Fall of the Butterflies

“It cant” be…it cant”!” Applejack yelled.

While Twilight was still sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, Pinkie was silently weeping in Rarity’s hooves, her hair completely deflated and the happiness from before disappeared. Even Rarity was trying hard not to break down like the others, but to little success. As for Applejack, she was literally frozen in shock.

“It may take some time for the news to fully sink in…I’m very sorry, I really understand how you feel, but…Oof!”

Rainbow pushed away the doctor with blind fury in mid-air as she busted out of the door, rushing through the now empty and meaningless rooms in the hospital as quickly as possible, knocking over medical equipment, patients, and even the staff. The sound of hurt voices and the annoyed grunts echoed around the building, but Rainbow couldn’t hear them. In fact, as she flew off into the clouds, she didn’t want to listen to anything at all. Not anymore.

“Rainbow! Come back! Come back…” Twilight cried.

“Give her a while Twilight…the fact that poor little Fluttershy has…cancer is very hard to believe…even for me, and that includes everypony else.” Applejack managed to say, trembling.

“First Fluttershy, now Rainbow Dash?!” Pinkie screamed, and started flooding the area with her tripled amount of tears.

“No no no Pinkie! Rainbow Dash just left!” The Doctor reassured her. Though it stopped the flooding, the crying was going to be quite impossible at this time.

It took a few periods to calm the remaining mane 4 down. However, in the end the doctor was able to successfully inflate Pinkie’s mane to her recognizable self, although it continued to droop miserably.

“I know that this is a hard time for all of you right now, but I have to say something.” The doctor said quietly, making sure that all eyes were focused on him and not the ground. Seeing that the situation was settled, he continued his message.

“According to the blood test that yielded the positive result just now, her condition is at the final stage and there is nothing we can do to stop the process, though we can slow it down. During this time, I beg you all that you’ll consider her feelings as well. She is in much pain as you four are in, and she knows it. Promise me that you’ll not express the obvious, if you know what I mean…” He stated grimly.

“But…isn’t there a spell to heal this disease? There has to be, right Twilight?” Rarity wailed.

“I’m sorry Rarity, but there’s a reason why cancer is considered the most deadly condition to have in all of Equestria. The virus contains Hessonite crystals, which negate all forms of magic, not just unicorn spells but magic from any magical creature.” Twilight replied.

“Hessonite? The dark crystal that Sombra trapped you in during that time in the Crystal Empire?” Rarity gasped.

“Exactly…that’s why I broke down when the doctor…Oh!” She pressed her hoof to her cheek, falling silent again.

“Twilight, y’all. We need to stay focused.” Applejack reminded the rest of her friends, looking at the doctor with sudden determination.

“Thank you, Applejack. What I’m trying to say is…spend some time with her. With the hospital’s calculations, she only has less than a month to live. Make sure that she…passes on peacefully.” He finished his lecture, and exited the room without a further comment.

“You heard him, Twilight. Fluttershy needs all of your help and reassurance during this one month period.”

“Huh?” Twilight looked out of her hoof to see the small dragon right in front of her, scowling.

“Spike? When did you get here?!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I was here the whole time. I came before you four did with Rainbow Dash as I saw her crying for help while rushing over to the hospital, so I ran over here to see what was going on. And now the truth has been revealed.” He replied solemnly.

“But…why aren’t you sad? Fluttershy is going to die and you’re just a baby dra…” Rarity couldn’t even finish her sentence before she found herself glared fiercely by the dragon, his eyes tinted with green fire.

“If I’m still considered to be a baby, then what are you? What are all of you? One of our best friends is about to die due to lymph cancer and you all are just sitting there moping and crying your eyes out! For pete’s sake, when I was sick, at least I had a group of friends to care for me! Is the only thing Fluttershy going to see before she passes on her reflection on the wall as her friends are too depressed to comfort her, to even take care of her?!” He shouted furiously.

“Spike…Wha…” Twilight mumbled.

“Especially you Twilight, I’m disappointed in you.” Spike walked over to her crying face and held it up to eye level. “You’re supposed to be the most organized one, the most controlled, always ready to solve a problem when it comes, even seemingly impossible feats such as preventing an invasion and stopping Tirek. Where is that Twilight I know now?” He looked over to the rest of the mane four. “Where are the friends that I’ve been with since moving to Ponyville? Please…at least do it for her.” He said, finally shedding a tear.

There was a long echo of the last two words that Spike said, which reverberated around the stunned room while silent sobs came from the young dragon, who had closed his eyes in humiliation. Suddenly, a flow of warmth spread around him and opening his eyes, he saw the alicorn hugging him tightly, like a mother to a son.

“We’re all here, Spike. We’re all here.” She spoke softly as Spike broke down completely in her arms. Gesturing to her friends, they walked in front of her, drying their tears and standing upright.

“You heard what the doctor said, what Spike said. We have to make sure that Fluttershy can pass on without worrying about us, be there for her when it happens. I understand what they both mean now. We’re all part of a family, and nothing can change that.”

Applejack nodded with determination, while Rarity and Pinkie smiled softly for the first time as Twilight continued.

“I think that we should visit her one by one over the course of the one month period, along with her other friends and family that might want to come over to this hospital, so that it never gets too crowded for her, a situation we all know Fluttershy dislikes. We can still visit her together and in groups, but we’ll only talk about the personal thoughts when we’re alone with her. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Applejack replied.

“I’ll do to for her, for all of us!” Rarity exclaimed dramatically.

“I won’t rest until she smiles again! That is what I’m supposed to do!” Pinkie said loudly, her mane fully inflated with passion.

“Thank you. Thank you all.” Spike spluttered emotionally.

“We’re all in this together, right?”

“RIGHT!”

Now Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack were ready to start the blossoming cycle, which would not be mourned but celebrated. However, there was still one pony that did not know. Still, friends are supposed to stick together no matter what. And that is a fact that forms the very essence of friendship.

And so it begins, the 30 days of life.