//------------------------------// // Denouement // Story: Caution: Random // by Rokas //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle found herself wandering through Ponyville as its residents emerged from hiding and began the task of cleaning and rebuilding. A few of them had gruff expressions, but most took the day’s insanity in stride, and soon the town was bustling again as the sun slid towards the western horizon. If anything the town seemed a bit livelier than usual as ponies worked to catch up on the work they had to postpone. Despite this increased bustle, Twilight barely took any attention away from her thoughts, save for occasionally returning a greeting. Now, however, the purple alacorn had wandered to the outskirts of town, and to the west she saw open fields spreading out to the edge of the Everfree Forest in the distance. The sun was gliding ever downward, and the sparse houses and trees that filled out the occasional plot of land on the dirt road that led towards the forest were coated in the warm tones of sunset. Twilight stopped at a bend in the road, and she moved to sit on the grass alongside the path. There she sat and watched the forest in the distance as she ruminated. Who are you, Twilight Sparkle? she asked herself, and then snorted. You’re a fraud, that’s what, she thought, and then shook her head. “Hey, something the matter, Twilight?” a voice asked from behind her, and Twilight Sparkle startled at it. Her face ran hot with a blush at having been so out of the world that somepony had managed to come up behind her, and that embarrassment only grew when she stood and turned to see it was two ponies who had walked up unnoticed, and one of them is pregnant for heavens’ sake! she chastised herself. “Nothing major, Lyra,” Twilight replied, after she laid eyes on the mint-green unicorn and the tall, burly earth pony stallion beside her. “You’re coming along nicely,” she observed, with a nod towards the other mare’s midsection. “Five months down, five to go,” Lyra chirped, and then gave Twilight a pensive look. “But you’re not going to distract me with that; what’s got you so down?” the musical mare asked, as she walked forward and slowly began to sit on the ground in front of Twilight. Lyra frowned a bit in strain, but soon the red-coated stallion moved up and reached over with a foreleg to help her down. “Thanks, Mac,” Lyra said, as she looked up at her husband. “Eeyup,” Big McIntosh said. Though it was the only word, the way he said it conveyed his affection and concern by mere tone and pronunciation alone. Twilight found herself smiling at the scene, despite her fugue, though it soon disappeared. “It’s really nothing,” she said, as she and McIntosh both took seats near the pregnant unicorn. “It’s obviously not ‘nothing’, otherwise you wouldn’t be by yourself on a road out of town,” Lyra observed, with a slight tilt of her head. “So come on, girl, spill.” The alacorn hesitated for a few moments, and McIntosh sighed. “Ya might as well,” he said, slowly, and then looked down at Lyra. “She’ll just keep us here all night if’n ya don’t.” “You betcha!” Lyra agreed, with a smile and a nod. “Won’t even have to lift a hoof, either; I’ll just sit here and you’ll either have to stay out of politeness or walk away and spend all night wondering if I’m still out here and feeling guilty because of it.” A grimace worked its way over Twilight’s face at that. “You are an evil mare,” she observed, though the corners of her mouth started to turn up a bit. “Of course,” Lyra beamed, and then reached up to poke Twilight’s shoulder with a hoof. “Now talk!” “Alright, alright!” Twilight said, and then took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Do you know about what happened in town today?” she asked, unsurely. “AJ said there was a big dust-up,” Macintosh chimed in. “Didn’t say more ‘n that ‘fore she ran off to her still.” “Okay, well,” Twilight began, “there was a villain, and he had minions, and, well…” She trailed off and blushed before she glanced to the side. “They reminded me about myself. Especially after I got some memories back that were… missing.” Lyra raised an eyebrow. “How’d that happen?” she asked, in an inquisitive tone devoid of disbelief. “It’s a bit of a story,” Twilight replied, and then sighed. “I’ll tell you it all later if you want, but the point is that the villain and his minions were like, really nitpicky about every little thing. And the memory that came back reminded me that not only do I do that, but I can be almost as bad when I criticize something like the Pinkie Sense or dismiss a book because it has the wrong title. “So what’s been bugging me is that, am I really as good a pony as I thought I was?” she asked, and then shook her head and looked down to the ground. “I just fought a villain that was just as critical about things as I could be, and who wanted to destroy his opponent because said opponent was doing things he didn’t approve of. But then I lost my temper and freaked out because I… learned some things I didn’t really approve of,” Twilight added, with another blush. Then she looked back up at Lyra. “So what’s the difference between us? And if there’s not much of a difference, how can I say I’m a good pony while I’m so much like a villain?” A silence fell over the trio of ponies as they all thought on Twilight Sparkle’s words. It grew a bit, but fortunately was ended by Lyra before it got awkward. “Honestly, Twilight, I think that’s silly,” she said, and then shook her head. “You can be a bit harsh and sarcastic at times, but you’ve never wanted to destroy anyone.” “Yeah, but,” Twilight began, with a frown, “the villain and his minions were all sarcastic and snarky as well, and they used it to tear down ponies and denigrate them. Am I doing the same?” she asked, and then huffed. “I don’t like the idea I could be hurting somepony.” Another round of silence passed before Lyra sighed. “Twilight, you of all people should know that good, healthy criticism is vital to self-improvement. I know you know this because even when you’re at your snarkiest, your most sarcastic, it’s always aimed at helping someone overcome an issue or fix a problem rather than because you dislike them or want to hurt them. “And besides, anyone who can’t take criticism well needs to grow a thicker skin,” Lyra added, and then shook her head again. “I know this guy—he’s an author—and he’s horrible at taking criticism sometimes. The guy really needs to calm down and not take it personally, though to his credit he is aware of the fact and is actually trying to improve himself. And at least he recognizes that he has a problem; other people I’ve met who can’t take criticism don’t even understand what they’re doing wrong.” Twilight Sparkle frowned at that, and then shifted on her haunches a bit. “But if that’s the case, then should I have listened to the M—the villain?” she said, interrupting herself before she could mention her recent foe. I refuse to use that name when I don’t have to. “Not necessarily,” Lyra replied, and then brought up a hoof and waved it in the air a bit. “Some criticism is petty, trite, or just plain stupid. Haystacks, you should hear some of the complaints I get about my music; some people don’t like my style, or my genre, and I’ve had some lose their minds and go on a thirty-minute tirade because they thought I used the wrong note.” “What?” Twilight asked, with a frown. “That’s overdoing it, isn’t it?” “Oh, you bet your bottom bit it is,” Lyra replied, and then brought her upraised hoof up further in a shrugging motion. “But some people just can’t get over the idea that someone else is going to do things different from them. It’s worse with creative works because there’s a lot of people out there who love to demand an artist or a musician or a writer take their work in a direction they want the creator to go, but the creator doesn’t want to do it that way.” Lyra lowered her hoof to the ground, and then sighed. “So yeah, that sounds like your badguy. “But you, Twilight Sparkle, are not like that,” the unicorn continued, and then brought up her other hoof to press it lightly against one of Twilight’s upper forelegs. “Even since school you’ve always been a good friend and a pony dedicated to helping others. Even if you’re kind of a jerk about it at times,” she added, with a smirk, while she withdrew her leg. The alacorn blushed at that. “Well, I guess I could stand to criticize myself from time to time and do better,” she offered. “That’s the spirit,” Lyra said, and then slowly began to stand. Big McIntosh hopped to his hooves beside her in an instant, and then knelt down so his wife could lean her body against his to help lever herself up. “Thanks, Mac,” Lyra said, with a warm smile to the earth pony. “Eeyup,” McIntosh replied, with a wide smile of his own. Lyra then returned her attention to Twilight, who had just finished standing herself. “So yeah, I think you’re blowing it out of proportion. I wouldn’t sweat the whole criticizing thing; either a body does it right and is actually helpful, or people recognize them for the jackass they are. Either way, it’s all on each of us to figure out things for ourselves, even if it helps to listen from time to time to opposing views so we can reflect and figure out what to do about it.” “Wise words,” Twilight said, with a nod. Then she took in a deep, calming breath, and then let it out slowly. “I guess I was just really bothered by how much I can be like the really bad ponies at times.” “Hey, none of us is perfect,” Lyra responded. “And sometimes we slip up; no big deal, just fix it and go on.” “Speakin’ o’ which,” McIntosh interjected, and then waited a moment as both mares turned their heads toward him. “We ought ta be gittin’ on now if’n we want ta make th’ tavern ‘fore dark,” he explained, and then nodded towards the west, where the sun was even now starting to touch the tops of the Everfree’s canopy. My goodness, we have been here for a while,” Twilight said, as she looked out towards the setting sun. Then she returned her gaze to the two ponies in front of her. “I hope I haven’t kept you two from anything important?” “Nah, just going into town for a night out,” Lyra replied, with a careful shrug. “We figured on going to the Wandering Turtle to get dinner and maybe connect with some friends,” she explained, naming the town’s only tavern. “Then we’ll stay the night at Bonnie’s before heading back to the farm in the morning.” “That sounds wonderful,” Twilight said, with a smile. Then she took a step back and began to spread her wings. “I’ll let you both get to that then.” “Nu-uh,” Lyra replied, as she lit up her horn. The next moment Twilight felt a gentle pressure on her wings, and she let them be pushed back to her sides. “I said we’re hoping to meet with friends, and you’re definitely a friend, Twilight,” the minty unicorn declared. “Eeyup,” McIntosh heartily agreed, with a nod. Twilight Sparkle blushed and folded her wings properly. “Thank you, I’d be honored,” she said, and then gestured with a hoof towards town. “Let’s get going then before they run out of the Saturday special.” “You don’t have to tell me twice!” Lyra replied, and then led the group as they walked into Ponyville.