//------------------------------//
// Chap 36 
// Story: Magic Paint Brushes 2: A New Canvas To Paint On 
// by Ugly-Duckling123 
//------------------------------//

Everyone was holding their breaths and rocking on their hooves giving worried looks to each other all wondering if this would work.

Then after what seemed like forever, but was more like two minutes, another flash appeared and the odd couple came back still hand in hand with big smiles on their faces.

"Take it it works fine then Jackie?" Discord asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Sure did," Jack replied pulling on his hair, pulling out a memory with the strand he pulled out of the two of them poofing up in Sarah's living room Suzy her human self dress in a black skirt with an embroidered gold crown on it, a light blue shirt, and knee high boots.

"Still have no idea where she'll live," he said pulling on it some more before it suddenly rushed back into his head "But we can work on that later. For now..." he said snapping his fingers the door firing open to reveal a group of foals and some Changelings who were listening in on the whole thing.

"I thought I taught you squirts too much curiosity is dangerous," he said crossing his arms to them.

"Guess you're just not all that good a teacher then Jack," Eric said smirking getting a laugh from Pinkie and a stiffled one from Sarah.

"That's what we were telling them Jack," Amber said pointing to the Changelings "But they wouldn't listen to us." 

Ignoring the little pony Scarab came forward and up to Suzy "My queen you can't possible be thinking of doing this. Who will lead us? who will care for us?" 

"I am not you queen Scarab," Suzy said quietly a sign she was getting annoyed. "And if you keep calling me that then I'll go and stay there." 

That got him and the others to back off a bit.

"Next you can look after, and lead yourselves," she continued "Or if you sheep don't think you can do that, go under the reign of Celestia and Luna." she said nodding to the two sisters. "I couldn't care less about what you do or not Scarab, but I. Am. Not. Being. Queen." she said teeth turning into fangs and eyes flashing green, fists balled into fists, getting the Replacementiee to back off at last.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side," Eric whispered into Sarah's ear smirking getting a light smack from his girlfriend who was rolling her eyes.

Silence came from the Changeling before them all waiting to see how he'll react. But all he did was stand tall and nod before he left the room.

Arachnie then stepped forward and shifted into a human child so he was shorter then Suzy, even though she didn't want to be one she'll always be a queen to him and the others, and flung his arms around her waist 'Hugging' her he was told this motion the other Humans did was called. 

"Good luck then Suzy," he said backing off staying a child beaming up to her "Hopefully you won't stay there too long." 

"I'll try not to Arachnie," she said kneeling down and hugging him back smiling, after a few seconds feeling more arms around her hugging her good bye seeing all the Changelings, 'secpt one, had turned into children like Arachnie to say good bye to their Queen... no not queen Hero... no not really hero... Their friend.

As they were doing that the foals and ponies were saying their goodbyes to Sarah, Eric, and Jack.

"Do you really have to go?" the foals all asked together all their eyes big and glistening, a slight pout on their faces.

"Oh come on don't give us those faces kids," Jack said coming forth. "We'll be back right?" he asked looking to Sarah and Eric getting nods and smiles. 

"But what if something worse come and destroys Equestria next?" Amber asked stepping forward "What if none of you are here to watch out for us? If you're not here..." 

"Hey hey slow down..." Sarah said coming down now too "One, the danger for now's passed, so you can be happy little colts and fillies again for now. Two, you might not have us, but you have them," she said pointing to the Six, and the princesses "And your parents to watch out and look after you. And three, if something does come... then we'll be back here in an instant. But until then... We'll all be in here." she said pointing to the filly's chest smiling. "So in a way we'll never leave you, as long as you remember us we'll always be with you. All of you." she said looking around to all the foals. 

Getting up together with Jack they went over to Eric and Suzy both of them waiting for their friends. 

Smiling, Sarah took hold of Eric's sword with him, and Jack pulled out his pencil and held it to Suzy, then with all of them smiling said one good bye to everyone, and left.








Together the four teenagers opened their eyes to find themselves in Sarah's living room, back on the day they left - just like the rules Celestia said the paintbrush and presumably the pencil had, said. 

"So what now?" Suzy asked looking a bit nervous now that she was here for longer than two minutes. 

Before anyone could answer, Sarah's parents came through the door glad to see that their little girl was alright.

"Of course I'm alright," Sarah said pulling herself out of her parents choking hugs "Why..." 

"You were nearly hit by a car before we left remember cuz?" Jack whispered taking Suzy's hand to calm her a bit. 

Oh yeah... Sarah thought kicking herself for forgetting that. But when you've had the last few days going through what she had just been through, you couldn't really blame her.

"Any way with that out the way," Jack said speaking up getting his aunt and uncles attention, "Auntie Jodie, Uncle Bill, this is Suzy a new friend of ours we met at the park today," he explained "Says she's from out of town so we invited her over for dinner if that's alright?" 

Getting both parents to say 'Fine by me', they went off to the kitchen to begin getting dinner going and set another few places at the table.

"So," Sarah said turning to the others now that was sorted, "Still going to enter that painting competition?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Nah..." he said smirking "I think we can all agree we've had enough of Equestria for a while."

"What you guys talking about?" Jack asked a big smile on his face.

"I found out last night, here, that there's going to be a Art Competition this weekend for 'teenagers and young adults' held at the church. And was thinking of putting one of mine in. Strangely enough, it's a painting of 'The Mare in the Moon', so I think I'm going to pass."

Suzy was staying quiet by the sofa, still taking everything in when she felt something cold touch her hand making her scream slightly getting the others and Mr Jones to come and check what was wrong, but it was only Midnight coming to say hello.

"It's ok Suzy," Sarah said coming over to her dog hugging her after not seeing her for technically three days. "Midnight might seem scary and all tough and fighting at first, ready to defend her friends when the situation calls it," Sarah began smirking as she looked up at the Changeling-Girl "But in reality she's just a big ball of fur that loves to be loved, who loves you back and likes to play."

"Oh er... Ok," Suzy said getting down slowly petting the animal shakily at first, that going away the more she did it.

~~**~~

For her first night on Earth, Suzy slept with Sarah in her room as a guest the teenagers giving her parents that Suzy hadn't found a place to stay yet which was technically true, all of them surprised that her parents didn't question them about who she was, where she came from, where all her belongings were, etc...

But by the morning she was found in the guest room with Jack on the bed, one under the covers, one on top just to keep the grownup's happy, somehow managing to sleep with their hands held together and smiles on their faces. 

Sarah quietly shut the door and dug out from the hall cabinet an old 'Do Not Disturb' sign and stuck it on the door smirking. 

Jack may be... Well Jack. But he was her and now Suzy's Jack too. Loyal, funny, kind, generous, honest - when he wasn't trying to hide something for a prank he was playing, and all in all a good friend. He definitely deserved the title as a Warrior of Harmony. 

With that Sarah headed down to breakfast a smile on her face all the way down the stairs that lasted all through her cousins stay, and many years after that.


The End