Longing For Harmony

Against her suspicions and fears, Fluttershy had decided to obey the mysterious vanishing card. She was returning to the cave where she first found the Panacea Crystal. The silence that surrounded her in frozen time was heavier and more intense than ever. With only her own thoughts to accompany her along the journey, and the palpable turmoil surrounding her imminent future, the crushing pressure drove the pegasus to her wits' end. Her wings beat heavily as she flew straight from the artifact's burial place to the top of the hill, resting her hooves onto the jagged stone just before the entrance of the dark abyss. The landing clop echoed distantly through the faceless caverns, signifying a long trek to her next destination.

Although all inhibitions screamed at her not to go in, Fluttershy was mildly reassured by the return of the beckoning sensation she felt when first encountering the Crystal. Sure enough, a faint flickering of white light off in the distance welcomed her pursuit. She perked in alarm, darting in after it before it could die off. Whoever had written the card was correct. The pegasus figured it could only be Vesper or Skylar; if it was the latter, she had reason to expect a trap, or a final plea for help -- maybe if it was the former as well. It seemed like a foolish decision to follow it, but she was just as uncertain about the outcome her other ideas would have had. It wasn't long before Fluttershy was forced to take to her wings again in order to keep up. The traveling light was always just around the corners and edges, nearly out of her field of vision. Its purpose appeared urgent, just as Fluttershy's quest with the Panacea Crystal was.

The eerie silence seemed to grow in tension as the pegasus flew further into the cave's darkness, as if it were a part that always belonged there even in the unfrozen timeline. Noticing this and remaining focused on the guiding brightness, her fleeting thoughts compared it to her own life, all the way up to her current predicament. So much pain and sadness had loomed over each of her living years, with little reason to want to hold on or continue. For a recent, undetermined amount of time, her friends, her only anchors onto hope, had also plunged into a deep melancholy, and she desperately tried to help them like they've helped her in the past. Now, she'd mostly succeeded in alleviating the latest woes of her allies, but Fluttershy herself still carried heavy burdens. The lack of a will to keep living, and guilt for what may or may not pass due to her actions.

The next several minutes she spent following her mysterious guide felt more like hours. Only able to see what it illuminated, it's final destination appeared to be within yet another cavern by an internal cliff. The pegasus followed it inside, and was overwhelmed by the return of complete darkness. She kept completely still, frozen in fear, unsure of what was going to happen next.

'Is this a mistake? A trap? Where did I go? How am I going to get out?'

Just before she could panic, the light suddenly returned, bursting out of thin air in a blinding, bright glow. Fluttershy exclaimed, shielding her eyes, waiting to adjust to the source that illuminated this smaller cave within a cave. Once she finally pulled her hoof away, she noticed that it had taken the form of a transparent, young, beautiful mare. Her coat was brown, with a red mane and tail. The mare wore a black cowboy hat, and had the cutie mark of a house on her flank.

'... Auburn?!?'

"Yes, Fluttershy, it's me," the glowing mare answered her. "Thank you for listening to me and coming here. I have many important things to tell you, and... And it's been a long time since I've gotten to talk to anypony at all. I promise that Skylar won't be able to see you here. He won't want to look for me. It's too painful for him."

Auburn closed her eyes, morose. "Before I say anything else, I just want you to understand that I love Skylar more than I have ever loved anything. I always have, and I always will. I bear no ill will towards him or wish him any harm, or for anypony else for that matter. What I am about to tell you will help protect you and your friends from him, as well as stop him from doing something he'd regret, if he was in his right mind."

"How do you know all of this about me?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"Whenever he got the chance, Vesper would revisit me and tell me these things. He's been trying to find a way for you and I to help each other. We both need something desperately, and they both involve Skylar. And we can't get those things without one another, you and I. I don't have much I want to ask of you, but... It may seem daunting."

"What is it?"

Auburn stared at her own hooves before her, as if disheartened by her own spectral visage. "I have been here for a long time, and grow tiresome of this restless afterlife. My soul cannot rest until Skylar accepts the truth about what happened to me. I did not betray him, or leave him for somepony else, like he wanted you to believe. That was merely something he convinced himself was true to cope with his pain. When he discovered his reason for lacking a cutie mark all started because of an affair his mother had, he was devastated, and concluded I must have done the same to disappear from his life. I know that you are weary, and you wish to hurry, but please, listen to my tale. It is vital to solving your ordeal with him, and will give me great relief."

"... Okay..."

'When I first met Skylar, we were both just teenagers living in Ponyville. I was only a few years older than him, and I'd seen him around before a lot of times, but we'd never really talked to each other before. Sometimes I would happen to pass by, seeing him work with the weather ponies, or he would be passing by when I was building houses with my dad. But then, one day, all of that changed...'

The radiant sun bathed Ponyville in warmth and brightness. The air was fresh and rich with blooming flowers, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. Birds sang a jovial melody, and children laughed as they played. Auburn smiled to herself, enjoying the rich atmosphere. It was her first break from working on houses all day, her coat and mane still matted down and slick with sweat. She had worked alone for most of the while, as her father August pulled some muscles in his back and needed to lie down. Noticing they were low on apples, he had sent her out to buy some more for lunch. After that, he would finish recovering, and she would continue working.

Auburn had a stable family bond with her father, not free of it's faults and obstacles, but nonetheless fulfilling and healthy. Their greatest common trait was the strong desire to help others, and the willpower to do so. During these hard times, not many ponies could afford homes, and the lifelong father-daughter team sought to accommodate them with sustainable, durable shelter. It had surprised the mare that through Equestria's current crises, her local peers and neighbors were able to find the time and disposition to appreciate the beautiful day. But what she had just yet to find would gradually blossom into something most pleasant of all for her.

When she'd finally reached the market, getting ready to purchase her next bushel of apples, Auburn noticed a familiar pony out the corner of her eye. He was a pegasus colt, with gray fur, and a cyan mane and tail, without a cutie mark. It was Skylar. He appeared deeply troubled by something.

"Why do you look so sad? It's such a beautiful day out."

Skylar glanced at Auburn, and looked away sheepishly. "No thanks to me..."

"What do you mean?"

"I've messed things up again. I'm on the weather team, and I didn't get the clouds right this morning. The captain says that if he sees me slip up again, I'm getting fired."

Auburn beamed. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere!" her tone steadily grew somber, realizing what had happened. "Hey... You're not that bad. I've watched you work on the weather before. You take your time to do things delicately, the right way, where other ponies would rush things and make a mess of it. Besides, you've only been on there for, what, two months? You're not terrible, but, there's still some things you might need to get a hold of, so your captain should cut you some slack. I... I really enjoy seeing you do it," she added, slightly nervous about how her context would be perceived.

Skylar appeared slightly reassured. "Thanks, but, sadly I doubt the captain would care much for your concerns. He's all about getting things done on an air tight schedule -- uh, no pun intended -- and generally expects the new recruits to match the seniors' performances within a week. I'm just really worried about keeping my job... It's the only income I have, and without it, I can't afford to take care of my mom... She's crippled, and needs my help to get by... I'm just here right now to pick up some apples for her..."

Auburn started to remember more. "What a coincidence, I'm here getting apples for my father. He's resting right now. He and I build houses, and sometimes he overworks himself and needs to stop before he hurts himself... Your mother... Her name is April, isn't it? I think I've seen you take her out here in a wheelchair to run some errands before. You take really good care of her."

"Thank you, I try my best..."

An awkward silence hung between the two momentarily. Soon, they launched into a rant about their respective parents, gushing details about their recent concerns. The teens expressed genuine care and respect for their guardians, but also lament for the lingering, growing imperfections that tore rifts between them.

Simultaneously, they ended with the phrase, "I just want to have a life of my own, too."

Both of them stared at one another in surprise, astonished at how much they had already shared in common.

"... They can be so demanding sometimes, can't they?" said Skylar.

"... Um... Yeah... Yeah, I guess they can be." Auburn answered. After another quiet pause, she added, "Do you want to be friends?"

'It wasn't long before we both went out of our own ways to get to see each other every day. We weren't even particularly that close yet, but there was some kind of attraction to him I still can't explain. I think he felt it for me, too, since he'd find his way to me even when I was too busy to do the same for him. We just always found comfort in being with each other somehow.'

A few weeks had passed, and Auburn and Skylar were nicely settled in their friendship. They would play games, visit places, eat meals, talk about things; almost everything there was to do, they did together. In spite of getting to experience these many activities in each other's company, they were often hard pressed for time, tending to or working with their parents. This caused the two teens to utilize every minute of their free time and opportunities to sneak out in order to reunite and make up for lost time. Today, Auburn had gotten finished with her work a little earlier than usual, and she was on her way to meet Skylar for lunch.

The young mare's legs and back ached, drenched in perspiration. She'd been looking forward to seeing her friend all day. A small part of her also thought that maybe someday, he could be a little more than just a friend...

Just then, laughing and jeering voices echoed from around the street corner. Auburn recognized them as some of Skylar's bullies, fellow pegasi who would taunt his lack of a cutie mark and perceived incompetence. The mare didn't hesitate to gallop to his rescue, just in time to see one of them kick Skylar down, causing him to skid a short distance along the street.

"Gosh, fellas, why don't you leave him alone already? Don't you think he's just about had enough?" Auburn called out in annoyance.

"Uh oh, look out! Blank Flank's got a friend to back him up!"

Auburn raised a brow in irritation. "Do you really want to reckon with the force of a buck that's gone clean through entire trees?"

At this, the bully pegasi started to back off, although one gave Skylar a last kick to the belly before running off and laughing. Auburn chased after them, but they got away before she could do anything. She started to help Skylar back onto his hooves, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Gosh, Skylar, why don't you up and stand for yourself once in a while? If you keep letting those other ponies walk all over you, they'll never stop. Sometimes you gotta fight back."

"I can't, Auburn," Skylar replied as he began to brush himself off. "I've made it my rule to always show kindness to everypony else, especially if they're unkind in return. If they act in some way that's hurtful to others, it's usually because they, themselves, have already been hurt. Who am I to add onto that, whatever it is? For all I know, my retaliation could be the final straw for them."

She shook her head softly. "Whatever you say."

'At first, I couldn't understand it. How he could just sit there and take whatever anypony said or did to him. But I thought more about what he had to say, and it made sense. Even if I didn't completely agree at the time, or want to admit it to myself, I had to confess that he was right. There was already so much pain and anger in the world without us doing anything -- why do anything to add more onto it?

'Anyhow, I wasn't much luckier than he was. I had my share of bullies, too. A lot of ponies in town thought that the kind of work I was doing wasn't cut out for a mare, and that I shouldn't be involved. I blame it on ponies of the time being much more simple minded back then. And not to brag, but I happened to notice that I was even better at building and fixing things than a lot of my dad's male business competitors. I got really sick of it, just like Skylar was, and we decided it'd be nicer if we could have someplace where we wouldn't have to deal with ponies like that. I don't know how many days we would go for walks and just talk until we found it.

'It was this beautiful forest clearing, surrounded by plenty of tall trees, right next to this lake from a waterfall on the hill. Just far enough from town that none of them would go through so much trouble just to find us, and just close enough that we could hurry home if we needed to. There was this big pathway we memorized, with a lot of secret signs and markers we'd use to remember hidden shortcuts and where we were, where other ponies would just get lost in the forest.

'Skylar was still really worried about losing his job. So, I offered him something to fall back on. Unfortunately, I was positive my dad wouldn't want him working with us, so I kind of secretly hired him by myself. I'd give him half of my pay in exchange for helping me gather supplies. I also taught him how to craft and build, on the off chance that my dad might have a change of heart, or maybe if he could even get work with one of the other carpenters. All the while, without even realizing it, he was helping me grow as a mare. When other ponies would talk to me, they'd often judge, lecture, or label me. But he'd never do these things. Skylar treated me better than anypony else ever has, and I guess a lot of his kindness rubbed off on me.'

The cabin was finally finished. It had taken several weeks, but the two friends completed it. Skylar was both weary and strengthened by the long durations of lifting and carrying so many large objects, but it had ultimately paid off, with Auburn always at his side. In spite of being a weather pony, he had never been one much for physical work, until recently. The two were so comforted by each other's company that they would now deliberately look for any excuse possible in order to get together.

Whenever they were finished with another tiring, grueling session of physical labor, they would indulge in the cool, refreshing waters of the lake nearby. They would cleanse themselves, swim around, sometimes laugh as they splashed each other. Over time, they had grown so close and secure with each other's company that Skylar and Auburn would even take turns bathing each other when one or both of them were too tired to do it to themselves. What had began as simple and quick casual favors slowly melted into subconscious exchanges of sensual intimacy, secretly enthralled by each other's touches, yet never exceeding a light massage at most.

Out of celebration for completing the cabin, they purchased dinner from one of their favorite restaurants in town. As much as they wanted to, they could not stay at the restaurant and dine together, as they'd gotten strange looks of disapproval for being a male pegasus and a female earth pony in each other's company before. They figured it would be best not to draw any more ire towards them, so Skylar got the meal to go and brought it back to the cabin for Auburn.

They were getting settled in, and almost ready to eat. Auburn stared out of the window next to the dining table. She gazed through the stars littered about the night, a contrasting brightness among their dark blanket in the sky, reminding her of hopes for something better in her life than what she had known. Something different from straining her body with hard work daily, or being ridiculed by other ponies for utilizing her natural skills, or living and working under a doting, yet stern father. Something she hadn't found until she met Skylar. A pegasus who had every reason to be embittered, withdrawn, and unpleasant, and yet was as kind, caring and generous as could be.

Skylar was getting the fireplace started, filling the cabin with warmth and light. He had taken this opportunity to carefully reheat some of the food he retrieved, which cooled down during his return to the cabin.

"There's something I have to tell you..." Auburn spoke softly.

"... Okay. What is it?"

"I've noticed, sometimes, I haven't always been the best to you that I possibly could be. You're my best friend. I should treat you better. You have such mindful, considerate views on things. On how to interact and deal with people. And I've scolded you for them. But you were right. And I know sometimes I let my problems get the better of me, and I take them out on you."

Auburn walked closer to Skylar. "I just want you to know, if I ever act upset towards you for anything, or do something hurtful... It's not about you. It's never about you. You've always respected how I feel. You've always listened to me, understood me, accepted me, cared for me. Just please... Always remember that. No matter what I do or say, it's never about you. Okay?"

She embraced the pegasus, closing her eyes. "Even if you get old and die without ever getting a cutie mark... You'll still be the best colt I've ever known."

Weeks had passed since Skylar and Auburn completed the cabin. The colt had been deeply touched by what Auburn had to tell him that night, and couldn't get it out of his mind. He wasn't sure entirely what it meant, or why it made him feel the way that he did, just that Auburn really cared about him a lot. It confused him, as Skylar was used to feeling ignored and unimportant to everypony, even his own mother. April was a good person, and Skylar cared about her a lot, but it didn't change that a lot of things she did and said made him feel hurt and guilty. So when Auburn, a mare his age he felt attracted to said something so new -- and nice -- to him, he had no idea what to make of it.

The enigma continued to race throughout his thoughts as he made his way back to the cabin to meet with her again. They waited until dusk when their parents were asleep to sneak out and spend even more time together than they used to. It wasn't enough to just catch each other during the scarce moments in the day when they could manage it; they found each other as the only ones they could confide in with anything and everything. The only ones who could make all of life and the world seem completely fine, as long as they were there. The two teens would spend entire nights just being together, often losing much sleep and being exhausted for most of the day after, but it was worth it just to see each other again.

On this particular night, Skylar was perplexed. There were no lights in the cabin, like there usually was whenever Auburn was there waiting for him. He called her name from outside, waiting to see if she would turn on the light or open the door, but received no answer. He went inside and called for her again, thinking maybe she was asleep within, to no avail. Skylar went outside and called her name one last time, louder than before.

"I'm up here," Auburn replied, calling from on high atop the cliff by the waterfall.

Skylar quickly flew up to the edge to meet her, sitting beside her. "How did you get all the way up here?"

"I followed a trail. It wasn't as dark out as it is now. I'm sorry it took me so long to answer you. I was looking at the stars, lost in my thoughts."

"... Oh..." Skylar looked off into the night sky, like Auburn was.

"It's especially beautiful from up here. We're so high up that it's even easier to see the stars than usual. And there's such a great view of Ponyville and everywhere else from so high above. I only wish I found this place sooner."

"... Yeah..."

It hadn't been the first night that they stargazed together. It was a habit Auburn had for the longest time, and she'd always take the first opportunity to spent at least a few minutes showing Skylar all the different constellations that she had memorized, sometimes even telling stories from old mythology about how they'd been formed.

"How is it that you're always able to find the brightest star? Even when the night is full of them, or there's almost no stars out?" Skylar asked her.

"I just keep looking until I find it. It's how I approach everything in life. I keep working or trying until I get something done. Even if it looks like it will take forever, or if it feels like it will never happen. That's... That's how I found my best friend. That's how I found you."

Skylar felt his heart leap. "I... I'm so moved to hear you feel that way... You're my best friend, too... You mean everything to me..."

Auburn, too, was touched, although this newly sparked joy was soon halted by a lingering fear that she'd had. "... Skylar... Do you have... Somepony special in your life?"

Skylar was confused. "Huh?"

"You know, like, a mare... A... A pegasus mare... Somepony that you're more than friends with..."

Skylar blinked. "No, I never have... Why, do you have somepony special?..."

"No! No, no, no, no! I never have either, just..." Auburn sighed. "Well, a lot of stallions said they'd want to be my special somepony, but I don't think it's a relationship they'd be interested in," she explained, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, that," Skylar couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I promise you won't have to worry about that with me. I'm not very concerned about getting those pretentious sensations, nor would I ever take advantage of anypony to get them."

Auburn felt slightly disheartened, fearing this might mean he wasn't interested in her. "Oh... So, you've done it before?..."

Skylar looked to her, puzzled, then blushed. "Oh, of course not! It's just... I always figured it wasn't really worth it, so I never made a point of pursuing it. Not that I ever could get it anyway, but that doesn't bother me. It's just transitory significance, like a lot of things. You can hear a really beautiful song, or eat something really delicious, or anything like that, but then it's over, and gone, and it won't make a lasting difference in your life. It's a waste of time." The last few sentences were tinged with a hint of sadness and bitterness, perhaps disappointment.

Auburn shrugged wryly. "Well... Time you enjoyed wasting doesn't necessarily have to be time wasted..."

Skylar froze, blinking. "That's actually a valid point. For some things. I'm not saying that I think that it is, but, I know a lot of ponies would consider me spending time with you a waste, but, I don't think of it as a waste at all..." He looked at her again, quizzical. "Is there something you were wanting to ask me?"

Auburn could feel her blood pounding in her ears. It was a question she had wanted to ask him for several days, but couldn't work up the courage to speak. She indeed wanted Skylar to be her special somepony, and hoped that he would feel the same way about her. The mare opened her mouth to speak, trying to force the words out, unable to find her voice. In desperation, her eyes glanced at the skies, as if hoping they would have an answer for her -- and ironically, they did.

"What does it feel like to fly?"

Her pegasus friend was caught off guard. "Well... It's nice, I guess... Kind of like swimming, but, in air... I only do it when I absolutely have to, or when it's convenient... I'm not as good at it as some of the other ponies on the weather team, but, I've been practicing, and getting a little better, I guess..."

"Could you show me?"

Skylar momentarily turned away, bashful. "Well, alright, but I'm letting you know now that it's not the most graceful, so you might be disappointed -- "

"No," Auburn reaffirmed as she placed her hoof on his, staring into his eyes. "Show me what it feels like to fly."

The colt blushed. "I-I'm not sure it's the best idea... It's really dark outside, and you'd have to hold on really tight... I've never had to carry anypony while flying before, and I feel scared that I might drop you on accident and you'd get hurt..."

Auburn wrapped her foreleg around his, clasping their hooves together. She smiled reassuringly, her expression full of radiance. "You can do it. I believe in you."

"... You're sure?..."

"Absolutely."

Minutes later, Auburn was laying on Skylar's back, her limbs wrapped around his torso, careful not to get in the way of his wings. Skylar had taken this time to compose himself, having taken many deep breaths to focus in preparation, his hooves firmly planted a few yards from the cliff's edge. After getting a brisk running start, he leapt off, spreading his wings and starting to glide.

Auburn was immediately exhilarated with the sensations, having always imagined the feeling of floating through the air, never dreaming that it was this thrilling. As the passing wind flew through her mane, she hugged Skylar tighter. His wings began to steadily beat, gradually ascending them further and further. The colt went out of his way to circle over several nearby places they'd like to visit, giving her a nice view of them from above, occasionally managing to go higher between every few minutes of fairly level gliding.

Unbeknownst to Skylar, Auburn's eyes were glistening with boundless glee. Anypony with wings could have flown her somewhere, but this was Skylar, the pony whom her heart belonged to. The one pony who cared for her more than anypony else, who tended to her every need, who was now taking her for an unforgettable flight.

Soon, Skylar groaned in exhaustion. "I can't stay steady for much longer... We need to land... I'm going back to the cliff..."

Auburn was initially saddened, as the ride felt very short, but it was still the most exciting experience she ever had. As a silent thanks, she leaned her head further forward, reaching around Skylar's neck to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Just then, Skylar was startled, and before they knew it, he soared higher into the night sky. To her disbelief, Auburn was getting a closer look at the stars than she ever thought possible. Her already peaked levels of excitement only grew, as the pegasus began to look for the constellations she would always point out to him, circling beneath them. If she didn't know any better, Auburn would have guessed they were at the sky's limit, just before space.

Invigorated, Skylar continued to thrill his best friend, doing several tricks, alternating in the speed and height of his flight, while always assuring her comfort and safety. It was almost as if they had become one. As he lowered himself closer to the forest, gliding steadily, Skylar looked back to Auburn, who was looking back at him. They were completely lost in each other's gaze, having never felt as close as they did right now.

Suddenly, Auburn noticed that Skylar was unaware that he was about to hit a tree branch. She gasped. "Look out!"

"Huh?" The pegasus returned his attention to what was in front of him, exclaiming in alarm as he narrowly avoided the branch. Several more were closing in fast, and he quickly maneuvered just past a majority of them, slightly losing control. Skylar yelped as one last branch hit him in the abdomen, throwing him off of his course. They began tumbling through the air, beginning to descend.

"Careful, you're going to fall!" Auburn yelled fearfully.

"Hold on as tight as you can!" The pegasus warned her. He strained himself to place them over somewhere safe, knowing they would go down regardless of what he did now. To his great fortune, Skylar frantically managed to glide just over the middle of the lake. He couldn't risk going any further, or they would surely crash -- it was now or never.

"Hold your breath!" he instructed Auburn, starting to dive down. They rapidly plummeted into the water, sinking down together. Even now, Skylar could feel the mare's rapid heartbeat pounding against him. As soon as he could, he swam back to the surface, coughing a few times and regaining his breath. He turned again to check on Auburn, moving so that they were facing each other instead of her holding onto his back, still keeping her above the surface in case she hadn't regained her bearings. After taking a few moments to get over the initial shock and fear of what had almost just happened, they felt the palpable thrill still rushing through them, laughing over how much fun they just had.

Auburn embraced Skylar, gazing into his eyes as they calmed down, amorous and wanting. Skylar noticed the heavy silence that suddenly embraced them, and his friend's bolstered joy to be so close to him.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever thought the reason you don't have a cutie mark is because there isn't one good enough to describe how wonderful you are?"

Skylar felt his heart leap into his throat. Auburn leaned closer, and kissed him.

The water was cold, and the night air was chilling, but they were perfectly warm together.

The couple had gotten out, dried off, and retreated to the security of the cabin. They were lying together in bed, holding each other. Skylar's head was resting on Auburn's chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. It was comforting him.

"Someday, I'd really like to build a home for ponies," Auburn mused.

Skylar looked up at her. "But I thought you already build homes?"

"Well, yeah, but I mean a home. Somewhere that ponies like us can go. Ponies who are special, or different, or need some kind of help or escape. Ponies that aren't accepted, or cast out by others. Just one big place, where they can all go. My dad is a good person, and I care about him a lot, but... I never feel like I'm home when I'm there in his house. But, here with you, in this cabin... I do."

"Someday, we can make a place like that. I'd want to help ponies like that, too... I do everything I can to already... But I'm just glad that at least I have you."

Auburn had fallen asleep minutes later. Not long after, Skylar succumbed to rest as well, coaxed by the sound and feel of Auburn's heartbeat.

Five years later, Auburn and Skylar were still together, closer than ever, now in their early twenties. Not only were they best friends, but lovers as well. Being young adults, they had more free time than they had before, and thus more opportunities to meet together. Skylar had less time, however, as he still had to stay back often to tend to his mother, whose needs increased with her age. Nonetheless, he and Auburn were inseparable. Their romance may have been a secret one, but it was one that would endure, through thick and thin. They began spending entire weekends at the cabin.

Yet, as careful as they would be, their strong affection for each other was impossible to completely contain even in public. Just noticing the way that they would smile at one another, or the glow that overcame them the next time they saw each other again, were enough to give other ponies ideas of the nature of their relationship. Ponies who disapproved.

Back in her room at her father's house, Auburn was painstakingly continuing progress on a project she'd been wanting to do for a long time. She was carefully painting the inside of a locket, a gift she'd been making for Skylar. She wanted to paint a picture of the two of them embracing within it. The mare had gotten so good at her usual tasks and chores that she would finish extremely early, and would spend this extra time on the locket while pretending to keep working. It had taken many days to find the pieces necessary to make it, and more still to put it together.

There was a knock at the door. Startled, Auburn hurried to hide the locket and it's materials, careful not to spill any paint on them. She answered, finding her father, August, waiting.

After a brief, awkward pause, he cleared his throat. "You know, I think it's a good idea if you spend a little bit more time at home. I miss when you were here more often. You've always been around to help build, and you do a better job of it than you ever have, but I want you around more as my daughter, not as my worker."

"I... I understand, Daddy. I just really like the fresh air, and getting out for walks, and, it just means a lot to me to get enough of that every day, you know?"

August nodded, his eyes veering away, trying to figure out how to word his next phrase. "I've seen, um... There's this... This gray pegasus keeps on passing by the house... It's happened quite a few times... I think he stops to look, like to check if anypony's home... He hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?"

Auburn blushed. "Oh, no, no, he hasn't. He's actually really nice. I-I-I've talked to him a couple of times. He won't be any trouble, I promise."

August appeared slightly flustered. It was getting harder for him to say what was on his mind. "I mean... I've seen him... Coming by..."

Auburn started to understand her father's tone. Her heart sank. "Daddy... It's not like that..."

"Then what is it like, then? I've seen the way he acts around you. The way he treats you. That's... That's way too personal for a stallion like that to --"

"Daddy, please..." Auburn was choking back on sobs. "This... This is really important to me..."

"I don't want to see any more of this," August stated firmly. "I'm not going to have it in this house."

His daughter couldn't find a way to respond. She was only trying to not completely break down.

"Auburn, look. I'm your father. I care about you. I just want you to be happy. I'm fine with you being friends with whoever you want, but this... You have to stick with your own kind. That's just the way things are."

"Coming, Mother."

Skylar trotted into his mother's bedroom and placed the bowl of soup on her nightstand.

"Where have you been lately?" April asked.

Her son blushed. "Busy, Mother. The weather team keeps me overtime because of my shortcomings. I told you that. You know that."

"Are you sure it's not because you've been seeing that earth pony again? You two aren't serious, are you?"

The colt didn't respond, wordlessly continuing about his chores.

"She doesn't make a lot of money. You know that. How are you two ever going to be able to support yourselves if you both make minimum wage? You know what people are going to say if they see a pegasus and an earth pony together. I don't mind it, but you could get into a lot of trouble!"

"Mother, she's really nice," Skylar sighed, irritated and hurt.

"I'm not saying she isn't! I'm just worried about you. I don't want to see you get hurt. I want you to find the right girl. Somepony who can give you everything you need, for all your life. I'm sorry, son, but she just isn't the one."

The colt stopped. "How is it that you know about me and Auburn, anyways?"

Another pause, this time from April. "I... I knew somepony that it happened to... She was with a stallion outside of her own kind..." Skylar was oblivious to the fact that his mother was referring to her own self. "She got in a lot of trouble... And so did he... Son... I don't disapprove... But I fear that if you keep this going, and other ponies find out, that girl is going to be the death of you."

As soon as they'd gotten the chance, Skylar and Auburn reunited at the cabin. They told each other about their respective parents discovering their relationship, and how they had been warned away from each other. But both lovers did not want to separate. Their bond was worth everything to them. More than everything.

The couple sat together silently, tears streaming down their faces.

After several minutes of just holding each other, Skylar broke the silence. "We're not horrible, are we?"

"No." Auburn's grip around Skylar tightened. "No, we're not."

Soon, they came up with a plan to run away together. Neither of them had been anywhere far beyond Ponyville, so they weren't sure where they would go, just that it would be somewhere far enough away that they wouldn't be discovered. Then, they would finally build the home that Auburn always wanted to have, and live out the rest of their lives together in peace, welcoming weary travelers, drifters, and the misfortunate to stay with them for as long as they needed. They spent several weeks stocking up on food and supplies, preparing for everything that they could think of.

Auburn was spending what would be the last day at her father's house. She had finally finished painting the inside of the locket she'd been wanting to give to Skylar. It would be the perfect memento to signify the beginning of their freedom, the start of a life unmarred by prejudice or judgment. Her heart swelled with joy, seeing how her painting perfectly resembled the two of them. She had been so focused on all of her tasks involving Skylar that most of the world around her had been tuned out.

So much so that she was greatly confused when she left her room to notice that most of her father's tools were gone. Auburn began to search all around the house, going outside, and seeing that four stallions were by a large carriage containing most of her father's belongings. August turned to see her, relieved and startled simultaneously, and quickly approached her.

"We have to go, Auburn. We're out of money. We can't afford to live here anymore."

Auburn was shocked. "What?!? Wh-why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

August sighed. "I've been trying to cut a deal with the mayor to let us stay -- do some commissions, improve aging establishments -- but he's not going to have any of it. Everypony in town already has a home, and nopony else is settling in. We're out of work. We're out of money. I could barely afford to pay these gentlemen and have enough left over to get us started in the next town. The mayor's going to jail us if we're here any longer because I can't pay for the mortgage. We have to go right now!"

"No!!!" Auburn exclaimed in protest. She darted back into the house, hurrying to gather her things, rushing out the other end towards the Everfree Forest. She could hear her father galloping far behind, calling after her.

As far as she was concerned, nothing was going to keep her away from Skylar. They were already so close to being free, and knew he was waiting for her at the cabin, where her father could not follow or find her.

'I'm sorry, Dad, but this is my life, and it's time for me to live it.'

Her lungs burned, and her hooves and legs ached. Auburn ran like her life depended on it. Her life did depend on it -- the life she wanted to live. She was getting closer to the signs she had memorized, darting through shortcuts this way and that, invigorated through her sheer will. Just when the cabin was barely within view out the corner of her eye, something knocked her down, hard. Auburn thought she'd ran into a tree, until she looked up to see the four stallions her father had hired.

She hurriedly scrambled to her hooves, trying to get around them, but they soon surrounded her from a few yards away in each direction, quickly blocking any escapes whenever she tried them. They all retrieved lassos from their saddles.

"Be careful! The boss will be angry if his daughter gets hurt!" One of them exclaimed.

Auburn jumped, darted, struggled, and tackled, but soon found herself immobilized, each of her limbs ensnared in a separate lasso. She growled furiously as she continued to fight, trying to break free, only to accidentally strike her head on a nearby rock, her vision becoming dazed and blurred.

"Aw, no, she's going to pass out. How're we going to explain this to her dad?"

When Auburn regained consciousness, she was sitting next to August in the already traveling carriage, completely bound in rope. She was entirely unharmed, except for the uncomfortable tightness of her binds, and a dull headache. Her father's glare burned into her.

"Do you have any idea how much more they charged me for all your stupid trouble? We're going to starve for two months thanks to you!"

Auburn was too angry to reply at first. August could have told her about this move in advance. For all she knew, he probably hid it from her on purpose in hopes that she wouldn't take off with Skylar.

"You could have at least told me a few days before. I had friends there. I couldn't give Ponyville a proper goodbye."

"There's more to life than boys," her father snidely retorted. "You'll have plenty of time later on to do that. To find somepony dependable. Somepony respectable. Somepony who --"

"Somepony who isn't a pegasus?"

August fell completely silent.

They didn't speak to each other again for the rest of the trip.

'We spent two weeks getting all the way to a town in an Old Western settlement, Thrown Shoe. It was so far away from Ponyville that I wouldn't be able to run away and go back there without starving to death. I'd have to save up to hire my own carriage and trip's worth of food and supplies, and that wouldn't be for a long time. To pour salt in the wound, my dad made a severe cut to my pay; he got eighty percent of our work's earnings, and I'd get twenty. Our first two months there, we lived off of the food I'd packed for my trip with Skylar.

'I thought about him all the time, every day. I remembered his sweet smile and laughter, how warm and soft his fur felt, and the way that he'd always find a way to make everything alright. I missed him a lot. Every night, I would find the brightest star in the sky, and talk to it like it was him, and he could hear me. I apologized for what happened, and hoped he could understand and forgive me. I hoped that he would still be there, waiting for me, and one day I could find him again, and we'd stay together. I'd look at that locket I made for him, and think of how what should have been the best day of my life turned into the worst one.

'But don't get me wrong. My Daddy was always a good person. He just didn't know any better, which is why he was so intolerant. He thought it was some silly phase I was going to get over, but years later I still missed Skylar just as much, and wouldn't be with anypony else. Daddy eventually apologized, and got over the judgmental ways he'd been taught as a child. He didn't disapprove anymore, he was just scared of what other ponies would say, think, or do if they saw me and Skylar together. But it was too late to fix anything. I was still hurt, and we were still poor. I couldn't even find it in my heart to forgive him until after he passed away.

'The last thing he told me was, "Do whatever makes you happy". So, I did. I kept working and saving up until I could afford to return to Ponyville and find Skylar again. It had been fifteen years since I left, and Ponyville didn't change all that much. But when I got there, I found out Skylar was dead. He killed himself in our lake, by our cabin. I felt so guilty, and couldn't forgive myself. I... I still can't. They all said so many mean things about him, just like when he was alive. They called him weak, and a coward. They... They didn't know Skylar the way I did. Nopony did. Not even in death could he find peace, or respect.

'I thought that my heart couldn't break any further before then, but, I was wrong. I spent a few more days there, staying in the cabin, but, it just wasn't the same. It hurt too much. A couple times, I even thought of joining Skylar down there in that lake... But I knew he wouldn't want that for me. He'd want me to try to live happily, too. I just couldn't bear it anymore. So, the next morning, I got back on that carriage and headed back to Thrown Shoe, where I built and opened up an Inn.

'Thrown Shoe soon became a really big place to go. A lot of travelers, so, business was always good, and I was always well off, money-wise. But there was still a hole in my heart. I'd see happily married couples with children come in to stay for a few nights, and it made me think of the kind of things I could've had with Skylar if only he hadn't... Gone away. Eventually, I got to know some of the other mares in town, and make friends with them. They'd come in to see me a lot, sometimes even old friends from Ponyville who'd come to stay. It got to the point where any day, I thought I could expect to see Daddy and Skylar walk in. But, of course, that could never happen, because they were gone...

'I still got to make some nice new memories, and was content at best, but never became romantically involved. It irked all of my friends. They would always urge me to move on, sometimes even try to set me up with somepony. But it could just never be the same. I couldn't forget Skylar. I didn't want to, any ways. I got really old and frail. I was so sick that I was stuck in a bed, day and night. I had to hand the Inn down to my younger friends, and spent the rest of my life in that bed, wishing that Skylar was right next to me.

'When I finally passed, I couldn't reach Skylar, but I did find Vesper. He explained everything that happened to me, and why we couldn't be together yet. He also told me what went on for the rest of Skylar's life, while he was still waiting for me before killing himself...'

Skylar returned to the cliff he'd sat at with Auburn the first night he took her flying. Again, he found the brightest star in the night sky, as Auburn would always point out to him.

"Um... Hi, again. It's... It's been seven years since you disappeared. I still miss you, a lot. I always have. I... I always figured that I probably wasn't good enough for you. I'm really sorry about that. I can't really blame you for it. I wish I could have been better for you. But, wherever you are, I hope that you're alright, and that you're happy. Maybe you found somepony better than me. At least, then, you would have somepony. I... I don't want to be with anypony else, but I've accepted that I can't be with you anymore, no matter how much I want to. Because you're gone.

"It's been really hard for me to try to get on with my life. Things just aren't the same without you. I used to be able to ignore or forget whenever somepony would bully me. I used to be able to have you to turn to at the end of the day. You, who accepted me unconditionally, and showered me with endless care. You're so great, and I wish to Hell that you would've stayed. But, it's your life, not mine. You get to do with it what you want to, even if it means not having me in it at all. I've accepted that. But, even if you don't want me in your life anymore... I can't seem to get you out of mine. I don't want to, either.

"Looking back, I guess it's better in some ways that we didn't go. It would've been really selfish of me to leave behind my mother, April. She's had nopony there to help her out but me, and she's always been good to me, too. I just wish that things got at least a little bit better since then. I mean, I've always tried my best to be a good person, to always do the right thing, and be nice to everypony... But, just look at me... I'm almost thirty years old, and I still work for the weather team. I'm better than I used to be, but, the captain still hates my guts. Well, the captain's son, now, but he's even meaner than his father was.

"I guess I just... Need to find something else to keep me going. There has to be something else. It would be so much easier if I could at least talk to you. You would always know what to do whenever I had a problem. I've tried to be like you, and keep going and trying with things, even if it looks like it will never happen. I've always tried to find the brightest star in the darkest sky, not just here, but in life. But whenever I see this star now... It seems less like things I want to eventually achieve, and more like things that always have and always will be out of my reach."

The next day, Skylar hardly spoke a word to anypony. He only talked to his mother whenever he would need to, helping her with everything she needed after getting off from work early. By the time she was ready for bed, the sun was still going to be out for a few hours. Skylar sat outside on his porch, pondering what he'd said to Auburn last night. Suddenly, he got an idea.

The next half hour would be spent flying around the Everfree Forest nearby town, looking for an empty clearing. Once he was satisfied with his location, Skylar got to work. He immediately started taking down trees, gathering lumber, and headed back into town with his savings to gather supplies.

For the next several months, Skylar would revisit the site of his project. He was building a house -- one even bigger than the cabin he and Auburn made together, or even bigger than most of the houses he'd seen in town. He got tired and pained frequently, but would always seem to see Auburn right there cheering him on, at least in his mind. It was like learning to build all over again. Once it was finished, an old feeling returned; that sensation of success swelling in his chest he once felt completing the cabin with his love.

April woke to the sunrise. She was surprised to find Skylar right there by her side, staring intently at her.

"My son, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"Mother... I'd... I'd like to talk to you." Skylar gently held her hoof. "I know I told you about when I almost ran away close to eight years ago. I know I apologized for it. I still feel really bad. I... I love you Mother, and I know you've always been a good parent, when I haven't always been the best son. I'd be bitter, and think you were holding me back, or smothering me, when I know that you can't help what happened to you, and the way that you are. I can only hope that I've made it up to you in trying to take care of you."

"Stop, please, my son. I must apologize, too. Yes, I am bedridden. Yes, I am disabled. But you're right, at least, partly. I may not be able to do everything I need to by myself, but, I could have been more lenient and less restrictive of you. I wasn't letting you live your own life. I know there comes a time that every parent must let their child go, and I... I never wanted to come to terms with that. I just missed out on so much in life after losing so much bodily use, right after you were born, and, I think I tried to get you to replace that for me. That wasn't right of me, trying to fill my needs at the expense of yours. If you'd like to go, I won't hold you back anymore."

"That's the thing, Mother. I do want to go. I do want to live a life of my own. But... I want you to come with me. I want you to help me."

Weeks later, Skylar looked off into the night, finding the brightest star, and thinking of his lost love.

"Auburn... I finally did it. I found what I needed in my life. Do you remember how we would talk about making a home for everypony who needed it? That's what I've done. I've opened up my own boarding home. Our own boarding home. Mother lives there with me, and she's helping me run it. I even quit my job with the weather team, so I could work on it all the time. Oh, I still have plenty of saved money left over to keep me going. We'll have everything that we need. You should see the way Mother tells stories to the children... It... It reminds me of how you used to tell me about the stories behind the constellations in the stars. It's so perfect... The only thing that it's missing is having you there with me.

"I've taken in many children who were like us. Less fortunate, or misunderstood, or mistreated. All of them had no parents. Some of them are particularly unlucky... Some of them are blind, or deaf. Some are amputees, or crippled, like Mother. But they're all very special. They all have so much life and love in their hearts. They're so curious about the world, and so happy when they play together. I just couldn't let them stay at those other homes in Ponyville. I've seen the way they treat the children -- it's not right at all. And other children would bully them or make fun of them. I wanted to make sure they had someplace they would really be cared about, and... I guess they found it in here.

"I was going to use the cabin by the lake to do this, but, it didn't feel right. That was our cabin. It's... Special... It just hurt too much to go back. It wouldn't be the same. I never thought this is how my life would turn out, but as I've learned for all my years, life rarely turns out how you expect it to, or want it to. I may not have fulfilled all of my dreams. I may not have a cutie mark, and I may not be respected by many in Ponyville for all my efforts. I may not have you with me. But this... This will be good enough."

Skylar and April had been running the boarding home for two years. The children were as happy as ever; it was almost as if none of them were unfortunate or disabled at all. Skylar had fallen asleep in his mother's room that night, talking with her until they were both too drowsy to continue. He rested on his knees, with his head on his mother's chest, soothed by the sound of her heartbeat. It reminded him of listening to Auburn's. He was able to keep himself silent, but couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

He had been particularly tired, working hard to get more supplies and food for the children the day before. So much so that it seemed nothing would stir him awake. Not even when a clap of thunder had struck one of the trees nearby. Skylar was oblivious to the fact that the home had caught fire. April was the first to wake, alarmed by the smell of smoke. The fire was beginning to spread rapidly. Panic-stricken, she started to shake Skylar.

"Skylar, wake up!!! Skylar!!!"

Skylar jolted to life, his nerves shocked with cold energy as he was shocked by his mother's terrified expression. He only just then realized his boarding home was burning down.

"The children, Skylar!!! Save the children!!!"

Immediately springing into action, Skylar obeyed his mother and swiftly sped from the room. Adrenaline seized his entire being as he galloped frantically through flaming debris, exclaiming in pain as some of it grazed or fell on him, giving him painful scrapes, bruises, and minor burns. He struggled to reach each of the children, some of whom had not yet awoken, pressured to be incredibly careful and to hurry at the same time. He carried as many of them at a time as he could, tightly holding some in his teeth and closely tucking others under his wing, trying to take them far enough outside to be safe and hurry back in to retrieve more. Skylar's heart sank as he noticed that some of them had been slightly injured as well.

Panic gripped his nerves, fearing for the death or further injury of any of the other fillies and colts. Unable to think or concentrate, the pegasus cursed his bodily limits, pushing himself to go faster or be stronger when he was already doing his best. A slight relief, too small to be noticed, would cross him whenever he noticed that the other children were still alive and relatively unharmed. Every crash and squeak of the perishing house would shoot a fresh jolt of fear and lament up his spine, trying to force himself not to imagine the situation getting worse.

After getting the last few children out of the fire, Skylar started to count them all, making sure he hadn't missed or forgotten any. His horrified, rapid pulse started to calm once he'd realized that they were all saved, and their injuries were nonlethal. The panic and desperation returned as he briefly froze at a sudden realization. April was still inside. Skylar forced his hooves to move once more, starting to return to the house. He stopped short, however, upon finding it was too late. The home had succumbed to the raging embers, collapsing in on itself, crashing down into a smoldering pile of ash and charred wood.

A single tear escaped Skylar's eye. "Mother?..."

Met only with silence, he desperately galloped to where April's room was supposed to be.

'Please, don't be gone, Mother... You can't be gone...'

The bed was completely buried in burnt wood. The stagnant smell of a charred corpse filled the air.

'No, please, no! This can't be real!'

On the verge of breaking down, Skylar gingerly pushed away the debris that he wasn't too exhausted to lift, only for his fears to be confirmed. April was no more.

Skylar fell to his forelegs, cradling what little was left of his mother's head. He was unable to accept that somepony who had been there for him his whole life, who he'd always seen alive every day, had just died and vanished right before him.

"No, Mother..." he quietly sobbed, falling into despair.

Skylar was a broken stallion. It was his final night at the cliff, staring at the brightest star, talking to Auburn once more.

"It's all my fault. If only I'd had the boarding home at our cabin instead, where there was water nearby... But it hurt too much to remember it... And all because of that, Mother is gone. She was old, and frail, and probably didn't have much time left, but... Burning up like that, slowly, and painfully... Nopony deserves to go like that. The mayor of Ponyville won't put me in jail, since I did manage to save the children, but some they won't allow me to see, and the others hate me. All I want is to just apologize to them. Everypony in town hates me, too. They blame me for recklessly endangering them. I couldn't have known that this would've happened, but... They're still right. They always have been. They've called me a failure all my life, and they're right.

"I've never gotten my cutie mark, I lost the only mare I ever loved, I failed the only jobs I could ever get, I put a bunch of disabled children in harm's way, and I killed my mother, who was nothing but kind to me. That sounds like the life of a failure. Since everypony in town hates me, including the children I tried to protect and raise, I figured I would do something right for once and put myself out of their misery. I... I think I'll drown myself right here in the lake, as soon as possible. It's the only thing I can think of that would match the pain my mother felt, burning alive. It should have been me burning down with that house, not her... I probably deserve to stay alive and suffer for as long as possible, but, that wouldn't be the right thing to do, when I only hurt everypony that I meet.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you hated me, too. That must be why you left all those years ago. Why you never said goodbye. Why you never came back to find me. But... All those times you said you loved me... All those times we shared together... All those times you said that whenever you did anything out of pain or anger, it wasn't about me... Don't you care about me? Can't you hear me? Please... If you do... Give me something... Anything... I just need to know... Are you there? Do you still love me, Auburn?..."

He waited, and received no answer.

He hung his head, sobbing. "I have nopony left anymore..."

It had taken many hours, but Skylar finally found a boulder heavy enough to weigh him down in the lake. It took even more effort to push it all the way up to the top of the cliff, and tie it to him. The pegasus grunted as he continued to trudge uphill. He was breathless, exhausted, sweat matting his mane and coat, the merciless sun beaming down on him. He looked towards it somberly.

The day Skylar met Auburn, the  radiant sun bathed Ponyville in warmth and brightness. The air was fresh and rich with blooming flowers, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky.

He finally made his way to the edge of the cliff, gazing down at the cool, pristine waterfall below, the raging rapids feeding it's alluring sight. He was almost ready.

Skylar quickly flew up to the edge to reach Auburn, sitting beside her. It hadn't been the first night that they stargazed together. It was a habit Auburn had for the longest time, and she'd always take the first opportunity to spent at least a few minutes showing Skylar all the different constellations that she had memorized, sometimes even telling stories from old mythology about how they'd been formed.

Skylar winced at the feel of the rope snugly tightened around him, encasing his wings, wrapping around his torso. He rested only long enough to regather enough energy to start pushing the boulder tied to the other end.

Whenever Skylar and Auburn  were finished with another tiring, grueling session of physical labor, they would indulge in the cool, refreshing waters of the lake nearby. They would cleanse themselves, swim around, sometimes laugh as they splashed each other.

He felt his heart leap once it started to teeter and roll off the edge, carefully making sure to jump as soon as it began it's plummet, immediately dragged down with it's gargantuan weight.

As they flew for the first time, Auburn leaned her head further forward, reaching around Skylar's neck to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Just then, he was startled, and before they knew it, he soared higher into the night sky.

The boulder made a colossal splash, causing the river to rain onto the surrounding shores, pulling Skylar down with it into a watery abyss.

Skylar and Auburn rapidly plummeted into the water, sinking down together. As soon as he could, Skylar swam back to the surface. After taking a few moments to get over the initial shock and fear of what  just happened, they felt the palpable thrill still rushing through them, laughing over how much fun they just had. Auburn leaned closer, and kissed him.

The stallion closed his eyes, listening as all audible noise of the world faded away, replaced with only the sound of his own heartbeat.

Skylar's head was resting on Auburn's chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. It was comforting him.

As he sank further and further into the unforgiving dark, Skylar stopped breathing. His lungs and esophagus began to fill. Hellish agony permeated every cell of his body. Blackness and silence closed in as the excruciating torment came to a head.

'I love you, Auburn. I wish to Hell you would've stayed.'

His heartbeat slowed to a stillness. He was gone.

"Before you go, there's one last thing I'd like to tell you," Auburn said to Fluttershy. "Every single day since my Daddy and I left Ponyville, I'd have the same dream every night, for the rest of my life. I'd be with Skylar, living in the cabin. We'd be swimming and playing in the lake, flying through the sky, and looking at the stars. Only, the dream wouldn't be exactly the same whenever I'd have it. It wasn't just when we were still young ponies in our twenties, before we were separated..."

Auburn started to choke back on her tears. "It was like it was... Right then and there... Like I never even left... Like he never even died. When I lived in Thrown Shoe in my thirties, I dreamt that he'd grown with me, and we'd already gotten married, and started that boarding home together. When my Daddy passed away, I dreamt that Skylar was there for me, helping me grieve and consoling me. When I returned to Ponyville, I dreamt he was there waiting for me, happy to see me again. When I ran that Inn, I dreamt he ran it with me. And when I was an old, bedridden mare, I dreamt that he grew old with me, staying by my side, holding my hoof and swearing he'd never let go."

Auburn wiped her tears away. "I... I liked to think that it was his way of calling out to me. That even beyond death, beyond consciousness and reality, he kept coming back to be with me again. Because we love each other so much that we won't stop, not even after the end of time and existence. When you see him again... Ask him if that was him. And please, show him kindness. He deserves so much more of it than what he was given in his life."

With that, Auburn retrieved the locket that she'd created for Skylar, and handed it to Fluttershy. She opened it up, looking at the painting inside, seeing the two doomed lovers in an immortalized embrace. Fluttershy, heartbroken by Auburn's story, nodded in confirmation.

"I will. I promise."

"Thank you for listening to my story. You have alleviated much of a great burden that I've felt for a very long time. Remind him of the truth... Remind him of the boarding home, the children, and his mother... Remind him of what happened to me... And you will set us all free."

Fluttershy nodded once more. She turned, and started to leave. She smiled, feeling inspired. She knew now what she had to do.

"Dreaming, I was only dreaming

I wake and I find you asleep

In the deep of my heart

Darling, I hope

That my dream never haunted you

My heart is telling you

How much I wanted you"

Sarah McLachlan's "Gloomy Sunday"