//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Recovery 
// Story: The Shy Driver II: Fluttershy's Return 
// by Wiz Ahmad 
//------------------------------//

Out on the reef, Fluttershy was enjoying herself, frolicking in the water, playing tag with the octopi, and feeding the larger fish, clearly having forgotten about her friends. After leading her whole life on land, it was an amazing experience to be able to explore the sea and see what animals lived in it, how they behaved, and what assistance or healing they might require. After another hour, however, the water began to get colder, and the one brightly shining corals started to look dull. Fluttershy broke the surface and shivered. Was it really that cold?

She glanced at her scuba display. Only thirty bars of air left, which meant that she had barely enough air to swim underwater for about another fifteen to twenty minutes. Before she could think about the situation too deeply, a ripple and a small splash nearby alerted her. Briefly ducking under the surface, she expected to see some sort of rock that had been thrown from the shore by somebody. But instead, she caught a glimpse of a large, grey slender creature, briefly making its way past the reef.

Excitement building inside of her once again, she adjusted her mouthpiece, tightened the strap on her mask, and swam slowly and carefully towards the creature.

Observing the animal’s shape, she could start to make out its feeding and lifestyle habits. The creature, was, practically, an arrow. With its breathing hole on top of its head, a sleek top-mounted fin, and slender, flat front limbs, it was also rather unusual.

Using her telepathic skills, Fluttershy gently called out to the creature, who replied with a series of sounds – chirps, whistles, squeaks, and even short screams.

“How are you? In fact, what are you? Um, if you don’t mind me asking, that is,” Fluttershy whispered, relaying her thoughts.

Less than half a second later, a response came back in the form of a series of chirps and squeaks, as well as a unique whistle. Fluttershy then mentally ingested the response and read it. “The name’s Bubbles, and I am a dolphin. Fully adapted for life here in the sea, where every creature is happy and free.”

Bubbles then cheekily blew a bubble ring, causing Fluttershy to fret about. She instantly shot a message out. “Relax, it’s just air in the name of good fun. I’m sure you got a friend who enjoys having fun, don’t you?”

Fluttershy nodded and replied. “Um, my name is Fluttershy. Oh yes, I do have a friend who loves to have fun all the time – Pinkie Pie. Not a day goes by without a party of some sort being thrown by her.”

That’s when she realized that she’d been away from her friends for too long. All the realism of the world hit her like a ball. Where was she? What time was it? Which direction was the dock that she and her friends had jumped off from?

Instantly Bubbles noticed her anxiousness and worry, and sent out a message. “You okay, Fluttershy?”

Feeling the voice in her head, Fluttershy replied, albeit shakily. “Y-y-yes, I am worried. I came out here from a dock quite some distance away to view a coral reef, and I forgot which way I came. And I lost track of time, too! The day’s almost—”

Bubbles cut in. “So you’re lost, and you’re afraid of the dark?” she asked, turning to face Fluttershy head-on.

Fluttershy gulped and nodded.

Bubbles caressed the little pony with her flipper. “I have a pod to get back to. Luckily, I know this area of the California coast quite well. I’ll help you locate the dock, no matter what it takes. Alright?”

Fluttershy nodded with joy and gave Bubbles a hug, causing her to blush slightly. Together they took off into the ocean of blue, Fluttershy swimming on the surface to save air in case of issues down the road.





Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends were having an epic, frantic, and even more worrisome time. They’d agreed to split up: Rainbow Dash would scour the ocean surface, while Applejack would scout the rocky coastline further down for any signs. Rarity decided to simply wait out the cold air inside a garage that was left open. Pinkie Pie had simply one job – to stay still, keep silent, and not jump in the water at all. 

“See anything yet, RD!” Applejack called out from the rocks.

Rainbow Dash quickly made a rainbow trail that spelled “Nope”. Applejack smiled sadly and hopped further down the rocky terrain, closer to the water, hoping to find Fluttershy, or even just some evidence of her having been in that area.

Having “borrowed” a small blanket from the open garage she was hiding in, Rarity finally stopped chickening out and tied the blanket around her like a cape, warming her shivering body. As Twilight kept using her magic to pick random objects off the seafloor in hopes of finding the saddlebag or its contents, Rarity came running onto the dock at blinding speed, her horn glowing brighter than normal. 

“I think I know how!” she exclaimed, leaving Twilight, Spike, and Starlight frozen in shock as she pulled off her blanket and plunged into the water. Down Rarity went through a bottle of bubbles. As she neared the bottom, a large rock suddenly came into view, and she hit it head-on, knocking her dazed for a few seconds. Following the lead of her horn’s magic, she soon located a tuft of fabric underneath a pile of rocks. But as she started to dig, her lungs began to scream, and on instinct she fought for the surface.

Without even talking, she grabbed a big breath and dove back down again as fast as she could. Returning to the same spot, she began to paw and dig at the pile of stones and rocks, slowly uncovering the tuft of fabric. After ten dives she finally unearthed it, revealing the key as well. It was wedged between two large rocks, but Rarity managed to pull it out. Holding the saddlebag and its contents with her hooves, she swam to the surface, rather slowly due to the weight.

Breaking the surface, she levitated the key up in the air, and handed the soaked saddlebag to Starlight. Some of its contents were crushed, though most of it was intact.

“YES!” Spike screamed in excitement and relief. Rarity climbed out of the water and shook her body like a dog, and Spike hugged her with joy and love.

As if to back up the moment, Fluttershy appeared in the distance, along with another creature Twilight had never seen before. The two swam right up to the dock, and Fluttershy hopped from the dolphin’s back up onto the dock.

“You’re back!” Starlight exclaimed, giving Fluttershy a big hug.

“I’ve never been so worried,” Applejack admits, hopping over from the rocks she’d scoured earlier.

“It’s good to have you back with us, Fluttershy,” Twilight added, giving the rest of her friends a group hug. “But we need to get warm fast, before we get sick from this cold.”

Fluttershy undressed from her scuba suit, while Spike and Applejack worked together to make a fire in the park. With her superb creativity, Starlight made a frame out of large branches to hang Fluttershy’s wetsuit and buoyancy jacket from, as well as the saddle bag and its contents. With the items successfully salvaged, the eight friends all settled down to sleep under a nearby tree, exhausted from their ordeal. Bubbles also stayed with them, taking her sleep in the calm shallow waters beside the dock.