It was a peaceful day, Mike and Twiley in the park, everything was going so well. After a few minutes and answering some questions to some curious people, he sat in a bench and relaxed a little. There were no dangers in the park, so he didn't have to worry about anything. It was almost lunchtime, and people were slowly going back home.
But Mike didn't realize that the girl that was riding Twiley more often than not was actually Sarah. She was delighted about finding Twiley in the park, unattended, just for her to play as much as she wanted. Eventually, Sarah's older sister, Michelle, came back looking for her. All the warning that Mike got was the angry groan from Michelle.
"Sarah! Get off of that thing!" Michelle shouted. There was no point arguing, she was so angry she wouldn't listen.
"Oh, no! My grumpy sister is in the warpath! Twiley, we need to run away." Sarah said.
"But... but... HOW!?" Twiley looked around, panicking a little.
"Let's go back home... together!" Sarah gave a gentle hit to Twiley's barrel with her shoes, and Twiley instinctively started to run, and of course, Michelle started to chase them.
The panicked squeaks from Twiley and the delighted ones from Sarah startled Mike as Sarah rode pass him. Mike was staring in disbelief when a very angry, very exhausted Michelle ran after the girls. Again, it took him a few seconds to process what was happening.
"Twiley! Stop right there!" Mike ran after them.
"No no no nou... no... no" Twiley panted. Mike was asking her to stop, but then, Michelle would catch her, and Sarah was hitting her barrel, trying to make her run faster and faster, but she was exhausted with the extra weight. Michelle, who was a smoker, was extremely exhausted and coughing. Mike wasn't very fit and wasn't doing much better. Someone walking fast could at some point overtake them.
they ran through the park and eventually reached the entrance. Twiley found herself trapped. Mike had told her not to cross the street, so she stopped and fell to the ground under Sarah's weight, really exhausted. Immediately, they both got up.
"What are you doing, Twiley? We have to run away! Don't stop!" Sarah whined.
Twiley couldn't talk, she was too busy panting and trying to recover. Sarah pulled at her mane, looking at the road. Twiley looked back, Michelle was almost there. Some days ago, Mike told her that she had to look at both sides of the road and make sure that there weren't any cars before crossing, in case she had to cross a road, which was another not-to-do thing for her.
Her mind felt numb for some seconds, she looked to the right and to the left, just one car, but it was still far away from them, so, she got up and followed Sarah. But once they were on the other side of the street, Michelle got her attention, she was crossing the street and didn't see the car coming. She was wrong! She couldn't do that, because Mike told her so. She couldn't allow her to do it, and Twiley leaped to push Michelle back.
Mike saw how Twiley got up from the ground, took a second to look and then, crossed the street safely, following Sarah. Michelle was just behind, and she ran through the street without taking care about the cars, trying to take a little advantage in the pursuit.
Twiley stopped and looked back, suddenly, the screech of wheels, her eyes widened and she leaped, bumping and pushing Michelle back.
"Mike towd me that befowe cwossi... *THUD*
From Twiley's point of wiew, suddenly, the world started to spin wildly, and she felt weightless. After that, she found herself lying on the asphalt, but she didn't remember how. The asphalt must be really hot, hard and uncomfortable, but she felt like she was lying on a cloud. For a moment, she felt really tired, and wanted to go to sleep, but something was wrong.
Mike saw how Twiley pushed Michelle back and got hit by the car instead of her. The car wasn't going very fast, but it was enough to throw her a few meters away. She came to a stop and remained there, without moving. His heart stopped for a moment. He couldn't even call her name, he was speechless.
The driver got out of the car and helped Michelle, meanwhile, Mike went near Twiley. She was still breathing weakly.
"T...Twiley?" Mike stuttered. Twiley opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Ugh... my... my mouwht tastes wike... window bars... *cough* and... *cough* bweathing huwts... *cough*" Twiley said. Her mouth was bleeding
"Ok, don't talk, stay awake... I'm going to call a doctor..." Said Mike, crouching near her and checking, frightened about moving her. Her right rear leg was in an uncomfortable angle.
"I'm sorry man. That one should be a special one... that fluffy looked twice before crossing. I was so distracted by that I didn't see the girl coming!" The driver said once Michelle was again on her feet.
"Mi... mih... *couch* Ouch... my neck... huwts..." Stuttered Twiley looking around, craning her neck but wincing at the pain.
"Don't talk, Twiley, don't move and try to stay awake." Said Mike.
"If the fluffy can move its neck you should be able to pick her up without any problem. Let me check something..." The driver picked up his phone.
Mike picked up Twiley. She squeaked when her rear leg or her barrel was touched. Mike put her on his back, her forelegs hooked on his shoulders. "At least I'll take her out of the road... We need a doctor"
"Ok, the nearest vet is this way... a few minutes away." The driver pointed out.
"Ah? Oh, yes... a veterinary..."
"And I don't know what got into that fluffy's head to turn back and save the girl. It was awesome! I hope it's alright and recovers soon, man. I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault." Mike answered. "We have to hurry up, I have to take her to a doc... I mean a vet..."
***
"But... I was just there, looking after her. She was in the playpen and she just jumped out and started to run and... and..." Mike stuttered.
"Yeah, yeah... I was taking care of the child. I just let it free for a moment. It just ran away at the slightest opportunity... I'll take that one to the box of excuses I've already heard." Scolded the veterinary.
"I really told her to stay in the park!" Replied Mike.
"And you thought that it would perfectly understand and remember like if it were a person. The fact that they can talk basic words with a lot of trouble doesn't mean that they can be more than animals. The smartest fluffy I've ever seen was like a one or two years old child, and I'm being generous." The veterinary answered.
"Ok, ok... But is she okay?" Mike asked weakly.
"Well... not really perfectly okay, but it is gonna survive." Answered the vet.
"Her leg and her barrel?" Inquired Mike
"It's right rear leg is sprained, and it has a cracked rib, not entirely broken, but it's going to be painful." Answered the vet.
"Does she have any internal damage? She was coughing and bleeding trough her mouth!" Panicked Mike.
"Nah... it just bit it's lip with the knock it got. It was coughing probably because of the shock and the pain in it's barrel. The analysis looks fine." The vet concluded.
"Oh, come on! At least show a little bit of respect or sensitivity, he almost lost her!" Michelle, who was there looking down, suddenly said. Not very happy about the vet's attitude.
"Miss... I'm fed up from people bringing their fluffies after an accident. They are not like cats or dogs, they are not adapted to surviving on their own and need a lot more attention than a regular pet." Replied the vet.
Even though Twiley was a special kind of fluffy, with the vet's attitude and Mike not feeling the strength to go through all the explaining, they decided to do just what the vet said and go back home as soon as possible. Michelle decided to go with Mike and Twiley. Sarah followed her sister happily.
In the way home, Michelle was thoughtful and apologized to both Mike and Twiley. She started to look at the pony with different eyes. She have saved her. Probably not her life, the car wasn't going that fast, but it surely would have hurt a lot.
***
Finally, they could put Twiley on bed. She had her leg wrapped in bandages, and a little bandage on her head, near the horn. They should be careful with her barrel too. The vet wanted to put some kind of harness to prevent her from moving too much, but he couldn't find one her size, so, the only thing she got were more bandages.
There were they all, sit on three chairs in front of Twiley's bed. Mike had brewed some calming infusions for both Michelle and him. Sarah asked for hot cocoa. Twiley just laid there, with a glass of water on her bedside table.
"I think I need to quit smoking..." Michelle murmured after coughing again.
"And I think I need to do some sport..." Added Mike, his body aching after the activity.
"And I think I need howt chocowate..." Added Twiley.
"See? She is gonna be alright!" Sarah giggled.
"No... Why do you have fancy dwinks and I onwy have watew?" Twiley frowned.
"Cause the vet said so, that you should have water and not eat anything else for a few hours just to make sure." Answered Mike.
Twilight suddenly perked up, but immediately her ears went flat again like she has just remembered something, a guilty expression in her face. "Um... sowwy..."
"Sorry for what?" Asked Mike a little confused.
"Fow cwossing the stweet... you towd me not to do. Awe I'm going to be... gwounded?" Asked Twiley.
"Oh, no... of course not. I forgive you this time, you are hurt and need to recover soon." Mike tried to explain.
"So... If I'm huwt... you fowgive me?" Asked Twiley.
"Uh... somehow, more or less. I think you had your part already being hurt and you know now that you shouldn't do it again." Mike answered like a good father.
"Then I want howt chocowate..." Twiley pouted.
"But you can only have water for a while, sorry. I don't know why, maybe is a fluffy thing..." Mike replied.
"You all have fancy dwinks! And watew is a bowing dwink..." Twiley frowned at the glass of water, pointing at it with a hoof.
With a light tap, Twiley tip over the glass, spilling it's water on the table and the floor, finding a weird fascination by that action. She thought it was cool and wanted to do it again, but there was only one glass. Looking up, she saw the disappointed expression in Mike's face, who looked like about to scowl her.
Twiley retired to the safety of her blankets, covering her head for a second, only to peek out of it slowly, with the mightiest pout she could put.
"I'm huwt... no scowl me..."
***
Mike and Michelle went to the kitchen to brew some hot chocolate for Twiley. They chatted a lot more now that she more or less understood the pony's situation and why Mike was keeping her. She even allowed Sarah to stay with Twiley alone. Mike and Michelle were starting to discover that they had a lot of things in common. It was looking like the beginning of a nice friendship.
Meanwhile, Sarah was in Twiley's room, petting her and scratching her ears. Not that Twiley had any complains, it was soothing after all the accident stuff. And Sarah loved her purple fur, it was so unusual and nice... Like petting a purple cat, but that cat was a lot bigger and calmer and could actually talk.
"Well... looks like our plan to get those two together worked in the end." Said Sarah in a low volume, so Mike and Michelle couldn't hear from the kitchen.
"Yeah... but the... caw thing... It huwts. And the vetew... ewinary was so bad" Complained Twiley.
"Yes... it was bad luck, but you are okay!" Answered Sarah.
"Not okay! It huwts!" Repied Twiley.
"But now that they like each other we can play together more time." Sarah said, hugging lightly the pony and ruffling her mane.
"Ow..." Complained Twiley.
"Uh... sorry." Apologized Sarah
After a long silence, Twiley spoke again. "Do you think we awe going to see Michewwe and Mike in wove? wike in the womantic fiwms?"
"Mike and Michelle in love? Neeee... I don't think so..." Sarah replied.
"Uh? Why is that? They wook pwetty nice togethew." Inquired Twiley.
"That is because..." Sarah wiggled her eyebrows. "This story doesn't have a romance tag, silly filly!"