//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Quesadilla Conquest // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// The train made its way north via north-northwest, rocking back and forth on the tracks. Twilight enjoyed the gentle sway, she found it comforting, and to her it felt like the rocking of a cradle. Being rocked in a cradle was nice, but Twilight had a secret; she thought that perhaps, maybe, rocking a cradle of her own might be nicer. Being an aunt had made her grow up quite a bit, it had forced her from her comfort zone, and she discovered the great joys of making friends with ponies not your own age. Her nieces and her nephew had given her a new perspective on friendship, as had her students, all of them. Each one was a treasure in their own right, with something unique to them to teach her. With her head resting against the glass window, Twilight hoped that this time, things would work out for Trixie and that there would soon be a new niece or nephew running around. Being with Trixie through those agonising moments of heartbreak had changed Twilight profoundly and she now had a new perspective on the sanctity of life. Sighing, Twilight tried not to think about it too much. She had mourned the loss of those potential nieces and nephews with Trixie and moved on, just as Trixie had. It had been another friendship lesson, one that Twilight had written a bestseller book about—bonding through loss. Feeling the soft touch of a foreleg resting upon her own, she glanced over and looked at Rarity, who took the opportunity to lean up against her. She and Rarity had bonded through mental illness, obsessive compulsive disorder, making their bond special and unique. It too, had inspired Twilight to write a bestselling novel. Mental illness had a tough bit of social stigma, there was a fight waiting to happen, and Twilight planned further salvos in the future to aid in Cadance’s crusade. “Applejack never learns, darling.” Rarity nodded her head in Applejack’s direction. Blinking, Twilight glanced over at Applejack, who was once again playing poker with Sumac and losing. Twilight smiled at the look of frustration on Applejack’s face, which she found quite amusing, and was somewhat distracted by the sensation of Rarity breathing on her. “Sumac was born for a life of graft,” Rarity whispered into Twilight’s ear, causing it to flicker. “It’s amazing that Trixie has done as much as she has with him. He’s a rogue, but a charming one.” “I dunno, I think Applejack is smarter than you give her credit,” Twilight whispered back to Rarity. “I also think that Applejack knows exactly what she is doing.” “How so?” Rarity’s lips puckered into a fine moue. “Sumac can’t lose when he’s gambling,” Twilight began, and she paused for a moment to pick her next words with great care. After some time spent considering what to say, she continued, “He can lose to another pony with a talent for graft that matches or exceeds his own, but ponies like Applejack don’t stand a chance. And I think Applejack is smart enough to have figured that out by now. I don’t think that Applejack is trying to win at all.” “Then what is she doing?” Rarity asked, breathing the words. “I think what Applejack is doing is trying to make Sumac a gracious winner. He’s a good colt, but he can be a little smug and a whole lot smarmy. He gets that from his mama, Trixie. Now more so than ever because he has a little piece of her soul. Sumac can’t help but win, and he’s not a good winner.” “But Applejack is teaching him to be.” Rarity’s eyebrow arched as she cottoned on. “Yes.” Twilight nodded. “I see.” Rarity rubbed her foreleg over Twilight’s as she continued to lean up against her dear friend. “Twilight… we can be more than our cutie marks, right?” Turning her head, Twilight looked Rarity in the eye. “I can’t seem to stop whatever it is I’m becoming. I keep taking on more and more, chasing the next rung of success, and I just can’t seem to be happy with where I am. I am in a very good place, but it is just not enough. I feel this rush of happiness, but it only lasts for a while and then I feel the itch to keep going. Every day, I lose just a little bit more of myself, and I know for certain that I am losing my connection to all of you. Last year, I spent more days away from Ponyville than in Ponyville by a very large margin, according to my dayplanner. Sweetie Belle spends more time in my home than I do.” Twilight worried, fearing that Rarity would make her mascara run if this kept up. She didn’t know what to say or how to respond to the mare leaning up against her. Twisting off to one side, Twilight reached out, touched Rarity’s neck, ran her hoof up along the graceful curve, paused for a moment along the corner of her jaw, and then she stroked her best friend’s cheek. She watched Rarity shiver a bit in response. Pulling her hoof away from Rarity’s cheek, she gestured over at Applejack and Sumac. “With our dear friends and family, anything is possible.”