//------------------------------// // Chapter One Hundred // Story: Freedom Through Harmony // by Electricut //------------------------------// Chapter One Hundred Events passed by in a blur. First, we made our way out of the castle, and our wounds were tended to by the best healers in Equestria. As predicted, both Trixie and Octavia were diagnosed as unable to lift a weapon again. In response, Octavia handed over her rank and power to Lyra, who graciously accepted. Kyle was offered Lyra's old position, but he declined, deciding to retire from the military entirely. However, both the young archer and his beloved girlfriend promised to take up arms again if the country was ever threatened. This was a boon to the young King Blake, who had quite the task ahead of him in ensuring the safety of Equestria. The royal army had been all but decimated, and the Silver Arrows' battalion was the only large group of trained soldiers remaining. Stalfos were out of the question, as their summoner was dead, so the last of them remaining were peacefully dismissed. To say Sweetie Belle was overjoyed when she realized she got to be a princess was a major understatement. "So, after all of this, that makes me a half-dragon princess... I am the coolest person to ever exist!" Despite her rise to power, Sweetie Belle made sure to stay true to her friends, old and new. She and Luna helped each other along the way, Luna receiving a true, simple friendship for the first time in her life, and Sweetie Belle learning what was expected of her as a princess. The Crusaders didn't stop getting into all kinds of mischief, though, just made room for one more. I almost enjoyed the moment when Scootaloo's stepfather tried to come back to town. I didn't give him an inch of ground, refuting every argument he tried to make, and made sure he knew that I was going to be the one to take care of Scootaloo from now on. He left town again the same day, with a black eye and a promise for worse if he tried to return. Twilight, the only other one to witness my display, didn't exactly agree with my methods, but I felt very accomplished. Twilight and Phil were always looking for something else to help with. As the former human weapons of the queen, they both felt they should try and give back to the country in any way the could. Trixie, with revenge out of her mind and a weapon out of her hand, found herself accompanied by an extraordinary boredom. However, after some experimentation, she found that she was a talented storyteller, often reading from the old Hylian stories and legends left behind by her mentor and friend, Xekora. The Ivoire-born hero Marona stuck around for a while after the fighting ended, wanting to do a bit of sight-seeing, and to help put the country back on it's feet. I got the feeling she was looking for someone while she was at it, but she didn't seem to find them. Regardless, she made for great company, being inherently friendly and kind, and she and her phantoms were all willing to lend a hand where they could. It was also good to hear that Vi hadn't changed at all in the time he spent with her. The time eventually came in which some of our friends had to depart. Marona hopped on a ship sailing for Ivoire, giving us all her regards. The ranger Tug and Wonderbolt Spitfire also had to leave soon after, headed back to the Order, but Spitfire pulled me aside before they left. "Hey, kid, I just wanted to thank you again." she told me. "You've done a lot for me, even if you're not aware of some of it. I think I know my purpose now." "If anyone should be thanked, it's you." I countered. "Who knows where we'd be if you hadn't helped us? I'd be dead twice, maybe three times over, as would Spike, Fluttershy, and who knows how many others! Besides, you let me live my childhood dream. I always wished I could fly with the Wonderbolts, and you helped make that happen." "Hey, I'm glad you brought that up. See... I'm not going to make the same mistake I did last time. I have to leave again, maybe for a long time, and I can see now that I shouldn't leave Soren in charge this time. But the world needs heroes like the Wonderbolts, heroes to look up on and aspire to. Heroes like I used to be. So, the others and I talked it over, and we agreed that it would be best to ask... Would you like to take my place?" My jaw actually dropped. "W-what?! You want me... Not just to join the Wonderbolts, but to lead them?!" Spitfire nodded. "I can think of no one better. You're a pretty great leader, even if you don't think so, and you're one of the most promising flyers I've seen in a long time. So if not for you, then for me: will you take my place?" Embarrassing as it was in retrospect, I was so happy that I hugged her. I could tell that she was pleased she had made me so happy as well, and didn't stop me. Afterwards, I let her slip over my shoulders her own blue and gold Wonderbolts vest. A few hours later, she and Tug were gone, but I knew that she was still out there somewhere, fighting for what she believed in. I ended up moving most of the stuff belonging to me and Scootaloo over to the Acres, and locked down Ultraviolet's old house. The two of us, the Apple sisters and Granny Smith were a family now, and we all agreed that it would be nice to live together. I shared a room with Scoots, while AJ and Applebloom bunked together. Similarly, Spike elected to move in with Fluttershy and Angel in their cabin by the woods, and he helped to expand the whole building to make more room. With nowhere else to go, Twilight and Phil made their residence in the library, where Twilight had been staying anyway. House Icarus didn't go out of business once queen Rarity moved to the capital, though. Lady Opal and Lord Fafnir were left in charge of the house, and the defense of Ponyville as a whole. Sweetie Belle often stayed there when not at the capital. The Goldoan Dragons, their initial mission completed, for the most part elected to stay in Equestria, though Fenrir decided he would accompany the first ship that set sail back to Tellius. The remnants of New Dawn soon dissolved, the disenchanted men and women returning at last to their old homes and families. At the end, only Vomora and Winona were really left. The two allied themselves with the new king and queen, quickly becoming two of their most trusted advisors. As for me, I continued to do exactly as I always had: help Applejack with harvest in my free time, and soar the skies when not doing that. The difference this time was that my team was several people bigger. The Wonderbolts were very accepting of me at first, when I was just finding my balance, but none of us went easy on each other. They were all rusty, and it fell on me to make sure they all got back to their former glory. Our first major show was at the royal wedding, and we hit it hard. Aside from the happy bride and groom, we were the stars of the show. Our next came a few months later, at the four hundred and ninety-ninth Lunar Festival. It amazed me how much had changed in one year. This time, we did it right. The Wonderbolts and I made a huge show of the clearing of the skies, revealing the full moon behind the clouds. Then Luna stepped forward, and used her incredible magic to cast a spell on the moon itself. The crowd below was bathed in a beautiful blue reflective light. I made a point of kissing Applejack passionately in the light, and I knew I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the moment. Life was good, in short. Physical, mental and political wounds were healing. Obeying our own moral codes, free of an all-powerful and immortal ruler, we were happy and content. A few questions still bounced around the back of my mind, but as time went on, I accepted that the answers just weren't mine to find. The Order, Number One, Scratch, Spitfire and Tug: the fates of all these people occasionally passed through my mind, but passed back out quickly enough. I was happy to live the rest of my life on my own terms: simply, yet awesomely. The End.