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// 00 - Prologue 
// Story: Do It For Her 
// by Cxcd 
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“Thank you for your help today, Miss Fluttershy!” The old stallion exclaimed. He trotted with a bounce in his step, head lifted high above. “I don’t rightly think I’ve seen the foals warm up to anypony faster than you! It’s almost a miracle!” He gushed.
“O-Oh, um- it was no problem. Really, Doctor Sunshine.” She said quietly and sweetly, hiding behind her long pink mane, creating an artificial curtain from the rest of the world.
Doctor Sunshine was an Earth-pony. He looked like he was getting on in his years. His coat, that one point might’ve shone like the sun, had dulled over the years into a graying dark yellow. His black mane had began it’s slow descent into the whiteness that hair did. His Cutiemark was a stack of building blocks, either being built up or falling over. Bags dragged under his eyes, giving them a hollowed and bony look. But, despite the aging, creaking bones, and longer naps, he still wore a soft exuberant smile. He was a stallion on the cusps of retirement, and it showed.
The Pegasus next to him was a mare named Fluttershy, none other than Ponyville’s resident animal expert. Much like the stallion’s, her coat was a bright yellow. She was young, as apposed to the Doctor. Her mane flowed elegantly, almost touching the unusually clean and kept wooden floorboards. It created a safe space, one that she was currently utilizing as she was in the terribly unfamiliar environment. Her Cutiemark was a picture of three butterflies, giving herself the unique talent to communicate to animals.
“I’m serious!” He said, laughing something sharp and raspy, reminiscent of a smoker’s lungs full of mold. “Most ponies I’ve seen come through the orphanage can’t deal with the amount of foals. You? I’ve never seen a pony juggle like that before!”
“Oh- um- I don’t know how to juggle…” She admitted sheepishly. The Doctor merely cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at the Pegasus. Fluttershy noticed the silence, giving a quick peek at the stallion’s gaze. “Oh, I mean- no- thank you, Doctor.” She looked back at the floor, blushing in embarrassment. They were walking down one of the many wings of the orphanage, doors winding on either side of them infinitely.
She was far from her comfort zone. Ponyville didn’t have an orphanage due to it’s relatively small size. The closest orphanage geographically was Canterlot, a place that Fluttershy had been many times before. But, as a sort of vacation,she decided to mail an application to the Manehattan’s orphanage under a temporary volunteer's position for a week. They were happy to let Fluttershy help, and so without a second thought, she left for Manehattan. Alone.
Looking back she decided it was a terrible, no good, horrid idea.
Of course, she couldn’t deny the smiles on the foal’s faces made her anxiety dissipate that little bit extra. A pocket of air in a sea of harsh waves. But the problem with being in a sea of harsh waves and small pockets of air- you’re still drowning.
She forced the blush to exit her face. Blinking hard and looking back up to Doctor Sunshine. She was about to ask a question, when behind the Doctor’s ear, she spotted a door.
There were an infinite amount of doors, even more per floor. Finding a door was nothing big. As a matter of fact, in a place full of doors, a single door wasn’t anything even significant.
Except, for the fact, that every door that belonged to a pair of foals was completely decorated head-to-hoof in decorations. One door full of pink party streamers with the name Bright Spark and Mustang. The next door had a hoof paintings of a sea landscape with little crabs and dolphins.
That's why it stood out.
It was completely bare. Not a speck of party streamers, blue paint, or crabs anywhere on it. On the chalkboard reserved for the names of the foals was blank. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t even evidence the sign had anything ever written on it in the first place. At the bare minimum, there would’ve been a white smudge of afaded name. That would’ve at least signaled the fact the room was open for another foal.
But there wasn’t. It was an unassuming door. And it was odd in a place full of unexpected happiness.
It took Doctor Sunshine a moment, but he soon realized he was no longer being followed. He stopped, turning around with a raised eyebrow and finding the yellow Pegasus in the hall. She was staring at the door. The only piece of signage being a small bronze plate that said Room 6. Almost instantly, he recognized the door, sucking air between his teeth as a blight of panic twisted in his chest.
“Miss Fluttershy?” He asked. When the pony kept staring at the door, he raised his voice above an inside level. “Miss Fluttershy?” He repeated. This time, she suddenly became aware that she had stopped walking, and with another flushed blush, she began walking forwards again.
She got a total of two steps before she stopped again.
“Um- if you don’t mind me asking, that is- um- who’s in there?” She asked, nodding her heads towards Room 6. Doctor Sunshine cringed, shying away from the mare. He rubbed a hoof over his temple.
“It’s not important. There’s another group of foals waiting in the lounge-”
“No, I think it’s important.” Fluttershy said loudly. The Doctor looked taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening at the sudden increase in volume from the Pegasus that had barely talked above a whisper the whole time. She shrinked back into her mane, mouthing a quiet sorry.
The Doctor stared for a moment. His eyes shrunk into a voiceless glare as he stared at the Pegasus. She kicked a hoof idly at the floor, pretending not to notice the hole he was currently beaming into the top of her head. She looked up when she heard him give a hearty, raspy sigh.
“Room 6.” He said, his demeanor changing into a slightly more reserved and closed off pony. His jubilant eyes seemed more cold and closed off as he reminisced. “Scootaloo Blazer. Ten years old. Pegasus filly. She’s-” He coughed. “She’s a special case.”
Fluttershy cocked her head to the side at the word special.Her heart gave a little flutter.
“Well…” She swayed her body towards the door, still looking at the stallion. “Is she in there?”
“She doesn’t like to come out…” He admitted. “We’ve tried… several therapists.” He awkwardly cleared his throat, diverting his eyes. “She’s… had a hard life, to say the least. She’s probably seen more than any adult should. She doesn’t like many ponies… if any at all.”
“What do you mean she’s had a hard life?” Fluttershy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I-I really can’t explain.” He steeled his resolve, his face becoming stoic and unreadable, like a statue. “I’m asking you to follow me. You should just- wait, no!” He shouted suddenly. Fluttershy had turned towards the door, reaching her hoof out to knock. Before he could even begin walking forwards, she did just that. She knocked.
…
Nothing. Doctor Sunshine had one hoof forwards, his mane suddenly sticking out at awkward angles as he held a crazed look in his eye, mouth held half open in a perpetual silent scream. She just gave him a questioning gaze as she turned back to the door, putting an ear forwards.
“Scootaloo?” She asked through the bare wood. “Is it alright if I come in?” She listened intently. There was a sudden shuffling in the room, the sounds of papers being ruffled, and then silence. As if a switch was flipped, something in her gut told her something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. Like a calm before a huge storm. Against, or rather with her instincts, she turned the door knob and let the door swing inwards.
The first thing that surprised her was drawings.
The walls were coated with them. In an unexpected reverse of the blank door leading into the room, every square hoof of the room was covered in paper. There were two tall windows towards the back of the room, leading a view out into the street below. But even they were hard to see out of, as the pane of glass had been completely coated in papers of one color, randomly spread across. It gave the sunlight pouring into the room a distinct and quite creative hue of reds, blues, and purples. It was a little bit like the stained glass found in Canterlot’s Castle.
Every other foal’s room in the orphanage was a two-pony room. Sometimes special cases fit even more into a single room, like triplets, or special requests of friends. Usually, it was two beds on opposite sides of the room, one for each foal. Instead, in this room, it seemed the usual two bed design was forfeited for a one bed, one desk design, which was quite unusual. The desk was full of papers and crayons, even bits of the wood grain itself having crude drawings of ponies running down the length.
A desk, a bed, drawers, and a few shelves…
But where was the pony of the hour? Where was Scootaloo? The room was completely desolate, asides from Fluttershy herself.
“Scootaloo?” She asked, walking further into the room. She accidentally stepped on an unfinished drawing, accidentally kicking away a crayon, watching it as it rolled away. Doctor Sunshine stepped into the room a few moments later, an almost scared expression on his face, peering around the room inquisitively.
“Miss Fluttershy..?” He asked, looking at the drawings on the walls. “You are amazing with foals, but…” He let out a small laugh at the apparent very familiar room. “We’ve had Equestria’s top foal psychologists in to try and help Scootaloo. We’ve done everything, and… well, she just wants to be left alone, okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Fluttershy absentmindedly nodded along, peeking around a corner of the desk. Her head turned to the side as she watched the crayon she had kicked roll under the bed, then strangely enough, roll back out from under the bed.
“We’re gonna-” He swallowed his dry spit, feeling his throat tighten with every word. “We’re gonna just stop. Stop trying. She- she made her choice, and she wants to be left alone, and we’re gonna let her. She had her help, and it didn’t work.”
“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked, peering under the bed. “Come on out, it’s alright.”
From under the bed, she could barely make the outline of a small filly. She was scrunched up against the wall, her back perched in a flight-or-fight like response, her large magenta eyes darting back and forth between Fluttershy, the door, and Doctor Sunshine.
Her heart twisted as she saw the sight. She had to deal with scared animals before. It was almost a daily occurrence, but never, never, had she been looked at by another pony with the same fear and destain that animals could hold. What could’ve hurt a pony this bad? No less, a filly?
“Miss Fluttershy, we should really leave-”
“I-If you don’t mind…” She started sweetly, turning to look at the stallion. “Leave.” She demanded, her voice gaining a darker tone. The stallion looked like he wanted to argue, but merely shut his mouth, once again swallowing the little built up spit as he turned around and bolted from the room. Right as he was closing the door, he let out a sigh.
“Just- don’t expect anything, okay?” He said, latching the door shut on it’s hinges.
And then there were two.
It suddenly hit Fluttershy that, although she was good with foals, she wasn’t very good with damaged foals. What exactly did Doctor Sunshine mean when he said she had a hard life? Was this an abuse victim? Homelessness? Mental condition undefined? What exactly did she plan to solve by being here for the better part of a day?
And why did she even care? Who was this foal to her?
Fluttershy tilted her head to the side, getting up and walking back towards the center of the room. She stopped, stumped for ideas. It was obvious Scootaloo liked drawing… so… lets draw!
She crossed the distance to the desk, grabbing an idle white sheet of paper, completely blank on both sides. She let it flutter to the floor beneath her, making sure to lay it completely flat on the floor, smoothing out any wrinkles that happened to develop on it’s journey down. Fluttershy found the discarded crayon that had caused this in the first place, then gripping it with her wing, began to draw.
What to draw? How about herself? The crayon was red, but it was probably good enough. Like she was a foal again, she began tracing out a pony’s body. Every once in a while, the crayon would catch on a divot in the floor, creasing the paper unexpectedly and giving the path an unexpected jut every couple centimeters.
Fluttershy, for her credit, didn’t do a terrible job. Even for a few minutes, she began getting really invested, almost loosing herself in the process of drawing a sketched pony. She thought about grabbing different colored crayons, but decided against it in fear of accidentally peeving off the lonesome filly in the room. Her drawing wasn’t exactly elementary school level, but it wasn’t exactly art student level either. Somewhere in between a sketch- like one a certain fashionista might use to began rough drafts of a dress or suit. Because of the red, the drawing didn’t look like her. Merely a pony with her hair, and due to the blunt tip of the red crayon, her Cutiemark came out as three- maybe two- blobs of color.
She set down her crayon, properly taking a step back and observing the work she had put into it. Perhaps it was a bit too much work for the end result.
It wasn’t too much longer when a second pair of hooves joined in. It was unexpected, startling Fluttershy as the small filly was sneaky. Scootaloo laid down, and began to draw too.
Now was the time to observe her. For the first time, Fluttershy was getting a full view of the filly, and not just her magenta eyes. She had a bright orange coat that seemed almost impossibly well groomed. Her mane was purple, but strangely enough, was cut short, a little bit like a buzz cut. If she didn’t know better, there was a serious chance she would’ve called her a colt by accident.
But in the back of her mind, she distinctly remembered Doctor Sunshine calling her a ‘Pegasus Filly.’ Which was strange, considering-
Oh.
There they were. Right on the crook of her back were two impossibly small wings. They didn’t even take up half of the space of a regular filly’s wings. Most Pegasi had a multitude of feathers, being secondaries and primaries. Secondaries grew back, even if it took a few weeks to do so, while primaries didn’t grow back until Pegasi’s molting cycle, which could take an entire year to do so, as molting is seasonal.
Scootaloo’s wings- well, Fluttershy wasn’t even sure if she had any primaries. To the untrained eye, her wings looked just like a combination of idly placed secondaries, completely unable to lift her off of the ground.
Worry struck through the elder Pegasus. This could’ve provided a little bit more insight into the filly’s apparent ‘hard’ life. And Fluttershy didn’t like what her brain was suggesting.
Fluttershy blinked, swallowing her concern for the filly and flashing her a soft smile. The filly, if she saw, didn’t say anything. She instead continued to draw using a box of crayons Fluttershy didn’t realize she had until now. The filly used her hooves, maneuvering different colors to draw on the paper. Fluttershy looked down at the paper, observing her work.
She was using a dark red crayon to draw brick buildings. Tall, monolithic structures. The drawing didn’t contain any perspective, instead being just 2d and flat. It looked almost depressing, but that might’ve been just because Fluttershy grew up in the cities of Cloudsdale. All she knew were open skies and the occasional clump of structures that made up a suburb. Not boring, old, and limiting brick buildings. Perhaps she was biased, perhaps not.
Fluttershy thought this impromptu play date was going quite swimmingly. Apparently, Scootaloo felt comfortable to not immediately dart back under the bed. All she drew was a landscape, buildings and wild and unkempt looking clouds, that unfortunately cut directly across Fluttershy’s own blobby drawing of herself.
Scootaloo set the crayon back down, and looked up at Fluttershy.	
There was… something there. A glint in the eye. Was it… hope? Sadness? The staring only lasted for a few seconds, before Scootaloo looked back down, pushing a crayon idly with her hoof.
“Do you like drawing?” Fluttershy asked. Scootaloo’s only response was a quiet hum.Fluttershy didn’t know what that meant, but decided not to push. She nodded her head, smiling. “You’re very good at it.” She ventured again. Scootaloo hummed once more.
Scootaloo stood up. Fluttershy decided she didn’t dare move to break this young filly’s trust, instead watching intently as she trotted towards a nearby wall. She gripped a piece of paper with her teeth, careful to not salivate on the wax, and pulled it off the loose-fitting tape that held it there.
With that same spark in her eyes, Scootaloo approached Fluttershy, sitting down in front of her and showing her the drawing.
The drawing was that of a plate of food. Perhaps hay fries. Not Fluttershy’s first choice for a healthy meal for a developing filly, nor as a treat for it wasn’t exactly hitting the top shelf of sweetness. Fluttershy just gave a half-confused smile, looking at the Pegasus.
“It’s very pretty.” She observed. Scootaloo, between the paper in her mouth, smiled slightly. Scootaloo laid the paper on the ground, directly atop the old drawing, and pushed it forwards. Fluttershy looked at it, not daring to say something to break her trust. But, eventually, the silence extended too long. “For me?” She asked. Surprisingly, Scootaloo nodded.
“Thank you!” She said with a smile, picking up the paper. “I’ll- um- hang it on my ice-box!” Scootaloo beamed, diverting her eyes to the side.
Just then, the door clicked open.
“I should’ve probably warned you, she doesn’t like-” Doctor Sunshine stopped, his head peeking in. His words died right in his mouth as he stared at the scene, Scootaloo out from under the bed, with Fluttershy clutching a drawing to her chest. He tilted his head, opening the door fully. Fluttershy observed as Scootaloo’s smile died. “Well, I’d never!” He whispered mostly to himself.
“She’s very good at drawing.” Fluttershy complimented while standing up. Scootaloo didn’t react, only reading the grain of the floorboards below her.
“Yes- um- like I had said before… um… she’s a special case.” He pawed at the floor, suddenly looking nervous. “Would you- I understand if you don’t want to, as you live far away, but-” He looked up, meeting her eyes. “Would you mind coming back for her? You’re the only pony whose gotten this far, and I don’t want to ruin the opportunity.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay.” She said, waving a hoof. Scootaloo’s head popped up, looking at Fluttershy with wide eyes. “I really don’t mind coming back.”






Much to her animal-sitter’s delight, taking a trip to Manehattan once a week didn’t seem nearly as insane as it had a few months prior. It suddenly became a constant in her life, and more than not, something to actually look forwards to doing, as Scootaloo’s own happiness suddenly became front and center in her mind. Like her friend, Rarity, this was like a spa day, in some ways. A day to destress. This was Fluttershy’s spa day.
Speaking of which- her friend, Rarity, had gladly agreed to come along for the weekly trips. Apparently not only to expand her clothesline, but also as a method of relaxation. Rarity’s eyes practically exploded out of her head when she saw the amount of nearby spas in the tourist’s travel brochure.Thankfully, Rarity was happy to oblige Fluttershy’s privacy, as unfortunately, Fluttershy hadn’t yet disclosed to her the nature of her trips. Perhaps Rarity thought she was seeing somepony. She wasn’t exactly wrong, but just not in the same way Rarity thought.
This week, they chose a hotel that was apparently owned by Sapphire Shores. Whether this went past her name on the hotel, they weren’t sure. But the interior and modern amenities certainly felt like it was owned by Sapphire Shores. Rarity was at the top floor, lavishing in the supreme-spa service that made Ponyville’s feel borderline barbaric in nature.
While Rarity was probably having her shoulder blades removed forcefully, Fluttershy was trotting through the iron-clad gates that lead to the orphanage. Somehow, the intimidating red brick walls that made up the orphanage’s visage somehow gained a more friendly appearance that made the place feel more welcoming than it had during her first visit.
Like the last several visits, she nosed open the door to the main foyer. The sound of screaming foals playing filled her ears as a group of them ran directly in front of her. Fluttershy took a moment to let the chaos pass before walking towards the front desk. There, like every other visit, was a blue unicorn ponying the front desk.
“Fluttershy!” She laughed. “You don’t have to keep asking for a visitor’s pass! You practically work here already.”
Despite her words, Fluttershy still wore the lanyard around her neck and set off down the same hallway. She followed the same path, same familiar rooms, and paused for a moment to wave at a group of four foals that were amicably chatting by Room 30’s door.
Once again, she knocked twice on room six’s door. Once again, there was no response. Once again, inside, Scootaloo was at her desk, scrawling at a drawing intensely.
The filly was very non-verbal, to say the least. Although she had warmed up even more since Fluttershy had begun visiting, she barely said anything. The most she had done was hum to herself while drawing. She hadn’t said a peep outside of that. Not a yes, no, thank you, nothing. Not a word. Her version of talking seemed to be reciprocated in gentle hums. Even more worryingly was the fact she didn’t like to be touched physically. The closest Fluttershy had come into contact would’ve been helping her out of cabs around Manehattan on many of their trips around. That, and tucking her into bed at night. Outside of that, the filly had kept a healthy gap between them. Fluttershy didn’t mind, because really, if Scootaloo was happy, Fluttershy was happy. Simple as that.
Fluttershy sat down on the bed, letting herself sink into it’s plush surface. A moment later, Scootaloo set down a crayon, gripping the piece of paper in her teeth and jumping down from her chair. She trotted towards the bed, proudly displaying her drawing.
“For me?” Fluttershy asked, looking at it. She did appreciate Scootaloo’s drawings. As a matter of fact, her ice-box at home had become covered in them. Every time this happened, Fluttershy adored the personality gushing from it. Her drawings weren’t always about physical objects, but sometimes just random shapes and lines that made no coherent sense.
A somewhat recent addition, however, was a certain yellow Pegasus being added to her more grounded in reality drawings. There was a definite difference between pre-Fluttershy and post-Fluttershy. It became a sort of where’s Waldo of Fluttershy origin.
Fluttershy grabbed the drawing, holding it close to her chest, a genuine smile forming over her lips.
Then, a familiar pony walked through the doors. Almost immediately, Scootaloo turned around and scampered back to her desk. It wasn’t that Fluttershy didn’t like Doctor Sunshine. She just didn’t like that Scootaloo didn’t like him, which in turn made Fluttershy not like him. Fluttershy’s gaze hardened as she set the paper to her side, staring at the stallion.
“Excuse me, Miss Fluttershy.” Doctor Sunshine said. Scootaloo glanced at him for a second, already beginning on a new drawing. “I’ve been… meaning to talk to you.”
“Sure.” She said surprisingly harshly. Doctor Sunshine didn’t seem to notice, however, as he just glanced around the room.
“I don’t think you really… realize what you’ve done for Scootaloo.” He let out a nervous laugh. “I think you’re rubbing off on her.”
“Oh, really?” She asked, leaning into her mane. “What do you mean?”
“Take a look around.” He trotted further into the room, letting the door latch onto it’s hinges. This might’ve even been the furthest he’s been into the room in months. He waved a hoof at a drawing, and Fluttershy almost scoffed.
“I’m in a lot of her drawings.” She said obviously.
“Yeah…” He rubbed a hoof against his wrist, looking a little nervous. “Yeah, about that…” Something in the tone of his voice made Fluttershy sit up a little straighter, a pain of concern latching through her front chest as she tried to read the stallion.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, suddenly afraid.
“I think Scootaloo has made up her mind. I don’t mean to talk to her, but…” He turned to look at Scootaloo, whose ears were folded down as she tried her hardest to ignore the lumbering stallion. “She hasn’t been this attached to anypony… ever.It’s like she sees something special in you, Fluttershy.” Scootaloo stopped her crayon right in it’s path.
“What are you talking about?” She asked, her voice wavering.
“It might not be my spot, but… I think you should seriously start considering.”
“Consider what.”
“Consider adopting her.”
Scootaloo let the crayon drop from her hoof as she turned to look at the two ponies, a little gasp escaping.
The world stopped. Life started to slow, and Fluttershy could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She didn’t care she was staring like a fool, but she did not just hear what she heard. Fluttershy slowly turned to look at Scootaloo, who expectantly looked back. It was that same glimpse. That same spark in her eyes. One of hope. Pure, actual unadulterated hope.
It killed Fluttershy to break away from her.
“C-Can I think about it?” She asked. Scootaloo looked betrayed, suddenly whipping her head back towards the drawing. The stallion sucked air between his teeth.
“Of course-” Before he could finish talking, she dashed out of the room.






Rarity wasn’t bored.
Actually, far from it.
If somepony were to intrude into the luxurious hotel suite, all they would see was a white-coated unicorn with gorgeous purple hair laying idly on a hotel bed, a wet washcloth draped over her eyes as she merely existed in the space.
That was what was on the outside. On the inside, she had quite possibly one of the most dazzling spa experiences she had ever had. It was like every molecule in her body had been reassembled at the perfect frequency to make a pony whole again. Yes, it cost her about six times more than it would’ve costed the Ponyville spa, but she couldn’t deny the results. Personal trainers, hooficures, and a healthy dose of mud. She was perfectly at zen.
That was, until the hotel room opened.
“Oh, Fluttershyyy!” She yelled out, her vision still blocked by the washcloth. “I’ve just come back from the spa! Oh, I simply must tell you all about it!” She gushed, still laying on the bed. She heard the noise of dainty hoof steps come from the hall, and then stop.
Suddenly, Rarity was overcome with an uneasy feeling. Rarity furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly realizing the compromising position she was in. What if that wasn’t Fluttershy? What if somepony just walked in? Especially in one of the big apples like Manehattan! “Fluttershy?” She asked, pushing herself up with one hoof and removing the washcloth.
When she opened her eyes, it definitely was Fluttershy. Just…
“Dear, is it just me, or do you seem a little pale?” She asked, suddenly full of concern. Her fur was jumbled up around her eyes, and Rarity instantly recognized it as a sign of crying. “Dear, have you been crying?” The Unicorn’s eyes suddenly shot open as Fluttershy began warily wobbling on the spot. In a matter of moments, she let her perfectly hooficured hooves pound against the floor, leaning up against the almost fainting Pegasus.
“Dear, dear!” She said, holding a hoof around her withers. “Come! One of the beds is right here!” With an awkward heave, Fluttershy found herself in a very similar pose Rarity was in not ten seconds before, her hooves splayed to the side, and belly facing upwards.
Rarity observed the Pegasus for a second, tapping her hooves concernedly on the ground. In the corner of her eyes, she spotted a sink. A quick a-ha moment later, Rarity levitated a clean glass over, using her magic to turn the faucet and pouring water.
“Here! Drink some of-” She stopped, suddenly noticing how the water had come out gray from the spout. She let out a frustrated sigh, dumping out the cup and cleaning it with a rag. That’s what she got for renting a hotel in the district of Flint. Instead, she levitated a bottle of water from the fridge, pouring it into the cleaned cup. A clean bottle of water. “Here, take some water.” She some-what suggested. Fluttershy pushed herself up with an elbow, taking the glass with her hoof and drinking.
“I know it isn’t minty chocolate chip ice-cream, but it’ll do in a pinch!” She said, sitting down on the opposite edge of the bed. “Now- tell Rarity what’s the matter.”
For a moment, Fluttershy considered lying. What would be the harm in saying nothing?
Well, the harm in saying nothing was the fact that it wasn’t nothing. It was, so far, the biggest something of Fluttershy’s entire life. It was the kind of something that threatened to uproot her entire life, and change her directory permanently. Fluttershy just let an exasperated sigh, setting the drink on the end of the nearby nightstand. She had to be truthful.
“I-I haven’t been very honest with you.” She said, her voice wavering terribly.
“About what?” Rarity asked, leaning forwards.
“About… coming. Here.”
“Oh, pish-posh, darling!” Rarity waved a hoof, looking to the side. “I already know!” Fluttershy sat up quickly, her eyes opening wide. How? How did she already know? “You’ve met a dashing stallion!” Oh. “I’ve been there, darling. Break-ups only get easier with time.”
“N-No.” Fluttershy said quietly. Rarity’s ears perked up, looking at Fluttershy with a confused glance.
“Oh?” She asked. “Then why have you been coming here?”
“I…” She swallowed her spit. “I have been seeing a pony…” She admitted, rolling over onto her side, putting a hoof between her head and the mattress, her hair draping over her like a blanket. “I-I’ve been visiting the orphanage.”
Rarity gasped, looking up, and somehow, already knowing exactly how this was going to end.
“And- there’s a filly.” Despite her somberness, she let out a little laugh. “She’s a really great filly. But- she- or- her caretaker wants me to… adopt her.”
“Oh, dearie me!” Rarity quickly levitated the previously discarded towel from nearby to her forehead, dabbing liberally. “Is it just me, or did it get a little humid in here?” She cleared her eyes with her hooves, putting the towel down on the opposite bed. “You did say adopt, right?”
“Yes!” Fluttershy sobbed. “This is why I’ve been coming here!”
“Oh- Oh, wow!” Rarity swooned on the bed. “This is- this is some big news, Fluttershy!” She let out an unlady snort, slapping a hoof against her head. “I thought for sure Pinkie was going to be first!” Fluttershy ceased her sobbing, turning to look at Rarity with a confused face.
“What?”
“To be a parent, of course!” She laughed again. “I always thought it would be Pinkie. I guess my bits were on the wrong pony.” She giggled. “Oh, you know how much of a party-animal she can be sometimes.”
“Y-You don’t mean-” Fluttershy eeped, turning back over and grabbing a nearby pillow and pushing her face into the plushy surface. Rarity blushed, clearing her throat.
“You obviously seem split up about the issue.” She noticed the soggy pillow Fluttershy was crying into. “Why are you split up, dear?” Fluttershy sniffled harshly.
“I can’t be a mother!” She shouted into the pillow. She came up for air, hugging it tightly to her chest. “I-I can’t deal with- I- I don’t even know what foals are supposed to do! What did I do when I was younger?” She laid flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “I guess I stayed inside a lot. Like her.” She played with her hair, twirling it with a hoof. “I wasn’t exactly the most healthy of ponies back then…”
“Well…” Rarity shrugged, standing up and trotting off the bed. She trotted to a nearby window, tapping the glass that gave a grand view of the entire city. Fluttershy looked on in confusion. “Nopony is saying you have to be a parent. It’s your choice and your choice alone. If she trusts you well enough to adopt her, then I imagine she would be content being around you.”
“W-What are you saying?” Fluttershy asked.
“What I’m saying is…” Rarity sighed, still staring out the window. “I can’t make this decision for you. I’ve been in a similar situation.” She dropped her voice. “With Sweetie Belle. I’m probably the most qualified pony to talk to you about this.”
“Y-You’re her sister, though.” Fluttershy argued. “It was an easy decision! T-This filly isn’t related to me at all!” Rarity sucked air between her teeth.
“It was not easy.” She said, sounding almost threatening. “I can’t make this decision for you. This is your life, not mine.” She tapped a hoof to the glass again. “Did you know Cloudsdale is hovering near Manehattan this month?”
“Is it?” Fluttershy asked.
“Indeed it is.” She tapped her hoof again. “Fluttershy, where do your parents live?”
“C-Cloudsdale?”
“Interesting.” She nodded. There was only silence, only broken up by Rarity’s occasional tapping.
“You think I should talk to my parents?”
“Well, I do think they deserve to know whether they will be gaining a granddaughter.” Rarity smiled, looking up at the clouds in the distance.
“A-Alright.” Fluttershy let out a huge sigh. “I’ll go talk to them.
“There you go.” Rarity smiled. “Let the fun begin.”







“Nimbus, dear, could you get the door please?”
“Of course, honey.” Nimbus said, folding up the newspaper and sliding it into the crook of the armchair, between the armrest and cushion. He stood up, letting his old bones creak and stretch. He shook, trotting over the wispy surfaces of their cloud house’s floor. The Shy household didn’t get many visitors. The only visitors were predominately Pegasi, as the house itself was a mere six-thousand feet in the air. Outside of the post-pony, the last visitor ever had to be Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy’s old friend.
The turquoise Pegasus took a few moments to reach the entry way. He straightened the collar on his blue sweater, smoothening out his pink mustache, and taking a deep breath. Before opening the door, he caught himself in a nearby mirror, polishing his swirly mane cut. Then, with the confidence he built up in front of said mirror, he swung the door open with a bright smile. Only for his smile to fall into a genuine one.
“Fluttershy!” He said, stepping back excitedly. “Come in, come in! It isn’t everyday we get visitors!”
Fluttershy tentatively stepped into the interior. It had been a long time since she had last stepped on these very same clouds. Perhaps the last time had to of been when she left for flight camp. Outside of that, she drew a blank. Years of living on the ground had made her ill-adjusted for the sinking properties of the surface. She almost found it difficult to walk on the surface, which was strange considering she was a Pegasus. Yet she couldn’t deny the homely feeling of stepping back into the place she once spent every day in.
Each unaligned bit of wall gave hear a hearty dose of nostalgia. Through most of her childhood, she stayed inside due to her health. She became very accustomed to the unchanging scenery. Her only friend, Rainbow Dash, kept her plenty of company. Although the blue speedster would never admit it, her brash and sometimes coltish personality took a backseat while she was over.
It was only until she was older was she able to go outside. Of course, Flight Camp might’ve not been the greatest place for somepony like her as her only real outside experience. Most days at Flight Camp, she wished she was right back inside. She only went for Rainbow Dash. That was until she discovered her Cutiemark. Then, for a good few years, the concept of being inside was a foggy memory from the past.
It took her an embarrassing amount of time to realize that yes, ponies needed walls and ceilings, and no, she couldn’t live out in the white-tail woods forever.
She felt a little guilty for not visiting her parents more often. Maybe if she did, she would’ve never met Scootaloo. Maybe if she did, she wouldn’t have even been going through this moral crisis, and instead just responded with a resounding no. Would that have been better for her? If it was so easy to say no, then why was she so torn up about it? Did she already know the answer?
Right now, unfortunately, all that mattered was her mother was pouring a cup of tea.
“So.” Posey asked, sitting down and sliding a cup of tea across the table. “How’s that Angel bunny of your doing?” Fluttershy took it, blowing on the hot liquid and smiling.
“Thank you, mom.” She said, sipping. “He’s doing wonderfully.”
“What brings our oldest here, huh?” Nimbus came around the sofa, leaning into his armchair and wearing his best expensive smile. “Not that we don’t like your visits, of course, but they’re uncommon.”
“O-Oh, of course.” Fluttershy said, shuffling uncomfortably on the sofa. How would you even begin to bring up the topic? ‘Oh, hey, parents, I am going to give you a grandfoal!’ No, that wouldn’t work. Fluttershy cleared her throat, clinking the teacup against it’s plate. “I-I just had a few questions. N-Nothing big.” Fluttershy muffled herself by forcefully pushing a teacup to her mouth.
“Well…” Posey looked at Nimbus with a curious expression before looking back. “What is it?”
“Uhm…” Fluttershy set her teacup back down, shuffling again. She took a deep breath. Posey picked up her own drink, sipping at it’s surface. “What made you two decide to… have me?”
What Fluttershy did not expect, however, was her mother to snort her tea, having the brown liquid shoot involuntarily out of her nostrils as she started coughing.
“What?!” Nimbus said, perhaps the loudest he had ever shouted.
“Fluttershy got knocked up!” A new, fourth voice said from somewhere upstairs. Nimbus shot a warning glare through the clouds.
“Zephyr!” He shouted.
“No!” Fluttershy waved her hooves irradically, accidentally pouring a little bit of her tea onto the coffee table. “L-Let’s calm down, everypony! I’m not pregnant. Nopony is pregnant!”
“Eugh…” Posey sniffled, dabbing a napkin against her muzzle. She breathed in deep, trying to get her heart rate back down. “H-Have you found a dashing stallion? You don’t keep in touch with us very well.” She replaced her drenched napkin with a clean napkin. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“N-No.” She put her head down. Maybe she should find a stallion. That honestly might’ve made this whole ordeal easier. “I-I’ve been helping out at an orphanage…” Her parent’s faces shifted into one of understanding. “T-There’s a filly who- who want’s me to adopt her!” Fluttershy let a tear stream down her eyes, wiping it away with a hoof. “She’s sweet, but I’m scared! Really, really scared!”
“You didn’t think we were?” Nimbus almost instantly responded. Fluttershy looked up in surprise at her father.
“Oh, we were terrified!” Posey laughed. “You were our first! We could prepare as much as we wanted to, but at the end of the day, raising a foal isn’t anything you could expect in a million years.”
“Raising a foal isn’t easy.” Nimbus said. “It didn’t help when you were always sick, and we didn’t know why.” His voice lowered somberly, letting a shiver go down his spine. “I-I really thought we were going to loose our first daughter for a few nights, and we had no idea why. It was half relieving when the doctor told us about the autoimmune-thingy.”
“If you want to raise a foal, it isn’t going to be easy.” Posey nodded, agreeing. “I mean, I would like a grand-foal.” She let out a smile as Fluttershy blushed. She leaned forwards, whispering. “And I don’t think Zephyr is going to be giving us any time soon…” The two laughed again. Posey grabbed her hoof, holding it close in between them. “If you want to do this… we will always be there for you. Always.” She squeezed her hoof. “But if you’re going to do it, don’t do it for yourself. If you’re going to do anything, promise us something first.”
“What’s that?” She asked quietly. Nimbus took a step forwards, smiling too.
“If you’re going to do it, do it for her.”
Fluttershy stared up. Suddenly, she knew her choice. And it scared her.






Fluttershy creaked open the door. She was gone longer than she wanted to. Now, the sun had begun setting below the horizon. The room was desolate, the lamps turned off, and the sun no longer shining through the plastered window. Through the silence, she heard the quietest of sniffling.
Her heart melted as she observed the lump beneath the covers. She had done this. She had made her sad, and it tore her to pieces. Quietly, she walked in, latching the door shut behind her. Scootaloo already knew she was here, suddenly quieting down her sniffles into almost inaudible deep breaths. Fluttershy cringed, stopping for a moment.
This was it.
Deep breath in…
Deep breath out.
Fluttershy sat at the edge of the bed, near the lump in the blankets. She let her hooves dangles off of the surface, staring down at the floorboards below.
“Hey…” She whispered into the blank room. “I-I’m sorry for leaving you earlier…” If Scootaloo heard, she said nothing. “I-I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better…” She sighed, looking at the motionless lump.
Slowly, she set a hoof down on her back, rubbing up and down.
“I’ll do it.” She said simply.
There was a moment of silence.
Scootaloo turned around in her bed, taking the blankets off her head and staring at Fluttershy through red eyes.
“I’ll take you with me.” Fluttershy said. “I-I may not be the… most qualified pony in the world. I-I don’t know what I’m doing, really, but-” Fluttershy was cut off when suddenly, her barrel was encompassed in a hug. Scootaloo had her eyes shut tight as for dear life, she held on.
Fluttershy hugged back, and for perhaps the tenth time that day, began crying.