Where We Left Off

by BurningMockingJay

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Death, Human, Sad, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Science Fiction, Fluttershy
Length: 5895

After his deceased 'Personal Duplicate' wife returns to him, she tries to reintegrate herself into her old life with her husband and young child.

Professor Haysworth, Ponyville's local robotics expert, built a 'Personal Duplicate' of Liam the Human's wife, Fluttershy, giving her her old life back. She was granted a second chance at life, given the original mare's memories and personality, and, after three days of returning, Fluttershy is having trouble adjusting where she left off.

She has been experiencing flashes of her old life, seeing old memories that took place between being in labour and her own death. Due to this, she has this gut feeling that draws her towards someplace haunting that leaves her questioning her existence. She asks herself, ''What am I?'', and she does this by going to where she was buried.

Published 2019-06-24 13:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-06-24 13:10:01 UTC

When a New Life is Born

Author's Note

I wasn't going to write a sequel, but, due to a few of you requesting it, I decided to give it a shot and do it. And so, here we are! I hardly ever write sequels unless it is absolutely necessary or if its intended as a part of a series, so this one is an exception.

I was going to take this in a completely different direction, but I decided against it. As always, I hope this is tailored to your liking and that it gives you a warm case of The Fuzzies. I know that it gave me that feeling when I was done writing it. Anywho, happy reading!

===============

With love, from England,

FireRain 💛

When a New Life is Born

Where We Left Off

A Story by FireRain

*** *** ***

The day maintained a melancholy of moody weather as it was accompanied by a light and gentle wind, although, despite having a biting chill, it managed to simultaneously comforting. It wasn’t too strong to be bothersome, nor was it too light to go ignored, but its presence was acknowledgeable. Up above, the blue sky was vanquished by a thick layer of soot-coloured rain clouds. The forecast was due to be rainy all week long, expected to turn into a heavy downpour.

That didn’t matter, though. The weather was’t significant at this time, nor will it ever be. In this gloomy moment, standing amongst the well-kept, green grass, Fluttershy stood still at the front of the wildlife sanctuary that she had forever dreamed and longed to build, an achievement brought through the power of friendship, those of her closest and dearest friends. It was a safe haven for any and all forms of wildlife and woodland critters, a little slice of heaven, safety, freedom and comfort. It was mostly vacant at the moment, mainly due to the animals sheltering themselves in their nests, burrows, caves, nooks and crannies in preparation for the storm.

It made her think of Harry the Bear. Harry, unlike the majority of wild bears, had a soft spot. Though a giant woodland predator, he was sweet-hearted and timid, warming up to Fluttershy in almost no time at all since their first meeting. He was really a sensitive and gentle soul, much like the mare herself, and that was why they became friends. The poor dear was probably terrified at the moment, weary about the scheduled thunder and lightning that was slowly building up. He always became a little skittish around those loud booms and crashes followed by bright, white light.

Fluttershy observed the sanctuary fondly for a moment, absorbing it, taking it all in, feeling the same sense and pride deep within her that she felt the day that her dream had come into fruition with the help of her friends. Without their invaluable assistance, nothing would have progressed past mood boards, rough drafts, sketches, development and expansion ideas that were sitting in the unused back room at her cottage, never to see the light of day. To be able to view it in front of her now, to take it all in and to admire it, she felt pride, and it made her smile. She smiled every single time that she visited the site, feeling like she had done the animals she loved, cared and held a special spot in her heart for a service, and she knew that they were grateful for her kind and warm heart.

She wanted them to have a safe oasis for generations after she was no longer around to take care of them. Sure, there would be somepony out there, at least a few, that loved animals the way that she did, but this was her own mark. And it would seem that her plans worked out as intended.

She never expected to be here for this reason, due to it being an impossibility at first, but, then again, anything is possible, isn’t it? Even the things that shouldn’t be possible, such as herself. She had come here to visit almost every day in her daily routine, but, today, this was no ordinary and innocent visit to rekindle the flame of passion and pride within her chest for seeing her greatest achievement. No, this time, she didn’t exactly have a reason. There was something deep within her, like some kind of embedded signal that was triggering off in her brain, giving her the nudge and the urge to tell her to be here. And that was all there was to it - the simple reason of just feeling the need to be here.

Fluttershy had felt it since she came back home, since she once again laid eyes on her husband and since she had met her only child. It felt like a subliminal message, the signal telling her to come here. She didn’t know why the feeling had suddenly arisen, or how it was possible, but she felt it guide her, making her feel like this was something that she had to do, even if she didn’t know what that ‘something’ was just yet. However, almost as soon as she entered the premises on which the wildlife sanctuary resided, she had discovered the reason.

She didn’t know about it, yet, somehow, she did know, having a distant and hazy sense of familiarity spark within her, coming and going in the form of flashes in front of her very eyes, a calling. It was like seeing life through the eyes of somepony else, memories that were embedded in her brain but of which were not directly experienced by her. But the one of whom she had obtained these memories from was directly in front of her, beneath her hooves.

This was where Fluttershy was buried. The real Fluttershy, that is.

She was standing in front of it now, her face void of emotion and body as still as a rock, eyes downcast and staring. Ice had formed in the back of her throat at what she was looking at, and there was this tickling feeling in her tummy, an anxiety blended with weak undertones of sadness. There, erected in front of her and sprouting up from the ground where her origin was laid to rest, was her very own tombstone. Rather than being made out of concrete like your average tombstone, this one was made out of a rich, polished black marble. Engraved upon its surface and facing the mare was her very own cutie mare, engraved through the power of unicorn magic. Beneath it was an inscription.

Here lies Fluttershy, The Element of Kindness, born July 7th, died February 23rd. Forever missed and loved by all. Loving wife to Liam the Human and mother to Shy Fly. Rest in peace.

We love you, Fluttershy. I'm going to miss you, sister. - Rainbow Dash and friends.

Our time together was short, but it was the best time of my life. - Liam.

Fluttershy didn’t speak, not having the necessary brain power to form so much as a sentence as she stared down to what was in front of her, placed thoughtfully and just for her where she could be appreciated. Out here, she was granted the opportunity to remain around her animal friends, even in death, and she would always be surrounded by them, day or night, in the way she’d like to be remembered. She was their overseer, their guardian angel.

This was all so surreal, to be witnessing it for the first time. Liam, her husband, was apprehensive when she first told him about her urge to come to the sanctuary. Of course, his reason for being here was much different than hers, seeing as he knew that she was buried here. She saw the pain clearly in his eyes, as if he had been slugged in the gut and then stabbed in the heart. She supposed that she couldn’t fault him for it, either. Having knowledge of why he was reluctant to come here himself made her heart go out to him.

Now that she was here and standing in front of the grave, where the real, original Fluttershy was laid to rest, she was left not knowing how to feel or what to say. She didn’t even know how to react, or even if there was such a manner in which a pony witnessing their own grave is meant to act. This was not something that any living creature in Equestria has done before, and, to her, it was eerie and surprisingly unpleasant.

Speaking of Liam the Human, he had decided to tag along with his beloved wife as moral support, a metaphorical crutch, should she not manage to remain in one piece In truth, it didn’t cause any harm to the thought of him being curious about how she was going to react about this. After the day when she had arrived on his doorstep, fresh from Professor Haysworth’s robotics lab, he has been reluctant to let her out of his sight again. Fluttershy naturally assumed it was because he was afraid that he might look away for a brief moment and discover that she had vanished, that she wasn’t there and he was hallucinating, or he was simply curious about what she was. Whatever the reason may be, it has yet to be disclosed.

Liam stood quietly by her side, clad in his dark green rain coat and blue denim jeans that Rarity had outfitted him with. Sure, she was a generous and charming mare, that Rarity, and she was kind enough to offer the apparel free of charge, an offer which Liam was very insistent on not taking, not feeling right or comfortable with. Alas, the mare refused to back down. Right now, the miserable weather brewing up a storm was almost like a reflection of their individual heartache.

It was impossible to tell what thoughts were roaming around in Fluttershy’s skull right now, how she might be feeling about witnessing her own burial, especially seeing as it wasn’t really her in the coffin that was buried. If he had to guess, Liam would say that her thoughts were like a bull in a china shop, except the bull never came along. In short, there was nothing going on up there. It was nothing but a blank, emotionless slate.

The only part of the mare outside of the grave that belonged to the mare inside of the grave was her memories, everything that housed date on Fluttershy’s life. As for her personality, characteristics and traits, they performed in-sync with those memories like a blueprint. If he remembered correctly about what Haysworth had informed him about the Personal Duplicate of Fluttershy, she had no implication to believe that she wasn’t even a living being. She didn’t know that she was only playing dress-up, pretending to be alive, filling in the role of somepony that’s been dead for the past four years. She was nothing more that a synthetic pony expertly constructed through the convergence of bioengineering, magic and advanced robotics, a replica. As he was once told by Haysworth, to this fake Fluttershy, this was nothing more than a bad dream.

The only problem with that fact was that it was impossible to wake up from the dream. Fluttershy had no memory of concept of time between the time she entered the hospital and her own death, having only started life again a few days ago. It seemed too soon for her to be introduced to this unpredictable conundrum. Personally, Liam had avoided coming here since his wife’s passing, and this was his first time coming back after the funeral service, the wound being too fresh to bear the sting.

Their daughter, Shy Fly, wasn’t with them, either. This wasn’t something they wanted their child to witness, so Liam had asked Rainbow Dash to babysit her back at the cottage. Rainbow Dash was the closest friend that Liam had from within Fluttershy’s friendship circle, and she was forever loyal and courteous towards him, always there whenever he needed her, and she was the one that helped pick up the pieces after Fluttershy had passed away. Rainbow came around almost every single day to see how he was coping and to check in on him and his new daughter, or if he would like the company to refrain from being lonely.

If it were not for Dash’s invaluable help in his time of need, Liam didn’t have a clue what he would do with taking care of his newborn. He was both impressed and surprised how good Rainbow Dash was with her, and he supposed that he owed most of that to her relationship to that young filly she was always seen with, Scootaloo, her adopted sister. In fact, Rainbow Dash and Shy Fly got along so famously that it was almost passable for her to be her surrogate mother, and, in a way, that’s what she was, filling in the role that another pony couldn’t on account of being absent on a permanent basis. It may have been a challenge and a huge burden to bear, with Dash, she didn’t seem to mind.

Liam was so grateful and forever in debt to Dash for her help. Being Fluttershy’s best friend, it was a natural fit. Watching the two of them play was a heartwarming sight, but, when Liam observed them closely enough, the only thing he could see lingering behind Dash’s eyes was a look he knew all too well - pain. Heartache. She was hurting bad on the inside. But she’d never let it show openly, always fighting to conceal it, to be strong, not only for her own sake, but for Shy Fly’s.

Liam remembered when Shy Fly turned one, shortly after her first birthday. They had a small party with her in the cottage, mostly with Fluttershy’s friends, involving a ‘happy birthday, Shy Fly!’ Cake that Pinkie Pie had baked especially for her, colour coordinated to her mane and coat colours, and it was a wonderful celebration. All the while, Dash was sat with her, treating her like she would if she was her own child, and she always had a joyful grin on her face when she held her. All of the other ponies loved her, too, and Shy Fly particularly enjoyed a game of Where’s Pinkie Pie?. Liam also recalled that everypony constantly mentioned how very much alike his little girl reminded them of Fluttershy. She had already grown up so much, and it was true what they were saying, anypony could see it. Shy Fly could easily pass for her mother’s doppelgänger.

After the party had ended, both Liam and Rainbow were sitting with Shy Fly on the couch, playing with her and cuddling her. While she was being held in Dash’s hooves, Shy Fly glanced up at her with wide, teal eyes full of curiosity and wonder at the cyan mare, whom had been with her since day one. Due to how consistent Dash’s interactions with her had been since day one of her arrival, she was lead to believe one thing, and, when the words left her tiny, underdeveloped lips, it was heartbreaking.

‘’M-Mummy?’’ She said, her voice curious and high-pitched, her very first word. As it were, her first word was the saddest thing she had ever said. It caused both Liam and Rainbow to glance at each other in bewilderment, a sense of pride for witnessing her speak her first word, but there was heartache thrown into the mix. Neither of them expected it and they didn’t know what to say, knowing that the little girl cradled in Dash’s hooves wouldn’t understand her situation.

Rainbow Dash didn’t want to upset the girl or to make her cry endlessly like she had been doing so much of since leaving the womb of her loving mother, an aspect of her life that she so desperately required and needed but was never granted. The loving touch only a mother could give was something beyond the capabilities of Dash, something that she did not possess. It hurt her heart at knowing this, so Dash did the only thing she could think of and she hugged Shy Fly, whispering into her little ear, ‘’That’s right, kid, I’m your mummy,’’ before she snuggled her.

Although she felt bitter and rotten on the inside for lying to her deceased best friend’s infant, she knew that she had no other choice. Once she gets old enough, and considering that she’ll recollect the lie, Shy Fly was just going to have to forgive her for it. Hopefully, she’ll understand. For now, she deserves to be happy.

Overhead, there was a distant rumble emanating throughout the landscape, gently vibrating the ground. It wouldn’t be long now before the storm was upon them. Tiny droplets of light rain began to emphasise this fact as they began to pitter and patter against the backs of Liam and Fluttershy. Liam slowly came to kneel beside his wife and he brought up a hand to rest it gingerly and comfortingly against her back as she numbly began to sit down. At his touch, he felt her muscles tense.

Liam still wasn’t entirely certain what it was that he was touching, whether or not it was real muscle and flesh or lab-grown tissue mixed with synthetic blood, fur and hair, but it felt exactly as he remembered his wife’s body to feel. It was almost unnerving how the texture and softness of her hair was spot-on. The only thing that was out of the ordinary that he noticed was that she didn’t seem to generate any heat. She was cold to the touch, freezing, even, the side effect of not having a pulse. Or warm blood, for that matter.

Then again, he didn’t fully understand all of the details that Haysworth placed through quality control in order to perfectly replicate his spouse, and, therefore, he hadn’t the slightest clue if there was a warm-blooded, beating heart within her chest and behind her artificially-grown ribs. It would explain the unnatural coldness to her frame, but it could just as easily be due to the cold weather and the rain.

‘’Are you okay, Fluttershy?’’ Liam asked as he slowly and quietly came to kneel beside her, rubbing her back soothingly. Fluttershy’s head remained hung down and staring, anchored down and her face remaining wiped of feeling. She was as still as a statue, unable to find the will to move or to speak.

She just kept staring.

Here lies Fluttershy, The Element of Kindness.

Fluttershy’s eyes hovered over the engraved formal lettering slowly, taking it in down to every last detail, scanning over the words. Her attention was so solely focused upon the memorial in front of her that her ears blocked out the sound of the rain and her husband’s voice. She didn’t even have the will to blink. All she could do was stare forward.

Born July 7th, died February 23rd.

As she glanced over that last part, the date reading her death, Fluttershy’s eyes slowly lowered in a lifeless blink, and, as they did, moisture was pressed out of her gradually leaking eyes, cold tears rolling down her face and dripping from the end of her cold-reddened snout. It stirred something within her heart, the feeling of grief. She was now able to understand why Liam was so reluctant to let her come here alone, and why he had avoided it every day since her loss. It made her feel like she had been slugged in the gut or bitten by a manticore in her heart.

‘’Fluttershy?’’ Liam asked again, now becoming concerned by her unusual silence. ‘’Please, say something.’’ He continued to rub her back, looking towards her downcast eyes.

‘’…Why?’’ Fluttershy spoke, her voice hardly above a whisper. Ever so slowly, her gaze turned to face Liam’s worried eyes, her head automatically, so lifelessly, as if her head was on a ball bearing joint and it was pivoted by a gentle breeze. Now that he was granted direct eye contact with the mare, he recognised the expression of agony, an internal affair that was raging wilder than a river coursing down a mountain, the exact same brand of pain that he had experienced four years earlier. It ran deep and it cut straight through her innards, or whatever organic material there was inside of her. He would describe the feeling as heartache, but he didn’t know if it was relevant in her case, given that he didn’t know if she had a heart or not.

‘’Why what?’’ Liam asked, confused.

‘’Why did this happen to her?’’ Fluttershy asked. Liam bit his lip at her query, not expecting it and not knowing how to answer her. He had no idea that she would react this way, but he supposed that he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t every day that a pony visits their own grave.

‘’Oh, sweetheart…’’ Liam cooed gently. ‘’I don’t know why. I wish I had all of the answers, but I don’t. One moment, I was holding your hoof when you were giving birth, and the next, you were…’’ Liam paused for a moment, swallowing back a lump of ice that had formed in the back of his throat as he felt tears sting his eyes, not able to finish his sentence. ‘’Fluttershy, there was nothing that could be done to save you. The nurses did all that they could, but it still wasn’t enough. You wouldn’t wake up. I had to be pulled away from your deathbed by Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and I had no choice but to try to carry on without you, not just for my own sake, but four our child, Fluttershy. She had to grow up without her mummy, and she was far too young to understand what had happened to you,’’ Liam said, sniffling. ‘’I didn’t want to leave you, but I had to.’’

‘’Listen to me, Fluttershy,’’ Liam began, unzipping his rainproof coat and then wrapping it around Fluttershy’s cold frame. Due to their size difference, it appeared more like a tent on her, but it would insulate and protect her from the gradually worsening weather. ‘’No matter what, you’re still my wife. You’re the closest thing in this world that I’ll have to see my wife again, and I don’t want to throw this opportunity away. And our daughter really needs you in her life. We’re nothing without you.’’

No child should grow up not having any memory of their birth mother, and neither should a man be without his true love.

Those words spoken from the mouth of Professor Haysworth resounded constantly within his skull, and it has been nothing but a mantra for the past three days, ever since he had arrived on his doorstep. Fluttershy was always so very innocent, caring and loving, and she was so eager to meet her daughter. Both of them were. Liam fondly remembered that Fluttershy once told him during the time that they were dating that she had always wanted to be a mother, and it was her dream to one day have a child of her very own to love and care for. That was all the sweet, young thing ever wanted, but fate denied it.

Consider this as a chance to start over again, as if nothing had ever happened. I’m sure that it’s what Fluttershy would have wanted for you both.

Staring into Fluttershy’s eyes now only made Liam’s insides itch. It was always such a heart-wrenching sight to behold her crying, and Liam always knew how to comfort her. Unlike the real Fluttershy, this Personal Duplicate, no matter how similar she might be to the real deal, did not possess the same energy, vibrance and humanity. There was a missing piece to her existence, a fault granted through the process of synthetically engineering a traditional pony, so it made some sense that she wouldn’t have the same aura as Fluttershy. It wasn’t something that was possible to build and assign to a living creature, it was something that they had to possess themselves through natural means of inheritance.

Her eyes, while matching the same, gorgeous and angelic shade that Liam loved oh-so-dear and that also melted his heart each time that he gazed into them, were oddly brighter, almost glowing. Although they appeared natural enough to be convincing, if one would look closely enough, all they would see is a product of stem cell bioengineering, grown from her very own nucleic acid.

Even still, it hurt to witness that saddened, disheartened face on the butter mare. Her lips trembled and her mane was gently blowing around her face in the wind, wisping around her cheeks and in front of her eyes while she stared at her husband with a wounded expression. Her eyes were welled-up with fresh tears that were partially leaking down her face, and, as he couldn’t turn away from her, Liam was unable to bear it any longer and he pulled his wife into a loving embrace.

He held her close, not caring how wet his back was getting without the assistance of his raincoat to deflect the frosty droplets or how freezing his knees were getting in the thick mud they were imbedded in on the wet ground. He didn’t care about that. All he wanted to do was comfort his wife. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her cold frame, fully enveloping her, cradling her, and she didn’t resist his loving, tender touch.

Liam held Fluttershy’s head against his chest, cuddling up to her while she began to cry. He rubbed her back with one hand and lovingly caressed between her ears like he used to do for her when she was upset about something. It always calmed her down, and it was hard for her to pull away from his touch. In his time of knowing her, he had learned where her soft spots were. She melted into her tender touch and she began to whimper.

‘’Oh, Li-Lum,’’ She began, using his little nickname that she made up for him. ‘’What am I?’’ She asked brokenly, and Liam rested his chin atop her mane as he continued to shush her.

‘’You’re my beautiful wife,’’ He told her without hesitation, giving her a small peck behind the ear. ‘’Fluttershy, you may have left us when Shy Fly was born, but that doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here now, sweet heart, and I’m not going to let you go again. Not this time.’’

Liam held her by the shoulders and he gently pushed her away so that he could stare into her face directly, able to view her eyes completely, seeing how red and puffy they were. It was amazing that she still managed to uphold such a strong beauty despite being so distraught. He wiped her eyes gently to rub away her tears and he offered her a comforting smile. He cupped her cheek with a single hand and he rubbed it with his thumb.

‘’Fluttershy, it doesn’t matter to me if you’re an android or a flesh and blood pony. You’re still you. You’re still the mare that I married up there,’’ He raised a hand up and tapped her on the temple, indicating where her brain was housed. ‘’The pony that I fell in love with still exists up there, but the mare that those memories came from is down there,’’ He then motioned with his other hand towards the tombstone of his wife. ‘’If it means anything to you, you’re every bit as realistic and genuine as that same mare. And that’s good enough for me.’’

Fluttershy was speechless. She was touched by his sentiment, warmed by his words. She didn’t know the proper words to express her gratitude and her intimate feelings for her human hubby. She saw it in his eyes, too, the longing to spend the rest of his days with her, to add the missing piece back into the family, to fix their broken home and shattered, bruised hearts. He so very badly desired for her to stay, and he didn’t care what she was, synth or pony.

He still loves me so much, even though I’m different, Fluttershy thought. Oh, how did I ever get so lucky to meet a guy as sweet as him?

‘’I still love you,’’ Liam said. His thumb moved from her cheek and began to smoothly rub across her delicate lips, brushing them. His thumb gained a little wetness from the moisture produced by her mouth and her warm breath as he glanced momentarily between her eyes and her lips. She began to do the same, desire beginning to wash over her.

It was then that Liam slowly began to lean in to seal the deal, bringing his face forward to press his lips against hers in a passionate, deep kiss. Their lips locked for a short moment of bliss and euphoria, and it swelled up with that same, heated-up sensation within Liam’s chest, tickling at his insides and making him feel vigorous. He couldn’t believe how similar her lips were to the real Fluttershy’s! They were about the same thinness, not very wide and smooth and sweet-tasting, the perfect set of measurements for the perfect kiss, offering the same, alluring and sensitive touch that he remembered, as delightful as the first time that they kissed.

With lips like Fluttershy’s there was simply no need for alcohol or narcotics to get high or to receive a pleasing buzz, for they were intoxicating and inviting enough on their own merits. Of course, the only thing better that she had to offer besides her fabulous lips happened in the bedroom when the lights go down low. (Wink, wink!)

After their kiss had come to an end, Fluttershy’s eyes remained closed for a moment as her lips ghosted the movements of her lips intertwining with her husband’s, left savouring the moment. When her eyes reopened, fluttering at first, to view her husband, she felt butterflies tickling her innards, fluttering around and making her feel warm and wanted. The rain had become heavy now, and her mane had become matted to the fur around her face, partially obscuring her vision.

Liam wouldn’t admit it openly, save maybe for teasing purposes, but he always found it to be pretty hot whenever he saw his wife’s hair in such a disheveled state, along with those glimmering, dreamy bedroom eyes straight after she gets out of the shower. The way her hair gets frazzled after she dries it off with a towel and how it wisps and hangs around her cheeks and nose, similar to that bedraggled look after a rough night. He loved it when he saw her like that.

‘’I…I love you, too,’’ She breathed, a little winded after the eager smooch that they had shared. ‘’I know how much you loved her, you know. I can feel it, too. She was so lucky to have someone like you,’’ Fluttershy said sincerely, smiling, although there was a layer of sorrow behind it, a feeling of sadness.

‘’I’ll never forget her. And I don’t think I’ll have to miss her so much anymore,’’ He said, giving Fluttershy a kiss on the cheek, prompting a small giggle from her. ‘’I’ll always love her, but I know that she’s not going to come back to me.’’

‘’It’ll be okay, Li-Lum,’’ Fluttershy said, using that nickname again. ‘’You don’t have to hide it,’’ Fluttershy leaned into him and then gave him a tender hug, not caring about the rain that was no heavily beating down against and around them. She shuddered when her skin pressed up against her husbands exposed flesh, alarmed at how ice-cold he was, immediately causing her to pull away. ‘’Oh, my! You’re freezing!’’ She exclaimed. ‘’We need to get you inside right away before you get hypothermia or catch a cold!’’ She said, grabbing a firm hold against Liam’s hand. ‘’Come on, when we get back to the cottage, I’ll make us both some soup,’’ Fluttershy said, pulling insistently on her husband’s hand in a vain effort to pull him up from the ground.

It made him smile in amusement at how accurately she was portraying the same concern and mother-like leniency for his well-being. She was caring like that, always so motherly and assertive on what’s best. And Fluttershy’s soup was one of the most delicious things that had passed between Liam’s lips, going as far as being one of the best things he has ever had in her entire life! He especially held a special spot in his heart for her homemade tomato, basil and rosemary soup, a dish that was a frequent throughout most of the year. When winter came and Hearth’s Warming was just around the corner, Fluttershy usually added a splash on cream to sweeten the bowl up. It was heaven.

At the promise of some of her homemade soup along with her company, Liam picked himself up and stood beside his wife. He delicately ran his fingers through her mane for a moment, noticing her blush from the contact. He had always loved the touch of her mane and the scent of vanilla and lavender that was always present. She always smelled of warm scents and happiness and love, and it was impossible to not find yourself becoming lost to it.

‘’Sure,’’ Liam said. ‘’That sounds lovely, Flutter-Butter,’’ He said, to which she blushed at her own nickname. ‘’I think that Rainbow Dash’ll be waiting for us, anyway. I bet Shy Fly’s missing us, too,’’ He said, grinning mischievously as Fluttershy gave him a confused look. It wasn’t a moment later that Liam swiftly swooped down and sweeped Fluttershy up in his loving arms, causing her to give a surprised, adorable and squeaky yelp. ‘’Come on, sweet heart, we should hurry up before one of us gets a cold, don’t you think? I actually don’t think I’d mind if both of us got a cold and we’d be able to spend the rest of the day snuggled up in bed together,’’ He nuzzled his wife and kissed her on the cheek, prompting her to giggle.

Fluttershy nuzzled him back, blushing sweetly and smiling warmly. ‘’Oh, you!’’ She giggled, batting her hoof playfully. Then, wasting no time to get out of the pouring rain before the lightning and thunder could reach its apex, Liam carried his wife away from the wildlife sanctuary and headed back in the direction of their cottage, leaving Fluttershy’s memorial behind.

As the two of them took their leave, neither of them took notice that a hole began to form in the middle of the grey-coloured blanket of clouds shielding the blue sky behind it, allowing a bright ray of golden sunshine to pierce through. The sun ray cast down a warm glow upon the black marble of Fluttershy’s tombstone, bathing it in its inviting light. A warmth emanated around the grave and the soil, and a light breeze began to pick up, ruffling the leaves of a freshly-planted white rose that was laid at the head of the tombstone, a voice breathing into the wind as its owner watched the human and his mare leave.

‘’Goodbye, Li-Lum. I love you.’’