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(Fluttershy's POV)I've felt it coming for a long time now. I knew what was going to happen the day Twilight discovered those strange lumps on my body.Equestrian Cancer. I have it.For weeks I've been wearing hats and bonnets so Discord doesn't see that my mane has fallen out in clumps. I usually flush the hair down the toilet, if I even have the strength to get out of bed. My tail has started falling out too. I'm starting to wear blankets around my rear so he doesn't see. Twilight has tried curing the cancer, but it's not working. In fact, her magic is making it worse, and I'm developing side effects.I'm just putting on a bonnet so I can go to the hospital for my final appointment when I hear Discord behind me. "Fluttershy, darling..! I've made you your favorite breakfast. Strawberry pancakes with extra syrup, and a bowl of cherries on the side!" I smile at him, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, Discord. I can't stay. I have to.. go to the store. I'm all out of bird seed. Do you want anything?""No, I'm fine, Flutters. But I think you need a new bonnet. That one is starting to fall apart." He reaches his paw over and picks off a loose strand of hair from the hat, before tucking it behind my ear. I shiver, and pull away, trying not to make eye contact. "Fluttershy...? Are you... are you alright? You've been acting strangely these past few weeks. Are you okay?"I try not to cry. "I-I'm fine. I-I just have a slight headache. I-I'll be home soon.." He grabs my shoulder, pulling me close to him. "Darling, you can tell me. I'm your closest friend. I can help." I try to hide my tears from him. I know he's lying. "I'm fine, D-Discord."He wipes the tear from my cheek. "Oh, darling... what's wrong?" I start to shake, and I look up into his eyes, a single tear falling down my cheek. "I have... cancer." His expression goes blank. "I-it's okay... I'll be fine. I'm going to the hospital right now. Please don't worry about me. I'll be home later today, hopefully." He lets go of my shoulder, and backs away from me. "Flutters.. no. You.. you can't have cancer. It's.. no, it's not possible. You're.. you're fine. Don't be ridiculous, Fluttershy. You're not going anywhere. Now, stop this foolishness and come eat your breakfast."I sniffle, and look up at him, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry, Discord." Then, I turn around and begin to walk toward the door."You are NOT going to the hospital, Fluttershy. Do you understand?!"I feel his paw grasp my wing, and he starts pulling me back toward the kitchen. "Discord, please, stop. Let go of me. You're hurting my wing." I try to break free of his grasp, but it's too strong. He's pulling me back, and no matter how hard I kick, I can't break free. Everything starts to spin, and my vision goes dark.****I wake up on the floor of the living room. My hooves and body feel like lead, and I struggle to move. I open my mouth to call Discord's name, but nothing comes out. I hear his voice, however, and it sounds like he's speaking underwater. I strain my ears, trying to make out any words."...she's fine, Pinkie. No, she's not sick. She's just a bit under the weather."Then, it's silent. After a moment, Discord walks over to me, kneeling beside me. "I'm so sorry. I have to do this to you. I can't let you leave. I can't let you die."I struggle to lift myself off the floor, and stare up at him. He's crying, and he tries to wipe his tears away. "Fluttershy, there's.. you're probably wondering what I've done to you."I stare blankly up at him. I try to speak, but all that comes out is a harsh wheezing noise. He nods. "I'll show you." He reaches for something above my head, and I'm lifted off the floor. He carries me to the mirror and turns my head to look at myself.I try to scream, but another wheezing noise comes out. A puppet. A blocky, wooden puppet, painted to look like me. Except.. the mane is tangled and blood stained, and it looks like something was roughly stuffed inside the puppet's body. The eyes are empty and dull. "I can't let you die, Flutters." He pulls a few strings, and my legs move, like I'm walking down the street."I can't live without you, Fluttershy. So... I decided I had to keep you with me. Always."He makes me bow, and my puppet body moves as though I'm kneeling on the floor, looking up at him. Then, he makes me stand, and walk to him. I feel him pick me up, and wrap his arms around me. "Your friends won't know. You'll look like yourself. They'll think you're healed. And we'll stay together. Forever."I try to call out to him, to tell him I don't want this, that I'd rather be dead, but my puppet can't speak. He just smiles and strokes my cheek, wiping a tear away."You'll love this new body. It's beautiful, isn't it? It's almost like a work of art."I'm placed on the couch, and he pulls some strings, making my puppet body lie down. Then, he lies next to me, and hugs my puppet body."We'll never be apart, Fluttershy. Never."
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(Discord's POV)Fluttershy is lying still on the couch. She looks so beautiful, so peaceful. It's been almost a week since she tried to leave. Her new body is flawless. I've made her a perfect replica of herself, a beautiful, wooden, doll-like creature. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. She'll never die. She'll never get hurt. She'll always be with me.She hasn't tried to fight me since the day I changed her. I think she understands now. She'll never leave me. She can't. She's mine now. My best friend, my companion, my love.She hasn't eaten in days, but she'll be fine. She doesn't need to eat anymore. But there's something that makes me wonder if she's still... there.Sometimes, when I'm stroking her mane, I hear a heartbeat. Sometimes, I can hear her breathing. She's alive. But her eyes.. her eyes are empty. They follow me, almost like she's judging me. She wants out, I know. But I can't. I don't want to release her from this spell. If that happens, she'll try to leave again. She'll die, and the cancer will kill her.It's better this way. She's alive. She's beautiful. I love her, and she'll always be here, with me.She's still trying to call out to me, sometimes. She knows I can't hear her, but she's trying. Every time she tries, my heart aches. She wants out. She doesn't love me. Her heart doesn't beat because she's happy, it's beating because the spell is making her. Her chest doesn't rise and fall because she's grateful. It's because the spell is keeping her alive. She's angry.She's starting to smell, though. Her body is slowly rotting, and the scent of her blood and guts is starting to fill the air. I can't get rid of the smell, though. I've tried everything, but it's starting to give me a headache. I'm starting to get a little tired of the scent.Her friends can't smell it. They can't see what she really looks like. Only I can see the real her.She speaks, but it's only what I want her to say."Hello, Twilight. How are you doing?""Oh, I'm fine, Twilight. Thank you for asking.""Yes, we should definitely go visit Pinkie Pie sometime this week.""Of course, Applejack. We'll do that. I'll be right over."Her friends are fooled. She's perfectly fine, and her cancer is gone.She'll be fine.****(Fluttershy's POV)I'm in agony every day. It hurts to move, and I'm constantly fighting against his spell.I can feel his fingers in my mouth. He's stuffing cotton in my cheeks, so they'll stay up and not fall down. I can feel his fingers brushing my tongue, and his claws scratching my throat.It hurts.Every time he hugs me, I can feel his strong body against me. But the feeling is cold, and rough, and it makes my stomach churn.He says he loves me, and that we'll never be apart, and I want to die.This isn't what I wanted.This is hell.I don't want to be here.Please...Somepony, anyone, please, help me.I can't breathe.It hurts.It hurts.
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(Discord's POV)It's been a few months, now. The scent is almost unbearable, and her body is covered in maggots and flies. She's rotting. Her friends don't know. She still looks normal, and she acts normally, too. They're oblivious to the scent. They think it's her animal friends rubbing against her.But when I look at her, her eyes look back at me with.. rage. Hatred. Desperation. She wants out. She doesn't care what happens, or if she dies. All she wants is to be free.Her puppet body is rotting. I don't know why. The spell is supposed to keep her from decaying. It's supposed to keep her beautiful and pure. But, instead, it's rotting. It's decaying, and the skin is starting to peel away, revealing her insides.I can't let her go, though. I won't. She'll always be mine, and she'll never leave. She'll never die.I still love her. She's my best friend. I'll protect her.I'll keep her safe.She's all I have left.And I can't let her go.****(Fluttershy's POV)Pinkie came over today.She told me her plans for a new party, and she asked me how Discord and I were doing.I wanted to cry."Oh, we're just fine, Pinkie. I couldn't be happier."That wasn't what I wanted to say.She seemed surprised. She asked me if I was okay."Oh, yes, Pinkie, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just having a little trouble sleeping, that's all."Again, it wasn't what I wanted to say.She left, after a while. She said she was worried, and that she wanted to know if something was wrong.I didn't answer.But for a second, she saw something. I know she did. Her face grew pale, and she galloped out without so much as a second glance.She saw. My heart hurts from hoping so much. I hope she's coming back with the others. Maybe they can save me. Maybe they can find a way to get me out.Maybe.It's been a long time since I've had any hope.