//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Stranger Magics // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Cheerilee woke up with some effort. Her body asked her - no, begged her not to try opening her eyes and looking around, but she ignored this wisdom. She grunted, forcing her eyelids open, flooding them with the intense white light of the hospital. "...Man why are hospitals so bright..." she muttered. "...Are you awake?" a familiar voice asked. "...Rarity?" Rarity's face came into focus - a small, adorable smile present. "Yeah. It's me." "...Why are you here?" "Aloe and Lotus wanted a break and your parents are asleep in the lobby. I was here, so... I'm watching you." Cheerilee shook her head slowly, grunting because of her very prominent concussion. She could feel the bandages wrapped around her head and shoulder. "...That doesn't seem like you..." "You could say I'm turning over a new leaf, planning to start giving back to others." She smiled. "You helped save everypony, you know that?" "Huh?" "Your information helped us destroy the Geist. It's gone now - it won't be bothering anyone. Surprise closed up the portal as well, so no more problems." Cheerilee let out a soft laugh. "Good... I think I've had enough excitement for a lifetime..." She breathed slowly. "Did everypony make it?" "Everybody but the Geist. We even saved Golden!" "That's good..." "Anyway, I should probably go get Aloe and Lotus. They..." "Are right-" "-here!" they said, charging in the door, stupid grins on their faces. "Thank Celestia you're all right!" they said in unison. Cheerilee chuckled. "Thank you. Celestia, It's good to see you both at once." "We know, we wanted-" "-to be the first ones in here!" "We tripped a lot-" "-in the rush." The friends laughed and Rarity excused herself from the room, walking out into the hall. Tree Hugger, Berry, and Derpy were there, smiling. "Hey," Rarity said, walking up. "She's awake and doing fine." "Good," Berry said, hugging Rarity. "...We did good." "No, we did awesome," Tree Hugger said. "We're a bunch of kids and we saved the world!" "...The Geist didn't threaten the whole world..." Derpy said. "The worlds a better place without that Geist though," Tree Huger said, then sighed. "What is it?" Rarity asked. "I'm moving again. Leaving this 'crazy unsafe' town." She shook her head. "I'll be gone by the end of the week." Rarity put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh... Darling, that's unfortunate..." "Yeah, but I guess I've just got to go with the flow sometimes. Maybe we'll meet again someday." Rarity extended her hoof. "I'm sure we will, Tree Hugger. Take care of yourself." "I will. I'm planning on becoming one with nature." Berry blinked. "Uh... Girls? Tree Hugger's not leaving yet. Let's go have some fun while she's still here!" "Yeah!" Derpy shouted. Rarity smirked. "That does sound like a delightful idea now doesn't it?" ~~~ "So..." Granny said, putting down her tea. "...That was quite the adventure wasn't it?" Applejack laughed heartily. "No kidding!" Big Mac smirked. "Granny, what're you talkin' about, this tea party? Cause Ah'm sure if there was any other adventure, Ah've forgotten about it." "You know what Ah'm talkin' about, ya kook." Surprise sipped her tea, a smile on her face. "It was... Fun at times, wasn't it?" "Eeyep. Also downright terrifying," Big Mac added. Granny shrugged. "No good story is without conflict." Applejack nodded. "Hey. Surprise, now that this is over, what're you going to do?" Surprise smirked. "I think I'll enroll in the Wonderbolt Academy, see if they could use a pegasus like me. Though I need to pay a visit to a rock farm first..." Granny smiled. "Ah'm so happy for you. You got her back." "She has a family. Probably a better one than I could offer," Surprise admitted. "Bah, you'd make a great mother!" "Maybe... But she'll have a life already. I just want to see her, not take her," Surprise smiled. "Who knows how it'll go?" "Just be yourself," Granny said. "....How'd you know I wasn't dangerous when I came here?" she asked out of the blue. "Ah have a way of knowing these things." "Yeah. She's 'old' and 'wise'," Big Mac added. Surprise smirked. "...Thank you all for all you've done for me." "Don't mention it," Applejack said. "You needed help, we gave it. Well, I was sick for most of it, but you know." They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and two ponies charging in. "Mom?" Big Mac said. "Dad?" Applejack followed. Buttercup hugged then. "Oh we were so worried! We heard that something terrible had happened in Ponyville on our way back... We got here as fast as we could!" Bright Mac smirked. "I see the fears were unfounded... Oh, hello. Who's this, mom?" Granny chuckled. "That's Surprise, and boy does she deserve her name. Sit down you two, this is gonna be some story..." Buttercup and Bright Mac sat down - they knew when Granny was about to tell a story, it was going to be good. Even though Big Mac, Applejack, and Surprise knew the story already, they sat down attentively anyway. "Now, this all began the day you two left..." ~~~ The Doctor closed the door to his house and locked it. Finally, he had gotten all those scientist ponies out - but his things were still out of place. He groaned. "Can I ever catch a break!?" "Nope!" Roseluck said. "Sorry for letting them in. Again." "Psychic paper's a cheat," the Doctor said. "You know it. That's why we use it." Roseluck rolled her eyes. "Of course. So, what now?" "Now we wait." "For what?" "When the Geist was destroyed, its essence spread out through the clouds, through everything, through the essence of reality itself. This area is now supercharged with energies and magics I barely comprehend. Sometime soon - probably within the next few months - that energy is going to be released somehow..." Roseluck blinked. "...And what will that do?" "I'm thinking it's going to change the destiny of this world - create a moment in time where everything changes. Something monumental is going to happen right here in this town. And I have a pretty good idea what's going to trigger it." Roseluck blinked. "What?" "A very particular Sonic Rainboom..." ~~~ The Tree of Harmony stood, glistening in the magical light at the center of the Everfree Forest, continuing its careful watch over the world. Sunset sat a few feet away from it, tears flowing down her blank expression. The Tree was beautiful. It wasn't the portal. The one thing she had wanted - the one thing she still held onto - it was gone. She would not be one with the magic. She would not find answers. No, they had to go and take that from her as well. She yelled out in anger, shooting a fireball at the Tree to no effect. She clenched her jaw. She was not going to stand for this. She was going to find her own power - she'd search the archives, she'd question Celestia, she'd travel the world - and she wouldn't give it to the ponies of Equestria. She'd tried that once - look how they repaid her. The power was to be for her now and the rest of the world was just going to have to deal with it. Bon Bon, Celestia, the Doctor, Granny Smith, Surprise... All of them. Sunset Shimmer turned away from the Tree of Harmony and stormed out of the Forest. She was done with this. It was time to get what she deserved.