//------------------------------// // What's Broken Must be Mended // Story: She Came From Above // by Obsidian Chitin //------------------------------// Fluttershy looked out the small window. A few hours have passed. Bright Eyes and Ditzy Doo had left, wishing her well. She felt a small part of her leave with them. Now she was alone. She slowly pressed the back of her head against the pillow it rested on. The full magnitude of what had happened hit her like a train. Before, she was hoping that it was some sort of bad dream, that any minute now she'll wake up, crying and being comforted by her parents. But as seconds and minutes ticked by, she knew this was real. These horrific events have taken place, and stripped her of any hope of a normal life. She couldn't fly, she couldn't walk. She couldn't return home, because she wouldn't be able to get around at all. Not that she wanted to go to Cloudsdale ever again; She couldn't risk falling a second time. The kids were right. Fluttershy could hardly fly, and now Fluttershy can never fly. - - - Ditzy never liked hospitals. The sterile atmosphere, the clean white walls, and the injured ponies in beds she could handle; It was the anxiety that got her. Given all the visits she has with them, from sprained wings to bruised foreheads, one would think she would have gotten over it by now. But, right now, a few hours after she left, she knew she had to return to her. She neared the room the pegasus was in, holding a paper bag in her mouth. As she stepped around a corner, she heard something coming from Fluttershy's room: She heard sobbing. Ditzy trotted swiftly into the room, and her fears were correct; Fluttershy was crying. She looked around. Where was anypony? Dizty usually had her mother to help her through the rough times in the hospital. Where was Fluttershy's parents? She pushed the questions from her mind; There were more important matters. She lept up, using her wings to guide her softly onto the bed. Fluttershy curled up tighter, trying to hide behind her mane. “Fluttershy?” Ditzy said softly. The shy pegasus squeaked. Ditzy reached out with a hoof, causing Fluttershy to flinch. Ditzy frowned, but used her hoof to softly stroke Fluttershy's mane, then pulled forward and gave her a hug. The sobs stopped immediately. The room was silent. Ditzy kept her forelegs around Fluttershy, holding her softly, yet firmly. The gray filly gently brushed the back of Fluttershy's mane with her right hoof. “D-Ditzy?” Fluttershy said. “Shh...” Ditzy whispered. “Everything will be okay.” - - - “I... I think it was around here...” Rainbow Dash said, sighing. Where was she? Where was Fluttershy? The search party had been going around in this park for a few minutes now, they should have found her by this point! Maybe she was feeling a little guilty. Okay, a lot guilty! It was her stupid race that knocked Fluttershy off the cloud, her fault that she put the other filly in danger! Her wings buzzed as she flew over a clearing- a dash of red caught her eye. Dash stopped, then dropped down. Rushing over to the red mark, she could see it clearly: A sharp, blood-covered rock, and a puddle of blood next to it. Rainbow's eyes widened, and her breathing became shallow. The temperature seemed to drop 50 degrees. What have I done!? Her scream alerted the search party. - - - The golden yellow stallion with short-cut red hair glared at the pegasus before him. “You crippled my daughter!” Bright Eyes was not taking the criticism well. She closed her eyes and looked away, as if trying to shrink away to nothing. “I... I thought that...” She replied softly, interrupted by her own sobs. “You thought what? That moving an injured filly with a broken spine was a good idea? Because of you, she might never be able to walk again!” A soft pink pegasus mare with a long white mane softly put her wing over her husband's back. “Honey, she didn't mean to. She panicked.” She said softly. “That doesn't make any of this better.” Fluttershy's father growled. “Y-you're right! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!” Bright Eyes cried, her face in her hooves. “I'm a stupid, horrible pony...” Fluttershy's mother gave her husband a concerned look before walking over to the wailing pegasus and pulling her into a hug. “Shh... Everything will be okay.” “N-no, it won't...” “You only had the best intentions. The important thing is, Fluttershy is alive. Come on, let's go see our daughters.” Fluttershy's mother suggested. Bright Eyes nodded. “O-okay.” She sniffled a bit, but the tears stopped flowing. With the hug ending, the two began walking down the corridor. Though Bright Eyes could still feel the hateful glare the father was boring into the back of her mind. - - - Young Fluttershy blushed softly. Having somepony, especially another filly, this close against her. It felt a little strange, but... It also felt really nice. Her tears dried, and she found herself nuzzling Ditzy softly. She just liked being around her so much... “Fluttershy?” The filly's eyes widened. She instantly recognized the calming voice of her mother. “Mom?” Her mother walked over to Fluttershy's side, and put a hoof on her daughter's. “I'm here, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy smiled softly at her mother, then turned her attention to the other filly that was currently embracing her. “...Um... I think she fell asleep...?” She said quietly. Ditzy's crossed eyes blinked open. “Oh, a-heh-heh, sorry...” She said, wearing a blush like Fluttershy. “Your fur is really soft.” Ditzy looked up, and noticed the larger mare. “Uh... I... I should go now?” Fluttershy's parents looked at each other. “It's okay.” Fluttershy's mother said at the same time her father said “Yes, you should.” The parents looked at each other again. “Sorry...” Ditzy said to Fluttershy sadly. She trotted over to Bright Eyes. “Bye, Fluttershy. I'll see you later.” “...Bye...” Fluttershy replied quietly. She watched as the filly and her mother left the room, and she felt a small part of herself leave with them. She let off a soft sigh. “What's wrong?” Her mother asked. “It's nothing...” Fluttershy lied. “I don't like that filly, she looks as bad as her mother...” Her father muttered. “She's really nice, though!” Fluttershy said. “She never did anything bad to me!” “Yet.” Her father spat. “I bet she's just as stupid as her mother.” “Razor!” Her mother yelled. “I've had it up to here with you! Yes, that mare made a mistake, but she feels really bad about it! I know if I saw a filly that was hurt like that, I'd panic, too! And now you're blaming the little filly, too? Just because she might have a disability doesn't mean she's stupid! All I can see is somepony who is trying her best to help my little baby feel better, which is what you should be doing!” Her father blinked, then backed up as her mother gave him a powerful glare. “Get out.” She growled. “I have every right to-” “I said get OUT!!” Her father was sweating buckets at this point. He gulped, nodded, and left the room swiftly. “...M-mom?” Fluttershy stammered. Instantly, she found herself in the embrace of her sobbing mother.