Twilight's pain after she loses a loved one is almost more than she can bear. After an especially rough breakdown she has no idea how to cope anymore. Hopefully, her friends will still be there for her.
Sunset Shimmer has left the human world behind, she claims that she must make amends to those she hurt in the other world. Twilight is distraught with no idea of when or if her best friend will return. Fluttershy watches over Twilight as her pain grows and desperately seeks for a way to heal the girl's wounded heart.
Their friends watch over them both, hoping that both of their broken hearts can be mended. All six of them will grow in their final summer before attending college and for better or worse, their relationships will change.
"Don't worry, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer said as the smaller girl continued to cry in her arms. "I'll be back someday."
"I don't want you to leave..." Twilight sobbed. "We're supposed to stay together. All of us... W-we're family." she cried as she gripped the girl's jacket more tightly.
Sunset smiled, a small, broken smile. "The seven of us are still family, even if we're apart. We'll always be a little family."
"No!" Twilight yelled through her tears as she balled her fists around Sunset's shirt. "You can't leave me!" she cried."You're the one who showed me how important friendship was, you can't give me something so amazing and then just leave me behind!" Her tears streamed down her face and fell on the larger girl. When Twilight had heard the news she had immediately grabbed the girl and fell to the floor crying.
Sunset sighed and smiled again. "This is why I wanted to tell you first." she said. "I knew you'd react this way. You have to understand, Twilight. I don't want to go. I have to."
"No, you don't." Twilight pleaded burying her head into Sunset chest. "Nobody is holding a gun to your head. No one is making you leave. You could stay here with me forever."
"Trust me, Sparkles, I want nothing more than just that." Sunset said as she began stroking Twilight's hair. She hadn't seemed to mind being dragged to the floor or her friend crying all over her. She had honestly expected Twilight to have the biggest outburst of the six of them. "I have to go, though. I have to fix everything I messed up there before I can live here."
"Please." Twilight begged once more. She raised her head to meet Sunset's eyes and asked again. "Don't go..."
Sunset felt her own eyes growing wet as she pulled Twilight's head into her chest and she whispered the last thing she wanted to say. "I'm sorry."
Twilight woke up and stared at the wall. The only picture she had on her wall smiled at her. She smiled back as she stood and got dressed for the day. Today was the second weekend of summer vacation. The last summer vacation before going to college.
Twilight and her friends had all been accepted to Canterlot University, so they had all been excited to spend the summer together before going to school together once more. This would be their first weekend together that they could enjoy themselves, considering they had said goodbye to their seventh friend the previous weekend.
Twilight frowned and shook her head to banish the thought. Yes, she was devastated at the loss of her best friend, but she knew that she would be back and everything would be okay. She could be sad later, if nothing else, today her friends deserved her at her best. She smiled again at the picture hanging on the wall before continuing her morning ritual.
She hummed a tune as she pulled on her favorite T-shirt, smiling at the red and yellow figure on the front. The shirt had been a gift and she had loved it enough to wear it at-least once a week. Satisfied at her appearance, Twilight gave a final nod before heading out. She smiled and hummed a quiet tune to herself as she bounced out the door.
Twilight plastered on her largest smile and waved to everyone she saw as she walked to the bus-stop. She noticed some odd reactions from the people she passed. Octavia gave her a sad look as she waved. Lyra smiled weekly and silently patted her on the back. Derpy even gave her a quick hug as she passed her.
Twilight put down as simple small town behavior. They must have found out that Sunset left and were just trying to be supportive. She shrugged as she rode the bus to Applejack's farm. That was where they had promised to meet. She stared out the window and continued to hum, ignoring the fact that everyone on the bus seemed to stare at her with pity.
She was happy. Sure, she felt something in her chest ache every time she thought about Sunset Shimmer, but that was to be expected. Her best friend in the entire world just left for another universe with no idea of when or if she'd be back. It wasn't like she couldn't function. She was still getting out of the house and spending time with her other friends, her heart just ached.
The bus stopped about a block away from the Apple's orchard and Twilight smiled politely at the bus driver as she departed. She bounced up the street with a spring in her step, it would do her a world of good to spend some time with her friends this weekend. They had originally planned on going camping together, but Applejack had called at the last minute and told them she couldn't make it because of work on the farm. Big Mac had evidently fallen ill and she had to stay to keep the work on track, so the girls had decided to spend their first weekend working on Applejack's farm.
The plan was to get her work far enough ahead that the next weekend they could go camping. Twilight had never excelled at physical labor, but she guessed that enough hands working would make up for the fact that she had no idea what she was doing. Twilight smiled as she spotted a familiar group of girls working near the front gate to the farm.
Her smile grew as she heard the laughter of her friends. She stared into the sky as she walked, marveling at the beautiful sky and the cool breeze that blew through the trees. It's going to be a good day, she thought.
She continued smiling and humming her song as she approached her friends who seemed oblivious to her approach. She walked towards Applejack first.
A broken branch alerted the girl to her friend's approach. Applejack smiled as she turned around, but for some reason she faltered. Her smile fell and she dropped the bucket of apples she had been holding.
"Twilight?" She asked. "You okay?"
Twilight's smile grew. "Of course I am, Applejack. Why do you ask?"
"Twilight, Darling." Rarity said as she approached the girl. "You look like you haven't slept in a week."
"Well, I may not have slept that much last night." Twilight mumbled as she ran her hand under her eye, ignoring the bags she felt there.
"You're also humming a break-up song." Rainbow said casually as she lifted Applejack's bucket and continued walking towards the barn.
Twilight stopped her humming and crossed her arms. "I just like that song." she defended.
Fluttershy appeared from nowhere and wrapped her arms around Twilight. "You're also wearing her shirt." she whispered.
Twilight patted Fluttershy on the back quickly. "I'm fine." she said. "I'm happy, smiling, and ready to work."
Fluttershy refused to release the girl she was holding as Pinkie looked over her shoulder. "Twilight, your eyes are bloodshot and you haven't smiled all day."
"How would you even know that?" Twilight asked. "I just got here."
"We just got here." Pinkie said, putting emphasis on the first word. "I stayed with you last night... we rode the bus here..."
Twilight blinked. Had Pinkie stayed at her place last night? Why couldn't she remember? How did she not notice Pinkie on the bus?
"I stayed in your room, Twilight. You cried all night and you didn't even seem to see me this morning. You just kept staring at the picture of Sunset on your wall." Pinkie said with a sniffle.
Twilight stared, open mouthed, at the fluffy pink girl in front of her. Pinkie held none of her usual cheer and her hair seemed slightly flat. She wracked her brain as images popped into her mind. Pinkie asking Twilight if she could stay the night with her, since it was closer to the farm than her own house. Pinkie eating dinner with her family and using spoons to act like a walrus. Pinkie curling up in Twilight's bed.
"You stayed in my room." Twilight said.
Pinkie nodded slowly. "You still didn't even notice I was there. I woke up in the middle of the night... you were crying."
"We've all stayed with you this past week..." Fluttershy whispered, stilling holding her grip on the girl. "You cried all night... every night..."
Twilight attempted to end the hug with another pat on Fluttershy's back, but the small girl refused to let go. Twilight sighed, "Fluttershy, I'm fine, would you please let go of me?"
Fluttershy stepped away with a quick, "Sorry, sorry." Fluttershy had tears in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy quickly shook her head and hid behind her hair. "I just can't stand to see you hurting like this." she mumbled.
"I'm fine." Twilight said. "I've just been having some bad dreams, that's all. I guess I was crying in my sleep because of that." she lied.
Applejack shook her head. "Whatever you say, sugar cube." she said.
"I'm here to work." Twilight said firmly. "Just tell me what to do."
"You're still wearing your pajama bottoms, dear." Rarity said.
Twilight quickly looked down at herself. She smiled and laughed quietly. "It's the weekend, I can wear these, right?"
Rarity smiled warmly before brushing Twilight's hair away from her eyes. "The fashionista in me says 'no', but the friend in me says 'yes'."
"Just hope you don't mess 'em up." Applejack shrugged.
Rainbow finally returned from the barn with two empty buckets. "Since we're all here now, why don't you tell us what needs done, A.J.?"
Applejack nodded. "Well, Rainbow, you and me can keep harvestin'. Once we get all of 'em by the fence we'll be caught up. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, I want ya'll to fix the fences over on the other side of the farm by the road." Applejack hesitated as she looked at Twilight.
"Please," Twilight said. "Just give me something to do. I can work."
Applejack still seemed hesitant until Rainbow spoke. "Y'know, when I'm upset, the best thing I can do is throw myself into some kind of work, practice, or anything to keep me busy. If Twilight is upset like you said, you should give her some work." Rainbow then smiled at Twilight. "If she's telling the truth and she isn't upset, then there's no reason not to give her something to do."
Twilight smiled back at Rainbow and nodded.
Applejack merely shrugged. "Fine." she said, as if she had just lost a serious argument. "Twilight, you and Fluttershy can go feed the animals."
Twilight smiled and mouthed a quick 'thanks' before heading in the direction of the animal pens. She glanced over her shoulder to see Applejack hug Fluttershy quickly before giving the timid girl a resolute nod. Twilight didn't understand what the exchange was about, but decided it wasn't important.
Fluttershy quickly fell in behind Twilight, but stayed silent. It wasn't unusual for Fluttershy to stay quiet, but she had been acting weird all day. Twilight shrugged and put it down as nothing more than concern.
Fluttershy gently tugged on Twilight's sleeve as they walked. "Twilight?" she asked.
"What is it, Fluttershy?"
"I stayed with you last Sunday night." she said. "Do you remember what we did that night?"
Twilight did remember Sunday night. That was the night after Sunset Shimmer left. It hadn't been good. "Yes." Twilight said flatly.
"You were in love with her weren't you?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight simply curled herself up on her bed. She hadn't spoken since they had arrived at her house. "I know what it's like. To love someone who doesn't return the feelings. We all knew how you felt, even Sunset."
"She didn't love me the same way..." Twilight said. Her voice was hallow and her eyes were empty. She couldn't have cried any more. "She didn't let how I felt affect our friendship though."
"She may not have been in love with you, but she did love you, Twilight." Fluttershy said as she sat on the edge of Twilight's bed. Twilight's parents had asked what happened the minute they walked through the door, but Twilight had remained silent. She had trudged to her room and slowly closed the door.
"She loved all of us." Twilight said coldly. "She was the best friend any of us could have hoped for."
"She was." Fluttershy agreed.
"She saved me..." Twilight whispered. "She saved me... from everything. From being lonely, from being hurt, from... myself."
"I know." Fluttershy said as she gently rubbed Twilight's back.
"Who's gonna save me now?" Twilight asked. She rolled over to stare into Fluttershy's eyes.
Fluttershy hesitated before shaking her head slowly. "I-If you wanted... I c-could... I-I will... be here for you..."
Twilight smiled to herself at the memory. Fluttershy really was the most kind of them all. "I'm sorry about that night." she said. "That night I just felt like something in me broke and I didn't know how to function."
"I meant what I said that night, Twilight." Fluttershy said firmly. "I will be there for you... if you need me."
"Thanks, but I'm okay now... really." Twilight said. "Besides, it's not your burden to bear."
"Yes, it is." Fluttershy whispered. "You're my friend. I can't let my friends hurt."
Twilight smiled over her shoulder at the girl and nodded. "Thanks." she said. "I'm okay, though. It's just taking me some time to adjust to her being gone."
"I know." Fluttershy mumbled.
The two finally arrived at the animal pens and Fluttershy quickly raced ahead to pet all of the animals, including the pigs, as Twilight looked for each different bag of feed. She had fed the animals with Applejack before and had quickly learned that every animal on the farm had their own food.
Twilight grabbed a bucket from the nearby shed full of spoiled vegetables that Applejack referred to as 'slop' and handed it to Fluttershy. Fluttershy quickly fed the pigs and began to make cute squeaking noises as she watched them eat. Twilight found the sight of the pigs eating the slop as disgusting, but apparently her friend thought it was one of the most adorable things ever.
Fluttershy's smile faded and Twilight noticed a tear fall down her face as she walked away, presumably to grab more food for the animals. "What is with you today?" she asked. Twilight hadn't meant to sound upset, but apparently she did. Fluttershy froze in her tracks and turned to face Twilight, tears streaked down her face, but she faked a smile anyways.
"I'm fine." Fluttershy said. "I think I just got something in my eyes."
Twilight stared at the girl for a moment before smiling herself, "Well, go wash your eyes out then. I can handle things here." she said.
Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded firmly before walking towards the main house.
Fluttershy continued to cry as she sat on the floor of the bathroom. She had closed and locked the door before running the sink and then dropping to the floor. She had seen the hurt in Twilight's eyes. The faraway look in them displaying all of her pain. Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore. She hated seeing the girl she cared so much about hurting, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Twilight was hurting because the one she loved was gone, but Fluttershy was hurting because the one she loved was in pain.
A knock at the door broke the timid girl from her thoughts. "It's occupied." she called weakly, attempting to mask the tremor in her voice.
"Fluttershy." Rarity said calmly. "I know well enough to know you aren't using the bathroom. Either let me in, or we can talk about whatever's got you upset through the door. It is your choice."
Fluttershy blinked. How could Rarity have already figured it out? Then again, when Applejack had hugged her earlier she had also whispered something to her. "It's gonna be alright, sugar cube." she had said. Had she also figured out what was truly bothering Fluttershy?
"Alright." Fluttershy said as she stood and wiped her eyes. "Just a second please."
Fluttershy had no sooner unlocked the door before Rarity was in the room and the door was closed and locked again. Rarity smiled a weak smile at the girl before hugging her quickly. "Applejack saw you run away from the animals to come in here."
"I was just washing some dirt out of my eye." Fluttershy lied. "I'm sorry-"
"Fluttershy." Rarity warned. "You will stay in this room and tell me what's wrong, and I want the truth young lady."
"I'm older than you." Fluttershy mumbled as she sat on the edge of the tub.
Rarity smiled before putting the seat down on the toilet and sitting on top of it. She faced Fluttershy and placed a finger under her chin.
Fluttershy looked up at Rarity and felt more tears building in her eyes.
"Do you remember when Twilight came out as bi?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy blinked once before nodding. "We all loved and accepted her anyways." Fluttershy nodded again. "But, that night I noticed something. I noticed the blush on your cheeks and the smile you wore when you heard the news." Rarity smiled.
Fluttershy paled. "That wasn't-"
"Fluttershy, please." Rarity said in exasperation. "I'm hardly blind and I am not judging you, I just want you to be honest with me."
Fluttershy felt the tears finally roll down her face as she pulled her chin away from her friend. "It doesn't matter." she said.
"Oh, but it does." Rarity said. "She can't see it, but all of the rest of us caught on pretty quick."
"She's in love with Sunset Shimmer, Rarity. How I feel doesn't matter. Besides, I would never take advantage of the way she's feeling now to get my way." The timid girl said quietly. "I'm not upset because she loves Sunset. I'm upset that Sunset hurt her."
Rarity slid closer to her friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I understand, darling." she whispered. "Once she comes to her senses... you should tell her how you feel."
Fluttershy couldn't fight back her tears any longer and she quickly buried her head in Rarity's shoulder and cried. Her sobs muffled by the other girl's shirt and the sound of the sink still running, she cried as she said, "I wish I could hold her... and just take her pain away. I would give anything for her to just not hurt anymore... I-I-I- aaaahhh." Fluttershy wailed as Rarity quietly stroked her hair and whispered encouragements.
"That's it. Let it all out, dear. It's okay." She whispered.
Fluttershy continued to bawl as she clenched her fists in her friend's shirt. "It's not right... How could she hurt her? How could she leave?"
"There there..." Rarity said.
Fluttershy finally stopped crying several minutes later, but did not release her hold on Rarity. She sniffed once before speaking again. "Do you remember when we all sneaked some drinks into the barn last summer?" she asked. Rarity merely nodded and stayed silent, continuing to stroke the girl's hair. "I almost kissed her that night..."
Rarity's hand hesitated for a moment. "I think she knew it too, but she was too drunk to remember afterwards. She was going to let me and I had had enough to drink that I felt bold enough..." Another sniffle, "but, then Sunset walked in. Twilight pushed me away and tried to explain the situation to Sunset... that's when I knew how I felt wouldn't matter." she said. "I told myself it was okay... that I would be fine just with Twilight being happy, but then... then this happened..."
"She was truly going to let you kiss her?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy nodded. "Well, you know what they say... a drunk mouth speaks a sober thought..."
"I'm okay if she doesn't love me, Rarity." Fluttershy said as she nuzzled her face further into the other girl's shoulder. "I just can't stand seeing her hurt anymore."
Twilight felt the sweat pouring down her face as she lifted another bag of chicken feed over her shoulder and slowly carried it towards the barn. Rarity had run by earlier and told her that a storm was on the way so they needed to store all of the things that couldn't get wet. She had then asked about Fluttershy and walked away.
Twilight wondered why they didn't just keep the feed in the barn if it couldn't get wet, but she decided there must be a reason. She threw the next sack into the pile in the barn and sighed loudly. There was only one bag left and all of the animals had been fed, so she was almost done.
Twilight quickly ran to grab the next bag, but as she bent over her vision began to swim and her head felt light. She fell forward and tried to catch herself before landing face-first on the bag of feed. Then her vision grew darker and faded to black.
The storm was coming in more quickly than they had anticipated, so Applejack had sent Pinkie and Rainbow inside before trudging off to find Twilight. She muttered to herself, upset at herself for having Twilight work. Between the bags under the girl's eyes and the fact that she seemed to be constantly holding back tears, she knew that Twilight should not have been exposed to any physical labor.
Still, she couldn't pretend that she didn't need the help and she knew that Twilight would not take 'no' for an answer. She shrugged to herself. She had done everything she could think of to pull the girl out of her slump and all of their friends had done the same. Now it was up to Twilight to recover.
Applejack froze as she reached the animal pens. Twilight and Fluttershy were both missing. "Girls!" Applejack called loudly. She quickly ran around the pens, hoping that maybe they were already stowing things in the barn. Her heart stopped as she saw Twilight's prone figure laying on the ground.
"Twilight!" she called as she raced as fast as her legs could carry her to the girl. Twilight wasn't moving and Applejack couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.
Applejack fell to her knees as she reached the smaller girl and she quickly rolled her over to find Twilight's face blank. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed and Applejack checked her pulse before sighing in relief. Twilight had simply passed out.
Applejack then frowned as she lifted the girl off the ground. She felt tears stream down her face and land upon her unconscious friend. She shouldn't have let her work, and she shouldn't have sent Rarity to ask her to put the feed in the barn.
"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.