Fluttershy's Gardenby SilentWandererChaptersLonelinessSadnessKindnessLoveFriendshipEmpathySacrificeReconciliationFamilyLonelinessI do not know what I am doing here. The treetops filter the sunlight. It is dark, and cold. I am afraid. The wind makes howling noises while passing through the tree branches. I start walking. I do not want to get caught by an Everfree Forest beast. The wind shakes the leaves around me. The terrain is irregular. There is no trail here. I do not know where to go. The trees are scary. Their branches look like claws. I try to walk in a straight line. I do not want to get even more lost. I carefully step over a large tree's roots. How long have I been walking? I see movement ahead. I hide behind a bush. A large animal passes by. It did not see me. I wait to make sure it is gone. I resume walking. The terrain is easier now. I see a path. The path is dark, and cold. I choose a direction on the path. How long have I been walking? The path gets wider. I see sunlight. I walk faster. I exit the forest. I am near my house. I fly towards it. -*-*-*- My house is a mess. All the furniture has been upturned. The animals are all over the place. Some of them are fighting. “Are you all hungry?” They ignore me. I go to my kitchen to get them some food. There are boxes of food all over the kitchen. There is no food left. It looks like my animals ate all of it while I was away. I hear a knock on the door. “Fluttershy, are you there?” “I'm here, Rainbow Dash!” “Is there anypony home?” I fly towards the door. “Just a moment!” Out of the window, I see Rainbow Dash flying away. I follow her. -*-*-*- “She wasn't there, Twilight!” “I am worried. Pinkie is saying that something bad is going to happen.” “Girls? I'm right here.” “I will keep looking for her.” “Thanks, Rainbow.” “Twilight? Can't you see me? Can't you hear me?” Rainbow Dash flies away. “What's going on?” I say. “Twilight?” She does not react, even when I wave my hoof in front of her eyes. I decide to go to Sugarcube Corner. Perhaps Pinkie Pie can help me. I find Pinkie Pie in front of the bakery. Her whole body is shaking. “Pinkie? Can you see me? Pinkie?” She ignores me, and continues shaking. “Can anypony see me,” I yell to all the ponies walking on the street. Nopony answers. I walk in front of a passing pony. “Can you see me?” I try with another pony. “Can you see me?” I try with another. “Can you see me?” I sit in the middle of the street, dejected. “Why is everypony ignoring me?” -*-*-*- I see Rarity entering the Carousel Boutique, and follow her. “Please, Rarity, can you help me? Everypony is ignoring me. Is it something that I did? Did I do anything wrong?” She does not answer. Humming, she goes to a shelf and examines several rolls of fabric. She pauses for a moment on a green one, and continues. I sigh, and exit the Carousel Boutique. My last hope is Applejack. -*-*-*- “Please, Applejack. Tell me what I did, that was so bad that the whole town is ignoring me.” She kicks another tree. Many apples fall in the buckets arranged around her. She moves the buckets towards the next tree, aims at the correct spot, and kicks it. “Please, Applejack. Please. Please. Please...” I cry. Even then, she still ignores me, and continues to work on the trees. “Applejack!” Rainbow Dash lands next to her. “Did you see Fluttershy anywhere?” “No, I didn't. Why? Is something wrong?” “Nopony has seen her since before yesterday. Her house is a mess. Twilight is worried, and Pinkie has been shaking nonstop.” Applejack jumps at the last part. “Pinkie sense?” “Yeah, it is creeping me out too. Last time that happened, you guys faced a hydra, right?” Applejack abandons her work and runs towards the town, followed by Rainbow Dash. I fly after them. “If Pinkie is twitching, and Fluttershy disappeared, it must mean that something happened to Fluttershy!” “Girls? I'm right here. What is going on?” -*-*-*- They arrive at the library. Twilight is nervously walking in circles, while Rarity and Spike try to calm her. Pinkie Pie is still shaking, in a corner of the room. “Thank Celestia you two arrived. Any news?” “Nothing,” answers Rainbow Dash. “We have to find her. Does anypony have any piece of information, no matter how small it might look like?” “Last time I saw her was before yesterday at the market. She was buying some food,” says Applejack. “Yeah, that was when I last saw her too,” says Twilight. “The same for Rarity and Spike. Rainbow met her when she was leaving the market. She was walking in the direction of her home. There is nothing odd or unusual.” “What do we do, Twilight?” asks Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash, you went to her home. What did you see there?” “I knocked on the door, but nopony answered. So I looked through the window. The animals took over the house, Twilight. They broke all the furniture, and they are angry!” “They are not angry, they are just hungry! And they did not break anything, they just moved it a little out of place. Why does nopony listen to me?” I say. “So she has not been there recently. Fluttershy would not let her animals behave like that,” says Twilight. “If Fluttershy did not go to her house, where did she go?” asks Rarity. “I have no idea,” says Twilight, walking in circles. “I talked with the Mayor, and asked her to tell the whole town to look for Fluttershy. If anypony saw her after she came back from the market, we will know. Then we will at least know where to start looking for her.” Pinkie Pie stops shaking. She runs to the door and opens it, surprising the Mayor, who has her hoof raised in preparation to knocking on the door. She enters, and Twilight closes the door behind her. She clears her throat. “We found her.” SadnessI follow them. Outside the library, more ponies join the group. Nopony says anything. Twilight asks for more details, but the Mayor does not answer. They go towards the Everfree Forest. They enter the forest through a wide path. The unicorns in the group lighten the way with their magic. The path is long. Above them, the trees block the sunlight. The cold wind makes them shiver. The path narrows. The group is now walking single file. I fly above them. Twilight is getting impatient. “Please, Mayor, tell me what happened to her!” The Mayor looks away from Twilight, and does not answer. The terrain is now irregular. Some of the branches around the path are broken. They arrive at a small clearing, where more ponies are waiting. The Mayor and her group stop at the edge of the clearing, and she gestures for Twilight to enter. She enters, followed by Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. I follow behind them. Twilight freezes when she sees what is in the middle of the clearing. She runs towards it, followed by the others. I follow them. In the middle of the clearing, I see myself. -*-*-*- I woke up. The morning sun shined through the window. My little birds were playing a happy tune. I yawned. I got out of my bed. I went to my dresser, and brushed my mane. I went down to my kitchen and prepared a nutritive breakfast for myself. After eating it and brushing my teeth, I prepared a special breakfast for all my animals, with the food that I had bought at the market the previous day. I gave breakfast to each one of my little animals. The ferret was still sick. I was getting worried. -*-*-*- “Wake up, Fluttershy! Wake up!” Spike is shaking my body, trying to wake me up. Am I dead? The Mayor and her group enter the clearing. Gently, they lead each of my friends out of the clearing. The path back to Ponyville is long, dark, and cold. -*-*-*- All the citizens of Ponyville are here. My body is within an ornamented coffin, filled with many kinds of flowers. The coffin is open, covered only with a thin white veil. “Why? Why did she have to die? She was so young!” Rarity is making a scene, wearing an elegant black dress, and crying into a handkerchief. She is not the only one wearing an elegant black dress. She worked all night to make five matching black dresses. The pegasi also worked hard to clear the sky. There is no cloud in sight. One by one, each pony approaches my body, says something to it, and goes back to their place in the crowd. I hover over my body, to listen to what they say. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh approach my body. “Now you say goodbye to her,” says Applejack to Apple Bloom. “I'm sorry for that time I made a big mess in your house. If you hadn't saved us, I would be a stone statue today.” “Fluttershy, you were a very good friend. You were a beam of light to our lives with your kindness. I'm sad to see you go. Goodbye, Fluttershy.” Big Macintosh says nothing. He is always the quiet one. He only sheds a single tear, and goes back with Applejack and Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash approaches my body, her face completely hidden by the veil of her dress. She whispers to me, “I liked hanging out with you. Goodbye.” Pinkie Pie approaches my body. Below the dress she is wearing, her normally poofy mane is completely flat. She says nothing; instead, she lifts a corner of the veil covering the coffin, and puts three deflated baloons in the middle of the flowers. She stays for a few more moments, and goes back to near Mr. and Mrs. Cake. In the middle of the crowd, I notice Celestia and Luna, both wearing very elegant old-fashioned black dresses. Rarity approaches the coffin, prodded by her sister. She cries loudly. “You are the best friend that I have! You are an inspiration to everypony! How can we live without you?” Suddenly, she faints. Nurse Redheart drags her away from the coffin. “Sorry for my sister. Thanks for everything you did for us. Goodbye.” Sweetie Belle goes back to her sister, now awake and crying again. I see Celestia talking to Twilight Sparkle, and fly to them to hear what they are saying. “Why did she have to die?” asks Twilight. “The birth of a pony, and the death of a pony, are the greatest mysteries of nature. I have seen both happen many, many times, Twilight Sparkle. But even with all my experience, this never gets any easier.” “She was one of the first friends I ever had. She was one of the ponies who taught me the magic of friendship. And now... she is gone. She is...” Twilight loses her voice, tears streaming through her face. Celestia tenderly embraces her and Spike with her wing. I see Luna at the edge of the crowd, crying silently. I fly back to the coffin. A mare who I do not know is there, together with her two foals, a green filly and a blue colt. “Many thanks. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done.” Many other ponies approach my body. They apologize for the times they did bad things to me, thank me for the times I helped them, and say their goodbyes, each in their own way. Finally, Twilight Sparkle comes near the coffin, followed by Celestia, Luna, and Spike. She looks at my body tearfully, whispers “Goodbye,” and turns to the crowd. “When I first came to Ponyville, I did not know the meaning of friendship. In this town, I met five friends, who taught me all that I now know about it. They are Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. “Today, one of them is no longer among us. I believe that all of us who are here today had their lives touched by her sweetness, by her gentleness, by her kindness. What she left us will be with us for our whole lives. “Rest forever, my good friend. Goodbye.” Two ponies get the lid of the coffin, and nail it in place. They lift the coffin, and carry it to a hole they dug in the ground. Using a pair of ropes, they lower it slowly, while all the ponies watch. They throw a shovelful of soil over the coffin. Then another, and another, and another. Slowly, the coffin is covered, and the hole filled. They place a stone in front of the hole. In it is written my name. Fluttershy. Rest in peace. KindnessMy house is a mess. It is now two days since I was buried. The animals have not been fed. They broke all the furniture, and they are angry. They do not see me. They do not hear me. I cannot touch anything. I pass through anything that I try to touch. Two days ago, I did not notice. When I left my house, and later Rarity's house, I did not open the door. I sit on a corner of my living room, watching my animals fight each other for scraps of barely edible food. I hear hoofsteps outside. I see the door open. A pegasus enters carefully, laden with two pairs of overflowing saddlebags. I don't recall seeing her before. She has a white coat, a light blue mane, and green eyes. Angel is the first to attack her. He punches her and tries to steal one of her saddlebags. She calmly pushes him away with her hoof, which he promptly bites. “You are hungry, aren't you? Here, have a snack.” She opens one of the saddlebags on her other side, and pulls out a box of generic pet food. She is in trouble now. Angel does not like that brand of pet food. To my surprise, Angel accepts it. Before she has a chance to react, she is attacked by all the other animals. They savagely take the saddlebags from her, rip them open, and fight among themselves for their contents. “Please, don't fight. There is more than enough for everyone.” The animals ignore her, focused only on the food. Angel looks at her, kicks her, and joins the fight. One by one, the animals leave the fight, having eaten enough food to lessen their hunger. In the end, all that is left is pieces of cardboard from the pet food boxes, and parts of the destroyed saddlebags. The animals now aggressively surround her. Angel grabs a part of one of the food boxes, points at it, and taps his foot. “Do you want more?” Angel nods. “But I don't have any more. You ate everything that I brought.” The animals get closer to her. A few of them bare their fangs. Angel points again at the box piece, glares at her, and taps his foot. “Is it all right if I go to the market now to buy more food for you all?” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. “Can I take that as a yes?” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. “I'm going then. Please behave yourselves while I'm not here.” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. She opens the door, and retreats cautiously through it. I decide to follow her. She flaps her wings, checks them for damage, and takes off. I notice her cutie mark, which is a simple bird nest. She does not go to the market. Instead, she goes directly to Twilight's library. She knocks on the door. Twilight answers, her eyes red from crying. “Who is it?” “Are you Twilight Sparkle?” “Yes.” “My name is Spring Egg. Celestia sent me to take care of this town's animals.” So, she is my replacement. “I saw the letter.” “Are you all right? You do not seem well.” “No, I'm fine.” Twilight, have you been crying all this time? “May I come in?” “Sure. I will tell Spike to make us some tea. Spike!” “Coming.” I don't recall ever seeing Spike so down. He walks morosely to the door, and asks Twilight what she wants. Spring Egg is surprised at seeing Spike. “Celestia didn't tell me that I would meet a baby dragon.” “Yeah, I hatched him.” She comes in. Before they are seated, Spike is already back with the tea. I have no idea how he can prepare it so fast. I seat myself too. Not that it matters. “Celestia told me that the first thing to do when I arrive at this town, after feeding the starving animals, should be to meet Fluttershy's friends.” You didn't finish feeding them. You said you would go to the market. “She was the kindest, gentlest pony who ever lived. I'm not sure how we will live without her.” “Could you tell me more about her?” Twilight speaks about me to Spring Egg for hours. She cries a lot. Spring Egg only listens, at times asking small questions to encourage Twilight to continue with the story. Spring Egg gives Twilight a warm wing in the moments when she is too emotional to continue. She is my friend, not yours. After the stories finish, Twilight is calmer. She gives Spring Egg a small saddlebag, and Spring Egg leaves. I follow her. She doesn't go to the market. Instead, she asks for directions to the Carousel Boutique. “May I come in?” The Carousel Boutique is a mess. Incomplete designs are strewn all over the room. In the corner, Rarity is working on her sewing machine. “Sorry about the mess. I have not been in the mood to organize it lately. What can I help you with?” Before giving Spring Egg a chance to answer, she is already taking her measurements. “Oh dear, what happened here near your wing root?” She pokes a spot, making Spring Egg give her a pained look. “It's nothing. Just a scratch.” “That is not ‘just a scratch’.” Rarity pokes it again, leading to another pained look. “If you don't fix it right away, you will end up with an ugly scar. How did that happen?” “A saddlebag accident.” “Only if your saddlebags have claws. Go see Nurse Redheart now.” “I don't have the time for that. I have to meet the rest of Fluttershy's friends.” Rarity pauses at the mention of my name. “I will not take a ‘no’ for an answer.” She drags Spring Egg with her magic. -*-*-*- “It didn't take long, did it? Now, you were talking about Fluttershy...?” “Celestia sent me to care for this town's animals. She told me to talk to Fluttershy's friends.” “So Celestia sent you?” “Yes, I worked at the Canterlot zoo. Yesterday, she told me personally that they needed someone to take care of the animals at Ponyville, and that I should immediately transfer to here permanently. She said that I was the best qualified pony for this mission.” So far, you are doing a bad job at it. “Who did you meet already?” “Only Twilight Sparkle and you. I still have to talk to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.” “Applejack should be working on her farm. It's a large apple orchard, around this direction. Rainbow Dash has been sulking at her cloud home, it's around this direction. And Pinkie Pie lives at the Sugarcube Corner, it's a bakery around this direction, but you might meet her when you least expect. She's a bit unpredictable.” “Many thanks. I will meet you later.” -*-*-*- “So, Celestia sent you to take care of Fluttershy's animals.” Applejack gives the tree a well-aimed kick. “And she also said that I had to talk to all of her friends.” “I can see why she did that.” Applejack pushes the apple buckets towards the next tree. “I lost my parents some time ago, but for the rest of her friends, it was the first time that they had to face that kind of loss. They need somepony to listen to them. Specially Twilight. That girl has been hit real hard.” Applejack stops her work. “Her death left us with a hole in our hearts. Perhaps she has sent you to fill that hole.” She sent you to steal all my friends. -*-*-*- “Do you think you can take her place?” “That's not what I said, Rainbow Dash. I...” “Yeah, that is not what you said. That is what you meant. You come to me all innocent-like, ‘Celestia sent me to take care of her animals. Celestia sent me to talk to her friends.’ You. Are. Not. Fluttershy. Go away before I kick you out.” Spring Egg goes away from Rainbow Dash's cloud home. I follow her. At least one of my friends still defends me. -*-*-*- Spring Egg arrives at the Sugarcube Corner. The store is dark. I know where this is going. She enters, and is greeted by the usual newcomer welcoming party. Pinkie Pie can be so predictable at times. What surprises me is how she managed to drag even Rainbow Dash to the party. Rainbow Dash does not look at Spring Egg, pretending that she does not exist. “Welcome! To! Ponyville! When I saw you flying around, I just thought, ‘hey, someone new to the town!’ And you know what that means? It means that we do not know you, and if we do not know you, it means that you are new here, and if you are new here, that calls for a newcomer party! We have not had a party since—” Pinkie Pie stops, staring at the wall. She stays still for a few seconds. “—and you know, Twilight says that she has already met you, and that Celestia sent you, so it means we are already friends! Isn't it exciting?” THEY. ARE. NOT. YOUR. FRIENDS. -*-*-*- Spring Egg excuses herself from the party, saying that she has to go to the market before it closes. You should have done it sonner. First, she buys a new pair of saddlebags. Then, she buys several kinds of food. The money that she uses comes from the saddlebag that Twilight Sparkle gave her. In a corner of the market, she meets a shady-looking pegasus, who gives her a heavy cart covered with a tarp. She goes to my home, pulling the cart. She leaves the cart outside, and carefully opens the door. “Please, form a line.” The animals are calmer. She feeds them, one by one. Only Angel rejects her food. While the animals eat, she puts the broken furniture in place. She then goes outside, takes her personal belongings from the cart, and moves them inside. THIS IS MY HOUSE! THIS IS NOT YOUR HOUSE! She notices something. She looks, and finds a ferret, who is struggling to breathe. -*-*-*- It was past noon. The ferret was getting worse. The reference book that I consulted about the disease mentioned a cure. It was an herb, which could only be found deep within the Everfree Forest. I made a decision. I filled my saddlebags with a map, food, and water. I went into the forest. -*-*-*- There is a new grave on my backyard. The intruder cries for an animal that she did not have the chance to know. LoveIt is now three days since the usurper invaded my home. I can only watch as she takes over everything that is mine. She somehow managed to befriend almost all of my animals. Only my loyal Angel still rejects her attempts. She keeps trying to take my place with my friends. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity already accepted her, and forgot all about me. Rainbow Dash still rejects her, but she is insistent. I don't know for how long will Rainbow be able to resist. As for Pinkie Pie, she is a mystery. She considers everypony a good friend, and I don't know when she will forget me, or if she already did. Speaking of Pinkie Pie, I hear her characteristic trot outside my front door. That pegasus opens the door, with her fake innocent smile. Pinkie Pie gives her an invitation for another newcomer welcome party, and leaves. -*-*-*- The party is boring as usual. Spring Egg tries again to charm Rainbow Dash. Happily, she fails. Rainbow just turns her head and flies away. She then goes towards Pinkie Pie, who is chatting with the newcomer, probably to attempt to poison them both against me. The newcomer is a gorgeous unicorn stallion. His strong light brown body is topped by a well-groomed dark brown mane. His dark brown eyes are like two precious stones. In front of them, a gleaming pair of glasses showcases his intelligence. His cutie mark, a quill and a scroll, reflects his chosen profession. -*-*-*- To this day, I still do not know how Rarity managed to convince me to come with her on that shopping trip to Canterlot. I was walking on the street, watching the displays, when I accidentally ran into that unicorn. “I'm so so sorry. I wasn't paying attention,” I said. “I'm sorry too. It was me who wasn't paying attention.” He helped me stand up. We looked at each other. We went our separate ways. That night, I could not sleep. I could only think of that moment, frozen in my mind. His beautiful dark brown eyes. -*-*-*- “What has gotten into you, Fluttershy? You are more distracted than usual.” “Sorry.” “Here, hold these for me too. I have to check this new fabric store.” She added more weight to my already full saddlebags. I did not care, because next to the store, I saw him, sitting alone on a desk, wearing his glasses, studying a menu. I gathered all of my courage, and sat in front of him. He raised his beautiful eyes from the menu, and looked directly at me. I wished time would freeze at that instant. “I'm sorry for the other day.” How much I had longed to hear that voice again! “Do you want a drink as an apology?” He passed me the menu. I quickly ordered a simple blend of coffee. As if destiny itself was telling me that we were meant for each other, he had ordered the exact same kind of coffee. We talked for a long time, while drinking that single cup of coffee. He told me that he was a novelist. I told him about my work with the animals at Ponyville. He paid for our drinks and left, saying that he had a meeting with his editor. I stayed there. Rarity arrived, carrying a single roll of fabric and complaining about the prices. -*-*-*- “Why did you decide to come to Ponyville?” asks Spring Egg. “I have been having trouble coming up with new ideas,” answers my love, Script Letter. “My editor suggested that a change of scenery could help. For some reason, Ponyville came to my mind.” I drink every word that he pronounces. On the other hoof, Spring Egg's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. “I'm here for work. My predecessor had an accident, and I was sent here as a replacement.” You were sent here to steal my place. Fortunately, the Mayor decides that it is a good time to make sure that she gets two more votes on the next election. As always happens when she does that, each one gives her a lame excuse and goes to a separate direction. I vigilantly watch over Script Letter for the rest of the party. He does not talk to anypony else. In the distance, Spring Egg continues to steal my place with my friends, and makes two more attempts to talk to Rainbow Dash. -*-*-*- It is now four days since the usurper invaded my home. She is so bad at managing the amount of food she uses to bribe my animals, that she has to go to the market to buy more. While we fly there, I see Script Letter sitting on a desk in front of a coffehouse, drinking coffee and taking notes on a notepad. Spring Egg changes her direction, and lands in front of him. Weren't you going to buy food? “Good morning.” “Good morning,” answers my love, barely looking up from his notepad. “I hope I'm not interrupting you.” “It's not a problem. I'm out of ideas at the moment.” He puts his notepad down, and looks at Spring Egg with his beautiful brown eyes. “Our talk yesterday was interrupted, wasn't it?” “Yes, you were talking about your work here in Ponyville.” They talk for more than an hour. Spring Egg tells him about the animals that she stole from me. Script Letter tells her about some of the novels that he wrote. She even orders the same simple blend of coffee that he is drinking. Finally, she decides to say that she has to go. She doesn't go to the market. Instead, she goes after Rainbow Dash, who is flying around. Weren't you going to buy food? -*-*-*- “Not you again!” “Please, Rainbow Dash, I just want to watch! I won't interrupt your work.” Rainbow Dash sighs, defeated. “All right, you win. I'll let you watch me work. But just this time. Just. This. Time.” -*-*-*- It is now ten days since the usurper invaded my home. She stole my house. She stole my animals. She stole my friends. She stole my love. Every morning, she meets him at the coffeehouse. She orders the same thing that he orders. They talk, for hours, about nothing in particular. Today, she invites him to her house. To meet her animals. My house. My animals. I can't stand this anymore. I take one last look at the house where I lived so many happy moments. I take one last look at the animals who I cared for since their birth. I go away, without looking back. FriendshipI do not have a home anymore. I roam the streets of Ponyville. I do not have to eat or sleep. I see animals I cannot help. I see ponies I cannot talk to. I see my friends. I see the sun rise and set many times. I am alone. -*-*-*- The only thing left for me to do is to watch the daily lives of the ponies around me. I watch as they wake up, greeted by the morning sun. I watch as they open their windows, inhaling the cool morning air. I watch as they savor their first meal of the day. Each day, I choose a pony to follow. Each one is different. Each one is special. Each one reminds me of what I lost. -*-*-*- Today, I decide to go to Sugarcube Corner, and watch Pinkie Pie. She is behind the counter, selling something to another pony. “Two bits, please.” The pony gives her the coins, which she slides into a small drawer. While the customer leaves, she absent-mindedly shuffles all the items from the leftmost tray at the counter to the rightmost tray. Another pony enters the store, and asks for a couple of doughnuts. Pinkie Pie gets the payment, takes two doughnuts from below the counter, and gives them to the pony. She absent-mindedly moves all the items from the rightmost tray to the leftmost tray. Twilight Sparkle, together with Spike, enter the store and greet her. “Hey, Pinkie! How are you going?” “Just fine, Twilight!” While she says that, she is moving all the items from the leftmost tray to the rightmost tray. I see that pegasus enter the store. I decide to watch somepony else. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash has forgotten all about me. She only plays with that pegasus now. I watch as she works with the clouds above Ponyville. She efficiently pushes each one to their designated position. Every time any of her coworkers talks to her, she angrily answers with monosyllabic words. That pegasus is coming this way. I give up watching Rainbow Dash for today. -*-*-*- Applejack is at her apple stand on the market. The apples she is selling would be delicious, if I were able to eat them. Many ponies come and go. Each one has something to buy, or to sell. The apples on my friend's stand slowly go away. That pegasus decides to buy something on the market. I do not care what it is, and I am not going to look. -*-*-*- At Twilight's library, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are returning a heavy book. “Here's the book we borrowed, Twilight. It didn't help us get a metalworking cutie mark,” says Apple Bloom. “Do you girls want to try another book?” “No, we won't need a book for our next attempt.” I would love to hear what they are coming up with this time. However, that pegasus is flying to this place. -*-*-*- Rarity is using that pegasus as a model. They often go to the spa together. They talk, they laugh. I see Rarity waving goodbye to that pegasus in front of Carousel Boutique. As that pegasus flies away, Rarity goes inside, locks the door, and closes all the curtains. For some reason, I decide to look. Walls are not an obstacle to me. The Carousel Boutique is dark. I hear muffled crying somewhere. I follow the sound to a storage room. I see Rarity crying. In front of her, is a dress that she once made for me. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash waves goodbye to that pegasus, after playing with her for the whole evening. I follow Rainbow Dash. She goes directly to her cloud home. She closes the door and all the windows. She goes to her bedroom, takes a picture album from a desk, and jumps on her bed. She slowly flips through the pages, and starts to cry. I get closer and take a look. I see a picture that we took together. -*-*-*- It is past midnight. The lights are still on at Pinkie Pie's room. I enter it to take a look. Pinkie Pie is seated in the middle of the room, her mane flat. She stares without blinking at a spot on a blank wall. She stays still for many minutes. A single tear forms in the corner of her eye. -*-*-*- “She will come back, won't she?” Twilight Sparkle hugs Spike. “No, Spike. That does not happen. You have to be strong.” “Fluttershy...” -*-*-*- Twilight Sparkle is in the middle of the street, looking at Rose, who is tending to her flowers. “What are you looking at, Twilight?” asks Applejack. “I was thinking...” “About what?” “I miss Fluttershy.” “Everypony misses her, sugarcube.” “Did you stop to think why?” “I don't follow you.” “Do you see that pony taking care of the flowers?” “Yeah.” “Fluttershy took care of the animals. But she did not take care only of the animals. Whenever somepony was in distress, she was always there to help. “She took care of everypony. It did not matter who it was. It did not matter how many wrong things anypony had done. She always helped with a smile. “She did not just take care of the garden in front of her house. You could say that the whole town was her garden.” My vision is blurred by my tears. I want to run and hug you, Twilight, but I can't. I thought I had lost you all! -*-*-*- My friends are at a picnic together with Spring Egg. I roam the streets alone, humming a happy tune. I see a little unicorn colt, who is playing with a kite in the middle of the street. A gust of wind pushes the kite, entangling it with a high tree branch, near the roof of a house. To retrieve the kite, the colt climbs the tree. Careful, little one, that's dangerous! EmpathyI watch the events unfold in slow motion. The little unicorn colt climbs the tree to retrieve his kite. As he grabs the kite, he loses his footing. He holds onto the kite. The kite rips in half, and he falls backwards. I jump to catch him. He passes through my body. I turn and watch his head hit the stone pavement with a cracking sound. Behind me, somepony screams. -*-*-*- The little colt's body splits into two identical copies. One copy remains immobile on the ground, a pool of liquid forming below it. The other copy stands up, and walks away without looking back. Many ponies with shocked expressions surround the immobile colt. I follow the other one, who does not notice the commotion. -*-*-*- We are now far away from the place where the accident happened. The little colt rubs his eyes, as if waking up from a dream. I land in front of him. “Are you all right?” He blinks. “What is your name?” “Pebble.” “My name is Fluttershy. Nice to meet you.” “Where am I?” “You don't know?” He pauses to think. “No.” Tears form in the corner of his eyes. “Why are you crying?” “I don't know.” I hug him with my wing. “It's okay, Pebble. You do not have to be sad.” He continues to cry. “Do you want to play a game?” He looks at me. “A game?” “Close your eyes, and count to ten. I will hide while you count, and you have to find me.” He nods. “Now, close your eyes.” “One, two, three, ...” I go behind the nearest tree, making sure that the tip of my tail is visible. “..., nine, ten.” I do not have to wait long before he pokes me. “Found you!” “Let's try again. This time, I will hide better.” “One, two, three, ...” I hide behind a conveniently placed barrel. This time, I make sure that the top of my mane is visible. “Found you!” -*-*-*- I play many foal games with Pebble to distract him from his situation. He is happier now. We go for a walk around the town, talking about the many small things that we see. There are less ponies than usual, but it does not bother me. “Fluttershy, I'm hungry!” We are passing in front of a cotton candy seller. “You cannot eat that, Pebble.” “Why not?” “I do not have any money.” I have an idea. “Listen, Pebble. Close your eyes.” He closes his eyes. “Imagine you are holding a big, sweet candy apple.” He nods. “Now you take one small bite. You feel the sweet taste filling your mouth. “You take a larger bite. You feel the taste of the apple. You eat it slowly, one bite at a time.” Pebble keeps his eyes closed for a minute. Then he opens his eyes. “It was delicious!” “I'm glad you liked it, Pebble.” “What will we do now, Fluttershy?” “Do you want to see Ponyville from above the clouds?” “Can you do that?” “Of course I can. I'm a pegasus. I can carry you with me.” I let him climb between my wings, and take off. He screams with joy as the wind rushes past our bodies. I fly around the town. I show him the rivers, the fields, the forests. I take care to not fly above the Everfree Forest, but other than that, there is no place we can't go to. I show him the multicolored waterfalls. I show him the Ponyville dam. I fly him to the cave where I once faced a dragon. I show him many, many other things. -*-*-*- We rest on a fluffy cloud floating above the town. It seems that Peeble doesn't know that unicorns can't walk on clouds. He is perched on the edge of the cloud, looking at the view below. “Do you like the view?” “It's so pretty. I'm glad to have met you, Fluttershy.” I smile as he runs to the other side of the cloud, and looks down. “There are so many ponies there!” I walk there to look too. “Why is mommy crying?” I look. Far below us, a small crowd surrounds a single small coffin. I take Pebble in my hoofs. “You have to be strong now.” He nods. I hold onto him as I glide there. I show him what is in the coffin. It seems he understands. He goes toward his mother, and hugs her hoof silently. He comes toward me, his eyes wet. I lower myself to the ground, and we hug. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” And with that, he is gone. SacrificeI entered the forest through a wide path. The treetops filtered the sunlight. The cold wind made me shiver. I was afraid. The path was long. I walked cautiously, always on the lookout for Everfree Forest beasts. I walked for at least a full hour. Many times, I hid behind bushes when animals were passing by. The path narrowed. I continued following my map. While I was passing near a particularly dense set of bushes, I heard crying. It sounded like ponies crying. I carefully walked towards the sound, ready to fly away if I saw any danger. Behind a bush, I saw a pair of foals hugging each other, and crying. I made a small sound with the bush, so as to not startle them too much. Both foals raised their heads, and looked at me. “Are you lost?” Both foals nodded. They were a couple of earth ponies, around the same age. “Do you want to come with me? I know how to get out of this forest.” Both foals nodded again. They stood up, and walked towards me. I wiped the tears from their faces with my hoof. “Feeling better now? What are your names?” “I'm Winter Leaf,” answered the colt. “And I'm Summer Leaf,” answered the filly. “I'm Fluttershy,” I said. I walked with them back into the path I was following. “I have first to go deeper into the forest, to get a medicinal herb. Then we can go back. Are you two okay with that?” Both foals nodded. I walked, followed by them. “What were you two doing alone in this dangerous forest?” Winter Leaf answered, “We didn't know it was dangerous.” “How come you didn't know about that?” Summer Leaf answered, “We are not from this town. We are on vacation.” “Vacation?” “We live on Manehattan,” said Winter Leaf. “Mom decided to visit a rural town, and chose Ponyville.” “She must be worried about us. She left us playing on the park, and we decided to explore the town.” “We found a bakery, and a nice pony there gave us some cake.” “We saw a house within a tree!” “A friend of mine lives on that house. And it is also a library. When we get back, I can take you there.” “Cool! Do you think they have the latest Daring Do book? I didn't read it yet,” said Winter Leaf. “She has the complete collection.” “It's as if we are in a real Daring Do adventure! Fluttershy and the lost twins!” said Summer Leaf, jumping and making poses. “Shh! Don't speak so loud, we do not want to attract dangerous animals.” They shut up and looked nervous. “It's okay to talk, just not too loud.” The terrain became irregular. The howling wind shook the leaves around us. I looked at the map. “We are close now. We will get to this clearing, then we will take another path for a bit, and there we should find the medicine that I'm looking for.” The forest was calmer here. We walked slowly, stepping over the rocky terrain. We arrived at the clearing. We rested for a bit, and I shared some of my food and water. I looked for the trail marked on the map. It was not easy, but I found it. As I looked back to call for the foals to follow me, I saw something big move behind them, just outside the clearing. “RUN!” They jumped out of the way in the nick of time, as a large mass of rocks smashed the middle of the clearing, kicking up a cloud of dust. The twins ran to my side. The dust cleared, revealing a large deformed body made solely of large rocks. The rocks were not attached to each other, they only touched. I gulped. I knew what I had to do. I took off my saddlebags, and gave them to Summer Leaf. “I will distract it. You two run as far as you can, back the way we came. Be careful to not get lost. Use the map to get out of the forest. After you are safe, I will fly to escape.” I spread my wings and walked slowly towards the creature. Its rocks moved independently, changing its shape. With each step I took, the creature changed its shape again. Without warning, it attacked. I was expecting it. With a strong flap of my wings, I leaped backwards, at the same time shouting a command to the foals. Each of them ran to a different side of the clearing, and both met behind the creature while I dodged another attack. I smiled when I saw the blue colt and the green filly disappear in the distance. Now it was only me and the creature. I flew as high as the dense canopy of trees allowed me to, and prepared to leave the clearing in a dive, trading height for speed. I didn't expect the creature to be able to leap that far, or that fast. In fact, it was not a leap. The stones, bound together solely by magic, were able to float. The creature hit me in the back, flinging me into the ground. -*-*-*- I did not know what that creature was. I did not know what it was doing there. I did not know who made it. Perhaps some unicorn, back in the age of myths, created it for some task, long lost in the mists of time. Perhaps the wild magic of the Everfree Forest animated some common rocks, giving them the breath of life. Perhaps it was some strange kind of animal, one yet unknown to ponykind. It did not matter. My body could not move anymore. The creature lost interest and went away, crushing tree branches as it left the clearing. I was alone. I thought of my friends. I thought of my animals. I closed my eyes. I felt cold. ReconciliationI am not alone anymore. I know what I was doing at the Everfree Forest that day. I gave my life to save the life of others. Spring Egg stole my home. She stole my animals. She stole my love. But she could not steal my friends, no matter how hard she tried. I leave the crowd behind, and fly towards my house. -*-*-*- I enter my house through the closed door. I'm happy to see that all my animals are healthy. Well, perhaps a bit overfed. I look carefully at each one. I notice the small telltale signs of good quality care on all of them. Except Angel, so knowing him he is probably still not letting her touch him. I smile at that thought. Spring Egg opens the door, and enters my house. Followed by Script Letter. Both are making small talk with a wide open smile. What does he see in her? Some of the animals line up in front of her, waiting for food. She pets them, goes to the kitchen, gets a box of generic pet food, and gives it to them. That is not the correct amount of food for this hour of the day. Spring Egg and Script Letter walk to the bedroom on the upper floor. She gets closer to him and puts her wing over his back. You two are disgusting! I leave the house, not bothering to use the door. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash is sitting on a cloud, thinking. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Spring Egg approaches him. “Want to fly around?” “Sure!” They fly fast over the town. Rainbow Dash is much faster, of course. She waits for Spring Egg over a distant cloud. When Spring Egg arrives, Rainbow Dash asks her: “I have been thinking. Why do you like flying around with me so much?” “Why not? It's fun, isn't it?” “I always get the feeling that it's not the whole story.” “Come on, Rainbow Dash, don't be such a grump.” She turns around. “Last one to get to that cloud has to pay the other a sundae,” she says as she takes off. -*-*-*- “Stay still...” Rarity puts a set of pins on the dress Spring Egg is modeling for her. “There! It's perfect!” Spring Egg moves a bit. Rarity pauses to think. “What are you thinking about, Rarity?” Rarity is startled from her daydream. “Oh, it's nothing.” She takes off Spring Egg's dress. “Let's try another one.” -*-*-*- I follow Spring Egg as she arrives at my house. She bought some different vegetables at the market, and I'm curious about what she will do with them. She gets a bowl from the kitchen, and makes a salad with the vegetables. She goes to the living room, where Angel is at a corner resting. She delicately pushes the bowl towards Angel. Angel kicks the bowl, as I watch smiling. She collects the contents of the bowl, and tries again. Angel punches her. She looks at Angel. Her eyes start to water. She falls to the ground, crying loudly. Script Letter, who was seated on the sofa writing a novel, stands up. “I can't! I just can't!” “What is it, dear?” He embraces her. “Fluttershy was amazing. She could tame any creature. And I? I cannot tame even a bunny! “Her friends told me that she tamed a manticore. She frightened a dragon. She stared down a cockatrice. If I saw any of these, I would run away in fear. “Her friends loved her. I can see that they are in pain. I want to help them. I try to take their minds off the pain. But I can't. It does not matter what I try. The moment I get away from them, they are hurting again. “I go flying with Rainbow Dash. She is one of the fastest flyers in Equestria. Do you know what Twilight told me? That once, Fluttershy flew faster than Rainbow Dash. “I can model for Rarity. But I cannot compare with Fluttershy. I was told that she once was a fashion model. Do you think a pony as plain as me could do it? “And I'm bad even at doing her work. I found a sick ferret, and I had no idea how to cure him! He died in my hoofs! I'm sure that Fluttershy would know what to do! “All my training, all my experience at the zoo, and what good did it do? It was all for nothing! Why did Celestia choose me? Why didn't she choose somepony else? Somepony who could actually do their work? Somepony who could actually help Fluttershy's friends?” Script Letter hugs her tighter. “It's all right, dear. You do not have to replace her.” “I'm not trying to replace her. I'm trying to be worthy as her successor. I'm trying to be someone that her friends can depend on. I'm trying to make them happy again. But I'm failing at everything.” “That's not true, dear. Do you remember what you told me about the first time you met her friends?” She nods. Script Letter continues to talk. “Twilight Sparkle had not slept for days. Rarity had lost her inspiration. Rainbow Dash did not talk to anyone. “Is that how they are now? They are better, aren't they? They will not get back to their former selves in an instant. Wounds take time to heal. If you can be a balsam to their wounds, even if it does not help as much as you want, you will have done good enough. Fluttershy would be proud of you for at least trying to help her friends.” She continues to cry, while he strokes her mane. Angel comes near them, and pets her. -*-*-*- I thought she had stolen my house. I thought she had stolen my animals. I thought she had stolen my friends. I thought she had stolen my love. I was wrong. I hug them tight. I know that they cannot feel me, but it does not matter. Celestia gave her my house, which I had no use for anymore. She was only trying to take care of my animals. She was only trying to help my friends. She did not know Script Letter was my love. I was blind. -*-*-*- She wakes up. The morning sun shines through the window of our house. Our little birds are playing a happy tune. She gets out of the bed, careful to not wake up her love. She goes to the dresser, and brushes her mane. She goes down to the kitchen, to greet another beautiful day. Family“Where should I put this cloud, Rainbow Dash?” “Move it over there. I want to free up space for those other two.” I sit together with Spring Egg on the park, watching Rainbow Dash work. “Hey sugarcube, want an apple?” Applejack is pulling a cart filled with apples. She tosses one to Spring Egg, who catches it. “Do you want an apple too, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack tosses the apple upwards, and Rainbow Dash dives towards it, taking it with her mouth. Spring Egg and I clap together at Rainbow Dash's performance. Twilight Sparkle arrives carrying a small saddlebag, which she gives to Spring Egg. “Celestia already sent you the money for the next month.” “Thanks! How are things going?” “Better. Luna has been helping me with the nightmares.” “It wasn't your fault, and you know it.” “Yes, but even then I still feel guilty.” “Hey girls!” Pinkie Pie arrives, wearing a ridiculous imitation of pegasus wings. “I decided to do a party today, and you all have to come!” “A party?” asks Spring Egg. “Yes! I call it the ‘last chapter party’! To celebrate Script Letter finishing the last chapter of the first novel he wrote here at Ponyville!” Spring Egg blushes. “Of course I will go!” -*-*-*- The party was fun as usual. It is late at night when us three return to our home. All the way back, Spring Egg and Script Letter exchange glances. I'm happy for them. We arrive, and Angel is waiting for them at the door. Spring Egg makes a special salad for him, which he devours. Spring Egg gets close to Script Letter, and puts her wing over his back. They walk slowly to their bedroom. I smile, and leave the house, to give them some time alone. I sit by the stream in front of our house, watching the moon and the stars. As the morning sun rises, I go to their bedroom. I stroke Spring Egg's mane, while she calmy sleeps next to her love. For some reason, I feel a bond to her. -*-*-*- Several days pass. Today, Spring Egg is going to the spa together with Rarity. They meet in front of the Carousel Boutique. As they walk to the spa, Rarity asks her: “Have you been putting on weight?” Spring Egg giggles. “I'm having a bit of a sweet tooth these last few days.” “Pinkie Pie does that to ponies, doesn't she? I lost count of how many times I had to go on a diet after one of her parties.” “Yes, since her last party I have been sneaking to Sugarcube Corner every day to buy some unhealthy food.” They laugh as we arrive at the spa. -*-*-*- I still like to watch the daily lives of the ponies around me. Sometimes, I follow Spring Egg as she goes around the town, as she does her daily tasks, helps others with their animals, hangs out with our friends, or just goes on a stroll alone. Other times, I go alone, wandering all over the town. I see many different ponies, doing many different things. This time, I'm watching the clouds. They are so pretty. They have so many different shapes. I see one cloud which looks like a unicorn. That other one looks like a milkshake with a straw. And that one looks like a fish. A fish on a cloud, that sounds funny, don't fish swim only on the rivers and lakes? That one looks like a book. That one is an apple. That one is a doughnut. That one does not look like anything. It looks like a cloud. It should be nice to sleep on a cloud. I see a pretty pegasus, with a rainbow-colored mane, pushing the clouds around. I would love to play with her when I grow up. -*-*-*- The young ponies are playing with hoops. They put the hoops around their bodies, and make them spin. I want to play too. One of the ponies gets ice cream. The ice cream looks tasty. The pony licks the ice cream. I want to eat ice cream too. -*-*-*- I watch the fillies toss the ball. I run after the ball. I cannot catch the ball. The filly gets the ball. The filly tosses the ball to the other filly. I run after the ball. The teacher calls us to the class. The fillies drop the ball. The fillies follow the teacher. I follow the teacher. -*-*-*- She is with the white unicorn and the pink pony. The orange pony gives them an apple. They eat the apple. -*-*-*- -*-*-*- “You two must be so proud!” “She's so pretty!” “She is going be my new flying buddy!” “It's Fluttershy! She's back!” “Don't be silly, Pinkie! That does not happen!” “She's my filly! Our filly!” Mama! Author's Note This story is dedicated to my late father.
LonelinessI do not know what I am doing here. The treetops filter the sunlight. It is dark, and cold. I am afraid. The wind makes howling noises while passing through the tree branches. I start walking. I do not want to get caught by an Everfree Forest beast. The wind shakes the leaves around me. The terrain is irregular. There is no trail here. I do not know where to go. The trees are scary. Their branches look like claws. I try to walk in a straight line. I do not want to get even more lost. I carefully step over a large tree's roots. How long have I been walking? I see movement ahead. I hide behind a bush. A large animal passes by. It did not see me. I wait to make sure it is gone. I resume walking. The terrain is easier now. I see a path. The path is dark, and cold. I choose a direction on the path. How long have I been walking? The path gets wider. I see sunlight. I walk faster. I exit the forest. I am near my house. I fly towards it. -*-*-*- My house is a mess. All the furniture has been upturned. The animals are all over the place. Some of them are fighting. “Are you all hungry?” They ignore me. I go to my kitchen to get them some food. There are boxes of food all over the kitchen. There is no food left. It looks like my animals ate all of it while I was away. I hear a knock on the door. “Fluttershy, are you there?” “I'm here, Rainbow Dash!” “Is there anypony home?” I fly towards the door. “Just a moment!” Out of the window, I see Rainbow Dash flying away. I follow her. -*-*-*- “She wasn't there, Twilight!” “I am worried. Pinkie is saying that something bad is going to happen.” “Girls? I'm right here.” “I will keep looking for her.” “Thanks, Rainbow.” “Twilight? Can't you see me? Can't you hear me?” Rainbow Dash flies away. “What's going on?” I say. “Twilight?” She does not react, even when I wave my hoof in front of her eyes. I decide to go to Sugarcube Corner. Perhaps Pinkie Pie can help me. I find Pinkie Pie in front of the bakery. Her whole body is shaking. “Pinkie? Can you see me? Pinkie?” She ignores me, and continues shaking. “Can anypony see me,” I yell to all the ponies walking on the street. Nopony answers. I walk in front of a passing pony. “Can you see me?” I try with another pony. “Can you see me?” I try with another. “Can you see me?” I sit in the middle of the street, dejected. “Why is everypony ignoring me?” -*-*-*- I see Rarity entering the Carousel Boutique, and follow her. “Please, Rarity, can you help me? Everypony is ignoring me. Is it something that I did? Did I do anything wrong?” She does not answer. Humming, she goes to a shelf and examines several rolls of fabric. She pauses for a moment on a green one, and continues. I sigh, and exit the Carousel Boutique. My last hope is Applejack. -*-*-*- “Please, Applejack. Tell me what I did, that was so bad that the whole town is ignoring me.” She kicks another tree. Many apples fall in the buckets arranged around her. She moves the buckets towards the next tree, aims at the correct spot, and kicks it. “Please, Applejack. Please. Please. Please...” I cry. Even then, she still ignores me, and continues to work on the trees. “Applejack!” Rainbow Dash lands next to her. “Did you see Fluttershy anywhere?” “No, I didn't. Why? Is something wrong?” “Nopony has seen her since before yesterday. Her house is a mess. Twilight is worried, and Pinkie has been shaking nonstop.” Applejack jumps at the last part. “Pinkie sense?” “Yeah, it is creeping me out too. Last time that happened, you guys faced a hydra, right?” Applejack abandons her work and runs towards the town, followed by Rainbow Dash. I fly after them. “If Pinkie is twitching, and Fluttershy disappeared, it must mean that something happened to Fluttershy!” “Girls? I'm right here. What is going on?” -*-*-*- They arrive at the library. Twilight is nervously walking in circles, while Rarity and Spike try to calm her. Pinkie Pie is still shaking, in a corner of the room. “Thank Celestia you two arrived. Any news?” “Nothing,” answers Rainbow Dash. “We have to find her. Does anypony have any piece of information, no matter how small it might look like?” “Last time I saw her was before yesterday at the market. She was buying some food,” says Applejack. “Yeah, that was when I last saw her too,” says Twilight. “The same for Rarity and Spike. Rainbow met her when she was leaving the market. She was walking in the direction of her home. There is nothing odd or unusual.” “What do we do, Twilight?” asks Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash, you went to her home. What did you see there?” “I knocked on the door, but nopony answered. So I looked through the window. The animals took over the house, Twilight. They broke all the furniture, and they are angry!” “They are not angry, they are just hungry! And they did not break anything, they just moved it a little out of place. Why does nopony listen to me?” I say. “So she has not been there recently. Fluttershy would not let her animals behave like that,” says Twilight. “If Fluttershy did not go to her house, where did she go?” asks Rarity. “I have no idea,” says Twilight, walking in circles. “I talked with the Mayor, and asked her to tell the whole town to look for Fluttershy. If anypony saw her after she came back from the market, we will know. Then we will at least know where to start looking for her.” Pinkie Pie stops shaking. She runs to the door and opens it, surprising the Mayor, who has her hoof raised in preparation to knocking on the door. She enters, and Twilight closes the door behind her. She clears her throat. “We found her.”
SadnessI follow them. Outside the library, more ponies join the group. Nopony says anything. Twilight asks for more details, but the Mayor does not answer. They go towards the Everfree Forest. They enter the forest through a wide path. The unicorns in the group lighten the way with their magic. The path is long. Above them, the trees block the sunlight. The cold wind makes them shiver. The path narrows. The group is now walking single file. I fly above them. Twilight is getting impatient. “Please, Mayor, tell me what happened to her!” The Mayor looks away from Twilight, and does not answer. The terrain is now irregular. Some of the branches around the path are broken. They arrive at a small clearing, where more ponies are waiting. The Mayor and her group stop at the edge of the clearing, and she gestures for Twilight to enter. She enters, followed by Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. I follow behind them. Twilight freezes when she sees what is in the middle of the clearing. She runs towards it, followed by the others. I follow them. In the middle of the clearing, I see myself. -*-*-*- I woke up. The morning sun shined through the window. My little birds were playing a happy tune. I yawned. I got out of my bed. I went to my dresser, and brushed my mane. I went down to my kitchen and prepared a nutritive breakfast for myself. After eating it and brushing my teeth, I prepared a special breakfast for all my animals, with the food that I had bought at the market the previous day. I gave breakfast to each one of my little animals. The ferret was still sick. I was getting worried. -*-*-*- “Wake up, Fluttershy! Wake up!” Spike is shaking my body, trying to wake me up. Am I dead? The Mayor and her group enter the clearing. Gently, they lead each of my friends out of the clearing. The path back to Ponyville is long, dark, and cold. -*-*-*- All the citizens of Ponyville are here. My body is within an ornamented coffin, filled with many kinds of flowers. The coffin is open, covered only with a thin white veil. “Why? Why did she have to die? She was so young!” Rarity is making a scene, wearing an elegant black dress, and crying into a handkerchief. She is not the only one wearing an elegant black dress. She worked all night to make five matching black dresses. The pegasi also worked hard to clear the sky. There is no cloud in sight. One by one, each pony approaches my body, says something to it, and goes back to their place in the crowd. I hover over my body, to listen to what they say. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh approach my body. “Now you say goodbye to her,” says Applejack to Apple Bloom. “I'm sorry for that time I made a big mess in your house. If you hadn't saved us, I would be a stone statue today.” “Fluttershy, you were a very good friend. You were a beam of light to our lives with your kindness. I'm sad to see you go. Goodbye, Fluttershy.” Big Macintosh says nothing. He is always the quiet one. He only sheds a single tear, and goes back with Applejack and Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash approaches my body, her face completely hidden by the veil of her dress. She whispers to me, “I liked hanging out with you. Goodbye.” Pinkie Pie approaches my body. Below the dress she is wearing, her normally poofy mane is completely flat. She says nothing; instead, she lifts a corner of the veil covering the coffin, and puts three deflated baloons in the middle of the flowers. She stays for a few more moments, and goes back to near Mr. and Mrs. Cake. In the middle of the crowd, I notice Celestia and Luna, both wearing very elegant old-fashioned black dresses. Rarity approaches the coffin, prodded by her sister. She cries loudly. “You are the best friend that I have! You are an inspiration to everypony! How can we live without you?” Suddenly, she faints. Nurse Redheart drags her away from the coffin. “Sorry for my sister. Thanks for everything you did for us. Goodbye.” Sweetie Belle goes back to her sister, now awake and crying again. I see Celestia talking to Twilight Sparkle, and fly to them to hear what they are saying. “Why did she have to die?” asks Twilight. “The birth of a pony, and the death of a pony, are the greatest mysteries of nature. I have seen both happen many, many times, Twilight Sparkle. But even with all my experience, this never gets any easier.” “She was one of the first friends I ever had. She was one of the ponies who taught me the magic of friendship. And now... she is gone. She is...” Twilight loses her voice, tears streaming through her face. Celestia tenderly embraces her and Spike with her wing. I see Luna at the edge of the crowd, crying silently. I fly back to the coffin. A mare who I do not know is there, together with her two foals, a green filly and a blue colt. “Many thanks. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done.” Many other ponies approach my body. They apologize for the times they did bad things to me, thank me for the times I helped them, and say their goodbyes, each in their own way. Finally, Twilight Sparkle comes near the coffin, followed by Celestia, Luna, and Spike. She looks at my body tearfully, whispers “Goodbye,” and turns to the crowd. “When I first came to Ponyville, I did not know the meaning of friendship. In this town, I met five friends, who taught me all that I now know about it. They are Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. “Today, one of them is no longer among us. I believe that all of us who are here today had their lives touched by her sweetness, by her gentleness, by her kindness. What she left us will be with us for our whole lives. “Rest forever, my good friend. Goodbye.” Two ponies get the lid of the coffin, and nail it in place. They lift the coffin, and carry it to a hole they dug in the ground. Using a pair of ropes, they lower it slowly, while all the ponies watch. They throw a shovelful of soil over the coffin. Then another, and another, and another. Slowly, the coffin is covered, and the hole filled. They place a stone in front of the hole. In it is written my name. Fluttershy. Rest in peace.
KindnessMy house is a mess. It is now two days since I was buried. The animals have not been fed. They broke all the furniture, and they are angry. They do not see me. They do not hear me. I cannot touch anything. I pass through anything that I try to touch. Two days ago, I did not notice. When I left my house, and later Rarity's house, I did not open the door. I sit on a corner of my living room, watching my animals fight each other for scraps of barely edible food. I hear hoofsteps outside. I see the door open. A pegasus enters carefully, laden with two pairs of overflowing saddlebags. I don't recall seeing her before. She has a white coat, a light blue mane, and green eyes. Angel is the first to attack her. He punches her and tries to steal one of her saddlebags. She calmly pushes him away with her hoof, which he promptly bites. “You are hungry, aren't you? Here, have a snack.” She opens one of the saddlebags on her other side, and pulls out a box of generic pet food. She is in trouble now. Angel does not like that brand of pet food. To my surprise, Angel accepts it. Before she has a chance to react, she is attacked by all the other animals. They savagely take the saddlebags from her, rip them open, and fight among themselves for their contents. “Please, don't fight. There is more than enough for everyone.” The animals ignore her, focused only on the food. Angel looks at her, kicks her, and joins the fight. One by one, the animals leave the fight, having eaten enough food to lessen their hunger. In the end, all that is left is pieces of cardboard from the pet food boxes, and parts of the destroyed saddlebags. The animals now aggressively surround her. Angel grabs a part of one of the food boxes, points at it, and taps his foot. “Do you want more?” Angel nods. “But I don't have any more. You ate everything that I brought.” The animals get closer to her. A few of them bare their fangs. Angel points again at the box piece, glares at her, and taps his foot. “Is it all right if I go to the market now to buy more food for you all?” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. “Can I take that as a yes?” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. “I'm going then. Please behave yourselves while I'm not here.” Angel continues to glare at her and to tap his foot. She opens the door, and retreats cautiously through it. I decide to follow her. She flaps her wings, checks them for damage, and takes off. I notice her cutie mark, which is a simple bird nest. She does not go to the market. Instead, she goes directly to Twilight's library. She knocks on the door. Twilight answers, her eyes red from crying. “Who is it?” “Are you Twilight Sparkle?” “Yes.” “My name is Spring Egg. Celestia sent me to take care of this town's animals.” So, she is my replacement. “I saw the letter.” “Are you all right? You do not seem well.” “No, I'm fine.” Twilight, have you been crying all this time? “May I come in?” “Sure. I will tell Spike to make us some tea. Spike!” “Coming.” I don't recall ever seeing Spike so down. He walks morosely to the door, and asks Twilight what she wants. Spring Egg is surprised at seeing Spike. “Celestia didn't tell me that I would meet a baby dragon.” “Yeah, I hatched him.” She comes in. Before they are seated, Spike is already back with the tea. I have no idea how he can prepare it so fast. I seat myself too. Not that it matters. “Celestia told me that the first thing to do when I arrive at this town, after feeding the starving animals, should be to meet Fluttershy's friends.” You didn't finish feeding them. You said you would go to the market. “She was the kindest, gentlest pony who ever lived. I'm not sure how we will live without her.” “Could you tell me more about her?” Twilight speaks about me to Spring Egg for hours. She cries a lot. Spring Egg only listens, at times asking small questions to encourage Twilight to continue with the story. Spring Egg gives Twilight a warm wing in the moments when she is too emotional to continue. She is my friend, not yours. After the stories finish, Twilight is calmer. She gives Spring Egg a small saddlebag, and Spring Egg leaves. I follow her. She doesn't go to the market. Instead, she asks for directions to the Carousel Boutique. “May I come in?” The Carousel Boutique is a mess. Incomplete designs are strewn all over the room. In the corner, Rarity is working on her sewing machine. “Sorry about the mess. I have not been in the mood to organize it lately. What can I help you with?” Before giving Spring Egg a chance to answer, she is already taking her measurements. “Oh dear, what happened here near your wing root?” She pokes a spot, making Spring Egg give her a pained look. “It's nothing. Just a scratch.” “That is not ‘just a scratch’.” Rarity pokes it again, leading to another pained look. “If you don't fix it right away, you will end up with an ugly scar. How did that happen?” “A saddlebag accident.” “Only if your saddlebags have claws. Go see Nurse Redheart now.” “I don't have the time for that. I have to meet the rest of Fluttershy's friends.” Rarity pauses at the mention of my name. “I will not take a ‘no’ for an answer.” She drags Spring Egg with her magic. -*-*-*- “It didn't take long, did it? Now, you were talking about Fluttershy...?” “Celestia sent me to care for this town's animals. She told me to talk to Fluttershy's friends.” “So Celestia sent you?” “Yes, I worked at the Canterlot zoo. Yesterday, she told me personally that they needed someone to take care of the animals at Ponyville, and that I should immediately transfer to here permanently. She said that I was the best qualified pony for this mission.” So far, you are doing a bad job at it. “Who did you meet already?” “Only Twilight Sparkle and you. I still have to talk to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.” “Applejack should be working on her farm. It's a large apple orchard, around this direction. Rainbow Dash has been sulking at her cloud home, it's around this direction. And Pinkie Pie lives at the Sugarcube Corner, it's a bakery around this direction, but you might meet her when you least expect. She's a bit unpredictable.” “Many thanks. I will meet you later.” -*-*-*- “So, Celestia sent you to take care of Fluttershy's animals.” Applejack gives the tree a well-aimed kick. “And she also said that I had to talk to all of her friends.” “I can see why she did that.” Applejack pushes the apple buckets towards the next tree. “I lost my parents some time ago, but for the rest of her friends, it was the first time that they had to face that kind of loss. They need somepony to listen to them. Specially Twilight. That girl has been hit real hard.” Applejack stops her work. “Her death left us with a hole in our hearts. Perhaps she has sent you to fill that hole.” She sent you to steal all my friends. -*-*-*- “Do you think you can take her place?” “That's not what I said, Rainbow Dash. I...” “Yeah, that is not what you said. That is what you meant. You come to me all innocent-like, ‘Celestia sent me to take care of her animals. Celestia sent me to talk to her friends.’ You. Are. Not. Fluttershy. Go away before I kick you out.” Spring Egg goes away from Rainbow Dash's cloud home. I follow her. At least one of my friends still defends me. -*-*-*- Spring Egg arrives at the Sugarcube Corner. The store is dark. I know where this is going. She enters, and is greeted by the usual newcomer welcoming party. Pinkie Pie can be so predictable at times. What surprises me is how she managed to drag even Rainbow Dash to the party. Rainbow Dash does not look at Spring Egg, pretending that she does not exist. “Welcome! To! Ponyville! When I saw you flying around, I just thought, ‘hey, someone new to the town!’ And you know what that means? It means that we do not know you, and if we do not know you, it means that you are new here, and if you are new here, that calls for a newcomer party! We have not had a party since—” Pinkie Pie stops, staring at the wall. She stays still for a few seconds. “—and you know, Twilight says that she has already met you, and that Celestia sent you, so it means we are already friends! Isn't it exciting?” THEY. ARE. NOT. YOUR. FRIENDS. -*-*-*- Spring Egg excuses herself from the party, saying that she has to go to the market before it closes. You should have done it sonner. First, she buys a new pair of saddlebags. Then, she buys several kinds of food. The money that she uses comes from the saddlebag that Twilight Sparkle gave her. In a corner of the market, she meets a shady-looking pegasus, who gives her a heavy cart covered with a tarp. She goes to my home, pulling the cart. She leaves the cart outside, and carefully opens the door. “Please, form a line.” The animals are calmer. She feeds them, one by one. Only Angel rejects her food. While the animals eat, she puts the broken furniture in place. She then goes outside, takes her personal belongings from the cart, and moves them inside. THIS IS MY HOUSE! THIS IS NOT YOUR HOUSE! She notices something. She looks, and finds a ferret, who is struggling to breathe. -*-*-*- It was past noon. The ferret was getting worse. The reference book that I consulted about the disease mentioned a cure. It was an herb, which could only be found deep within the Everfree Forest. I made a decision. I filled my saddlebags with a map, food, and water. I went into the forest. -*-*-*- There is a new grave on my backyard. The intruder cries for an animal that she did not have the chance to know.
LoveIt is now three days since the usurper invaded my home. I can only watch as she takes over everything that is mine. She somehow managed to befriend almost all of my animals. Only my loyal Angel still rejects her attempts. She keeps trying to take my place with my friends. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity already accepted her, and forgot all about me. Rainbow Dash still rejects her, but she is insistent. I don't know for how long will Rainbow be able to resist. As for Pinkie Pie, she is a mystery. She considers everypony a good friend, and I don't know when she will forget me, or if she already did. Speaking of Pinkie Pie, I hear her characteristic trot outside my front door. That pegasus opens the door, with her fake innocent smile. Pinkie Pie gives her an invitation for another newcomer welcome party, and leaves. -*-*-*- The party is boring as usual. Spring Egg tries again to charm Rainbow Dash. Happily, she fails. Rainbow just turns her head and flies away. She then goes towards Pinkie Pie, who is chatting with the newcomer, probably to attempt to poison them both against me. The newcomer is a gorgeous unicorn stallion. His strong light brown body is topped by a well-groomed dark brown mane. His dark brown eyes are like two precious stones. In front of them, a gleaming pair of glasses showcases his intelligence. His cutie mark, a quill and a scroll, reflects his chosen profession. -*-*-*- To this day, I still do not know how Rarity managed to convince me to come with her on that shopping trip to Canterlot. I was walking on the street, watching the displays, when I accidentally ran into that unicorn. “I'm so so sorry. I wasn't paying attention,” I said. “I'm sorry too. It was me who wasn't paying attention.” He helped me stand up. We looked at each other. We went our separate ways. That night, I could not sleep. I could only think of that moment, frozen in my mind. His beautiful dark brown eyes. -*-*-*- “What has gotten into you, Fluttershy? You are more distracted than usual.” “Sorry.” “Here, hold these for me too. I have to check this new fabric store.” She added more weight to my already full saddlebags. I did not care, because next to the store, I saw him, sitting alone on a desk, wearing his glasses, studying a menu. I gathered all of my courage, and sat in front of him. He raised his beautiful eyes from the menu, and looked directly at me. I wished time would freeze at that instant. “I'm sorry for the other day.” How much I had longed to hear that voice again! “Do you want a drink as an apology?” He passed me the menu. I quickly ordered a simple blend of coffee. As if destiny itself was telling me that we were meant for each other, he had ordered the exact same kind of coffee. We talked for a long time, while drinking that single cup of coffee. He told me that he was a novelist. I told him about my work with the animals at Ponyville. He paid for our drinks and left, saying that he had a meeting with his editor. I stayed there. Rarity arrived, carrying a single roll of fabric and complaining about the prices. -*-*-*- “Why did you decide to come to Ponyville?” asks Spring Egg. “I have been having trouble coming up with new ideas,” answers my love, Script Letter. “My editor suggested that a change of scenery could help. For some reason, Ponyville came to my mind.” I drink every word that he pronounces. On the other hoof, Spring Egg's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. “I'm here for work. My predecessor had an accident, and I was sent here as a replacement.” You were sent here to steal my place. Fortunately, the Mayor decides that it is a good time to make sure that she gets two more votes on the next election. As always happens when she does that, each one gives her a lame excuse and goes to a separate direction. I vigilantly watch over Script Letter for the rest of the party. He does not talk to anypony else. In the distance, Spring Egg continues to steal my place with my friends, and makes two more attempts to talk to Rainbow Dash. -*-*-*- It is now four days since the usurper invaded my home. She is so bad at managing the amount of food she uses to bribe my animals, that she has to go to the market to buy more. While we fly there, I see Script Letter sitting on a desk in front of a coffehouse, drinking coffee and taking notes on a notepad. Spring Egg changes her direction, and lands in front of him. Weren't you going to buy food? “Good morning.” “Good morning,” answers my love, barely looking up from his notepad. “I hope I'm not interrupting you.” “It's not a problem. I'm out of ideas at the moment.” He puts his notepad down, and looks at Spring Egg with his beautiful brown eyes. “Our talk yesterday was interrupted, wasn't it?” “Yes, you were talking about your work here in Ponyville.” They talk for more than an hour. Spring Egg tells him about the animals that she stole from me. Script Letter tells her about some of the novels that he wrote. She even orders the same simple blend of coffee that he is drinking. Finally, she decides to say that she has to go. She doesn't go to the market. Instead, she goes after Rainbow Dash, who is flying around. Weren't you going to buy food? -*-*-*- “Not you again!” “Please, Rainbow Dash, I just want to watch! I won't interrupt your work.” Rainbow Dash sighs, defeated. “All right, you win. I'll let you watch me work. But just this time. Just. This. Time.” -*-*-*- It is now ten days since the usurper invaded my home. She stole my house. She stole my animals. She stole my friends. She stole my love. Every morning, she meets him at the coffeehouse. She orders the same thing that he orders. They talk, for hours, about nothing in particular. Today, she invites him to her house. To meet her animals. My house. My animals. I can't stand this anymore. I take one last look at the house where I lived so many happy moments. I take one last look at the animals who I cared for since their birth. I go away, without looking back.
FriendshipI do not have a home anymore. I roam the streets of Ponyville. I do not have to eat or sleep. I see animals I cannot help. I see ponies I cannot talk to. I see my friends. I see the sun rise and set many times. I am alone. -*-*-*- The only thing left for me to do is to watch the daily lives of the ponies around me. I watch as they wake up, greeted by the morning sun. I watch as they open their windows, inhaling the cool morning air. I watch as they savor their first meal of the day. Each day, I choose a pony to follow. Each one is different. Each one is special. Each one reminds me of what I lost. -*-*-*- Today, I decide to go to Sugarcube Corner, and watch Pinkie Pie. She is behind the counter, selling something to another pony. “Two bits, please.” The pony gives her the coins, which she slides into a small drawer. While the customer leaves, she absent-mindedly shuffles all the items from the leftmost tray at the counter to the rightmost tray. Another pony enters the store, and asks for a couple of doughnuts. Pinkie Pie gets the payment, takes two doughnuts from below the counter, and gives them to the pony. She absent-mindedly moves all the items from the rightmost tray to the leftmost tray. Twilight Sparkle, together with Spike, enter the store and greet her. “Hey, Pinkie! How are you going?” “Just fine, Twilight!” While she says that, she is moving all the items from the leftmost tray to the rightmost tray. I see that pegasus enter the store. I decide to watch somepony else. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash has forgotten all about me. She only plays with that pegasus now. I watch as she works with the clouds above Ponyville. She efficiently pushes each one to their designated position. Every time any of her coworkers talks to her, she angrily answers with monosyllabic words. That pegasus is coming this way. I give up watching Rainbow Dash for today. -*-*-*- Applejack is at her apple stand on the market. The apples she is selling would be delicious, if I were able to eat them. Many ponies come and go. Each one has something to buy, or to sell. The apples on my friend's stand slowly go away. That pegasus decides to buy something on the market. I do not care what it is, and I am not going to look. -*-*-*- At Twilight's library, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are returning a heavy book. “Here's the book we borrowed, Twilight. It didn't help us get a metalworking cutie mark,” says Apple Bloom. “Do you girls want to try another book?” “No, we won't need a book for our next attempt.” I would love to hear what they are coming up with this time. However, that pegasus is flying to this place. -*-*-*- Rarity is using that pegasus as a model. They often go to the spa together. They talk, they laugh. I see Rarity waving goodbye to that pegasus in front of Carousel Boutique. As that pegasus flies away, Rarity goes inside, locks the door, and closes all the curtains. For some reason, I decide to look. Walls are not an obstacle to me. The Carousel Boutique is dark. I hear muffled crying somewhere. I follow the sound to a storage room. I see Rarity crying. In front of her, is a dress that she once made for me. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash waves goodbye to that pegasus, after playing with her for the whole evening. I follow Rainbow Dash. She goes directly to her cloud home. She closes the door and all the windows. She goes to her bedroom, takes a picture album from a desk, and jumps on her bed. She slowly flips through the pages, and starts to cry. I get closer and take a look. I see a picture that we took together. -*-*-*- It is past midnight. The lights are still on at Pinkie Pie's room. I enter it to take a look. Pinkie Pie is seated in the middle of the room, her mane flat. She stares without blinking at a spot on a blank wall. She stays still for many minutes. A single tear forms in the corner of her eye. -*-*-*- “She will come back, won't she?” Twilight Sparkle hugs Spike. “No, Spike. That does not happen. You have to be strong.” “Fluttershy...” -*-*-*- Twilight Sparkle is in the middle of the street, looking at Rose, who is tending to her flowers. “What are you looking at, Twilight?” asks Applejack. “I was thinking...” “About what?” “I miss Fluttershy.” “Everypony misses her, sugarcube.” “Did you stop to think why?” “I don't follow you.” “Do you see that pony taking care of the flowers?” “Yeah.” “Fluttershy took care of the animals. But she did not take care only of the animals. Whenever somepony was in distress, she was always there to help. “She took care of everypony. It did not matter who it was. It did not matter how many wrong things anypony had done. She always helped with a smile. “She did not just take care of the garden in front of her house. You could say that the whole town was her garden.” My vision is blurred by my tears. I want to run and hug you, Twilight, but I can't. I thought I had lost you all! -*-*-*- My friends are at a picnic together with Spring Egg. I roam the streets alone, humming a happy tune. I see a little unicorn colt, who is playing with a kite in the middle of the street. A gust of wind pushes the kite, entangling it with a high tree branch, near the roof of a house. To retrieve the kite, the colt climbs the tree. Careful, little one, that's dangerous!
EmpathyI watch the events unfold in slow motion. The little unicorn colt climbs the tree to retrieve his kite. As he grabs the kite, he loses his footing. He holds onto the kite. The kite rips in half, and he falls backwards. I jump to catch him. He passes through my body. I turn and watch his head hit the stone pavement with a cracking sound. Behind me, somepony screams. -*-*-*- The little colt's body splits into two identical copies. One copy remains immobile on the ground, a pool of liquid forming below it. The other copy stands up, and walks away without looking back. Many ponies with shocked expressions surround the immobile colt. I follow the other one, who does not notice the commotion. -*-*-*- We are now far away from the place where the accident happened. The little colt rubs his eyes, as if waking up from a dream. I land in front of him. “Are you all right?” He blinks. “What is your name?” “Pebble.” “My name is Fluttershy. Nice to meet you.” “Where am I?” “You don't know?” He pauses to think. “No.” Tears form in the corner of his eyes. “Why are you crying?” “I don't know.” I hug him with my wing. “It's okay, Pebble. You do not have to be sad.” He continues to cry. “Do you want to play a game?” He looks at me. “A game?” “Close your eyes, and count to ten. I will hide while you count, and you have to find me.” He nods. “Now, close your eyes.” “One, two, three, ...” I go behind the nearest tree, making sure that the tip of my tail is visible. “..., nine, ten.” I do not have to wait long before he pokes me. “Found you!” “Let's try again. This time, I will hide better.” “One, two, three, ...” I hide behind a conveniently placed barrel. This time, I make sure that the top of my mane is visible. “Found you!” -*-*-*- I play many foal games with Pebble to distract him from his situation. He is happier now. We go for a walk around the town, talking about the many small things that we see. There are less ponies than usual, but it does not bother me. “Fluttershy, I'm hungry!” We are passing in front of a cotton candy seller. “You cannot eat that, Pebble.” “Why not?” “I do not have any money.” I have an idea. “Listen, Pebble. Close your eyes.” He closes his eyes. “Imagine you are holding a big, sweet candy apple.” He nods. “Now you take one small bite. You feel the sweet taste filling your mouth. “You take a larger bite. You feel the taste of the apple. You eat it slowly, one bite at a time.” Pebble keeps his eyes closed for a minute. Then he opens his eyes. “It was delicious!” “I'm glad you liked it, Pebble.” “What will we do now, Fluttershy?” “Do you want to see Ponyville from above the clouds?” “Can you do that?” “Of course I can. I'm a pegasus. I can carry you with me.” I let him climb between my wings, and take off. He screams with joy as the wind rushes past our bodies. I fly around the town. I show him the rivers, the fields, the forests. I take care to not fly above the Everfree Forest, but other than that, there is no place we can't go to. I show him the multicolored waterfalls. I show him the Ponyville dam. I fly him to the cave where I once faced a dragon. I show him many, many other things. -*-*-*- We rest on a fluffy cloud floating above the town. It seems that Peeble doesn't know that unicorns can't walk on clouds. He is perched on the edge of the cloud, looking at the view below. “Do you like the view?” “It's so pretty. I'm glad to have met you, Fluttershy.” I smile as he runs to the other side of the cloud, and looks down. “There are so many ponies there!” I walk there to look too. “Why is mommy crying?” I look. Far below us, a small crowd surrounds a single small coffin. I take Pebble in my hoofs. “You have to be strong now.” He nods. I hold onto him as I glide there. I show him what is in the coffin. It seems he understands. He goes toward his mother, and hugs her hoof silently. He comes toward me, his eyes wet. I lower myself to the ground, and we hug. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” And with that, he is gone.
SacrificeI entered the forest through a wide path. The treetops filtered the sunlight. The cold wind made me shiver. I was afraid. The path was long. I walked cautiously, always on the lookout for Everfree Forest beasts. I walked for at least a full hour. Many times, I hid behind bushes when animals were passing by. The path narrowed. I continued following my map. While I was passing near a particularly dense set of bushes, I heard crying. It sounded like ponies crying. I carefully walked towards the sound, ready to fly away if I saw any danger. Behind a bush, I saw a pair of foals hugging each other, and crying. I made a small sound with the bush, so as to not startle them too much. Both foals raised their heads, and looked at me. “Are you lost?” Both foals nodded. They were a couple of earth ponies, around the same age. “Do you want to come with me? I know how to get out of this forest.” Both foals nodded again. They stood up, and walked towards me. I wiped the tears from their faces with my hoof. “Feeling better now? What are your names?” “I'm Winter Leaf,” answered the colt. “And I'm Summer Leaf,” answered the filly. “I'm Fluttershy,” I said. I walked with them back into the path I was following. “I have first to go deeper into the forest, to get a medicinal herb. Then we can go back. Are you two okay with that?” Both foals nodded. I walked, followed by them. “What were you two doing alone in this dangerous forest?” Winter Leaf answered, “We didn't know it was dangerous.” “How come you didn't know about that?” Summer Leaf answered, “We are not from this town. We are on vacation.” “Vacation?” “We live on Manehattan,” said Winter Leaf. “Mom decided to visit a rural town, and chose Ponyville.” “She must be worried about us. She left us playing on the park, and we decided to explore the town.” “We found a bakery, and a nice pony there gave us some cake.” “We saw a house within a tree!” “A friend of mine lives on that house. And it is also a library. When we get back, I can take you there.” “Cool! Do you think they have the latest Daring Do book? I didn't read it yet,” said Winter Leaf. “She has the complete collection.” “It's as if we are in a real Daring Do adventure! Fluttershy and the lost twins!” said Summer Leaf, jumping and making poses. “Shh! Don't speak so loud, we do not want to attract dangerous animals.” They shut up and looked nervous. “It's okay to talk, just not too loud.” The terrain became irregular. The howling wind shook the leaves around us. I looked at the map. “We are close now. We will get to this clearing, then we will take another path for a bit, and there we should find the medicine that I'm looking for.” The forest was calmer here. We walked slowly, stepping over the rocky terrain. We arrived at the clearing. We rested for a bit, and I shared some of my food and water. I looked for the trail marked on the map. It was not easy, but I found it. As I looked back to call for the foals to follow me, I saw something big move behind them, just outside the clearing. “RUN!” They jumped out of the way in the nick of time, as a large mass of rocks smashed the middle of the clearing, kicking up a cloud of dust. The twins ran to my side. The dust cleared, revealing a large deformed body made solely of large rocks. The rocks were not attached to each other, they only touched. I gulped. I knew what I had to do. I took off my saddlebags, and gave them to Summer Leaf. “I will distract it. You two run as far as you can, back the way we came. Be careful to not get lost. Use the map to get out of the forest. After you are safe, I will fly to escape.” I spread my wings and walked slowly towards the creature. Its rocks moved independently, changing its shape. With each step I took, the creature changed its shape again. Without warning, it attacked. I was expecting it. With a strong flap of my wings, I leaped backwards, at the same time shouting a command to the foals. Each of them ran to a different side of the clearing, and both met behind the creature while I dodged another attack. I smiled when I saw the blue colt and the green filly disappear in the distance. Now it was only me and the creature. I flew as high as the dense canopy of trees allowed me to, and prepared to leave the clearing in a dive, trading height for speed. I didn't expect the creature to be able to leap that far, or that fast. In fact, it was not a leap. The stones, bound together solely by magic, were able to float. The creature hit me in the back, flinging me into the ground. -*-*-*- I did not know what that creature was. I did not know what it was doing there. I did not know who made it. Perhaps some unicorn, back in the age of myths, created it for some task, long lost in the mists of time. Perhaps the wild magic of the Everfree Forest animated some common rocks, giving them the breath of life. Perhaps it was some strange kind of animal, one yet unknown to ponykind. It did not matter. My body could not move anymore. The creature lost interest and went away, crushing tree branches as it left the clearing. I was alone. I thought of my friends. I thought of my animals. I closed my eyes. I felt cold.
ReconciliationI am not alone anymore. I know what I was doing at the Everfree Forest that day. I gave my life to save the life of others. Spring Egg stole my home. She stole my animals. She stole my love. But she could not steal my friends, no matter how hard she tried. I leave the crowd behind, and fly towards my house. -*-*-*- I enter my house through the closed door. I'm happy to see that all my animals are healthy. Well, perhaps a bit overfed. I look carefully at each one. I notice the small telltale signs of good quality care on all of them. Except Angel, so knowing him he is probably still not letting her touch him. I smile at that thought. Spring Egg opens the door, and enters my house. Followed by Script Letter. Both are making small talk with a wide open smile. What does he see in her? Some of the animals line up in front of her, waiting for food. She pets them, goes to the kitchen, gets a box of generic pet food, and gives it to them. That is not the correct amount of food for this hour of the day. Spring Egg and Script Letter walk to the bedroom on the upper floor. She gets closer to him and puts her wing over his back. You two are disgusting! I leave the house, not bothering to use the door. -*-*-*- Rainbow Dash is sitting on a cloud, thinking. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Spring Egg approaches him. “Want to fly around?” “Sure!” They fly fast over the town. Rainbow Dash is much faster, of course. She waits for Spring Egg over a distant cloud. When Spring Egg arrives, Rainbow Dash asks her: “I have been thinking. Why do you like flying around with me so much?” “Why not? It's fun, isn't it?” “I always get the feeling that it's not the whole story.” “Come on, Rainbow Dash, don't be such a grump.” She turns around. “Last one to get to that cloud has to pay the other a sundae,” she says as she takes off. -*-*-*- “Stay still...” Rarity puts a set of pins on the dress Spring Egg is modeling for her. “There! It's perfect!” Spring Egg moves a bit. Rarity pauses to think. “What are you thinking about, Rarity?” Rarity is startled from her daydream. “Oh, it's nothing.” She takes off Spring Egg's dress. “Let's try another one.” -*-*-*- I follow Spring Egg as she arrives at my house. She bought some different vegetables at the market, and I'm curious about what she will do with them. She gets a bowl from the kitchen, and makes a salad with the vegetables. She goes to the living room, where Angel is at a corner resting. She delicately pushes the bowl towards Angel. Angel kicks the bowl, as I watch smiling. She collects the contents of the bowl, and tries again. Angel punches her. She looks at Angel. Her eyes start to water. She falls to the ground, crying loudly. Script Letter, who was seated on the sofa writing a novel, stands up. “I can't! I just can't!” “What is it, dear?” He embraces her. “Fluttershy was amazing. She could tame any creature. And I? I cannot tame even a bunny! “Her friends told me that she tamed a manticore. She frightened a dragon. She stared down a cockatrice. If I saw any of these, I would run away in fear. “Her friends loved her. I can see that they are in pain. I want to help them. I try to take their minds off the pain. But I can't. It does not matter what I try. The moment I get away from them, they are hurting again. “I go flying with Rainbow Dash. She is one of the fastest flyers in Equestria. Do you know what Twilight told me? That once, Fluttershy flew faster than Rainbow Dash. “I can model for Rarity. But I cannot compare with Fluttershy. I was told that she once was a fashion model. Do you think a pony as plain as me could do it? “And I'm bad even at doing her work. I found a sick ferret, and I had no idea how to cure him! He died in my hoofs! I'm sure that Fluttershy would know what to do! “All my training, all my experience at the zoo, and what good did it do? It was all for nothing! Why did Celestia choose me? Why didn't she choose somepony else? Somepony who could actually do their work? Somepony who could actually help Fluttershy's friends?” Script Letter hugs her tighter. “It's all right, dear. You do not have to replace her.” “I'm not trying to replace her. I'm trying to be worthy as her successor. I'm trying to be someone that her friends can depend on. I'm trying to make them happy again. But I'm failing at everything.” “That's not true, dear. Do you remember what you told me about the first time you met her friends?” She nods. Script Letter continues to talk. “Twilight Sparkle had not slept for days. Rarity had lost her inspiration. Rainbow Dash did not talk to anyone. “Is that how they are now? They are better, aren't they? They will not get back to their former selves in an instant. Wounds take time to heal. If you can be a balsam to their wounds, even if it does not help as much as you want, you will have done good enough. Fluttershy would be proud of you for at least trying to help her friends.” She continues to cry, while he strokes her mane. Angel comes near them, and pets her. -*-*-*- I thought she had stolen my house. I thought she had stolen my animals. I thought she had stolen my friends. I thought she had stolen my love. I was wrong. I hug them tight. I know that they cannot feel me, but it does not matter. Celestia gave her my house, which I had no use for anymore. She was only trying to take care of my animals. She was only trying to help my friends. She did not know Script Letter was my love. I was blind. -*-*-*- She wakes up. The morning sun shines through the window of our house. Our little birds are playing a happy tune. She gets out of the bed, careful to not wake up her love. She goes to the dresser, and brushes her mane. She goes down to the kitchen, to greet another beautiful day.
Family“Where should I put this cloud, Rainbow Dash?” “Move it over there. I want to free up space for those other two.” I sit together with Spring Egg on the park, watching Rainbow Dash work. “Hey sugarcube, want an apple?” Applejack is pulling a cart filled with apples. She tosses one to Spring Egg, who catches it. “Do you want an apple too, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack tosses the apple upwards, and Rainbow Dash dives towards it, taking it with her mouth. Spring Egg and I clap together at Rainbow Dash's performance. Twilight Sparkle arrives carrying a small saddlebag, which she gives to Spring Egg. “Celestia already sent you the money for the next month.” “Thanks! How are things going?” “Better. Luna has been helping me with the nightmares.” “It wasn't your fault, and you know it.” “Yes, but even then I still feel guilty.” “Hey girls!” Pinkie Pie arrives, wearing a ridiculous imitation of pegasus wings. “I decided to do a party today, and you all have to come!” “A party?” asks Spring Egg. “Yes! I call it the ‘last chapter party’! To celebrate Script Letter finishing the last chapter of the first novel he wrote here at Ponyville!” Spring Egg blushes. “Of course I will go!” -*-*-*- The party was fun as usual. It is late at night when us three return to our home. All the way back, Spring Egg and Script Letter exchange glances. I'm happy for them. We arrive, and Angel is waiting for them at the door. Spring Egg makes a special salad for him, which he devours. Spring Egg gets close to Script Letter, and puts her wing over his back. They walk slowly to their bedroom. I smile, and leave the house, to give them some time alone. I sit by the stream in front of our house, watching the moon and the stars. As the morning sun rises, I go to their bedroom. I stroke Spring Egg's mane, while she calmy sleeps next to her love. For some reason, I feel a bond to her. -*-*-*- Several days pass. Today, Spring Egg is going to the spa together with Rarity. They meet in front of the Carousel Boutique. As they walk to the spa, Rarity asks her: “Have you been putting on weight?” Spring Egg giggles. “I'm having a bit of a sweet tooth these last few days.” “Pinkie Pie does that to ponies, doesn't she? I lost count of how many times I had to go on a diet after one of her parties.” “Yes, since her last party I have been sneaking to Sugarcube Corner every day to buy some unhealthy food.” They laugh as we arrive at the spa. -*-*-*- I still like to watch the daily lives of the ponies around me. Sometimes, I follow Spring Egg as she goes around the town, as she does her daily tasks, helps others with their animals, hangs out with our friends, or just goes on a stroll alone. Other times, I go alone, wandering all over the town. I see many different ponies, doing many different things. This time, I'm watching the clouds. They are so pretty. They have so many different shapes. I see one cloud which looks like a unicorn. That other one looks like a milkshake with a straw. And that one looks like a fish. A fish on a cloud, that sounds funny, don't fish swim only on the rivers and lakes? That one looks like a book. That one is an apple. That one is a doughnut. That one does not look like anything. It looks like a cloud. It should be nice to sleep on a cloud. I see a pretty pegasus, with a rainbow-colored mane, pushing the clouds around. I would love to play with her when I grow up. -*-*-*- The young ponies are playing with hoops. They put the hoops around their bodies, and make them spin. I want to play too. One of the ponies gets ice cream. The ice cream looks tasty. The pony licks the ice cream. I want to eat ice cream too. -*-*-*- I watch the fillies toss the ball. I run after the ball. I cannot catch the ball. The filly gets the ball. The filly tosses the ball to the other filly. I run after the ball. The teacher calls us to the class. The fillies drop the ball. The fillies follow the teacher. I follow the teacher. -*-*-*- She is with the white unicorn and the pink pony. The orange pony gives them an apple. They eat the apple. -*-*-*- -*-*-*- “You two must be so proud!” “She's so pretty!” “She is going be my new flying buddy!” “It's Fluttershy! She's back!” “Don't be silly, Pinkie! That does not happen!” “She's my filly! Our filly!” Mama! Author's Note This story is dedicated to my late father.
