//------------------------------// // A Friend In Need // Story: Amicus // by Tofazz //------------------------------// A Friend In Need         A butter-yellow mare walked through the market of Ponyville, shifting her eyes side to side. Her pink mane was draped over her face, barely letting her see out through it. While moving forward, her tail and feet scuffed the ground, making a scraped clopping sound.         She frantically swerved right and left, worrying over the constant stream of ponies on the road. Her eyes shifted up towards the sky from time to time, staring blankly up at the clouds; sighing as she moved towards a new spot to have a peek.         She sat down in a corner, huddling in the shadows. Peeking out towards the street. Her eyes followed the movements of ponies passing by, cringing if anyone looked towards her.         “Fluttershy?” Fluttershy jolted about, looking around frantically. Perking her ears up, she scanned the area.          “Fluttershy... up here.”         Her eyes fixated to a blue mare fluttering over her, looking down with an eyebrow raised. Her rainbow colored mane and tail danced as she placed her hooves in front of Fluttershy.         Rainbow Dash stared towards her friend with a smug grin. “Woah Flutters... did a squirrel scare you or something?”         Fluttershy stared at Dash with pupils big as dinner plates. Huddling together more, her hooves scraped the road as she pressed herself further into the shadows. Dash’ grin faded, her eyebrows sinking down. She stepped carefully towards the shadows, lowering her head to see Fluttershy clearer.         “F-Fluttershy... what's wrong?”         Fluttershy shook as Dash spoke up, lifting her hooves. Squealing as she looked through her mane, shivering while the blue mare attempted to get closer.         Dash grabbed hold of Fluttershy. “It’s me! Rainbow Dash! Don’t you recognize me?”         Her eyes stared at Dash, glistening as tears trickled down her cheek. She heaved for air while flailing her hooves around, her wings fluttering against the wall. Her neck stretched up letting go of a small scream before she collapsed in Dash’ arms.         Dash’ eye’s widened as she looked down at Fluttershy, lying there, completely still. Dash carefully nudged her side. “Fluttershy?” Her heart started to race. Fluttershy wasn’t moving. Looking around desperately, Dash spotted a nearby rope and using that, made a cradle to place her in. She tied a loop around herself, flapping her wings as fast as she could. Straining to take off, she could feel the estranged glares of other ponies looking at her.         Dash felt her wings burning, straining to fly forward. She squinted her eyes, focusing her attention towards the hospital. She looked down at Fluttershy who lay still with her eyes closed. “Don’t worry Fluttershy, everything will be alright!”         The town was but a fast blur as she neared the hospital, stopping in front of the door, she carefully put Fluttershy down. Dash ran through the door frantically looking around the lobby for somepony to help her.         She bellowed from the top of her lungs. “Somepony! Help... my friend, she’s sick!”         A group of ponies dressed in white garments dashed over to her, signaling that she should lead them out.         She watched as they put Fluttershy on a stretcher and went inside, Dash followed behind them all the way to the ICU, however a nurse stopped her at the door. “I’m sorry Miss, but you’re not allowed in here.”         Dash looked at the nurse. “But... I need to be there for her.”         The nurse shook her head before pointing towards the waiting room. “Please, let the doctors do their job, they will come get you once they know more.”         She sighed as her ears flopped back. “Alright...”         Dash trotted back and forth in the hospital waiting room, her thoughts wandered as she froze for a bit. Biting her lip, she looked towards the ICU.  She flinched as she felt her wings burning, She sat down, muttering to herself. “I hope she’s alright...” Dash sprung up as she heard a door opening, her eyes focused on a small stallion standing in the doorway. He slowly approached her with his eyes fixated on a chart. As he lifted his head, Dash could see a grim expression smeared over his face. He looked at her behind a lime green mask, His eyebrows arched down as he raised his voice. “Dash, Rainbow?” She slowly nodded. “You did the right thing, Dash. Although she has not had any physical harm done to her. She has had a nervous breakdown, causing her frontal-lobe to go into overdrive. If you hadn't brought her in, her brain would eventually have cooked itself. But as of now, she’s stable.” Dash let out a small sigh, folding her wings together. She felt her heartbeat start to calm down, tears starting to press up behind her eyes. She smiled towards the doctor, while a tear trickled slowly down her cheek. “Thank you...” “No need to thank me Miss, Dash. I was only doing my job.” She enclosed the doctor with her hooves, giving him a short hug.  “No, you did much more than that, thank you for saving my friend.” She halted her sentence, turning her head away. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually get emotional like this. It’s just... I don’t know what I would do without her... so thank you.” He smiled a little as his cheeks turned a slight tint of red, hiding behind the chart he stuttered. “M-miss Dash... if you want... you can sit by her till she wakes up.” Dash’ eyes lit up, glistening with a small flutter of light. “Really?!” “Yes... just remember that she needs to rest, so no loud noises or hasty movements.” Dash’ answer could be heard muffled through the door leading to Fluttershy’s room. “I will!” The door creaked open, slowly letting a small ray of light into the room. Dash carefully peeked her head through the door, letting go of a small gasp as she saw Fluttershy lying in a bed close to the window. As she moved closer, she heard her hooves echoing through the room. She saw her friend hooked up to different monitors, letting out quick beeps to show that everything was normal. Small tubes went out from her hooves and up into small bags of clear liquid. Dash sat down, leaning gently towards the bed. Staring blankly at Fluttershy, she felt a lump growing in her chest. She sat next to the bed for awhile, watching as Fluttershy’s chest softly rose up and down in tact with the small beeps. She saw her eyes move from side to side under her eyelids. Sighing as she looked around, Dash spotted Fluttershy's hoof lying on the sheets, and placed hers softly atop it. Her lips quivered as she whispered. “Please, Fluttershy... Please be alright.”