Fluttershy watched as Twilight carefully arranged a photo of her two long-dead parents on the shelf of her own new dresser. She had moved to her new house only a few hours ago, and Twilight decided to volunteer out of kindness... or the fact that she had been the only one to accept Fluttershy’s request. Fluttershy only had clunky hooves and a clumsy mouth, she would also get scared at the slightest thud of a picture hitting the shiny wooden floor, while Twilight had her magical horn which glowed powerfully each time she gracefully set a frame or itty-bitty cup down.
Fluttershy had asked Rarity before Twilight to help her move in, as she had guessed that Twilight would be too busy as she always was. Rarity had quickly shut the door, however, only saying a vague, “Oh, no no, Fluttershy, darling! I’m much too busy to be prancing around helping a pony with working hooves move tiny things around! I have to draw all the dress sketches for when you come over later!” Fluttershy had been sad and a little crestfallen but quickly moved on to the next pony with a tiny frown.
She then asked Applejack, who also declined the offer as quick as a whip. “I’m sorry, Sugar cube!” Applejack had replied, her face tensing a tad. “It’s zap apple season, and you know them apples! Always, heh, zappin’ ‘way much too fast! Though, you could help me with ‘em! Come over when y’all are good an’ ready, Hun!” Applejack had slammed the door, causing a breeze that had blown Fluttershy back a little, her frail wings catching the wind.
With much reluctance, Fluttershy walked to where Rainbow Dash’s house was generally positioned. She was now down to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Twilight would be last, not only because she was typically busy, but also because even Fluttershy couldn’t stand her “nerd outs”.
The little pony had decided to go to Rainbow Dash, not wanting to get the terribly loud Pinkie Pie when she could have collected the high-flying mare.
Rainbow Dash had immediately screamed a short, “What?!” and whipped the door open before Fluttershy could even begin to withdraw her hoof from the door. Rainbow Dash seemed to look a little rueful that she had screamed at the helpless Fluttershy, but quickly snapped back to her regular, easily irritated self.
Fluttershy explained at the loudest tone she could, which was just above the sound of a light breeze blowing through the spring trees.
The second after Fluttershy stopped talking, Rainbow Dash was back on her hooves. “Nope! I’ve gotta train and get ready to become one of the Wonderbolts! Unless, of course, you wanna watch me in the afternoon?” Rainbow Dash had smiled sincerely, a little slyness also surfacing through the genuine mouth, but she shut the door after Fluttershy hesitated and began to nod her head.
Pinkie Pie had immediately opened the door, poking her head out and smiling, her naturally candy coated lips only hairs from Fluttershy’s ear. Fluttershy had stumbled back a little, acknowledging that Pinkie Pie wasn’t going to move back and was about to scream into her delicate ear after the pink pony opened her mouth.
“What’cha need, Flutty? You wanna have a party?”
Fluttershy had coaxed a small, “No.”
Pinkie Pie had still continued, asking her over and over again a million questions in several different ways within record time.
Knowing she would get nowhere any time fast, the winged mare had sighed then walked away, allowing Pinkie Pie to keep yelling random questions after her.
Fluttershy then asked Twilight, who had, surprisingly, accepted the offer and then came over quickly.
“You know, Fluttershy...” Twilight interrupted Fluttershy’s constant stream of saddening thoughts and memories, talking in her usual smart pitch and tone. “I have always wondered why you are so shy. I mean, I’ve met plenty of shy ponies, but none more shy than you! It saddens me that you’re even shy to your friends...” Twilight continued to levitate a tiny tea cup, one of the final items of the batch, but her pitch had slowed and saddened.
“I know what you mean but... we’re all different... you know?” Fluttershy spoke quietly, wanting to kick herself in the rear end for not being able to speak louder. Fluttershy knew why, or at least a little bit, but she never told others why she was so shy... unless they were going to die for it, but that was just an over exaggeration; why would Fluttershy kill any living creature?
“I know...” Twilight sighed, lifting the final picture of Fluttershy as a small filly and her proud, winged mother and father framing the sides. It was a picture that held Fluttershy’s true aura, which was cheery and flashy, at least, next to her family members. Fluttershy looked odd, standing next to the picture that was the exact opposite of her current self. She never was like how she was back then, not quite.
“Whelp... all done! You don’t have to thank me for the help, by the way, I am glad to!” Twilight smiled her cute, tamed grin.
“Bye, Twilight...” Fluttershy tried smiling, too, but the smile never reached her eyes, leaving the two blue pools looking empty and hollow.
Twilight gracefully marched her way to the door, opening it with her horn to not have any trouble. “See you, Fluttershy... and if you can tell me why you’re so shy, please do so. I’ll really listen,” Twilight said genuinely, smiling a little to comfort Fluttershy.
She fluttered her little right wing to wave, and after Twilight left, sighed a little.
A single tear dropped from Fluttershy’s little eyes. “I can’t though, Twilight... I feel so alone...” she quickly got back up, looking around the empty house. Not even her little bunnies or birdies knew Fluttershy’s secret.
The young mare then went outside, looking to the bright morning sun. Fluttershy didn’t like talking when there wasn’t a pony around her. Her animals counted as normal ponies to Fluttershy, and she always liked to sing them a lullaby or chat with them, which was usually her talking and the animals reacting with little giggles or cute grins. Sometimes Fluttershy even gossiped with them by telling them little stories. Fluttershy would also read somewhat inappropriate magazines to her “terrible” female bunnies or chattering squirrels and birds that would soon go off to tell their friends before night.
Fluttershy strolled off to collect the little rabbits and birds from her old house, singing a little in between the trips back and forth. The sun had gone down after Fluttershy had gotten all the animals back.
Finally, Fluttershy settled into her home for a while, looking to the sun that had barely just started to reach the center of the sky. Fluttershy was one of the first ponies to get up, but the other ponies were pretty quick at rushing up out of their beds too. Fluttershy’s friends also were one of the first of the herd to get up; Rarity for her silky dresses and designs that needed to be attended to or she would “lose her touch”-- as she called it; Applejack, especially on zap apple season for obvious zappy reasons; Rainbow Dash for her all-day training; Pinkie Pie for her yummy desserts and cakes; and Twilight for her sweet Princess Celestia and her books that she always read and never seemed to run out of.
Eventually, the winged pony was done chatting with her animals, which was mostly gossip today because her pretty bunnies needed some information from Ponyville. Fluttershy was finally done reading the new magazines that had just come in-- which was all over Equestria’s Next Top Pony, Moonbeam, who was as pretty and as pale as the moon’s light with her deep blue mane as dark as the sea-- and got up to go outside for today’s rounds.
The sun was only a little past its center point as Fluttershy set out to Ponyville, which was half a mile away since she had moved.
An odd male pony with an hourglass for a cutie mark nodded towards her, saying nothing. Word from her friends was that his nickname was “Doctor Whooves” from some odd source that everyone but Fluttershy knew about. She tipped her head a little, her lopsided pink mane falling a little to the front as she did so.
Fluttershy stomped her hooves gracefully as she went to Rarity’s pretty house that was more like a mansion. Rarity had told her that she needed to come to her house on Saturday-- which was today-- or Rarity herself would die.
“Oh, lovely! My little Fluttershy has finally arrived for my latest new dresses!” Rarity greeted Fluttershy with a smile, looking over to a table way on the left side of the room to begin to levitate a few papers.
“No problem... Rarity...” Fluttershy tried to sound warm but sounded quiet and shy, as always.
Rarity practically skipped over to Fluttershy, levitating the papers until they were just a few inches from Fluttershy’s face. “Darling, now, which is better?” Rarity was just nudging Fluttershy to look at the papers, not expecting an immediate answer.
Fluttershy looked to the one on her own left. The left held the colored image of an elegant-looking dress. The dress was slender and would obviously hold to any mare’s shape, which would hopefully be slender and tiny or the look wouldn’t work. The dress was simple, too, sea blue flowers were wrung across the bottom of the long dress, and another ring of the blue flowers ran near the middle of the waist and again towards the top of the dress, near the neck. The forelegs of the dress ran down near to the end of where the pony’s forelegs could go. The back legs of the pony would be hidden by the, still slender, end of the dress that would probably flow to the floor gracefully.
The right was a more festive dress, colorful and fluffy. The tail of the dress was orange and purple, the hind legs of the pony would be hidden by the semi-short dress that might spill out onto the floor in a pile of color and fun. The chest piece wasn’t like the left, and could fit almost any pony except for an extraordinarily tubby one. The neck piece stopped short of the neck and had a cut that was shaped like a v-necked shirt. It was definitely a party one, and Fluttershy could see it fitting with Pinkie Pie’s festivity and fun for a good bit of her parties.
Fluttershy looked up to Rarity, letting Rarity know that she was done examining the papers without words.
“Now that you’re all done, Darling, I would adore if you could just tell which is your favorite,” Rarity’s words were as slick as butter, and not at all irritated by impatience.
“Well...” Fluttershy hiccuped. “I would wear the... the white one... on your right...”
“Wonderful choice for yourself, Darling! I adore that one! Very well for weddings and the extra quiet mare that you are! Pinkie Pie would love the orange and purple one, do you agree?” Rarity’s eyes sparkled on Fluttershy.
“Exactly as I thought... Rarity...” Fluttershy’s words were as quiet and cut as a dead hare caught in a bear trap.
“I knew so! I am so giddy for the next party that Pinkie Pie will throw! Now all of us six have outfits!” Rarity was practically bucking with joy.
“Good...” Fluttershy tried to cover her words with joy, as well, but still sounded quiet and upset.
“Now that all that has been settled, you can go, you helpful little horse!” Rarity put one delicate hoof up towards the door and opened the knob with magic after she put the papers down quietly.
Fluttershy nodded and then tripped a little as she set for the door. She wasn’t very helpful, the shy pony thought to herself. The unhappy little mare still continued to Applejack’s ranch. Even though she wasn’t a very good helping hand with kicking trees, the busy earth pony could always use a little help getting the apples hanging on the top of the trees. Fluttershy did not typically enjoy flying, but she liked how she could talk to the birds and get to them easily. She was also glad she had the ability to fly just because she could be of help with her wings.
Applejack’s place wasn’t that far, and Fluttershy got there with the sun only slightly more towards its hiding point than last time. Applejack was already bucking down zap apples that were round and ripe.
“Oh, Fluttershy! It’s nice to see a pony ‘round here that’ll actually help another pony work!” Applejack continued to kick a tree as the zap apples fell into the buckets and baskets below. “Y’all missed the storm and rainbow though, an’ this time it was great!”
“Nice to see you too... Applejack...” Fluttershy went up to Applejack, stopping a few feet from the hard working horse. “Which... um... tree should I help with?” Fluttershy looked to Applejack with her eyes twinkling timidly.
“Well... I’d like ‘ya to be doin’ maybe... that tree over there!” Applejack lifted a hoof towards a tree that had its low bearing apples knocked to baskets below it. “Then go ahead an’ get all the other trees with apples only on top!” she directed happily.
“Got it... glad to help, Applejack...” Fluttershy went over to the tree she was instructed to and then readied her wings. She opened them and flapped until she was level with the top. Fluttershy didn’t know exactly how to get the top apples, but decided to pick them hurriedly, as zap apples didn’t have very strong stems to the branches.
The timid little mare had picked most of the tree within three minutes. They all plopped to the basket below, and Fluttershy inspected one apple she had plucked and saw no bruises; zap apples were very sturdy on the skin, though, which is why most enjoyed it as juices or jam instead of freshly picked, Fluttershy guessed.
Fluttershy continued to pluck zap apples quickly, checking all trees before hand so then she didn’t pick a tree naked when Applejack could have kicked the tree free of apples quicker.
Applejack was able to kick most trees free of zap apples and go at a faster speed than Fluttershy.
At some point, Fluttershy’s wings got so tired and weak that she almost plopped to the ground, so the little pony decided to land and stretch her wings. Instantly, Fluttershy came face-to-face with that old pony that said “Eeyup!” and nothing else. It was Big Mac.
“Oh... sorry Big Mac... you... you okay?” Fluttershy’s cheeks blazed but Big Mac’s eyes continued to stare at her tranquilly and happily.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac said dumbly.
Fluttershy always wondered if Big Mac could say anything else. Her bunnies shared her concern that the dumb pony could be mentally retarded or just mentally challenged. She looked to him with blue eyes. The animal-helper also wondered why everypony seemed to always ask a question that could only be answered with “Eeyup!”. She wanted to take the leap and ask him a question that could only be answered with a no or an entire sentence.
“What does... ‘Eeyup’ mean..? And... uh... why do you always say only... that?” Fluttershy stuttered.
Applejack went over to Fluttershy, catching her talking to Big Mac. The hat on the pony tipped slightly in the wind as she sneered. Applejack was most likely one of the only ponies to have heard Big Mac saying anything besides the one word.
“Don’t strain Big Mac. It hurts his brain. I’ll answer for ‘em...” Applejack paused for effect. “He can, duh! He jus’ likes to say only that, though,” Applejack interrupted the pony that seemed to be embarrassed that he was actually going to say an entire sentence.
Fluttershy didn’t laugh at the kindly joke, but only said a small, “Oh...”
Applejack’s smile faded a little, thinking that Fluttershy thought she was being rude or even mean. “It’s fine, Sugar cube, it’s jus’ a joke,” Applejack said, trying to comfort the pony.
“No... it’s funny...” Fluttershy replied. “Just watch me...” Fluttershy tried to smile but didn’t get the emotion to her eyes, which told Applejack that the poor pony was forcing the smile.
“Yeah... I see! Nothin’ to worry ‘bout!” Applejack lied, deciding that it would be one of the only times she would... she’d work it off later. Applejack was one of the most concerned for Fluttershy, particularly because she always defended the helpless little pony from Rainbow Dash, who was a pony that seemed to be the one that always forced Fluttershy to do things.
Fluttershy finished the smile and then continued her usual emotion. “Anything else I can... do..?”
“You’re as done as a fiddle!” Applejack nodded happily to where the rest of Ponyville lay.
Fluttershy’s wings finally went limp again, and the delicate mare continued to stroll into Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash was next on Fluttershy’s list. The rainbow-colored pony had requested Fluttershy to watch her performance. Fluttershy remembered the time when she went to the Best Young Flyer Competition to see Rainbow Dash’s performance. Fluttershy sighed as she continued to walk to the meadow the mare had instructed Fluttershy to go to; it was one of the only times she had ever been truly happy besides when her parents had still been alive.
Maybe the flying pony wasn’t so bad for Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash usually seemed to bring out the fun and life in the shy horse if she wanted to.
The meadow was nice, just like Fluttershy had last seen it. The weather was beautiful, as it typically was. A cool breeze was blowing that matched perfectly with the warm rays of the sun on Fluttershy’s body. The breeze itself was not too strong, and blew the pink hair of Fluttershy’s tail and mane just enough for Rainbow Dash to smile as she saw the mare enter her line of sight.
The flashy blue pony landed once Fluttershy drew close enough, landing gracefully so then it was added to the strength of the wind and made Fluttershy have to close her blue eyes.
“Glad you could show up!” Rainbow Dash greeted Fluttershy, smiling white teeth. “So, you know that sonic rainboom that I did at that one competition a while ago?” Fluttershy nodded a little. “‘Course you do! Anyways, I was thinking that I could do that... but, instead, I’ll fly so close to the ground that I’ll nearly hit it! Then I’ll swoop back up where they can’t see and... well... I haven’t thought of the rest-- but it’s a great idea, right?!” Rainbow Dash smiled to Fluttershy expectantly.
“Well... what if it goes... you know... wrong..?” Fluttershy questioned the suddenly saddened pony.
“Why would it go wrong?! I mean... I haven’t asked ‘the egghead’,” Rainbow Dash said somewhat mockingly, “yet... but I’m sure there’s only like... a twenty percent chance that I’ll crash and die!” the pony said, smiling a little bit creepy.
Fluttershy sighed, defeated. “If you were to get hurt, Rainbow Dash... I don’t know what I would do...”
“I’ll be fine! Don’t get your hooves tied!” Rainbow Dash spread her wings. “I better hear you cheering when I pull this off!”
Rainbow Dash flew so high that she became a matter of specks in the sky. Fluttershy could only tell it was Rainbow Dash because of the light blue color and the rainbow tail that blew elegantly behind.
Up in the sky, Rainbow Dash turned and began to feel the air whiz around her so fast that she swore she should have burst into flames by now. Relief flew through the pony as she blasted through the sound barrier and a cone forced its way around and after her. She saw Fluttershy, still not cheering, as she pushed tears out of her stinging eyes.
Then the rainboom came. Rainbow Dash was going so fast. She felt her stomach turning as she pulled up.
It all happened like it was a movie for Fluttershy, though. Rainbow Dash tried to turn up but was forced down by the speed she had already gained. Fluttershy saw that she didn’t dig into the ground like some goofy cartoon shows she watched, but hit the ground with such speed that the blood splattered on Fluttershy’s delicate wings, and even her tail that was tucked neatly behind her, opposite of Rainbow Dash.
Searing pain blasted through Rainbow Dash. It seemed to be burning through her mane and tail. Her organs felt as though they had exploded. She had heard a cracking sound from many places, especially her skull as she hit the ground. As quickly as she had felt the pain, it was gone. The world went black. All that was left was Fluttershy’s scream as Rainbow Dash’s own blood hit her like paint splattered by a little colt’s hoof on a canvas.
Fluttershy yelled, screamed, and cried out as loud as she ever had in her entire life. It was as though something had exploded inside of her. Something was now being forced out of her and put into that specific scream.
She instantly had the thought of when one of her little birds had fallen out of its mother’s nest. She had whimpered at the blood but known there was nothing she could do. Fluttershy had had a funeral for the little bird. Her name had been Tera. Rainbow Dash was not like Tera. Her bones were built like steel after crashing from many flights when she was younger. Rainbow Dash was breathing very heavy, but was breathing, nonetheless.
Fluttershy probed Rainbow Dash with her forehoof, but instantly saw that she was going to get nowhere with gentle probs and tearful sobs, as her mother had metaphorically told her, which was literal now.
The worried, rushed horse ran as fast as she could to Ponyville. She went straight to the hospital for ponies and went to the first pony she saw. The mare at the front desk.
Fluttershy didn’t care about how she looked now. Whether or not she looked crazy or dumb didn’t matter. The amount of shy in Fluttershy was momentarily gone. She was fully determined now. “Please help me! M-my friend crashed and... and she is nearly dead!” Fluttershy continued to blurt facts and things that she knew. The red pony instantly rushed to a nurse who alerted others. They rushed out after Fluttershy, who led them to where Rainbow Dash had crashed.
The nurses and doctors loaded the pony onto a cart that they had brought. Rushing after them, back to the hospital, Fluttershy was very curious and worried. It was like Fluttershy was drunk or something. All of the shyness built up in her system was gone and was replaced with worry for her dear friend.
A nurse who could not possibly help pull the cart looked to Fluttershy, obviously willing to help and tell all she could identify about the poor pony in pain.
“Can she hear me right now? Can she feel anything?” Fluttershy asked questions at the rate of Pinkie Pie.
“She can’t hear you, and I don’t believe she can feel any pain. Imagine it as though she is dreaming, Dear,” the nurse answered the questions, answering others that Fluttershy continued to ask.
Fluttershy was by Rainbow Dash’s side as they lifted her into a contraption with wheels that was much like a cart, but smaller and easier to push. She suddenly wished that she could have learned more about pony care. Maybe she could have helped Rainbow Dash before everything happened. What if Rainbow Dash ended up dieing after all this? What if Fluttershy could have saved Rainbow Dash if she had known how to help her? Fluttershy had no idea what would happen, but stayed close to Rainbow Dash as the cart-like vehicle was wheeled to a room with the sign that said “Emergency Room”.
They lifted Rainbow Dash from the cart-like thing and then carefully dropped her onto a bed. They looked over Rainbow Dash and moved the pony’s bones. They took a machine and then pulled it back and forth over her body several times. Fluttershy didn’t know what any of this was. It was like she was a little filly, not understanding what two times two was.
A doctor looked to Fluttershy and frowned. “I’m very sorry for all this. I feel terrible for you. You’re friends are coming over, though, Hun. You should go into the hallway and wait for your friends. We’ll have to be doing pretty bloody surgeries on your friend here.”
Fluttershy went into the hallway and shut the door. She folded her legs underneath her as she sat on a few soft pillows and bean bags. She nearly dozed off but was kept awake by the memories of the simple sound of Rainbow Dash’s cracking bones and her loud scream that followed shortly after and ended abruptly.
Rarity’s voice called Fluttershy from her thoughts. “Darling! It must be terrible to have been with Rainbow Dash when she crashed!” Rarity sat with Fluttershy, pushing a fleck of hair with her delicate magic.
Fluttershy didn’t say anything. She leaned into Rarity and began to tear up. Rarity reassured her that it was alright and that Rainbow Dash would be fine, too. “Don’t tell me lies...” Fluttershy sniffled. “You know that she won’t be fine... She’ll never be the same...” Fluttershy whispered to Rarity.
Applejack came through the hallway door that led to the hospital’s entrance shortly after. She was also with Pinkie Pie and Twilight. Applejack had a sad face. Pinkie Pie’s spunky nature was now diminished to a scarring frown on her face, her hair flattened until it was straight. Twilight was sad, and the sparkles in her eyes were now destroyed. Though, Spike was nowhere to be seen.
“We came as soon as we heard, Sugar cube! My eyes are about as red as apples from so much cryin’!” Applejack approached, her eyes in fact red as Fluttershy was able to look from up close.
It saddened Fluttershy terribly at just how much Pinkie Pie’s frown was stuck to her face so much and so deep. “I never thought this could have happened...” Pinkie Pie muttered. The first syllable was like a knife to Fluttershy’s heart, the following all the same. The normally happy, fun pony was now so sad that all words were tainted with something like defeat.
“I’m so sorry for you, Fluttershy...” Twilight whispered, barely able to speak.
Fluttershy and the rest waited in near silence. They exchanged whispers and questions, most without answers because they could not be told; only the future would answer those types of questions.
The thing that Fluttershy remembered most was when Rainbow Dash had broken her wing several months back--maybe even a year back. Fluttershy hadn’t been there when she had crashed, but she remembered that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been in any real serious pain. She had just broken her little wing. Fluttershy almost giggled when she remembered that the fast-paced pony didn’t want to become another “egghead” and wouldn’t read that book. The best part of that injury was when Rainbow Dash almost got in trouble for stealing a slipper--or whatever--and then admitted her love for books.
Compared to then, this was a nightmare... and that was a dream imaged from Heaven... because now, Rainbow Dash might... actually... die.