"What happened?" Rainbow Dash cried as Applejack gently placed Twilight's unconscious form on the bed. Applejack didn't even attempt to hide her tears as she stared at the sleeping girl.
"It's all my fault." she whispered. "I shouldn't 'ave let her work today. Shoulda just sent her home, or in the house, or something else."
Fluttershy felt her heart skip a beat and she froze in her tracks. Twilight was pale and still as she laid on the couch. Pinkie had left to call for an ambulance and Rarity simply clutched at her chest as tears fell down her face.
Fluttershy was numb as she stared. Rarity had finally gotten her to stop crying and they had no sooner left the bathroom, before Applejack walked in crying for help. Rainbow had been the first to run into the room, apparently having been just outside the door studying the incoming clouds.
"I can't get through!" Pinkie screamed from outside. Panic was obvious in her voice as she threw her cellphone at a nearby tree. "Do you have a landline?" she asked as she ran back into the room.
Applejack shook her head.
"Try my phone." Rarity said quickly as she handed away her cell.
"I'll go get some water." Rainbow said before running out of the room.
"She's burnin' up." Applejack said with her hand to the girl's brow. "Fluttershy, help me get her clothes off."
Fluttershy jumped and blinked once before taking action. She quickly pulled off Twilight's shirt as Applejack lifted her back off the couch. Getting her pants off was a much easier feat. Rainbow returned to the room with a cold wet rag and a bottle of water and Pinkie screeched at the top of her lungs as Rarity's phone refused to connect a call.
Fluttershy felt her tears building up again, but she ignored them to take care of her friend. She quickly ran into the living room and grabbed a fan from there before returning and plugging it in. "I need a drink." Rainbow muttered as Fluttershy faced the fan towards Twilight.
Everyone seemed to slow down as Twilight began snoring. It was quiet, but she was definitely snoring. "Is that a good sign?" Fluttershy asked Applejack.
Applejack nodded once. "Yeah, it is. It means she ain't real bad, just exhausted." she explained. "We can probably afford to leave her till she wakes up. When she does, she can decide if we take her to the hospital or not."
Everyone else nodded their confirmation before falling to the floor. "I can keep an eye on her, if you all want to go relax." Fluttershy volunteered. "I know we're all panicking, but it's probably best that we just leave her alone and watch her."
"I agree." Rainbow said. "We'll just let her sleep and take turns keeping an eye on her till she wakes up."
"I broke my phone." Pinkie chirped.
"That's about right." Applejack muttered. "C'mon, ya'll. We need to let Twilight sleep."
Three of the girl's left the room, which left only Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rarity. "Are you sure you'll be alright, darling?" Rarity asked.
"So long as she is, yes." Fluttershy responded calmly. She sat on the edge of the bed that Twilight had been laid on and began using the damp towel to wipe the sweat away from the girl. "I can take care of her for a while, go relax with the others..."
"If you're sure..." Rarity said as she slowly backed towards the door. "If you need anything at all, just give us a call, dear."
"Sure thing, Rarity." Fluttershy said as she continued to wipe away the girl's sweat. The door opened and closed quickly and Fluttershy continued her treatment for several minutes. As she worked she studied the sleeping girl's face. Her features were calm and restful. Fluttershy wondered at how hard she must have been pushing herself to pass out like that.
Her heart broke for Twilight, but she had no idea how to help. Admitting her feelings would be the last thing to help. It would just further confuse the girl and hurt her even more. Still, she knew she couldn't stay silent about how she felt forever. She stood from the bed and grabbed a nearby chair.
She placed the chair next to the bed and stared at Twilight's sleeping form. The initial panic had drained most of her energy, but she would not leave Twilight's side until she awoke, no matter what.
She hummed a quiet tune for a moment before openly singing, albeit quietly. She sang a song that spoke of pain and heartache. A song that she had often sang quietly to herself to help her calm down. It was by no means a happy song, but it was one with a meaning that always struck the girl as beautiful. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek as she sang her lullaby to Twilight.
On a whim, after her song was finished Fluttershy leaned down and lightly kissed Twilight on the cheek. "You're gonna be okay." she whispered. "She'll come back and she'll see just how beautiful and amazing you are and the two of you will live happily ever after, just give it some time... just hang in there..."
The door to the room opened and Fluttershy jumped as Rainbow Dash walked in. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Rainbow said. She seemed angry as she spoke, as if she took offence at what Fluttershy had said.
"I'm sorry." Fluttershy said before hanging her head to hide behind her hair. "I was just trying to make her feel better..."
"Well, don't be." Rainbow mumbled. "I don't know why you'd apologize for that. You're just being a good friend." Rainbow pulled a pill bottle out of her pocket and handed it to the girl. "When she wakes up have her take these." she said.
Fluttershy stared at the logo on the bottle before raising an eyebrow at Rainbow. "Period cramp medicine?" she asked.
Rainbow laughed quietly while nodding. "Yeah, she's gonna have a headache when she wakes up and those are honestly great for that."
Fluttershy smiled and nodded at the taller girl before continuing to pat the damp towel to the snoring girl's head. "I'll make sure she gets them." she said.
Rainbow seemed as though there were something else she was going to say, but decided against it before leaving the room with a shrug. Fluttershy began singing another song quietly as she worked. This song was slightly more upbeat, but she didn't think it mattered what she sang. She was singing mainly for her own benefit at this point.
Twilight's snoring stopped and Fluttershy felt her pulse race for a moment. She quickly bent her head to Twilight's chest and pressed her fingers onto the girl's wrist checking for a pulse. She knew that she was over-reacting, but she still worried for the girl.
A strong Thump Thump Thump, in the girl's chest and a much more subtle beat in her wrist reassured her that Twilight was perfectly fine. She sighed a breath of relief before straightening herself again.
After sitting in silence for several more minutes, Fluttershy checked her pulse again.
Twilight awoke with a groan and a pounding headache. She attempted to sit upright in her bed, but a pressure on her chest and a weakness in her arms prevented her from doing so.
"Take it east, sugar cube." She heard her friends familiar drawl, although the room was too dark for her to see. "You been out most o' the day."
"Sorry, Applejack." she said. "I guess I worked just a little bit harder than I should have."
"I ain't blamin' you for that." Applejack said. After a moment of silence Twilight noticed that her hand was also pinned and her breath was heavy on her face. A quick movement in her eyes and then Applejack was visible in the moonlight.
She looked down to discover Fluttershy's head pressed against her chest. A quick wiggle of her fingers revealed that Fluttershy had taken her hand in the night. The darkness from before had been the smaller girl's hair in her eyes.
Applejack stared down at the girl with something... off in her eyes. "She watched over you since we gotcha inside." she said. "Apparently she was so worried she kept listenin' ta your heart and checkin' your pulse."
"I'm sorry." Twilight said again as she stared at Fluttershy's sleeping face, inches from her own.
"Don't gotta apologize to me, Twilight." Applejack said before handing a bottle of water and a couple pills to the girl. "Rainbow wanted you ta take these." she said. "Figured you'd wake up sore."
"I am." Twilight said as she opened the bottle with her free hand and took the medicine.
"Do ya need ta go ta the hospital?" Applejack asked. "We'da gotcha there sooner, but none of our phones was workin'." she explained.
"I'm okay now. I guess my lack of sleep didn't mix well with physical labor." she said.
"Tomorrow, while we're all workin' you and her can do some chores in the house if you still wanna work." Applejack said sternly. "I'm not riskin' a repeat of today, and Fluttershy can watch over you."
Twilight nodded. "I'm sorry." she said once again. "Thank you for taking care of me A.J."
"Don't thank me." she said as she brushed away more of Fluttershy's hair. "She's been here with you this whole time. We all offered to take turns watchin' you, but she wasn't gonna budge."
Twilight looked down at the girl asleep on her chest and smiled before another realization struck her. "Why did you all take my clothes?" she asked.
Applejack blushed slightly before stammering, "W-well, ya see... you was covered in sweat and runnin' a fever. We were all panickin' so we figured that we should take your clothes off so ya didn't burn up."
Twilight giggled slightly before nodding. "That's fine." she said. "I really appreciate all of you worrying about me, but I'm fine."
"Quit lyin' ta me!"
Twilight jumped at the sudden outburst. Fluttershy seemed to have slept through it just fine.
"I'm sorry." Applejack said quietly. "I just can't stand you lyin' ta us... and yourself."
"I-i-I... I didn't mean-"
"I know ya didn't mean nothin', but your hurtin' yourself and all of us worried about ya. You said you was fine last week and we've all watched you cry all night. You said you were fine this mornin' and we gave you work ta do and ya passed out." Applejack said. She crossed the room and gently placed her hand on Fluttershy's back. "An' Shy here is torn up about you bein' like this." she said calmly. "She seems ta be taken how bad you're hurt worse than the rest of us."
"I don't know why." Twilight said. "I don't deserve her help."
"No." Applejack said calmly. "I don't think ya do. She's throwin' herself into tryin' ta make you feel better and you've ignored everything she's said. She's givin' you everything she has just ta try to make you smile again, and all you've done is hurt. You've been hurt and I get that, but by lettin' yourself be hurt, you're hurtin' her too."
"She really is the kindest person, isn't she?" Twilight said as she gently brushed the hair out of Fluttershy's face.
"She is." Applejack agreed. "I don't like seein' ma friends hurtin'. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but ya gotta be honest about how you're feelin'."
Twilight sighed. "You're right, A.J." she said. "I'm not okay. I'm not fine. I always thought it would be the six of us against the world. That nothing would come between us or separate us. I know that I should be okay. I still have five of the most amazing friends in the entire world, but without Sunset... I just feel like we're all incomplete."
"We are." Applejack said with a shrug. "It ain't never gonna be the same without her, but we can still be just as good as we were."
"Where is everyone else?" Twilight asked.
"They're asleep in the livin' room. Well... except for Dash. After I took over her watch, she said somethin' bout goin' ta the barn. I don't think she's takin' it well that she was the reason I gave you some work ta do."
"It's not her fault... and it's not yours... I should have been honest from the beginning. It's one of the most basic elements of friendship, isn't it?"
Applejack smiled and pressed her forehead against Twilight's. "We've all gotta be reminded about the basics every now and again." she said quietly.
Twilight smiled even as another tear fell down her face. "Was she singing?" she asked with a quick gesture to their sleeping friend.
"Yeah, she was..."
Twilight smiled. "She has a beautiful voice... I heard it in my sleep."
"We all heard it in the livin' room. She's quiet, but she's got a singin' voice that really carries." Applejack said. "I think she was singin' ta you."
Twilight smiled and began humming the same tune that she remembered from her dreams. Applejack smiled and sat on the bed next to Twilight. "She's taken good care of you." she said. "I think lettin' her sleep here is the least ya can do."
Twilight laughed softly before nodding. "Yeah, after she's watched over me all this time I really don't wanna wake her."
Applejack nodded before standing quickly. "Well, I'm gonna join the others in the livin' room. Holler if ya need me." and like that she was gone.
Twilight stared at Fluttershy's sleeping face and smiled. Fluttershy had always been there for her. She was one of her best friends and Twilight marveled at just how kind the girl had always been to everyone. She had a big heart and as shy as she was, she truly seemed to care for everyone she met.
Twilight would have wondered at why Fluttershy cared so much, but she knew it was just who the girl was.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened once more. Rainbow stood in the door way, swaying slightly as she held two bottles in her hands. "Hey, you're up." she said with a lopsided grin.
"Yeah, I am." Twilight smiled back. "You okay?" she asked.
"M'fine." she slurred as she stumbled quietly to the bed. She sat next to Fluttershy and ruffled her hair gently. "Y'know, me and Flutters grew up together."
"I know, Dash." Twilight said. "You both moved here from the same town."
"Yeah..." Dash smiled. "I've known her longer than anybody else." her smile faded. "But, I never saw her this upset."
Twilight frowned and looked away from the other girl. "I know. It's my fault."
"No, it isn't." Rainbow said sternly. "Well, a little bit. But, is' not all your fault. Is' her fault and Sunset's."
"Sunset?"
"Yeah, if she hadn't left you behind, you wouldn't be upset. Flutters is upset cause your upset. So it's her fault too."
"Well, how is it Fluttershy's fault that she's upset?" Twilight asked.
"Cause she's so worried 'bout you, that she's not even takin' care of erself." Rainbow slurred. "All she's worried about is you, and cause o' that we're all worried about you both." Rainbow quickly thrust one of the bottles towards Twilight. "Here." she said firmly. "You're gonna have trouble sleepin' tonight. This'll help, just don't over do it."
Twilight quickly scanned the bottle before her eyes narrowed. "Does Granny Smith know you took these?"
"She sold 'em to me." Rainbow shrugged.
Twilight grabbed the bottle and read the alcohol rating. "Sixty percent?" she marveled before glancing at the other half-empty bottle. No wonder Rainbow looked ready to fall.
"Yeah, one good shot'll help you sleep." She grinned. "And half the bottle will get you ready to groove."
"You should probably go sleep with the others." Twilight said as she mentally prepared a speech about the affects of alcohol.
Her speech was completely derailed as Rainbow giggled and made the remark, "I thought sleepin' with girls was your shtick."
Twilight glared at the drunken girl, which Rainbow only seemed to find hilarious. "You know, I like guys too." she mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow mumbled as she took another drink. "Actually come to think of it, I've only ever met one girl who was completely gay."
"Who?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, she's not said anything to anyone yet, so I can't tell ya." Rainbow said quickly. "I may be drunk, but I'm not gonna give up my friends."
"Well, that's very noble of you, Dash." Twilight said with a smile. Even when she had been drinking, Rainbow was still the most loyal person she knew.
"Whatever, drink with me." Rainbow said.
Twilight smiled and nodded once. "What could just a couple of drinks hurt." she said.
Fluttershy awoke to the sound of joyous laughter and she smiled when she recognized one of the laughing voices as the one she cared about most. Twilight's laugh was jubilant and the second laugh was full of merriment and mirth. Rainbow was obviously drunk, as was Twilight, but the fact that no one was hurt or crying at the moment made the drunken noise the sweetest music the young girl had ever heard.
She kept her eyes closed, simply content with the subtle shaking in Twilight's chest and the warmth of her skin. She listened to them talk for a time before she risked opening her eyes. Twilight did not notice that they had awoken her and she was fine with that. She planned to keep her head on Twilight for as long as she could, savoring the warmth from the girl.
"So then I said 'I don't care who you are, I'll still beat the crap out of you'." Rainbow laughed.
Twilight gasped politely before taking another drink from her bottle. "I can't believe you did that." she said. "How long did it take you to realize you were talking to one of Fluttershy's stuffed animals?"
"I didn't realize it until about half-way through the fight." Dash laughed loudly as she finished her statement. "The bad thing is I almost lost."
Twilight snorted and began giggling, causing Fluttershy to smile again. She remembered this story, it was the first time she had ever had anything alcoholic to drink. She had cried and then passed out before awakening to find Rainbow choking a stuffed rabbit. Her eyes widened as she remembered how the story ended.
She considered her next move carefully. She could announce that she was awake, but she would have to leave Twilight's embrace, however she would stop Rainbow from finishing the story. Or, she could continue to lay as she was and allow Rainbow to reveal an embarrassing truth about Fluttershy.
Without looking Twilight moved her arm to wrap around Fluttershy's shoulders and began using her thumb to stroke her back. All of the embarrassment in the world would be worth continuing that feeling. Fluttershy closed her eyes and fought the urge to snuggle closer to the girl.
"What happened next?" Twilight asked.
"Fluttershy woke up and caught me choking one of her rabbits." Rainbow laughed. "She was still so drunk she thought I was choking an actual rabbit, so she stormed across the room and yelled at me to leave him alone."
"That sounds like her." Twilight laughed.
"So, I told her that he deserved it and she wasn't stoppin' me." Rainbow said. "Well, she got all red-faced mad and said 'don't make me' and then... she threw up on me."
Both girls burst out in laughter and Twilight quickly maneuvered her hand to cover Fluttershy's head, presumably to keep from waking her. "That's awful." Twilight laughed. "Did she mean to?"
"No." Rainbow laughed loudly. "But, when she finished she fell on the floor and started cryin' and apologizin' to me. She looked so sad. I was mad so I went to get a shower and she followed me in there so she could apologize while I was showering. She wouldn't stop cryin' until she fell asleep in the bathroom floor."
More laughter from the girls. Fluttershy smiled. So long as they were happy and Twilight continued to laugh she didn't care how embarrassing the story was. Twilight's arm went around her shoulders again, but this time Fluttershy didn't even hesitate before cuddling closer to her.
Twilight laughed quietly as she noticed. "She really is a mess isn't she?" she asked quietly.
Rainbow sighed and placed her hand on top of the girl's head. "Yeah, she is. But, she's our mess." Rainbow sighed and removed her hand. "Y'know I remember when we were kids and I got my first boyfriend."
Not this story too... Fluttershy thought wearily.
Twilight gently began pulling her hand away from Fluttershy's own and Fluttershy hadn't even realized that she had been holding it. Twilight took her now-free hand and placed it on the small of her back before rubbing in small circles.
Actually this story is just fine...
All of their friends knew that Twilight became quiet affectionate after a few drinks and Fluttershy couldn't be happier for it. She may have planned on never admitting her feelings for the girl, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy any personal comfort from her.
"What happened?" Twilight asked.
"Well, we were only like eight, so it wasn't really anything serious, but i remember we would always play in the sandbox together and he asked if he could call me his girlfriend, so I said yes." A pause and the sound of liquid sloshing. "Well, after a couple weeks, Fluttershy got brave enough to start playing in the sandbox with us. She came and sat down in the sand next to me and this kid got mad. I mean, he was furious and he goes 'you can't sit there, that's my girlfriend' and poor Flutters she took off runnin' and cryin'. Well, I got mad, so I beat the kids face in and told him that he would apologize to her."
"That sounds like you." Twilight giggled. Fluttershy smiled again as she heard that sound she loved so much
"Then, he apologized to 'er and asked if she would be his girlfriend." A chuckle, "She said 'isn't Rainbow Dash you're girlfriend' and he said 'not anymore' and so she goes 'no, I think I'd rather be her girlfriend'." More laughter from them both. "She told me afterwords that she would rather be the girlfriend of someone who protects her than someone who yells at her."
"That was actually a really good adult decision." Twilight laughed. "I don't blame her."
Fluttershy frowned slightly and apparently Twilight noticed because she quickly wrapped both arms around Fluttershy's head and said, "Shh, I think we're waking up Fluttershy."
The room went quiet for a while after that. "She won't be comfortable in the morning if she stays that way all night." Rainbow said.
"Well I don't wanna risk waking her up." Twilight said. "We can't move her far..."
"I got it." Rainbow muttered. After another moment of silence, Fluttershy felt herself being lifted into the air. She opened her eyes quickly before Rainbow began shushing her. "Ssh, go back to sleep." she slurred as she gently laid the girl in the bed next to Twilight.
After Rainbow pulled her arms away, Twilight wrapped her arms around Fluttershy and began cooing, "Go back to sleep. You've worked hard today. It's okay."
Fluttershy fought a yawn to no avail and then closed her eyes. She was exhausted after all, and Twilight's warm embrace was so very comfortable. She closed her eyes and nestled deeper in Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight then began to sing softly. The same song that Fluttershy had sung to her that very day. She felt a tear fall from her eye as sleep finally claimed her.
"So if you're out there barely hangin' on..." Twilight sang before the sound of soft snoring interrupted her. She smiled as she looked down at the girl asleep on her shoulder.
"What was that?" Rainbow asked. Her eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to be in pain.
"I don't know. I've never heard it before today. It's what Fluttershy was singing to me while I was asleep." Twilight said.
Rainbow seemed lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm going to bed." she mumbled. "You should too. You've had a rough week."
Twilight nodded. "Goodnight, Rainbow Dash."
"G'night." Rainbow said before shuffling out of the room.
Twilight smiled down at Fluttershy before gently pressing her lips to the sleeping girl's brow. "Goodnight, Fluttershy."
Twilight closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Fluttershy before finally succumbing to sleep.