//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Threads // by zeus_tfc //------------------------------// Applejack stood at her stall, the scorching sun beating down on her. Despite the circumstances, she felt… well, she felt light. She had since that day. Like Equestria couldn’t burden her, no matter how hard it tried. Pinkie pranced past and dropped a cupcake in front of Applejack without a word. Applejack tossed an apple in her direction in reply. Pinkie spun, snatching the apple from the air without missing a step, and they shared the briefest of glances between them before she continued on her merry way. They needed little more than that glance, that recognition between them, that acknowledgment of the bond they shared. Business had been good since that day, not that Applejack approved of why. Even being in Her Radiance’s presence was a reason for attention. Even after Applejack refused any reward, ponies still came to buy apples from one of the six that saw Her Luminous return. Rarity had said it best: “I want ponies to buy from me because my dresses are lovely, not because of who I am. If they don’t like the dress, they won’t wear it, and what’s the point of a dress you don’t wear?” Pinkie had been the only dissenter, which was a surprise. Even then, her reasoning was remarkably selfless. “Why they go to the party doesn’t matter,” she’d said. “What matters is that they go, and they have fun! Then everypony feels happier!” The rest had all agreed, however, and Pinkie bowed to the herd; no special favors. Rarity in particular had been a surprise. Applejack had always assumed her to be… well… flighty and shallow, if she were honest, and Applejack was always honest. Rarity spent so much time on appearances, that it came as a shock when Applejack found a kindred spirit in her. They both took their jobs seriously, almost to the point of being workaholics. They were dedicated to their labors in ways few others were. Rarity may think of her career in terms of ‘art’, but nopony could dispute the blood, sweat, and tears she poured into it. Fluttershy came trotting merrily by Applejack’s cart. Applejack tossed an apple in her direction. She jerked in surprise as the apple appeared before her. Angel, her bunny, leapt up and snatched the apple out of the air, chittering angrily at Applejack. Applejack rolled her eyes with a smirk and lobbed another apple. Fluttershy caught it with a smile and a nod, and continued on her way. Fluttershy had blossomed. There was no other way to describe it. With friends to turn to for sanctuary, she began to push herself to be more socially present. The more she succeeded, the less she needed the shelter her friends offered. She was merely content knowing it was there if she needed it. She still tended to be timid, but Applejack would never again think of her as cowardly. Applejack took off her hat and fanned herself with it. It was a hot one today. Once she closed up shop, a dip in the pond sounded like a good idea. As if summoned by her thoughts, cold water poured down on her. Applejack sputtered and coughed, but the laughter emanating from above didn’t escape her notice. “You rainbow-striped polecat!” Applejack shouted, firing an apple in the direction of the laughter. “Cool down, AJ,” Rainbow Dash said with a giggle. Applejack smiled despite herself. She looked up to see Rainbow Dash munching cheerfully on the thrown apple. The water did feel good on such a hot day, and Rainbow’s carefree attitude was so infectious it was difficult to stay mad at her. “You’re lucky you’re up there where I can’t get my hooves on you,” Applejack threatened with a smirk. “Totally,” Rainbow replied with a matching smirk. It was then that they both noticed the apples. The apples were floating out of the cart. It had to be some unicorn pulling a prank. “Whoever’s doing that, stop,” Applejack said. She reached out to grab the closest apple. It snarled at her. Applejack leapt back, eyes wide. “What the hay!?” she exclaimed. “AJ, look!” Rainbow called above her. Applejack turned. All along the road chaos was building. Ponies were crying out in surprise as trees and lamp poles began to move. Storm clouds rolled in quickly. “That one’s mine,” Rainbow shouted. She shot through the closest cloud, bursting it. She continued in an arc, not checking her speed or going toward any other clouds. She reached the apex of her arc and began diving. Applejack’s breath caught in her throat. Rainbow wasn’t diving, she was plummeting. Applejack could only watch in horror. There was no way she could reach Rainbow in time, but neither could she look away. Faster and faster Rainbow fell. Applejack opened her mouth to cry out. Her cry turned to a gasp as a yellow figure shot up and snatched Rainbow from her descent. Applejack let out a shaky breath as the pair made their way over. “Thanks, Flutters,” Rainbow coughed. She was coated in a thick brown fluid. “Chocolate,” she said. “The clouds are raining chocolate sauce. It gummed up my feathers!” “Did somepony say ‘chocolate’?” a bright voice chimed in. Pinkie pronked up just as the chocolate began to rain down on them. She opened her mouth to the sky, hungrily gulping the chocolate raindrops. Almost immediately she began coughing. “Too… thick…,” she gagged. “Can’t… breathe.” A bottle levitated in front of her. “Here you go, Darling,” Rarity said as she walked up. She huddled under an umbrella, gazing at the madness around them. “Only water?” Pinkie whined. “Drink your water,” Applejack said. “OK,” Pinkie said with a pout. “Anypony know what’s going on?” Rarity asked. “I dunno for sure,” Applejack replied, “but I expect somepony’s pulling a heck of a prank, and they better hope I don’t get ahold of them.” “What’s this?” a new voice said curiously. “No panic? No crying? No yelling? And here, I thought things were going to be boring!” The figure emerged literally from nowhere, as though space itself had a tear in it. It was an impossibly long serpentine figure, who coiled in front of them so that there was no way to tell where it ended. “Who the hay are you?” Rainbow demanded. “Me?” the Serpent replied. “I am Discord, and we are going to have so much fun together.” The five ponies closed ranks with each other, not for safety, not in fear, but because they were friends, and they didn’t abandon each other. Friends. Applejack would have teared up at the thought had they not bigger things to worry about. “I ain’t afraid of you,” Applejack warned. “We’ve seen worse’n you.” The serpent smiled a wide, sinister smile. “Have you?” it asked. “Have you really?” Laughter, horrible, mad laughter began to bubble forth from its throat. The five pulled together tighter. Then everything paused. There was the sensation of something approaching slowly, but resolutely, as though its path was a given, and any obstacles were destined to fail. It was the sensation of the sun rising or the tide rolling in. Even the serpentine Discord felt it, if the expression on his face was any indication. “What?” he asked, confused. He moved aside, and there, heedless of the chocolatey rain, sat Twilight, a bright smile on her face. “Hi there!” she said cheerfully to Discord. “You look like you could use a friend.” ~~~~~ FIN ~~~~~