Longing For Harmony

Fluttershy woke to the sound of beeping. As the darkness faded away, she found that she was lying in a hospital bed. The first thing she saw was a nearby monitor, charting a graph of her heart rate. On a stand next to her bed were several cards and small gifts, trailing off to a box full of other wrapped presents. The pegasus assumed that they were sympathy cards and similar items, but as her vision cleared, she noticed something peculiar; these were too colorful to be such things. Once her focus had fully returned, Fluttershy was deeply bewildered. She looked at the date on a nearby calendar, which confirmed her suspicions.

'Today's my birthday.'

She began to stir, awakening further, startled at the deduction that she had been gone for an entire month. Sure enough, just in front of her bed were her five closest, best friends; Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. They looked heartbroken and euphoric at the same time, tears glistening in their reddened eyes, faces awash with relief to see her conscious and apparently safe.

"Oh, Fluttershy! We're so glad that you're alive! We were hoping we would get to see you today, especially with how important it is!" Twilight beamed.

"Yeah!" added Pinkie, who was jumping with joy. "Nopony should have to miss their own birthday!"

Fluttershy's ears lowered awkwardly, overwhelmed by mixed feelings. "I'm happy to see you too, my friends... I'm glad you're all okay... But... Could you tell me how you knew it was my birthday?"

Applejack spoke up. "When... When we saw what happened to you, we realized we didn't know when it was, so we asked Princess Celestia to find out and tell us..."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "You see, we weren't sure how many birthdays you would have left..."

They all steadily grew deeply saddened. "And that's the other thing..." Twilight noted as she approached her friend. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry to say this, especially today, but... The nature of the curses placed behind the creature's attacks... We were able to heal you to the point that you would live, but, there's only so much we could do... So, your wings are gone, and your hind legs are crippled... You'll have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life."

Everything went cold. Lightheadedness had seized Fluttershy, along with the loud sound of her own heartbeat drowning everything else out. She trembled, speechless, tears forming in her eyes.

'Never again. I'll never get to fly again. I'll never get to walk again. Life will never be the same.'

She buried her face in her pillow, trying to hide the fact she was bawling from her friends.

'Out of every birthday I've had over every year, all of them were horrible, but this one is the worst.'

Her friends were waiting in silence. "If... If you want to be left alone, we understand, Fluttershy," said Twilight.

Fluttershy took a few more moments to attempt to compose herself, faced her friends again, then slowly shook her head. "No, it's okay. You can stay. I'm really grateful that you came. I just... I knew something bad must've happened to me if I've been here this long."

Rarity started to approach her, looking even sadder than she did before. "I was going to make this for... A mutual friend of ours, but, he's not here anymore... I think that he'd like you to have it instead." Using the levitation magic in her horn, she withdrew a beautiful necklace entirety laced with crystals, in the distinct violet hue of Vesper.

Pinkie sniffled. "I'm going to miss his Candy Land..."

As it was placed around her neck, Fluttershy gazed at the new gift, remembering her lost ally. The genie had given her everything he had just to ensure the safety of her world and her friends. The pegasus wished she had gotten to spend more time with him, to try to make up for all the suffering they endured together, but at least they hadn't parted on bad terms.

'If only he could have gotten at least a proper 'thank you'...'

During the time she had been gone, much had happened in the lives of Fluttershy's friends. They had become closer than ever before, becoming truly inseparable. Part of it was through Fluttershy's wish that Vesper had granted, allowing them each to gain further insight as to their thoughts and feelings to one another, but they also united over the tragedy that maimed and almost killed Fluttershy. Additionally, Fluttershy discovered Vesper had also gifted them with the same ability he had given her, to pathologically detect 'emotional bleeding', allowing them to sense the exact feelings of others. This had assisted them in their further endeavors, making it easier to confront the various sources of turmoil in their lives. Fluttershy, who had previously been mystified at the circumstances of her own survival, assumed Vesper's magic must have somehow helped her heal as well.

Pinkie Pie had finally become assured that she had what she required to meet her emotional needs of recognition, appreciation, and importance. The rest of her friends, becoming aware of this, made a point to better express their gratitude to the devotion Pinkie contributed to their lives, admitting how much more enriched their day was with the distinct level of spontaneous fun and excitement that only the candy-loving pony could bring. Her employers and landlords, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, gave Pinkie a promotion at Sugarcube Corner, and began spending more time with her and treating her as a friend; she had practically become family with them after how long she'd cared for their young children, the Cake twins, and assisted in several of their endeavors.

Applejack was finally able to open up to Granny Smith about all of the hidden pain she had caused her, and why she avoided her so much in the past. Her grandmother responded in kind, becoming aware of the burdens she unknowingly or unintentionally placed on the hard-working mare, expressing apologies for them and pride for the kind of pony Applejack was today. She'd also gotten around to spending more time with Apple Bloom, and being able to do better to comfort and support her, truly living up to the sibling figure that she'd always wanted to be. Seeing how much the ordeal with Fluttershy had weighed on her, her brother Big Mac even arranged for her to take a vacation from working on the farm for a month, giving her the time she needed to bond with Apple Bloom and Granny Smith, and to visit Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash visited Scootaloo much more often. Until Fluttershy had pointed it out to her, she'd never noticed how much of an impact that she had on the young filly. The time they had spent together up until now had validated the mare's long unfulfilled desire of complete and total acceptance, which was only reinforced by finally learning just how much her other friends truly appreciated her. The two now spent every single day carving out some time to practice flying, aiming to someday boost Scootaloo's ability to the point of matching Rainbow's aerial prowess. They would also read books together, and play with her pet turtle, Tank. Rainbow Dash had also completely smoothed over her disagreements with Applejack. The two mares had restored their friendship to it's optimum, with their games and sports ending in laughs instead of arguments, their days spent together ending on high notes instead of low ones.

Rarity had finally finished the dress she was making for Princess Luna. She was even able to present it to her on the Anniversary of Nightmare Moon. The Princess of the Night had been deeply moved by the gift that the unicorn had poured countless days of painstaking labor into, as well as discovering that on many nights she had greatly admired and appreciated the beautiful night sky Luna had long feared was completely ignored. Rarity even quit her business partnership with Photo Finish, concluding that while it was, for her, an unforgettable opportunity, she couldn't bear the loss of creative freedom and flexible timeframes. The extra time this gave Rarity was spent showing her sister Sweetie Belle more appreciation and affection.

Twilight Sparkle had taken the initiative to tell Princess Celestia about her concerns over their relationship. To her surprise, she found that the Sun Goddess missed Twilight as much as she missed her; so much so that she wanted to arrange for Twilight to move back to Canterlot. Of course, Twilight was used to staying with her friends in Ponyville by now, and was reluctant to go. This lead to the two agreeing to schedule for her to visit Canterlot at least once a week so that they could make up for lost time. In addition, the unicorn managed to reconcile the disagreements between herself and her assistant, Spike. Both had renewed the sense of comfort and belonging in their years of friendship, and Twilight was finally convinced that she truly did deserve Celestia's love and recognition after all.

In her absence, the five friends had taken turns visiting Fluttershy's house, looking after her animals and managing the regular ordeals that the pegasus would otherwise address. Applejack had volunteered to do this the most often, seeing as how she had the most experience with animals out of all of them, with managing her farm. They also regularly visited Fluttershy at the hospital, waiting, desperately wanting for her to awaken, only to have their desires fulfilled on her birthday. They spent the rest of the day with her, eating baked goods, opening presents, and talking. While the severe loss of her mobility still bothered Fluttershy to an understandably large degree, she was at least a little comforted to know that her friends were completely safe, and had now formed an unshakeable bond.

Understandably, it took a long time for Fluttershy to get used to her wheelchair. Even though she was now able to use it on her own, her friends would still volunteer to take her to places or help her move around the house with it. There were some tasks she could no longer completely do by herself that she used to do with ease, such as taking care of all of her animals. Melancholy tinged every minute of every hour; days and nights would blend together, to the point that Fluttershy was unsure what day in the week it was, or so lost in thought she would think it was the afternoon when the sun was down. All she knew was that it had been at least a month since she left the hospital. She spent even longer within the security and privacy of her cottage than she used to, which was quite often. Fluttershy was depressed, bewildered, and embittered; even though she did nothing but try to be kind and helpful to everyone, she still ended up unable to walk or fly ever again.

All the time, she wore the necklace Rarity made in memory of Vesper, daydreaming of what more they could have done together if he hadn't vanished. But the other questions lingering in the back of her mind were about Skylar. Fluttershy hadn't known what happened to him, or if he was safe. Nopony had even mentioned him ever since she woke, and she never worked up the courage to ask them about him. She figured that perhaps her friends had changed their minds and were angry at him once more, possibly blaming him for her permanent injuries. She secretly feared that he had taken his own life once more out of guilt, or that he was exiled from Ponyville, maybe all of Equestria.

It was a weekend, and Twilight was finished with all of her tasks. She came to Fluttershy days prior, offering to take her out on a walk on a beautiful, sunny day, stating Rainbow Dash had given her the Weather Team's forecast in advance. Even though the wingless pegasus had no desire to engage in the stroll, she didn't want to disappoint or discourage her friend, and thus accepted. As they left her cabin, 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.

Fluttershy was deeply astonished at the strange sense of recognition she felt. 'There's something so... Oddly familiar about all of this...'

Her unicorn friend continued to take her for a leisurely stroll through the more vivid and beautiful sights of Ponyville, inquiring about how she was, and detailing her latest activities. They talked about how much her ties between Spike and Celestia had improved, and their mutual mourning for Vesper and for Fluttershy's mobility. The topics continued to drift along smoothly, with Fluttershy surprised at how relaxing the whole experience was, although the peculiar familiarity and her concerns over Skylar continued to gnaw away at her mind.

Finally, they came to an abrupt stop, by a large gathering of trees. Fluttershy looked at Twilight in confusion, alarmed to see that her friend was in tears.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I know you may not want to do this, but, there's somepony who's been really wanting to talk to you. I'll... I'll give you a minute to be alone..."

With that, the unicorn hastily trotted off into the distance, getting behind a large collection of bushes. Fluttershy surveyed her surroundings, struck with bewilderment. She heard the rustle of grass yards away from her, ensnaring her attention. Sure enough, none other than Skylar emerged from behind one of the trees moments later.

Fluttershy gasped. "Your horn! Your cutie mark! They're gone!!! What happened to them?!?"

Skylar's eyes veered away sheepishly. "W-well... You see... When we were there in the cave, with the dragon, and everything, you were bleeding to death. I had to have Rarity and Twilight Sparkle help me do it, but, we just couldn't save you the way things were right then. The only way we were able to was for me to sacrifice all of my magic and power... And, also my cutie mark..."

Fluttershy shook her head slowly. "... But... You only got it just then... After all that suffering... All that time..."

Skylar nodded gently. "I know, I know, but... I probably don't deserve it anyways, after everything that happened..."

"But you didn't mean to make anything bad happen. It wasn't even you, it was that... That thing..."

"Yes, that creature that I created... But... I guess you're right. I didn't mean to make anything bad happen, but, it still happened any ways. Either way, my cutie mark still isn't as important as your life, Fluttershy. I was a complete stranger, and yet you gave almost everything you had just to help me. You did it out of kindness, and because you cared... It reminded me of how I wanted to be... How I used to be... I... I figured it was only fair for me to do the same for you. Besides, I don't need a cutie mark to know how much I care." Skylar retrieved the open locket that Auburn had made for him, staring inside at their picture. "All I needed was a reminder."

As he lowered his love's keepsake, he caught a glimpse of Fluttershy's necklace. He paused, frowning, and sighed. "... I miss him..."

Fluttershy looked down at it once more, realizing that it reminded Skylar of Vesper as well. "So do I..." She looked back to Skylar. "Even after you -- I-I mean, even with everything that happened... He never thought bad of you at all..."

Skylar nodded once more, closing his eyes. "I know. And I should have treated him better. He tried so hard for so long, just to help me, and I kept pushing him away. Vesper was always a great person. So many centuries and more, he gave his all just to improve the lives of ponies like us. But, he was suffering for such a long time. He was ready to go. It's what he wanted. Him, and... The other one..."

Fluttershy gazed at her necklace. "And he left having done what he wanted to... To create happiness..." After a moment of reflecting, she looked back to Skylar, curious and somber. "Skylar... I know that you've probably been hurting a lot in all, uh... Three of your lives... Were you... Planning on staying here, with us, or were you going to leave again? I-I wouldn't blame you if you decided not to... After everything you've been through..."

At this, Skylar paused. "Well... I probably would have, but, I don't think that it would be fair to Auburn. She lived out the rest of her natural life after I was gone. Maybe it's time for me to pick up where I left off. I know she misses me, like I miss her, but, I think she'd want me to experience the joys only the living world can offer, like the way I wanted her to. It's only for another sixty years or so anyways, which isn't that long when you've lived for as long as I have."

Fluttershy experienced an epiphany. 'If Skylar, who's so similar to me in so many ways, can continue on in life even after everything he's been through... Could I maybe do that, too?' She tilted her head to the side. "Where have you been staying all this time, anyways?"

Skylar shrugged. "Back in Au -- err, our old cabin. After everything that happened... Well... I wasn't sure if you'd ever want to see me again, and I needed a lot of time to myself to think and reflect, anyhow. But, there's another reason I wanted to come here and talk to you today..."

Fluttershy blinked, surprised. "Okay?..."

Skylar started to get closer, looking nervous, tapping his forehooves together. "Alright, so... I understand if you can never forgive me for what happened to you. But, I feel really, really awful about it, and I figured I could at least try to make it up to you somehow, if you'd be okay with that. And, as you've learned, I've had a lot of experience looking after the disabled and infirm... So, I'm offering to become your personal caretaker, if you'll allow me to." He attempted to smile reassuringly.

Fluttershy beamed, feeling full of warmth as she smiled back at him. "Skylar... I already forgave you for what happened... And I would be delighted to have you as my caretaker... But... Could you please also be my friend?"

Several weeks later, Skylar had practically moved in with Fluttershy. He assisted her with everything that she needed, and successfully emigrated into modern Ponyville. Apparently, Vesper graced the colt with one final gift as well before going. Skylar and Auburn were able to be together again in Skylar's dreams, where they could wait until Skylar would eventually pass again. Then, they could be reunited in their own personal, secluded purgatory. Aside from that, he and Fluttershy formed a close friendship, and within time he befriended her other allies as well. In spite of everything that happened to her, Fluttershy started to regain some sense of joy and contentment. Life was becoming pleasant again.

Dusk had begun to set in. Twilight was pushing Fluttershy's wheelchair to an area that their friends normally met once a week to play together. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were already there, waiting for them.

"That was a beautiful sunset that we got to see earlier," Fluttershy chimed.

Twilight agreed. "Indeed it was! I'm really glad we decided to have this picnic tonight. It's been way too long since we've had one. They're always so much fun!"

"Oh, yes! I just know that Applejack and Pinkie Pie brought delicious meals!"

Twilight chuckled. "As always." She waved to the rest of their friends, who waved back. The unicorn squinted her eyes, noticing something. "Hmm... Guess Rarity's not here yet. I hope she didn't forget the plates again."

Fluttershy looked up to her. "Maybe she's grabbing some at a store at the last minute? Or going back home to get them?"

Twilight paused, then nodded. "Yeah, maybe." She then remembered something else. "By the way, where's Skylar tonight again? It's a shame he couldn't come here, too. You said he was busy with some kind of errand, right?"

Fluttershy smiled to herself, remembering how Skylar enjoyed running his boarding home.

"Aww, come on, Rarity! You knew we were going to have a sleep over tonight! What if we need your help with something?"

"Apple Bloom and Scootaloo can still spend the night, Sweetie Belle. I already told you, there's a sitter on the way. You'll like him, he's very nice, just, give him a chance! I'm sorry for being so antsy with you, but I'm already running late for the picnic!"

The doorbell chimed, and Rarity beamed. "That must be him! Goodnight, girls! I'll see you tomorrow!" She rushed out as fast as she could, stopping for only a moment to give the mystery sitter all the basic information he needed. The Cutie Mark Crusaders curiously tried to get a glimpse of their temporary caretaker, but couldn't see him until he walked inside, and Rarity had already left.

He smiled warmly at them. "Hello, girls. My name's Skylar, and I'm going to be watching you tonight. Rarity told me your bed time is supposed to be in a few hours, but you can pretty much do whatever you like until then."

Apple Bloom gasped. "You're a blank flank?!? Just like us?!?

Skylar nodded. "That's right! I've gone my whole life without a cutie mark! And you want to know a secret? There's nothing wrong with that at all! All that means is that you're so wonderful in so many ways that your flank can't decide what it wants on it!"

The three fillies smiled, beaming with joy.

Skylar looked out of a nearby window for a moment, seeing the beauty of the radiant night sky. Within a moment, he already found the brightest star. His heart filled with warmth, remembering Auburn, and how even now she still waited for him. He returned his attention to the fillies.

"Now, who would like to hear a story?"

Skylar became the regular sitter for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, by their own unanimous request. Along with his kind, caring nature, they liked having a guardian figure who could empathize with their lament over having no cutie marks. The more often he visited to look after them, the less concerned they were over finding their cutie marks, instead more focused on getting the most they could out of life and their friendships. The revived pegasus also grew closer to Fluttershy's friends, becoming a full part of their social circle. With that, they all decided to set out and make amends with people that they'd been at odds with in the past, helping them the same way Fluttershy helped Skylar and the others.

Rainbow Dash's griffon friend, Gilda, was sorry for her rude and inconsiderate nature she exhibited while visiting her in Ponyville. She explained that she was anxious to be with Rainbow Dash again, having not seen her in a long time, which is why she was curt and unkind with Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and the others. She was forgiven, and got to be with Rainbow once more.

The disgraced magician Trixie, who made outlandish performances and exaggerated her feats for the sheer entertainment of others, felt humiliated and discredited by Twilight. Her true intention all along was to provide an escape from painful reality to ponies everywhere, to make them forget for just a few minutes how harsh and cruel life could be. She and Twilight worked out their differences, and redeemed her act, reviving her career in the process.

Rarity was surprised to find that Prince Blueblood actually carried many similarities with herself. The hapless prince would often pretend to be shallow and conceited on purpose in an attempt to drive other ponies away; he was afraid to get close to anyone out of fear he would hurt them, or they would hurt him. In reality, he was very chivalrous, noble, and thoughtful, often making anonymous contributions to improve the lives of others. Rarity helped coax his true personality out of hiding, and take the first steps to forming meaningful relationships.

Diamond Tiara, the frequent bully of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, had a complicated relationship with her father, Filthy Rich. While he was a truly loving parent, he sometimes acted incorrectly in an attempt to support her. Only behind closed doors would he relentlessly chastise and criticize his daughter, expressing extreme disappointment with the simplicity of her cutie mark, and her progress in school. This created a cycle where the filly would sublimate the pain caused by her father's words by antagonizing Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

Filthy Rich, in turn, was stern with Diamond Tiara and held unreasonably high expectations for her to sublimate his own personal insecurities. Her friend, Silver Spoon, only assisted with her bullying to gain a sense of belonging. With the help of Fluttershy and the others, all three were counseled, their problems resolved, replacing their formerly negative dispositions with kindness.

The seven ponies were amazed at the success they had in helping all kinds of people, from the Flim Flam Brothers to the Diamond Dogs. As more and more ponies gained inner peace from their considerate assistance, Fluttershy and her friends decided that it was time to do the unthinkable; to try to help Discord. Even though they were reluctant and scared to do so at first, they released him from his stone prison. To their great surprise, they eventually got through to him, realizing that he was, at heart, a harmless prankster who merely wanted to have more fun. With Celestia's help, they found a secluded area outside of Ponyville, Canterlot and other regions where Discord was allowed to create an unpredictable paradise of never-ending exhilaration. His most frequent visitor was Pinkie Pie, who shared his enthusiasm for such excitement.

Contented, Fluttershy, Skylar and the others remained in Ponyville. There were still inevitable problems, and not everyone was happy all the time -- far from it, even. Not one day ever passed where Fluttershy wouldn't miss getting to walk or fly, and to do everything those activities would allow her to. Skylar still missed Auburn, wishing they could already be together forever, and continued to carry guilt over all the pain he had caused, even if it was unintentional. Both of them greatly missed Vesper, and wished they could have gotten to do more with him; to thank him for everything he gave them, and apologize for what they did to him. Life was still not perfect, but things in general greatly improved nonetheless.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

The experiences I've had over the last few months have taught me that life is similar to a roller coaster at a carnival. It can be very bright, fast, and fun, but also sometimes scary. And even if you get scared, in the end, everything will be okay, because that's all that it is; only a ride. It might not be possible to do everything that you want with your life, but that doesn't mean you can't have a fulfilling one. I don't know if people will ever live in a world where everyone always gets along, and everything is always alright. It might not ever happen in our lifetimes, or even far beyond that. Even so, that doesn't make it any less worth trying to attain nonetheless. Each of us, in our own, unique, special ways, expresses a constant craving for peace, civility, and contentment. We are all longing for harmony.

Your humbled friend, Fluttershy."

"Everything is clearer, now

Life is just a dream, you know,

It's never ending

We're ascending"

• The Seatbelts' "Blue"

The End