Health and Love

Chapters

Health and Love chapter 1
Health and Love chapter 2
Health and Love chapter 3
Health and Love Chapter 4
Health and Love Epilogue

Health and Love chapter 1

The day had begun like any other before it for Fluttershy. That is until she got a wonderful surprise visit from a certain special somepony.

Her rooster Filibuster had made it his mission that Fluttershy would greet the day as per usual along with the rising sun. After rubbing the waning memories of her dreams from her eyes she drifted down to her kitchen to start simmering a pot of alfalfa soup. As she carefully added the savory and basil into the pot she realized she decided to try something a little more bold that morning; so she indulged herself with a single sprinkle of nutmeg for a bit of extra spike.

Fluttershy turned the burner to low so it could simmer while she tended to her pet chickens in the yard. By the time she reached the coup with the feedbag resting on her back Filibuster was already strutting about the pen. He seemed to be putting on a show for Elizebeak and Mary, the only hens in the coup he had yet to woo with his impressive (albeit competitionless) swag. Fluttershy gave him a sympathetic tut while she filled the feed tray with the morning’s grains, as the two hens spurred his every advance.

“Oh come on Buster, leave those two alone… you know I bet Clucknee has been feeling lonesome recently.”

Buster flapped his wings at her and clucked a protest, but marched none the less towards the feed tray to join the girls in breakfast. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle as he went around the tray to eat on the other side of the crowd away from Mary and Elizebeak.

Fluttershy put the feed bag away before returning to check on her simmering breakfast with those two hens still on her mind. They were so lucky to have each other after all. They were always nestled close in the coop, always eating together, and when Elizebeak had gone missing the evening Fluttershy babysat Rarity’s sister and her friends Mary was inconsolable. Fluttershy paused in front of her stove as she saw the reflection in the window just above it… she was positively flustered! Sure it was true she might be pining a little bit for somepony… But for her to be jealous, and of her own pet chicken’s relationship? That’s just silly!

Sitting down at her table, the first sip of her soup told her it was definitely under cooked. Apparently in her fluster she had rushed her morning routine and forgotten to turn the stove back to medium while she did the dishes. Fluttershy finished half her breakfast with half a heart before deciding that her own little internal drama had ruined her appetite for the morning. So she took the remainder of the soup and set it in front of Angel’s bed. He had always preferred his alfalfa on the rare side; hopefully he wouldn’t figure out this meal wasn’t specifically made for him today. After managing to leave the soup next to his bed without waking him Fluttershy set about for the rest of her morning chores.

It was about eight twenty when Fluttershy finished providing the drove of animals she provided sanctuary for with their various breakfasts. She sat at the table in her front lawn with a fresh cup of sweet red tea to admire the meadows that separated her humble cottage from the rest of Ponyville. Her eyes drifted up and towards the northern mountain range, where Canterlot nestled against the mountainside a watchful sentry over the kingdom. Her heart sank as she thought of Twilight, whom had moved back in with the Princess a few months prior to begin studying more advanced spell crafts and training to become the Princess’s royal advisor. The departure had been heart breaking; and even though the group still writes and she visits when she can… the distance felt like worlds and each day without her friend felt like years to her. Twilight was one of the few ponies who ever visited Fluttershy other than to ask for her help with an animal (though there was that one encounter with Princess Luna). It was refreshing while it lasted to have a friend who was almost as socially awkward as herself. And when Twilight grew and learned to be more social she had grown also… maybe not as much as Twilight, and maybe nopony else had noticed it. But the bookmare had helped her feel a little more confident in herself during her stay in Ponyville.

She tore her eyes away from the mountains to the skyline of the west only to feel her heart sink further. Off in the distance she could barely make out the blurry cluster of clouds and spires she knew as her old home; Cloudsdale. It wasn’t the old city she missed (in fact she’d be content not to have a reason to ever go back) but it reminded her of the other of the group who moved on with their lives. There was never any doubt in her mind that Rainbow Dash would someday join the Wonderbolts… she was the best flier in all of Equestria after all! But it had just not occurred to Fluttershy before that it would mean Dash would be out on the road and away from her friends in Ponyville. Or rather she had simply ignored that fact in a vane effort to stall heartache. Even though Rainbow Dash had bullied her some when they were younger, Dash was still the first real friend she had ever had. Fluttershy knew nothing would hurt her if Rainbow Dash was near by to come to the rescue. Sure she wasn’t quite that helpless anymore, and she’d even saved Rainbow’s life once or twice. But Fluttershy missed that unbreakable, doubtless confidence and strength that Dash was always radiating. Having somepony who believed so strongly in themselves also believe in her was something Fluttershy needed.

Fluttershy took a sip from her bittersweet red tea and let the melancholy force a sigh from her lips. It seemed like everypony she knew was moving on, and she was stuck living in the good old days. When Twilight left, Applejack began to manage even more of Sweet Apple Acres than she used to. AJ rarely visited her cottage to begin with; they lived on opposite fringes of Ponyville after all. Rarity became almost as busy as Applejack when Twilight left. A massive invoice from Canterlot had forced her to cancel their last two weekly spa visits. Fluttershy was happy her friends’ business ventures were seeing more success of course! But she was steadily losing excuses to leave her cottage and venture into town. The only friend who she really saw much of anymore was-

“Pinkie Pie…?” the yellow Pegasus’ ears perked and her head lifted when she caught sight of an oblong pink shape bouncing down the long curving path that connected her cottage with the town.

Heart fluttering and mind racing her wings quivered as she tried to figure out how to present herself to her surprise visitor without overacting.

Should I go meet her half way? No, maybe that would that look too desperate! Maybe I should pretend I didn’t see her! Ohh but I did see her… I couldn’t just pretend something like that, it’d be too mean! Maybe I should meet her at the gate? Or maybe I shou-

“Hi Fluttershy!” Pinkie’s face materialized so close to Fluttershy that by the time she snapped out of her internal monologue all she could see were a pair of big, bright, shimmering, deep blue eyes. Pinkie was so close Fluttershy could even feel warm breath on her face… it smelled like Strawberry Fruit Tarts!

“Eeep!” When Fluttershy’s brain caught up with her senses, she let out a startled squeal. Her wings shot out and flapped once against her will; propelling her back just enough to knock her chair over and drop her onto her back with a thud.

“Oops! Sorry Fluttershy!” Pinkie bounced around the table to Fluttershy and helped pull her to her hooves. “I didn’t mean to scare you, especially since I walked right up to you! I guess I don’t know my own sneakyness.” Pinkie giggled, playfully slinking around the yard with her head and upper body low to the ground while her round flank pointed skyward in a mock prowl.

“Oh, it’s okay Pinkie. I was um…” Fluttershy fumbled her words. She couldn’t say ‘I was trying to figure out how to greet you’ but she didn’t have any other suitable excuse. So all that came out was a meek “distracted.”

“That’s okay Fluttershy! Oh, before I forget!” Pinkie swung her butt to the left to bring her tail within reach, then stuffed her face into the tangled pink mass. After a few inappropriate noises her face came out of the fluff with a small promotional flyer in her mouth. “We’re having a bake sale promotional down at Sugar Cube Corner! There’ll be LOTS of free samples and discounts, and you get the super special Pinkie Pie’s best friend discount on top of it! I’d really like you to come by, even if it’s just for the free SAMPLES!” Pinkie leapt into the air and hung there just long enough for Sir Isaac Hoofton to turn in his grave. She clearly already had more than her share of the samples before she came to visit.

Fluttershy felt the melancholy from earlier buckle and peel away from her under the gale of the pink tornado that swept through her front yard.

“Oh! I-I’d love to come. Uhm… I’ll just be a second to get my coin purse.”

Fluttershy abandoned her red tea and galloped into her cottage. After over looking her coin purse three times in her excited search she found it where it has always been; on the stand next to the front door.

Coin purse safely tucked under her right wing, she hurried out the door again praying Pinkie hadn’t gotten bored and went on ahead. The lump in her stomach at the idea vanished momentarily when she saw Pinkie leaning forward in the front lawn smelling the honeysuckle flowers budding from the tangles about her fence. That same lump took up new residence in her throat when she saw Pinkie’s rear was pointed immodestly at her, however. The small jingle of Fluttershy’s coin purse hitting the dirt alerted the pink earth pony that her friend had returned. Fluttershy quickly sat back and picked up the coin purse with her mouth; face nearly the same shade of pink as her hair. Fluttershy’s head was swimming.

Why did my darn wings have to do that?! Couldn’t she have been sniffing in a less compromising pose?! WHY am I still thinking about it?!?!

“Ready to go?” Pinkie just smiled contently at her friend, and nodded towards the road.

“Mhmm…” the yellow equine nodded while desperately trying to calm herself down.

Without even a passing thought as to why Fluttershy had decided to pitch a wingspan Pinkie turned and lead the way hopping along the dirt road towards the sleepy hamlet with Fluttershy trotting in hoof.

Butterflies all abound within her head, in her stomach, and adorned on her flank Fluttershy found her eyes drifting to her pink friend just in front and to the right of her. Pinkie was the only pony aside from Twilight who visited her just for that, a visit. But unlike Twilight, Pinkie had never come to her just because she needed something. Even Rarity had often found a way to wrap her up in some absurd favor during their weekly spa visits. But every time she saw a bouncing pink form approaching her home from over the horizon she saw it leave her later with a fresh baked good, a colorful treasure (which she kept every one of in a box under her bed), an invitation to a party, or just a warm feeling that dwarfed even the glow of Celestia’s sun. Sure it felt good to be needed… but feeling wanted was much, much more special.

Even now while they walked Fluttershy was getting that infectious glow. As the pair drew towards town, Fluttershy’s taxed breath brought her to the realization that instead of trotting like normal, she had been skipping in metronome with Pinkie’s bounce for more than half the trip. She slowed down to gradually refill her lungs, her companion’s bounces never losing time but shortening in distance to keep up with the slackened pace.

“You look a little pooped Fluttershy!” Pinkie defied what little Fluttershy knew about aerodynamics, about facing mid air to land in front of her into a moonwalk.

“I’m *wheeze* fine Pinkie… I just got a teensy bit carried away *gasp* that’s all.” She was already having trouble breathing, and the pink equine’s antics were putting her on the verge of a small giggle fit. Fluttershy remembered Filibuster’s strutting from earlier that morning and she mused hopefully that Pinkie was showing off for her. Okay… so she probably wasn’t, but a girl can dream can’t she?

“Honk!”

Suddenly Pinkie’s face twisted absurdly and she honked when her rump squished against the side of a brick building she had backed into while moon walking. All of Fluttershy’s willpower and determination went into preventing the mortifyingly rude snort that sometimes came before her bouts of giggling.

Thank Celestia she pulled it off! Fluttershy semi gracefully fell into a fit of squeals and high pitch, soft laughter. Thinking nothing of it Pinkie joined her laughing before pointing a hoof up at the building she had bumped into.

“Hahaahaa~! I thought that building felt familiar! We’re here!” Pinkie was right, though Celestia can only guess why she knows how Sugar Cube Corner feels against her backside.

“Hehehee O-oh wow wehehe… ahem” Fluttershy collected herself “wow, we really are here. That sure was fast.” Fluttershy beamed up at the sudden bakery. Time really did fly when she was with Pinkie.

“C’mon!”

“Eek!” Fluttershy squeaked as Pinkie grabbed her around the shoulder and swept her inside.

While the heat in her ears faded Fluttershy was nearly lifted off the ground by her nose. The sweet smell of bread, fruit, and sugar that always saturated the Cake’s bakery (and Pinkie’s coat) had double the regular potency. The bakery was almost as full as one of Pinkie’s parties, though the streamers, party hats, games, and music were nowhere to be found. To make up for the lack of festive atmosphere there were three times the usual favors, snacks, and drinks. Each favor was in small sample portions and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were hard at work making sure everypony got no more or less than their share (although they had long given up on trying to manage Pinkie Pie).

The delightful little glutton was already loading up a plate balanced on her flank with a little bit of everything. Fluttershy stood up with no more intent than to approach the tables to tentatively pick at an item or two. But she was stopped when a silver platter of pastries resting on a cloud of cotton candy materialized before her.

“Try some! We’ve got crapes and cakes and cupcakes and cookies and sweetbreads and sour breads and muffins-“

“Muffins!” somepony in the crowded store agreed.

“-and pies and cakes that are shaped like pies and fruit tarts and donuts and hard candies and soft candies and cotton candies but not my hair even though it LOOKS like cotton candy it doesn’t taste like cotton candy! I should know, I’ve tried!”

“Ooh… my uhm. That’s a lot of food…” Fluttershy was practically aglow at the gesture if not overwhelmed by its presentation. The mountain of food being impressed upon her was more than she could dare stomach in a dozen meals however. She took the platter gratefully and sat down at one of the far vacant tables to watch Pinkie in hopes of discovering some secret or method to her ability to put away so much food.

But no secret could be deciphered as all Fluttershy could do was slowly enjoy a Strawberry Fruit Tart while marveling at the performance Pinkie was unintentionally putting on. Pinkie was somehow not only holding three separate conversations at once, but she was alternating bites between the pumpkin pie and the cheese cake in ether hoof. Once finished, she downed the pie and pie like cake with some bright green punch.

Fluttershy sighed as Pinkie enjoyed her way through a slice of Devil food cake. Next on her path was clearly the Angel food cake to even things out, when her bouncing came to an abrupt halt half way across the room. Fluttershy’s ears perked a bit, anticipating one of Pinkies wonderful, albeit unpredictably spontaneous songs. After a moment of silence Fluttershy squinted and saw Pinkie was blushing… no, she wasn’t quite blushing. It wasn’t easy to spot at first but Fluttershy’s heart chilled when she realized her friend’s entire face was a much darker pink than it should be.

“…Pinkie? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked tentatively, leaning on her chair towards her. She was worried Pinkie had bitten off more than she could swallow.

Pinkie’s left ear twitched and she turned her head towards Fluttershy with a giggle. Her face split with a big goofy grin.

“Heeheehee… I can’t feel my hooves!”

Fluttershy’s body turned to ice as her eyes snapped wide and her pupils contracted. Still wearing that stupid grin, Pinkie’s eyes rolled back and she began to lean to her left with no sign of stopping. All of Equestria slowed to a crawl as Fluttershy launched herself from her seat towards Pinkie, knocking aside the startled colt unfortunate enough to be in her path.

As the bright pink party pony collapsed into Fluttershy’s hooves, the normally quiet butter colored Pegasus brought the party to a grinding halt as she screamed with a window rattling volume she had only ever found one other time in her entire life.

“SOMEPONY CALL A DOCTOR!!!!”

~To be continued…

Health and Love chapter 2

A nightmare, that had to be it! She wasn’t really pacing a trench into the tile floors of the hospital’s ER waiting room. Pinkie hadn’t really collapsed in Sugar Cube corner half an hour ago. She was tossing about in her bed crying just as much she was in her dream. Her horrible, horrible, horrible dream. That had to be it. In a few minutes she would wake up, run downstairs, and hug the daylights out of Angel Bunny until she calmed down. This was nothing more than a really really bad-

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy leapt at the voice behind her “Is she going to be okay?!”

But it was not nurse Redheart like she thought. The pony she had grabbed was Mrs. Cake, and she was crying almost as much as Fluttershy.

“I was just about to ask you that dearie.” Ignoring her own tears, she pulled a hanker chief from her saddlebag and fruitlessly dabbed the spot under Fluttershy’s eyes. “We’re all worried about Pinkie. The way you screamed in the shop, we thought the world had ended!”

Fluttershy squeezed the fresh tears from her eyes. She didn’t have the courage to tell her ‘it did end’, so she went with the easier response.

“Where’s Mr. Cake? Isn’t he worried too?” Something about the question sat sour in the yellow Pegasus’ mouth. She had not meant for it to sound accusative… or maybe she had, and it just hadn’t come out that way. The throbbing in her ears was making it harder than normal for her to hear herself speak.

“I came ahead so he could close down the shop and look after the foals. We decided it would be best to wait to bring them until after Pinkie is okay.” There was a nice finality in her tone, but it didn’t feel like there was much confidence behind it.

“She will be okay. She has to be! She has to…” Fluttershy was back to patrolling her space of the waiting room. Mrs. Cake desperately wanted to comfort the filly, but for the life of her she could not think of anything that wouldn’t upset her more. She considered assuring her Pinkie had bounced back from food poisoning on several occasions, but she was afraid the word ‘poison’ would set the poor girl off. Fluttershy had always been so quiet and so timid, but Mrs. Cake’s ears were still ringing from her explosion earlier. It was a ridiculous thought… but Mrs. Cake was a little scared to find out what else Fluttershy was capable of while this upset.

Fluttershy stopped abruptly and whispered something while turned away.

“I... beg your pardon dearie?” Mrs. Cake cautiously leaned closer.

Fluttershy spoke up a little, but could still only be half heard “What… poison… food?”

The hairs on the back of Mrs. Cake’s neck stood on end a little as Fluttershy had followed her own train of thought.

“Oh! W-well she’s bounced back from food poisoning before. But if there was anything wrong with the food I think others would hav-”

Fluttershy spread her wings and spun around mid air with a look in her eyes Mrs. Cake had never seen in any part of the buttery mare before. It was anger.

“I said what if someone poisoned HER food!” She snapped with wild eyes. This time the accusative tone came out and this time Fluttershy really had meant it. “Her face didn’t get pale or green, it got red I saw it! She didn’t vomit or complain about nausea… she said she couldn’t feel her hooves and then she collapsed! That wasn’t food poisoning!”

Fluttershy’s face softened immediately after the outburst. She landed and turned her back to Mrs. Cake to hide her fresh tears behind her bangs.

“I’m so suh-sorry…” Fluttershy laid herself down on the cold tile floor and hid her face in her hoofs after choking out an apology.

“It’s alright dearie” was the only thing Mrs. Cake could really say by this point. She wanted desperately to comfort the poor filly. But she had never seen Fluttershy this upset or this unstable, and was afraid to set her off again.

Raising her head from her quiet sobs, Fluttershy was about to say something when the sound of approaching hoofsteps stopped her train of thought.

“Is she going to be okay?! Did somepony poison her?!” This time it was Nurse Redheart that Fluttershy had latched onto. The white earth pony was sympathetic, but clearly didn’t appreciate being grabbed.

The nurse gently peeled Fluttershy off while softly shaking her head. “No, she wasn’t poisoned Fluttershy. Who in Equestria would want to poison Pinkie Pie?”

Fluttershy sat back on her haunches and hid her face behind her bangs. “I just… never mind.”

Nurse Redheart gave her an empathic smile before returning to a more serious expression.

“Pinkie Pie is going to be fine. She gave us quite a scare at first but you got her here quick. She’s stable and resting upstairs. We’ve given her some insulin injections and she’ll need-”

“Insulin?” Mrs. Cake and Fluttershy simultaniously cut in.

“But… she’s not, I mean…” Fluttershy tried to continue the thought, but she was having some difficulty.

“She is, apparently.” The nurse pony continued grimly “Pinkie has Type One Diabetes, and she just had one bucker of an attack. We actually had to pump her stomach to keep her blood sugar from getting any higher, or the insulin wouldn’t have been enough.”

Mrs. Cake shook her head, trying to comprehend all of this. “But… how can Pinkie Pie just have it? My aunt has had diabetes all of her life, how can Pinkie just suddenly have it?”

Nurse Redheart nodded for them to follow her down the hall while she explained. “She was born with type one. She’s just one of the rare cases where she hasn’t shown symptoms until she’s an adult. Her body was going to stop naturally producing Insulin at some point… Though it’s beyond me how she lasted this long considering her eating habits, diabetic or not.”

“This is all my fault… we should have tried harder to make her eat more healthy foods.” Mrs. Cake chewed on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood while trying to hold back the guilty tears.

“It wasn’t yours or anypony’s fault Mrs. Cake…” the nurse pony stopped in front of a room marked ‘6’ and look back at the two of them. Fluttershy was as quiet as usual so she continued. “It was going to happen eventually, I’m just thankful it happened in a crowded room close to the hospital.”

The three were talking quietly just outside Pinkie’s hospital room, but Fluttershy found it impossible to peel her eyes off the floor. She was turning the information Nurse Redheart had given her over and over, trying to grasp it. She kept coming back to the same thought that made her stomach tighten and heave.

“How…”

“She’s going to have to stay here a few days so we can monitor her and help her adjust” Nurse Redheart had not heard her, and Mrs. Cake’s full attention was on the health care pony. Fluttershy kept trying but her voice only came out softer.

“ How do we…”

“Oh of course dearie, how many days do you think she’ll have to stay here?” Mrs. Cake failed to notice Fluttershy was speaking.

“About three or four, if there aren’t any complications, followed by three weeks of regular checkups.” The two of them still couldn’t hear her. Fluttershy curled her long tail around in front of her front hooves where she sat and hid behind her bangs. She felt so small, but she wanted to be smaller. She wanted to shrink and disappear completely. She didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want any of this to happen, she should still be at Sugar Cube Corner quietly enjoying her Strawberry Fruit Tart. Pinkie should be there with her, being loud and happy as she could be. Pinkie shouldn’t be in the hospital. Pinkie shouldn’t be sick. Pinkie…

“I want to tell her.”

Fluttershy found her voice. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to stop the conversation the other two were having.

“’Tell her’, Fluttershy?” The white nurse pony peered around Mrs. Cake to look at Fluttershy. She knew exactly what Fluttershy meant, but she wanted to know if Fluttershy had really meant to say what she did.

“I… I want to be the one to tell her. Even” Fluttershy paused “even if it means she’ll hae…hate me-”

Casting her gaze down at her blurry hoofs, she stalled a sob just long enough to finish.

“-it needs to be mmme.”

That last word was nearly lost on her shuttering chin, but she forced the rest of the word out before the tears fell. Fluttershy felt as though she had just volunteered for her own execution. She lay herself down on the unforgiving hospital floor before her shaking hooves gave out.

The other two looked down helplessly as Fluttershy crumbled before them. They both wanted desperately to comfort her… But there was only one thing in the wide world of Equestria that could ever be said in response to that request.

“Okay.” Nurse Redheart resigned. She closed her eyes to try and force the stress away.

She had been a nurse for years. She had given worse news to entire families. She had told crying parents of dying foals. She’d been screamed at, threatened, even bucked once. Yet somehow here Fluttershy was tearing down her years of professionalism and tugging at her heartstrings. For crying out loud she was biting back her own tears over a diabetes case that wasn’t even close to life threatening yet!

The three mares sat in the hall for a long time. Nurse Redheart was the first to stand and approach the door. She motioned them inside while doing her best not to look at Fluttershy. The sooner this was all over with the sooner she could get herself some coffee, some lunch, and move on to a less Fluttershy involved case.

“Come on you two, we shouldn’t block the hallway.”

First into the room after the nurse pony, Fluttershy looked around trying to adjust to the dim lighting inside. It was a somewhat comfortable single room. She would have almost called it cozy if it weren’t in fact in a hospital. A soft electric beep made her ear flick, followed by another beep, then another and another. Fluttershy’s eyes fell upon the culprit machine sitting next to the only bed in the room. Her gaze followed the wires leading off the machine until they fell upon the bubblegum pink arm they were attached to.

The despair from earlier momentarily lifted when she saw Pinkie peacefully resting for the first time. Her eyelids were just a slight darker shade than her face, something that was difficult to notice considering Pinkie’s eyes were almost always wide open and alert. Her lips were parted just so while her noiseless breath slowly lifted and dropped the blanket resting on her chest and abdomen. Fluttershy’s heart skipped a little when she realized that even a chaotic pony like Pinkie could have tranquil moments.

The nurse pony watched Fluttershy’s reactions carefully with a bemused smile. It wasn’t her place to speculate, but she had her suspicions about why Fluttershy was reacting so strongly to all of this.

Fluttershy averted her eyes after a moment. She felt almost trespassive, even a little bit dirty to be watching Pinkie in her sleep. Trying not to think about how the machine was letting her hear the pink pony’s heartbeat she occupied the chair closest to the bed. Despite how awkward it felt, she couldn’t stop herself from occasionally glancing back at Pinkie’s face. It was a rare treat she doubted she’d get to see ever again.

“She’ll probably wake up soon…” Nurse Redheart took the clipboard off the foot of Pinkie’s bed and flipped through it to try and look busy. Nothing had changed in the fifteen or so minutes since she had left the room of course. But she didn’t dare look at Fluttershy again for fear of losing the composure she had managed to recover.

Mrs. Cake took up residence in a chair by the window. While staring at her hoofs she tried to suppress the growing feeling that she was out of place in the room. Maybe it was just jitters left over from what happened at the bakery. Or maybe it was her guilt that she felt relived Fluttershy was back to being quiet and timid. It could have been neither, or both… but she just felt wrong.

The miasmic melancholy that had settled over the three mares was broken by an animated yawn. All eyes were on Pinkie as she stretched and awoke to an audience.

“Yaaawhmh…? Hi guys! Why are you in my-” Pinkie paused as she absorbed her surroundings “-not room?”

The beeping metronome sped up as Pinkie started to get her bearings on the situation. When her eyes fell on her left arm, the beeping became frantic as her eyes widened.

“Whu-AAAAHH!! H-Help me!!”

Fluttershy and Nurse Redheart had to hop up and hold Pinkie down to stop her from pulling the IV out of her arm.

“Pinkie don’t! Please calm down.” Fluttershy begged her.

“What’s going on?! Why is there a nn-nneeagh-thingy in my arm?!” Pinkie turned in near panic to Fluttershy while trying to hold her own left hoof as far from herself as possible.

“It’s medicine Pinkie. You… um” Fluttershy gripped Pinkie’s right hoof in both of her own. If only the situation had been different she could have taken the time to enjoy holding it. “You collapsed in Sugar Cube Corner… you’re in the hospital right now.”

Pinkie’s brow furrowed as the haze in her memory was clearing. She was distracted from the IV drip, but the machine was still beeping away. Nurse Redheart walked over to turn the volume on the machine down a little hoping to keep Pinkie from remembering it.

“I collapsed? Oh yeeeah… I think I remember now.” Pinkie frowned, looking down at her back hooves under the covers accusatively. “My hoofsies got all tingly tingle and everything started to spin, except I hadn’t had any rum cake or spiked red pasta sauce.”

Her gaze returned to Fluttershy “Then I heard your voice and got a queasy tickly feeling, then everything went fuzzy! What happened? Was it another baked bad? I’m pretty sure Applejack wasn’t in the kitchen today.”

Fluttershy slowly shook her head. It was the moment she had been dreading, but she had volunteered and damn it she needed to do it.

“No, it wasn’t food poisoning… it-” Fluttershy nearly bit her tongue.

“Iiiiit?” Pinkie encouraged her.

“It was… ah… a diabetic attack. Pinkie you… y-you have uh, type one diabetes.” Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t know what to expect or how she’d react, she just knew that it would be horrible.

The room was quiet for a long time while Pinkie just stared at Fluttershy. Finally the last thing anypony expected to hear broke the silence. Pinkie snorted.

“SnrkhhaHAHAhahHAahaha!”

“Puh… Pinkie?” Fluttershy opened her eyes slack jawed as her friend just laughed at the horrible news.

“-HaahaHAAAAHahahahhh… whooh! Oh wowEE Fluttershy, I never expected YOU to be such an A class prankster!” Pinkie grinned at her dumbstruck butter colored friend.

“Pinkie this i-“ Fluttershy tried to explain.

“I mean this is SOOooo elaborate! I’m really impressed! You even got Mrs. Cake and Nurse Redheart in on it! And the hospital room, the drugged pastries was a real nice touch, I never once suspected you’d be ab-“

“This isn’t a prank!” Fluttershy found just enough voice to get Pinkie to hear her. When Pinkie saw the tears running down Fluttershy’s cheeks her brain sputtered.

“Bwah-huh? But I-“

“It’s not a prank…” Fluttershy looked down a moment. It would have been wonderful if it really was a prank. She’d have much preferred Pinkie hating her for such a cruel and heartless joke than have Pinkie go through this ordeal. She re-doubled her determination and looked back up at Pinkie

“So I… I’m really…?” Pinkie looked around at the other faces, but Fluttershy was the only one who could bear to look at her. “But, tha-then…”

Time slowed to a crawl for the second time that day as Fluttershy stared with transfixed horror at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was completely incapable subtlety in any capacity, and this was far from an exception. Her eyes slowly grew to the size of dinner plates as the realization of what that meant hit her like a train. Fluttershy felt her insides twist as she watched Pinkie’s entire body animate in slow motion her heart breaking. Pinkie’s wild blue eyes shimmered and softened, obscured by damp buildup. There was no wild stream or dramatic wailing like Fluttershy had expected. The tears simply gave way and trailed down her bubblegum cheeks to her chin uninhibited. Her wild and stubbornly frizzy mane slowly lost its body as it deflated completely, falling limp around her head and parted to the left. The long cascade of pink lay heavy with the depressing beauty of a wilting pink rose. Normally perky and poised for motion, Pinkies posture sank. Her high held head drooped, her ears lay flat, and her shoulders became limp. Even her Bubblegum pink coat gave way to the crushing gravity of despair as the hairs lay against her at enough of an angle to shift her coat to a slightly darker shade of pink.

Pinkie brought her hooves up to hide her face. Fluttershy moved before she could think and leaned over the bed. She threw her fore hooves around Pinkie to rest her friends face against her shoulder. After a violently trembling breath, Pinkie let out into Fluttershy’s shoulder a wretched sound that could only be choked up from the murky black mire of utter despair.

~To be continued.

Health and Love chapter 3

“You want me to what?!”

Fluttershy recoiled from Nurse Redheart’s exclamation.

“I-I was just hoping you could, um… maybe possibly consider letting me-”

“That was a rhetorical question!” Putting her hoof down, the white nurse pony was clearly not amused by her idea.

Fluttershy flinched and looked deliberately at the floor between her front hoofs. Her eyes trailed the sharp turns of the square tiles until she found herself looking at the bottom of the door to room 6.

Pinkie had cried on her shoulder for a solid ten minutes before settling down. She hasn’t spoken a word since and Fluttershy had a pretty good idea why. Twilight always said she needed to be more assertive, and Pinkie needed her to now more than ever.

With a deep breath, Fluttershy looked back at the white nurse pony and tried again.

“Please Nurse Redheart, Pinkie’s afraid of hospitals. If you’d just let me take care of her at my cottage…”

“She seemed fine when the twins were born, and when visiting her friends.” The nurse pony was quick to poke holes in Fluttershy’s argument, but the butter Pegasus refused to deflate.

“Yes, because she wasn’t the –patient- then.” Fluttershy looked down and mumbled the last part “just because you’re scared of something doesn’t mean you’re scared of everything…”

Redheart clicked her tongue in agitation. Fluttershy was the last pony she expected any kind of argument out of over anything. She had dealt with stubborn and emotional ponies before, but this was like arguing with a hyper sensitive brick wall with really pretty cyan eyes.

“Look Fluttershy. I know you want to do everything you can to help, but it takes more than just a big heart to take care of something like this. Pinkie’s going through a complete lifestyle change right now.”
Fluttershy knew exactly what was being forced onto Pinkie. For as long as Fluttershy had known Pinkie, the bouncing earth pony had devoted herself to two things: fun and baking. Pinkie was always eating, or making herself something to eat. She always had some sort of sugary snack or baked treat. When Pinkie talked about chocolate –anything- she did it with the same enthusiasm and arousal Rarity got when she went on to Fluttershy about some particularly handsome colt. Fluttershy thought about what it would be like if somepony were to take away her animals…

Fluttershy rose from her slump, eyes bright and determined. “That’s exactly why I should help her! I know better than anypony how to help her!”

Averting her eyes, the nurse pony cleared her throat. She had heard something about Fluttershy’s eyes from Twilight once, and had no intention of entertaining the purple equines wild theories.

“I’m not saying you don’t… Ahem. But do you know how to take care of somepony who’s diabetic? Do you know how to teach her to take better care of herself?”

Pathos was a lost cause in any argument against Fluttershy, so good old logic and medical know how should throw a wrench in the persistent Pegasus’ pestering.

Fluttershy simply smiled at the new challenge. Twilight was right as always, being assertive was a good thing. With a deep breath Fluttershy proved Rainbow Dash wrong, taking AP Health and Nutrition was NOT a waste of an elective at Flight School.

“She’s insulin dependant so she’ll need injections three to four times a day at the shoulder, depending on meals. We’ll keep a food journal of everything she eats, no sweets for the first week until her body becomes used to the injections. After her attack she needs to stay off her hoofs for three days, I can go rent a wheel chair in the lobby. Then light regular exercise every day and regular hoof washing and inspections. For the first three weeks she needs checkups every two days. And I’ll need to check her blood sugar every four to five hours.”

Fluttershy flashed a toothy grin while allowing for a tiny triumphant squee to escape her parted lips.

Stunned and deshelved, the white Nurse pony just stared at Fluttershy in disbelief and frustration. With a heavy sigh she hung her head and surrendered.

“Ugh, fine… I give up. She is stable, so technically we –can- discharge her…”

Fluttershy let out an excited gasp and spread her wings, hovering above the floor.

“But!” Her hoofs clopped back onto the floor, victory flutter interrupted.

“We’ll only discharge her into your care under her consent. Go get a wheelchair and I’ll talk to her.”

Fluttershy nodded gratefully as the nurse pony approached the door to room six.

“If she consents, I’ll write a prescription you can pick up on the way out later today.”

Both ponies parted before the nurse could change her mind. Skipping at first, Fluttershy slowed down to an excited trot, then a reluctant stroll as she started to feel the weight of what she had volunteered for.

With a dry gulp, Fluttershy realized she had no idea what she was really getting herself into.

The three mares in room 6 looked towards the door as a wheelchair pushed through it with a light grunt. Fluttershy shortly followed after, taking a moment to make sure the door had closed behind her. The yellow Pegasus peered over the back of the wheel chair only to be greeted by the steely glare of to bright blue eyes. Pinkie had not returned to her usual appearance during Fluttershy’s absence. The frizzy pink cloud that pillowed her friends head was still wilted in long, heavy locks. Her fur was still a dark shade of pink, and her normally perky ears lay flat. Fluttershy had hoped the blue and yellow balloons she had tied to the handle of the wheel chair would have made the chair a little more inviting… clearly she was wrong.

“I can walk just fine.” Pinkie seethed through her clenched teeth. Taking away her second favorite thing in the world was bad enough, now they were trying to make her look totally helpless!

“You need to stay off your hoofs for at least two more days, Pinkie.” The nurse pony scolded softly before turning to Fluttershy. “She gave her consent, and agreed to stay with you over the next few days while she recovers.”

Mrs. Cake put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder “I’ll bring Gummy over to Fluttershy’s tonight, dearie.”

Pinkie just turned her head away and kicked her covers off. “Can we go now? This room is creepy.”

Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair and pushed the wheel chair close to the bed. Nurse Redheart tried to help, but Pinkie just shrugged her off. She was clearly having a little trouble walking, but she made it to the wheel chair without incident and sat back. Crossing her front hoofs across her chest, she gave one last accusative glare at the nurse pony as she handed a slip of yellow paper to Fluttershy.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this… Give this to the pony at the Pharmacy; she should have a saddle bag ready for you. Remember to use the blood sugar reader on the tip of her ear.”

Fluttershy nodded and tucked the paper into the pouch on the back of the wheel chair. Bracing her hoofs against the handles she put her weight on her back hoofs and pushed forward. Rather than moving forward, Fluttershy’s hoofs slipped back out from under her. With a yelp she managed to stop herself from hitting the floor by holding on to the handle bars of the wheel chair.

“Yip! Oh, my.” Fluttershy corrected her balance and tried again, pushing with all her might and digging her heels in. Despite all her effort the wheelchair remained inert.

“Fluttershy” Pinkie turned her head back to give the struggling yellow equine an un amused glare.

“I’m so sorry! The-the floor is slippery!” Fluttershy braced her back against the wheel chair and pushed harder, sliding the chair forward along the carpet a few feet closer to the door.

“You left the brake on.” Pinkie pointed to the lever braced against the left wheel.

Cheeks glowing with mortification, Fluttershy unlocked the break. With a light grunt she pushed Pinkie out of the room while doing her best to ignore the poorly suppressed bemusement Mrs. Cake and Nurse Redheart were enjoying at her expense.

The two remained quiet for the rest of the trip through the hospital. Fluttershy was scared Pinkie had thought her struggle with the break had been a joke about Pinkies weight. As she pushed she rehearsed a lengthy, carefully worded apology and explanation. The Pharmacy drew close and Fluttershy steeled herself. It was now or never, time to shine and show Pinkie she really cared.

“’m sree” Fluttershy whimpered at the back of Pinkie’s head.

“Did you say something?” Pinkie glanced back through the locks of her hair draped over her shoulder.

“Uhm… oh look we’re here.” Fluttershy quickly stuffed the prescription paper in her mouth and set it on the desk. A young colt with a light blue coat and a short smoothed back strawberry blonde mane wearing thin rimmed glasses spun the paper around to read it before looking up at Fluttershy. His name tag read ‘Party, Pharm’.

“Registration number?” His glasses slid down his face just so, eyes peeking above them.

“P-pardon?” Fluttershy looked around in alarm. Had she forgotten something back at the room?

The pharmacist pony sighed “The number on the chair, miss.”

“14-6” Pinkie reported impatiently, looking at the tag on the handle bar.

“Thaaank yoou~” The pharmacist pony turned his pill bottle adorned flank from Fluttershy to disappear behind a shelf.

“I’m sorry” Fluttershy said dejectedly to nopony in particular.

The door around the side of the pharmacy window opened, and the blonde colt backed out from it pulling a white saddlebag with a red cross on each side. He set a clipboard on the counter with a pen, and began unceremoniously strapping the heavy bags to the intimidated Pegasus.

“Sign your name and date on the blank lines. There’s a twenty bit down payment for the chair.”

“Tha-erk!-ank you…” Fluttershy gasped against the tight saddlebag straps, but still managed to maneuver the pen in her mouth to sign where appropriate. She reached back to the base of her tail where she had tied her coin purse, and emptied it onto the counter next to the clipboard. To her absolute horror she counted nineteen bits.

“Oh… oh no! I-I thought I had enough! Ohh what now what now?” Fluttershy pranced around in place, edging on hysterics.

With a roll of his eyes and an impatient tone in his voice, the pharmacist pony picked up the clipboard and walked back through the door into the pharmacy. “Have a nice day, miss.”

“But I… I!” Fluttershy sputtered.

Appearing on the other side of the counter, the colt scooped the bits into the register one by one and counted aloud.

“One, two, three… seventeen, eighteen, nineteen” He reached into the register with his mouth and lifted out one bit. “Twenty” with the last number, the bit fell back into the register with a soft metallic jingle. “Have a nice day, miss” He repeated with a soft smile before turning to disappear back behind the shelves.

It took Fluttershy a few seconds to realize he had let her off without paying the extra bit, and her “thank you” wormed its way out long after he was gone.

Returning to her post behind the wheelchair, Fluttershy gracefully carted Pinkie towards the exit. The front doors parted with a chime as they approached exposing them to the harsh beauty of the low evening sun. Squinting against the light Fluttershy pushed Pinkie towards the south where her cottage rest, allowing their eyes a more comfortable angle in the setting light.

“Fluttershy?” Pinkie spoke up as they approached the road. It wasn’t harsh or impatient like before… no, this time she sounded almost frightened.

“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy leaned over the back of the chair, her head next to Pinkies. The pink pony shrunk into the seat in a way all to familiar to the yellow Pegasus.

“Can we… not go through the main roads? I don’t want anypony to see me like this.” Pinkie hung her head in shame at the admission.

Heart heavy with sympathy, Fluttershy nuzzled her friends head and kept her voice low.

“Alright Pinkie, it’ll take a little bit longer to get back though.”

Pinkie wiped her face with her arm behind her hair. “Thanks.”

The two continued down the lane without saying anything further. Taking the extra turns and back paths to get to Fluttershy’s cottage had added an extra twenty minutes to their walk, but it had worked. The only Pony they had run into was the blonde mail pony, and it didn’t seem ether of her fields of vision had been on the two quiet travelers she had passed over on her last delivery for the day.

Dusk had settled by the time they reached the cottage, and Fluttershy was glad they had gotten so close to home before nightfall. She knew being brave while having Pinkie depend on her might have been too much for her to handle. Thankfully that misadventure had been avoided.

Pinkie looked around the cottage as Fluttershy wheeled her in. “You know… I’ve never been inside your house before.”

“I um… I hope it’s not too boring. I don’t usually get visitors so um… I don’t have all that much to do.” Fluttershy blushed when she realized Pinkie was actually in her home, but duty came before wild fantasy. Fluttershy slid the heavy saddlebag off and sat down to give her aching hoofs a short rest.

“What would you like for dinner, Pinkie?” Fluttershy dug into the saddlebag and pulled out the food journal. She had gotten the one adorned with balloons on it.

“I’m not hungry.” Pinkie got up from the wheel chair and wobbled over to the fainting couch by the stairs. She was actually starving, but she knew what would come with her meal. She would sooner buck the Princess than let that happen.

“Uhm… How about some noodles with alfredo sauce?” Fluttershy tried to recall her health class notes. Pasta was on the list of good foods for diabetics if she recalled right. Or at least it wasn’t on the list of problem foods.

Pinkie’s mouth said “No” but her stomach voiced otherwise quite loudly.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle a little at the noise, and the embarrassed look it caused Pinkie to make. “I think your Pinkie sense says its dinner time.”

Pinkie groaned and crossed her forelegs as she reclined on the couch. Once Fluttershy disappeared into the kitchen Pinkie had a chance to really take in her surroundings.

Fluttershy’s cottage was very plane and homey. The walls were painted a soft and unimpressive brown. The furniture and decorations were all comfortable earth tones while the floor was painted a shade of green reminiscent of spring grass. The scent of pine and tulips was on just about everything, and a good portion of the room was draped in various vines and non native plant life. Pinkie took a slow breath when the smell of alfredo sauce wafted into the room. The cottage wasn’t just comfortable, it felt like home. It felt like -her- home, back with her parents and her Granny Pie. But at the same time it felt new, because she could see Fluttershy in just about every part of the room. The butterflies carved into the oak door frame, the picture of a spring meadow hanging above the dresser, even the mouse hole in the wall with a feed bag resting conveniently next to it.

After waiting with that agonizingly tempting smell for what was probably close to forever, Fluttershy pushed a dinner cart into the room with two steaming plates of pasta draped in a creamy white sauce. With food in front of her now, Pinkie exerted all the control she had in her body to not dive in face first.

“I said I… *gulp* I wasn’t… hungry.” Pinkie felt the drool at the corners of her mouth, but she wasn’t about to give up. She looked away from the meal and held her breath to defy the aroma.

“Oh, um… could you maybe just try a little bit, please? I’m not nearly as good at cooking as you. I hope it’s alright.” Fluttershy stared down at her own plate, ashamed at the simple meal.

Pinkie’s heart stung her chest when she heard her friend’s crestfallen plea. Could she really turn her nose up at the first meal Fluttershy had ever made her? No, she could never refuse Fluttershy like that. Not even if Celestia herself threatened to banish her to the sun.

“I… okay, one bite.” Pinkie resigned, and leaned down to take the first bite of the pasta meal. One bite was all it took.

Fluttershy sat at the other side of the cart and enjoyed her own dinner. Her portion wasn’t as big as Pinkies, but she still couldn’t compete with her voracious friend. Half way through her meal Fluttershy looked up at her friend while they both ate, and she nearly choked on her mouthful.

I’m eating a private dinner with Pinkie! And in my home!!

Trying to control her sudden dizzy spell and ignore the elated nausea, Fluttershy deliberately continued eating to keep herself from saying something dumb or making any awkward noises. She was horrible in these situations, and she wasn’t about to let herself ruin her first dinner date… even if it wasn’t actually a date.

Dinner ended on a somber note however. Neither pony could look up from their empty plates as the trepidation grew thick between them. They both just sat motionless in dread of what had to come next.

Fluttershy broke the silence first… it was her responsibility. “Pinkie, I-“

“No!” Pinkie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head back and forth “No no no no NO!”

“Pinkie, we- we have to. Oh Celestia I don’t want to but if we don’t you’ll get sick again!” Fluttershy stood on lead hoofs and shuffled over towards the saddlebags. She pulled out a box and opened it.

“Please no!” Pinkie was trembling all over now, her face lightly bleached from fear.

Fluttershy pulled a small disposable injector from the first box, and looked to her friend pleadingly with it in her mouth.

Pinkie’s eyes widened when Fluttershy took the first tentative step closer. In full trypanophobic panic, Pinkie bucked the dinner cart. Fluttershy barely had time to yelp before the metal and wood cart struck her square and knocked her off her hoofs with a hard thump as the cart barreled over her and into the cupboard behind her.

“Oh- Oh my Celestia, Fluttershy!!” Pinkie was torn, she had just injured Fluttershy, but there was still the injector laying next to her. Tears streaming down her eyes she looked around hoping somepony could help… but of course they were alone.

Fluttershy quivered on the floor, then began to pick herself up. She managed to prop herself up into a half sit before cooing in a soft voice.

“When I was just… ah. Just a filly, and the sun was going dooown~”

“F-Fluttershy?” Pinkie sobbed behind her hair, wanting desperately to help but frozen in place by the proximity of the injector.

“The darkness and the shadows… would always make me froooown~” Fluttershy continued, picking herself up. The cart had caught her head, and she had a small gash above her left eyebrow.

“Fluttershy… puh-please stop…” Pinkie cried quietly.

“I’d hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw.” Fluttershy picked up the injector in her mouth, and limped close to her friend.

“Buh-but Granny *sniff* Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way… The way to deal with fears *sniff* at all” Pinkie continued the song she knew all too well, squeezing her eyes shut.

Fluttershy set the injector on the couch and continued, taking the cover off the needle.

“She said Piiiinkiie, you’ve gotta stand up tall.” Fluttershy brushed her head on Pinkie’s shoulder comfortingly.

Pinkie hiccupped, eyes still squeezed shut. “Learn to face *hic* face your fears… You’ll see that they ca- can’t hurt you…!”

Fluttershy whispered before picking up the needle again, tears in her eyes. “Just laugh and make them disappear.”

Pinkie took a deep, trembling breath. “Haw… *sniff* H-haw… HAAA!” Pinkie screamed but held still as she felt the injector slide into her shoulder. She pushed the syringe in to administer the medicine, then quickly removed it and threw the needle across the room. As soon as it was gone Pinkie latched onto Fluttershy for dear life, hyperventilating and quaking in her hoofs. The two fillies sat there holding each other tight, trying to wash the horrible ordeal away with their tears.

“I’m soooo *gasp* sorry Fluttershiiiiie!” Pinkie wailed, feeling the trickle of blood from Fluttershy’s forehead against her temple.

Fluttershy simply shook her head and held on tighter. They both sat there in each others arms until nether had the strength to shed another tear.

~To be Continued.

Health and Love Chapter 4

The nearly catastrophic post dinner ordeal had left the fillies exhausted and shaken. Not long after the crying had died off, gravity pulled Fluttershy into a poorly postured sit. Her head was still swimming from the blow Pinkie had dealt her with the dinner cart. Fluttershy squeezed the white blotches from her eyes and took a few calming breaths to ease her nausea.

Pinkie took a seat herself, and finally noticed Fluttershy’s injury in full having come down from the shock of her first insulin injection. The small gash above Fluttershy’s left brow was still bleeding, and a thin trail lead down around her eye, along her cheek, ending at her chin. Her friends yellow temple was smeared red where Pinkie had rubbed against her during her fit. Fluttershy was also favoring the balance of her right side as she sat, keeping her weight off her left fore hoof. Pinkie remembered with regret that Fluttershy had limped across the room after being struck. The alfredo pasta Fluttershy had fixed her before threatened her throat when the pieces fell into place in Pinkie’s head.

I did that… I hurt Fluttershy!

Fighting back the tears and urge to vomit in self disgust, Pinkie rose and dashed across the cottage living room to Fluttershy’s medical saddlebag.

“Pinkie?” Fluttershy turned her head slowly, having trouble following the pink blur.

“Just a second Fluttershy, don’t move!” Pinkie dove face first into the bag, ignoring the lockbox that housed the disposable injectors. She found what she knew every medical bag needed to have: Gauze wrap, cotton balls, tape, and disinfectant pads.

“But Pinkie, I’m- ahn!” Fluttershy flinched from the sharp tug at her shoulder when she put weight on her left hoof to look over her shoulder.

“I said don’t move, please!” Pinkie carried the bandage kit back to her hurt friend, and sat down.

“I need you to hold still, okay Flutters?” Pinkie opened the cotton ball bag and pulled out a few.

“I… wha?” Fluttershy squeezed her left eye shut as Pinkie leaned in to dab up the blood that had trickled from her head wound. The white blotches came back to her vision when Pinkie’s nose pushed at her cheek while she dabbed the blood off her coat.

Did she just call me ‘Flutters’?

Pinkie finished with the cotton, discarding the red splotched balls of fluff to the floor behind her. Fluttershy’s face was left with an orange streak down the left side, starting at the offending gash.

“I’m sooo sorry about this Fluttershy, but this will probably sting. I’m so so soso sorry!” Pinkie squeezed the guilty tears from her eyes while she tore the packaging away from the disinfectant pad.

Knowing better than to protest, Fluttershy squeezed both her eyes shut. “O-okay…”

With a heavy heart Pinkie carefully dabbed the disinfectant pad against the cut. The sound of the pained cry Fluttershy let out from the wipe felt like somepony had driven a hot iron through Pinkies rib cage. After torturing Fluttershy with three agonizing wipes Pinkie dropped the disinfectant wipe and gingerly placed a gauze pad over the wound. She carefully dressed her friends head in the gauze wrap, making sure to wrap it under her soft pink locks.

Her wound tended to Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something. Pinkie was already on her hoofs however, making her way towards the kitchen on unreasonably stiff hoofs.

“I’ll uh… get a rag.”

Pinkie couldn’t bear to see Fluttershy’s big cyan eyes just then. She occupied herself in searching for a clean and hopefully dark colored dish rag while she quietly berated herself.

What the hay is wrong with me!? Flutters is the best friend anypony in Equestria could hope for, and she wants to help me! So what do I do? I yell at her, turn my nose up at her food, and buck CARTS at her! Ugh!

She noticed a decorated red dish rag folded neatly near the sink. It looked clean, so she turned the faucet to cold and held it under.

Pinkie nearly jumped out of her hoofs when she saw a horribly frightening mare staring at her through Fluttershy’s window. She was livid with anger, jaw tight and cold blue eyes narrowed in a glare. Her left cheek had blood smeared on it, and her long straight mane was cow licked on the left side.

“You’re the worst friend ever!” Pinkie hissed aloud at her reflection.

Pinkie wrung the wash cloth with a little too much ire, and marched back to the living room considering what she should do.

I can’t just leave, not while Fluttershy has a head wound. I’ll keep a super close eye on her for tonight. If she’s okay in the morning, tomorrow when I come back from my checkup I’ll tell Fluttershy I’m fine and go home.

Fluttershy hadn’t moved from the spot where Pinkie left her. Pinkie sat down in front of her friend and began gently stroking the orange stain off her face. Fluttershy squirmed at the cold, but didn’t fight it.

“Pinkie?”

“Lets get you cleaned off… then we should go get some sleep.”

Fluttershy sighed and nodded in agreement. The day had been a long one for the both of them, and Fluttershy was ready to finally give her aching hoofs and shoulder a rest. The mess in the living room could wait until morning when she’d have the energy to clean it properly.

The trek up to Fluttershy’s room was an exhausting trial of slips, miss steps, and awkward leaning. Pinkies hoofs were still numb from her attack earlier that day, and the shoulder injury Fluttershy sustained during the post diner trauma was exacerbating the situation.

Fluttershy draped her left wing across Pinkies back while Pinkie braced her weight precariously against her friend. Trying to ignore the fact that her left flank was rubbing against Pinkies, Fluttershy took the first steps up the stairs while using her wings for balance. After securing herself a few steps upwards, she settled and helped guide the numb hoofed earth pony up the same steps. The two inched along precariously the entire flight for a solid five minutes before coming to rest at the top in Fluttershy’s bedroom.

The yellow Pegasus lit a candle on the shelf by the steps. Her jaw fell slack when the biggest folly of the night thus far struck her.

I only own one bed!!

Fluttershy looked around anxiously, then rose while keeping off her bad hoof.

“Well uhm… goodnight Pinkie.” Fluttershy spread her wings about to glide back down the steps when Pinkie stopped her.

“Where are you going, Flutters?” There was that name again, Fluttershy shivered when she heard it clearly that time.

“Uhm, well. I uh… I only have one bed. So I was just going to, you know, sleep on the couch downstairs.” Fluttershy grinned sheepishly at Pinkie, but her friend wasn’t about to entertain that idea.

“Nah ah, Fluttershy” Pinkie clopped her hoof down “Your heads hurt, so I’m not taking my eyes off you. Your bed looks big enough for the both of us.” Pinkie rose and wobbled over towards the heavily quilted double bed.

Fluttershy was flabbergasted “But I- and you… but then, and that means!” the color in her cheeks darkened for the hundredth time that day. Fluttershy wobbled at the top of the steps when the sudden head rush mixed poorly with her injury. Bracing her posture with her wings to prevent a catastrophic fall, Fluttershy rose and limped forwards a step.

“Are… are you sure?”

Pinkie nodded “of course.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Reeeally?”

“Yeees!”

“…Re-”

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie stomped her hoof with instant regret. While Pinkie dealt with the hot pins and needles that had shot up her right foreleg, Fluttershy fluttered over to the opposite side of the bed and waited for Pinkie to climb in first.

“Welll… if you’re sure.” Fluttershy eased herself under the covers after Pinkie settled in the large bed. She rolled to turn her back modestly from her friend, and blew out the candle on her nightstand.

“Good night Pinkie.”

“Good night Flutters.” Fluttershy held in a squeak; there was that name again.

The two fillies closed their eyes and relaxed their aching hoofs. The day had been a long one full of trials and tears. Both mares were exhausted… far too exhausted to sleep.

The gap in the covers over Fluttershy’s back was a constant reminder that she was not alone in her bed that night. Her heart frustratingly quickened whenever the mattress shifted from Pinkies stirrings, and Fluttershy felt frozen and trapped both in her own bed and in her own wild fantasies.

“Memph!” Fluttershy muffled her own yelp when she felt something soft come to rest on her legs. She calmed down when she realized it was only Pinkies tail, then calmed right back up when she realized it was Pinkies tail! The warm locks felt like silk against her coat, and she had to stop herself from petting it with her hind leg.

“Uh, Fluttershy?” The yellow filly’s chest tightened when she heard Pinkie.

“Y-yes?” she managed to choke out.

“Your wings are poking me.” Pinkie shifted, turning her head to look at the back of her friends head.

If Pinkie hadn’t done such a good job dressing Fluttershy’s injury, her head very well would have exploded just then. While she was focused on Pinkies tail resting on her legs, the wingspan it caused her to pitch went un-noticed. As Pinkie rolled a bit to try and scoot the wings away from her, Fluttershy whimpered from the unintentional attention Pinkie was giving to the extra sensitive tips of her wings.

“I- wahh… uhm I ca-caaahn’t *ahem* I’m sorry!” Fluttershy quickly rolled over to save her wings from further accidental molestation. Thank Celestia it was dark in her room, because she rolled to find herself face to face with a pair of half lidded bright blue eyes. Fluttershy might have very well died if Pinkie saw her so hot and bothered.

“It’s okay… Yawwwhhm” Pinkie let out a soft yawn. Her breath made the hairs on the back of Fluttershy’s neck stand on end… it smelled like strawberries.

“Goodnight” Pinkie closed her eyes again, finally caving in to the weight of the day and drifting off, but Fluttershy wouldn’t find sleep nearly as easy.

The world was tranquil while Fluttershy stared at the object of so many confusing and frustrating feelings. She didn’t feel so guilty about watching Pinkie sleep this time, because she had invited her to sleep in the same bed. Fluttershy indulged herself in watching her friend. A generous moonbeam escaped through the part in Fluttershy’s curtains to come to rest on Pinkies face, lighting it up just enough in the soft blue glow. Fluttershy whispered in thanks to Princess Luna for granting her that moment’s lumination. Just like before in the hospital, Pinkies slightly darker eyelids slept soundly over her brilliant blue eyes. Her long straight mane was pushed back away from her face behind her ear.

Pinkies long lashes squeezed together as her lips closed and curled in a short frown. Fluttershy stared in alarm as Pinkie kicked her hoofs a little and scrunched her shoulders.

“Please… no” Pinkie whispered in her sleep. Pinkie twitched again as her breathing picked up “please… Ah.” A few tears glistened down her cheek in the moonlight.

Fluttershy’s heart caught in her throat when she realized Pinkie’s tranquil rest was being perverted by a nightmare. Quickly reaching her hoofs out, Fluttershy squeezed Pinkies hoofs in her own praying they weren’t too numb for it to go un-noticed. Pinkies frightened fidgets and whimpers died as her face relaxed only slightly. Fluttershy joined her in shedding a few quiet tears as they whispered together.

“I’m sorry…”

Fluttershy rose with a start as Filibuster heralded the sunrise. The pink pony next to her hadn’t budged from the sound of the rooster, so Fluttershy decided to let her sleep a little longer. Her light weight helped her ease off the bed without disturbing the mattress.

Carefully brushing her mane, Fluttershy noticed an ugly bruise had formed on her left shoulder. She frowned at it while she finished taming her mane. Fluttershy toughed out the pain in her arm and limped down the steps to her living room with her wings spread for safety.

Hastily feeding her impatient hens and rooster, Fluttershy’s thoughts were occupied with what to feed her guest rather than her animals. She returned to her kitchen and made her decision with a proud smile after much internal deliberation. Deliberately ignored the patronizing scolding Nurse Redheart was giving her in her head, Fluttershy began to mix a bowl of pancake batter. If Pinkie was going to be forced through the same ordeal as last night, she’d do it with a stomach full of yummy pancakes.

Not long after Fluttershy had started breakfast, Pinkie wobbled into the kitchen and caught Fluttershy setting the table. Living most of her adult life in a bakery, Pinkie’s body was set to wake up when the smell of baking wafted up from below her room.

“Pancakes?” Pinkie came dangerously close to smiling as she made her way stiffly to the table.

“Oh! You’re up… uhm, I’m sorry I was about to come help you down the steps…” Fluttershy lay her ears flat with guilt as she set the plates down.

“I can walk just fine.” Pinkie retorted rubbing the crust from her eyes. She paused, squinted, then double took at Fluttershy. She was wearing a white apron with frilly shoulder straps and a lace fringe at the bottom. The back straps came up under her wings, and were tied in a butterfly bow between them.

“I know Pinkie… I’m just worried about your hoofs.” Fluttershy fidgeted under the look Pinkie was giving her and turned her attention to the pancakes. The first pair was ready, so she flipped the second pair still on the stove before dressing the first set.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t have any syrup right now.” It was a white lie of course; Fluttershy had hidden the syrup not wanting Pinkie to go overboard with it. To make up for the lack of syrup, Fluttershy dressed the pancakes with fresh cut strawberries from her garden.

Pinkie grunted at the lack of syrup. But when Fluttershy brought the short stack of two pancakes in front of her dressed with sliced strawberries and butter she figured there were worse things in life than pancakes without syrup.

Fluttershy returned to her pair of pancakes and carefully maneuvered them onto her plate while Pinkie started eating at a slowed pace. Fluttershy dressed her own pancakes with less butter, but plenty of strawberries and sat across from Pinkie at the tiny kitchen table.

The two ate quietly in the warm sunlight shining through Fluttershy’s kitchen window. Half way through her second pancake, Pinkie stopped eating and broke the quiet.

“You remembered my song…” Pinkie stared at her food.

Fluttershy swallowed her mouthful politely before responding. “Mhmm.”

“But that was so long ago, I only sang it once.” Pinkie looked up at Fluttershy, her eyes shimmering in the light.

“It really helped me, Pinkie… Whenever it’s dark, and I’m alone and scared… I sing that song.” Fluttershy smiled softly at her friend. “And it feels like you’re right there with me, and I feel like I can be, well… a little more brave. Like you.” At that admission, Fluttershy curled her long tail around her hoofs where she sat.

Pinkie couldn’t look up from her pancakes. She saw a few drops of water fall onto her pancakes, and she choked up. With a deep breath, Pinkie closed her eyes and whispered.

“I… wana get it over with. Just go get it!” Pinkie’s entire body tensed, but she remained seated with her eyes shut.

Surprised and confused, Fluttershy almost lost hold of what Pinkie was saying. Thankfully last night’s ordeal was fresh in her mind, and she flew from her seat into the living room to her medical bag.

The world around Pinkie was dark and loud. She could hear rummaging followed by approaching hoof steps. She held her breath when she heard a muffled apology and tried desperately not to think about her dream the previous night. A startled yelp escaped her mouth when she felt the sharp pressure against her shoulder, and she nearly bucked the chair out from under her. The pressure left her with a sore spot, and she opened her eyes to find Fluttershy’s hoofs wrapped around her.

Finding it impossible to move her stiff arms, Pinkie just leaned into the hug Fluttershy was giving her and let her fears go with a sob she failed to make sound like a laugh.

“Hawwwwhuhuhh…” Pinkie shut her eyes again and buried her face into Fluttershy’s mane to try and smother the pain.

After the clean up from breakfast was done, Fluttershy went about her usual morning chores of feeding her animals. Pinkie watched from her wheelchair in the front lawn as Fluttershy was swarmed by the various critters and birds she cared for. The scene reminded her that there was nopony in Equestria as nurturing as her friend. The thought of Fluttershy taking care of her gave her a sour mixture of elation and guilt.

The tranquility was broken when the two fillies noticed a pale pink earth pony approaching the cottage from Ponyville. Fluttershy wheeled Pinkie over to the gate so they could both greet the visiter.

“Hello giirls~” The somewhat plump nurse mare smiled at them in greeting.

“Oh, hello Nurse Cura. Here to pick up Pinkie?” Fluttershy stopped at the gate and stepped out around Pinkies wheel chair.

“Mhmm- Oh my! Fluttershy dear, what happened?” Nurse Cura frowned at the bandages around the Pegasus’ head and her bruised shoulder.

“I… uh, well.” Pinkie fumbled her words, but Fluttershy managed to cut in gently.

“I fell down the stairs.” That particular excuse made Pinkie flinch and feel even worse. She was just grateful Fluttershy hadn’t seen her reaction.

“Oh dear, well it looks like the bandage is properly dressed. You should go in and rest some Fluttershy.” The nurse pony walked around the wheel chair, eyeing Fluttershy’s bruised shoulder. “I’ll bring Pinkie back to you in about three hours.”

“Goodbye Pinkie, see you when you get back.” Fluttershy smiled at her friend, but Pinkie just hung her head.

“Yeah… see ya.” Pinkie hid her face behind her long straight mane and slumped in her seat while Nurse Cura cheerfully pushed her down the dirt path.

Fluttershy’s eyes softened as she saw her friend leave. She couldn’t stand to see Pinkie act like this. As Fluttershy walked back to her cottage, she began to miss the bouncing, excited, loud Pinkie she’d come to know and lo-

“That’s it!” Fluttershy said to nopony but herself as she raised her head. She knew exactly how to cheer Pinkie up! The idea was perfect, it would work, it HAD to work. Fluttershy took flight with an excited flip before gliding through her front door to begin preparations.

The checkup took an hour longer than Nurse Cura first said. Somepony was dumb enough to try a potion Applebloom had offered them, and Nurse Redheart was too busy dealing with that mess to do the checkup. Nurse Cura had taken Pinkie back home once it was all taken care of.

“I’m sorry that took so long Pinkie, we really had our hoofs full with that one. I’ll see you in a few days, alright?” the nurse pony apologized to her then hurried off back down the road to town.

“Yeah…” was about all Pinkie could reply with. Fluttershy hadn’t greeted her at the gate like she expected, probably because she was held up an extra hour. Pinkie sighed at the thought of Fluttershy waiting up for her all alone.

“You can do this Pinkie.” She rolled herself up to the front door of the cottage “Just tell her thanks, and that you’re going home to take care of yourself.”

Pinkie pushed the front door open and squinted into the darkness that came to greet her. All of the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. The only light in the living room was pushing its way around her shadow in front of her.

“Fluttershy?” Pinkie wheeled herself in trying to remember where the lights were. “Maybe she went shopping…”

“Surprise!” All the curtains drew open simultaneously, flooding the room with light. Fluttershy hopped out from behind the couch to hover beneath a white banner strung across her ceiling that read ‘Surprise!’ in pink letters with hearts and cupcakes drawn on it. The normally blandly colored living room was alive and vibrant with colored streamers, confetti and blue and yellow balloons. On the table below Fluttershy was a small assortment of food: A pink cake, a few pies, a punch bowl, and a plate of cupcakes.

Pinkie looked on at the festival before her with surprise, then joy, then anxiety, and finally landing on despair.

“Wow! I… but… I”

With tears threatening the corners of her eyes, Pinkie tried her best not to snap at Fluttershy. “Y-you know I can’t eat that!! Why would you make those?!”

The yellow Pegasus quickly touched down in front of her friend and offered a comforting smile. “Pinkie… You can eat it.”

Pinkie looked up at her friend. “But I’ll get sick like yesterday! And have to go to the hospital again!”

“Sweetgrass.” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Huh?” Pinkie wiped her eyes. “What’s that?”

“It’s a plant that grows on the edge of the forest.” Fluttershy put a hoof on Pinkies knee. “It tastes sweet, but it doesn’t have much sugar in it. I used all the Sweetgrass plants from my garden to make those… they might not be as sweet as what you or the cakes make, though.”

Pinkie just shook her head. “Why… why Fluttershy?”

“I-”

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Uhm, I”

“-Why would you do all this for me?”

“…um” Even if Pinkie had let her finish, Fluttershy’s words wouldn’t come.

“I –hurt- you and you throw me a party!” Pinkie shook her head, eyes squeezed shut.

“Pinkie… I”

“Why?!”

“B-Because…”

“Because WHY?!” Pinkie snapped at her. “WHY are you taking care of me?! Why did you have to make all of this!? Why don’t you hate me for hurting you?! Why d-“

Fluttershy closed her eyes and pushed herself forward with all of her might. Front hoofs on her friends knees, and pressed her lips against Pinkies. Eyes wide, Pinkies hair was literally blown back from the kiss. Her entire body tensed, then relaxed as her coat stood poised with energy, standing at an angle to give her body a light pink tint. Pinkie sat there pinned under the yellow Pegasus completely struck with awe. After a few scandalous seconds, Fluttershy reluctantly pulled back, a thread of passion hung between the two fillies lips as they separated, breaking once Fluttershy pulled back far enough.

Pinkie just stared at Fluttershy as she sat back down on her haunches and looked at the floor, face glowing.

“Y-you… really?” was all Pinkie could manage out, her heart racing.

Fluttershy nodded quietly, looking up at her bashfully.

“But, why?” Pinkie was dangerously close to being a broken record again, so Fluttershy answered her.

“Well… you’re the only pony who’s ever visited me and not asked favors. You invite me to parties, even though I usually just sit in the corner… You make me feel wanted, Pinkie. And… you make me feel like I can be brave and fun too… and I love it.”

Pinkie stared down at Fluttershy’s hoofs for a long time in thought. She brought her hoofs up to her face and wiped her eyes, her lips breaking into a smile for the first time since the horrible news at the hospital.

“*Sniff* Thank you, Flutters...” Pinkie wheeled forward and wrapped her arms around Fluttershy’s neck. It wasn’t the response Fluttershy had hoped her confession would earn her… but she had Pinkie back, and that’s what mattered.

“I’d love to try some of the food you made me.” Pinkie broke the hug and carted herself over towards the food. Fluttershy followed her with a tired smile and got herself a cupcake.

“Of course Pinkie, I made them especially for you.” Fluttershy sat down on her fainting couch and watched as Pinkie began to indulgently put away slices of cake and punch like the Pinkie she knew. The weight of preparing the party caught up with the exhaustion of the past two days. Half way through her cupcake Fluttershy drifted off to sleep, the last thing she saw was Pinkies frizzy pink mane.

Fluttershy awoke with a start when she felt something chewing on her ear. With a surprised yelp she frantically galloped to escape being eaten. Her eyes snapped open to find her living room turned sideways and her hoofs flailing at the air. A pair of wide, bright blue eyes atop a cheerful grin moved into view and giggled at her failed attempt at flight.

“HEhehehe, oh Fluttershy, you’re so silly!” Pinkie leaned back to give the startled Pegasus room to sit up.

“Pinkie…?” Fluttershy rubbed her eyes and looked at her friend sitting in her wheel chair in front of her. “uhn… Did you finish eating?” Fluttershy yawned.

“Yahuh! And I already wrote it all down, take a look!~” Pinkie brandished her food journal up with pride. Fluttershy tilted her head a bit at what was written in alternating pink, blue, and yellow crayon.

“Flutter…cake?” Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie after reading the first word.

Pinkie nodded proudly. “Yup-yup, Fluttercake! Because it’s sweet, and healthy, and pretty, and made just for ME! Oh! And I’m calling everything you make ‘Flutterfood’ cause that’ll make it extra special!”

Fluttershy kept reading the words Pinkie had scribbled into her journal.

Flutterpunch – 2 glasses

Fluttercupcakes – 4… okay 6

Fluttercookies- 3

Flutterpie- 2 slices

That one made Fluttershy blush uncontrollably for some reason, but there was one last one.

Flutterear- 4 licks 1 nibble

“Flutter uhm… ear?” Fluttershy looked up in confusion at the sly grin on Pinkies face. Her brain was still putting things together, but the tingle in her ear proved her body had processed the information immediately.

“I’m really sorry about all the trouble I’ve caused Fluttershy…” Pinkie closed the book and looked down.

“But Pi-” A gently placed pink hoof covered Fluttershy’s mouth, and Pinkie continued.

“To be honest, when I came back I was going to tell you I was going home… but you did all of this… and just for me. I didn’t know what to do with myself.” Pinkie sighed, but then she looked up with a smile. “But while you were asleep… I realized something.” She lowered her hoof.

“Realized what, Pin-”

She never finished that thought. Fluttershy melted like butter as Pinkie put her hoofs on her shoulders, and locked her lips onto Fluttershy’s. Her wings flapped once in surprise, then lay lazily half spread. In a daze of elation and a head full of fog, there was only one thought in Fluttershy’s mind.

She tastes like Strawberries.

~End

Health and Love Epilogue

Dear Twilight Sparkle

It’s been so long since we’ve seen you! You need to visit soon! Anyway back to the report thingy.

It’s super duper awful and sad and hard when that one thing you love doing the most in the whole wide world becomes dangerous to you! It can be super easy to lose yourself in all the sticky sadness and yuck, and you just want to give up on everything and sit around all sad.

But I learned that even when everything feels all grey and the party looks like it’s over before nine o’clock you should always remember that there are still super duper awesome friends who love you forever and are always ready to hold a hoof out to pick you up out of the sticky grey yuck!

Even when your world is upside down, it’s important to remember your friends because they’ll always be there for you, and you should always be ready to do the same for them even when they’re all the way in Canterlot like you are! And even if that super special something is too dangerous for you, they can help you figure out how to enjoy it in a safe way and will be there to make sure you don’t get hurt!

Your favoritest pink party pony!

~Pinkie Pie

P.S. Come visit already, silly!