Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

by steel soul

The Timid mare and the Princess

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

The Timid mare and the Princess

Canterlot Castle
Early morning within one of the guest rooms

The first tendrils of dawn crept over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange as the timid yellow mare stirred from her deep slumber. The gentle warmth of the sun's light kissed her cheeks, coaxing her awake from the depths of her dreams.

With a soft yawn, Fluttershy blinked away the remnants of sleep, her mind slowly emerging from the comforting embrace of unconsciousness. But even as she rose to greet the new day, the heavy weight that was lifted from her heart upon drifting off into sleep settled upon her heart once again, dragging her down into a sea of doubt and regret.

Memories flooded her mind like a relentless tide, each one a painful reminder of the trials she had faced alongside Sora and her friends, no matter if they were good or bad. And alongside those memories came the crushing weight of guilt. Guilt for pushing Sora away when she believed herself to be the cause of his latest injury and guilt her own insecurities driving a wedge between them.

She wanted to cry again, but she knew that it wouldn't change anything. Crying and whining and dwelling on the past wouldn't bring Sora back to her. Or bring her back to Sora. But what else could she do?

She wanted time to think, it was the reason she had told Rarity to tell Sora to wait for her to come to him, but now what? She had all this time and has yet to come to any real decision on anything, let alone her feelings for Sora.

A gentle knock upon her door pulled the young mare out of her silent reverie. Fluttershy's ears perked up, and she hurriedly wiped away her unshed tears, plastering a small smile on her face. "I…um…Come in," she called softly, hoping to mask the trembling in her voice.

With a gentle click it opens, revealing the lavender form of Twilight Sparkle, the young unicorn giving the mare a gentle smile as she poked her head from around the opened doorn.

"Good morning, Fluttershy," Twilight greeted warmly, her violet eyes quickly taking in the yellow mare’s disheveled appearance. "Oh! I hope I didn't wake you."

The timid mare shook her head, her smile faltering slightly as she met Twilight's gaze. "Um…No, not at all, Twilight. I was...just getting up honestly.” She tilted her head. “Is something the matter?"

"No. At least nothing important that is.” Her friend reassured her. “I was just...um...I wanted to know if you were up for getting some food with me and the girls. We were planning on going into town and I thought...you know...why not not breakfast out to eat? It's been a while since most of us were together like this after all. What with all the craziness going on."

"Oh...Um...I don't mind." Fluttershy agreed. "I...um...I need to freshen up though..."

Twilight's smile brightened at Fluttershy's tentative agreement. "Great! And take your time, Fluttershy. We'll wait for you downstairs," she said cheerfully before pulling the door closed as she left.

With her friend now gone, Fluttershy let out a small sigh of relief. The prospect of spending time with her friends offered a welcome distraction from the turmoil swirling within her heart. Gathering her resolve, she rose from her bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Splashing cool water on her face, the yellow pegasus took a moment to collect her thoughts. She couldn't shake the weight of guilt that hung heavily upon her shoulders, nor the ache of longing that tugged at her heartstrings. But for now, she pushed those feelings aside, focusing instead on the simple pleasure of spending time with her best friends.

Finishing her morning routine, the young mare made her way down towards the main hall of Canterlot Castle, spying not just Twilight and Rarity, but also Rainbow Dash and Trixie too, the latter two, of which, were having an argument of some kind.

The shy mare took a hesitant step forward, her presence going unnoticed amidst the heated exchange between her best friend and the unicorn showmare, Twilight and Rarity being the only one’s to notice her approached when she slipped between the two. She watched as Rainbow Dash's wings flared out, feathers ruffled with frustration, while Trixie crossed her hooves defiantly, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Did I touch a nerve, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie mused, “Must have if you are this angry with Trixie over such a little comment.”

"Listen here, Trixie!" The rainbow mane mare nearly yelled. "If I have to-"

"Um...excuse me?" Fluttershy spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper, but carrying enough weight to capture the attention of both the showmare and her friend. The tension in the air seemed to dissipate as they turned their attention towards the timid mare. Rainbow’s expressions softened, and her wings folding back against her sides while Trixie looked away with a huff.

"Fluttershy, hey!" Rainbow Dash greeted, her tone of voice much calmer than before. "Ah...how's it going?"

The shy mare looked away for only a second before giving her friend a gentle yet meaningful gaze. "I...Um...I don't know what you two are...arguing about...and I know we all had our differences...but...I think it would be nice if we could all get along today...if that's okay with you."

Rainbow Dash's frowned as she glanced over at Trixie, who seemed to be contemplating Fluttershy's words if nothing else. After a moment of silence, The rainbow mare sighed and nodded begrudgingly.

Rainbow frowned but soon relented. "Ugh...fine." She turned towards the blue unicorn. "Truce?"

"Hmph, fine," Trixie muttered. "But only because Sora's mare asked so nicely."

"Oh! B-But I'm not...I mean...that's..." Fluttershy stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the show mare’s description of her, doing her best to hide behind the pink curtain that was her mane. “I…um…hhmmhm…”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, rolled her eyes at her friend. "Don’t pay attention to her, Fluttershy. We know you're not 'Sora's mare',” She paused and couldn’t help but add the word “yet," at the end of her sentence.

The shy mare, herself, couldn’t help but mumble something under her breath at her friend’s remark. Before Rainbow could ask what it was she just said, Twilight interjected between them.

"Okay everypony. Now that everyone is gathered, how about we get going now. I know the perfect spot to eat, and it's close to my home so we can stop by after we eat. Been meaning to visit the family anyway." She turned towards Trixie with a smile. "I...um...The offer still stands if you want to come with us, Trixie."

"No thank you, Sparkle," the mare answered, her voice her usual haughty tone when she addressed the lavender unicorn. "But Trixie has my own mother to visit in Canterlot, and it's been far too long since Trixie has seen her." She pauses before looking away from them. "But...Trixe will say thank you for the offer. It is what Sora would want from Trixie for being his friend after all." She huffed before trotting away, leaving the rest of the girls alone.

“Ugh…” Rainbow rolled her eyes once again, something that was becoming quite common when she was around Trixie. “She really is taking that whole friend thing too seriously.”

“Oh I say let the mare be.” Rarity mused. “Besides, it might do her some good to be friends with our, Sora. She seems like the type that doesn’t have too many friends after all and he just might be the perfect balance for that.”

"I...um...Speaking of Sora.” Fluttershy timidly spoke up. “Is...I mean. Will he be coming with us?"

“Don’t get me started on, Spiky.” Rainbow answered with a huff. “The dolt’s still in his room.”

The shy mare breathed a sigh of relief at that answer. She had not wanted to see the stallion yet...but...a gentle ping in her heart could still be felt at being away from him once again.

After processing her feelings, Fluttershy nodded slowly before her expression turned to one of concern. "I see...I...Um...was he...doing okay when you checked on him?" She looked away. “I-If you don’t mind me asking that is…”

"He..." Rainbow paused before shaking her head, shrugging. "I don't know. I knocked on his door but he said he wanted to rest a bit more and didn’t want to be bothered. Something about not feeling up to going out today or something." She huffed. "You ask me, he's trying to get out of talking about what Celestia told him last night."

"Now Rainbow Dash, don't go making accusations like that without real evidence." Rarity chimed in, her tone gentle but firm. "Sora is going through a lot right now like the rest of us, and we should respect his need for space if that is what he needs to do to cope with it. Perhaps he just needs time to process everything he learned from Princess Celestia."

Fluttershy nodded. "I…um…I think I agree with Rarity," she murmured softly. "I'm just..." She trailed off, looking down. “I’m just worried about him…”

Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "I wouldn't worry too much about Sora. He's proven to be no less than a strong stallion. I'm sure he'll come to us when he's ready."

Fluttershy offered a small nod, though her worry still lingered in the depths of her eyes. "I know, Twilight. I just...I wish there was something more I could do to help him."

"We all do, darling." Rarity mused softly. "But as of now all we can do is wait. It is what he's doing for you after all."

"And listen. If he is still holed up in his room like a turtle I’ll be sure to check in on him." Rainbow said before turning to the purple unicorn before she could interject. "And I won’t drag him out if he doesn’t feel like talking. Happy?"

"You...you're not...I mean...You aren't going to tell me to do it myself...like last time on the train?" Fluttershy asked her friend in a timid tone.

"Naw..." The rainbow mane mare said, looking away as she scratched the back of her head. "I mean...It sucks you don't want to but...Sora did say he would wait for you so..."

Fluttershy nodded, her heart fluttering at the mention of Sora waiting for her. Despite the anxiety that crept up within her, the thought of seeing him again brought a small smile to her face. She smiled at her friend. "T-Thank you."

Rainbow Scoffed. "No need for thanks, Shy. though being the messenger mare is a total pain in the flank you guys are my friends so its whatevs." She raised her head, clapping both of her forehooves together. "But enough about Spiky! I'm hungry enough to eat a cake as big as the Princesses."

"Did somepony say Princess?"

The four girls turned with a start, finding a familiar pink princess making her way towards them.

"Cadance!" Twilight exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in a meeting with Celestia for quite some time this morning."

“Haha. She let me off early for good behavior.” Cadance joked before she smiled warmly at Twilight and the group. "On my way through the halls, I couldn't help but overhear that you were all planning to go into town for some breakfast, so I thought I'd join you if that's alright."

Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Cadance! We'd love to have you join us." She turned towards her friends. “Right girls?” The others all chimed in with agreements, welcoming Princess Cadance to their group with opened hooves. Cadance couldn’t help but smile as she looked between them/.

"Then if it's alright with all of you, I'll pay for today's meal."

The lavender mare shook her head. "Cadance. You don't have to. I've brought enough bits for all of us."

"Please Twilight. Humor me this one time." The princess said with a playful wink. "You girls saved me not once, but Twice. At my wedding and at the Crystal Empire. Let me at least show you how grateful I am to have friends like you."

Twilight and her friends couldn’t help but blush at the princess’s words. Twilight coughed into her hoof before looking between the others. With nods from everyone, she turned back towards her former babysitter. "Well, if you insist, Cadance. We wouldn't want to refuse your generosity."

"Indeed." Rarity mused with a smirk. "It almost feels like you are trying to become the new Element of Generosity in my stead."

Cadance chuckled at the fashionista’s playful remark. "Oh, I don't think I could ever replace you in that department, Rarity. But I do believe in showing gratitude and kindness whenever I can."

Rarity smiled graciously at the princess. "Well, as the current said element then, your generosity is certainly appreciated, my dear."

"Well with that settled." Rainbow interjected. "What are we waiting for? Applejack and Pinkie Pie to show? Lets get some grub already."

As the group made their way down the marble streets of Canterlot, the morning’s sun cast a warm glow over them as it rose higher and higher into the blue skys. The laughter and chatter of ponies filled the air, blending harmoniously with the fluttering of wings and the clip-clop of hooves.

Twilight was in front of the group alongside Rarity, the former filling the latter in on the current events ever since the purple unicorn had made her way to Canterlot some days ago.

Rainbow, flying above them all, seemed content to be on her own, just following after the others with gentle flaps of her wings.

The last two, Fluttershy and Cadance, had taken up the rear, the latter of the two having fallen behind the others to keep pace with the shy mare.

The princess smiled softly as her gaze flickered towards Fluttershy. "We haven't really talked that much, have we, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy's ears perked up at Cadance's gentle remark, and she turned to meet the princess's gaze with a shy smile. "Um, no, not really. I mean, there was the wedding...oh...but...Most of that wasn't you..." She squeaked softly. "Sorry..."

The pink alicorn giggled softly, a warm expression forming on her face. "No need to apologize, Fluttershy. The wedding was quite a hectic event for everyone involved. But I'm glad we have this chance to chat now. Maybe even become good friends like I am with Twilight?"

"Oh...um...I…I would like that." the timid mare answered with a gentle nod. "You were really nice and kind back at the wedding and everything. I did wish I could have talked to you a bit more too. But I did see that Shining wasn't letting you out of his sights the whole night...and I didn't want to bother you."

Cadance's smile softened, and she placed a reassuring hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "You're very considerate, Fluttershy. But please don't ever feel like you're bothering me. I'm always happy to spend time with friends, new or old, whether it's at a busy event like a wedding or just a quiet stroll through town."

Fluttershy nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Cadance. That means a lot to me."

"Anytime, Fluttershy." The princess’s gaze fell back forward, but only for a few moments before she gazed at the yellow mare with a side eye. "So...Sora, huh?"

The timid mare nearly tripped over herself at the mention of the stallion's name, the princess of love laughing softly as he caught the tumbling mare in her magic, before putting her back into a walking position.

Cadance winked. "Hehe. Got it in one, hmm?"

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned a rosy hue at the teasing from Cadance. "I-I...um...I mean...Sora is...he's just...uh..." She stumbled over her words, her gaze flitting nervously towards the ground.

The pink princess raised a hoof to hide the soft giggles she was producing. “Don't tell me you are actually trying to fool the Princess of love." she mused softly. "I mean…The way you were always near him and wanting to talk to him back at the barn party, there was no way I wouldn't have noticed such a thing."

"W-wait...you knew...all the way back then?" the yellow mare asked with a soft gasp. "B-But I...I mean I didn't even..."

"It's not that hard to see when two ponies care about each other, at least when it comes to me. The way you look at him, the way you worry about him... it was written all over your face back then...and still is now. Besides, love doesn't just happen like flipping a switch. I would have been surprised if you knew right away you liked him."

Fluttershy's cheeks felt like they were on fire, the blush spreading all the way to her ears as she tried to process Cadance's words. She couldn't deny the truth in them, but hearing it so plainly spoken out loud made her heart race with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"So..." the princess mused as she leaned in. "How did it feel? When did you found out?"

Fluttershy's heart fluttered nervously at Cadance's question, her mind racing as she tried to find the right words to express her feelings. "Um... it was... overwhelming, I guess. I-I mean, I didn't really understand what I was feeling at first. But then, as I spent more time with Sora, I realized that... um... I cared about him deeply. And... it felt... nice. But also scary."

The princess laughed again. "Oh my...sounds just like what I went through with Shining when I first found how I felt about him."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise at Cadance's revelation, her cheeks flushing even deeper at the thought of the princess experiencing similar feelings. "R-Really? You felt the same way about Shining Armor?"

Cadance nodded with a warm smile, her eyes twinkling with fond memories. "Yes, it was quite a whirlwind of emotions, I’ll tell you. I remember feeling a mix of excitement, nervousness, and uncertainty. But above all, there was this overwhelming sense of love and affection that I couldn't ignore." She smirked. "Don't tell Twily this but she's only half the reason I took the baby sitting job. The other reason was to get close to Shining Armor."

"Oh my...Um..." She paused before looking at the mare. "So...you two started dating right away?"

"As if!" Cadance groaned with a roll of her eyes. "My Shiny has many great qualities and I love him to bits. But...I had never met a more dense stallion in my life."

The shy mare couldn't help but giggle at the princess's exasperated expression. "D-Dense? Really?"

Cadance nodded, a playful glint in her eyes. "Oh yes, he was completely clueless. It took some not-so-subtle hints and a lot of patience before he finally realized my feelings for him. But once he did, well, the rest is history." She smiled. "You're lucky in a way. You don't have to wait forever and a year before you're stallion knows you like him."

The yellow mare lowered her head at that, the weight she felt this morning slowly returning. "I...I don't feel lucky about it."

The mood between them grew somber at the shy mare's statement. Cadance, despite that, smiled softly at the young mare. "And why do you say that Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy hesitated, her gaze fixed on the ground as she gathered her thoughts. "I... I guess...I mean...I..."

The princess of love shook her head before raising a hoof, causing the timid and uncertain mare to become quiet. She then winked at her. "Would you allow me to guess? Maybe make a small game of it. It always helps me when I need to convey my feelings. All you have to do is nod or shake your head okay?"

While hesitant at first, she shy mare slowly nodded at the Princess’s proposal, wondering where this was all going for her.

"Right. First question then. And an easy one boot." Cadance smiled. "Do you love Sora with all your heart?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise at the directness of Cadance's question, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before giving a hesitant nod, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink.

"Okay. Good." Her smile faltered ever so slightly. "This next one is more personal, then. Are you okay with me asking?"

Fluttershy's gaze flickered with uncertainty, but she managed a small nod, trusting Cadance to navigate this sensitive territory with kindness and understanding.

"Do you feel like you shouldn't love him?"

breath caught in her throat, the timid mare couldn’t help but squeak softly at the question, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and apprehension. She hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering and raising her head in a very sad affirmative.

The princess of love closed her eyes at that, nodding softly as if she had already knew the answer before continuing. "Then…If I had to guess with a question…Is it because of what happened in Trottingham?"

Fluttershy's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears at the mention of that dreaded time, a place she had tried to forget but whose memories lingered like ghosts in her heart. She nodded slowly, feeling the weight of her past mistakes pressing down on her fragile spirit.

"I see..." Cadance smiled softly. "Fluttershy. Can I tell you a story?"

Fluttershy sniffled, wiping away a tear as she looked up at Princess Cadance.

"Back when I was captured by the Changeling Queen. She taunted me nonstop.Showed me with the Crystal’s magic what she was doing to hurt my Shining at the time of my imprisonment" She shook her head. "Unable to do anything, all I could do was watch. A case made worse because she did it all in my form.”

Fluttershy listened intently, her heart aching for Cadance as she recounted her painful experience. She could sense the vulnerability and insecurity beneath the princess's confident exterior, recognizing in Cadance's words a reflection of her own doubts and fears.

"I...when I was saved...and we defeated the Queen. I know I looked happy and full of rainbows but..." She lowered her head. "A part of me could still see the me that wasn't me hurting my Shiny, and that I was powerless to stop any of it...and because of that...I...I didn't feel worthy of his love. All because I couldn't protect him from that...Changeling." She looked towards the shy mare. "So…I say all that because I think I know how you feel right now. About Sora. But more importantly…about yourself"

"I…i…," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "After Trottingham, I couldn't help but blame myself for what happened to Sora. I felt like I failed him, like I wasn't strong enough to protect him from harm. And... and because of that...Just like you…" She trailed off.

The princess nodded. "I understand. And just like you are feeling now, my mind was coming up with hundreds of reasons to break off everything. To end it so I don't hurt him because of my insecurities. But the night of the wedding, when I came to him to talk about it, before I could even get a word out he smiled and told me that he loved me." She shook her head. "It hurt to hear but it also made me the happiest mare alive. I knew we would have to talk about it. We still do honestly. I wasn't the only one hurting that day after all, but I knew, after looking deep into his eyes on that day...that I wanted to spend the rest of my days with that kind, dense stallion."

Cadance's gaze fell back to the shy mare. "So...I can't tell you want to do in the end, it is your choice, but...I can give you a bit of advice. Go think about all you want to say to him. Don't hold back. And then, when you are ready, go see him and look him in the eyes and then...say what's in your heart."

"I…” The mare hesitated before nodding slowly. “I…I don’t know if I can be as brave as you were…but…I'll take your advice to heart..." The yellow mare said softly. "And...um...Thank you...I know you didn't have to tell me about any of this but..."

Cadance laughed softly. "Don’t mention it. It is the duty of the Princess of Love to help all those in need of guidance."

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the princess’s lighthearted response, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort in the princess's presence. Despite the weight of their conversation, the shy mare's anxieties and doubts were at least a bit more bearable.

Said princess looked forwards before gasping softly. "Oh. Seems the girls are waiting on us."

The shy mare followed her gaze, seeing her friends looking towards the two of them in front of a little restaurant named Donut Jo's. The same place that the girls went to on the night of the disastrous Gala Night, the smell of fresh baked goods wafting through the opened doors. With a small epp, the yellow mare ran just a little bit faster to catch up to them, Cadance smiling softly before shaking her head.

"Right. Balls in your court now Sora."

Comments

[Princespeedywhooves]

So the girls don't know what happened to sora yet he has to tell them sooner or later

[OnceMore26]

I hope fluttershy comforts sora. He needs it.

[FiredragonX]

Sora just tell them!

[Princespeedywhooves]

11832212
Sora doesn’t know what they will think he is scared that’s all also he is worried about them as well.

[FiredragonX]

11832934
I know and it is a character flaw in canon as well I think it's a good one. This is just my knee jerk reaction