Matter of life or death

by Flutterprincess

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Fluttershy, Adventure, Princess Celestia
Length: 2666

After being diagnosed with a fatal disease, Fluttershy has only 3 months to live. Her friends won’t let this happen and will do their best to keep her alive.

After being diagnosed with a fatal disease, Fluttershy has only 3 months to live. Her friends won’t let this happen and will do their best to keep her alive. But will they succeed ?

Published 2022-08-18 15:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-08-26 22:16:25 UTC

A fatal disease

It was an ordinary day in Ponyville, the Mane 6 were in Sugar Cube Corner, having a good time with some cupcakes that Pinkie Pie have made.

"Thank you for invited us Pinkie." Twilight said. "Do you mind if I take another cupcake ? They're so good"

"Of course you can, I made them for all of you" Pinkie responded.

"Me too !" Rainbow Dash said. All of them were laughing and eating cupcakes. All except one, she was in a corner of the room. She was thinking sadly.

"Darling, come with us, Pinkie was about to tell us her cupcake recipe" Rarity said as she approached Fluttershy.

"Yeah, Ah'm sure that Pinkie have a recipe of vegetarian cupcakes for your animals" Applejack said eating her third cupcake.

Tears formed in Fluttershy's eyes as she tried to answer them. "Yes, of course, I-I'm coming" She tried to wipe away her tears with her hoof.

"First, you can choose every vegetable that you want. For Angel, I'm sure that he loves-" Pinkie stopped. She saw Fluttershy sobbing in front of her. "Why are you crying ? You know that it makes me cry too." Pinkie said. She hugged Fluttershy, maybe too much.

"That's o-okay Pinkie. D-don't worry for me all of you." Fluttershy responded. "It's really not a big deal" She said thinking of how she was supposed to say them the news.

"Of course we're worried, we care about you" Twilight said.

Fluttershy was really worried too. But not for the same reason. She was worried about the reaction of her friends. "O-okay, I'm just a little bit sick, that's all." Fluttershy lied. She didn't like lie to her friends at all but, she was forced to do it.

"So why were you crying earlier 'Shy ?" Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy was thinking about a new lie when Applejack spoke."Don't trah to lie to us Flutters" Fluttershy realized that she was lying to the element of Honesty. Of course that she couldn't lie to her.

"I-I'm okay really-"

Then, she felt like everything was revolving around her and before she knew it, she was passing out. She could only hear some voice who said "Fluttershy !" or "She's still breathing" then, "Take her to the emergency !" and some cries. Then all was black.

She woke up in a hospital, surrounded by her pony friends and Spike.

"Fluttershy, you woke up, don't ever scare us like that again !" Twilight said. She seemed relieved

"W-where am I ?" Fluttershy asked. Then, she realized that she was in a hospital.

"You're in Ponyville's hospital, darling" Rarity responded. Fluttershy tried to getting out of bed but Rainbow stopped her.

"Wow wow wow, where are you going ? The doctors said that you will get out of here in a week after they made some medical test on you." Rainbow said, trying to keep her in bed.

Fluttershy was hyperventilating. "W-WHAT ? No, this is i-impossible ! I-I must get out of here before-" Tears were forming one her eyes again.

Applejack tried to calm her, "Hey Sugarcube, it's really nothin'. It'll be very fast, y'all see."

Then, a stallion with a yellow coat and a brown mane came in the room with some papers. "Miss Fluttershy, we found out that you came here a month ago for the same reason. You remember that we told you that you must stay away from ponies and your animals as much as possible. If you don't, I'm sorry to inform you that your life expectancy which was 1 year could drop to only 3 months. The smallest bacteria could kill you " The doctor said.

"And I told you that if I can't stay with my friends, ponies or animals, my life will become useless !" She shouted, with angred in her eyes, something unusual for her. Her friends remained speechless.

Fluttershy, who saw them in this state was sobbing even more than before. "I-I'm so sorry that I don't t-told you before b-but I was so afraid about your r-reaction" She said. "That's why I wanted to get out of here before the doctors could came here."

They were all crying and then, they hugged all Fluttershy tightly."Please don't cry for me, that's what I wanted to avoid" Fluttershy said, it was one of the worst day of her life.

Two months later, the six friends still came pay regular visits in Fluttershy's cottage. All of them were so worried about Fluttershy's health that they spent most of the time with her. Fluttershy laid in her bed, more sick than before. She was surrounded by all of her friends. They helped her for carrying of animals, gave her food, and tried to cheer her up.

One day Angel came on her bed, trying to speak to her. "W-What do you-" Fluttershy coughed. "-need Angel?" She said, about to get out of her bed.

"No Darling, You must stay in bed!" Rarity said.

"B-but-" Fluttershy said before being interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

"There’s no but Shy’ ! How many times must we tell you: stay in your bed. Just, look at you're state !"

"What's the point to live if I can't really live!" Fluttershy yelled. "You're all trying to stop me to do the things that I live for !" She said, tears were forming in her eyes.

Some hours after that, Twilight came in the cottage with some good news. "GIRLS, GIRLS !" She screamed. She was running into the cottage, narrowly avoiding Fluttershy's bunny who tried by himself to take some food in the fridge. "I've found it ! Oh Fluttershy, I'm so glad that I've found it !" She said breathlessly. She was holding a book in her hoof.

"What have you found Twilight ?" Pinkie asked. "Because we've tried all to cheer her up and it didn't work."

Twilight ignored Pinkie, she went into Fluttershy's bedroom. She was really pale and some minutes after that she yelled at Rainbow Dash, she fell asleep.

"Can we talk downstairs? The poor darling is exhausted" Rarity asked.

Then, they left Fluttershy's bedroom to go downstairs. "So, what did you find Twi'?" Applejack asked to her friend. "I don't want to show it to Flutter's but Ah'm losing hope." The cowgirl said as she removed her hat.

"Don't worry Applejack, I think that I found something that can help her" Twilight responded " I've found something in a book from Starswirl the bearded who can heal any disease, but we can only use it once."
Then, she showed them the book. But then, Twilight, who seconds ago was the happiest mare seemed worried.

"That's awesome Twi', but why aren't you as happy as us ?" Rainbow asked.

"I'm happy, of course but-" the purple mare took her breath."I'm afraid that I can't cast it on Fluttershy, this requires a lot of magic and I'm afraid that I don't have that much." She said sadly.

"But the princesses have a lot of magic, they can help us with Fluttershy, and if they help us then-" Pinkie said before AppleJack put a hoof on her mouth.

"Pinkie, stop, y'all wake up Fluttershy. For know, she need to rest." She said, while Pinkie was still trying to speak.

"The problem is that the princesses are visiting the dragons for... royal things I guess, and Spike is with them so we can't tell them about that. I think they don't even know about Fluttershy disease. I was thinking about call Cadence but she must take care about the Crystal Empire. Plus I don't think that she have enough magic either." Twilight finally said.

All of the five friends tried to find an idea, and Rainbow spoke up. "If they can't come to us, we'll come to them." All of the ponies in the room were shocked.

Rarity was the first to speak "Rainbow, do you really know the time that it takes to go to find them, it's really far from here, imagine if it's to late for-" She was about to continue when she was interrupt by some coughs from Fluttershy's bedroom.

"I'll go check on Fluttershy" Twilight said, she was more and more worried about her friend’s state.

"If we don't go, you know what could happen to her, so I'll go if you agree or not !" Rainbow responded.

"If you think so, then we must try, for Fluttershy." Rarity said.

But suddenly, they heard Fluttershy scream some word like: "P-please !", "help m-me!", "G-girls !" The four mares rushed in her bedroom, to find a Fluttershy trembling and suffering.

"What happened Twi'? " AppleJack asked, worried about her friend.

"She's having a very bad fever, we really need to find the princesses quickly, I don't want her to-" She stopped a moment. "Anyway, somepony must stay with her, is there any volunteers ?" Twilight asked.

"Pick me, pick me ! I want to stay with Fluttershy, please, please, please" Pinkie said, her voice less joyful that usual.

"Me too, I want to stay with her, that's alright with you dear ?" Rarity asked.

Twilight nodded and turned to Rainbow and AppleJack. "So, we'll go as quick as possible, an hour will be enough for you to prepare yourself ?" She asked.

"You bet we'll be ready, right AJ ?" Rainbow said, turning to the cowgirl.

"Yeah, Ah just need to tell mah family that ah'll go."

Twilight looked at Fluttershy a last time before leaving her house. "We'll find the princesses and everything will be alright, I promise you."

Author's Note

Wow, that took a lot of time.

If you noticed some errors, please tell me, and I’ll try to fix them.
The next chapter, well, I’m working on it.

And thank you for read it ^^

Worst and worst

Twilght, Rainbow Dash and Applejack left the cottage an hour ago, to take the train. In the meantime, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, were the only ponies that were left to take care of Fluttershy.

"So, what do you think she needs? Pillows, blankets, cupcakes ?" Pinkie asked.

Rarity was taking Fluttershy's temperature, looking worried. " I think that she need calm, and a doctor too. Her temperature is rising and I don't think that we’re the most qualified ponies for this. Can you bring a doctor here darling ? I don't think that we can take her to the hospital, not in her state." Rarity said as she levitate the thermometer on the table.

"Okie dokie lokie. Take care of her." Pinkie said. She had now a flat mane and a sad look on her face as she walked to the hospital.

Twilight and her two friends were in a train, heading to Dragon Lands. She was thinking about what the doctor said: if she don't stay away from animals or ponies, the smallest bacteria from them could kill her.

She did stay close from her animals, and us. She thought.

Actually, Fluttershy was the one who asked her friends to stay with her. Twilight recalled of the look in the doctor's eyes when he said: "I'm sorry to inform you that your life expectancy which was 1 year could drop to only 3 months."

But, he said that more than 2 months ago, so that means... At this thought, Twilight started sobbing.

"Are you okay Sugar' ?" A voice behind her said. AppleJack approached Twilight as she wiped her tears.

"Sure, it's just that... I'm worried about Fluttershy, that's all." She responded.

"We are all worried, Twi'" Rainbow said as she joined her two friends. Then they shared a hug.

Actually even if she tried to hide her sadness as best as she could, Rainbow was the saddest of them. Fluttershy was her oldest friend, her only friend when she was a filly. She recalled the first time she met her, at the Flight Camp. And how she was worried after the race when she couldn't find her. She spent hours looking after her, it was the first time she went below the clouds. When she found her, they shared a tight hug. The thought that maybe she could never be in her embrace anymore made her cry even more. She was trying hard to hold back her tears, what she failed.

The last time she spoke to her, Fluttershy yelled at her. Rainbow couldn't help herself to worry about anything that could happened to her while they were gone, if they couldn't make it in time...

She had not enough time to think more because the train was hit by a rock, and it went off its tracks.

It didn't took a lot of time to Pinkie to reach Ponyville's hospital. After searching in all the corridors, she finally found a nurse.

"Nurse Redheart, my friend Fluttershy came here two months ago and now she has fever, and if someone don't come quickly, she will-" She started before beinbg interrupted by the nurse.

"Calm down miss Pie, I’ll ask the doctor if he can send someone to come with you." The nurse said, trying to reassure Pinkie.

Then, she sat on a chair while the nurse went in a room, talking to the doctor, the same who diagnosed Fluttershy’s disease. Pinkie never faced this kind of situation, the saddest moments of her life were into her family's farm work, where there were no smile. But her sadness now was beyond anything she could have imagined. There was a possibility that she could lose one of her best friends, forever.

Nurse Redheart returned in the corridor with the doctor. "I’ll come with you in miss Fluttershy’s house." The doctor said. "We must go there quickly. We maybe can’t remove her illness but we can we can extend his life expectancy, for some days at least."

After he packed his doctor’s kit, Pinkie and him rushed out of the hospital to Fluttershy's cottage.

The sun was setting on Equestria. Fluttershy’s fever was rising more and more. Rarity was in the kitchen to make some soup when she heard a knock at the door.

"Pinkie dear, is that you ?" She asked as she headed to the door.

"Nope, but good try. But wait, you're not Fluttershy !" A male voice said, he appeared in the center of the living room.

"Discord ! But what are you doing here ?" The unicorn asked as she approached the draconequs.

"Well, that's obvious, I'm here to see my dear friend Fluttershy. I know I missed a lot of tea parties, but I've brought flowers." He snapped his fingers and made appear some flowers in his paw. "About that, do you know where she is, it's been a lot of time since the last time I saw her."

"Oh, well..." Rarity didn't knew that Discord wasn't aware about Fluttershy state. She and the others had made a promise to Fluttershy that they would never say anything about her disease to anypony. Only them, Spike and the doctors knew about it. She didn't knew what she was supposed to respond to him. Then they heard a cough from the bedroom.

"It seems she's not really far, I'm coming dear." He said as he climbed the stairs.

"No Discord, wait !" Rarity tried to stop him but it was too late.

He opened the door, and what he saw shocked him. Under a blanket decorated with butterflies, lied a weakened pegasus mare. she was shivering and she had undereye bags. But the thing that shocked him the most was her colors, they were faded and she was really pale . If he didn't knew her, he would think that she was ten years older that she is actually. The draconequs approached her slowly.

"F-Fluttershy ? W-what happend to you ?"

Author's Note

That's a really short chapter but the next one will be longer...
Anyway, let me know if there's some errors ^^