//------------------------------// // Part 5 // Story: Setting Her Heart Aflutter // by Hivemind //------------------------------// Ow...ow...ow...ow... Not even in your dreams could you escape the pains that overtook the right side of your body. With each new heartbeat, you felt the your own veins push up against your body. It was agonizing to say the least. Wonder what it takes to get some painkillers around here... But wait a minute... Did the pain just...vanish? And what is this warm feeling on your chest? A towel? A blanket perhaps? Yep, definitely a blanket. But wait... Crying. You could hear somepony crying. You? Nonono it couldn’t have been you. You felt their tears fall onto your neck. No but seriously, who was crying? Because it was starting to get slightly annoying... “I’m sorry...I’m just so sorry...” Wait a minute! You knew that voice. It was the voice of...her! You slowly open your eyes and find yourself staring up at the ceiling of somepony’s home. You lay in a soft, comfortable bed with a blanket pulled over your body. You turn your head left and right until your eyes fell upon Fluttershy, who was crying at your side, her tears falling onto the bed which then slide down until they touched the side of your neck. As soon as Fluttershy caught eye of you looking at her, she gasped in amazement and lept towards you. She grabbed your neck and held you in a tight vice as her tears continued to fall. “You’re awake! Oh thank Celestia you’re awake!” she gripped your neck even tighter. “I thought I would lose you! I was so scared!” she said in between sobs. Her tears continue to fall onto your neck. You had to give her some relief of your own. Slowly but surely, you move both of your tired front legs behind her neck, hugging her gently. Eventually, someone had to break the hug. Fluttershy slowly moved back and looked into your eyes, a look of panic and grief still beset on her tear-laden face. Her eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying and you could see grey, wrinkled bags underneath them. Clearly, she hasn’t gotten any sleep. Suddenly, you felt a soft length of fur brush against the opposite side your face. You turn your head away from Fluttershy to find that Remi was laying on a small pillow next to you. He was rubbing against the side of your head while at the same time trying to curl around your neck. You manage to put on a little smile at your pet’s sight of affection. You kindly nuzzle your ferret to let him know that you are fine and well. You turn back to Fluttershy and saw that she was smiling as well, even though she still had a few stray tears on her cheeks and her eyes still glistened with the light from the room. “R-Remi came to my house last night and warned me about how intense the storm was getting over at your house. I-I w-was worried, so I f-followed him through the rain to check to see if you were alright. But when I got there, I saw you on the ground and...your house was on fire...and y-you were b-bleeding and...” Her lips began to quiver and she started to sniffle. You reached over and laid a hoof on her shoulder. She slowly looked up to you as the first tears started to fall. “Please Fluttershy, please don’t cry. You and Remi saved me. Without you, I probably wouldn’t even be alive right now. Your kindness and caring for others is the only reason as to why I’m still here, at your side. Please don’t cry anymore Fluttershy. I can’t bare to see you this sad...” As she continues to sniffle, you reach down and take up one of her hooves , keeping it in place with both of your own. You delicately start to rub it in an attempt to calm her down. Your technique started to work, for her look of sadness started to dumb down into one of relief. Her frown turned into a soft smile and her eyes showed a look of understanding. “Ok...” she whispers silently. You smile and bring your hooves back underneath the blanket. “Is there...anything I can do for you? Are you still in pain?” she asks. “Not right now, thanks to you of course...” Actually, you were still in great pain, but you didn’t want to make her worry again. “But would you mind if I had something to drink? Being unconscious for a while has kinda taken it’s toll on my throat...” Fluttershy slowly backed away and started walking towards the door. As soon as she left the room, you turn your head to face Remi. Your pet was curled up against the side of your head, sleeping soundly. It put good feelings to your soul knowing that your own pet was looking out for you, always standing by your side through thick and thin. Remi’s ears twitched once, then they twitched again. His eyes shot open and his head moved towards the open door. He stood up and arched his back. He bared his teeth and furrowed his brow. You wonder as to what could be making him angry all of a sudden, until you felt something jump onto the bed. You look at the far end of the bed to find that there was a small white bunny holding a roll of bandages it’s tiny arms, of whom you immediately recognized as Angel, Fluttershy’s bunny companion. Angel was also staring Remi down. Whenever Angel moved, Remi moved, a strong sense of territorial feelings hanging about him. You glared at your pet with an annoyed look. Remi glanced back at you and saw your look of disapproval. He backed off and hid behind your mane. You feel slightly guilty for having silently scolded your pet. You try to coax him out. “I’m sorry Remi. I didn’t mean to scold you like that. Come on out. It’s ok.” Remi did as he was told. He crawled out from hiding and sat beside you, still silently staring at the rabbit from across the bed. “That’s Angel, Fluttershy’s bunny friend.” Angel smiled and waved to Remi, but he didn’t budge. Slightly annoyed at his resistance to be friendly, you decide to up the anty. You lightly push him in front of Angel. His attempts to resist confrontation have failed when he finds himself staring Angel directly in the eyes. He turns back to you for assistance, but you shake your head and smile. You gesture and roll your hoof towards Angel, who already has his arm stretched out and his palm open in a handshake. Remi hesitates for a moment before outstretching his own arm and shaking hands with the white rabbit. Angel smiles and releases Remi’s paw. He hops over to you and sets the bandage roll down beside your head. He then hops off of the bed and then hops towards the door, before stopping and waving over to Remi. He keeps waving while at the same time pointing his other arm out through the doorway, beckoning the ferret to follow him. Remi turns his head to you for approval. You smile and nod your head. Remi’s face perks up with happiness. He then jumps off the bed and scurries out through the door with a newly found friend at his side. It warmed your heart to see Remi make yet another friend like he did almost everyday. “Awww...” you heard a soft voice, angelic voice cry out. Fluttershy was standing in the hallway and looking in the direction where Angel and Remi ran off to. She happily trotted into the room, somehow managing to balance a glass of water and a small bowl of soup on her back, and sets both food and drink down on the nightstand next to the bed. She lightly grips the water glass between her hooves and offers it to you. You accept the glass and drink heavily from it, savoring every last drop, then you pass the empty glass back to her. She places the glass back on the table, then grips the bowl of soup and sets it down in front of you. Words could not describe how heavenly the watery concoction smelled. You slowly take the first sip, then another, and another. Three small gulps in and already your taste buds felt like they were in heaven. “This tastes amazing Fluttershy!” You healthily take another sip, “Thank you for making it.” Fluttershy put a hoof over her mouth and giggled. “You’re welcome.” You finish off the last of the soup and pass the bowl back to Fluttershy. “Did Angel come by and drop off a roll of bandages?” Fluttershy asks. “Yup. I think he set them down right...there.” You point to the bandage roll next to your pillow. “What are they for anywa-...oh...” You remember your grim injury from last night, recounting every detail from start to finish, right up to you passing out in pain on the ground. “Oh...yes. I uh...when Remi led me to you, I saw that awful gash across your chest. It was awful, just awful. I carried you back here and disinfected the wound. After that, I rubbed a special solvent on the wound to nullify whatever kind of pain you must have been in. I didn’t have any bandages at the time, so I had to use an old sweater to cover it up.” Fluttershy took the bandage roll in her teeth and walked over to the opposite side of the bed. She gently lifted the blanket off of your body, revealing a dark patch of dried up blood coating the bedsheets. The sweater wrapped around your body was even more soaked in the red liquid. You winced in disgust at the sight. You wonder as to what Fluttershy must have felt when she had to mend your wound. Fluttershy also looked disturbed when she saw all of the blood that soaked into the bed. “Oh...my...” She pulled the entire blanket off of the bed and laid it down on the floor. Very gently, she unwrapped and removed the sweater that covered your wound and laid it in a wooden basket next to her. She turned away when she got a second look at your wound. It was neatly stitched up and there was no sign of infection, but blood still oozed out through a few small crevices. “Sorry about this, but I have to cover up this wound. Without the proper wrappings, even with what I have done already, it may still become infected and the wound won’t heal. Not to mention that you have lost a lot of blood as it is.” She gives you a quick once over, then she unravels a small length of the bandage gauze and puts the tip of it to your wound, earning you a strong sting of pain. Fluttershy also winces at the sight of your suffering. A single tear starts to form underneath her right eye. “It’s alright Fluttershy. I’m fine. So long as you’re here to care for me, I have nothing to worry about.” You gently reassure her. She smiles at your words and begins the process of wrapping the gauze around your torso, stopping at some points so she could signal you to roll over to wrap up the other side. It was painful, but you couldn’t care less. You had nothing to fear when she was at your side. After a long and painful medical session, you roll onto your back and look up at the yellow pegasus above you, who was sighing deeply with relief. Your entire torso was patched up and the pain was mostly nullified. You wiggle around to get back some of the feeling that was lost from laying in bed all day. Not even a wince. You lean back into the pillow, all worries gone from the world, a feeling like none other, and it was all thanks to one of the most kind and caring ponies to ever exist. “Thank you Fluttershy, for everything...” “You’re welcome. It always feels great to help a friend.” Fluttershy gently hugs your neck, and you hug back. When the moment of affection ended, Fluttershy grabbed the blood-soaked blanket and placed it in a basket next to the bed. She then walks over to a nearby closet and pulls out another blanket, which she then drapes over your body and tucks the sides of the blanket underneath you, wrapping you in a sheet of soft, clean warmth. She then moves to the nightstand and places both the empty glass and bowl onto her back before turning back to you. “Is there...anything else you need?” she politely asks. “No thank you Fluttershy. I feel amazing after everything you’ve done.” You look at the clock hanging on the wall behind her, then you look towards a nearby window and take note of how dark it was getting. “I think I’m just going to get some rest. You should probably do the same. You must be exhausted after everything that has happened today.” Fluttershy looked like she was about to protest, but instead, she just smiled and started walking towards the door, but before she left the room, she stopped and turned around and started walking back to your side. When she stopped next to you, she gently planted a soft, warm kiss on your cheek. Your cheeks flare up with a deep hue of red as your mind slowly takes in what had just happened. Fluttershy cupped a hoof over her mouth and giggled for a moment before leaving the room, blushing and smiling all the way. You lean further back into your pillow, your eyes still wide in disbelief and a few drops of bashful sweat accumulating on your brow. No other feeling in the world could ever compare to what you had just felt moments ago. Feeling more content than you have ever felt before, you pull your blanket closer to your neck, close your eyes, and fall into peaceful, tranquil slumber.