There was a loud ring in my throbbing head. I opened my eyes and saw a bright light shining down on me. I had no idea where I was, my vision was blurry, and I felt achy all over. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head was too much.
"Easy, easy." I heard a familiar voice say. I looked over to where the voice was coming from and could just barely make out his spikey mane.
"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm the Doctor. You're in a hospital being treated for a concussion and multiple bruises. I've managed to hide most of the bruises, but the concussion was more than I could handle with where we were." he said. I let out a groan as my head sent another sharp pain through it. "Tell me, what was the last thing you remember?" he asked me.
"Well..." I said, thinking. "I was with Rainbow Dash and we had just gotten to my house for a sleep over. I think we just finished Oranges to Oranges when some officers walked in." I said. "Next thing I know I'm here."
He nodded his head. "Do you remember what happened to your dad?"
I thought for a little bit. "He died." I said calmly.
"Does that bother you?" he asked.
Without thinking, I said, "Not really." I realized my mistake but it was too late to correct it.
"So he did hit you?" he asked. "Multiple times?" Slowly, I nodded my head. "I'm sorry. It's not easy living with parents like that." he said.
"It's fine." I said quietly.
He walked over to me and sat next to me on the bed. "Do you remember what your mother did?"
I felt the bruises all over me and was able to put some pieces together. "Did she hit me?" I asked.
"Yes." he said. "Did she normally hit you?" I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes. He pulled me in for a hug and I winced from all the bruises around me. "Oh, sorry about that." he said, letting go.
"No no, it's fine. I don't get hugged very often..." I admitted.
"What about Rainbow Dash? Doesn't she hug you when you're in pain?" he asked.
"Not usually. She's more of a tomboy than anything else so hugging isn't something she really does often." I said.
"Oh, I see." he said.
A thought ran through my head. "Do the doctors know why I'm here and what my mother did?" I asked nervously.
"Don't worry about it. I told the doctors that you were having a panic attack and passed out." he said.
I let out a sigh of relief. "Good."
He looked at the clock and stood up from the bed. "Well, I should probably go see if she's here or not. The doctors won't know what she's talking about if she goes in asking for Fluttershy." he said and walked out of the room.
"Go see who's here?" I called to him. He was already out the door and didn't respond. I sighed and laid my head back on the bed. My head still hurt, but it wasn't throbbing. I looked out the window and saw the sun in the sky. It was beautiful. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. Except five minutes later, I heard the sound of birds chirping. I opened my eyes and found them perched on the window sill looking at me.
"Oh, gosh. You guys are so cute!" I said with a smile. They flew in and landed next to me and on my outstretched foreleg. I sang them a five note tune and they sang it back to me almost perfectly. I smiled at the sound of them. They were graceful and peaceful. I sang another seven note tune and they followed suit. I giggled as they sang. It was amazing.
Then they started singing for me. They sang a tune so peaceful and graceful that I didn't feel any more pain in my body or head. It was magnificent. "Fluttershy!" I heard Rainbow Dash exclaim at the door. She sent the birds scattering in different directions as they tried to figure out who shouted.
"Oh my. It's alright little friends!" I said, calming them down. "She's a friend too." They flew down and landed next to me as I sang a five note tune.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" she asked frantically.
"Yes I'm fine." I said, letting a bird nestle itself into my mane.
"Then why are you in a hospital?" she asked.
"Well, after my mom yelled at me, I started having a panic attack. They brought me here to recover and get away from it all." I lied. I lied to her simply because I didn't want her to worry about me. I know I'm small and pretty helpless, but I didn't want Rainbow to worry when I felt fine now.
"I'm glad you're okay." she said, sighing in relief.
"Her mother's been taken into custody. She'll be fine now." the Doctor said.
"Wait, how'd you get to my house? You're not a Pegasus so how could you walk on clouds?" Rainbow asked.
Clouds? She lives on the ground like me. I thought. The Doctor smiled at me. "Spoilers." He walked out of the room, leaving Rainbow and I alone.
"Um, Rainbow?" I asked. "What did you mean your house being on clouds? You live on the ground."
"Oh, well you see...he won it in a bet!" she said. "You know how he is."
"What did her bet with that would equal a house in the clouds?" I asked. They had as much as I did, maybe even less.
"He didn't say. Nor did he say who he won it from." she said.
"Oh." was all I said. I didn't know who would bet a house on the clouds as a bet. It was almost like they didn't value it at all.
"I'm sorry I left you. I should've stayed and done something." she said.
"Oh no!" I exclaimed. "I'm glad you left. If you hadn't you may have gotten hurt! I don't want you to be injured. Especially if it's because of me."
"Still doesn't mean I should have left you. You're my friend. My mom told me that friends and family are everything. She says we need to stay together and stay loyal no matter what. And I consider you part of my family." she said. "I swear to you, Fluttershy, I will not leave you hanging when you need me."
I smiled. I never felt like someone cared for me. All of my life I've only experienced being yelled at and bullied because of how shy and defenseless I am. "Thank you Rainbow. I've never been part of an actual family." I said.
"Well you do now." she said. "You have a place to stay after you get out?"
I shook my head. "The nurses say I have to stay here until they say I can go. But after that, I have no idea where I'm going to go." I said. With my mom in custody and my dad dead, I didn't have a place to go to. I could go back to my cottage, but I don't think I could after what happened.
"Well that shouldn't be a problem. You can live with me!" Rainbow Dash said happily. "It'll be like we're having sleepovers forever."
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose." I said. I didn't want her parents to have to take care of me along with Rainbow and her brother. They were hard on money as it was and I didn't want to add to that burden.
"Don't worry about it! Remember, you're part of my family now!" she said, poking me.
I smiled. I didn't want to be alone after what happened. And she was the only pony I was comfortable with. "Well, I guess I could stay for a little bit." I said smiling. "Thanks."
"No problem." she said. She stayed with me for as long as she could. We played games and I taught her somethings about my animals. But then the nurses came and told her it was time for her to go. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fluttershy!" she said as she was led out of the room.
"Okay. See you then." I said, sad to see her go. She was the only one who could make me smile after what happened. The Doctor came in soon after Rainbow left. I was a little surprised to see him. I thought he would be out talking to my mom about what happened.
"Hey, Fluttershy. How you feeling?" he asked.
"A lot better now." I replied.
"I take it Rainbow Dash helped you with that?" he asked.
I nodded my head. "She's a really good friend." I said.
"Only friend from what I've heard." he said.
Ouch... I thought as I took a breath and looked down.
"Sorry, sorry, that was rude of me." he apologized.
"It's fine." I said quietly. "It's true I don't have many friends."
"Neither do I." he said sitting down on the chair. "I try to avoid other ponies. They tend to get hurt when I'm around."
"Then why aren't you avoiding me?" I asked.
"Because you are in danger still. You're mother is being very uncooperative." he said.
"But if she's in the police's hooves, then how can I be in danger?" I asked confused.
"Your mother mentioned something about a return of vengeance. Nothing she says is making sense, it's all gibberish, but the police believe that you are still in danger."
"Well, what do you think?" I asked.
"Doesn't matter what I think. I'm not in charge of the police force. Only a helper." he said.
"Oh." I said.
"Oh but it doesn't matter what I am. Only that you're safe." he said.
"I guess so."
"Anyways, you need to go to sleep. You've had a rough day." he said, standing up.
I gave a light laugh. "You could say that."
He smiled. "I've got guards posted outside here to make sure you're safe." I nodded my head. "Good night." he said, turning off the lights.
"Good night." I said. He left and said something to the guards. I couldn't make it out, but I was too tired to care. I placed my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. Today had been a good day.
I think I can finally move on with my life. I thought as I slowly drifted to sleep.
I walked through a dark hallway. I didn't recognize this place, but I had a feeling that I needed to continue through this weird place. "Hello?" I called out. "Please, if you can hear me, answer me!" I exclaimed. I heard something fall from across the hall. I didn't want to go down there, but something made me walk down there. I had no idea what it was, but I felt myself being pulled to it.
"Hello?" I called out again, moving towards a narrow opening. I looked through it as I got closer. I could see a door with a giant sign that said, 'Exit.' I was so happy to find my way out. This place was starting to creep me out and I really wanted to get out of here.
I squeezed through, trying to make it past. Somepony grabbed me from behind and pulled me close to them. "Little pig." the mare said.
I jumped awake, my eyes wide open as I stared into my mom's eyes. "Hello there, darling." she said with a menacing smile. I tried to scream, but she had covered my mouth. "Oh hush now. Nopony can hear you." she said smiling.
I started crying. It wasn't any voice that I had heard in my dream. It was hers. "What? Surprised to see me?" she asked. "Oh, please. That stupid Doctor doesn't know who he's dealing with." she said, taking off the tape that covered my mouth.
"How are you here?" I asked scared out of my mind.
"I'm a lot more tactful than you could imagine. You don't even know who I truly am." she said.
"But how? The Doctor said he put guards here."
She pulled a necklace out from her dark hooded costume. "This. It allows me to pass ponies without being detected. The guards he placed are complete morons anyways. Just like you." she said, putting the necklace away. "I just want to let you know, that you are going to be seeing a lot of me lately."
"Why? What did I do to you?" I asked as she placed a hoof on my wing.
She smiled. "You ruined all of my plans. But don't worry. I'll return the favor." she said, flipping me onto my stomach. "This is for my husband." she said, snapping a bone in my wing. I let out a heart wrenching scream. "And this," she said, putting her hooves on my other wing, "is just because I can." She snapped it, laughing as I screamed in agony.
"Please stop!" I exclaimed. She pulled something out from her pocket. I recognized the sound of it as it made a low hum. "Where'd you get that?" I asked, feeling my wing start to mend a little.
"What? You think the Doctor is the only pony with a sonic device?" she said.
"Why are you healing me?" I asked.
She laughed at me. "Healing you? Are you stupid? Ha! Of course you are. I'm just making sure that you can still fly. Will you be able to fly as weak as you could before? No. You'll be even slower, even weaker, even more pathetic. You'll get worse as you get older while everypony else gets stronger." she said.
I cried out again as she hit my wings. "Why are you doing this to me?" I asked in pain.
"Don't worry. You'll forget I was ever even here." she said, and hit me in the back of my head, knocking me unconscious.