A Hero's 'Tail'

We all sat down to a hearty meal at Sugarcube Corner, minus Rainbow. After Fluttershy had patched her side up, she’d apparently performed several ‘rainnukes’ in a row, tearing her side open even worse. She’d definitely be in the hospital for a couple of days at the very least.
After much food and socializing, I broke the revelry.

Standing and raising my hooves in order to get everyone’s attention, I began to speak. “As you know, Bryant’s army has been tracked back to the lab, where the Guards report that they are licking their wounds, apparently planning another offensive. It’s obvious that we must stop them here and now.”

I dropped back down to the table as a pain abruptly filled my chest. I proceeded to double over, coughing blood. Everypony stood up, rushing to my side.

“AJ, pick him up. We’ll need to get him to my library ASAP. Pinkie, go straight to the hospital and tell the nurse to make a house call. Hurry!” Twilight ordered, hovering over my prone form.

***

Twilight opened the door to her library for Applejack. AJ laid me on a bed, her look of concern bothering me. I attempted to smile feebly, failing.

Twilight rushed around asking various questions. “Does he have a fever? How does his breathing sound? Does he hurt anywhere?”

I watched her hurry about for a moment.

My voice barely above a whisper, I replied, “Calm down, Twi. I feel hot, my breathing is shallow and rapid, and my chest hurts.”

I sat up, starting to feel better, strangely enough.

Applejack put her hoof on my shoulder. “Lie back down. Ya need ta stay still while we wait fer the doctor.”

Twilight hovered a scalpel and microscope in midair with her magic. “I’ll need to take a bit of your fur for analysis. I have a theory, but I’ll need to test it.”

With that, she sliced a bit of my mane, beginning to pick at it. Separating a single hair from the rest, she placed it in a small vial. Inserting the glass tube into a circular slot, she flipped a switch, causing the slot to vibrate rapidly. Turning from the strange machine, Twilight looked me over thoroughly.
Beckoning Grit over, she pointed to my neck.

“Do these look like scales to you?” She inquired.

He nodded, frowning. “Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”

“I can’t be certain till I’ve completed my test, but yes.”

Grit shook his head and left to be alone for a spell. Twilight took the vial out of the contraption. She then removed a tablet of gel from a cabinet. Reaching into the same cupboard, she took out a battery.

Hooking it up to either side of the tablet, she emptied the contents of the vial onto the gel. “I’m going to use a process called gel electrophoresis to separate your DNA into fragments. Then we’ll be able to see if my fears are correct.”

Growing concerned, I asked, beginning to shiver out of an unexplainable cold, “What fears?”

She turned away, switching the battery on, watching as some very tiny bars of something slid across the tablet. “I have a feeling that your genome has been destabilized by Bryant’s DNA splicing. You could literally be unraveling before our eyes.”

Unplugging the battery, Twilight put a microscope over the tablet, zooming in for a closer look. A notepad hovered beside her, frantically taking notes.

“Got some bad news, Quick.” She said, removing her eye from her microscope, rotating to face me. “Your DNA IS unraveling at an alarming rate, and there’s no way to prevent further decay. I’m sorry, Quicksilver.”

Twilight turned to leave, sorrow on her face.

I laughed nervously. “Well, I suppose we’ll need to stay home for a couple of days, with both RD and I out. Will I be able to attend this last mission?” I asked.

She paused mid-stride. “Yes, but we can’t rely on you as leader, unfortunately.”

I nodded, pulling a fuzzy blanket from a top shelf. Wrapping myself in it, I followed her out.

Fluttershy was waiting for me outside, signs of worry etched across her face. “I asked Grit whether it’d be okay to let you stay with me for a couple nights. You know, to care for you better…” She blushed the color of her mane.

I smiled reassuringly. “That’ll be nice. We can have that date as well.”

She nodded, grasping my hoof. We began our leisurely walk back to her cottage.

After a day of bed rest and some argument with Twilight I finally got approval for my date with Fluttershy. It proved exceedingly difficult due to Rainbow’s anger at not being consulted first.
At dusk the following day, the pink maned mare and I cantered out to a meadow to watch the sunset, picnic baskets on our backs, saddlebags filled with sweets. We strolled a while, holding hooves and enjoying the scenery.
Neither of us dared to talk for fear of disrupting the peace. We arrived as the sun began to set and began unpacking our spread.

I started talking as I worked in order to break the tension. “Tell me about your animals. I hear you have a ton of them.”

“W-well yes. I have many different creatures, but my favorite are the bunnies.”

“I bet. They’re so gentle and sweet, kind of like you.” We both blushed, me as I realized what’d I’d said, Fluttershy at being complimented in such a manner.

We opened up considerably after that, chatting freely about nothing in particular as we chowed down on our delicious meal. For at least an hour after eating we sat, watching as the sun dipped below the horizon only to be replaced with a magnificent sea of stars.

I used a lull in our conversation to think about Rainbow and Grit’s words. I think I love these ponies. But do I? I suppose I am. And what about this whole ‘Hero’ thing? Do I want to be a hero? Do I have to die? And what if I’m not good enough? What if I fail to protect my people?

I paused. Fluttershy was watching me intently. Apparently she’d noticed my contemplative look.

I decided to voice my thoughts. After all, maybe she had some good advice. “I’ve been… struggling with something lately. I think I love everyone in Ponyville, but I’m not sure. I know I love Grit, and… well, maybe you, but everyone? I just don’t know. And being a hero means protecting your loved ones no matter what, but what if I fail? And—“

The Pegasus put a hoof to my mouth, silencing me. She stared into my eyes. “Quicksilver, you are the bravest stallion I know, and that’s saying a lot. I can tell that you care for the ponies of Equestria as much as, if not more than, I care for my own animals. Don’t worry about being a hero, that will come in it’s own time.” Abruptly, she clapped her hooves to her mouth, eyes wide. “I did NOT just say that! P-Please forgive me!”

I chuckled, “It’s fine, Fluttershy. I wouldn’t have told you my thoughts if I didn’t want an opinion on them. Let’s pack up and head back, we have a dinner then briefing to attend.”