Fluttershy awoke to the sounds of Ivy’s voice. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. She was in a bed. Her muzzle ached and her lower lip was swollen. She saw Discord in a bed close by. She turned her head towards Ivy’s voice.
And saw Luna, lounging in a bed, her head held high, lying on her belly. Ivy was cradled between her extended forelegs.
Ivy was giggling and talking to Luna. It seemed that peace had been made while Fluttershy had slumbered.
“Mama!” Ivy cried upon seeing Fluttershy raise her head.
“You are still here,” Fluttershy mumbled, “why?”
“I am looking after a friend, Luna replied, “and making sure he stays well.”
“A friend?” Fluttershy asked.
Luna smiled down at Ivy between her forelegs.
“Discord’s mind had been thoroughly corrupted by his magic. It had done things to him. Poisoned his thoughts, his thinking. I probably understand that better than anypony.” Luna fell silent for a moment before continuing. “He is now filled with genuine regret and agonises over many things while he slumbers. We have spoken, he and I, at great length. He has done terrible things to both my sister and I. I have chosen to forgive him.” Luna fell silent again, chewing on her lower lip, her ears falling down to the sides of her face. Her eyes closed as she spoke again. “I wanted more than anything for ponies to forgive me after what I had done,” she whispered, her voice low, “and the feeling of forgiveness, of acceptance, it is indescribable after suffering so much hurt knowing how much harm you have brought to others. I wanted it for myself, and my own forgiveness would mean nothing if I did not offer the same to one who sought to be forgiven.” She opened her eyes. “I hope my sister will see reason. She is very confused and hurt right now, unsure of her own thoughts over this issue. She was able to forgive me, but she is having trouble forgetting what Discord has done. I hope I can convince her.”
Fluttershy said nothing. There was nothing she could say. She felt a tight feeling in her chest. The panic, the constant panic, was close. She wished for more familiar surroundings, to be home, to be with things she knew.
Ivy kept swiping at Luna’s ethereal mane, her claws passing through harmlessly.
Fluttershy could hear Discord breathing. Each breath sounded laboured.
“He is going to live, but he is going to be weak for quite some time,” Luna said, guessing Fluttershy’s thoughts, “he will need a caretaker. He is going to have special needs.”
“Like what?” Fluttershy answered, her voice filled with concern.
“How to live.” Luna said flatly.
“I don’t understand.”
Luna gazed at Fluttershy. “He has been a being of exceptional magic for quite some time. His long serpentine body has mostly ignored gravity and physical needs. Why use muscle when you have magic? Why consume food when you don’t need it? Why pay any attention to the cries of the body when you have magic to sustain it?”
Fluttershy’s mouth fell open, her thoughts raced.
“To suddenly become mortal and have the body try to remember all of those needs all at once. Why, he is going to be very much like Ivy for a time. Requiring supervision. Care. Making sure his needs are met. And there are also practical concerns.”
“Such as?” Fluttershy asked.
“Making sure he has a caretaker that is patient, kind, and looks after his needs. And does not abuse him for what he once was, or neglect him out of a petty sense of vengeance.” Luna’s eyes were locked upon Fluttershy. “Once again, somepony is going to have to rehabilitate him. Somepony that he trusts. He is practically an infant. I doubt that he could even rise to his own feet anytime soon.”
Fluttershy sighed. She looked at Luna, blowing her mane out of her eyes, only to have it fall back in place again. She brushed it aside with a wingtip.
“I will do what is required,” Fluttershy said, “there is no need to continue. You only needed to ask. But I might need help. I’m not sure if I can do this alone.”
“Help will be given.” said a voice from the door.
Celestia entered the room. She looked better. Her blackened side was already healing somewhat, her swollen eye was slightly opened, the terrible raw cracks closing.
“You know your friends will help you, and I will send help as well. Discord deserves aid.” Celestia eased herself down on a bed. She looked exhausted. She rolled onto her mostly uninjured side, her long neck collapsing upon a pillow. She kicked her legs out, trying to get comfortable.
“Been thinking about what we’ve discussed, sister?” Luna asked, her tone soft.
“Yes.” Said Celestia, her horn igniting with a golden glow. Ivy was levitated to Celestia’s bed, she yowled while suspended in the air.
“You stole my cuddlebug!” Luna accused.
“Yes.” Celestia replied. “Yes I did.” Ivy landed on Celestia’s bed with a plop. Celestia scooped her in with a foreleg and hugged her to her barrel.
“Actually, that’s my cuddlebug, but I am willing to share.” Fluttershy interjected.
Both sisters looked at Fluttershy.
“Discord has rid Equestria of its greatest threat,” Celestia said after a silent moment, “himself. His actions were selfless. I must confess, it is going to take time for me to resolve my own feelings on this matter. But I will not allow my personal feelings to get in the way of what is right. You will have any and all assistance that you may require Fluttershy. You took upon yourself the task of rehabilitating him. You helped to bring him to this point. And he was courageous enough to take that final step towards change by himself. He chose something better, even though his actions were very rash and will have major consequences. And you made this possible.”
Fluttershy’s head dropped to her pillow. Her eyes closed. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind raced with everything that had just been said. How had she done this? How was she responsible? She was little, she was helpless, she was bound with panic and could barely function in the world around her. How was this possible? She heard a panicked yowl… And a moment later something warm and soft was beside her. She felt the palm of Ivy’s talons on her neck, the claws held back, the points only faintly tickling her skin. It made her shiver as she tingled all over. She felt Ivy’s other talons grasping her ear and tugging slightly. She felt the weight of Ivy’s body as it collapsed on her neck, Ivy’s head resting just behind her ear, in the crook between her skull and her neck. Fluttershy felt Ivy’s warm belly on her shoulder. Ivy’s tail coiled around Fluttershy’s foreleg.
“Has Ivy been outside? Or to a safe place to take care of her needs?” Fluttershy asked suddenly.
“Yes.” Both sisters answered at once.
“The lunar pegasi found it quite entertaining,” giggled Luna, “but most of them are easily amused.”
“And Twilight is just fine, however much she might complain.” Celestia smiled faintly.
“What?” Fluttershy asked. “What happened?”
“Nothing serious,” Celestia murmured, “just a few feather tips are scorched and a bit of tail is missing. It’s a little shorter now. Looks stylish.”
Fluttershy took a deep breath and waited. No further information seemed forthcoming.
Discord stirred in his bed, a wordless mumble escaping his lips. Luna’s horn flared, and she pulled Discord’s blankets back up to his chin. Discord let out a low groan and fell silent.
Ivy fussed and squirmed against Fluttershy’s neck.
The room was silent.
“Luna?” Fluttershy’s voice broke the silence.
“Yes?” Luna responded.
“When next you see Discord, if you go visiting him in his dream or something, tell him I am here waiting for him” She cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind. If it isn’t too much of a bother.”
“I will do as you ask,” Luna replied, “anything else?” She added, expectantly.
Fluttershy fretted, trying to think of a response. She rubbed her forehoof against the blanket. After a long moment of consideration, she spoke:
“Tell him I am very proud of him for what he did.” Her voiced trailed off. “I’m also really angry, but don’t tell him that.”
“Angry?” Celestia inquired.
“He almost killed himself!” Fluttershy snapped. “The stupid half a horse almost killed himself!”
Luna looked confused and shook her head. “Half a horse?” She asked. “Is this a reference to him being a crossbreed?”
“No!” Fluttershy said, her voice cracking. “He’s a half a horse. The back half. The space just below the tail. That general area. If he had died…” He voice died with a faint squeak.
“Oh, a horse’s a…”
“LUNA!” Celestia scolded.
“What?! Luna said defensively. “I do believe that is the closest Equestria will ever be to witnessing the Element of Kindness swearing!”
Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered.
“Luna!” Celestia repeated again.
“Oh stop being such a half a horse yourself. Always so prim and proper, the Princess of the Day. A little dark and vulgarity would do you good.”
“LUNA!” Celestia repeated for the third time.
“Ivy!” Luna cried. “Raspberry!”
Ivy lifted her head, inhaled mightily, and blew a raspberry that caused her tongue to dangle out almost one third the length of her body. It flapped the flatulent breeze of the rude noise.
“I taught her a trick while Fluttershy slumbered!” Luna exclaimed in triumph.
Fluttershy lay silently under Ivy.
There was a loud wet “slurp!” as Ivy withdrew her tongue. Fluttershy felt Ivy’s small head return to rest upon her own. Her anger and panic had abated. Part of her felt like laughing, even with the bad situation being what it was. Ivy had that effect, which Fluttershy counted as a blessing.
“Luna, sometimes I wonder how we are related.” Celestia said.
“Well,” Luna began, “when a pony loves another pony, or in this case, two alicorns loving each other, they come together in a special hug. This is how you were made. I came later. That makes us related. I’m proof that father loved mother enough to come back for seconds, even after you had probably ruined their lives.”
Celestia lay on the bed, her mouth open in shock. A pillow flew from the corner of the room and slammed into Luna’s head.
Luna blinked.
“You are injured, and probably feeble minded,” Luna muttered, “I’ll let that slide.”
“Fluttershy?” Celestia asked.
“Yes?” Fluttershy responded.
“I am hoping that you will understand something.” Celestia replied.
“What?” Fluttershy returned.
“Luna and I have lived very long lives. Tragic moments, as bad as they might be, are very brief instances for us. They are what they are. Moments. Moments have to happen and then you move on to other moments. Luna and I have learned to move on quickly. I don’t want you thinking we aren’t worried or otherwise concerned over the current situation. If we dwelled too much on any one moment, eternity really would stretch on forever. I hope you can understand, at least a little.”
“I’m not sure that I do.” Fluttershy responded. “What is it going to be like for Discord now that his moments are numbered?” She paused, struggling for better words, and found none. “How will he adjust?”
“He will have to learn again that each moment in precious because they are finite. He’ll no longer be able to fritter them away. I suspect that when that sinks in, he is going to cling to those closest to him, fearing for each moment lost. I cannot imagine how hard this will be for him.” Luna turned to her sister. “Each moment I spent locked away from you…” Her voice faded away, her final sound a faint painful gasp.
“I am positive that Ivy will make those moments worth it,” Celestia added, “or possibly make him regret many moments in passing, only to laugh at those moments later. Discord, for all of his faults, deserves some happiness and a return to a normal life. Whatever a normal life might be that would involve him.”
“I hope I can make him happy.” Fluttershy murmured in a faint voice, barely above a whisper. “I’m not sure that I know how. Very difficult to interact with other ponies. Or anybody for that matter, ponies or other sentient beings. Sometimes it is hard to relate to Ivy even. I just sit there staring at her and wondering what I am doing, and what was I thinking when I sent out those first inquiries in the mail. Discord made me do it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it. He pestered me and pestered me and pestered me until it finally drove me crazy and I did it just to make him stop. He wore me down with his incessant chatter. I’m glad I did it, I don’t regret it, but I don’t understand why I did it. I don’t know what I am doing. I have all of this self doubt and panic. I can barely look after myself and the only reason why I manage to look after myself is because of all of my animals. They’re my excuse to keep going. But I don’t take very good care of myself at all and now there is Ivy and I’m about to start looking after Discord…” She took a deep panicked breath, her chest beginning to heave. She shook slightly, causing Ivy some distress.
“Who is going to look after me?” She finally asked. “I’m a caretaker that can’t take care of myself. I can’t deal with all of this self doubt any more. Not if I am going to have something other than animals in my care. Things that can talk. Things that can notice when something is wrong. Things that will ask questions and pry and poke and just not leave me alone until they drag an answer out of me!” Fluttershy began to sob. “Having a family means answering to them. It is hard enough having friends, but at least you can try to hide from friends and have those moments alone.”
Fluttershy pulled Ivy into a squeeze and held her close.
The sisters sat there, exchanging glances.
“No more hiding.” Both sisters said in unison.