Time To Say Goodbye
Pinkie Pie’s funeral was something else.
It was held in the main Ponyville square, because everycreature living there was in attendance, and a few more besides. Streamers ran across the eaves of nearby houses, and trios of balloons were attached to every available surface. There were snacks and games, and absolutely nopony was wearing black, as the invitations had requested.
Pinkie’s party cannon had been defused, but it was placed in a position of prominence near the stage. A table with a sign and markers sat next to it, and the barrel was already half covered in well-wishes and farewells when Princess Twilight stepped onto the stage. Voices quieted, and all attention turned to her.
Twilight had a speech prepared, but she didn’t stick to it for very long. It was all about how Pinkie’s lifelong goal was to make ponies happy, and that she would continue to do that for as long as ponies remembered her. They were here to celebrate her life and how much she had meant to every creature she met, not to be sad. But she soon found herself just telling stories of Pinkie, and by the end of her speech, she realized she had been crying for some time, despite her intention not to.
More ponies followed. Pinkie’s granddaughter and resident Party Planner, Fruity Pie, gave her own speech, but broke down halfway through and couldn’t find it in herself to continue. Celestia and Cadance said a few words, as did anypony else who wanted to speak. Pinkie had meant something to them all.
Fluttershy sat in a corner, quietly watching. Her tears had faded by now, and she couldn’t shed any more, much as she felt like she needed to. She sat alone. Discord didn’t like being reminded of how impermanent ponies were—he’d never attended any funerals, and didn’t seem likely to start now. To most other ponies in the generations after her, she was an intimidating old mare, too wise and important to bother. Still, a few creatures came by to offer condolences. Smolder and Ocellus stopped by to say how much they’d learned from Pinkie, and that they were sad she was gone. Spike, too. But they moved on when the conversation quickly became stilted and awkward.
Eventually, Twilight came to her table. The silence that stretched between them was peaceful, comfortable. Neither of them needed to say anything to appreciate the other’s company. Finally, however, Twilight spoke. “It’s good to see you again, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy nodded. “You too,” she said softly.
There was a pause before Fluttershy spoke again. “I… I feel like I should have seen this coming.” She shook her head. “I should have had a chance to say goodbye.”
Twilight took a shaky breath. “I don’t think that was what she wanted,” she said slowly. “She wanted everypony to be happy, even if she wasn’t around.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I think you’re right,” she said softly. She finally turned to look at Twilight directly. “It may be selfish of me, but I do want to say goodbye. I wanted to make sure you heard it.”
Twilight frowned. “You don’t mean…”
Fluttershy nodded. “I do,” she murmured, her voice almost inaudible. “I… Twilight, look around. I’m the oldest pony here. Everypony else has moved on. Now that Pinkie is gone…” She swallowed. “I can’t keep pretending that still being here is natural.”
Twilight was silent for a moment. “You think Discord is meddling.” It wasn’t really a question.
“Yes. How many pegasi have you known to reach my age?”
Twilight swallowed, and then looked away. “I thought you asked him not to do that decades ago.”
Fluttershy smiled softly, a sad thing. “You know, looking back, he didn’t exactly promise not to.”
Twilight nodded. “If… if he’s been doing it already, surely… surely he could keep going? You could… probably live forever, if you wanted to.”
Fluttershy sighed. “But I don’t want to,” she murmured. She gestured with one wing to the empty seats around them. “Nopony else got special treatment. He could have saved Rarity, or Applejack.” Her voice grew even softer. “I miss them, Twilight. I think about them every day. Every time I go to the market, or pass by the boutique, or see a weatherpony clearing clouds.”
Twilight’s eyes scanned over the empty seats, her own expression somber. After a moment, her gaze returned to Fluttershy. “I miss them too. But… as much as I can’t stand that they’re gone, I have new friends that are just as important to me. I have you. And you have me. Surely that’s something, right?”
Fluttershy hesitated, her expression suddenly pained. “Twilight… you’re the Princess of Friendship. You will always have friends by your side, no matter what.” She took a breath. “I love you, Twilight, I do. But you’re the only friend I have now. I love Discord, but not in the same way. And everypony else…” She looked out across the square, to the other guests, talking and laughing and eating. “None of them know what to do with me. I’m old enough to be their grandmother, but I don’t act like it. I’m a former Element of Harmony, and I’ve helped save Equestria a dozen times. At best, they ask me for my autograph. Most of them treat me like I should be in a museum, handled with care so I don’t break.” She let out a frustrated huff. “I can’t have a real conversation with any of them.”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to frown. “Surely there are creatures out there who aren’t like that. You could… have Discord make you young again, move somewhere else, where no one will recognize you. Start fresh.”
Fluttershy let out a soft, desperate laugh. “I don’t want to start fresh. I don’t want to become some new pony with a different face or a different name in some far away town. That’s not me. And even if they didn’t recognize me… how would I explain Discord, or personal visits from the Princess? I would have to live a lie.”
“But—” Twilight started.
“Twilight. Please. I’ve made up my mind, and I don’t want to fight about it. Just… trust me? Please?”
Twilight fell silent, and instead slowly nodded, tears falling once more. “I just… oh, Fluttershy, I’ll miss you so much!”
Fluttershy once again wished she had any tears left. She stood, coming around the table to give Twilight a hug. “It’s alright, Twilight. Everything has its time. We’re not really gone, so long as you remember us.”
Twilight enveloped the small, frail little pony in her wings, held her there, and cried.
Fluttershy stepped quietly into her cottage, settling herself down on the couch. The house hadn’t changed much over the years, save for the lack of animals in it. Other ponies were running the sanctuary after her retirement, and as the years went by she had kept fewer and fewer animal companions.
“Discord,” she said softly, knowing he would hear her.
A portal opened in front of her, and the draconequus emerged. “Ah, good, you’re home,” he said. “How was it?”
Fluttershy looked up at him. “It was a Pinkie Pie party. Everypony left happier than they arrived.” It wasn’t a lie, not technically. Talking to Twilight about her decision had lifted a weight from her, even if she wouldn’t say she was happy. “Discord, I need you to stop.”
Discord frowned. “Stop? Stop what? I thought you wanted me to ask about these things. You said—”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Not that. I need you to stop… this.” She gestured to herself. “All my friends are gone, now. So long as Pinkie was still here, I could keep telling myself it was just luck, but…” she sighed. “I think I’ve known for years. I just… didn’t want to talk about it.”
Discord hmphed. “Well, if you’re going to keep talking about it in such vague terms, I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Discord, please,” Fluttershy pleaded. “Do you want me to say it? Fine. You’ve been keeping me alive, even though I asked you not to. I’m not supposed to still be here. It’s time to stop.”
Discord paled. He held up a claw, but it turned to paper and flopped back down before he could speak. Finally, he gulped and muttered, “I thought I was being very subtle.”
Fluttershy smiled up at him. “You were,” she murmured, reaching up to take his claw, and then pull him down onto the couch with her, before resting her head in his lap. “I know why you did it. I’m not mad. It’s just… it’s past time for me to go.”
Discord brushed one claw through Fluttershy’s mane, the motion automatic. “But… you still have so many creatures who love you,” he protested. “There’s Twilight, and Spike, and Dr. Bristle, and… me.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Twilight is an alicorn, and the ruler of Equestria. We hardly have time together anymore, and when we do, we just remind each other of who isn’t there. Spike is a dragon. He doesn’t view time the same way I do. And Dr. Bristle is a lovely mare but she’s seventy years younger than me.”
She was silent for a moment, before she added in a quieter voice, “And… I love you, Discord. You know I do. But you’re immortal, and I’m… not. You always knew this day would come. I can’t keep going just for you. I’m sorry.”
Discord growled, slamming his claw into the arm of the couch. “You don’t have to be! So long as you have me, you can be immortal! Or we can make you an alicorn, too. You’ve done enough for Equestria, you deserve it.”
Fluttershy laughed softly. “I don’t want to be an alicorn, Discord,” she murmured. “That’s not what I’m meant to be. And… I don’t want to be here just because you’re keeping me here. That’s not life, not really.” She sighed. “I’m tired, Discord. I’m old, and I’ve buried so many friends. I know it’s hard. But you have to let me go.”
Discord hesitated. Finally, quietly, he said, “What if I don’t want to? What if I just say no?”
Fluttershy raised her head at that, looking up at him with sad eyes. “Well… I guess I could tell Twilight, and she could gather up the new Bearers, and they could turn you to stone.” Before Discord could object, she silenced him with one hoof on his lips. “But I think we’re past that. I’m not going to threaten you with the Elements, and you’re right, I couldn’t really do anything about it. But I don’t think you want that, do you? To keep going, knowing I didn’t want to? I don’t think you’d forgive yourself.”
Discord stared at her, before he pulled her against him and wrapped her in a hug. “I don’t want to let you go.”
Fluttershy heard his sobs, even though he tried to hide them, and felt his tears against her fur. Suddenly, she was crying too, and it took her a moment to realize she’d started. She had more tears after all. “I know,” she murmured. “I know.”
Discord held her, and didn’t say anything more. By the time he pulled back, it was dark, and Fluttershy took a moment to look up at the stars through her window. “It’ll be alright,” she assured him, the same way she’d assured Twilight. “You’ll be alright.”
Discord nodded, and wiped her tears away with a claw. “You’re… really not happy?” he asked, his voice small, smaller than she’d ever heard from him.
“Oh, Discord,” she murmured, raising her head up to kiss him softly. “I had a wonderful, long life, but I don’t fit anymore. Somepony else is running the Sanctuary, I gave up my Element, and I’ve watched all my friends pass on, one way or another. I’m ready to go.”
Slowly, Discord nodded, coming to rest his forehead against hers.
Fluttershy nuzzled into him, and closed her eyes. “Goodbye, Discord,” she whispered.
“Goodbye, Fluttershy.”
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Oh man... break my heart, why don't you?
This was a beautiful read, and the feelings you conveyed through them... Well done, author!
Oh, that hurts. It's a beautiful ending though. Well done.
Nicely done.
(Any special reason(s) for the closing art, beyond it being aesthetically pleasing, or special history of it?)
And so that's it. Pinkie and Fluttershy pass on peacefully with nothing left for them to do. Their legacies and memories will live on, though.
9948630
There’s a fellow in the Quills and Sofas discord that does speedpaints for contest winners, and that was what they did for this story. It was so lovely I couldn’t not include it, but I’d already commissioned cover art.
9948685
mfw sniped (but charlie is a G)
Nicely done, enjoyed the additional conversation with Twilight and the ending :)
This feels like a prequel to that story by MrSpartan, and I'm not sure how to feel about that. On one hand, it's really well written and easily leads into his story. But on the other I wasn't expecting it to fall so cleanly into the prequel role and that's kind of annoying.
A very kind and gentle parting.
A beautifully bittersweet story. I am still feeling sad because we had to put our Scottish Terrier MacGregor down this evening, so stories like this reflect my mood and maybe help let out some of my own tears as I have a hard time simply crying.
That's was good and sad. Wiped a few tears.
As a wise man once said "Part of the Beginning is the End."
As the old order makes way for the new future, full of possibilities and opportunities. Yet the old order is what enabled that future. In this way the past and the future are always linked, always re-born and always passing on. It's a cycle, and it is beautiful.
9948685
Ah, thanks. :)
9948693
Thanks for trying to answer, if I'm reading the situation correctly, at least. :D
Give me a second (sniff) I need to get rid of all these onions.
Ahhh another round of the super feels. Nicely done.
The feels are real...
This may very well be the best farewell between Discord and Flutershy I've ever read.
Very good work.
: (
"I just don't fit anymore."
I like that. I like that a lot. A lot of people argue that stories where a pony passes on immortality has some flaw, that they'd grow strong enough to deal with it.
But the world changes a lot, and eventually, I imagine a mortal gone immortal (who wasn't meant to be) wouldn't feel right about it anymore.
Also, tears were shed.
Brilliant job.
You did a really good job just showing how hard it can be to realize change and loss are inevitable.
This got so many shades of fucked up without ever explicitly crossing into darker directions, and while that takes talent, I wouldn't have minded a parallel story touching upon the unsettling, rather abusive dynamics of the relationship between Flutters and Discord in here. I do appreciate you showing a Twilight that is mourning openly but healthfully too, and is still sticking up for her friends.
(I'd consider adding a Discord tag, though. He's not a spoiler and he's significant enough to the story that it would help people who want to read about him find it.)
9950852
This is something I don't think is touched on enough, especially considering it's often tied to whether a character wants this (potential) boon or not, and thrusting something upon them and forcing them to live forever/well past a reasonable mortal lifespan is something of a cruel and unusual punishment.
9947137
... Oh my gosh, that thought never even crossed my mind.
But at the same time... Wouldn't Fluttershy be strong enough to talk to Discord first than go to such extremes? It says in the story that she never said anything for years despite her suspicions. So I don't believe she would truly do that. She's stood up to him plenty enough in canon. While she might let him expand it a little longer, I just can't imagine her letting that slide and then trying for starvation/dehydration instead.
I realize this may be a biased view, seeing as how I'm very much a fluttercord shipper, but even outside of that... Fluttershy starving herself? Going thirsty to death? She's one of Twilight's original friends who helped teach the Princess herself about friendship and vice versa. She taught Discord about being a friend! Obviously he's got a long learning history working against him, making Fluttershy's job harder, but... Fluttershy? No. I can't imagine.
Ah, damnit! I just got my eyes dry from the last chapter!
Tears in my eyes, dammit! Thanks, author.
Did you make the art at the end yourself? It's pretty good!
This was sad. But good. The good sad. How do you do it?
Well. Heartbreaking and beautiful. For some reason, between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 my vision got so damned blurry it got hard to read any further, but some tissues corrected that quickly. No idea why...
Bravo, have a like.
Well, I no longer have anything in my eyes. Thank you for clearing them of whatever it was that was making them itch.
Now, how do I turn off the spigot?
Death is not the end but... the start of a new journey that all must take.
Waaaahhh... No I'm not crying, you're crying! *sniff*
It hurts!
It hurts! I... I tried not to cry... but I failed. I hate this. I'm SOO glad this wasn't shown on the show. I had already cried when it ended. To cry some more after their deaths... 
Beautiful
This is really sad...and well written.
...Well...………………………………………………..damn...…………………….
There really aren't many words to say about this, none that you haven't already said and said well. Moreover, I hadn't in my other comment. So I'll give my thoughts.
This was heartwrenching, truly. If the first chapter was tugging at my heartstrings, this chapter was tearing them from the base. Discord and Twilight can be embodied now with one word: Loneliness.
Indeed, Twilight is alone at the top of the kingdom, dare I say the world. It is because of her that the world knows harmony, species of creatures of every variety love each other and at the least tolerate one another. She's wise beyond even her impossible amount of years, more accomplished than every pony in several generations of her reign and talented beyond that. But, behind this gleaming and majestic mask festers genuine aloneness. She has had to say goodbye to many of her friends, and now with Fluttershy, she is alone in her circle that was once 6. Discord is the same, and to say that either will cease mourning any time soon is to say the sky would fall.
The hardest part of their lives was not moving on, time will not stop despite how much either of them wants it to. The kingdom will still need its ruler, and all things chaotic will not suddenly become orderly. Yes, the hardest part will not be continuing their lives from now. It's letting go of the lives after their friends.
Very well executed! You managed to make something that felt unique, while avoiding the worst pitfalls of the "immortality angst" genre. I think that the story feels somewhat incomplete (like it is missing an epilogue), but it is a very interesting fic nonetheless.
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/213901/my-little-reviews-feedback/thread/440351/a-review-all-things-in-time
Review is finally up for your story! I'm so sorry about the long wait.
I knew I would cry. I knew I would cry and I reread it anyway. Now I'm a mess at work and I'm supposed to be back from lunch in three minutes!
I reviewed this story here! Excellent work, Zon!
Fantastic job, this was a great look at the ends to Pinkie and Fluttershy's stories. They both felt very true to their characters; Fluttershy's an unexpected path, but one that still felt natural. It's also just a neat idea to have the older Mane Six as old women that everyone respects but few know how to even approach. You also did a good job with Twilight and Discord.
I don't really kno what you tell ou about this one, but I promised you a comment s o here it is.
I was never a fan of Discord and probably never will be, but if there's something about him that I can understand is his love for Fluttershy and why that drove him to change and to see him display that affection in his own tistwd ways always ges me. The whole scene was so real, I could read it in their voices, great jb.
PD: I said I wouldn't edit the comment, so I didn't.
This was nigh-on heart-breaking, and very beautifully done. I made it to the end of Fluttershy's chapter before I actually started crying, so I'd say that was an accomplishment for me.
A well crafted story. Sometimes I need a sadfic. That cover image too: outstanding!
This had me blurry-eyed by the end of the first chapter and actually crying by the second, so ... good job, I guess. XD
Seriously, though, the way the first chapter never directly tells you what the second folder is and yet it's so clear even before we start seeing the other ponies' reactions is masterfully done, and the way she just stops when she runs out of parties to throw was so fantastically, appropriately Pinkie. Why start trying to explain how her special brand of magic works now, right? (And then of course there was the canceled anniversary party in case we wanted extra bonus sad on top of what was already clearly coming based on the cover art and summary.)
The second chapter picking up where the first one left off with Pinkie's actual funeral surprised me -- I'd subconsciously expected the link between the chapters to be mostly thematic -- but it really worked in providing a natural bridge from the first chapter to Fluttershy and Discord's final conversation, which also felt exquisitely in character and very appropriate. Just, very well done.