Fluttershy hummed an idle tune as she tended to her garden. It wasn’t a song she knew. Indeed, it lacked a discernible melody. That wasn’t the point, though. The soft hum was her way of expressing to the universe a simple truth: the sun was warm against her coat, the weekend was hers to spend however she chose, and above all else, she was content. It was more than mere happiness; deep within her soul, she felt a calming presence that told her that all was right.

Her carrots were looking quite healthy and ready for picking. Bending down, she bit the sprouted stem and leaned back, throwing her full weight into it. There was no budge initially, but then a start, and soon the root slid free from the earth. She turned her head to the side, depositing the carrot in a basket carefully balanced upon—

Water filled her nostrils. Drowning! Instinct drove her to cough and sputter. Air! A panicked inhale sucked in air atop the water in her lungs, triggering a renewed set of coughs deep from her chest. Each convulsion of her diaphragm wrenched her eyes shut tighter as she tried to stabilize her breathing.

A soft touch.

As she strained an eye open, Angel Bunny appeared before her at eye level. The critter let cry a warbling squeak before disappearing from her field of vision—she felt a warm, furry body clinging tightly to the side of her face. Out the right corner of her eye, her basket was upended, the carrots strewn across the garden patch. Behind where Angel once stood, Fluttershy saw her watering can tipped sideways, the dirt in front of her muzzle still dark from saturation.

She took another breath, this one clean. “Angel? W-What happened?” Finding her hooves, she slowly pushed up off the ground and stood upright.

Angel released his hug and hopped over toward the watering can. Craning his neck up to look at Fluttershy, he made a barrage of rough pantomimes punctuated with light squeaks. It was a rough means of communicating, lacking in nuance, yet years of close friendship helped Fluttershy to quickly discern the meaning. Pointing at her. Falling over, paws comically clutched to chest. Rapidly pointing to himself. Cupping his paws around his mouth for one loud squeak. A few strong pushes against her foreleg. Then, hopping behind the fallen watering can for one sharp kick.

“Oh dear. I passed out? And you helped wake me back up?” she asked. This was fairly basic as far as Angel’s pantomimes went, so she was quite certain of his meaning, but sometimes it felt nice just to check.

Nod. Something—

The rest of Angel’s pantomime was lost to Fluttershy as she felt the hum return. Return from where? It wasn’t the tune she had been humming to herself. This was just a single pitch, or perhaps two? It seemed beyond familiar; it felt like it spoke to her very being. It cut through her head, blurring her vision and making her wobble atop her hooves. Vaguely, she was aware of two tiny paws pushing against her leg, bravely trying to keep her from toppling once more. Then, a few rapid taps, to get her attention. She tried to concentrate, but the hum made everything so very difficult. It was as if every muscle of her body was growing heavy and numb, slowing her toward a restful sleep. Determined, she brought her vision back into focus.

One foreleg upright, the other crossing it. A convenient, oft-used shorthand.

“Help?” Fluttershy echoed. Even now, her voice sounded disconnected, not her own. She wobbled slightly, but a replaced step caught her balance. “Buh... But where? H-Hospital, or... Umm...”

Head shake. Paws hinged apart, like a book.

“T-Twi... light? I... I don’t.... Far.” Sleep sounded so lovely right now. To curl up in the soft grass around her home, bask in the warmth of the sun, feel the—

Paws pushing her once more, this time on her hind leg. Urging her forward. Angel was right. He generally was. Twilight always knew what to do. She’d know about this, too. About the hum. And about sleeping on a Saturday afternoon, when the sun felt so warm and fuzzy and enveloping. Pushing again. Insistent. Urgent. Angel was a good bunny. She took a step forward.

Twilight’s house was far. Not normally; Fluttershy could trot there in three minutes. But now, she was so sleepy. Twilight could wait. A short nap wouldn’t hurt anything. Angel was in a hurry, though. Good bunny. She stumbled and tripped a few times. Even scuffed up her knee. It didn’t hurt though. Angel helped her back up again. Such a good, sweet bunny.

She was in front of Twilight’s library. It was just there. She didn’t remember walking here, but that wasn’t important. The hum was everywhere and vibrated her very being. She would just take a nap, and everything would make sense in the morning. Twilight seemed upset, though. She looked like she was going to panic, but why? Everything felt heavy, so peaceful. Twilight had her mouth open, as if she was speaking, or yelling even, but no sound was coming out. Maybe she’d feel better after a nap too. Oh, right. Fluttershy remembered that she’d come here to ask something.

“Help,” she whispered, before the ground fell away and dreams claimed her.