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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Love and Other Bandages
Fluttershy woke in a bed that was more crowded than usual.
This was not unprecedented – sometimes her animal friends had trouble sleeping in her cottage. They were not used to walls or the scents in her larder, and the smaller animals felt uneasy around the predators she hosted from time to time. It never mattered how much she promised the fawns or voles that the timberwolf in her kitchen was a vegetarian, they were nervous all the same.
So, sometimes they slept in her bed and snuggled under her wings. It was, she imagined, what it felt like to have a foal.
But this morning was different. The heavy form weighing down her mattress was not one of her animal friends, and he wouldn’t have fit beneath both of her wings. He lay on his back, mouth open, and if she listened carefully she could hear faint snores in time with his breath.
It was adorable, but it was also time for her to get up. She pressed her nose against his neck and gave him a push.
“Wake up,” she whispered.
He grumbled, but his bright blue eyes opened, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the window before turning to her with a smile. “Hey.”
“Good morning. How do you feel?”
“Better, I think.” Lightning Bug rolled away and set his hooves on the floor. He winced as each made contact, and when he tried to stand his whole body froze. His eyes widened, and Fluttershy heard a tiny gasp of indrawn breath. He moved like a old stallion, each step hesitant, his legs trembling as he turned in a slow circle.
Fluttershy let out a breath. To see him standing on his own, actually walking, was remarkable. Just a few days earlier, when she found him on her lawn, he’d barely been able to crawl.
“That’s good,” she said. She floated over to his side and let him lean against her, and together they made their way downstairs.
“There you go, Aubrey,” Fluttershy said, tying a knot on the river otter’s splint. “No swimming for a while, okay?”
Aubrey chittered at her, then nibbled on the gauze bandage entombing its leg until Fluttershy gave her a sharp look. The otter ducked and stumbled away into the long reeds lining the river.
“Doesn’t look happy,” Lightning Bug said. He sat beside Fluttershy, a small basket filled with bandages and other supplies held in his hooves.
“I know, but it’s for her own good. In a few weeks she’ll be fine.”
Lightning Bug nodded. “So, who’s next?”
“Bandit, if we can find him.” Fluttershy turned in a circle, searching for the sick raccoon who’d been hiding in her garden for the past week. He didn’t like medicine. “Oh, I hope I don’t have to trap him again.”
Lightning Bug grunted in response. Fluttershy turned to see him staring down the path to town. She followed his gaze and caught a rainbow flash vanishing behind a distant bush.
They were quiet for a while. Eventually, Lightning Bug spoke. “Your friends still don’t seem very happy with me.”
“Well, they’re very…” Fluttershy paused, a small frown on her lips. “Protective, sometimes.”
“Could be worse. At least they’re not attacking any more. Or calling the guard.”
“They won’t. I spoke with them about it. Now, will you be alright if I run into town?”
His eyes flicked down the path. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Good.” She leaned over to place a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. He jerked at the contact, but when she pulled away he sat straighter, and the faint shake in his limbs was gone.
“You’re too kind, you know.” Still, he kissed her back, and that was enough.
Rainbow Dash was waiting for her at the end of the path, as Fluttershy expected. Her face was marred by a scowl.
“I saw that. You kissed him.”
“That’s what ponies do when they’re in love, Rainbow.”
Something dark crossed Rainbow’s face. “Don’t call it that. It’s not love.”
“It must be. He’s feeling much better.”
Rainbow winced. “That’s… Don’t say that. It’s sick.”
“It’s what he needs. What should I have done? Let him die?”
Rainbow didn’t answer, but her expression left little to the imagination. “And when he’s better?”
“He’ll go back to his hive, I suppose.”
“What about you?”
Fluttershy paused as she stepped past her friend. She placed a light kiss on Dash’s cheek and whispered in her ear. “I’ll live.”
This was not unprecedented – sometimes her animal friends had trouble sleeping in her cottage. They were not used to walls or the scents in her larder, and the smaller animals felt uneasy around the predators she hosted from time to time. It never mattered how much she promised the fawns or voles that the timberwolf in her kitchen was a vegetarian, they were nervous all the same.
So, sometimes they slept in her bed and snuggled under her wings. It was, she imagined, what it felt like to have a foal.
But this morning was different. The heavy form weighing down her mattress was not one of her animal friends, and he wouldn’t have fit beneath both of her wings. He lay on his back, mouth open, and if she listened carefully she could hear faint snores in time with his breath.
It was adorable, but it was also time for her to get up. She pressed her nose against his neck and gave him a push.
“Wake up,” she whispered.
He grumbled, but his bright blue eyes opened, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the window before turning to her with a smile. “Hey.”
“Good morning. How do you feel?”
“Better, I think.” Lightning Bug rolled away and set his hooves on the floor. He winced as each made contact, and when he tried to stand his whole body froze. His eyes widened, and Fluttershy heard a tiny gasp of indrawn breath. He moved like a old stallion, each step hesitant, his legs trembling as he turned in a slow circle.
Fluttershy let out a breath. To see him standing on his own, actually walking, was remarkable. Just a few days earlier, when she found him on her lawn, he’d barely been able to crawl.
“That’s good,” she said. She floated over to his side and let him lean against her, and together they made their way downstairs.
“There you go, Aubrey,” Fluttershy said, tying a knot on the river otter’s splint. “No swimming for a while, okay?”
Aubrey chittered at her, then nibbled on the gauze bandage entombing its leg until Fluttershy gave her a sharp look. The otter ducked and stumbled away into the long reeds lining the river.
“Doesn’t look happy,” Lightning Bug said. He sat beside Fluttershy, a small basket filled with bandages and other supplies held in his hooves.
“I know, but it’s for her own good. In a few weeks she’ll be fine.”
Lightning Bug nodded. “So, who’s next?”
“Bandit, if we can find him.” Fluttershy turned in a circle, searching for the sick raccoon who’d been hiding in her garden for the past week. He didn’t like medicine. “Oh, I hope I don’t have to trap him again.”
Lightning Bug grunted in response. Fluttershy turned to see him staring down the path to town. She followed his gaze and caught a rainbow flash vanishing behind a distant bush.
They were quiet for a while. Eventually, Lightning Bug spoke. “Your friends still don’t seem very happy with me.”
“Well, they’re very…” Fluttershy paused, a small frown on her lips. “Protective, sometimes.”
“Could be worse. At least they’re not attacking any more. Or calling the guard.”
“They won’t. I spoke with them about it. Now, will you be alright if I run into town?”
His eyes flicked down the path. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Good.” She leaned over to place a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. He jerked at the contact, but when she pulled away he sat straighter, and the faint shake in his limbs was gone.
“You’re too kind, you know.” Still, he kissed her back, and that was enough.
Rainbow Dash was waiting for her at the end of the path, as Fluttershy expected. Her face was marred by a scowl.
“I saw that. You kissed him.”
“That’s what ponies do when they’re in love, Rainbow.”
Something dark crossed Rainbow’s face. “Don’t call it that. It’s not love.”
“It must be. He’s feeling much better.”
Rainbow winced. “That’s… Don’t say that. It’s sick.”
“It’s what he needs. What should I have done? Let him die?”
Rainbow didn’t answer, but her expression left little to the imagination. “And when he’s better?”
“He’ll go back to his hive, I suppose.”
“What about you?”
Fluttershy paused as she stepped past her friend. She placed a light kiss on Dash’s cheek and whispered in her ear. “I’ll live.”