"A Place of Safety"

I came up with this story idea a little while ago. I wrote out a lot of it, and then I figured, "You know what? This would be a really great way to close out the show. Put this out on the day of the finale, and you can sorta bookend everything."

Then the finale happened, and 1) I totally forgot, and 2) the story wasn't done yet.

...Or was it? It's not really long enough, and I can kinda tell I intended to write more, but... maybe it stands up okay as it is. I'll let you be the judge of that.

Twilight settled down in the bedroom of the library. She heaved a contented sigh and looked down to see where Spike was resting. He’d already fallen asleep, his slow, heavy breaths coming threateningly close to snores. She chuckled quietly and turned the other way to look out the window. It was a perfectly quiet night; all of Ponyville was asleep, readying for the next morning. Pinkie had told her about the bakers under whom she’d apprenticed, the Cakes, who’d be waking up early tomorrow morning to start the baking process. Next would be Fluttershy, helping the nocturnal animals to bed while the diurnal ones began their day. Rarity would likely be next; she was a workaholic, and she’d start making her dresses bright and early with the rising of the sun. Applejack would probably be close behind, while Rainbow Dash would sleep in. 

And Twilight?

She hadn’t decided yet. Maybe she’d get up early, too, help get breakfast ready for Spike, or prep the library for its grand opening. But if she didn’t—if she slept in, left the library opening for later and let herself enjoy her rest—nopony would blame her for it. She and the others had fended off the eternal reign of Nightmare Moon, and returned Princess Luna to normal. At this point, she’d been through a lot, and she could use a little extra sleep.

She snuggled deeper into the covers, but a thought had wormed into her brain, and now she couldn’t fall asleep. What made this night different? Without her friends nearby, with everything back to normal, this night was just like the hundreds of nights she’d slept in the tower at Canterlot—and even more like the nights of her field trips, when she’d slept at libraries and other public buildings under the grace of the princess. In fact… hadn’t it been a year or so ago that she’d slept in this very library, on a research project that required one of the books here?

She got out of bed in a sudden revelation and trotted quietly to the calendar. Back, back, back—that was right! The 15^th, eight months ago! She’d totally forgotten. She’d spent the whole day in the library, without speaking to another pony except for the old stallion who had taken care of the place. What had happened to him? She couldn’t recall. In any case, she could suddenly remember that night. It had been a normal night, just like this one, but… it hadn’t felt this peaceful. She’d looked out the window that night, just like this one, but she hadn’t felt so…

Safe.

She nearly retched, with a sudden, sickening clarity. She felt safe, tonight. She felt like she belonged, and that manifested as the total peace she’d been feeling moments before. But if this was safety, if this was the right way to feel, how had she been feeling before…?

There’d been a constant tension, something she’d never noticed but had been constantly under her coat, niggling her and burning with an uneasy energy. A desperate need to earn love—the love of her parents, the love of Celestia, the love of her teachers and classmates. An uneasiness about her goals, an uncertainty that what she was doing was what she was meant to do.

She had no doubt about that, now. She was exactly where she was meant to be. And she had no need to earn her friends’ love, when she knew that it flowed from them like milk and honey.

An overwhelming wave of sadness overcame her, for the Twilight who had been, eight months ago, in this exact place but hadn’t been able to see. She wished she could send a message to her: “Your friends, the ones who will save the world with you—they’re right out there! Go to Sugarcube Corner, or Carousel Boutique, or Sweet Apple Acres! They’ll welcome you like a lost family member. Find Rainbow Dash, or Fluttershy, or all of the other ponies that will love and appreciate you. Accept them, and they’ll accept you, and you won’t need to fight anymore.”

Thanks for everything, brony fandom. I have no idea if I'll ever update again, but until I do... goodbye. And may you never want for anything.