The Shimmering Marsh Between Life and Death
A butter yellow-coated pegasus mare galloped through the depths of a dark forest. Though her long, pink mane covered her face, it did nothing to hide the tears that seeped past her teal eyes as they gracefully fell onto the ground that her equally long tail touched upon. The distress painted on her face removed her consciousness from the immediate surroundings as small branches with verdant leaves scraped the sides of parts of her body, including the image of a trio of pink butterflies shown on her flank. Yet, she felt nothing. She continued to gallop along the beaten, dirt path and didn’t care where it led her.
As she progressed deeper into the forest; the gentle hoots from the owls slowly turned towards harsh caws from the crows until loud, unidentifiable noises drowned out the ambience. She still did not flinch in the slightest as the tears streamed down her face and her legs shuffled forward at the same, consistent speed. Slowly, but surely, the air became thick with brilliant energies of cool colors emanating from the ground as it became the guiding light in the darkness. This time, the mare’s speed slowed down at the sudden change of scenery before her; not only was the very air lit up, but the trees exuded an unearthly, phosphorescent glow of soft white. The hard earth underneath her hooves felt softer than the path that she trekked on previously. Her face contorted from utter sadness to curiosity.
“Is this still… Everfree?” She quietly asked to herself. The seemingly endless thicket of the forest reached its end as an opening appeared in the horizon. “What have you gotten yourself into now Fluttershy?” Fluttershy stated as she slowly approached the thicket’s end. What was revealed on the other side of the thicket stole her breath away; the entire ground appeared to be lit up in a luminescent shade of purple, the cool-colored energy that seeped from the ground exploded in rainbow-colored wisps of energy that danced around the area and the branches of the blue trees had nodes that lit up like trees during Hearth’s Warming. However, the biggest difference of all was that the area was a large, sparkling swamp that was a host for a mangrove of leafless trees that touched the sky. Yet, at the same time, the trees did not drown out the central view of the swamp and the sky was as open as if it were on the plains. Fluttershy slowly walked up to a dead log on the water’s edge as she looked upwards and saw an ethereal swirl of stars and stardust painted behind the shining, white moon in the purple night sky. Her heart swelled with excitement as the frown on her face slowly weakened down into a smile.
“This place is beautiful, is it not Fluttershy?” A regal voice said beside her right side. As Fluttershy turned her head towards that direction, her eyes were greeted by a dark, sapphire blue-coated alicorn mare with a dark, ethereal mane that sparkled like the night sky. Her aquamarine eyes flashed with authority and a mark of a crescent moon surrounded by dark clouds was depicted on her flank. She was adorned in black, metallic shoes and regalia. “I must commend your ability in locating this area. Not many ponies know of its location and even fewer would dare enter into its depths.”
“Princess Luna? What are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Fluttershy asked out of genuine curiosity. Princess Luna turned her head towards her out of acknowledgement. A content smile slowly etched onto her face.
“I come here on occasions to ruminate on my long life. I bore witness to good fortunes… and bad tidings. I have gained many things but I have equally lost as many things, including my own self.” She somberly stated. “It isn’t by mere coincidence that you just happened to stumble upon this place dear Fluttershy. It is said that those who come to the Shimmering Marsh do so to reflect upon after a major, life-changing event. What is your reason for wandering out of Ponyville so late during this time?” She asked. Fluttershy’s face crested downwards as sadness filled her heart.
“Angel…” She muttered out before the tears underneath her eyes built up again. “He was such a good bunny to the very end…” Her tears drowned out what other words would have been built up in her heart.
“You don’t have to say anymore Fluttershy. I would like to peer into your memories if you do not object.” Princess Luna asked in a mix of concern and understanding. The rain from Fluttershy’s eyes weakened as she nodded in acknowledgement. Princess Luna’s long horn became enveloped in a dark blue aura as she pointed its tip towards the center of Fluttershy’s forehead. “If you wish for me to stop, you say the word and I shall end my foray into your memories.” She said in a gentle but authoritative tone.
“Alright Princess.” Fluttershy responded bravely. The aura around Princess Luna’s horn traveled up towards the point between the tip and the forehead. A blue flash of light exploded.
The sun cast its glow onto the cragged earth below with little to no interference from clouds as the sky was just an ocean blue. Both Princess Luna and Fluttershy stood side by side as they looked upon a tall, cragged cliff side.
“This can’t be…” Fluttershy worded out in shock of the familiar location.
“This location and memory has a special link to your heart. For that reason, I was able to bring this up with little difficulty. Now, let the events you bore witness to be unveiled.” Princess Luna stated as carefully as possible. In the distance, Fluttershy and a small, white and beady-eyed rabbit respectively walked and hopped along the canyon floor. This Fluttershy looked upon the rabbit and smiled.
“Thank you for coming with me Angel Bunny.” She said with a praising tone. Angel Bunny frowned and gave a disinterested sigh. “I don’t normally bring you along on this kind of trip, but the terra root only grows in cragged locations along the cracks of cliffs. You're the only animal I could trust with this.” As Fluttershy said this, Angel Bunny smacked his forehead with his white paw. “I’ll look over here. You can look around this area. If you need me for any reason, be sure to squeak loudly, but not too loudly. We don't want to cause a rockslide.” She directed as she walked over to a different part of the cliff.
Angel compliantly rummaged around the cliff side in an annoyed fashion. Though there were a few minutes of digging around, an aquamarine, slender root appeared with little trouble. Angel Bunny smiled as he placed both paws on the stem and tugged hard on the root. Sounds of strain were evident as Angel Bunny grunted with each tug. However, his efforts were rewarded with a loosening of the root from the ground. As the root was pulled out of the ground, he grinned widely. He squeaked triumphantly.
“Angel Bunny, is that you?” Fluttershy stated as she ran over into the area with a concerned expression. Angel Bunny had a stupid grin on his face as he hopped out of the hole he dug and proudly held the terra root in his paw. However, his squeaks of triumph caused the cliff side to rumble slightly before a sizeable rock fell from the top. Fluttershy looked upwards with a horrified expression as the rock headed in a trajectory of Angel Bunny, who blindly hopped towards her.
“Angel Bunny! Look out, stop!” Fluttershy screamed as loudly as she could muster. Angel Bunny looked upwards. The brilliant color on his face dulled as he saw the rock head down towards him. He jumped out of the way and prevented his body from being crushed. Unfortunately, the rock smashed onto his left foot and crushed it. Angel Bunny’s nerves screamed loudly in pain as he got caught underneath the rock. “Angel!” Fluttershy shouted as she rushed over towards Angel Bunny. Fluttershy began to push the rock off of Angel Bunny’s foot.
“Don’t worry Angel, I’ll get this rock off of your foot as quickly as I can.” She said hurriedly. Despite its size, the rock was surprisingly difficult to move. As Fluttershy checked the impact area, she noticed that the rock had dug at least an inch into the ground. Before she had the time to plan her next move, she heard several more rumbles from the top of the cliff side. As she looked upwards, her heart drowned in distress as several larger rocks rained down from the sky and down onto the area where both Angel Bunny and she were at. Angel Bunny looked upwards and frowned. He looked towards Fluttershy, who desperately tried to remove the rock as quickly as she possibly could. Angel Bunny put his paws on Fluttershy’s side and pushed her away. “Angel, what are you doing?!” Fluttershy said in utter confusion. Angel pointed towards the end of the canyon and chucked the terra root a good distance away from himself.
“Please Angel! Don’t sacrifice yourself just to preserve the root. What am I going to do without you?!” Fluttershy pleaded loudly as she went back to Angel Bunny and tried to remove the rock. Angel Bunny chattered angrily before he grabbed Fluttershy’s leg with his paws. Out of pure selflessness, he shoved Fluttershy with enough force to move her out of the trajectory of the impending rocks. Key parts of his life flashed before his eyes; he bore witness to his own birth and the brutal slaughter of his parents and other brothers that were born alongside him. He then saw how Fluttershy found him and picked him up. Afterwards, he saw all the misadventures he had himself involved in along with all the trouble he caused.
“Those were the good times.” He thought to himself. “I can't say that I could make it to Elysium. I've been way too vain and self-centered in this life to be given eternal paradise. Still, the rocks are going to fall soon and Fluttershy won’t be able to make it in time even if she tried. At the very least, I’ll die knowing that I kept her safe. That is the only comfort I need.” As he thought this, he shut his eyes and smiled. The last thing he heard was a loud scream of distress and horror as the first rock smashed his skull and his consciousness faded away instantaneously. Back in the foreground of the memory, Fluttershy screamed and panicked.
“Take me out of here Princess Luna! Please, I don’t want to see this anymore!!!” She shouted loudly. With a wave of her horn, the world faded to white.
Fluttershy and Princess Luna were back at the Shimmering Marsh in the same exact position where they left. Princess Luna took her horn off of Fluttershy’s forehead. She had a stunned reaction on her face while Fluttershy looked away from her.
“That was… unfortunate.” Princess Luna said as sympathetically as possible.
“It all happened so quickly. I went into the caynon to save Harry but in the end I lost Angel Bunny.” Fluttershy replied in a somber tone. “I know about death; animals die in my care sometimes and some animals just pass away either from old age or injury. Angel Bunny was still a young and strong rabbit. He had his vices and even treated me horribly sometimes. Yet, I forgave him for everything because he was the closest thing I’ve had to a son. He could be a bit of a bully sometimes, but he did a really good job with keeping the order around when I was gone. Why did he have to die so quickly? How am I going to live without him?” She said in a gradually softening tone before her voice had muffled from her throat clenching. She put her head down as tears flowed from her eyes. Yet, the unexpected feeling of a large wing being draped over her body caused her to stop crying. She looked upwards as she saw Princess Luna flashing a warm smile.
“I understand where you are coming from Fluttershy. Death is such an unusual concept; nopony is ever safe from its grip. Even the strongest and healthiest of any living beings can die in an instant. It never seems like that until it happens.” As she said this, she walked over onto the wet mud where the land meets the water. She looked into the shining pool of water before her where a reflection of her own self was revealed. Her smile turned into a small frown.
“Everypony is equal in the eyes of death. Both ‘Tia and I may be immortal in the sense that we never age, but not even the two of us are guaranteed an eternity to live. We've learned to accept the inevitable. We can only give so much to our little ponies and our own cities before we have to endure the pain and suffering of losing them. Even after our regal duties, we are still only equine. We still feel sad and even depressed when those we care about pass away. Many I have cared for have passed away, by one means or another.” She closed her eyes as a single tear dropped onto the water’s edge. The water rippled from the drop’s impact. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she saw Luna’s eyes filled with sorrow. “Dear Fluttershy, I wish for you to gaze into this water and tell me what you see.” In obedience, Fluttershy walked over to the water’s edge next to Princess Luna and craned her head to look into the water.
“I see myself.” She stated with an uninterested voice.
“And that is who you will always be. A pony’s experiences are made up by the others who we hold close to in our lives. We share laughs and tears with them until the end comes. Even then, we always keep on growing because our relations to others allow us to. Let nothing happen that will change who you are dear Fluttershy.” Princess Luna said as her frown lightened up into a small smile.
“No matter what happens in my life, I will always be myself. I shouldn’t let grief change me just because sad things that happen.” Fluttershy said optimistically in realization.
“Now you understand. We should not allow our lives to stop because another life we hold dear to us has ended. We still are alive and we still carry the memories of those who have passed on. Through our own memories of the deceased, they still live on inside of our hearts. I’m sure that Angel Bunny is alive in your own heart as well.” Princess Luna said resolutely.
“I hadn't thought about it like that. Angel may be gone, but he still is alive in my heart.” Fluttershy repeated in a happier tone. She moved her head up from the water’s edge and directed it towards Princess Luna by her side. “It was not a coincidence that the two of us happened to appear in this area Princess. Thank you for your words of wisdom.” She gratefully stated.
“T’was our pleasure to accompany thee Fluttershy. Though it is late, you may remain here as long as you need to mourn over your companion. I’ll be here if you wish to go back home.” Princess Luna offered.
“I was hoping I could walk back home alone. I realize that Everfree Forest is especially dangerous during the night, but walking through it also helps to clear my mind. I think I'll stay here a bit longer though. It’s a wonderful place to reflect on the experiences I’ve had.” Fluttershy said with a soft smile as she looked upon her reflection again. Princess Luna slowly closed her eyes.
“Thou art truly a kind soul Fluttershy. Thou listened to our woes and sorrow attentively. Thy kindness and mannerisms remind us of another in our past that was precious to us.” She thought to herself. “Thou art correct Flower Field. Thou hath passed on, but promised thy return in the future as another.” With these final thoughts in her head, Princess Luna’s horn flashed before she disappeared in a blue light.
Fluttershy wandered down the path of the Everfree. The brilliant energy slowly dissipated the deeper she entered into the thicket. Just as she walked towards the clearing home, she heard a soft scratch from the interior of the area. She turned around and swiveled her head left and right.
“Who’s there?” She stated timidly. This time, she heard a small mewl that came from the same direction as the scratch. She slowly wandered over to the source of the noise behind a bush. As she peered into the shrub, she gasped in surprise. Within the roots of the bush nestled a newborn porcupine with white spines and a fleshy, pink body. His eyes were still closed, but his cries echoed throughout the area. Fluttershy took her head out of the bush and looked around. “Hello? Does this porcupette belong to anyone here?” She called out. However, her question was responded with silence. “Oh dear, this day-old porcupette is left alone to fend for himself. Porcupine parents wouldn’t do that to their own children unless…” As these words passed her mouth, the gravity of the situation caused Fluttershy to frown. The porcupette continued to cry as it was left alone in the middle of the dark. Fluttershy peered back into the roots.
“You poor thing, out here all alone?” As she said this, she gently scooped the porcupette up from the roots. The porcupette stopped crying, much to the relief of Fluttershy. “Such courage you have little one. You know, you remind me a lot of Angel when I first found him.” She said as her mouth curved into a smile. At these words, the porcupette’s eyes opened up widely, revealing his black, beady eyes. “You even have the same eyes he had.” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she contently nestled the porcupette onto her head. “I think that I’ll name you Cupid because you look as sweet as one.” She announced. Though she was unable to see it, Cupid’s frown slowly enveloped from a frown into a smile. With that, the duo left the area and headed back towards home and their future.
Author's Note
I do apologize for the long wait of putting out a fic, but my mind's been dry lately. Hopefully, you all enjoy this newest fic.
