Where am I? Everything is so blurry. I can’t move. Why can’t I move? What’s going on? Who is screaming? It’s so loud, who is screaming?  I think I can make out something. There is another pony here. Is she screaming? Wait I think this is my house, What is another pony doing in here? Please don’t hurt me whoever you are. There is another voice. What are they saying? I can barely hear anything

“It’s*****oka*****oing*****It’s going to*******going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.”

What’s going to be okay? what is he talking about? Is it a he? It looks like a mare. The voice could go either way. Is my face wet? It’s in my mouth. Is it blood? I think I’m bleeding. Why am I bleeding? I can’t move. Oh god. What is happening. Is that raccoon? It’s covered in blood… I hope it’s okay, I... was going to feed a family of raccoons before. What happened. Why can’t I move and who is screaming?

“An ambulance is coming. Calm down, please!”

Am I hurt. What is going on? I can’t talk. Why do I need to calm down? I can’t move. Shut up whoever is screaming. What the hell happened? Am I in pain? I can’t really feel anything but I think something hurts, I have blood in my mouth, am I in pain? I am not breathing properly, is that the blood? No I am taking in air through my nose, no just one of my nostrils but my chest hurts. I am exhaling to fast. Stop screaming… wait, I am screaming. It’s me I am screaming but I don’t feel… Oh god, Oh god the pain it’s everywhere the pain please stop, stop please oh god make it stop please.

---

“Ahhhhh” The mare woke up with a shout her right eye darted the room. It was dark she could barely see a few hooves in front of her face. There was still a bit of light coming in the window. It’s early evening, She could feel the cold wooden floor below her. I guess I didn’t make it to my bed again. The mare moved around on her haunches. Dry... I didn't wet myself this time. I really don't need that right now. At least when it happens on the floor it's easier to clean compared to my bed. She felt something small and soft touch her neck.

The mare started to panic. Oh god no please no. She began to shake as it started rubbing her neck. She felt the warmth of a small body press against her. Not again please. She swung her right fore hoof into the air knocking back whatever was touching her. "Get off!" She screamed her voice muffled and weak.

She began to turn her body dragging herself with her right fore hoof. Her left fore hoof moved slowly as she tried to put weight on it. She slowly struggled to sit up. She turned her head to face the creature that was pawing at her. A small white rabbit with three legs sat crumpled on the floor front of her. The panic drained from the right side of her face.

"Oh no, Angel Bunny I am sorry." Fluttershy dragged herself forward and extended her right fore hoof pulling the dazed bunny close. "I thought, I thought it was happening again please forgive me." She squeezed the small bunny. "I had the dream again Angel, I'm sorry, every night... I'm sorry. I had the dream."

Angel's one fore paw rubbed against the mares chest. He had a sympathetic look on his face.

She sat there holding her bunny and flashed back to that day. She had found a family of Raccoons at the edge of the Everfree Forrest. They were so thin, starving. Always ready to help she brought them back to her cottage to take care of them. Fluttershy kept her food in locked in cabinets so the more aggressive animals would not run off with her entire supply. Just before she was about to open them up everything went black.

That mail mare had found her. I never thanked her for that... The Doctors had told her it was a severe seizure. It had nearly paralyzed the left side of her body. Her ride face, side and wing though, they told her that it was damaged by them. There was some minor damage... Hah minor they said. Those things chewed through part of my check and lips. They ate half my right wing and some of my side. Minor... Fluttershy looked down at her tiny three legged companion. Those animals all just were waiting until I couldn't care for them to turn on me. Angel wouldn't He isn't like all the others. The others who would eat me.

When they let her out of the hospital the animals she had taken care of in the past had overran her home. She rubbed Angels stump. Angel was left starving there in a corner unable to move with his infected wound. He had tried to fight off the hungry Raccoons that attacked but they were to strong for the small rabbit. When Fluttershy had returned from the hospital she kicked the ungrateful animals away from her home, only Angel remained.

"Sweet little Angel, you wouldn't hurt mommy. I am so, so sorry Angel Bunny, I am so Sorry." Fluttershy cooed while rubbing the small stump. She had nursed the starving disabled rabbit as best she could. The infection in his paw had spread by the time they released her and she had to amputate his leg. "None of those disgusting creatures will touch us Angel, I promise." Thank god the mail mare killed that horrible Mother Raccoon and scared away the rest of those little monsters or they might have finished my poor Angel.

Fluttershy snapped out of her daze as a scent passed her nose. Carrot and Tomato Soup... "Did you make me dinner again Angel?" Fluttershy asked turning to see a bowl of soup and a glass of water behind her. The bunny nodded his head up and down enthusiastically with a look of pride on his face. Fluttershy gave him a solemn half smile. "Oh thank you Angel."

Inside Fluttershy felt sick. She had taken care of Angel in the past but now it was this disabled rabbit she now relied on. Despite his injury he could get around much quicker then the half limp mare. He cooked her meals, cleaned up most of her messes, and any other grunt work needed. Without him she did not know how she would make it, especially on her bad days when she could barely move. I'm supposed to care for him, instead he... he is my Angel."

What hurt her most about her caring Angel was that he was never short with her now. For just a moment when she would call for him he would have that annoyed impatient look, just for a moment. Then his features would soften, it felt like pity at first. It wasn't pity though, when she recognized what the look was it nearly killed her inside. It was the same look she used to wear when taking care of hurt animals, that same sympathetic look back from when her life was whole.

Fluttershy lifted the bowl in her fore hooves and tilted her head to the side. She began to drink the soup careful to avoid the holes in her check.

*Knock Knock.*

Who could be at the door? Groceries came yesterday. Rainbow Dash also already tried to visit yesterday. Who would come here at this hour?

*Knock Knock*

Fluttershy pushed herself up onto her four hooves and slowly began to limp her way to the front door.

"Hello... who is there?" She called out through the door.

"It's me Rainbow Dash, please let me in." The familiar voice called from the other side of the door.

Fluttershy sighed. Rainbow Dash was the last pony she wanted to deal with. Sure Dash had tried really hard to stay in contact with Fluttershy but she couldn't help but notice a look of disgust was always plastered across the cyan mares face whenever she looked at her. "Today is not a good day Dash."

"It's an emergency please let me in." Dash said almost pleading.

"O... okay I guess" What kind of emergency could this be? What happened? Fluttershy undid the latch on her door and opened it for the cyan mare.

Dash stepped into the cottage with a look of both urgency and eagerness on her face. "Pinkie Pie's in the hospital. She accidentally took too much of her sleeping medication. I'm trying to get all our old friends to visit her." Dash said quickly. "So are you going to come?"

"I don't think so, I don't want anypony else to see me like this. G... good luck though." Fluttershy replied nervously.

"She needs us Fluttershy. She has no friends now. Except for that Screw eyed clumsy mail mare. Why would she hang around with a mare so stupid looking. She has no taste anymore, I need to get her back her real friends."

Fluttershy's good eye started to twitch. "W... what d... did you say?!" Her voice was muffled by the nearly paralyzed left side of her jaw.

"I didn't mean it like that Fluttershy. I didn't I swear." Dash said nervously.

"Oh yes you did. Ohh... Yes You Did!" Fluttershy yelled her rage growing. She dragged herself towards the cyan bringing her head close and she stared into Dash's eyes. Dash flinched and looked away with a sick expression. "Get out... Get the Buck out of here right now. Right Now! Go!"

"Fluttershy I... I didn't..."

"Out!" Fluttershy screamed smacking Dash across her check with her right fore hoof.

Dash bolted from the house into the darkness of the early evening.

Fluttershy shut her front door and redid the latch. She still feared those evil animals out there,.. Waiting.

So... Pinkie's in the hospital?

---

Her eyes fluttered open. She rolled around under the covers of her bed her back aching. Everything felt heavy she could barely move. The world was in a daze. The bed shifted benethe her, there was somepony else here. She slowly rolled over to face the other pony. There at the edge of her bed was a cloaked pony standing in the shadows, the brown cloak it wore flowed off of it onto the edge of the bed and down to the floor.

"Death is that you? Is it my time now> Am I dead?" She asked.

"N... No. It's just me. Fluttershy." Came the cloaked ponies whispered reply. Fluttershy removed the hood from her head. "Hi Pinkie Pie."

"Please. It's Pinkamena now. Nicknames are for friends." Pinkamena spat back at the mare.

"I understand." Fluttershy said solemnly. Fluttershy extended a fore hoof to Pinkamena but she slapped it away. "You should sit up, you're going to get sores." Fluttershy said.

"I can do it myself." Pinkamena sighed slowly lifting herself. "Why are you here? Did you think I would forget what you did and just be friends with you again." Pinkamena leaned against the headboard and in a sing song voice said "Lonely Fluttershy thinks that because everypony abandoned her too she could just hangout with the other reject. She thinks I would forget that she stabbed me in the back while she was well and fine just so I can hang out with what was left of her."

Fluttershy flinched at the mares mocking. "No... No that isn't." She began to stutter a look of despair on half of her face. She took a deep breath and the calm expression returned to her face. "I'm here for you. To make sure you're okay."

"You didn't care the last time I wasn't okay. In fact you were afraid of me the last time I wasn't okay." Pinkamena giggled and then smirked at Fluttershy. "I overhear little foals talk about the scary mare that lives near the Everfree now, the one with half a face. Isn't that funny Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy's expression didn't change, she just stared at the cruel mare sitting in front of her. "I'm selfish" she whispered.

"What?

"I said I'm selfish. When I first made friends it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. They always came to talk to me or hang out. They would come up to me in the street just to say hi. I took it all for granted. I waited for them to come to me. I was never there when they needed me and when a friend frightened me I would just hide in my cottage or cower away from them on the street. Now that they're all gone, that they don't come to see me I have nothing. I can't go out to meet new ponies because... I can't take the looks and no pony comes to visit me."

"Then how did you get here?" Pinkamena asked

"It's the middle of the night now. I'm here enough that the staff doesn't pay attention anymore to whether or not I am supposed to be here so I slipped in to visit."

"Well lesson learned, I guess that makes us friends again" Pinkamena said with a wide grin. "So Fluttershy when you eat does the food fall through the holes in your face?"

"Sometimes." Fluttershy answered flatly. "The doctors say I can get skin graphs soon to cover the holes."

"Hey! Then you will be beautiful again just like when you were a famous model." Pinkamena's eyes drifted over Fluttershy's facial scars and her droopy half expression. She raised a fore hoof to cover her mouth and snickered loudly.

"Enough stop it!" Fluttershy said in a raised voice.

Fluttershy looked on the verge of tears, Pinkamena just scoffed. "I though we were friends again. Friends talk to each other." Pinkamena said Sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I know we probably won't be friends again Pinkamena but I won't abandon you again." Fluttershy whispered. "I won't be that pony anymore."

"You won't be anypony anymore if you never leave your cottage. Just a crippled shut in."

Fluttershy ignored the shot. "I'm not going to give up. I... I am getting a psychiatrist to help me soon. They already gave me an appointment. Someday I am going to be able to walk in public again. Someday I am going to come to Sugarcube Corner to see you as a friend... I hope you will let me in."

Fluttershy slowly limped away from the room towards the door. Pinkamena watched the sorry mare silently as she limped out the door.

"I hope I will too." Pinkamena whispered before slumping back down onto the bed and falling asleep.