It was getting late. A recently injured yellow filly needed rest, curled up with her blanket but unable to sleep. Her mother was sleeping on a small bench that was brought into the room, and Fluttershy knew she herself should be doing the same.
But her mind was focused on her loss. What was she going to do? Where was she going to live? She couldn't live in Cloudsdale, it would be too difficult to get around if she couldn't fly. But she couldn't move, either! Her father was in that flying team, what was it called? The Wonderbolts? If there was one thing Fluttershy knew for certain about her father, it was his passion for that team.
Her mother-
What was that tapping sound?
Fluttershy looked over at the window, and saw a shadow of somepony hovering outside. Whoever it was, they were tapping the glass with a hoof.
The small pegasus frowned. Who was that?
“Mom?” Fluttershy said.
“Mmrhh... Huh?” The motherly mare mumbled.
“Th... There's somepony at the... um... window.” Fluttershy explained.
Gentle Breeze tilted her head, and walked over to the window to check. Indeed, somepony was hovering outside, a filly from the look of it. She opened the window, and Rainbow Dash fluttered into the room.
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy said. “Why are you here so late? Not that there's anything wrong with that...”
For a moment, the moonlight glinted off of Rainbow's tears.
“I- I'm so, so sorry!” Rainbow Dash sobbed. “It's all my fault!”
Gentle gave the small filly a hug to help calm her down. “Shh... It's okay... This isn't your fault...”
“B-But it is!” Rainbow replied as she squirmed out of the embrace. “It's because of my stupid race that she was knocked off the cloud in the first place! I should have gone back to help her, but... I... I didn't want to lose!”
“Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy said. “...I don't think it's your fault. If I could only stand up for myself, this would not have happened.”
“No, it is my fault! Go ahead and yell at me... Your father did already...” Rainbow sighed as her gaze stuck on the floor.
“Razor Wind?” Gentle Breeze said softly. “No, it... He didn't mean it. He's just hurt and confused, and... Well... He gets angry when he's confused. I'm sure he didn't mean to take it out on you.”
“But he's right!” Rainbow shouted without lifting her head. “I was the one who knocked her off the cloud, and I didn't save her like I should have! I'm a- a horrible pony!”
“You're not a horrible pony, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy said. “It was an accident. It wasn't anypony's fault but my own, okay?”
Gentle Breeze tilted her head as she looked at her daughter. “Fluttershy, dear, it's not-”
“It is!” Fluttershy yelled back.
A thick silence let the emotions sink in.
“It's my fault that I was a bad flier.” Fluttershy said softly. “It's my fault that I'm so weak. Not yours, Rainbow Dash.”
The prismatic cyan filly looked at Fluttershy with confusion. “But how is it y-”
“IT JUST IS!” Fluttershy shouted, not looking either her friend or her mother in the eye. She took a ragged breath, and released it shakily. “I want to be alone, please.”
“Fl-” Gentle started.
“I want to be alone.” Fluttershy reaffirmed.
Her mother paused, then gave a quiet sigh. “Okay, dear. I'll be outside if you need me.”
Fluttershy waited until the two left the room to scream and wail quietly into her pillow.
- - -
The young pegasus looked out of the window at her bedside. The blue morning sky called for her.
“Fluttershy, dear? Are you feeling okay?” Gentle Breeze said as she entered the room.
“Yes, mother.” Fluttershy lied absently as she continued staring out of the window.
“Somepony wants to see you.” Gentle added.
“Really?” Fluttershy said, finally giving her mother her attention. The door opened wider, and a certain wall-eyed filly trotted in, holding a paper bag in her mouth. “Ditzy!”
Fluttershy's expression finally lightened up as Ditzy Doo fluttered onto the bed and placed the bag onto it. She reached, and pulled out a chocolate-chip muffin for Fluttershy.
“A muffin? For me?” Fluttershy asked.
“Of course!” Ditzy replied as she handed over the muffin. “Whenever I'm feeling sad, whenever I'm having a really bad day, mommy bakes muffins for me! She always makes really nice muffins, and after eating one it makes me feel better. So, since you're having a worse day than me, I want you to have my muffin.”
She then gave a giggle. “It's better than the hospital food, at least.”
Fluttershy blinked, then gave off a soft giggle of her own. “Thank you so much, Ditzy.” She said as she took the muffin. She sniffed it, then bit into it.
It was one of the most wonderful things she had ever tasted. It almost tasted like love. Fluttershy moaned as she chewed the delicious delicacy. “This is amazing!” Fluttershy said.
“Mom has some sort of secret recipe she uses that makes them taste so good.” Ditzy said. “She says it's a family secret, passed down from generation to generation.”
“Gen-er-ashun?” Fluttershy said, tilting her head.
“From parent to child.” Ditzy clarified.
“You know some big words.” Gentle spoke up with a smile.
“Some of the ponies at school think I'm stupid because of my eyes.” Ditzy said as she frowned. “Because of that, I work extra-hard to prove that I'm not.”
“I think you're smart. You know just how to make me smile.” Fluttershy said, causing Ditzy to beam happily.
“Thankies!” Ditzy said. “I like it when ponies are happy. It's always best to have a positive outlook.”
Fluttershy tilted her head again.
“Or, as my favorite song puts it...” Ditzy said with a warm smile, “'Don't worry, be happy!'”
Fluttershy pulled Ditzy into a hug and nuzzled her cheek softly. “Thank you so much, Ditzy.”
“You're welcome, Fluttershy.” Ditzy replied as she felt a warmth on her flank as seven bubbles appeared upon it.