Fluttershy was in a small, dimly lit room.
The room had a single feature: A door. From that door the muffled sound of voices could be heard, too low to make out what they said.
All Fluttershy knew was that door had to remain closed.
"Hi Flutters!"
Fluttershy startled, half tripping to back away.
"Pinkie?" She asked when she was able to focus on the voice.
"Yeah, silly-filly!" Pinkie's smile grew.
Pinkie pranced to her friend and gave her a pony hug. Fluttershy held the embrace.
"We miss you, Fluttershy." Pinkie said, still chipper. "Come back with me?"
"Oh, I can't do that, Pinkie. There's something... something wrong out there."
"Nuh uh!" Pinkie's denial sounded playful.
"Yes. I saw it... sort of." Fluttershy leaned close to her pink friend. "It can't be, see. But it is. So I can't be, either." She whispered conspiratorially.
"Turns out, " Pinkie explained "It was never really here! Twilight said!"
Fluttershy looked dubious. "But I saw..."
"Nopie nope! It looked like it was here, but it was still there."
"That doesn't make sense." Fluttershy said.
"I know!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Sometimes I think Twilight makes things up to tease us. It's fun!"
Now Fluttershy looked frustrated. "So which is it? Was it or wasn't it?"
"Yes!"
The pegasus and the earth pony stared at one another.
The pink pony let a giggle slip past her lips.
The yellow pegasus felt her frustration turn into a sense of the absurd. The absurdity made her giggle.
The giggles began to pour out of the two ponies. Fluttershy had to lean on Pinkie to avoid falling over. She didn't even notice Pinkie open that door.
Celestia let the spell fade.
As its power dissipated, the two ponies on the bed began to giggle. It was a wonderful, infectious sound.
Spike was the first to start giggling with the two. Applejack and Rainbow Dash started in soon after. Rarity and Twilight had no chance of avoiding the giggles now, even if they had wanted to.
Fluttershy rose up on her forelegs, still giggling as she looked at her friends.
Her giggles started to turn to sobs as a sense of having only just avoided a terrible loss overwhelmed her.
The friends all rushed in, each hugging the rest, awash in relief, joy, and a host of emotions pent up after a horrid adventure and in need of release.
Princess Celestia silently slipped out of the room, satisfied that her student and her best friends were going to be fine.
Cloudy was comfortable. He was curled up on a luxurious couch in his assigned apartment within Canterlot castle, sipping a warm cider drink. Splayed out on the floor before him was the beginnings of his written report to Celestia and Luna of the events that led to the expulsion of the horror.
He was happy to be obeying the princess' order to take his time and relax.
Letting the quill settle into the ink well, he paused again to let more pleasant thoughts wash over him.
There was so much new data, so many new ideas that had sprung from this tragedy.
Symmetrical self-referential spell substructures and inter-reality extrusions with facets of frequency specific particle/wave exchange. Who would have guessed?
He had already approached Twilight Sparkle about co-authoring a paper on the subject, and was very excited to have discussed it well into the wee hours with her. Writing the paper was going to be a very pleasant task. Her intelligence and her amazing insights into magic along with her somewhat awkward friendliness would assure that. She was totally adorkable.
He hoped she found him adorkable, too. Probably not, and it didn't really matter. It was still an enjoyable thought.
Being a guest and witness to Cloudy Dawn's ceremony as a Hero of Equestria was quite satisfying. It certainly was nice not to have to be up in front of all the major personalities of the land.
Twilight stamped her hoof in applause with the rest of the audience as Cloudy turned to face the audience and bow. She was one of the few who managed to stifle laughter when she stumbled while leaving the stage. He smiled sheepishly and waved meekly to the uproarious audience.
That self-aware humility was something she liked about the brown unicorn. It was an aspect of him that promised to make writing that paper with him a pleasant task.
Besides, he was totally adorkable.
Should you be interested: My Author's Notes.