//------------------------------//
// Berry 2 - Reunion 
// Story: Lost in a New World 
// by KingBrony 
//------------------------------//

The princesses ran out of the castle, stopping in the small square containing the crystal heart. Berry followed closely behind, wondering what had happened. The guard pointed in one direction and ran off. Cadence and Twilight followed closely behind. Berry did her best to keep up as they all made their way to the outskirts of the empire.

Before long, the patrol tower came into view. A small group of ponies crowded together, making a commotion as the princesses approached. "What is going on?" Cadence's voice rose above all others. Slowly, the ponies moved to the side, revealing two figures: one pegasus and one Draconequus. Berry immediately recognized the pony as Fluttershy. The yellow pony looked at the princesses and burst into tears.

"Fluttershy!!" Twilight rushed to her side, enveloping the pegasus in a big hug. Berry also rushed towards the two, in tears as she wrapped her hooves around her savior. Fluttershy's embrace felt warm underneath a layer of frigid, coldness. It only took one touch for Berry to realize how much Fluttershy had gone through since they had last seen each other.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Berry said, sobbing. Fluttershy, through tears, ran a hoof through Berry's mane. The hoof shook as it moved. Berry could tell Fluttershy was trying hard not to collapse and cry. 

"This is so touching," Discord said as he pulled a tissue out of nowhere and blew into it deeply.

Twilight, noticing her old enemy, looked wearily at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh Twilight, I'm so shocked. You would still distrust me even after bringing your friend back?" Discord's eyes glimmered as he spoke. Berry could see how worn the journey had made him.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Without Discord, I don't know where I would be...I know we can trust him, Twilight. Please believe me."

"Was Pinkie Pie with you?" Twilight asked. Hearing the pink pony's name brought more tears to Fluttershy's eyes. She said nothing in response, but simply held out Pinkie Pie's element of harmony. That alone gave Twilight enough of an answer. The gem glittered in the light - a sad, lonely glitter, as if it were a foal without its mother.

Twilight's voice hung low. "I see, so there are only two of us left..."

Everypony was silent for a while before Fluttershy looked down at Berry. She took the element and put it around the filly's neck. "Maybe this will help you feel better," She said gently as the element hugged the pony around her neck. Berry placed a hoof to the blue gem, feeling the essence of Pinkie Pie inside. "The element of laughter will surely keep you happy even during the darkest of days," the yellow pony continued.

"Thank you," Berry said in response. The two hugged tightly again. Twilight led the newcomers back towards the castle, for a refreshing bath and relaxing rest. The short trot was filled with stories about what had happened on both sides. They all spoke as if no time had passed since they last met, as if they had simply gone into the next room and returned moments later. However, everypony had the others on their minds. Everypony tried to look away from the horror that had befallen their peaceful land, and all the friends they had lost.

Near the entrance to the castle, the group passed by the crystal heart. It spun slowly in its place, a symbol of hope and the future of all of Equestria. The crystal, acting as the protection from the cold, frozen north, also acted as protection from the Sleipnir. Berry had almost forgotten about those beasts. The reason they were all here right now. The beasts that they cannot communicate with, who seem to have a blood-lust for ponies. Berry looked at her damaged wing and frowned as she trotted up into the castle.


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Berry sat alone in her room when Fluttershy entered. Her mane was still faded, but the bath helped restore a bit of its color. Fluttershy's eyes looked tired and droopy, with red lines racing along the white snow.

"Is now a good time?" Fluttershy asked. Berry nodded her head, and the pegasus made her way into the room. Fluttershy sat down on one end of the room, looking out the window as she did. Birds flew past, chirping a tune that Fluttershy repeated to herself. The two simply sat there, saying nothing. The silence could be cut through with a knife.

Before long, Fluttershy spoke. "Do you see that outside?" Berry turned her head to look out the window. There was nothing there of notice. She could see small dots trotting along the paths in the city. She could see the watchtowers near the outskirts, and the grass beyond that. The mountains loomed in the distance, and Berry could outline the divide between the snow and the grassy plains of the Crystal Empire.

"There's nothing there." Berry responded in an apologetic tone.

Fluttershy smiled. "Just because you see nothing, doesn't mean that isn't something."

"I don't get it..."

"Remember when we were in Manehatten? The explosions, those bad ponies...it wasn't a good time."

There was a pause in her speech.

"I don't see any of that here. It's...normal. A normal that I haven't felt in so long. When I lived in Ponyville, I would look out my window and feel exactly what I am feeling now."

"But," Berry interrupted. "Beyond those mountains, those...those..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

Fluttershy turned to the filly. "We must all work together to make sure this-" she pointed outside. More birds flew by, chirping that same tune. "-stays how it is. We all have a part, even those birds out there."

Just then, another beam shot into the sky. It took hold of the moon as a second one shot out and took hold of the sun. After a few seconds, the beams moved, shifting the position of the sun and moon ever so slightly. The sky changed from orange to a blue, signifying the evening sky after twilight.

"Oh, wow!" Fluttershy said in response, looking up to see the stars peeking out of the sky for the first time in forever. It was a most beautiful sight to behold, even if it were the night sky that Berry had always seen before this all happened. She then knew what Fluttershy meant. While things could never go back to the way they were, they need to fight to keep the harmony.