//------------------------------// // Epilogue: The Sabbath // Story: I wish, I hope, I dream, I pray // by TNBi //------------------------------// “What happened next? Did Princess Luna finally return?” the gray pegasus asked impatiently. Tears left two lanes of stain on her face — she was touched by the old mare’s story, one saddest story she had ever heard. Snowdrop shook her head and said, “No… though there was still a piece of hope left for us: Before Star Swirl the Bearded passed away, he had prophesied the return of Nightmare Moon, saying, ‘On the longest day of the 1,000th year, the stars will aid Nightmare Moon escape and return to Equestria once again.’ Back then, his last words caused a lot of panic; but to me and Princess Celestia, it was a glimpse of hope, because the stars seemed to have finally answered my wish… Both of us expected the day of Princess Luna’s return, but meanwhile, we feared the pony returned was still Nightmare Moon… Gasp… Gasp…“ Her breath was getting heavy. That gray mare felt something not right: as Snowdrop told her story, she gasped for breath more and more, each time more violent than the former. “Granny, are you all right? Is there something wrong?” the guest asked in concern. “I’m okay, I really am… I’m only a little bit tired — Uh…” her limbs suddenly fell weak. Fortunately the gray mare held her in time, or she could have fallen on the ground. “Granny!” “A thousand years…” Snowdrop said, chuckling wryly. “For an immortal Alicorn like Princess Celestia, it seemed possible to wait; but for me, however hard I try, it’s still far from my reach…” She lifted her head to look at her guest. “Please don’t say that, Granny! I’m sure you’ll live long, long enough to see Princess Luna return!” “No, I’m afraid I can’t… To tell the truth, I’m already over 150 years old.” “A hundred and fifty…” the gray mare’s jaw dropped in awe. “Maybe it was because Luna’s magic in me hadn’t faded, ever since the day I could see, I have never fallen sick again; even if I hurt myself, I recover way faster than other ponies. Her magic allowed me to live much longer than other ponies, and in turn forced me to experience a part of the agony of eternity.” Snowdrop fell into her guest’s embrace, and spoke on, despite her voice getting weaker with every passing moment: “Seeing the ponies I treasured pass away from me one by one; I was left alone living on this world, and slowly became numb of the way of living… There was no happiness, nor sorrow, nor anger nor fear… Such a life is what the immortal princesses have to face. I only experienced a fraction of it, and I felt it was too much to bear already. Fortunately, I met you in the last few hours of my life… What a pleasant coincidence it is.” She reached out her shaking hoof, and wiped away the tear trails on the other pegasus’s face. “You should be proud of these eyes of yours, because… in my long life, I’ve never seen another pony at your age with such crystal-clear eyes… And I can tell… that you have a crystal-clear heart too… clearer than anypony else. May you keep them forever…” Snowdrop said and closed her eyes. Seeing this, the gray pegasus rocked her body with her hooves. “No, Granny! Please hold on! I’ll, I’ll call the Doctor! He’s a friend of mine, and he’s good! I’ve seen him rescue countless lives!” “Don’t bother… Life and Death are a part of our world’s cycle, and I’m about to walk my last part.” Snowdrop answered, slowly shaking her head. A peaceful smile came to her face. She was getting sleepy, so sleepy, that she didn’t want to  wake up ever again… … “Doctor!” *** When Snowdrop opened her eyes again, she found herself inside a strange place. It’s a giant room with all its walls made of metal, all kinds of gizmos and gears were running and whirring everywhere, like a factory. All of a sudden, a strange earth pony entered her view. “Oh hello! You are already awake, aren’t you?” “Who… are you?” she inquired. “Interesting question; does it really matter who I am? But if you seek a proper way to address me, then please call me ‘Doctor’. That is how my friends and acquaintances call me,” answered the earth pony who called himself “Doctor”. “Doctor, how did I get here?” Snowdrop looked around confused. She stood up, and was surprised to find her limbs flexible again, and her body not stiffy nor aching anymore. “Oh! Speaking of which, thank you for taking care of Derpy for me.” “Derpy?” “Yes! Derpy — didn’t she tell you her name? Gray, with wings, golden mane and two walled eyes that never look the same direction —” Doctor barely finished his sentence when a hoof pushed discontentedly on the back of his head. “Don’t you laugh at my eyes!” the gray mare pouted unhappily, walking out from behind him. “Hey, I was only joking. And look, Snowdrop’s awake,” Doctor rubbed the back of his head, and pointed to Snowdrop with his hoof. “Oh! And, um… hi! Are you all right, Granny?” Derpy clumsily greeted Snowdrop. Even though Derpy was facing her, the blue mare still couldn’t tell if her eyes were looking at herself or at the Doctor. “Thank you for your help; my body felt much better,” she said. “Oh, that…” Doctor’s expression suddenly turned serious, “Sorry… I’m truly sorry. Your body was already at its limits, I tried the best I could, but I could only keep you in such state temporarily… That’s the most I can do.” “...It’s alright. Besides, I was prepared for my fate. I didn’t know your friend would cause you so much trouble to do this for me… Thank you both for doing this for me, and sorry for all the trouble I brought.” Snowdrop answered, and smiled. She knew her fate was written, but even so, there was a fleeting moment just now, that she felt thrilled that she could live on… Fate will always catch up with you,  she said to herself secretly. “Don’t mention it. Oh, and by the way, we are almost there.” “Where?” Snowdrop asked, then she saw Doctor’s somehow mysterious but also thrilled smile. “A thousand years later.” “A thousand years? What are you talking ab— “ BOOM! The giant room suddenly rocked heavily. Had Snowdrop’s limbs not recovered, she would have fallen to the ground. “Here we are! The Royal Canterlot Garden in winter, just like 1,000 years before!” Doctor walked to a door-like place in the room, opened it, and the snow world outside came into view. Snowdrop walked out of that door skeptically; she didn't know where she had just arrived, the only thing she knew was that it's wide and open, looking like a blank field, with beautiful snowflakes falling from above. Maybe what Doctor said was true, that it really was a garden; though there was nothing to see besides the white winter snow.   She looked and looked, until she saw a dark purple figure standing away in the snowfield.   That was a pony... She looked somehow different, but Snowdrop knew she was not mistaken. That dark-toned coat, the long horn on her head, the wings on her back, and finally, the crescent moon cutie mark on her flank.   Snowdrop was so stunned from what she saw, that she couldn't move.   That pony was facing away from her, looking intently at a statue. Snowdrop looked at the statue, and was even more surprised to see that the statue was modeled after her own figure.   (via HankOfficer) After hesitating for a while, Snowdrop called, in both expectation and fear, she called that pony's name —   “Princess Luna?”   The ears of the pony looking at the statue suddenly twitched. She turned around slowly, and as she saw Snowdrop standing there, a complicated expression came to her face, as if saying “unbelievable”.   “Snow… drop?” she said.   The moment the blue mare heard that voice again… she wept.   Princess Luna’s voice was wavering, but it was really that voice, the voice she had been expecting for almost all her life.   “Princess Luna!” Snowdrop sprinted toward the moon princess, leaving not a trail on the snowfield, then pounced into the warm embrace of Luna.   “It’s really you! You’re back! You’re finally back! I thought I’d never seen you again in my life,” Snowdrop covered her face in the princess’s embrace, feeling that warm temperature on her.   “Me too! I thought I’d never have a chance to see you!” Luna was crying her tears of joy, wrapping her forelegs around the blue mare tightly.   “Doctor?” said Derpy, who was looking at the two from a distance to the earth pony beside her.   “Let’s go, Derpy; we’ll have a walk around here. I have a hunch that we might encounter something fun!” Doctor grinned broadly, turned around and started walking away.   “You don’t mean aliens like last time, do you?” Derpy said and followed him.   “Who knows! Ha ha!”   The two of them left, leaving two trails of hoofsteps on the snow.   Beneath the statue, Snowdrop and Luna were still talking.   “Oh, Princess Luna, I had so so many things to… yawn… to tell you,” Snowdrop said in the middle of a yawn, “I had talked to the moon every night back then, were you… yawn… were you able to hear me up there?” She was somehow getting sleepy, her head was nodding and her eyelids were hard to keep open, but she didn’t want to sleep so soon — she had just met Princess Luna after so long time.   “Yes, Snowdrop, I heard you. Thanks to the stars that passed your words, I heard every prayer you made, not missing any one,” answered Luna, who knelt down to let Snowdrop rest by her side.   “Then were you happy that… yawn… that Cumulo Nimbus and Cirrus… yawn… were finally together? I felt… really happy for their union then.”   “Yes, I was very glad that they finally made a family.” Luna said to her smiling, and unfolded a wing to cover on Snowdrop’s back tenderly.   “Yawn… Princess Luna, stop making me feel so cozy… Or I could fall asleep. I still have so much… so much to tell you…”   “Then maybe we could carry on our talk freely in your dream… Now I’m powerful enough, enough to freely walk across ponies dreams, and dispell their nightmares.” Luna kissed the forehead of the blue mare, a tear slided down her face.   “Really? I knew you could do it… I knew Princess Luna could do anything…” Snowdrop rubbed her own eyes, and mumbled, “Could you sing that lullaby… the one you sang for me last time… again?”   “Okay…” Princess Luna lifted her head, and inhaled deeply…   And she started to sing.     Her sweet and beautiful voice echoed in the royal garden, and in the embrace of her singing, Snowdrop finally shut her eyes. Little dots, ones that looked like stars and snowflakes at the same time, started to emerge and fly away from her body; as they flew away, bit by bit, her body turned transparent and immaterial.   This time, she fell into her eternal rest for sure…   As Luna finished her singing, Snowdrop was not beside her anymore. She looked up at the sky, and saw a new constellation up there amongst the stars, one that looked exactly like the shape of a snowflake. Her Snowdrop had joined the shining stars up above, living in peace and carefree up there, blessing the living things that lived beneath the stars, and sometimes… granting them a few wishes.     THE END