Never To Be ForgottenView OnlineThe Death Of KindnessNever To Be ForgottenThe news hit them like an apple cart going over the normal speed. It left holes in their souls, and completely destroyed their spirits. Everypony woke up as usual, and the autumn air blew through the town. But something didn't feel right. It felt... empty. Through the day, they went about their work, chatting and laughing. But the laughter was hollow. Then, that's when it happened. A shriek came from the edge of town, and ponies rushed to help. When they got there, they found a pony running towards them. It was a filly, and all she could get out was something about Fluttershy. She was crying, so they knew something was very wrong. When they got to the house, the door was open, and they could see lights broken. What was inside brought them to tears. Fluttershy lay dead on the floor, her neck twisted at an odd angle. A small drop of blood sat by her mouth, but she had a smile on her face. Her animal friends sat in a corner, and looked at her body. Angel Bunny came up and poked her, but she wouldn't move. Angel started crying, and ran to get paper. When he came back, he gave the ponies a note. She was helping get bear's paw unstuck, but force threw her to the wall, breaking bones. Just barely alive. The mares in the group started crying, and the colts tried unsuccessfully to comfort them. But this was beyond comforting, and somepony would have to tell the other Elements. Nopony was looking forward to it. ::: Twilight sat in her home, reading her favorite book, The Shadow Over Ponymouth, when she heard a knock on her door. She was annoyed, but being a princess came with responsibilities and demands. When she opened the door, however, she knew something was wrong. Nopony usually came to her with such sadness in their faces. The colt in front spoke up. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, we regret to inform you that the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, is dying. Please come with us. And we'll need to tell the other Elemen-" Twilight didn't hear anything after he'd said that Fluttershy was gone. The statement cut through her like a rusty scythe, and she couldn't control herself now. She grabbed the colt with her magic, and threw him down. "You're lying! She wouldn't just up and die! This is some sick joke, sir, and I have half a mind to report you for releasing false information to royalty!" A mare from the back came up, and laid her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "It's true. Come see her, if you need proof. You're in denial, but just trust us." Twilight stormed out of the house, the mare in her magical grasp. "She's at her cottage, your Highness." "Shut up! I'm just Twilight to you, and stop lying!" But when she reached the house, she knew something was wrong. The door was open, which wasn't normal for the shy mare, and her house, normally buzzing with noise from her animals, was deathly silent. She stepped inside, and her heart broke. On the floor lay her friend, the epitome of kindness. Her creatures were in the corner, silent and mourning. Twilight's eyes watered, and she knelt by Fluttershy's body. She heard a gasp, and saw Fluttershy's eye open. "H-hello, Twilight." Twilight sobbed and held Fluttershy's head. "What a-are you d-doing on the f-floor? Get u-up, your animals need y-you!" Fluttershy smiled weakly. "It's okay, Twilight. I'm alright. I feel sleepy, so sleepy. Can you sing me a lullaby?" Twilight nodded. "Hush now, quiet now, time t-to lay your s-sleepy head. Hush n-now, quiet now, t-time to go to b-bed..." Fluttershy died in Twilight's arms, and she had a small smile on her face. Twilight brushed the mane out of Fluttershy's face, and curled up. The group of ponies stood back, watching. They had respect for the mares, and knew them to be close. But they knew Rainbow Dash would take it the hardest. ::: Rainbow Dash was sitting in her home, reading the latest Daring Do book. She was just getting to the bit where Daring takes the Sapphire Statue, her favorite bit, when she heard a knock on her door. This was unusual, as Pegasi normally just flew by her window. When she opened the door, she was surprised by three Pegasus mares. "Hey guys, what's up?" She knew by their faces something was wrong. "Is everything okay?" One of the mares spoke up. It was Spitfire herself. "Rainbow Dash, we regret to inform you of one Fluttershy's passing today. Twilight has been notified, as she is royalty, and she was there when she died-" Rainbow bucked Spitfire in the chest, sending the mare sprawling on her back. Her wings got stuck under, her, but Rainbow was already on top of the mare. "Why didn't you inform me when she was alive?! You better have a bucking good explanation, or I'll send you over the edge!" Spitfire looked in her eyes. "Twilight was royalty, she had to be informed first, so pull yourself together!" Rainbow flopped onto the cloud, choking back tears. Spitfire dusted herself off, looking at the mare. She hurt for the prismatic Pegasus, but she didn't know Fluttershy well enough to be truly sad. All she felt was sympathy and a small amount of sorrow, but that was it. They left Rainbow there, crying on her doorstep. ::: Applejack was bucking trees, and she was almost done. She wiped her brow, and took a small break. As she sat cooling her neck, she saw several ponies coming toward her, with somber expressions on their faces. She knew something was up before they even gave her the news. She fell to the ground, stunned. The tears came, and she curled up, not wanting to hear any more. The ponies looked at each other in acknowledgement, and went on their way to Rarity's residence. Even over by the gate they could still hear her cries. ::: Rarity was having a bad day already. She had an order for ten dresses for Sapphire Shores' next concert, and they were all much too flamboyant. It was too much for the mare, so she sat down with a glass of hay smoothie. A knock sounded from the door, and she got up. Upon opening the door, she immediately became concerned. Two unicorn mares were standing there, faces set with sorrow. "Hello there, anything I can do for you two?" The second unicorn stepped forward. "Hello, Ms. Rarity. I'm Lyra Heartstrings. I am sorry to say, but the mare known as Fluttershy has passed away today." Rarity gasped, taking one step back. "I'm quite sure you're mistaken. H-how?" Lyra laid a hoof on Rarity's. "She was helping her bear, after his paw got stuck. The force of getting him unstuck sent her to the wall, breaking her ribs. She died in Princess Twilight's arms." Rarity's eyes were watering, and tears were running freely down her face. "I-it can't be. It j-just can't b-be..." She fell to the floor, crying. Mascara ran down her face, and the ponies knew what to do. As they left, they closed the blinds and windows, allowing the designer mare some privacy. ::: Last was Pinkie Pie. The most cheerful, outgoing, and hyper of the Elements. And most likely the most delicate. Her mood swings were often violent, and she was prone to mental breakdowns. Celestia only knew how this one would take it. They trudged up to the door, and gave it a half-hearted knock. They heard singing, and the door flew open, revealing a pink, frizzy-maned mare. Pinkie Pie had a squeaky toy in her mouth, and dropped it. "Hi there, what can Pinkie do for you? How about some of my new cupcakes, they're made fresh. Don't worry, they don't contain any sort of mea... I mean, dairy products at all!" The ponies faces were sad, which in turn made Pinkie sad. "Why is everypony so depressed?" Spitfire had recovered herself, and now stepped forward. "Ms. Pinkie Pie, we're sorry to say that earlier today-" When she heard what happened, immediately she burst into tears. She fell backwards, and soon the floor was completely covered in liquid. One mare actually had to get an umbrella out. Spitfire looked at the party mare in pity, and walked away, the sobs fading into the air. Author's Note I wrote this because of the death of one of my friends. He was very sick, and wasn't eating much. He's away from his pain now, and I hope he sees me as a friend 'til the end. Before you offer support, because apparently people care, it's not necessary, though if you wish to offer it you may.
Goodbye KindnessView OnlineThe Death Of KindnessGoodbye KindnessThe final ponies to be told of Fluttershy's death were the princesses. Luna completely broke. Fluttershy was one of the first to help her, and she would forever be grateful to the mare. She had shown Luna such kindness, and she could never forget it. Princess Celestia shed a tear, knowing that without Fluttershy, they would have been defeated several times. But Luna still took it the hardest. Such kindness, such willingness to help, and it was blown away. They knew that a funeral was needed. She was an Element of Harmony, so it was the least they could do. They sent a note to the other Elements, asking for any wishes or requests she may have made. Luna had a plan, and vowed to carry it out at the funeral. But for now, she could only monitor dreams, and make sure that Fluttershy was never forgotten. ::: Twilight was alone, crying. The house was dark, and even her book did not comfort her. All she could bring herself to do was think of Fluttershy. Then, a noise sounded behind her, and Spike burped out a letter. "Why when I'm sleeping? Uugh." He went back to sleep, and Twilight read the letter. Dear Twilight, I'm extremely sorry to hear of our loss. She was a kind soul, and an important Element. I have a question concerning her last wishes. Did she say anything to you, or do you know if she wrote down her wishes before this happened? If you can find anything, please send them to me, as I wish for her to have a proper funeral. And my sister has a wish, but she's chosen to keep it to herself for now. Your teacher, Princess Celestia. Twilight knew it would be best to search for any clues of a last wish or traditional procedure, so she made a note, and drifted off to a troubled, short sleep. Her dreams were filled with Fluttershy, but they quickly switched to nightmares, showing her dead body lying on the floor. She would have a hard time sleeping. She awoke in the early morning, and set about grabbing a bag, quill, ink and paper. You never knew when it could prove useful. She lightly stepped out of the house, reveling in the cool, damp morning air. It was a few hours to daylight, and the moon shone brightly overhead. She made her way to Fluttershy's cottage, and saw the door was still open. It should make disturbing ponies less of a possibility. She was only sneaking because they might suspect her of murder, or some other crime. Of course, she was a princess, so they wouldn't normally think that. But some ponies were desperate for attention, and thought of any number of conspiracies. She went upstairs, and started searching every place she could think of. She searched for hours, and nothing came up. She sat down, exhausted. She really should have waited until morning, but she couldn't sleep anyway. But the worrying thing was if somepony caught her here. They would think she was hiding something. She had heard a noise when she sat, and looked behind her. There was a drawer she had missed. It had been covered with a cloth. She facehoofed, cursing her carelessness. She looked inside, and found a note. She unfurled it, and read. "Whoever finds this, you will know that I'm gone. You will most likely either be salvaging my property, or you're somepony looking for a will. Well, you've found it. When I'm gone, there are some things I want taken care of. My bunny Angel and my other creatures are to go to the wild, where they belong. My couch is to go to Discord, believe it or not. My pictures are to be taken to one Rainbow Dash. My children's books are to go to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity for their sisters. My dress must go back to Rarity. Pinkie Pie is to be left my favorite pair of balloon fillers. And all of my other books are for Twilight Sparkle. The rest of my belongings can go to charity or auction. This is my will, so please respect my last wishes. And my final wish is to be cremated, as is the tradition with a Pegasus death. You may do as you wish with the ashes, but you must cremate me. That's all. Twilight teared up again, and had to hold the paper away from her eyes. Emotions swam in her head. Love, sorrow, and peace all at once. Love for her friend, as all her friends, because she was so loving and kind to everypony. Sorrow at her death, because it was not yet her time. And finally peace, because at least she had known Fluttershy while she was alive. She decided to teleport back to her house, and she saw Spike up and about. "Spike, send this to Princess Celestia for me." Spike took the letter, inhaled, and sent it off. He then passed out on his bed, too tired to do anything. Twilight soon followed, and slept long and hard into the day. ::: Princess Celestia was mulling over the events of yesterday with a cup of tea. She looked into the twilight sky, and sighed. Why did it have to be Fluttershy? She heard a noise, and a letter appeared in her magical grip. Unfurling it, she saw it was Twilight's letter. Upon reading, she discovered it was Fluttershy's will. She got up and placed it in a trick book, and walked to the windowsill. She cursed herself for not thanking Fluttershy more often, but knew she could do something for ten ponies. The realm in which Twilight had become an Alicorn, was also the realm of the afterlife. She knew what she could do. She'd done it before. When the funeral was at the speeches, it was only fair she allow them to see her one last time. And she was nothing if not fair.
We'll Meet Again SomedayView OnlineThe Death Of KindnessWe'll Meet Again SomedayThe funeral of Fluttershy was a day from now. Everypony had been told, and since Celestia had powerful magic, the preparations took no time at all. Celestia even carved a coffin herself, with carvings of butterflies and flowers etched in it. It took her hours, trying to get it perfect. But nothing could compare to everything the mare had done. She had forever changed the hearts of ponies all over. And she was gone. Ponyville would most likely never recover. She may have been shy and reserved, but the whole town knew her, and they recognized her as one of their saviors. Celestia knew, tomorrow, they would not be disappointed by the funeral. She would make it perfect if it was her last action alive. ::: The rest of the Elements were all still mourning together. Rainbow Dash constantly bashed herself for not being there to help or save her, and for being a jerk to her at times. She knew that if the chance came for her to use any of her life force to bring her back, she'd do it without a doubt. Pinkie Pie didn't think she could ever be happy again. Applejack was just quietly sitting, thinking about all the times they had. And Twilight and Rarity were just trying, though unsuccessfully, to comfort each other. But they couldn't succeed, not with this. It was too painful. Tomorrow was the funeral, and they had to make their speeches. But sleep would not come tonight. ::: It was the day of Fluttershy's funeral, and everypony was putting on their best clothes. An Element of Harmony deserved the best, and that's what she was going to receive. Rarity had furiously made herself a dress, and added flower petals, twigs, and leaves to represent Fluttershy. It was black, obviously, but it had tinges of yellow and green. And at the front, by the chest area, there lay a picture of a butterfly. The other Elements had been made similar dresses. As they put them on, none of them could suppress the tears. The carriage ride to the castle was a long one, but the walk to the funeral chamber was longer. As they ascended the steps, they saw just how many ponies had come. Everyone from Ponyville was there, including Zecora. And hundreds from Canterlot came flooding in. They knew Fluttershy was a kind and helpful mare, but they never knew until now just how many ponies' lives she had affected. The funeral room was packed, and still more were coming. A dais sat at the back, and on it was a glass coffin. In the coffin, wearing white lace, was Fluttershy, eyes closed, and a smile on her face. When everyone was seated, and the majority had been quieted, Princesses Celestia and Luna stepped onto the platform. As they readied themselves to speak, Twilight hurt for Luna. She knew how much she had been affected by Fluttershy, and how much the mare had helped her. Just as she remembered Nightmare Night, the princesses spoke. "Dear ponies, we sit in this room today, to remember one very special mare. She may not have been the most social, and in fact she was quite reserved and shy, but her life affected everyone here. Her kindness, the strength she showed during several battles, and her ability to charm even the most savage creature. She did anything she could to help, but she was taken away from us in an instant. She was helping one of her creatures, a bear, get his paw unstuck, but the force of the release threw her back. She died later, but her memory will live on. "My sister was one of the most affected. Fluttershy showed her kindness when many ponies shied away from her. And for this, Luna and I are forever grateful. When Fluttershy's wishes are complete, my sister would like to perform a spell she created specifically for her. Luna, if you wish to speak?" Luna stepped forward, eyes watering. She had to drink to get her voice to work. "Citizens of Equestria, I am pleased at how many of you showed up for her funeral. She was a lovely mare, and her kindness rivaled that of many. She accepted me, albeit after some hesitation, but she accepted me and made me feel like a normal pony again. I... I can't express my gratitude to her. Her last wish was to be cremated, as is the Pegasus tradition, so the ceremony shall take place in the gardens, where she felt so at home." The ponies passed the coffin, saying their thanks and goodbyes. Mares cried, and colts shook with sorrow. Flowers, leaves, and other plants were placed by her coffin, and Rarity placed a specially made dress there. She made it for her, even though she couldn't put it on. It just felt right. They all slowly moved outside, and the coffin appeared by a cliff. Ponies cried, but many just chose to look away. They gathered around the box, and Celestia turned a knob on the back. Flames rose up, and Fluttershy's body was engulfed in flame. After it was done, Luna secretly opened the box, and magically withdrew some ashes. When they were ready, she fully opened the coffin, and the ashes of the mare blew away in the wind. As this happened, Luna aimed at the sky, and shot a magic burst. In an explosion of lights, a new constellation appeared, depicting Fluttershy, flowers in her hair. Tears ran down Luna's face, and everypony felt like a piece of themselves was missing. Kindness was never so loved by anypony else. Celestia pulled the remaining Elements aside. "If you wish, I would allow you and Luna to say your real final goodbyes." They nodded, and Celestia led them all around the side of the castle. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and they were engulfed in light. When they opened their eyes, they looked around, and saw the realm from Twilight's ascension. In front of them, slowly shimmering, stood Fluttershy, dancing around some flowers. "Fluttershy, your friends are here to say goodbye." Fluttershy turned, and gasped when she saw them all. She ran forward, and hugged them all. None of them could contain their tears now. "Girls! I've missed you all so much!" "Not as much as us! We're sorry." Rainbow Dash was sobbing out her words, and Fluttershy was trying to calm her, stroking her mane and tail. "Sssh, it's alright. I'm alright. You're here, just be glad that Celestia gave you this chance." She looked at Celestia and nodded. "Thank you for letting me see them again." "Fluttershy, for you, we would light up the night with a thousand suns. Enjoy your time with them, and here's Luna as well." Luna appeared beside Celestia, smiling through her tears. Celestia faded into the surroundings, and the seven of them were left alone. Luna hung back for now, knowing how close her friends were to her. and observed them talking. "We're going to miss you, Flutters'" Rainbow Dash said, her voice shaky. "What are we going to do without you?" Rarity and Twilight said in unison. "Girls. I'm not the only mare in Equestria you need to be concerned about. I'll be fine, just look after Angel for me, would you?" They nodded. Fluttershy smiled, and said, "I've enjoyed talking to you all again. Goodbye. I'll miss you girls." They embraced each other, and afterwards the surviving Elements faded into the background. Luna stepped forward, and Fluttershy turned to her. "Thank you both for letting me see them one last time." "It is not a concern, Fluttershy. Anything for an Element of Harmony. You know, I never forgot your kindness towards me, that Nightmare Night those years ago?" Fluttershy chuckled at the memory. "Oh yes. I remember that, when I was too afraid to even come out of my house. I apologize, by the way, for my actions that night. Paranoia and a foalhood like mine kinda shape your mind.You're not a bad mare." Luna smiled. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I must go, they'll be waiting." Fluttershy nodded, and embraced Luna. They shed tears, and Luna faded into the air. Fluttershy looked at the surroundings and, finding nopony, sighed and disappeared. ::: When Luna appeared again, she was outside the royal bedroom, on the balcony. She gazed at the sky, thinking of Fluttershy and all her achievements. She cast a light enhancing spell on her constellation, and soon Fluttershy was bright in the sky. Luna turned from the balcony, and headed to start her dream walking. Had she looked back, she would have seen Fluttershy's constellation smiling, and dancing in the sky. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you'll leave me some comments. This story is not only because my friend died, but something I wrote myself for my birth (no I was not born just now, I'm 19). So please comment, like, dislike, whatever. Hope you enjoyed, and see you, in the next story.
