The days consisted of little more than making sure Chrysalis had enough water to drink and tending to the nasty infections burrowing into her holes; Fluttershy knew a little bit about Changeling anatomy, and she was aware that the holes were ringed with an extremely fine array of sensory organs that served to provide them with detailed information about their environment. Sort of like a bat's sonar, or a shark's ability to sense magnetic fields. A disease that affected those organs probably wouldn't necessarily be enough to kill a Changeling directly, but it would hobble them in the wild and there was a risk that they could become a danger to themselves and others.

        Chrysalis, for her part, spent most of her time sleeping; Fluttershy was grateful for this – not least because she wasn't sure how long she could tolerate the Changeling's sharp tongue – as, even in its weakened, sickly condition, her carapace was too thick for needles, and applying and reapplying the topical ointment to the infected organs was going to be a slow, painful process that should normally have only been done under anaesthetic.

        In the midst of yet another laborious application, it was gradually becoming clear to Fluttershy that Chrysalis was getting worse not better; she was sleeping longer each day, and was barely coherent even when she was awake. Additionally, this wasn't the only complication in her life right now.

        “Your friends.”

        “Huh?” Fluttershy said, startled to see that Chrysalis was both awake and lucid. “Go back to sleep, you need to get your rest to recover your strength.”

        “They're aware that there's something off about you, right?” went on the Changeling, ignoring Fluttershy's entreaties. “They're still in that phase of giving you leeway because they trust you, but that's not gonna keep. You should drag me back to the Everfree before they find out.”

        Fluttershy sucked on her bottom lip softly. “It was my decision to make and I stand by it. If they find out … they find out, but as far as I'm concerned nothing has changed.”

        She knew that Chrysalis was right in her assertions, however; the constant cancellations, even missing Rarity's vaunted spa dates, couldn't go on for much longer before they got suspicious and demanded an explanation. They might even barge into the cottage. She'd told them that there was a sick animal requiring round-the-clock care – not strictly a lie, as that would've been instantly spotted by Applejack – but enough of an untruth that she couldn't help feeling as though she was betraying their trust in her.

        Somepony was bound to discover what was up eventually; Fluttershy knew that her best option was to do exactly as Chrysalis had just suggested, but doing what was right wasn't always what was best. Her friends wouldn't understand the decision that she'd made; they'd think her a soft fool who had put Ponyville in danger, but nothing could be further from the truth. Showing compassion was a strength, not a weakness. Besides, the journey to Canterlot for trial would likely kill Chrysalis in her current condition.

        “How d'you know all this, anyway?” asked Fluttershy curiously.

        “Empathic,” Chrysalis replied weakly, offering a tiny smile, “and I hear bits and pieces when they come to the door, too. I'm getting worse, aren't I?”

        “Things frequently do before they get better,” Fluttershy said hopefully.

        “I'm dying. I need ...”

        “I know what you need,” Fluttershy said, too quickly. “I mean, I did some reading up on Changelings and ...”

        “And?”

        Fluttershy looked at her charge through big, beryl eyes. “I can't.”

        “Can't or won't?”

        The nights were different; seeing Chrysalis lying there on the spare bed, panting and shivering, feeling a chill despite the many layers of blankets, Fluttershy knew in those moments that the Changeling was little more than a wounded animal that needed the care that only she could provide. The others might have felt a grim sense of satisfaction at seeing her in this state: the once mighty Queen of the Hive reduced to nothing more than another sickly commoner. Fluttershy did not rejoice in the slightest.

        This wasn't an embodiment of evil, this was a living, breathing creature with thoughts and feelings. And who was in terrible pain.