Chapter 3

*Flashback*

"Mom, what's wrong with Grandma Dawn?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing honey its just a. . . checkup. Yes, a doctor's check up just like the ones you have." Twilight Velvet stammered.

"Oh okay! Will they give her stickers too!" Twilight asked.

"Yes, as long as she is a good patient and I'm sure your daddy and Shining Armour will take good care of her to make sure she gets a sticker." Twilight Velvet answered. Twilight Velvet thought, Twilight, so young, she doesn't deserve to lose her grandmother this early. I couldn't dare tell her that, Light Dawn had a heart attack. Oh... I know Dawn won't make it, but I have to keep it together, for her. An hour later Twilight Sparkle was asleep on the couch when Night Light and Shining Armour returned, grave looks on their faces. Night Light looked up at Twilight Velvet and gave her a solemn nod as to say, It is done. Twilight Velvet began to fill up with tears, as much as in laws could be a pain, you don't know what you have until you lose it.

"Should I tell Twili?" Shining Armour stammered. Twilight Velvet nodded in return. If anypony could do it, Shining Armour could.

"Hey Twili." Shining sighed.

"Hey BBBFF!" Twilight yawned.

"Twili, I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get angry, but it is alright to get upset." Shining's voice wavered.

"Um, okay!" the filly said with an uncertain laugh. "What could possibly be so bad?" Twilight Thought

"Well, you know Grandma Dawn? Right." Shining asked nervously, almost as nervous as he was when he asked Twilight's baby sitter out.

"OOH! Did she get her sticker?" Twilight giggled. "Did they give her a BAD sticker!?" the little filly gasped.

"Well," Shining began with a nervous chuckle. "They gave her a sticker, and a blanket." He figured it would be a good way to dance around the fire while occasionally singing the flames. "They gave her the blanket because… she went to sleep." Shining forced the words out of his mouth.

"Oh, silly Grandma Dawn!" Twilight giggled.

"No, Twi… she went to sleep… forever." The little filly's eyes drooped and her lip quivered and trembled. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Fo-forever?" Her voice cracked.

"Y-yes," Shining croaked, trying to hold back tears of his own. He hated doing this but with the state his parents were in, he just had to.

"How could they!? HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO HER! THIS… IT ISN'T FAIR.! HOW… COULD…THEY!?" Twilight screamed.

"Now, Twi, it wasn't their fau-" Shining stammered. He couldn't finish his sentence before Twilight started again.

"OF COURSE IT WAS!" She bawled. Tears stained her face and matted her fur.

"I bet they didn't even give her a sticker." Shining pulled something from behind his back: a sticker that he had be given by the hospital for the grieving filly. It was a smiley face that said, "We're sorry for your loss" On it. the sticker was torn a little at the top from the wear and tear of its journey back from the hospital room. Twilight grabbed the sticker and ripped it apart.

"What good is a sticker anyway?" Twilight mumbled.

"Twilight!" Shining exclaimed.

*End Flashback*

"Its a shorter flight, just go to… Fluttershy's… cottage." Twilight's raspy. breathing was becoming more of a challenge, and even lifting her hoof was painful. Twilight coughed and she then felt her head get hazy, and the room started to go black. Flash walked over to a large castle window and spread his wings and, making sure Twilight was secure, powerfully flapped his wings and began the flight across Ponyville. Knowing that his love's life was at stake made him hold Twilight that much more securely in his arms. Twilight groaned softly in pain.

"Hang in there." Flash reassured. He didn't know if he was reassuring Twilight or himself but whoever it was for, it wasn't working. "You'll be okay." The Pegasus was now flying at a speed he never thought possible especially with the extra weight of Twilight on her back.. Maybe having someone's life at stake, especially someone he cared about so much, made the journey more important. After soaring through the clouds of Equestria for what felt like hours but was actually only 3 minutes, Flash spotted Fluttershy's quaint little cottage, right by the edge of the Everfree Forest. He descended quickly and at the mare's front door and knocked impatiently. Five seconds later, Flash was greeted with Fluttershy's always concerned facial expression he didn't think it was possible for Fluttershy to be more concerned, but as soon as she saw Twilight, it was impossible for her not to be.