Fluttershy fell as a filly, but was caught by a migration of butterflies. What if the butterflies were late?
It was the best and worst day of Fluttershy's life.
It was the worst day of her life, because she fell out of the sky. She hit the ground, broke her back and lost a wing. She would never be able to fly, nor walk without assistance again.
It was the best day of her life because she met Ditzy Doo, an optimistic (if a bit strange) filly that brightened everything up with her presence.
The speed of the three racers sent Fluttershy spinning.
The next thing she knew, wind was rushing past her.
She was falling.
The pegasus started to scream, but she was not heard; Her voice was too quiet, and was drowned out from the air rushing by her. Her legs were flailing, her wings not responding. She had to fly, or glide, or something. The ground she could see out of the corner of her eye was coming closer and closer. She closed her eyes and whimpered. She didn't want to die.
- - -
Ditzy Doo, or “Derpy” as other foals nicknamed her, was resting on a tree branch. She looked at the sky with crossed eyes, humming quietly to herself. She often went to this part of the forest when she wanted to get away from the teasing of the other kids, fond of the silence the place offered. A soft breeze brushed her short blonde mane.
Her eyes shot open when she heard a loud *CRACK*. The noise echoed through her ears, causing them to twitch. Her muzzle scrunched up as she frowned and tilted her head. It sort of sounded like a tree branch broke. Perhaps a pony was resting in a tree branch like she was, and fell?
Ditzy's wings fluttered as she hovered to the ground. If that was the case, they might be hurt. She turned towards where she thought she heard the noise, and she raced off.
- - -
Fluttershy's body hurt. It hurt badly, a more intense pain that she had ever felt before. To be more precise, half of it did. She couldn't feel her hind legs at all.
Her eyes slowly opened, but her sight was blurry from tears. She hadn't even realized that she was crying until then.
“H... Somepony... P... Please help...” She cried out quietly, her voice strained.
Her eyes opened slightly more as she heard a voice, a young female one. Her head tilted slightly towards the voice as her ears strained to listen.
“Are... Are you okay?”
Fluttershy saw the filly. She was younger than herself by about a year or two. Soft gray coat, pretty blonde mane, beautiful cross eyes...
“H... help me...” Fluttershy said, sobbing.
“Uh, um, I'll, get some help!” The filly said, looking worried. “Er, stay put. Sorry.”
The filly took to the air as Fluttershy closed her eyes and passed out.
- - -
Bright Eyes sat on the gray-and-white-checkered picnic tarp, eating her daffodil sandwich. She had a gray coat, white mane with 6 small black stripes running through it, and brilliant golden yellow eyes that she was named for. Her cutie mark was a cloud split in half, with a small sun between the halves. She was a weather mare, though today was a day off.
Bright looked up when she saw her daughter flying towards her, an alarmed look on her face.
“Mom! Come quick!” Ditzy said alarmed.
The mare got to her hooves quickly, her wings spread. “What is it?”
“A filly's hurt real bad!” Ditzy explained. “We have to help her!”
Bright Eyes nodded. “Okay, Ditzy. Show me where she is.” She said calmly.
Ditzy nodded, and her wings buzzed as she flew a few feet into the air and began leading the way. Bright Eyes was running right behind her.
- - -
Fluttershy came to. The pain was still there, causing her to wince. She saw that something was above her, so she focused her eyes.
Flying overhead was a migration of butterflies, of all sorts of different colors and patterns she hadn't seen before. The way the light filtered though their wings was absolutely breathtaking. A smile creased Fluttershy's face, the pain forgotten for the moment.
She began to fade away again as she heard two sets of hoofsteps.
- - -
A filly lying on the ground. Blood seeping into the ground from a gash on her back, and from a badly mangled wing.
Bright Eyes had to keep herself from panicking at the sight. “...D-Ditzy, muffin...”
“Yes, mom?” Ditzy asked, her voice wavering.
“Help me get her onto my back so that I can get her to the hospital.” The mare said. Ditzy nodded and helped her mother with the injured filly, both trying to be gentle as they could.
“Go back to the picnic blanket, and wait there for me. Mommy will return soon.” Bright Eyes said as she got ready to take off.
Ditzy wanted to come with her, but knew that she would only slow her mother down.
Bright Eyes immediately took to the skies, flying as fast as she could to get the filly help.
Ditzy was only vaguely aware of a Sonic Rainboom shockwave hitting the area.
- - -
It was the third time that Fluttershy returned from unconsciousness. Thankfully, this time the pain didn't overwhelm her. There was some dull aching, but nothing severe. A small tube dripped clear liquid into her right foreleg.
She still couldn't feel her hindlegs, nor the back half of her body in general. Her left wing was inside a cast. What was worse was her right wing. Or, more precisely, a lack of one.
“W... What? No!” Fluttershy exclaimed in horror. “No no no! This can't be happening!”
She suddenly felt a hoof on her own. She looked to the left, and saw the derpy pony she vaguely remembered seeing before.
“Everything will be okay.” The filly said, an optimistic smile on her face.
“B... But I will never be able to fly or even walk again!” Fluttershy said, tears welling up and running down her cheeks.
“Shh...” The filly said as she hugged Fluttershy. “I'm here...”
“But I don't even know your name...” Fluttershy said.
“My name is Ditzy Doo, what's your name?” Ditzy whispered.
“M... My name is Fluttershy.” The shy pegasus replied.
“That's a pretty name.” Ditzy said.
Fluttershy found herself smiling a little, catching Ditzy's contagious optimism.
Bright Eyes looked softly on as her daughter comforted the distraught filly.
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.
The Consequences of Negativity and the Benefits of Muffins
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.
