“You mean I can just…leave?”

“That’s right, Miss Fluttershy. We managed to stabilize the terminal illness with the medications that were given to you daily. It’s now under stasis, and it will take quite some time before it reactivates again. I’m sorry to say that we still couldn’t find a cure…but…”

Doctor Horse was quickly interrupted as Fluttershy suddenly hugged him tightly from the bed, emitting soft sobs of joy.

“Oh thank you, thank you! Thanks to you I can now visit Angel, meeting with my friends, and have a normal life again!”

“But…” The doctor choked.

“Don’t worry about my condition. You and the other ponies that helped did more than enough. I can’t thank you enough for allowing me the chance to make my friends happy!” She cried.

“You’re…choking…me…” He gasped. It was impossible to move away from the tight hug Fluttershy was giving him.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” She immediately let go, leaving the doctor gasping for air. “Are you alright?” She asked with concern.

“Yes, yes I’m fine. I already signed your papers. You’re free to go.” He spluttered. Her grip was as powerful as a bear.

“Thanks once again doctor! Oh, and thank the other ponies for me!” She said as she galloped pass him.

“*Cough…sweet mare…but…by Celestia is she strong…”

Fluttershy soared through the sky as she welcomed the warm air of autumn into her lungs, a feeling that she had missed for five days, but to her personally, an entirely.

“Oh I can’t wait to see Angel again! And all the other wonderful animals! I wonder how my friends are taking care of them! Oh right, my friends! I got to tell them about the good news! But first, Angel!”

The all too familiar cottage was starting to appear in her line of version. In excitement, she rushed towards its direction while making several cartwheels, causing several ponies to look up.

“Is that a bird?” Matilda asked.

“No…I think it’s a tree!” Lyra proclaimed.

“You’re both wrong, it’s Fluttershy!” Derpy exclaimed happily. “Hi Fluttershy!” She said as she flew up and beside her.

“Oh hey Derpy, how was your day today?” She greeted.

“It was great! Pinkie’s batches of muffins really were delicious!”

She took out a steaming brown muffin from her mane.

“Want one?” There were bits of blonde hair stuck inside the dough.

“Er…um…you can have it.”

“Sweet! Thanks Fluttershy!” She cheered as she threw the muffin into her mouth.

“Speaking of which, have you seen her?”

“Pinkie? Oh! I did, at Sugarcube Corner! She sold me muffins!”

“No Derpy, I mean right now…”

“Oh……she said something about taking care of animals for somepony…” She pondered.

“Oh! She’s taking care of my animals right now?” Fluttershy said as she looked back into the cottage.

“I…guess?”

“Ok, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye Derpy!”

“Bye!”

Fluttershy sighed as she flew back onto the doormat of the cottage.

They didn’t know. Or at least, some don’t. Thank Celestia.

She gave a push and the door creaked open.

“Oh come on Gummy, stop chasing Angel! Harry, put that bowl down! I didn’t fill it with food yet! Gummy? Gummy! STOP…”

The pink earth pony stopped in her place as she saw Fluttershy with her mouth agape, the door half open on its hinges.

“Flut…Flut…Flut…Flut…”

“Oops…” She had forgotten what kind of reaction Pinkie would have. Being the most energetic of the group, a surprise was the worst thing that she could witness on Pinkie Pie.

“Um…Pinkie…calm down?”

“Flut…Flut…Flut…Flut…”

The scream that came later was passed on by the townspeople for many generations to come, as the cry of the pink terror that could scar happiness into your heart.

“FLUTTERSHY?! EEEEE!” She squeed.

“Um…” She managed to get out, her hooves still in her ears.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! When did you come back?! How did you come back?! You’re back! I’m…I’m so happy!” She squealed.

“Well, I…”

“SHE CAME BACK!” Pinkie shouted joyfully as her hooves wrapped themselves on an imaginary box, shaking it up and down.

“Um…Pinkie, who are you talking to?”

“No-pony! Oh I'm so HAPPY that you’re back! We need to have a party immediately! Wait…you don’t really like group parties don’t you? What about a friend party! I’ll invite Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Maud…”

“Actually, Pinkie. I think that I don’t really need a party right now.”

“Aw…but everyone needs a good party!”

“Yes Pinkie, But I was thinking more of a quiet “party” with my animal friends. It’s been a while seen I’ve seen them, and unlike you girls.” She said as Angel graciously snuck up on her leg. “They can’t really visit, can’t they?”

“Well…I guess you’re right. But can I join in? I never been in a animal picnic party before…might be fun!”

“Um…you want to join me? Well, I guess…”

“Great! What do we do first?”

Fluttershy looked around her cottage. Although the place was kept neatly dusted and cleaned, most of the animals looked grumpy.

“Hmm…We could start by cleaning and feeding all the animals.”

“ALL of them?!” Pinkie gasped, looking at the gigantic quantity and variety of critters surrounding the area.

“Well, you said you wanted to help.”

A few hours later, both of the ponies were done, and they sank onto the floor tired as the animals ate in their respective territories. It was already approaching night as the sun sank down.

“Wow! That really took much longer than expected!” Pinkie admitted, wiping sweat off her brow.

“It usually doesn’t take this long, but since I wasn’t here for five days you girls didn’t really clean any of them did you?”

“I tried to! But they wouldn’t stop moving and moving and moving! Twilight tried to use her magic to automatically clean them but they kept moving around! Rainbow Dash did manage to soak them all with a giant raincloud then blew them off with a sonic hurricane, but it caused them to become mad! Heck, Applejack and Rarity didn’t even want to go near any of the animals!” Pinkie ranted.

“Applejack still doesn’t really like them, doesn’t she?” She questioned.

“Well, she never really did, to be honest.”

“I’m sure that I’ll convince her someday. So…what do you want to do right now? I’ll all done with the cleaning, thanks to your help.”

“Well, we could throw a welcome back Fluttershy party to surprise the rest of our friends, you want that?”

“Um…sure!”

“Yay! I’ll go prepare the invitations and stuff! Wait until they know that you’re all better!” She cheered. “Seeya!”

“Actually Pinkie, I…”

But she was already gone, bouncing among the grass happily back to the town, humming a catchy tune.

She tried to catch her attention by waving, but her focus was completely towards the party tomorrow. Giving up, she went back into the cottage and sighed.

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow then to tell them the truth. Twilight should be smart enough to figure it out.”

She slowly climbed upstairs, Angel following her in close pursuit. Letting herself drop onto the mattress of the bed, it was so much more comfortable than in the hospital. The bunny kissed her softly on the cheek before snuggling close beside her.

“Good night Angel.”

It sniffled and wrapped itself on her mane, snoring, causing her to giggle softly as the moon rose up onto the starry sky.

Author's Note