“WHAT?!” Twilight and Fluttershy exclaimed together in shock, exchanging looks of confusion and panic.

I wanted to say something, anything, but my mind couldn’t form any words. I had just escaped being foalnapped, I had nearly been raped and killed, and now I was being accused of murders I didn’t commit? It didn’t make any sense! I was the victim in all of this; why were they making it sound like I was a...

Murderer. They think I’m a murderer.

I felt a sour feeling swelling up in my stomach as I frantically reviewed the evidence in front of me, unable to grasp the reality of the situation.  “I-I don’t I understand, h-how...? Wha—”

The stress finally got to me and I did what any sane, rational pony would do in this situation: I threw up—or I tried to, anyway. I ended up leaning forward and dry-heaving, my stomach trying to empty its contents even though there were none to be found.

The detectives stepped back, wary that I might still find something in there that might end up splashing on them. Detective Hawkeye snorted in disbelief. “Cut the act, you—”

“Detectives!” the voice of Twilight suddenly boomed.

Everypony in the room turned to look at a very irritated purple unicorn. “I don’t know how you do things in Manehattan, but in the rest of Equestria, a pony is presumed innocent until proven guilty!” Twilight cast a hard glare at Detective Hawkeye as she gestured a forehoof to me. “Prism is in no shape to answer any of your questions right now. I would suggest you leave your contact information, so that a proper interview—with legal counsel present—can be conducted. For the time being, however, I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

With a furious sneer on his face, the detective craned his neck, briefly taken aback by Twilight’s words before narrowing his eyes at her intensely. I guessed he wasn’t used to being insulted or disrespected, as he quickly started to advance to her.

“That is quite enough, Mr. Hawkeye!” Ruby Heart suddenly cut in, stepping between the lavender mare and the detective and, holding out a foreleg. “You’re stressing out my patient, and that is the last thing she needs right now, given the physical and mental stress her body has already endured.” She gestured her forehoof to the door. “Now, I’m going to have to insist you two take your leave this very instant, or I will call security and have you two removed!” She stomped down her foreleg to punctuate her ultimatum.

Twilight regarded the detective coolly. “If you would like to speak to Prism further, you will have to do so through her lawyer. If you two are very lucky, you won’t lose your badges for this gross misconduct.”

Fluttershy quickly followed suit, silently casting the detectives an icy look that caused them both to take a few steps back in fear. She flared out her wings and approached them. “My friend needs her rest,” she stated firmly, taking a few more steps forward towards the stallions. “Now please leave.”

The detectives exchanged nervous glances as they backed away from the slowly advancing yellow mare. “S-sorry for upsetting you, miss!  W-we’ll be taking our leave now!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the two stallions quickly hurried to the door and made a hasty exit. Fluttershy let out a hard snort before turning back to me. As she made eye contact with me, her expression softened and her face flushed, and she sheepishly shrank down to the floor a little. Despite feeling absolutely awful, I couldn’t help but flash a brief, weak smile at her antics.

Only Fluttershy could manage to be furious one moment, scaring the pants off two full grown stallions, only to go back to being timid and adorable two seconds later.

A short moment of silence passed before Ruby Heart let out a sudden huff. “The nerve of those stallions!” She retrieved her clipboard from the foot of my bed. “Well, it’s been lovely speaking with you all, but I really must be getting back to work. I’m sorry about those two. Thank you for the fascinating information, Ms. Sparkle. I would very much love to see your research notes another time.”

Twilight turned to her with a soft smile. “Thank you, Doctor Ruby Heart.”

The doctor covered a small laugh. “Please, just call me Ruby, it’s what all of my friends call me,” she said with a wink before walking to the door. “I’ll be back to check on you in an hour or two, Prism. Try and calm down a little and get some rest in the meantime.”

Fluttershy walked over to my side, leaning over to me and rubbing the top of my back with a forehoof. “Don’t worry, Ruby; Prism will be all right.”

The doctor looked back to Fluttershy with a sly smirk. “Oh, I’m sure she will,” she cooed in a mildly suggestive tone.

Fluttershy’s movements and expression suddenly froze. Mere moments later a fiery blush lit up her face. Ruby covered a small laugh before quickly making her exit, leaving just me and the other girls.

A short silence passed before Twilight turned to me with a concerned look. “Prism, is any of this actually true?” Twilight asked, sounding perplexed and, raising an eyebrow. “Could you have possibly killed those ponies?”

Fluttershy looked in dismay. “Oh no! There is no possible way—”

“I could have,” I sternly interrupted her. ”Given the state I was in, I felt so powerful. Part of me wanted to go that far, but I didn’t—” I paused to quell the returning tide of nausea. “I didn’t kill them, I simply tossed them around a little; they would have some bruises or maybe a broken bone or two at the... the...” In that moment I suddenly realized I’d missed a very important detail! My eyes lit up in shock as I hastily looked over the papers and photos the two detectives had left behind after their hasty retreat.

Hunter isn’t here! The pony that I actually hurt isn’t—

My train of thought was interrupted when Fluttershy pulled me into a hug. “It’s okay. I know you were hurt and scared, my animals sometimes attack even me when they are afraid and injured. You must have been so frightened in there! It’s a good thing Snooty happened to be there to come and rescue us.”

Enough! I have had enough of Snooty’s games!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down some. I realized that explaining everything to my friends wasn’t going to be easy. Who knew what deceptions and lies Snooty had already embedded in their minds?

“Look, there are some things you girls need to know about Snooty...” I began with a sigh.

* * * * * * * * * *

It took some time for me to explain everything and convince the girls. At first, they simply didn’t believe me; they couldn’t believe that the kind, polite gentlecolt who had saved us was, in fact, the true mastermind behind it all.  Snooty had already filled their heads with lies, but as I went into greater detail about what he had told me about himself—his real business, and his plans regarding the foalnapping—they quickly came to realize the truth behind my words.

“So this was actually all about Rarity then?” Twilight asked quizzically, looking like she was deep in thought.

I nodded. “Like I said, Snooty only foalnapped us and asked for a ransom to worry and scare Rarity. He never intended to follow through with those staged demands in the first place, it was all just a ploy to get closer to her. And by the looks of things...” I looked to Fluttershy in concern. She shrank down with a guilty look. “Everything would have gone exactly as he planned, had I not survived.”

Twilight gave a small hum in acknowledgement, before bringing a hoof to her chin and staring off into nowhere.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Prism...” Fluttershy sniffled softly, and rubbed her snout with a forehoof as she stared down at the floor. “I totally would have believed him, too. I’m such a foal...”

I would have run over and given Fluttershy a hug right then, but, being anchored in bed and limited to the use of only one limb, I was forced to settle for the next best thing.

“Fluttershy, would you come here, please?” I asked her softly, patting the left side of my bed.

She looked up to me with a slightly confused look, but eventually got up from her seat and complied.

After she had reached me, I gestured her closer until she was in foreleg’s reach, and then wrapped my left foreleg around her, nuzzling at the side of her face. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Fluttershy,” I whispered softly, holding her tight as best I could with only the one foreleg, before allowing her to pull away. “I would have believed him too if I had been in your horseshoes. What is important is that we are both okay, and that you now know the truth. So don’t worry, all right?” I flashed her a warm smile, which she slowly returned, and we nodded simultaneously.

Twilight broke from her musings and walked up to the other side of my bed, looking over to me with great concern. “We need a plan, Prism. I believe you, of course, but it would seem that all we have right now, in terms of evidence, is your word against his. That’s not going to be enough to convince anypony of anything,” Twilight stated matter-of-factly. “We need somepony to investigate further and find some hard evidence on Snooty. Maybe we could try to find some information on how he tried to frame you as well.”

I turned to her, nodding in agreement. “Yes, Snooty does a lot of shipping of goods, and neat and organized as he is, he undoubtedly keeps records of it all somewhere.”

“Right, which is why I’m going to investigate and try to look into him a bit further, as well as try to ascertain exactly what happened to you girls,” Twilight said, gesturing a hoof between Fluttershy and I.

Fluttershy shifted uneasily. “Are you sure that’s, um, safe, Twilight?”

Twilight closed her eyes, sighing deeply and frowning. “Probably not. But somepony has to do it, and I doubt we could find a private investigator who would be able find anything useful,” she said, opening her eyes and giving me a worried look. “If everything Prism says about Snooty is true, then he must be really good at covering his tracks.”

“Are you sure, Twilight? I don’t want you to get hurt—or worse—because of me. Snooty is a very dangerous pony.” I punctuated my statement by gesturing to my injuries.

“I know, but at least I know the truth about him, so I’ll be sure to careful, and prepared.” Twilight paused for a moment, staring off into nowhere briefly. “Well, we can discuss this more later. Right now I really should get back to the hotel and inform the others that I’ve found you two, and that you’re both all right.”

“Alright. I’m sure they are all very worried and would love to know that we are okay. We can discuss how to handle all of this tomorrow,” I said whilst looking to Fluttershy, who nodded in agreement.

“Oh yes, I, um, don’t want the rest of the girls to worry about us. We'll be fine here, Twilight. Go let them know we are safe,” Fluttershy requested softly.

Twilight nodded and turned to leave. “I’ll be back with the whole gang in the morning. You two should probably get some rest.”

She began to make her way for the door, but paused after a few steps. Her ears perked up a little, and she turned back to us with a hesitant, yet curious look. “So, uh... how long have you two been, um...” Twilight began before trailing off, shifting a foreleg between Fluttershy and I a few times.

Fluttershy let out a small squeak and jumped a little, her face immediately flushing. I, on the other hoof, sank down into my bed sheets, an equally embarrassed blush flaring up on my face.

Twilight waited silently and watched us both expectantly, her curious look only intensifying as time passed.

I have to say something...

To my surprise, however, it was Fluttershy who spoke up first. “We, um... we haven’t really talked about it yet...“ she began, before trailing off and looking to me bashfully. “I just, uh, sort of jumped to conclusions earlier.”

I  dismissively shook my head so quickly that it made me feel a little dizzy afterward. “No! No-no-no! Don’t feel bad about showing me how you feel...” I trailed off, having somewhat forgotten Twilight was still in the room for a moment. I turned to her. “It’s like she said. We, um... haven’t talked about it yet.” I glanced to Fluttershy briefly as a small smile crested my face. “Though I would very much like to. Here. Shortly.”

My obvious hints caused Twilight to crane her neck back slightly with a small blush, while Fluttershy sat to her haunches, trying fruitlessly to hide a large smile behind her forehooves.

Twilight took a step back with a sheepish laugh. “Well, I, uh, should probably leave you two to discuss matters then! Besides, uh... the girls would love to hear that you two are okay!” she said with a nervous laugh, whilst backing up to the door.

“Um, Twilight...?” Fluttershy began softly, getting to her hooves and turning to face the lavender mare. “What do you, uh... think of all of, um, this?” Fluttershy’s expression fell a bit as she looked about the room nervously. “About us being... f-fillyfoolers?” Her voice trailed off into a reluctant whisper during that last word.

Twilight looked to be quite surprised by Fluttershy’s question, but after a few moments her expression softened a little. “Well, I can’t say I can relate, as I have never been in love before, or even really thought about it. Certainly not with another mare...” she trailed off at that last bit, looking off into nowhere before shaking herself visibly. “Anyway, to be honest, I don’t really see anything particularly wrong with it. I mean, you’re both my friends, so if it makes you happy, then I guess I’m okay with it.”

Fluttershy’s expression lit up with glee for a moment. She quickly covered her muzzle and shrank down sheepishly once more. I couldn't help but cover the small smile which crested my face as I watched her adorable antics. It was little things like that there that reminded me why I felt so strongly for her.

Twilight let out a small laugh at us, before opening the door with her magic. “Well, I’ll give you a little privacy then.” Twilight looked between the two of us once more. “I’ll see you two in the morning. Have a good night.” She slowly made her way out the door and closed it behind her.

There was a long stretch of silence as Fluttershy and I stared nervously at one another.

So much had happened in the past few days; it was unreal. Though it appeared that the majority of the storm had blown over—for now at least. Even so, I felt just awful that Fluttershy had had to go through everything she did because of me. She had been stolen away from her daily life, dragged to a different city, and beaten, all because of past events that had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Fluttershy never asked for this...

“I’m so sorry, Fluttershy,” I spoke up, breaking the tense silence of the room.

The yellow mare’s ears perked up at my words. “Why are you, uh, sorry?” she asked, a confused look on her face. “What’s there to be sorry for?”

“Everything...” I replied, slowly looking away. “Because of me you had to go through everything you did; because of my actions, you got hurt!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “You don’t have to be sorry for that, Prism. There was no way you could have known that this was going to happen.”

“But it still happened! You were hurt—hurt because of me!”

“Prism, look at me,” she requested softly.

I had no choice but to comply.

“Do I look angry or upset to you?”

I scanned the pegasus’s face. Having now gotten a good look at her, I could see the faint remains of several bruises and cuts along her face and muzzle, more than likely remnants of her injuries after being treated with healing magic. It was also evident that she hadn’t been sleeping again. Dark rings encircled her eyes, with small bags under them.

But despite all of this, she wore a warm, happy smile as she stared back at me.

“I’m not upset about what happened,” she declared, taking a step closer to me. “I’m, um, just glad you’re safe. That we’re safe.”

The desire to hug her was becoming almost unbearable. I wanted to be close to her, even closer than she was right now. I cursed myself for being stuck in this bed. Pausing for a moment, I looked about my bed, taking notice of the fact that it was larger than the bed I had occupied back in the Ponyville hospital. This gave me an idea.

“Um, Fluttershy...?” I prompted softly, feeling my face beginning to flush even before I had asked the embarrassing question. “W-would you... would you mind coming up here and um, sitting with me?” I patted the space on the bed to the left of me with my forehoof, before somehow managing to scoot over a bit.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, while her face flushed a bright crimson. She hesitated for a moment, looking about the room as if somepony may be watching her, before looking back to me and giving a soft nod. Pausing once more, she slowly and nervously climbed onto the bed and settled down next to me.

It was a tight fit, but I was sure neither of us minded being that close to one another. This was the first time the two of us had been this close... With the mutual knowledge of being attracted to one another, at least.

A warm feeling flared up in my chest when Fluttershy’s tension slowly began to ease, and she actually relaxed up against me.

Thinking back to the kiss we had shared the other night, I decided that this was all so very unfair! It was unfair that I hadn’t had the chance to really tell Fluttershy how I felt about her. Sure, I had sort of told her how I felt about her, but I had never gotten to tell her why, or just how much... It was because of her kindness that I had everything I did. Without the kindness she had showed me, that cold winter day, I honestly had no idea where I would be right now.

I certainly wouldn’t be lying next to the most beautiful mare in the world right now...

I closed my eyes, and the two of us sat in calm silence for several long minutes. Neither of felt the need to speak, simply enjoying the closeness of the other's company. It reminded me of that evening we had watched the sunset together.

I wondered for a moment if I was, in fact, dreaming. All that I had ever really desired,  ever since I was a filly, was for somepony to love me. And here I was: sharing a bed with the pony who had proclaimed her love for me only days before.

“Fluttershy?”

“Yes?”

“How long have you, um... had feelings for me?” I asked, trailing off into a whisper as I turned my head to look at her.

She returned the look with a bashful, shy look of her own. “W-well... to be honest, I was already, um, attracted to you when I first met you. I thought you were so beautiful, Prism,” she admitted, shrinking shyly back into herself a bit. “I mean, um, here was this... mysterious snowy white mare who I knew I had never seen before, and who I knew nothing about... I was, uh, actually very curious to learn more about you...”

I blinked absent-mindedly at her a few times; this news surprised me. “You thought I was attractive when you first met me?” I repeated, fishing for confirmation, replaying the words in my head again and again yet failing to truly grasp them.

She nodded hesitantly. “Y-you see... I’ve been, um... attracted to other mares ever since I was a filly, actually,” Fluttershy admitted, shifting uncomfortably for a bit before continuing. “It’s been a secret I was always ashamed to admit to; I was scared of being labeled a fillyfooler, like some of the other fillies at school.” Fluttershy shook her head, her voice picking up in volume and pitch. “But I couldn’t help it. I found myself staring at and admiring other girls. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I felt that admiration change. I soon realized I was actually attracted to these fillies—and soon after that, mares.”

I paused and thought about her words for a moment, comparing them to my own experiences. “I never was really attracted to anypony when I was younger,” I said, a sense of discomfort haunting my words. “Back then I was certain I liked stallions, but I also had a deep appreciation for other mares’ beauty and poise...” I trailed off, briefly looking off into nowhere before focusing my vision back on Fluttershy’s eyes. “It wasn’t until after I had met you, and had gotten to know you, that I started to find that I could also be attracted to mares.”

Fluttershy shifted again, moving her forehooves to cover a smile that the corners of her mouth failed to hide. “Oh, I am so happy that you feel that way. I would have been so disappointed if another mare I really liked hadn’t been interested in mares.” She looked off into nowhere for a moment, with a sad look.

I raised an eyebrow at her, my left ear folding back as I processed her words. “Another mare...?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she covered her muzzle with both forehooves.

I guessed she had not meant to say that, and quickly shook my head. “Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t—”

“No,” she quickly interjected. “I, um, I think I really should tell you... just in case, um...” she shook herself visibly before steeling herself and looking me straight in the eyes. “Shortly after I had decided to live on the ground and move to Ponyville, I met this... beautiful mare while out shopping for fruit.”

I nodded in acknowledgement, listening intently whilst silently wondering where she was going with her story.

Fluttershy’s expression brightened into a soft smile as she looked down at her forelegs in her lap. “She complimented me on my appearance and called me very beautiful, telling me how she absolutely loved the way I did my mane.” She paused for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle. “I, um, I felt my heart quite literally skip a beat at her words. Sure, I’ve had stallions compliment me on my appearance, but they would intimidate and scare me too much for me to really respond.”

She looked back to me with a warm smile, although something was off; Fluttershy’s eyes looked as if she was fighting back tears.

“This was the first time a mare had ever really complimented me like that before. I was so taken by her; I had to get to know her better.”

I blinked idly at her before asking the inevitable question. “Just who was this mare?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated, with trembling jaw, obviously struggling as she tried to form words. Tears slowly started to seep from her eyes before she took a deep breath.

“I-it.. it was Rarity...” she breathed softly before looking away from me.

I was stunned. I had had absolutely no idea that Fluttershy was even interested in mares until a few nights ago, and now I learned she had also been interested in Rarity! I found myself speechless, with no idea what to say. I mean, what does a pony say in that kind of situation?

After several long seconds of silence, I asked the only thing I could think of. “S-so, did she, um... know about it?”

Fluttershy nodded weakly before continuing, “I, um... I never told her. She, uh, kind of figured it out herself...” She trailed off before quickly looking back to me. “Oh, I was so embarrassed! She caught me, um, c-c-c...checking her out.” She quickly shook her head again. “While she admitted to being quite flattered that a mare, of all ponies, was interested in her, s-she... s-she...” Fluttershy expression fell into a pained look as her voice trailed off into a silent sob. Tears began streaming down her face.

This is a painful memory for her. She must have had really strong feelings for Rarity, back then... Maybe even now?

While I could not relate to the feeling of rejection, when it came to love, I was no stranger to rejection itself. I had a fair idea of how she was feeling at the moment. Desiring nothing more than to have somepony to love, only to have the pony you felt for most strongly reject you... It was a painful thought. I could only imagine the actual feeling of it.

I pulled Fluttershy into another half-hug as she softly cried into my chest. I could feel the sensation of her warm tears soaking into my coat, but I paid them no heed. Comforting the pony I cared for was far more important, even if her pain was from another love. Although I had to admit to being curious as to how things ended between the two of them.

After several minutes of soft crying, Fluttershy finally managed to compose herself. She looked up to me with a soft sniffle.

“I’m so sorry, Prism,” she said, rubbing her snout with a foreleg. “I just... I just got so caught up in the memory, I, um... I sort of lost myself.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. Everypony has painful memories.”

At my mention of such memories, my mind slowly wandered to the deepest reaches of my own mind, and approached a closet I had long since left closed. I quickly shook away the thoughts before I could progress any further.

Some things are best left forgotten...

“It was difficult,” Fluttershy said suddenly, snuggling into my chest again. “Rarity, she... Well, we’d gotten very close by then, and she didn’t want to hurt my feelings... We, um, actually dated for a couple weeks, but she... She tried, but I could tell she was only doing it for me. If I hadn’t said anything, she might even have kissed me just so she wouldn’t make me sad. I finally confronted her about it, and she admitted that she just wasn’t attracted to mares.”

“It sounds like you took it really hard.”

“Oh, yes, I was devastated,” she said, turning her head to look up to me. “She was, too. She said that the very idea of turning me down without trying, after I had opened up to her like that, would have been the ‘Worst Possible Thing.’ She was the first pony I ever truly loved. At least, I think? Well... no, I guess I still love her. Just not in the same way. She’s a really wonderful friend, and she’s been so supportive. She was the one who told me I just needed to go for it. Even if you didn’t feel the same, I needed to show you how I felt...”

I let out a small sigh. “Love is so complicated. I was, uh... really torn when I realized my feelings for you,” I informed her. “On one hoof, I knew I had feelings for Big Macintosh, but on the other, there was you. It took me quite some time to figure everything out in my head.”

I still need to take care of that...

Fluttershy anxiously fidgeted, rubbing her forehooves together and hesitating for several seconds. She looked extremely nervous. “S-so, um... did you decide what, uh, what you want to do?”

I looked down to her confused, “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy again hesitated. “A-about, um... about me and Big Macintosh...” she said softly. Her voice almost trembled as she hid her face behind her mane.

I couldn’t help but crane my neck back in surprise. She was still legitimately worried about what I was going to do and who I was going to choose?

I thought I had made this very clear that night.

“Fluttershy...” I softly said, brushing her mane out of her face with my free forehoof and staring into her eyes.

They say that the eyes are the gateways to the soul, and I could see so much in the gorgeous aquamarine eyes that stared back into mine. I could clearly see a sea of emotion hidden behind them, held back by the subtle worry of rejection. She had obviously been very hurt by it before, and that lurking worry mixed in with the rest of the feelings she held so close to her.

I have made her worry so much since I moved to Ponyville; she has had to endure so much stress because of me...

I wanted that worry to melt away, wanted her to let free the ocean of feelings she was suppressing deep down inside of her. As I continued to stare into her eyes, I felt a sudden urge, an urge I once thought I would never have the chance to fulfill, given the way my life had been unfolding before I had met her.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I summoned every ounce of courage I had in me, closing my eyes and slowly leaning in to meet her, my muzzle pressing softly against hers. It was truly an exhilarating experience, unlike anything I had ever done before. My mind raced, countless thoughts flying through it before I could even begin to process them. I had just taken the initiative for the very first time, and kissed somepony. Another moment I had dreamt about during countless nights had just become reality.

The moment seemed to last forever, far longer than when Fluttershy had first kissed me—and I cherished every second of it. Eventually I pulled away, as I had one more thing to do while I still had the momentum of courage going for me.

I leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I love you, Fluttershy.” A fiery warmth filled my chest as I asked her a question, a question that danced with my desires, which had seemed so far out of reach for all these years. “Will you be my very special somepony?”

The yellow mare took in an audible breath at my words. I could hear her voice tremble as she tried to form words, but none came, only rapid, shaky breaths. Eventually, after several moments, Fluttershy finally spoke the words she had been struggling so hard to say.

“I-I... I would love to,” she answered, in a voice just above a whisper, before her tone quickly flipped to one of concern.” T-that is... if, if you’re okay with me...”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Even after all of that, she still kept true to her adorably shy nature. “Yes, I am very okay with you, Fluttershy,” I reassured, tightening the hug around her. “I couldn’t be more okay with anypony else.”

So there it was, Fluttershy and I were now officially together. Thinking back, I never would have imagined my significant other would actually end up being another mare, but that didn’t really matter to me now. Fluttershy had shown me time and time again that she accepted me for who I was, and now, I knew that she also loved me for who I was. That was all that mattered to me; her gender was irrelevant.

I felt a large smile cresting my face as I basked in the afterglow of the moment. But Fluttershy’s voice soon pulled me from my reflections.

“Oh yeah... and, um, to answer your question from before: I first realized my feelings for you the day before Winter Wrap Up,” she admitted, her gaze shifting away from me into a dreamy, distant look. “After all that time we had spent together, and after watching the sunset together, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you. But I was scared that I would be a bother if I came over to see you a bit too often.”

“I would have been absolutely thrilled if you had,” I admitted. “Every day that went by, I wished to spend more time with you, but I was scared that I would wear out my welcome, or that I would bother you.”

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “Oh no, not at all! I would have actually, um, very much loved it if you had come to visit me more.”

“We both secretly wanted the same thing, yet we were both needlessly afraid of the same thing as well...” I began, trailing off as I met her eyes.

The two of us stared blankly at one another for a moment before slowly sharing a brief fit of giggles and laughter.

After managing to compose myself, I let out a soft, relaxed sigh. “That just makes me wish I would have come to see you sooner, despite my reluctance.”

“Oh yes, me too. I had no idea that you wanted to see me as well. Although, um...  probably a little less desperately,” she said with a small frown. “I mean, I spent a lot of time in my cottage just daydreaming about spending time with you... The real thing would have been so much better.” She let out a sharp, disappointed sigh.

Fluttershy’s mention of her cottage reminded me of a random thought I had had some time ago.

“Fluttershy? How did you end up living in that cottage anyway? I mean, I remember reading that pegasi normally live in the clouds, or at least in cloud homes... How did you end up owning a cottage on the ground?”

The yellow mare stared back blankly. It seemed as if my sudden question had caught her off-guard. A part of me felt a little bad for changing the topic so quickly.

I really need to work on controlling that better...

I shrank into myself a little. “I’m sorry. If you, um, don’t want to talk about—”

“Oh no! That’s not it at all!” Fluttershy quickly interjected, laying a forehoof on mine. “I was just surprised, that’s all. Ponies ask me why I choose to live in my cottage rather than in the clouds all the time, but nopony has really asked how I got my cottage. That’s why I, um, wasn’t expecting that question.”

“Sorry, it is just something I have been wondering about for a while.”

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “Well, you see, my parents have always been very supportive of me. Just after I had fallen and gotten my cutie mark—and after an instructor had been kind enough to retrieve me from the ground—I went straight home and told my parents about everything I had seen and learned while I had been down here,” she informed me, her expression shifting into a warm smile. “Mother and Father were so pleased by how happy it seemed to make me that they started taking me on trips to the surface almost every day after school, so that I could play with all of my new animal friends.”

I couldn’t help but share Fluttershy’s smile at her tale. “They remind me of Mother, and how she was always there to help me do the things I loved, too. She always made sure I had everything I needed to draw and color, and eventually even paint.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “It was, um, actually my mother and father who bought the cottage for me, as a graduation present. At first I was, uh, really scared about living there all by myself, but mother reassured me that, as long as I had my animals friends, I would never truly be alone.”

“Do you see or hear from your parents often?” I asked, curious as to why she had never brought them up before now.

Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes! I get letters from them all the time, and they come to visit me at least once a month,” she answered happily, before bashfully concluding: “I’m, um, very close to my parents.”

I covered a small laugh at her shyness in admitting her close relationship with her parents. “That’s a very good thing, Fluttershy. Mother told me that many ponies tend to drift away from their parents after they move away. She would always tell me how glad she was that I stayed close with her, even after I had moved out.”

Fluttershy’s expression froze momentarily. She opened her muzzle to speak, but instead hesitated for a few moments. “You, um... You always speak so highly of your mother, but I don’t recall you ever mentioning your, um, father?” Fluttershy said, her tone quickly turning defensive. “I-I mean, if you don’t want to talk about him, that’s fine. I was, uh, just... curious.”

Father... How long has it been?

It had been some time since I had last thought about my father, let alone talked about him. I saw no harm in doing so now though, given that Mother was no longer around to be hurt by it.

“No, it’s fine. I have just gotten so used to not thinking or talking about him, because of Mother. Father was a very painful topic for her, so after I finally learned more about him, I avoided bringing him up,” I informed her, trying my best to recall what little I could remember of him. “Mother refused to admit he might have passed away, so she would always say he had ‘left’ to go onto bigger things. Soon I started saying the same thing, for her sake.”

Fluttershy’s expression and ears fell as she looked down to her lap. “I-I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to bring it up if it was so painful, I—”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” I quickly interjected, hoping to stop her from worrying that she might have done something wrong. “I don’t mind talking about him. While it was painful for Mother, I myself don’t really remember much about him.” I paused for a moment, bringing a hoof to my chin. “Though, what I do remember is that he...”

I trailed off as my ears perked up, having caught the sound of the door to my room opening. I looked towards the entrance to find Ruby Heart entering, clipboard in wing, closely examining her charts. I felt my face quickly heating up in embarrassment. I wasn’t used to being this close to somepony yet, let alone having others see me like this.

Fluttershy left out a soft squeak and immediately flew off the bed, hastily landing next to me. Ruby’s ears perked up as she looked up from her clipboard to the two of us. She paused for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of us before a sly smirk played across her lips.

‘

“Well, I came to check up on you, Prism, but...” she trailed off, looking to Fluttershy smugly. “It would seem you are well taken care of.” Her voice was hinting very suggestively.

Fluttershy’s face flushed as she turned back to face me, staring at me for a moment. She had a certain look of interest in her eyes that I couldn't quite put a hoof on, though her expression quickly shifted into panic as her wings quickly flared out to full extension. She took a flustered step backwards, frantically glancing between her wings while stammering incoherently

I gave her a curious look, while Ruby, on the other hoof, failed to hold back a covered laugh.

This is a lot like how she was behaving that one night in my room...

Fluttershy turned a whole new shade of crimson before quickly heading for the door. “I-I, um, I-I should p-probably get some, uh, s-sleep, i-it’s, um... late!” she finally managed, zipping past the doctor and out the door, likely back to her own room.

Ruby stood still with a large smile, before glancing back to the hallway and letting out another laugh. “I am so sorry, Prism,” she said, turning back to face me with another chuckle. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you two so much.”

“No, it’s fine. I was a little embarrassed, yes, but it’s not a big deal,” I reassured her, before looking to the door with interest. “Though I don’t see why Fluttershy reacted so... strongly.”

Ruby sheepishly scratched the back of her neck with a forehoof. “Well, I can’t say I blame the poor girl; to pop one in front of somepony you don’t know can be extremely embarrassing, especially if it’s another pegasus. I would have likely run away, had I been in her horseshoes, too.”

“Popped one?” I asked quizzically, unsure as to what she meant with that unfamiliar bit of lingo.

Ruby raised an eyebrow at me. “You know! A wingy? Full feather salute? ...Wingboner?” she asked, eyeing me curiously.

I slowly shook my head. I had absolutely no clue what she was insinuating.

The doctor stared blankly at me for a moment before a large smile played across her face. “Your fillyfriend is a pegasus, and you don’t know?” she asked, more in the manner of a statement than an actual question.

“Know what?” I asked, tilting my head cluelessly. “Is it something to do with her wings flaring out like that, just now?”

Ruby Heart hid her smile behind her forehoof. “More than you could possibly imagine.”

I was starting to get a little irritated by her beating around the bush like this. “So what is this ‘wingy’ thing?” I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

The doctors expression hardened as she cleared her throat, her voice shifting to a more serious tone. “Sorry. A ‘wingy’ is a commonly used term for ‘Erogenous Alarum Stiffening.’ It’s a basic display of pegasus body language,“ she informed me, extending her right wing and gesturing a forehoof to it. “As I’m sure you have noticed, a pegasus’s wings respond passively to accommodate their owner’s moods and actions. Now, a ‘wingie’ is when the pegasus’s wings flare out to full extension unwillingly, while in a state where the pegasus is sexually aroused, or ‘turned on,’ if you will.”

I took a moment to absorb her words.

So a wingie is when a pegasus is sexually aroused because of another...

Then it hit me; hit me like a stagecoach screaming downhill, whilst on fire, and loaded full of explosives. To say that I was embarrassed would have been a massive understatement. How does somepony even go without knowing when another pony is sexually aroused by them?

Poor Fluttershy... why did I have to be such a shut-in?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how embarrassing that must have been for her, to have that happen in front of the pony you like. Not to mention me being absolutely clueless about its meaning... It was no wonder she left the way she did, that one night—and just now.

While I had known that Fluttershy was in love with me, the idea of anything more physical than that hadn’t really crossed my mind. But now I found my thoughts shifting to the yellow mare in a more... provocative light.

Oh... oh, my...

I could feel my innocence quickly slipping away, as images of Fluttershy in such a manner could not be unseen. Not that I wanted them to disappear, I simply couldn’t shake them from my mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have all day to fantasize; I had almost forgotten I wasn’t alone!

Ruby waved a forehoof in front of my face a few times. “Oh dear... I think I just broke another innocent mind,” she mused to herself in a concerned tone.

I shook myself as my consciousness snapped back to reality. I found myself at a complete loss for words though. My face flushed and I was left stammering incoherently due to the unexpected knowledge that had been revealed to me.

The look of concern and guilt on Ruby Heart’s face was quite clear; it would seem she felt legitimately bad for the teasing she had put myself and Fluttershy through. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize you were genuinely unaware of what I meant. I wouldn’t have done that if I—”

“N-no, it’s fine,” I finally managed to interject. “Actually, um... t-thank you. As embarrassed as I am, I’m, uh... actually glad I know.” I paused for a moment,  momentarily staring off into nowhere. “It has giving me a few things to... think about,” I added in a whisper, as I found myself once again beginning to get hazily lost in thought, before shaking myself out again.

The doctor let out an uneasy laugh. “Well, I’m, uh, glad I could help then,” she said, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck with a forehoof. ”Really though, I am sorry about the teasing. I sometimes can get a little too friendly with new ponies. It’s why I generally try my best to come across as strictly professional.”

“It’s fine. I promise, Ruby,” I reassured her, shaking my left forehoof at her dismissively. “I don’t really mi—”

A sudden, loud yawn completely wrecked my train of thought, distracting me from what I was saying.

Why am I suddenly so tired?

I took a moment to shake it off, before yawning again. “Wow, um, sorry about that...” I said, rubbing my muzzle with my left foreleg. “I suddenly feel really... sleepy.”

Ruby paused blankly for a moment before her expression quickly perked up. “Oh! That would be the painkillers,” she informed me, gesturing a forehoof to a small yellow package of liquid attached to my IV. “It’s set to administer doses every few hours. The side-effect is sudden drowsiness, though I suppose that beats being in pain, right?”

I nodded drowsily. “I suppose...” I looked about the room, noticing that everything was starting to get blurry.

Just how strong is this stuff?  I feel... fuzzy...

I could barely make out Ruby’s voice, it sounded very distant. “Well, you’d best get some... then. Ms. Sparkle said your other... will be stopping by in the... to see...”

I felt my head slumping sideways as all sound and vision quickly faded away, my consciousness falling into a deep sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Mom? What was dad like?” I was sitting on the couch, scanning the many photos of Mother and Father that hung on the mint-colored walls of our small living room.

Mother peaked around her canvas from the kitchen to look at me, eyebrow raised. “That’s a very sudden question dear... Why do you ask?”

“Well... Yesterday that one colt mentioned his father being a very important pony. It got me wondering: what was my dad like?” I rubbed the still-ripe bruise around my eye. “I really don’t remember much about him, only that he always stinked like dead fish. Blech!” I let out a small retch at the smelly memories.

Mother covered a small laugh, and put down her paintbrush and palette on the kitchen table before walking across the living room and joining me on the couch. Once comfortable, she brought a hoof to her chin in thought, then looked down to me with a warm smile.

“Your father was a wonderful stallion,” she declared, looking out the window with a dreamy, distant look. “He always treated me wonderfully, and loved us very much.”

I leaped onto Mother’s back and nuzzled into her soft pink coat before bringing a hoof to my chin, thinking back really hard. “I don’t remember him though. What was he like? And why was he always so smelly, anyways?”

Mother let out a hearty laugh. “You were only two back then; I wouldn’t expect you to remember much about him,” she said, looking back to face me. “And why he was smelly? He was the captain of a fishing boat. They would always catch a lot, so he tended to come home smelling like fish.”

“He caught fish? Eeeew!” I replied with an exaggerated cringe before shifting to a confused look. “Wait... Why did he catch fish? Ponies don’t eat fish, right?”

Mother shook her head. “That’s not entirely true, dear. Some ponies do eat fish,” she informed me, gesturing a hoof to her chest. “In fact, I enjoy shrimp on the rare occasions when I can afford it.”

“Shrimp?! That stuff is so smelly! How could anypony eat that stuff?!” I scoffed, grabbing ahold of Mother’s white and purple mane with my forehooves, and scooting closer to her head. “You’re weird, mom!”

Mother slightly narrowed her eyes, cocking her neck back with a smirk. “Weird?! Don’t get me started, Little Miss ‘I’m-a-pony-but-I-don’t-like-hay.”‘

“But hay is gross, mom. It’s so... Blegh!” I declared with a small pout. “Vegetables and flowers are much tastier.”

Mother reached back and rustled my mane with a small chuckle. “At least I don’t have to worry about you eating healthy, rather than binging on fatty junk food.”

“I don’t like hay fries or hay shakes, they’re...” I trailed off before narrowing my eyes at Mother. “Wait... You’re changing the subject again, Mom!”

Mother gave me a sheepish, forced smile. “What do you mean, dear?”

I gave her an unamused look. “We were talking about Dad, Mom,” I stated, gesturing a hoof to a picture of him on the wall. “Where is Dad now, anyways?”

Mothers expression shifted into a very uneasy smile, eyes shifting from side to side. “Well, um... You see... Your dad had to, uh, leave...”

“Leave? Where did he go?” I asked quizzically, tilting my head.

Mother bit her lower lip, pausing for a few moments. “Prism, dear... Let’s talk about this another time, okay? Mommy doesn’t like talking about your daddy...” She suddenly took a deep breath and covered her muzzle with a forehoof.

I shot her a large frown. “But that’s what you always say. You change the subject whenever I bring him up.” I said, looking up to her with the best sad, pleading eyes I could muster; I knew Mother’s weakness. “Pleeaassee?”

Her expression fell as she looked me in the eyes, before letting out a hard sigh of defeat.

Mother suddenly shifted positions and scooped me up in her forelegs. “Like I said, your dad was the captain of a fishing boat, and he was very good at what he did. He would go out to sea for days, sometimes weeks at a time. I would always worry about him, but he always reassured me that he would be fine, that he and his team were some of the finest sailors in Manehattan. And every time he would come back with a big catch, he would absolutely reek of fish.”

Letting out a small sniffle, Mother hugged me a little tighter. “I used to hate that smell, hate it so much... But one day, when he came back home smelling the worst he had ever smelt before, he was wearing a solemn look on his face. He told me that had lost some of his men at sea on that particular trip, and how he had to leave again that night to inform their families of their loss. It was then that I learned that it was actually a good smell... That whenever he smelled like fish, I knew he had made it back home safely.”

Mother let out a short, shaky breath as a tear slowly slipped down her face, and took a moment before continuing. “That night, when he came home, I asked him to quit—to stop going out to sea. But no matter what I said, or how hard I begged or pleaded, he would only say that the sea and the open water were his passion, and that he loved them almost as much as he loved us!”

Mother’s grip around me tightened substantially as tears started streaming down her face.

“Mom... you’re... squishing me...” I wheezed out softly, though she didn't appear to hear me, and only continued.

“I begged him not to go! I was so scared that I might lose him!” Mother let out a sudden sob, choking on her next words. “H-he... he just laughed at me... Assuring me that he would be just fine! But, h-he...h-he...”

Mother trailed off into loud crying and sobs, nuzzling into my mane. I was unsure what to do or say, so I just stayed quiet, nuzzling into her neck while she cried. It was rare for me to ever see her cry. And I’d definitely never seen her like this before. After a while, Mother managed to calm down a bit. I felt guilty, guilty that my questions made her so sad.

“I’m sorry Mom...” I said silently, my ears falling back as I looked away in shame.

“N-no, don’t be sorry dear. You did nothing wrong,” she reassured me, nuzzling my cheek. “It’s only natural that you would want to know about your father.”

I gave a small nod before turning back to her. “So did he... not come back?”

Mother slowly shook her head. “His first mate visited me, a little over a week after he had left for his most recent trip out to sea. I... I knew something was wrong right away; your dad wasn’t with him, and he didn’t smell like fish.” She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “He informed me that Captain Swift Sail had been lost while trying to free a crewmember who had gotten caught in a net that the storm had blown loose from its holdings. It dragged the crewmen overboard, and your father dove in after him. The crew grew restless when they couldn’t spot anypony for several long moments.”

“What did they do?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“The pegasi present tried to fly out and find them, but the wind and rain were too strong. Just as they went to fly back to the ship, the lost crewmember surfaced, and the others quickly grabbed him and brought him back to the ship.”

“What about Dad?” I asked quizzically, looking up to mother expectantly. “Did they not find him?”

She shook her head grimly.

“So what did you do then, mom?” I asked, snuggling up against her and finding a comfortable spot once more. “When he said dad wasn’t coming back?”

Mother paused for a moment as her ears folded back, a solemn look on her face. “Something awful, something just awful, dear...” she said, taking a deep breath with a long sigh. “I blamed him... I blamed him and the rest of the crew for the fact that my husband wasn’t going to be coming back to me.” Mother sank down into herself and rested her head on the couch, facing away from me with another deep sigh.

I rolled off the couch and landed on my hooves, walking around to face her. She was crying again; this time the tears were soft and quiet.

“I was just so angry! I lost control and took it all out on him, even though it wasn’t his fault,” she admitted, her eyes connecting with mine. “I never even got a chance to apologize...”

I closed the distance and caught Mother’s head into a hug. “I’m sure he knew you didn’t mean it. You are, like, the nicest pony ever, mom!” I declared, snuggling into her mane. “So please, don’t feel sad.”

Mother let out a small laugh before reaching out and scooping me up again as she shifted positions. She had caught me completely off-guard, eliciting a small squeak from me.

“Thank you, dear,” she said, kissing my forehead. “I may not have him anymore, but I’ll always have the little unspoiled canvas he left me, to cheer me up when I am down.”

“Yep!”

* * * * * * * * * *

My ears perked up as a sudden click stirred me from my sleep. I let out a groggy groan and stirred again, not wanting to wake up just yet. However, the sound of my room’s door opening, followed by a set of hoofsteps, quickly woke me from my sleepy state. I pulled away the covers and sat up as best I could manage. With a loud yawn, I turned to face the intruding pony.

I couldn’t have been more surprised.

“Derpy?!”

The mailmare flashed me a wide smile. “Hey you!” she returned happily, walking up to my bedside and looking me over. Her happy expression quickly faded. “Twilight wasn’t kidding about you...” Derpy paused for a moment, before quickly leaning in and capturing me in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you're alive and okay; I kinda panicked when I heard that you’d been foalnapped.”

I returned the hug awkwardly, still only having the use of one of my forelegs. “It’s great to see you, Derpy. I’ve missed you,” I said, flashing her a smile as she pulled away. “You came alone?” I looked to the door curiously.

Derpy shook her said. “No, the other girls are actually here, too. In the waiting room. I, um, sorta took off and left them behind in my excitement to see you as soon as visiting hours started,” the mailmare admitted with a sheepish laugh. “They are speaking with an acquaintance of Rarity’s... Some stallion who wants to help you or something; I wasn’t really paying attention.”

I had completely forgotten about the connections Rarity might have. She was a socialite amongst the elite after all. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if she knew some important ponies.

“Oh! And Twilight said she will be coming by a bit later. She had something important to take care of first. She didn’t really say what, though she was in a really big hurry to leave this morning.” Derpy gave an unsure shrug. “That mare is always so busy.”

Twilight must already be planning what to do next.

“So Derpy... Why did you come looking for me all the way out here, anyways? Don’t you have work, and Dinky to take care of?”

The mailmare let out a giggle. “Because you’re my friend, silly!” she declared proudly, beaming me a large smile. “Also, don’t worry about me, I had a ton of paid vacation time saved up! And Carrot Top owed me a few favors, so she is watching Dinky for me.” Her expression softened into an unsure smile. “Besides... while there are many ponies I know, I don’t really have many I can call a friend.”

I let out a soft sigh as I beamed her a gentle smile. “Thank you, Derpy; that means a lot to me, it really does.”

Which was true. Derpy’s friendship was very dear to me. She was the first friend I had made outside of Twilight’s little circle.

Derpy and I did some brief catching up while we waited for the rest of the girls to arrive. It was fun conversing with the mailmare. She was always so happy and positive; I couldn’t help but lighten up a little myself, because of her infectious enthusiasm and cheerfulness.

Her visiting me was a strong reminder of what was waiting for me back in Ponyville...

In the place I now called ‘home.’