passed with relative ease from then on, and everypony looked more relaxed and felt better than they did when they entered. It was due to the twins Aloe and Lotus distracting them expertly whenever the mood fell below a level that could be considered conducive to relaxation. As the crowd of ponies exited, they all smiled as best they could, save for Dash, who had no idea what was going on with anyone's face. "Well, darlings, don't we all feel sooo much better after that?" Rarity said, absolutely beaming with energy. Everyone else nodded in agreement and the party gradually broke up with Pinkie promising everypony to hold a "Fluttershy has a marefriend" party that weekend. Fluttershy looked helplessly at Twilight for something to tell Dash, and only got a helpless shrug and a sad smile. "Time to go home, Dash," Twilight said, picking the other mare's lead in her magic and tugging slightly in the direction of her library, "It was good to see you again, Fluttershy..." "I... I'm glad you're both doing alright... considering..." the pink-maned pegasus replied, watching them leave with tears in her eyes. She turned toward the side of town her house was beyond and began to walk. Derpy trotted along next to her, amber eyes lined with worry. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Shy?" she asked, nosing her friend's mane with care. "I... It's really complicated. To put it... simply, I owe Dashie my life... and she sacrificed hers to save me. Twilight saved her, but now the poor filly can't see. She's been grounded ever since... The worst part is... It's all my fault," the yellow mare said, flopping down on her haunches, sniffling, tears falling from her nose onto the soft grass. "I... I had no idea, but I'm sure it's not your fault... Let's go home, we can talk more there," The other pegasus said, helping her companion to her hooves and encouraging her to finish the trek home. When they arrived, Fluttershy poured her heart out to the mare, telling the story of how Dash had lost her sight between sobs. It was late in the night before Fluttershy stopped crying enough to sleep. Even then she began to have nightmares, crying out and moaning in her sleep. Down the hall in her own room, Derpy lay awake with concern. Nodding to herself, she stood and crept down the hall to her hostess' room. The poor filly was shaking in her sleep, face scrunched with fear and sadness. Sighing, the pregnant mare climbed onto the bed and lay next to her friend, wrapping her legs and wings around her, cooing softly and whispering into her ear, "Shshsh, it's okay, you'll be fine, sweetie. It's all going to be alright," she repeated, over and over, until Fluttershy's face softened and the shaking stopped. With one final twitch of a leg, the yellow mare finally seemed to be sleeping peacefully, cuddled up as close as she could to Derpy. A smile crossed the grey mare's lips as she kissed the pink mane in front of her, thinking to herself, Just like my muffin... before nuzzling in to that silky mane and dozing off herself.