Love Them While You Still Have Them

by FictionFreek

Chapter 6

Two days passed, Fluttershy’s recovery was going better than expected, and Cloud Kicker took some time off from work to watch over Rainbow. Each night reporting to Applejack about anything that may have changed. Rainbow hasn’t left home since she blamed herself for what happened to Fluttershy. There were a few times where Cloud Kicker thought the worse was going to happen, but she thanked Celestia that it didn’t.

Fluttershy was informed on what Applejack did, and agreed to keep her hospitalization a secret from their friends, at least until she gets out. Fluttershy was already taken off the machine and breathing on her own, but the doctors wanted her to stay one more night to insure she’s in perfect health. Come the following morning Fluttershy would be allowed to go home and she could continue to try to help Rainbow like nothing ever happened. But sometimes plans that seem foolproof can end up crashing.

Rarity ran through town in a panic, her destination was Twilight’s library. Once she reached the door she began to pound away at it hard enough to wake the dead. “Hey, hey, what’s the emergency?” said Spike as he answered the door not knowing who was knocking.

“Fluttershy’s in the hospital!” yelled Rarity as she ran in knocking Spike over. “Oh, my apologies, Spike.” said Rarity as she picked Spike off from the ground.

“No prob-“ Spike stopped when he realized what Rarity had said before she knocked him over. “Wait, Fluttershy’s in the what!?” Spike yelled wondering what could have happened to her.

“I don’t know the details, where’s Twilight!?” before he could answer there was the sound of steps coming from the stairs.

“Can’t a mare get some sleep in here…” asked Twilight, she looked like a mess but Rarity was too worried to care at the moment.

“Twilight, Fluttershy’s in the hospital!” Rarity yelled once again catching Twilight’s full attention.

“What? How!?”

“I don’t know, when she missed our spa appointment I went to her cottage and found a large stack of mail at her door. I started to panic and searched her whole home trying to find her, and when I couldn’t find her I ran back to town asking everypony I could if they’ve seen her. That’s when Carrot Top told me she saw Rainbow flying Fluttershy to the emergency room two days ago!” Rarity tried to explain as quickly as possible.

“But that can’t be. I talked to Applejack yesterday and she told me…” Twilight clenched her teeth in anger, Applejack had lied to her. “Rarity, go to the hospital and make sure Fluttershy’s okay. There’s somepony I need to talk to first…” said Twilight before she vanished in a flash of lavender light. Rarity wasn’t sure who Twilight needed to talk to in a time like this, but she would figure that out late.

“Come Spike, let’s go.” said Rarity as she levitated the baby dragon on her back before she began running out the door. As she ran there was a question eating away her from the back of her head. “Spike, is there something wrong with Twilight, she seemed a little on edge, even before I told her what happened.”

“Beats me, she’s been acting strange since she got back from Canterlot. She keeps reading books about foals that lose their parents, and then starts taking notes for some reason. I’m a little worried, last night I think she had a nightmare, but she won’t tell me about it.” Spike explained.

“That’s not a good sign; I’ll have to have a word with Twilight. But first I need to make sure Fluttershy is okay.” Rarity thought to herself as she increased her speed towards the hospital.

---

Inside the farm of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was getting ready to tend to the crops. The stress of what happened two days ago was still there, but she knew that she’d feel better once Fluttershy was out of the hospital and back to tending to Rainbow. Applejack made her way to the front door when she heard frantic knocking. Cloud Kicker always informed Applejack on anything that happens in Rainbow home; she fear that the knocking was her and that something horrible had happened.

Applejack ran up to the door opening it quickly not knowing who it was that was knocking. “You lied to me!” Applejack froze, Twilight was the pony knocking at her door, and she did not look happy.

“Lied, lied about what?” Applejack knew what Twilight was talking about, but still she tried to play it off.

“You know darn well what, I ask you yesterday if Fluttershy was making any progress on Rainbow and you told me ‘no problem Twi, she’s got everything under control’” Twilight said trying to mimic Applejack’s accent. “But what you neglected to tell me was that Fluttershy is in the hospital!” Twilight added unable to contain her anger.

“Okay, yes ah didn’t tell you that. And ah can tell you’re mad.”

“What was your first clue!?” Twilight yelled again causing Applejack to wince. “I trusted you and Fluttershy to watch Rainbow, to make sure she’s okay. The moment you found out Fluttershy was in the hospital you should have come to me!”

“Ah was!” Applejack tried to defend, Twilight knew that there was a ‘but’ somewhere in there. “But on the way to the library…I ran into Cloud Kicker. One thing lead to another and she agreed to watch over Rainbow till Fluttershy got out of the hospital.” now Twilight looked even more steamed.

“So not only did you hide the fact that Fluttershy was in the hospital from us, but you went on and told somepony else even after we agreed to keep it between us!” Applejack wasn’t sure what to do, but the guilt she was feeling seemed to hit her all at once.

“Ah’m sorry, ah just didn’t.”

“Didn’t want to trust me?” said Twilight cutting Applejack off. “Tell me what happened now, and don’t you dare leave anything out.” Twilight demanded, and Applejack was in no position to refuse.

“O-okay…” Applejack told Twilight what happened two days ago, Fluttershy’s allergic attack, Rainbow’s blaming of herself, and Applejack recruiting Cloud Kicker for help. As Applejack told her story, Twilight’s gaze never eased.

“Are you insane!?” Twilight yelled “You knew Rainbow said something like that and you chose to keep it from us. She could have hurt herself, or worse!”

“You think ah don’t know that!?” yelled Applejack as she stomped her hoof on the ground. “Ah know what was at risk, ah’ve been there myself!” said Applejack catching Twilight by surprise. She knew Applejack lost her parents but she didn’t think Applejack had ever had those thoughts before. “Ah should have gone to you, ah should have told you what happened, but I didn’t because ah’m too darn stubborn!” Applejack yelled once more, tears starting to stream down her face.

“If anything happens to Rainbow…it will be my fault.” Twilight had come to chew Applejack out, but seeing her now, she knew that Applejack was already suffering.

“Applejack, I know your intentions were good, and I know you didn’t want to force Rainbow into doing something she didn’t want to do. But even if she resents us for it, it’s a lot better than leaving her to her grief.” said Twilight as she placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

“You’re right.” Applejack took in a deep breath “So what do we do now?” she asked looked back at Twilight.

“Cloud Kicker is still watching Rainbow, so for now let’s check on Fluttershy. Then tomorrow I’m going to go through my plan.” Applejack nodded her head as she followed Twilight back into town.

---

“Are you sure you’re okay, you look a little tired.”

“I’m fine, just a little worried about Rainbow is all.” Rarity’s nerves have finally settled when she saw that Fluttershy was okay, but she was still insistent on making sure.

“Who wouldn’t be, I mean, did she really say that?” asked Spike still feeling haunted by what Fluttershy had told him and Rarity.

“Why did you keep all this from us, we could have helped you.” asked Rarity who was slightly hurt from being in the dark of what had transpired a few days ago.

“I don’t know. When Rainbow left I just panicked, I wasn’t sure what to do so I just called for Applejack. She was going to tell you, honestly, but when Cloud Kicker asked her what was going on with Rainbow; Applejack thought she could buy me enough time to be released.”

“I just don’t understand why you are trying to take so much responsibility. It’s not that I don’t believe you could help Rainbow, but this situation seems a little too much for one pony to handle alone.” said Rarity.

“I have to, Rarity, When I lost my mother Rainbow and her family where there for me. And if I can’t return the favor, than I don’t deserve to be called her friend.” Fluttershy’s stakes were steep; helping Rainbow was clearly a lot more personal than Rarity had thought.

“Fluttershy, what did they-“ a knock at the door cut Rarity off. A second later the door opened revealing Twilight.

“Oh, h-hello, Twilight.” said Fluttershy as Twilight entered the room with Applejack following close behind.

“She already knows everythin’.” said Applejack saving Fluttershy the time to have to tell her story a second time.

“Oh, please don’t be mad at Applejack.” plead Fluttershy. Twilight looked back at Applejack for a moment before letting out sigh.

“What’s done is done, there’s no way of taking it back now. What we do now is try to fix this before it becomes too much for anypony to handle.” said Twilight with no arguments from anypony else. “Applejack and I talked with Cloud Kicker before we came here, Rainbow is asleep right now and that’s all she’d done for the past two days. And from what I’ve been told, I’ve concluded that Rainbow has already shown early signs of depression.” Twilight continued. Depression was not something to be taken lightly, it could make ponies actions unpredictable, and one would never know when a depressed pony would finally give in to it.

“So what are you going to do?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’m going to talk to Redheart about putting Rainbow on suicide watch. Tomorrow I’m going to bring Rainbow here myself.” forcing Rainbow into a suicide watch that she’d never agree to seemed like they were crossing a line, but it was a better option than having Rainbow cross one first. Twilight looked over to Fluttershy whose expression had gone south after hearing Twilight’s plan.

“Fluttershy, I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but I have to do this before it’s too late.” Fluttershy didn’t answer, Twilight couldn’t blame her. After one more apologetic glance, Twilight left the room in search of nurse Redheart.

“I couldn’t help her…I just made it worse.” said Fluttershy as she sunk into her bed. Applejack and Rarity gave each other a worried glance; they couldn’t allow Fluttershy to start blaming herself for something she didn’t have control over.

“No darling, you cannot blame yourself for this. What happened was a complete and total accident. You need to stay strong for Rainbow, she still needs you.” said Rarity, but Fluttershy didn’t look convinced.

“She’s right, Fluttershy, you can still be there for her.”

“No I can’t, I can’t help anypony.” Fluttershy laid back on her bed covering her face with her pillow to block out the others. Try as they might, neither Rarity nor Applejack could convince Fluttershy that she could still help Rainbow. Eventually visiting hours came to an end meaning Applejack and Rarity had to leave.

“Darn it, this whole thing is gettin’ to everypony.” said Applejack once she and Rarity exited the hospital.

“First it hits Pinkie and Twilight, and now Fluttershy’s a mess for not being able to help Rainbow.”

“How about you, how’re you holdin’ up?” so far Rarity seemed to be the only one of them that hasn’t been affected the same way as the others.

“Other than the thought of ‘what if’, I suppose I’m fine. I even have plans for a family picnic coming up.” that was good to hear; at least Applejack didn’t have to worry about Rarity getting sad too.

“Do you think you can talk to Twilight, see if you can figure out what her problem could be? After what ah did, ah don’t think she’ll be trustin’ me for a while.” said Applejack as she kicked at the ground.

“You can count on me, but what about Fluttershy?” asked Rarity. “Do you think she’ll get her resolve to help Rainbow back?” Applejack looked back at the pony hospital and thought for a moment.

“Ah don’t know, Rarity.”

---

Fluttershy snuck out of the hospital when nopony was looking, she wasn’t sure why, but her body just seemed to be moving on its own. It was late, everypony was asleep at this time, Fluttershy was sure Rainbow would be too yet she continued on to her home. Even if Rainbow turned Fluttershy away again, she had to keep trying as long as she could.

Fluttershy touched down on Rainbow’s cloud home, the clouds blackened as if they were going to storm at any second. Fluttershy paid the clouds no mind and walked up to the door that has been in her way since day one. As always Fluttershy extended her hoof and knocked on the door before waiting for a response.

“You can’t help her” Fluttershy looked around, she thought she heard somepony talking but there was nopony around. Fluttershy turned her head back to the door trying to knock again, on the third knock however, the door opened.

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked before pushing the door open further.

“Try calling louder, I doubt she’ll hear you though.” again the voice rang through Fluttershy’s ears, but still not another pony in sight.

“Who’s there?” Fluttershy asked fearing that somepony had broken in to Rainbow’s home.

“Over here, come closer.” Fluttershy heard from inside of Rainbow’s room. Fluttershy felt a lump in her throat that got bigger with each step. The door to Rainbow’s room was cracked open slightly, Fluttershy stopped just short of it.

“R-Rainbow?” called Fluttershy fearing what was waiting for her on the other side.

“She’s right here, Fluttershy, we’re just hanging out.” quickly Fluttershy pushed the door open, what she saw next sent her world crashing.

“NO!” in front of her hung Rainbow’s motionless body, the rope tied to her neck fashioned to the ceiling. Fluttershy ran up to Rainbow, the first thing she noticed that the disappearance of her friends cutie mark, she was too late. “Why, why did this have to happen?” asked Fluttershy, as she held on to her friend’s lifeless body.

“Because you weren’t there to help her.”

“I tried to be!”Fluttershy yelled as whoever the voice belonged to. “I did everything I could!” Fluttershy yelled again.

“That’s a lie, if you had given it your all, then Rainbow would still be alive!” Fluttershy looked over to see a mirror that hadn’t been there before. Inside the mirror she could see herself staring back at her. But the Fluttershy in the mirror was alone; she wasn’t holding Rainbow’s body like the real Fluttershy was. “Rainbow was always there for you when you needed somepony, and this is how you repay her?” spoke the reflection.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Fluttershy cried into Rainbow’s shoulder.

“It’s too late for sorry, you lost Rainbow, forever” instantly Rainbow’s body seemed to vanish from Fluttershy’s grip. Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide as she looked around wondering where Rainbow’s body may have disappeared to. It wasn’t until she looked back at the mirror that she noticed somepony else in it. Rainbow’s dead body laid on the ground, a light from the sky shining down on her. Standing next to her was Fluttershy’s reflection with her head bowed and her eyes closed.

“No, give her back!” Fluttershy yelled as she ran up to the mirror placing her hoofs against the glass.

“No, you don’t deserve her as a friend. She’s staying here where she can’t get hurt anymore.” Fluttershy began to bang away at the glass hoping that she could jump through and hold her friend again.

“No, I won’t accept that!” yelled Fluttershy as she struck the glass again.

“Too bad, you were too weak to help her then and you’re too weak now.” mocked her reflection.

“I. Am. Not!” Fluttershy struck the glass once again, this time it cracked from the force she used.

“Then prove it!” yelled her reflection as she walked up to the glass. “If you’re strong enough to help Rainbow, then break down the barrier that separates you!” Fluttershy continued to strike the glass, each time increasing the number of cracks on it.

“Rainbow was always there for me, she stood up for me when I was bullied, she helped me through my fears, and she guided me through the darkest moment of my life.”Fluttershy raised her hoofs once again. “And I will be there for her; I won’t let anything get in my way!” Fluttershy brought her hooves down once again shattering the barrier that separated her and Rainbow.

A bright light spread across the room, soon everything around Fluttershy faded to white leaving only her and the reflection that was starting to fade away. Her reflection stared at her with a happy smile. “Then go and save her…” the voice echoed around Fluttershy as her reflection disappeared from her view. In the distance Fluttershy saw a door, with the words of her reflection still echoing in her ears, Fluttershy charged forward.

She was going to keep her word, she was going to save Rainbow, and she wasn’t going to let anything get in her way. Fluttershy jumped off the ground towards the door, and prepared to make impact.

---

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide as she let out a loud gasp. Looking around Fluttershy saw that she was still in the hospital. “It was just a dream.” said Fluttershy as she ran a hoof through her main attempting to ease her breathing. Fluttershy thought back to it, it may have been a dream, but that didn’t change the fact of how likely that dream was to becoming a reality. Turning her head, Fluttershy stared at the open window to her room, the same window that Rainbow had flown out of two days ago. The day she was too weak to do anything but watch her friend leave without any way of stopping her.

“No more.” Fluttershy threw off her blanket and jumped out of bed before running towards the open window. “I’m not going to be weak anymore; I’m going to be strong, for her!” Fluttershy jumped out the window extending her wings before giving them a powerful flap sending her in the direction of Rainbow’s home. Just like in her dream, it was night out and everypony was asleep, Fluttershy was going to make sure that was the only thing this night had in common with her dream.

A few minutes passed before Fluttershy could see Rainbow’s home, and a second later she spotted the one thing that’s kept her from Rainbow these past few days. The door that now seems like it was placed there to mock her attempts. Fluttershy wasn’t going to stand for it anymore, she was going to get through to Rainbow tonight, and nothing was going to stop her. As soon as Fluttershy touched down in front of the door, she quickly turned around raising her hind leg. She was going to break through any barrier that stood in her way. Fluttershy brought her hind legs out striking the door with more strength than anypony thought she had ripping it from its hinges.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy yelled running inside of her friend’s home stepping over the door she broke down. A second later Rainbow ran out of her room in a panic, hearing your door being broken down would do that to you.

“F-Fluttershy, what are you?” before Rainbow could ask anything further, Fluttershy pushed her back into her room before slamming the door shut. “What’s gotten into you!?” Rainbow yelled after she fell back from the push.

“I’m tired of waiting Rainbow, we’re going to talk, right now.” said Fluttershy as she stood between Rainbow and the door.

“I told you, there’s nothing to talk about!” yelled Rainbow angry that Fluttershy had brought it up again.

“Stop lying to me!” Fluttershy yelled louder than Rainbow had. “After everything we’ve been through together, I deserve the truth from you.” Rainbows gaze softened slightly, but only for a moment before she went off again.

“I am telling you the truth, there’s nothing to talk about!” yelled Rainbow as she got up from the cloud floor.

“Yes there is, stop trying to hide it!” Fluttershy wasn’t going to back down; she’ll yell all night if she had to.

“Get out of my house, Fluttershy.” said Rainbow as she took a step towards Fluttershy.

“I’m not going anywhere.” said Fluttershy completely unmoved from Rainbow intimidation attempt.

“Then I’ll make you!” Rainbow surpassed Fluttershy in strength and speed, but Fluttershy had two things going for her that Rainbow didn’t. She had the resolve to do whatever it takes to help Rainbow, and she had ‘the stare’. Up until this day, Rainbow had never known what it was about Fluttershy’s stare that could make dragons bend to her will.

“Sit. Down!” as commanded, Rainbow sat back down on the cloud floor completely shocked by how effective the stare is on a pony. A silence shrouded the room, Rainbow wasn’t going to talk, still convinced that there was nothing to talk about in the first place.

“Why are you trying so hard to pretend that there isn’t a problem?” asked Fluttershy breaking the silence. Rainbow didn’t answer right away; she looked down to her hooves before speaking.

“Why can’t you just accept that there’s nothing wrong.” Rainbow said, this time not sounding as convinced of her own words. Fluttershy let out a sigh before reaching into her mane pulling out what looked like a photo.

“This is why.” Rainbow looked up at the photo that Fluttershy was extending out to her. Rainbow reached out her hoof and grabbed the picture before looking at what it was of. The picture continued Rainbow, her parents, and Fluttershy, Rainbow’s forearm wrapped around her friend. They all looked so happy back then, not a care in the world.

“Do you remember when that picture was taken?” Rainbow looked at the picture for a few more seconds before nodding.

“It was too months after…the accident.” said Rainbow as she looked back up at Fluttershy.

“I never thought I’d be happy again after I lost my mother, I was an orphan, and I had nothing to smile about. Back then the only joy I had in life was when you came to visit me.” Fluttershy looked at the picture one more time and smiled. “And then came that day.”

---

Young Fluttershy lay on her bed alone; this was not due to the other orphans not wanting to be around her, but because she couldn’t find the energy to enjoy her days, not anymore. It had been two weeks since Fluttershy’s mother had passed, and still it hurt like nothing she had ever felt before. Sometimes the pain would be too much for her to handle the waking world, and she’d spend the whole day sleeping in an attempt to make the time pass faster. There was only one joy in her life now, and that was when she was visited by a certain pony.

“There you are!” Fluttershy seemed to come alive when she heard the voice, turning around she saw a young filly Pegasus standing at the door, a wide grin on her face.

“Rainbow!” yelled Fluttershy as she wrapped her friend in for a strong hug.

“Shy, can’t, breathe!” Rainbow said between gasp attempts for air.

“Whoops, sorry.” Fluttershy giggles as she let go of Rainbow.

“No problem, hey I’ve got news. I won’t be visiting you here anymore.” Fluttershy’s eyes went wide.

“What, why, is it something I did?” Fluttershy said before hugging Rainbow once again. “Whatever I did I’m sorry; please don’t stop being my friend!” Fluttershy plead sounding as though she was about to cry.

“Hold on, you didn’t let me tell you why yet!” Rainbow said pushing Fluttershy back slightly.

“Oh, there you two are.” Rainbow and Fluttershy turned around to see Rainbow’s dad standing at the doorway.

“Hey dad, I was just about to tell Fluttershy the good news.” said Rainbow before turning back to Fluttershy. “I won’t be visiting you anymore because you won’t be here anymore.” Fluttershy was completely lost at what Rainbow meant.

“I-I don’t understand.”

“Fluttershy, how would you like to be a part of our family?” asked Rainbow’s father. Fluttershy stared at them with disbelief; it all seemed too good to be real.

“Think about it Fluttershy, we get to be sisters!” Rainbow said happily. The realization took time to sink it, but eventually Fluttershy realized that this was happening, it was no dream. Tears of joy began to run down Fluttershy’s cheeks, and before long she jumped at Rainbow for another hug. Soon she was joined by Rainbow’s parents, who from then on she was happy to call ‘mom and dad’.

---

“Your parents took me in as one of their own without a second thought. They raised me and gave me back my happiness, so when you say that your fine I know you’re lying, because he was as much a father to me as he was to you.” said Fluttershy. Rainbow stared at the picture for a few more second before looking back up.

“It was his idea from the beginning you know, my mom, or rather our mom agreed to it the moment he pitched it to her. He saw you as a daughter even before you lost your mother, he’d always joke that we were twins separated at birth.” Rainbow laughed as tears began to stream down her face.

“He was a great father.” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“The best…” said Rainbow with a hitch in her throat.

“Do you miss him?” Rainbow looked up at Fluttershy again.

“Every second of every day.” said Rainbow as the tears continued to stream down her face.

“Rainbow, what did he always tell you when you felt sad?” Rainbow grit her teeth, she couldn’t hide it anymore, she couldn’t fight it back, and she didn’t want to.

“L-let it all out!” said Rainbow as Fluttershy wrapped her hooved around her. Rainbow began to cry, she didn’t try to hold anything back as she buried her face into Fluttershy’s shoulder letting out all the anger and sadness she had tried to suppress. “Why shy, why’d he have to go?” Rainbow asked her friend.

“I don’t know Rainbow, but I’m here for you, and I always will be.” Fluttershy held on to Rainbow for most of the night, she didn’t let go until Rainbow had let out all her grief and had fallen asleep. Fluttershy grabbed some pillows and a blanket from Rainbow’s bed and placed them on the floor for them to rest on. Fluttershy could still see the pain in Rainbow’s face, but she could also see that Rainbow was probably having her first peaceful sleep in days.

Once she found a comfortable position, Fluttershy closer her eyes and waited for the world of dreams to take her. She knew that the path ahead of Rainbow was going to be tough, but Fluttershy was going to stick by her through it all.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

You go Fluttershy, you did the right thing even when it was hard to do.

As Albus Dumbeldore once said "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies. But it takes even more courage to stand up to your friends."

(And what a coincidence that this chapter that has Fluttershy save the day was uploaded on Andrea Libman's birthday.)

[Acespadez1134]

[LeopardCay]

The feels... You shot a 40mm feels bullet straight through my heart.

[oopsloops]

Twilight is a female dog. She's a freakin' hypocrite, and she gets mad at Applejack for telling one pony? Well, newsflash, Twilight, you told four other ponies, so you can shut your dirty mouth. What kind of friend accuses her other friends of lying and blindly yells at them for no reason? Such a good friend you are. Also, she doesn't even consider her friends' feelings about all this. Twilight, go and die in hell. Burn.

[sky_petal_blank_flank]

You really need an editor, FictionFreek. I volunteer if nobody else does.