//------------------------------// // 260. The Cutie-Map - Epilogue // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The sun was setting by the time the Harmonic Twelve came down for a landing in Ponyville Airfield, and they were all so glad to be home. Sighing with just the right amount of drama, Rarity said as they touched ground, "I don't know about the rest of you, darlings, but this girl is looking forward to some well-earned beauty sleep." "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash gave Soarin a flirting wink, which caused him to whinny under his breath with a smile as he barely kept his wings from popping out in excitement, "Sleep." "I gotta get back otherwise Cloud and Flit are gonna have my wings for being gone so long!" Thunderlane decided to just take off but he gave Applejack a quick peck and said, "Night, AJ." "Say hi t' Rumble fer me, sugarcube," Applejack waved after him as he flew off. "If you'll... excuse us," Soarin and Rainbow Dash took off too, and a gangplank extended out and dropped to the ground. "See y'all t'morrow," Applejack got off. "Good night, everypony!" Pinkie bounced off. "We got some party planning to do!" Cheese added as he and Pinkie headed for Sugarcube Corner. "Shall we away, love?" Rarity looked to Blueblood. "You go on ahead, my muse," Blueblood replied, "I have to get the Slipstream into the warehouse, I'll be along." Giggling, Rarity flicked her tail to make sure Blueblood got an eyeful, "Don't keep me waiting..." "Whoa...!" Blueblood would never have thought what a fox his Rarity was. "See ya later, Blue," Midnight led Twilight down the gangplank as Blueblood gave them a salute before hopping down and heading off to recruit his staff to haul in the Slipstream, while Midnight and Twilight and Big Mac and Fluttershy started making their ways home. "Another day, another adventure." "And more friends," Twilight reminded them. "Eeyup!" "It's just wonderful," Fluttershy agreed, "I really do hope we see them again soon." "Midnight! MIIIIDNIIIIGHT!!!" They all looked and saw Spike running up to them frantically, almost keeling over as he took a moment to catch his breath. "Spike, what's got you all worked up?" asked Midnight as they waited for the little dragon to explain. Wheezing as he held up a claw, requesting a second, Spike finally calmed his beating chest, and blurted out, "IT'S YOUR MOM!!" "WHAT?!" they all crowded Spike so much he nearly fell over. "Nurse Redheart showed up and said your mom's condition at the hospital's changed!" Spike explained, "You gotta get over there A-S-A-P!!" Worry and dread squeezed his lungs as Midnight began to fear the worst- "Midnight!" He felt Twilight grab him by the shoulders, "Get to your mother, hurry!" "I-I... Twilight!" Midnight took her hoof, "Fly down to Sweet Apple Acres and bring Twinken! I'll meet you at the hospital!" "Midnight-" Twilight tried to say, only for Midnight to turn and take flight! They all watched him go, before Twilight thought a moment and looked to Spike, Big Mac, and Fluttershy. "Spike, head back to the castle. I'll let you all know what's going on as soon as I can, I have to get Twinken!" She flew off too, and the three of them shared troubled looks, Fluttershy whimpering, "I hope Midnight's mother will be alright!" "Uh... Ponyville General's got great doctors, Fluttershy," Spike forced a smile, "I'm sure Midnight's mom will be okay! ...Right, Big Macintosh? Mac? Mac, back me up here!" But Big Mac wasn't paying attention to either of them, and they noticed he was looking towards the setting sun cast the sky in a disturbing shade of red. Like blood. He remained stoic, but a glimmer in his eyes betrayed a wound inside that never fully healed. He felt his `Shy place her hoof on his shoulder, and he spoke softly, "...Th' last time Ah saw a sunset all red like that... th' next day, muh folks were gone... "Sumthin' terrible's happened." Fluttershy pressed up against her Mackie, and Spike came over to join in on the hug as they watched the sun set, casting the world into darkness. To Midnight's surprise, Nurse Redheart was waiting for him at the hospital entrance, and he proceeded inward, her following, as he requested, "My mother, Nurse Redheart, give it to me straight." "Uh- Prince Midnight, there's no need to worry about-" Nurse Redheart tried to say. "Don't sugarcoat it for me, Nurse, I'm in no mood!" Midnight kept walking, knowing the way to his mother's hospital room, only for Nurse Redheart to bar his way, "Prince Midnight!" She looked at him intensely before she said, "It's not what you think! ...It's a miracle." Miracle?! Midnight gave Nurse Redheard a bewildered look when he heard somepony shouting in the hall ahead. "I don't need rest, I need answers! How did I get here? Where's my family?!" That voice! Midnight felt as though his mind had frozen and yet his body kept moving albeit slower. He hadn't heard that voice in over ten years! "Miss, please calm down. We need to give you a full medical examination," insisted the gentle voice of Doctor Stable. "Just to be certain of your health!" "I want to see my family! Where's my husband, my sons?! Are they here too?! Are they alright?!" "Mom?" She froze, her hooves still on the doctor's shoulders, but she slowly turned towards the door of her room, and saw him. At first, she thought it couldn't be, but it was him! He returned her gaze with one that was at a total loss of words. She was sitting on her bed but, ignoring Doctor Stable, she slid off and almost fell to her knees, finding her legs feeling so weak. But Midnight had suddenly hurried over and caught her. They look each other in the eyes again as he helped her stand up, and everything and everyone in the room took a pregnant pause, no one moving. Until she reached up, hesitantly placing her hoof on his cheek and uttered out, "M... Midnight?" Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded, "Yes, it's me..." "You're... you're all grown up!" Faerie Tail took a shuddery inhale, and shook a little as her world rattled around, "How can that be?" "It doesn't matter," Midnight pulled her into a hug, holding back a sob as he whispered, "You're home." Faerie Tail returned the hug, but then she leaned back to look her grownup son in the eyes again, "I... What's happened?! I have so many questions but... I don't know where to start!" Midnight understood but before he could say more, he heard somepony clear her throat and they all turned to see Twilight standing in the door. Faerie Tail recognized her too! "Is... Is that you, Twilight Sparkle?!" She couldn't believe it! Was this really the little filly she used to read stories to and loved as though she were her own? "Yes, it is, Auntie Faerie Tail," Twilight smiled while shedding a tear and the memories aglow in her mind as they returned, of this mare before her who had been her honorary aunt. "But there's somepony else here who wants to see you." She stepped to the side and spoke to somepony in the hall, "Come on, don't be shy." Then in walked Twinken who looked at the awoken mare, who gasped in shock, holding her hooves to her lips as she recognized her baby! He looked at her with a confusion of emotions, fear, bewilderment, and a growing joy as he whispered, "...Mommy?" "Twinken...!" Faerie Tail stifled a sob as she knelt down and slowly reached out to him... only for Twinken to close the gap and throw his forelegs around her neck, and finally did she break down in tears, overwhelmed by a bittersweet joy and a confusion of questions that would be answered soon enough. As mother and child had their moment, Twilight gingerly walked around them to stand by Midnight, who looked on at his mother and little brother. It seemed like a dream he had almost given up on, but here it was! His mother was awake, his brother was smiling and crying and looked like he had all he'd ever wanted. Then he felt Twilight nuzzle up against him. "It's a miracle..." she whispered to him. Or is it? Midnight wondered to himself, and then he recalled what Twilight told him about the figure who'd knocked him out and stolen away Starlight. A consolation prize? Then, a morbid dread began to weigh down in the pit of his stomach, as he began to suspect who that hooded figure was! Hours earlier... Party Favor didn't know how long he sat there, looking at that picture of himself, his parents, and his two younger sisters. Until he ran away, his colthood had been tough and dreary, for his father and mother had no idea how to raise a unicorn foal. They'd thought just raising him as they'd both been raised in their families would be enough, but it hadn't. Party Favor could recall the many times he tried using his unicorn magic in his chores, only for his father to berate him, calling him lazy, and his mother tried to be comforting but she just didn't know how to encourage her son. It got harder when his sisters were born, and he was expected to work harder while his mother was busy caring for his sisters. The rare times Party Favor had felt happy often involved his Granny Pie telling him stories and jokes to make laugh. Truly, he felt closer to her than he'd ever felt to his parents, or even his sisters. His first sister was nicer to him. But talking to her was like talking to, well... a rock! His second sister however was very sour-tempered and never hesitated to tattle on him whenever she caught him using magic or, in her and their father's eyes, goofing off. When his mother was pregnant again, Party Favor began to become increasingly depressed, knowing more siblings would mean his father would be all the harder on him. One day, he finally cracked when his father was lecturing him about responsibility and setting a good example for his sisters, and Party Favor finally just let out his angst. They argued and said awful things to each other, and it reached a point where his father grabbed him by the foreleg and dragged him into his room, saying he was grounded and locked him in with no supper. Party Favor made a mess of his room, crying and yelling himself to exhaustion. But then later, he heard his parents arguing with each other and he was certain he heard his sisters crying. That night was the final straw, and Party Favor ran away. He left his family's rock farm, he left his hometown of Nickerlite, and he left behind his family and the name he'd been given, Basalt Pie. He took only a few things, including this picture. He hopped the next train out of town and somehow found his way to a circus where he met a wonderful and extremely funny clown named Ponyacci. He took on the name Party Favor and asked Ponyacci to tweach him how to make ponies laugh, and the clown happily taught Party Favor all that he knew, and it was during that time, while making balloon animals that he tried making a balloon pogo-stick, and to the circus workers' delight it worked! As he'd bounced around on his pogo-loon, that was when Party Favor earned his cutie-mark and realized he was meant to make ponies laugh and smile. "Party?" Party Favor turned to see Sugar Belle, giving him a slightly worried look, "I-I'm sorry for coming in without permission, you... You were in here a long time. Are you okay?" Putting the photo away, Party Favor stood up and took a deep breath, "I'm dandy, Sugar. Let's go back out and join the party." "Um, before we do that..." Sugar Belle came closer, looking shy, "Party... when Starlight asked Fluttershy who'd told her and her friends about the vault, you confessed and said it was only you! How come?" "Well, uh, I..." Party Favor recalled how uncomfortable that situation had been. And how he didn't want Sugar Belle to get in trouble, "I guess... I didn't want Starlight to do anything to you." "Just me? Not Night Glider?" Sugar Belle pointed out, causing Party Favor to blush. "Uh- Well, of course I... didn't want Night Glider to be in trouble either, it's..." Party Favor stumbled over his words and feel his face his heat up, and even more when he suddenly felt a pair of lips press against his cheek causing him to freeze up! He looked to Sugar Belle out the corner of his eye, and saw her blushing as well and holding back a giggle. "You're very sweet, Party Favor, and I don't mean that because I'm a baker." Somehow that caused Party Favor to shake it off but he smiled back and said, "Well, anyway... shall we?" Party Favor offered his foreleg, and Sugar Bell smile as she reached out to put her take it- *KASHROWF* An explosion from outside caused the glass in Party Favor's window to shatter, and they both cried out in alarm. Party Favor hugging Sugar to shield her with his own body, and he felt a small piece of glass cut his shoulder. Then... they heard the roar of a raging fire and screams coming from outside! They ran downstairs and out Party Favor's front door and froze in horror to see their village was being set ablaze! Everypony was screaming and running for cover, a couple were on fire and thrashing about, despite others' attempts to put them out with blankets or any water they could find. But most of the fire was coming from the end of the street, where Starlight's old house was completely ablaze, and standing in front of it were two figures, one garbed in a hooded cloak, the other clad in armor. They were both unicorns, throwing fireballs in random directions, not caring what or who they set on fire, before they suddenly just vanished! "GET OUT OF THE VILLAGE!" "WAIT! MY SISTER'S STUCK INSIDE!!" "HELP ME, I'M BURNING!!!" "PEGASI, GATHER THE CLOUDS!!" It was no use. The fires were completely out of control. There was only fear. Hysterical, panicking, terrorizing, scorching, choking fear.