The New Monarchy

"What happened?"

"Will she be alright?"

"How could someone do this?"

"Give her more medicine!"

Fluttershy sits in the corner of the waiting room, holding her ears to block out her friends questions. It's all my fault, she thinks to herself. It has to be. I'm the reason she stopped to talk, I'm the reason she stayed longer, I'm the- "Excuse me, may I have a Ms. Shy to speak with?" A nurse walks into the room while levitating a clipboard. Write Holliday, who has been sitting alone in the room, gets up and walks over to Fluttershy.

"Hey Shy, the nurse wants to see you." He says, putting a hoof on her solder. She only stares at him but eventually gets up and walks towards the nurse, then follows her into an isolated room.

"Ms. Shy, I'm afraid I have some bad news." Fluttershy feels her heart race, ready to burst out her chest and put her in the hospital with her friend. "The operation can be done, but it'll cost a lot." Fluttershy doesn't know how to feel. Angry that the nurse is willing to let her friend die because of money? Or relief that she can be saved?

"H-how much?" Fluttershy barley asks the inevitable question.

"Well, it'll be one million bits." The world freezes, or at least it seems to freeze.

"One million? I-I don't understand, how can-"

"A pice of wood lodged itself into Ms. Dash's chest, only a centimeter from her heart. Around the same time, a piece of wood slammed into her head, propelled by the speed that the cart was going. Thus, it forced her into a coma. Now normally we'd be able to operate using purely magic, but this operation specifically requires technology. Technology that is on the verge of being created, but the bits required to make it are factored into the medical cost of the normal operation. And on top of it all, she doesn't have any life insurance, health policy, or anything of the sort. It'll have to be from a regular citizen of Ponyville, and since you're her first choice for an immediate responder, it falls onto you to get the bits." The nurse studies Fluttershy, then notices something is wrong. "Are you feeling ok Ms. Shy? You look pale."

Fluttershy doesn't reply, hearing an echoed voice coming from the nurse. I can't believe it, one million bits. But how am I supposed to get that much? I'm not rich or a princess or anything of the sort. Maybe I heard her wrong, maybe it's not one million, but one hundred. That's a pretty common mistake, right? And could the hospital really ask for that much? "And it's how much?"

"One million bits." Fluttershy stands there, processing everything. No, no I heard her right, one million. I can't tell the others, or should I? No, I can't, I'm solely responsible for the medical costs and they shouldn't have to worry, after all she will get better, only after the cost is covered.

"O-ok, thank you." Flutteshy turns and leaves. She hears the nurse say good luck to her, then tries to ask her to sit as she doesn't look well...or something like that, it was all blurry. Nonetheless Fluttershy just keeps walking, mainly from shock.

The moment she opens the doors back into the waiting room she is bombarded with questions, only to have Twilight to tell the others to be quiet. "Fluttershy, what did the nurse say?" In a moment of panic, she can only respond with positive news.

"She, she said she'll be ok." A sigh of relief comes over the room. "She didn't give me a date as to how long it'll be until she recovers, but she did say it might be a long time. The main thing to focus on here though is that she will be ok."

"Whew, that's a relief. Alright, ah' think we need some rest." The others, along with Write who was sitting by himself, agree with Applejack as they say goodnight to one another and exit the building, leaving Fluttershy.

Twilight stops just before the door and turns around. "Fluttershy, are you sure that's all they said? It doesn't sound like a lot of news seeing as though this is life threatening."

Fluttershy's heart skips, and she gives up, knowing that she won't be able to hide it from Twilight. "No. But what I'm about to say can only stay between us, ok?"

"Scouts honor." Twilight says, saluting with a hoof.

"O-ok, well, they said that the operation will cost one million bits."

Twilight's face suddenly drops, her eyes widening. "One million? What, are they going to turn her into a vampire or something?" Fluttershy shoots her a quick glare. "Oh yeah, sorry, forgot about that."

"I just don't know what to do. You wouldn't be able to ask Celestia, would you?"

"No, strangely enough the princesses don't have a lot of money." They sit there, pondering. "I uh, I may have an idea."

"West is it? Please, I'll do anything to save Dashie." Fluttershy practically begs.

"Well, you may not like this but, we may be able to create something." Twilight says, now seriously staring at Fluttershy.

"What? I don't care what it is, what do we have to create?" Silence ensues until Twilight finally says...

"A new monarchy."