And so fondly remember
The day had begun. There was no doubting that.
Twilight sparkle distinctly remembered the slight stinging stimulation of rubbing the sleep from her eyes that morning. In the hour since she had found the energy to kick start the gears in her head and mechanically go about her morning routine, Twilight had finished every task this day had been set aside to accomplish.
The books were re-shelved and shining dust free, the golds and silvers of the etched titles truly bringing the majesty of a Spring day to life in her little home.
The lab, despite several late visits that previous week and more than one mishap almost looked like it had not been touched in years just from how truly organized the tools and equipment were. If not for the complete lack of any residue or dust and the truly pristine condition of every item, one would not be able to tell the difference.
The kitchen and pantry, as well as the dry pantry, were all fully stocked, meals planned, the weeks lunches already set inside containers for easy travel and dinners ready with their recipes and directions attached to each small plastic box.
Even having used it her whole life, Twilight had to take a moment to marvel at the advantages of her magical mastery.
Her dilemma now being that it was not even 9 Am in the morning and her schedule was free.
There was nothing for it except to realize that perhaps today the outside world would provide her with something to busy her mind. As much, and as often as she was able, Twilight perused and reread her collections even when new shipments would arrive and could probably do with some sunshine. There was perhaps a breeze in the air, it was Spring in Equestria after all, a time and season truly of change, and what better time to upset a schedule in the best of ways; by finishing early and improvising.
It was with this line of thought and an errant mental commentary about how she could have made a list about checking her items off to check off while doing so, that Twilight stepped across the threshold of her home and began the walk towards the towns market.
Over the years Ponyville had changed. With each new adventure that had come and gone or crisis lived through or averted the little vale had become something much more. It was in no small part due to the ambition of six all too familiar mares and a dragon that this area was now an honest to goodness township. Perhaps, some often say, on its' way to being a city.
As Twilight walked at a leisurely pace she would pick out the parts of the town that she could still separate as being from that first day she raced through the sky on a chariot bemoaning the ideas of friendship and camaraderie. Though much had changed she could blink and see the phantoms of past actions flitter before her eyes.
Over where a new water tower stood there were still patches of old cement marking the location of the original playground before the school had been enlarged and the playground grown into two sections. After all the education system of the small town now catered to grades K-12 and though the twofold what it was school, that had once been a series of small generously called shacks, was now large enough to hold most students the construction had begun on the first, fully staffed, High School facility across town.
Just down the lane Twilight let a few after images of a cloud of Parasprites devouring a colorful cottage play out. The cloudy image faded to show the now two story home of a familiar Donkey and his lovely family of three. Yes, that marriage had born much happiness for this town indeed.
Passing one of the outer roads into what was considered the inner portion of the businesses and town, Twilight breathed deep the aromas wafting from Pizano's. An Italian stallion himself, Pizano had loved Pinkie Pie's dedication to the culinary arts so much, that when she left to return from Canterlot after an Iron Chef competition, he followed. Convinced that the town that had helped to raise a mare like her had to be the only place his restaurant and bakery truly belonged.
Many thought he had followed just for Pinkie Pie herself, and though the two have always been close friends, there was never a desire there for something deeper. That suited them just fine.
At that small thought Twilight widened the grin that had not left her since her doorway.
In the distance for just a moment Twilight could make out some of the now very famous apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres. In what was one of the most surprising and trans-formative moves the town had ever undergone, Filthy Rich, with his last moments on this blessed plane of existence, signed an amendment to his will, with Celestia herself and half the town present. The amendment? All debt on land under the title of the Apple Family, and Sweet Apple Acres, was forgiven.
His greatest gift though, was in showing that this was not some final act to gain the love of those still earthly while he passed. His daughter Diamond Tiara delivered what was one of the most emotional speeches the town had ever heard when she declared that Sweet Apple Acres land was to be given the same honors and respect as a national forest, funded by her late father and herself.
Though the farm has grown large enough to require three living spaces and could be considered three separate farms now, the Apple family has never found a single day wanting for help. Not only did the school system create an after hours program for the agricultural department that Big Mac was more than willing to teach, but the farm growing gave jobs to many of the new residents of the town who didn't know any other way of life aside from a hard days work.
Applejack passed across Twilight's mind and she let out a small laugh at the memory of seeing Applejack wearing a cap and gown. The first, but certainly not the last, Apple family member to go to an honest to goodness college in Canterlot and earn her Business Administration and Agricultural Studies degrees. It did come as a surprise that in the end Applejack ran the business side of things while Big Mac kept the physical gears turning.
As soon as the increased brightness of an object reflecting perhaps too much sunlight came upon Twilight she knew she was passing Carnevall Fantastique, the updated and always popular home of groundbreaking fashion mogul Rarity.
The Carousal had been outgrown many years before and as Twilight recalled Rarity herself saying "Before my business, my abilities, were small and in the same circles, like a carousal I would loop around and around without truly growing. Now a festival, a Carnival, it travels, it grows, it gains its reputation and is preceded by its tellings in every town it may visit. This will finally be a business that fits the most important part of my personality. My ambitions for true generosity."
And she stayed true to that. The small offshoots of her business in major cities and towns all had outreach programs to provide comfortable, durable, and even fashionable clothing to the underprivileged and unfortunate. The only cost? Either attending a free program to learn the essentials of sowing and its applications designed by Rarity herself, or for the youth, attending at least one after school program in the area and writing a letter to Rarity about their experience in it.
Though most did not know it, the back half of this main base of operations for Rarity's business actually belonged to her sister Sweetie Belle. Ironically through the accidental use of hollow needles while stitching Sweetie Belle had an epiphany one day. The needles funneling a small droplet of her blood after a pricking had reminded her of watching Fluttershy once tap a tree for its sap.
Eventually that out of place moment led Sweetie Belle into her chosen field of Wildlife and Habitat conservation. She truly made a name for herself by turning that all too familiar forest outside Ponyville from a terrifying mystery into one of the most saught after travel and camping locations on the continent.
You can bet your bottom bit that Fluttershy had a huge part to play in that, chronicling all the new flora and fauna found at each step of the way. The forestry guides she published as well as biology and anatomy texts revolutionized veterinary medicine in Equestria. No one would have ever guessed either that of all ponies in the world to have a hidden talent for sketching, or an even deeper hidden love of illustrative work, Rainbow Dash would have risen up.
That got an honest chuckle out of Twilight who now was slowing her already relaxed pace and changed her direction to follow the unmistakable smell of her true objective.
The haze passed over again as Twilight passed the small theater Pumpkin and Pound Cake had opened and how they swore that until the day it closed there would always be the wall sized poster of a very specific article adorning their business.
There for every patron to recognize as they went to the movies or passed on by was a blown up and detailed cover of The Questioning Equestrian. The nations most popular and frequently read newspaper. There were actually two articles adorning that massive wall, the one on the left of one Rainbow Dash being presented the title of Captain of the Wonderbolts, the one on the right of the same brash and brightly smiling pegasus retiring from the position early in a shocking turn of events to pursue her career in illustrative work.
The fact that the life long duo of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy never had to be broken up another day was also fine by the both of them. The work was just a bonus.
As could be guessed, and was no surprise to Twilight herself, Scootaloo had later taken up the position of Captain in Rainbow Dash's absence and performed her own rendition of the Sonic Rainboom, adding a corkscrew effect to the maneuver mid arc had made it her own and solidified that she was her own mare and following her own dreams.
Of course, the tears falling down Rainbows face that day and framing her winning smile at seeing the little squirt come so far may have been the most breathtaking scene.
A high pitched steam whistle brought Twilight out of those series of reveries and she realized she had still been walking along. Passed the theater and almost passed the twice as large train station. The sound brought her comfort every time as they would forever remind her of Spike. Though it was a story she felt would be best thought upon another time, she briefly allowed a nostalgic peak at the past moment when Spike had helped broker work permits for drakes and wyverns into Equestria, who quickly become close to a necessity for the steam and iron age the nation had raced headlong into.
Between smithy's, welders, steam engine operators, engineers, firefighters, emergency response, wildfire containment, and even a travelling form of deputized guard, the many new citizens from the Dragon Lands under the treaty made with the Queen of the Dragons and The Sisters had utterly flourished. Now seen as an integral and utterly irreplaceable part of the national machine.
Spikes journey into politics and diplomacy with the Dragon Lands was truly a story to tell.
Twilight mused to herself that perhaps at a later time she would write it all down and publish it, just to keep record of events and have an accurate telling.
Yes, she thought, perhaps she would.
Though this was all the time she had left to walk through the memories and changes all behind and around her. Though only a small portion of the town had been seen and covered, Twilight had arrived at her destination.
She knew the smell that had caught her almost half a mile away had been that of her favorite chocolate drizzled croissant with strawberry cream garnish being prepared. Even to this day a happiness down to her soul filled Twilight at the fact that she knew who had prepared this treat for her.
No matter what time of day, no matter what events were happening around the town, the matter what came to pass in their lives or the lives of the ones they held dear, Twilight could rely on the same point of consistency.
Perhaps this was truly the reason why with the past and present swirling all around her in a vortex that would easily crush any other sentient with longing and nostalgia that Twilight entered a building that her memory did not have to alter, that felt like it was plucked right out of every day of her past and connected her to every day of her future, with a smile bright enough to rival its' owner.
Some call it a Mecca. What for? The answers different from mouth to mouth but for one Lavender pony it was the simplest thing. It was one pony that made this building into a home, that made Twilight feel that she had truly found her lot in life.
Sitting in their favorite corner booth with twin plates of the aforementioned pastries was the proprietor of the establishment and the one to whom Twilight's life had been given.
"To have and to hold." Twilight absently said out-loud as she sat next to her companion, her beloved.
"I always knew you recited your vows enough times that you'd say them in your sleep, but wide awake? That's a new one Twi." The voice was bright, and the one behind it owned the kitchen in practically every aforementioned business, trade, or establishment. Even without any of those benchmarks, or the many culinary competitions she had won in her spare time, this one pony was known for the most marvelously simple trait.
Pinkamena Diane Pie smiled her peaceful smile and reached out to hug her beloved. As Twilight settled beside her, shared a gentle kiss and they both turned to begin their tradition of a treat eaten together in the afternoons she paused.
Pinkie Pie's sky blue eyes met Twilight's Lavender for a moment. She giggled "A pastry for your thoughts Twilight?"
Twilight switched the utensil to her left foreleg and used the right to hook Pinkies in a show of affection. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, released the last of the haze that had followed her this day and found her next words came easily.
"I was just feeling rather grateful that our lives have been so filled with the things we so fondly desired."
The clicking of silverware on plates and satisfied hums filled the air of the diner. A stallion happening by smiled at the sound and the sight of the all too familiar "Gone To Lunch" sign hanging on the doors of Sugar Cube Corner before continuing on his way further into the heart of town.