Chapter Twenty-Two
Sky Shimmer
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There was nothing else quite like the way Fluttershy felt right now. She and Sunset walked into the kitchen, carrying their daughter in tow. They each had hold of one of her hands, and they lifted her together to place her into a chair. She laughed as they dropped her into the seat, the way six-year-olds often did when adults carried them around.
“You sit down too,” Sunset said to Fluttershy. “I’ll serve breakfast.”
“You already made it,” Fluttershy pointed out. “You don’t have to do that.”
“No, I want to.”
Fluttershy smiled to herself and shook her head, but she sat down next to her daughter all the same. She leaned in close to the young girl and whispered loudly enough for Sunset to hear her, “Tell me the truth, you really made these yourself, didn’t you?”
Sky Shimmer laughed. Fluttershy always loved Sky’s laugh. It was the most musical sound in the world to her. “No, Mom helped too. Really!”
“Hmm…” Fluttershy tapped her chin in mock contemplation. “Mom helping in the kitchen? I don’t know about that…”
“Unfortunately for you, I did help make them.” Sunset set down a plate of pancakes on the table, then got out three plates for them, as well as butter and syrup. She served Sky while Fluttershy helped herself. “I don’t promise they’ll be edible, though.”
Fluttershy giggled. “They look great, dear.”
After cutting Sky’s into bites for her, Sunset took a seat and pulled the last of the pancakes onto her own plate.
It was Mother’s Day, and her wife and daughter had decided to surprise Fluttershy with a homemade breakfast. It was a simple treat – they didn’t have the money to do extravagant things, anyway – but it meant the world to Fluttershy.
She looked at her daughter, who had already managed to get syrup all over her pretty little baby blue face. Fluttershy didn’t mind though; she wanted to let her daughter be a kid. The fact that Sunset also had syrup on her face already though…
Oh, who was she kidding? Fluttershy felt nothing but love for both of them. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you two.”
“Yeah, you basically won the lottery,” Sunset said through a bite of pancake. She swallowed and smiled. “Even if you have to put up with me to get Sky.”
Sky nudged Fluttershy. “Mama, she did it again.”
Fluttershy nodded and gave Sunset a stern look. “That’s right, remember you’re not supposed to say bad things about yourself.”
“Yeah,” Sky said equally sternly. “You’re s’posed to be the example.”
Sunset laughed. “Okay okay, you got me. I guess I’m pretty good too.”
“That’s more like it,” Fluttershy said. She looked at Sky and they nodded at each other in agreement.
Sunset took another bite of her pancake. “Nothing gets past you two.”
Fluttershy reached out and stroked a yellow strand in Sky’s yellow and pink streaked hair. “Nope. Not with our little princess watching you like a hawk.”
Sky beamed at her moms, her face shining with sticky maple syrup. It wasn’t true, but Sunset always told people that Sky Shimmer was named for the way her face shone when she smiled, just like a morning sunrise.
Sunset finished her pancakes and looked at the clock. “I guess I better get ready.”
Fluttershy sighed. “Too bad you couldn’t get the day off for Mother’s Day.”
Sunset shrugged and stood up. “Yeah, but you know. A security guard’s work is never done.”
Fluttershy looked up as Sunset went by, and the two of them exchanged a quick kiss. Fluttershy couldn’t resist smiling as they pulled away. “You’ve got syrup on your face.”
“I do?” Sunset tried to lick it off, failed, then shrugged and made her way to the bathroom.
Fluttershy leaned in closer to her daughter. “So it’s just us today, sweetie. What do you feel like doing?”
“Hmm… can we go visit Auntie Pinkie?”
“We can probably do that. I’ll call her in a bit.”
“Yay!”
Fluttershy stood up and grabbed a paper towel. She wet it in the sink then washed off Sky’s face. “There, nice and clean. Can I have a kiss?”
Sky leaned in and kissed Fluttershy with a loud ‘mwah’ sound, which caused her to giggle. “I love you, Sky.”
Sky beamed again, and once more the room was filled with light. “I love you too, Mama!”
“I don’t want to go…”
Fluttershy laughed a little. “Sorry, Sky, but you have to go to school.”
It was the first day of second grade, and both Fluttershy and Sunset had come to drop their daughter off. Sunset parked their car and they all got out.
Some kids didn’t like their parents going into school with them. Sky was just the opposite; she had to practically be dragged away from her moms when they brought her into class, and she always walked in holding each of their hands.
They brought her into the building and Sunset checked the information they were given to find the right room. They had both met with her teacher during the open house, but they weren’t used to the new room just yet.
Still, much to Sky’s probable dismay, they found the room soon enough. “Here it is, princess,” Sunset said as she opened the door. “Ready to meet your teacher?”
“No,” Sky said, sounding like she might cry. “I wanna go home with you.”
“We have to work, sweetie,” Fluttershy reminded her. She brushed her hand through Sky’s hair, which they had recently gotten cut shorter per her request. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll be happy here. Oh look, there’s Flurry Heart!”
Sky gasped. “Flurry! Can we go say hi?”
Sunset chuckled. “You go ahead, we’re gonna say hi to your teacher.”
“Okay. But don’t leave without saying goodbye!”
“We won’t,” Fluttershy promised. That was a mistake they weren’t going to make again.
While Sky ran off to see her friend, Sunset and Fluttershy spoke with her teacher. She was a nice woman, and they had no doubts that Sky would come to love her soon enough. They weren’t the only parents there though, so they didn’t take up too much of her time.
Thankfully, by the time they went back to check on Sky, she was already playing happily with Flurry. “We’re gonna get going, princess,” Sunset said.
Sky still pouted a little. “Okay…”
“Hey, none of that.” Sunset pinched her cheek. “We love you.”
“I love you too.”
Sunset held out her arms, so Sky ran into them. After she hugged one mom, she quickly hugged the other. “Mom will be back to get you before you know it,” Fluttershy said. “And I’ll be home by dinner time.”
“Okay.”
They stood up and waved to their daughter, who was soon back to playing with Flurry Heart. Seeing it was safe to do so, they left the room.
“At least she has a friend in her class,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah, she’ll be alright.” Sunset was staring at the ground as she walked with her hands in her pocket.
Fluttershy smiled knowingly. “Hmm, you’re worried about her though.”
Sunset shrugged. “A little. You know how she is when she’s on her own.”
Fluttershy nudged Sunset. “You mean I know how you are when she’s on her own.”
Sunset turned to face her and smiled. “Yeah, maybe.”
Fluttershy stopped Sunset and took her hands. “She’s with a friend, and her teacher is a nice lady. She’s not you, Sunny. She does well in school and makes friends easily.”
Sunset smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just worried over nothing. Now come on, let’s get you to work.”
Fluttershy resumed walking, but kept hold of one of Sunset’s hands. “How did we ever go so right as parents?”
“Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine.”
Fluttershy laughed. “Love you, Sunny.”
“Love you too, Shy.”
Sunset and Fluttershy were sitting at the kitchen table, and they didn’t need to speak to know they had the same thing on their minds. They were both wondering if they had done something wrong.
Neither of them ever heard their daughter raise her voice like that, certainly not directed at them. Usually Sky was the perfect daughter, even if she was thirteen now.
If only she had asked anything else, it would have been fine. It wasn’t like it was the first time that she had brought it up either. She was clearly tired of the same old excuses…
There were footsteps behind them, and when they turned to look, Sky was standing there looking down at the ground. Fluttershy and Sunset exchanged looks. “Hey, Sky,” Sunset said.
Moments later, Sky was across the room hugging both of her moms. “I’m sorry,” she said in between sobs.
They both hugged her back, and Fluttershy stroked her hair. “Shh, it’s okay.”
“I didn’t mean to yell at you, I just…”
“I understand,” Sunset said. “Wanna know a secret? I yelled at everyone when I was your age.”
“I just…” Sky looked between her parents. “I wish you’d just tell me about him.”
Fluttershy pursed her lips and Sunset looked to her. Eventually she sighed. “Pull up a chair.”
Sky obeyed, and Sunset took hold of Fluttershy’s hand.
It was inevitable that this would come up someday, Fluttershy knew that. Her daughter was thirteen, they had put it off for long enough. “You need to know that none of this has anything to do with you,” Fluttershy said. She brushed her hand along Sky’s cheek. “You’re our darling princess, and you always will be.”
“I know,” Sky said.
“Well…” Fluttershy looked to Sunset, who squeezed her hand, then turned back to their daughter. “The truth is your father was a very bad man…”
“Is everyone ready?” Twilight asked.
“As we’ll ever be,” Sunset said with a frown.
Twilight nodded and stepped forward, disappearing into the portal.
Fluttershy looked at Sky, who was staring wide-eyed at the spot where Twilight had been. “She really disappeared! Mama, she disappeared!”
Fluttershy laughed. “She did. We told you.”
Sunset looked back at her daughter and smirked. “Come on, you knew where Twilight and Fluttershy come from.”
Sky blushed a little, and Fluttershy got the impression she may have never been quite sure her parents weren’t pulling her leg about where their pony friends came from.
“You ready to go after her?” Fluttershy asked.
“I… I guess…”
“It’ll be fine. Here, I’ll go first.” Sunset stepped forward into the statue, disappearing through the portal.
Sky’s mouth was hanging open, and she just stared at the statue. “Wow… And we’ll be ponies on the other side.”
“So Mom says. I’ve never been either.”
Fluttershy had always wanted to go and see Sunset’s childhood home, but they hadn’t wanted her to go through when she was pregnant with Sky, and then they had a baby to raise. Little by little, time went by and they just never got around to it.
Then Sunset and Twilight had finally decided to change that when Sky mentioned one day that she didn’t believe in Equestria anymore. So they made plans, and then Sunset had gone ahead a few days before to make sure everything would be fine.
Now the day was upon them. “Want to go through together?” Fluttershy asked.
Sky only nodded.
Holding her daughter’s hand, Fluttershy stepped forward until the world around her disappeared.
She wasn’t ready for the sensation, but then, how could she ever be? It was like nothing else in the world, like being pulled apart and pressed together at the same time. It was sickening, and she was sure when everything stopped she was going to throw up.
But then it did stop, and all that happened was her world gradually stopped spinning. As it did, she realized that she had fallen on top of her daughter on the way in. She pushed herself up, feeling awkward as she did in every possible way.
“Remember, you have four legs here,” Twilight said.
Fluttershy blinked and realized she was right. She got up on shaky legs and looked around. The first thing she noticed was Sky. She was now a pony, just like everyone around her was, and she had wings. Sunset had told her that they weren’t sure what type of pony she would be, but wings meant she must be a pegasus.
“I’m… I’m a pony!” Sky said. “It’s all real! Holy shit!”
“Sky!” Sunset snapped.
“Sorry!” Sky said. “It’s just… wow!”
Sunset helped them out of their no-longer-fitting clothes, and Twilight gave them all new outfits to dress in. Twilight herself wore nothing. Fluttershy blushed as she realized Twilight wasn’t going to be dressing herself, but she said nothing; Sunset had warned them that ponies didn’t wear clothes, although she’d had the idea to have clothes made for the three of them.
“Is it safe to come in?” a voice Fluttershy barely recognized said. She knew this was a pony she’d never met, although she had once heard her human counterpart every day during morning announcements in high school.
“It’s safe,” Sunset said. She looked nervous, so Fluttershy ambled over to her to press her body against her wife’s.
A large white pony came into the room. She had wings and a horn, which Fluttershy knew meant she was an alicorn, and a prismatic mane.
Sky stepped behind Fluttershy a little bit, and the pony smiled. “Hello, Sky. My name is Celestia.”
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight said.
“Just Celestia is fine, I think,” Celestia said. She stepped forward and bent down to look at Sky better. “Sunset has told me all about you.”
“Come on, Sky, say hi,” Sunset said.
Sky stepped out from behind Fluttershy and looked up at the large pony. “Uhm, hi… My mom told me about you, too.”
Celestia smiled. “I’m very glad to hear that. Your mom is very important to me.”
“So, uhm…” Sky kicked at the ground. “Are you my grandma?”
Sunset’s mouth fell open and Fluttershy almost thought she might faint. They maybe could have been more clear on what Sunset’s relationship with Celestia had been…
Celestia blinked and her mouth curved into an O momentarily. She looked at Sunset, who had squeezed her eyes shut tight as if that could stop the situation from happening. “I’m sorry. Sky’s, she’s not –”
“Would you like me to be your grandma?” Celestia asked before Sunset could finish.
“I’ve… never had a grandparent,” Sky said. “I think I’d like that.”
Celestia smiled brightly. “In that case, yes. I don’t see why not.”
Sunset was now looking up at Celestia as well, and it was hard to tell whether she or her daughter were more awe-struck.
Celestia stepped forward and extended a wing. “So then, would it perhaps be too bold of me to ask my granddaughter for a hug?”
Sky looked down at her forelegs. “I don’t know how to hug as a pony.”
Celestia chuckled. “I think I can manage.” She stepped forward and draped a wing across Sky, who leaned against her.
“I-I’m sorry, Princess, I…” Sunset was left shaking her head, until Fluttershy bumped her closer to Celestia.
Celestia extended her other wing to cover Sunset, and her face flashed to a strange expression that was simultaneously heartbreaking and joyful. “Oh, Sunset… I’ve missed you so much.”
Fluttershy beamed at the sight, while Twilight walked over to her. “Uhm, what’s happening?”
Fluttershy just giggled. “Something that should have happened a long time ago.”
“Smile!”
Sky Shimmer and her date both smiled as a light flashed. Sunset held out her phone for herself and Fluttershy to see the picture. “Perfect.”
It was prom night, and Sky was on the arm of a charming young lady named Fantasia. Sky was in a white dress, while Fantasia was in a suave tuxedo.
“You kids should probably get going,” Fluttershy said.
Sunset nodded. “And you better not bring her back too late.”
“Come on, Mrs. Shimmer,” Fantasia said with a confident grin. “You know me better than that by now.”
Sunset looked disgruntled, so Fluttershy kissed her cheek. “Don’t mind Sunny, she just worries a little too much. You two have fun.”
“We will, Mama,” Sky said, then she turned to Fantasia. “Ready to go?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
They all said goodbye, Sunset threw in another vague threat, then they were off.
As soon as the door was closed, Sunset folded her arms.
Fluttershy used that as an excuse to hang off her wife’s arm and put on a pouty face. “Aww, is somebody grumpy that her little girl is growing up?”
“I just don’t like prom night. I know what happens at these things.”
Fluttershy grinned. “I promise no one is going to turn into a demon and try to mind control the school.”
Sunset sighed. “Yeah, I know I know… Sky’s not me…”
“Hmm, she is a lot like you.” Fluttershy put her arms behind Sunset’s head. “The best parts of you.”
Sunset finally cracked a smile. “Nah, she’s way more like you. Which is why I shouldn’t be so worried…”
“Besides, Fantasia is a nice girl.”
“Yeah, she is,” Sunset admitted begrudgingly.
Fluttershy finally pried apart Sunset’s arms so she could take her by the hand. “Come on, let’s go cuddle on the couch.”
“Alright. Gotta do something while we wait up for them to get back.”
“Oh stop.” Fluttershy grinned and slapped Sunset gently on the arm. “You’re awful.”
“And yet you love me.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Yeah, I do.”
They sat on the couch, and Fluttershy curled around Sunset. “You know,” Sunset said as she looked through movie options, “we did pretty well as parents.”
Fluttershy just smiled and snuggled closer to her wife. “Yeah, we did.”
Sky was crying on her bed, with Fluttershy and Sunset on either side of her. Fluttershy was patting her gently, while Sunset mostly fumed to herself.
“I just… I thought things were going so well,” Sky said, not for the first time.
“I know, sweetie,” Fluttershy said as she rubbed Sky’s back.
“Just who does she think she is?” Sunset asked. “This is her loss.”
“Sunny…” Fluttershy said gently, and Sunset’s features softened.
With a sigh, Sunset unwound enough to grab the box of tissues from the bedside table and hand them to Sky. She blew her nose and left the used tissue on the bed.
“I love her, Mom…”
Sunset frowned and stroked Sky’s hair. “I know, princess.”
Considering they had only dated for a month, it wasn’t really likely that Sky really loved Fantasia. She was a teenager, and she was positive that her first romance was her one true love.
But even if there was no doubt that she’d eventually move on and find someone else that made her happy, right now, she was hurting. And whether they were in love or not, they’d definitely had a strong connection.
And now that connection had been severed. Not for any particular reason, at least none that they were given – Fantasia just wasn’t as into the relationship as Sky was.
Which was no one’s fault, no matter how angry Sunset was about it. These things happened all the time, especially with high school romance. But it was hard to tell a seventeen-year-old that things would be better, that heartache didn’t last forever.
Still, they had to try. It was all they could do. And maybe, in its own way, that would be enough. “It’s okay, sweetie,” Fluttershy said as she held her daughter. “Let it out, it’s okay.”
The house felt so quiet these days, and Fluttershy hated it. She knew other parents that seemed to do okay with this, but for her, this was the most difficult adjustment of her life. And although she handled it a little better, Fluttershy could tell that Sunset felt the same way.
Her phone rang, and she lit up as she saw who was calling. She answered quickly. “Hi, sweetie.”
“Hi, Mama,” Sky said. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“No, nothing at all. How’s school going?”
“It’s going well. I don’t like one of my professors though.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Tell me about it.”
And she did, and for a while, things felt normal again. They talked about Sky’s classes, about her campus, and to Fluttershy’s delight, about the nice guy she met that she had a date with over the weekend. They agreed to wait until after they saw how the date went to tell Sunset about that one.
Then they got to the hard part. “I miss you, Mama. And Mom too, of course.”
“I know. We miss you too.”
Sky sighed. “It’s just… it’s so hard being out here all alone.”
“It’ll get easier. You always were really good at making friends.”
“I know, but it’s not the same. I want my old friends. I want you two, and grandma, and all my aunts.”
Fluttershy could only smile sadly. “Things will get easier, little by little.”
“I know studying abroad was what I wanted, but maybe I made a mistake. I didn’t think I’d miss everyone this much.”
It was harder on Fluttershy than she’d expected as well, but she wasn’t going to say that. “It wasn’t a mistake. You made it into a great college, and we’re all so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mama.” It sounded like Sky was crying, and that made Fluttershy have to blink away tears as well. “I guess I just wanted to say I love you and I miss you.”
“I love you too, sweetie. And I can’t wait to see you over the holidays.”
“Yeah.” Okay, now Sky was definitely crying. “I just never thought it would be this hard.”
“I know, sweetie. It’ll be okay though.” Fluttershy wasn’t sure if she was talking more to Sky or to herself. “It’ll all be okay…”
Fluttershy couldn’t stop crying. How could she? It was the happiest day of her life.
At least Sunset was always nearby with tissues. “You gonna be able to hold it together for the big moment?”
“No,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “And don’t think I haven’t seen you blinking away tears too.”
“Yeah, well… maybe a little.” Sunset chuckled. “But come on! Our baby girl is getting married, I’m supposed to cry.”
Sky met her husband-to-be at college, and they had been inseparable ever since. He was outgoing enough to win over Sunset, which was a feat unto itself, and Fluttershy absolutely adored him. They were both delighted to add him to their family.
And today was the big day. Any moment would be the big moment. They were in their seats, the groom was bouncing nervously on his feet in front of them, and they were just waiting for their beautiful daughter to walk down the aisle.
“Aww, come on now,” Applejack said warmly from Sunset’s other side. “It’s just some fancy words and then a kiss. He was already part of the family before this.”
“Yeah, AJ’s right for once,” Rainbow said with a grin. She was seated beside Fluttershy. “I don’t see the big deal.”
“Easy for you two to say,” Rarity said. This was a big day for her as well, having designed not only the bride’s dress, but practically every significant outfit of the wedding. “Neither of you ever married.”
“Well I did,” Pinkie pointed out. “But I agree with Applejack. Marriage doesn’t change anything. They’ve always been super in love!”
“Besides, marriage is a beautiful custom,” Twilight added. “And I’m sure the moms over here agree.”
“Definitely,” Sunset said, her hand finding Fluttershy’s. “My marriage changed my life.”
Fluttershy felt more tears coming on, so she dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. “Mine too.”
Before anyone could say anything else, the music started playing and the door behind them opened. All eyes turned to watch Sky Shimmer walk down the aisle, and Fluttershy was no longer the only one crying.
Sunset popped a champagne bottle and everyone cheered. She filled glasses, but just a small one for herself and for Fluttershy. Neither of them was as young as they used to be, after all.
One by one, everyone gathered to give the couple their congratulations. Most of their friends couldn’t believe that the couple had been together for fifty years, and everyone wanted to know their secret.
One person didn’t need to ask, though. “Congratulations, Mom, Mama.”
Fluttershy smiled at her daughter. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Don’t look now, princess, but that means your fiftieth birthday is around the corner.”
Some things never changed, even after fifty years. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I want to hold onto being in my forties a little bit longer.”
Fluttershy and Sunset both laughed. Neither of them was seeing their forties ever again, or their fifties for that matter.
“Before you know it, you’ll be the one in our place,” Fluttershy said.
Sky smiled and looked back at her husband, who was chatting with Rainbow Dash about her glory days as a rockstar. “I hope it’s not too fast. I want to enjoy this ride while it lasts.”
“You will,” Sunset said. “I did.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Me too.”
Fluttershy blinked. She wasn’t sure what was going on. A moment ago, she had been at her fiftieth anniversary-party, and now she was in a field near Sweet Apple Acres. She knew this place was important, but for the moment, she couldn’t remember how come.
She still got around okay, even at sixty-nine years old, so she started walking. Maybe it would come to her the more she went. It was a pleasant place for a walk, anyway. There were flowers growing all around her.
As she walked, several strange things happened. Old aches that had been around for so long she scarcely noticed them started to go away. She slowly realized she was seeing better, and she stood straighter. When she looked down at her hands, they were no longer wrinkled with the signs of her age.
By all accounts, she grew younger the more she walked. She certainly felt younger. As well, she didn’t seem to actually be going anywhere, remaining consistently within the field of flowers.
She kept walking, and slowly she realized that things weren’t right. She wasn’t that old, she was only twenty-three. She hadn’t ever married Sunset, and certainly not for fifty years. And her daughter…
Fluttershy broke into a run. She needed to get to Sky. She needed to find her daughter. She couldn’t be gone, she couldn’t be…
“Hi, Mama.”
Fluttershy stopped in place and wheeled around to look at where the voice had come from. Among the flowers was a tiny headstone, and Fluttershy knew that buried beneath it was an even smaller coffin.
But standing on top of it was a young girl. She had sky blue skin with freckles, bright golden eyes, and her hair was streaked yellow and pink.
“Sky!” Fluttershy ran over to her and fell to her knees on the grave. She held out her hands, afraid that Sky would disappear if she touched her.
But Sky took the extra step forward and put her arms around Fluttershy. She could feel her daughter’s little arms on her, and she clung to her desperately, terrified of losing her again.
“Did you get what you needed, Mama?”
“What?” Fluttershy shook her head, nuzzling against Sky in the process. “I don’t understand, sweetie.”
“It’s what you always wanted, right?” Sky asked. “To know what could’ve been.”
“Shh, don’t say that. Don’t say it like it’s over.”
“It is. But it doesn’t have to be.”
Fluttershy blinked rapidly as tears started coming. “I never want this to be over.”
“You need to think about that. I’ll always love you, Mama, but there are other people who still need you.”
“You need me. You’re my daughter, and you need me to be here for you.”
“You know that’s not true.” Sky put her hands to Fluttershy’s ears, and she could hear someone calling out her name. Was it… Rainbow Dash?
“You have a choice,” Sky said as she pulled her hands away, returning them to Fluttershy’s shoulders as she hugged her mom. “You can stay here with me, but that means leaving everyone else behind. Or you can go back to the people who need you now, and you can turn your life into one worth living.”
Fluttershy shook her head and tears fell. She remembered. Rainbow needed her, and so did Lemon Zest, and Windfall, and Gilda, and Lightning Dust, and Flash… They all needed her. “Don’t make me choose.”
“I’m sorry.” Sky looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes. “But you have to.”
Fluttershy couldn’t imagine ever letting go of her daughter, not after having lived without her for so long. She needed this. This couldn’t just be over.
“Close your eyes,” Sky said, and Fluttershy did. “Now open them.”
Fluttershy opened her eyes, but her daughter wasn’t in front of her. She saw Rainbow leaning over her, begging her to wake up. She was crying. Rainbow never cried, but that’s what Fluttershy saw.
And then as soon as she blinked, it was gone. She was back in the field of flowers, and Sky was in her arms.
“You have to choose,” Sky said. “And then you have to always remember that it was your choice.”
Fluttershy bowed her head, clinging to her daughter for as long as she could. “Can I… just hold you a little longer.”
“Of course, Mama.”
Fluttershy kept her arms around her daughter and stood up, keeping her held against her chest. She held her tightly with one arm and stroked her yellow and pink hair with the other.
She wanted to sing. She used to sing lullabies for Sky, back when she was still inside of her. She remembered thinking Sunset would poke fun at her since Sky couldn’t really hear them, but she had joined in instead.
Fluttershy wanted so badly to sing now, but her voice wouldn’t come out. Instead, she hummed. She hummed a tuneless melody that came from somewhere inside of her, something so private to her and Sky that no one else could ever hear it. It felt like it had always been there, she just never found the right person to share it with.
“I love you, Sky.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
“I need to know that you’ll be okay.”
Sky smiled at her. It was a beautiful smile, one that shone like the morning sun. “I’m fine, Mama. I’m always with you, and with Mom.”
“Even now?”
“Even now.”
“Even… even after all the things I’ve done?”
“Yes, Mama. Always.”
Fluttershy couldn’t speak, so she just nodded her head.
“Are you ready now?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.” Fluttershy shook her head. “But I know I can’t stay. Other people still need me.”
Sky nodded. “That’s right. Thank you for protecting me for so long.”
“The two of us will be together someday, right?”
“We’ll always be together, Mama.”
Fluttershy held Sky tightly and closed her eyes. And when she opened them, everything was different.