//------------------------------// // Act 5 Chapter 1 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act V: Collision End Chapter 1: Acceptance --------------------------------------------------- Dear Journal, It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Sorry I haven’t written in so long, but with everything that’s happened since my last entry, I just haven’t had much time for it. There have been a lot of battles, and a lot of things that might have been interesting for you to hear about, but unfortunately since then time’s flown by. Para Norma was recaptured not too long after I passed out. Last I heard, she was shrieking and screaming in despair as she was dragged back to her cell. Without any magic to fuel her, she’s going to be down there until the end of time. That’s the only fitting punishment for her, considering what she would have done to her own fellow villagers. The other prisoners who she killed were all rounded up as well. Exploded hearts—not that it was that much of a surprise. Canterlot was razed in several places, and Canterlot Castle was in serious need of repairs. I forget the official figure of damages, but I believe it was easily in the millions of bits to repair all that had been destroyed. Even with magic, it’s still taking a while. It’s been two whole months since the battle now, and there’s still quite a bit left to do to rebuild. Some of the townsponies weren’t too happy to find their businesses had been destroyed, and their homes razed by battle. In time, I hope they understand that it was just a price we had to pay to make sure the crisis could end on time. We’re all doing what we can as well just to get everything up to snuff in Canterlot, but it’ll probably be a while before things settle down completely. The astral ponies who Norma trapped had been offered residence out in that old castle where we’d found the book. They didn’t seem to mind its condition, and figured they’d need to rebuild as well after all the time they’d missed. The elders of that community agreed it’d be better for them, at least for a short while, to remain out of society while they rebuilt from scratch. As for me? I’m still sort of living at the library here. I can’t complain. I’ve gotten used to it by now. I’m just wondering if that’s still appropriate when I consider I can’t go home again. Neither me, nor John. When I broke that orb, I definitively sealed our only way home. The only way back home now would be to hope that Discord picked our home universe out of a set of countless others. Even he can’t do everything, it seems. There is just one thing I have left to do before I can close this chapter of my life, and move on to the next step forward. After all this time, I haven’t told John of our prospects of getting home, and I don’t even know if he knows. Far as I know, only Discord, Princess Celestia, and Twilight know about what I did. I would have said something to him sooner, but the battle was still so fresh, and there was so much to do… But, two months have passed. I think I’ve waited long enough. I have to go now. While it’s painful I won’t be able to go home again, I do wonder… can I at least feel at home here, now that everything’s finally settled? Guess I’ll have to find out. Until next time, Corey --------------------------------------------------- Applejack had never been happier to be in the apple orchards. It was what told her everything was finally over, that it was fine. She could return to simpler times, and buck all the apples she could. That was what she was spending the day doing as well, making up for lost time.   With a mighty grunt, Applejack lifted one leg and slammed it into a trunk with full force. As the tree vibrated from the impact, the apples started to rain down from the tree into a conveniently placed basket. The apples fell in perfect sync, perfect harmony, allowing them to be easily harvested. She adjusted her Stetson and smirked in spite of herself.   Glad to be workin’ again, she thought to herself, surveying her work, I’m not gonna miss that trainin’ I had to do for the whole thing.   Applejack proceeded through the orchard, kicking trees left and right for the fruits contained. She would have went on like this for a long while, but soon she was face to face with someone else in the orchard—her older brother, Big Mac. The two met eyes, and Mac’s eyes went slightly wide at Applejack’s appearance.   “Applejack, what are you doin’ over here?” Big Mac asked, blinking as he took in the orchard, “You already done with your part of the orchard for the day or somethin’?”   “Huh?” asked Applejack, coming out of her work-induced haze to address her brother, “What’s…”   Applejack realized at once where she was, and how the work had been divided up at the start of the day. She’d lived on Sweet Apple Acres her whole life, and had worked the fields nearly as long; she knew the layout of the orchards pretty much by heart. So as she looked around, she realized what got Big Mac so mixed up.   “I… must have?” Applejack asked, looking around, rubbing at her mane under her hat in silent contemplation, “All that prep I did for that fightin’ must have paid off…”   “Eeyup,” was Big Mac’s own comment, “We’re probably gonna have a surplus at the rate you’re cleanin’ up the trees, Applejack…” --------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy wished she could say her life went back to exactly the way it was before, but she’d be lying. While most of it was the same, there were a few things that were different now. The most important thing, though, was that she’d made peace with her other half, Fluttercruel. After all had been over, Fluttershy held true to her word, allowing Fluttercruel to take control of her body when asked.   Of course, some occasions more than others, Fluttershy would question her other half’s methods. Across a clearing, there was Harry the Bear, and he looked positively ready to go. Fluttercruel was in control of the body, waiting for it to start. Around them, various animals were making movements and noises as though cheering.   “Why are we doing this again? How did we get here?” asked Fluttershy from within their shared subconscious. Fluttercruel smirked.   “He’s having fun with it,” Fluttercruel said, “Here, look, I’ll show you!”   With that, both Fluttercruel and Harry charged each other, getting into a sort of grapple with each other. Though to the uneducated observer, it looked like Fluttercruel was at a severe disadvantage here, it actually wasn’t. Fluttercruel had convinced her meeker counterpart to let her “playfight”, as it were, the bear. Though Fluttershy wasn’t too sure, the results soon spoke for themselves.   Fluttercruel soon began to flip over the larger bear’s shoulders, causing the shoulders to audibly pop, before punching Harry in the back a few times. None of these were meant to hurt…it was more of an aggressive version of physical therapy. Harry roared, turning to swipe, but he clearly aimed to miss, since Fluttercruel ducked low easily enough. Fluttercruel opened her wings and started to hover, letting Harry move his arms a bit more. Once again, though, Harry wasn’t trying too hard; neither was Fluttercruel.   Watching this from within was Fluttershy. Her other half was correct: Harry was enjoying this a lot. She could see it in his face. Fluttershy leaned back in her mindscape’s meadow, reflecting on everything. Now that she was comfortable with her formerly hidden aggression, she felt more at peace with herself as a whole.   So much has changed since this all started… I’d never imagined any of this would happen. So? You got any regrets over what this all did for you? Her other self thought back to her, still preoccupied with the playfight at hand.   Oh, heavens, no, I don’t. Not at all! I… I don’t shy away from things anymore. And… and I don’t intend to run away anymore. From now on I’m going at problems head-on.   Don’t be afraid to call on me if you need me, too. I could always use a chance to stretch my legs…   I will… Fluttershy paused, before realizing something important, Oh, Cruel, it’s almost time for lunch. Should we stop?   Oh, fine… I’ll call the time out and give you your body back…   Overall, Fluttershy’s day-to-day routine hadn’t changed much. However, she felt so far ahead of where she was before all this started that she couldn’t help but feel happy, confident even. She longer had to fear her inner cruelty, her repressed aggression. She could move forward, just as her friends did. That was all she could ask for, really. --------------------------------------------------- To no one’s surprise, Pinkie went back to working at Sugarcube Corner, making pastries and serving up smiles just as she loved doing. However, with all that was going on over the last few months, she hadn’t had any time for it. So many fun times that simply couldn’t be had, so many party opportunities missed... she had to ignore it all for the greater good of Equestria, for her friends. But now, it was finally over. Now, she could see the smiles of everyone she saw during the day.   There was still one other thing left, a void that needed to be filled. So after days of careful planning, doing everything she could to ensure that everything was in order for it to start, Pinkie went into action. To the entire town’s surprise, Pinkie lit up the day by throwing what would become the biggest party bash ever seen. Everyone was invited, from her friends, to the guards who fought with them, even the Princesses and Discord. Everyone showed up and partied like no tomorrow.   But there was a tomorrow…and another, and another, and another as the party wound up stretching on for over a week before finally dying down. It was a party that went down in history, and some were still recovering even today. As much fun as it may have been, even a party girl like Pinkie had to know the limits; it would be a while before she threw a party again.   Which turned out to be for the best, as Pinkie found herself wrapped up in some new business in recent days.   “With that, all your patents should be in order,” Pinkie signed the last of a large stack of legal paperwork. In her hopes to prove her worth after the Tartarus breakout, Pinkie ended up putting her building skills to the test once more. As a result, she created several new inventions and even more concepts for ones she never got a chance to build.   This caught the eye of not only the guards, who saw some firsthand, but Celestia and Luna as well. They saw the potential in what she had created, and did not want to see something of that caliber going to waste. So, with everything finally calming down, they had been helping Pinkie patent her blueprints so that they could be used in the near future, at profit to her.   “And there you go!” Pinkie said with glee, overjoyed that she would no longer have to be signing papers. The law pony appointed to help her accepted all the forms and shook Pinkie’s hand with a smile, bidding her farewell as he made his leave.   “Are you finished, Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake called out, Pinkie making her way towards the kitchen post-haste.   “Yuperdo!” she called out, “Never have I ever had to sign my name so many times…” Pinkie flexed her cramping hand, “Not to mention all the dull legal stuff…” Pinkie cringed slightly. Mrs. Cake chuckled at Pinkie, she herself having to hear Pinkie’s complaints since she began making the patents.   “I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth it once those royalty checks start coming in, Pinkie.”   A small grin spread across Pinkie’s face. She couldn’t deny that small detail. Bringing joy to others was what she lived for, but a few extra pocket bits couldn’t hurt either.   “So now that you’re done, think you have time to make some deliveries?”   “Oh, I think I’ll have plenty of time,” Grabbing the order, Pinkie reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Giving them a jingle, Pinkie winked and made her way out the door. A moment later, an engine would be heard igniting and something large drove by the front of the shop. Mrs. Cake shook her head slightly, a small smile still spread across her lips as she went back to work.   “Can’t believe they let her keep that…” --------------------------------------------------- It was still a refreshing sight for Corey, to no longer see Ponyville imprisoned by its own fears, to be able to see those who lived there going about their days without a care in the world once again. Above all else, after so long that had passed, Corey finally felt like he was walking through the area not as an outsider, but as one of them. For the first time in a long time, counting back home, Corey fully felt like he belonged. He felt as though he could walk about, converse with everyone, and not have to feel the stress of everyday living. Of course, part of that had to do with his coming to terms with himself… but still…   I guess that makes my choice easier… even if a little.   The choice he made during the battle with Para Norma still hung over his head. Sure, he had, in part, tried to make peace with it, tried to accept that it was the absolute best choice. If only it were a choice he had made for him alone, but it wasn’t. There was one other he had affected through his choice. After everything that had happened leading up to Norma’s defeat, Corey had never once told John the full story of what had happened.   That was the reason why he’d gone on this walk around town. He felt that now that everything had finally gone back to normal, now that everyone was healthy and happy, he should tell John. In truth, the choice to finally go through with it was so much easier when he’d first left the library, but with every step Corey found his nerves growing wary. He was wondering just what John’s reaction would be to find out that Corey made such a decision on his own. The only thing Corey was sure of was that it wouldn’t be easy. But in the end, Corey knew it was something he had to do.   That would come as soon as he reached his destination—which was now inches away, the door of a front porch. Corey raised his hand towards the door, stopping for a moment before taking in a deep breath.   “Now or never…” Finally, Corey knocked on the door, leaving him nothing else but to wait at the door. Soon enough, he heard some movement, and the lock of the door coming undone. Finally, it opened, and revealed the very dragon that Corey had come to see, his only remaining friend from his former world.   “Oh, Corey, what’s up?” John greeted with a smile. Corey tried to give his own, but it came off a little forced. Corey looked around, wondering how he should go about this. His first thought: he shouldn’t do it outside.   “Hey, um, can I come in? I need to tell you something,” Corey paused for a moment as he let out a sigh, “It’s kind of important.”   John blinked, his eyes quizzical, wondering just what it was Corey had to tell him. He nodded his head and stepped aside, allowing Corey to come in. He then followed Corey down the hall.   “You know, I didn’t mention it before, but this is a nice place you got,” Corey observed, looking around.   John grinned at the mention of his new home. It was still new, only bought a few weeks prior. John had lived with Twilight for some time after the Battle of Canterlot. Sure, Twilight never showed any sign of wanting him to move out. She even made sure John knew he was welcomed there as long as he wanted. But as time passed, John felt that some space was needed—not for him, but for Twilight and Corey to have to themselves—as much as they could get with Spike still there, anyway.   “Yeah, it’s pretty great, finally being a mature and responsible adult,” John said, polishing his knuckles on his chest. Corey chuckled slightly before looking over to the next room, a single brow arching as he saw something.   “Is that a pillow fort?”   John’s muzzle scrunched up as he quickly closed the door to the next room. “Don’t judge me.” John said, trying to hide his shame. After a few awkward seconds, John cleared his throat, “So uh, there was something you wanted to tell me, right?   Reminded of why he’d come, Corey’s body language quickly changed.   “Yeah, uh…” his nerves grew a little stronger. It wasn’t that he feared John would lash out specifically, but just in anticipation of how well he’d take the news, “Listen, I know I told you that now that Norma was defeated, any chance of us going home was pretty much gone.” John nodded his head. He’d learned of and accepted it in the time since then.   “But I never told you the full story of how that happened,” Everything went silent as John waited for Corey to explain, “In the final moments before I beat her, before I set the astral ponies free, Norma told me something. She warned me ahead of time, told me that if I broke the orb that held them we wouldn’t be able to go home. Something I found out from Esper; that might have been the only truth she’d ever told. If I’d kept the orb intact, if we found a way to use it, we could have opened a portal back home.”   John remained completely silent, simply staring at Corey with an unreadable expression.   “I didn’t say anything back then because—“ Corey was stopped by a slight jolt of pain on his head. John had slapped down on it with his opened palm. Corey winced from the sudden hit, seeing John give him a slightly unamused look.   “Dude, seriously, this is just cliché,” John chuckled as he took a step towards his kitchen, coming back with two drinks for the two of them.   “What do you mean?”   “I mean, did you think I’d get mad that you chose to save them over sending us home?” John let out another chuckle before downing some of his drink. Corey watched for a moment, looking at the grin on his face. While it would have been easy to accept that John was just okay with it, no questions asked, Corey found he just wasn’t convinced of it.   “John…” At the sound of his name, John looked back to Corey, a few seconds of smiling still held. But he couldn’t hold it for long, and with a sigh it finally faded. John sat down. This time, he was clearly deep in thought for what he would say next.   “Look, deep down, part of me already knew. Norma was imprisoned again, the ones who sent that message that brought us here were free. At no point between then and now did we ever hear of any way to get us back home. Sure, at first it was hard, hard to finally have to accept there was no way back. So many things left behind, the stress of wondering how they’re dealing with the fact that I just disappeared with no word, no warning. That’s what really kept me up late at night.   “But really, what would getting angry do, what would it change?” John stopped for a moment and took another sip, “Though to be honest, knowing now what would have to be given up, I guess I do feel better.”   Corey sat down next to John as he took a sip of his own drink. “So, you aren’t angry with me at all?”   “Nah,” John merely shook his head, “No matter how you look at it, a choice had to be made. Now it’s passed, all we can really do now is make the best of it.”   John looked over to Corey and held out his drink. Corey looked down at it and after a few seconds finally understood and held out his own. The two touched cans before downing the rest of their drinks. It would be a while before they could both finally move on, but with good friends, and something more for each of them, they couldn’t help but feel that it wouldn’t be too long.