//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Sour Patients, Sweet Patience 
// by Nico-Stone Rupan 
//------------------------------//

Sour Sweet zipped up her suitcase and made one last look around for anything she may have forgotten. She finally nodded. That was everything. 

Floor Bored sat at the edge of her bed. Her head was hung down, staring at her feet. She hated that Sour was leaving. She and Sour had only known each other for a few weeks, but this had been the longest friendship she had ever experienced. She wasn't sure that she could have another one like that again.

"Floor?"

Floor perked up and saw Sour smiling down at her.

"I wanted to thank you before I leave, Floor."

Floor cocked her head. "Thank me? For what?"

Sour chuckled. "Well, you made this place pretty sufferable. It was fun being your roommate. You're an interesting person."

Floor shook her head. "You're just saying that, Sour."

Her eyes suddenly popped as she felt the touch of another person. Sour had gently wrapped her arms around her. It was a feeling Floor wasn't used to. Usually people completely avoided her vincinity because of her body odor. Yet here was Sour giving her not only physical contact, but affection without hesitation.

"Floor, you have worth," Sour whispered into her ear. "Treasure yourself."

Sour parted to see the tears streaming down the young NEET's face. Of course, that only made Sour give her another hug.

A few minutes later, Sour was heading down the hallway. She stopped when she reached a woman with a scarred face. She was leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed, her hands tucked in so tightly that they couldn't be seen.

"Little miss popular," Fizzlepop Berrytwist greeted in her own special way. "You have a lot of people waiting for you, don't you?" 

Sour nodded. "I do."

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Well, you could start. If you really wanted to." Sour reached into her pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it to Fizzlepop. "Here."

"What's that?"

"The business card for my husband's publisher. I forgot to give it to Floor." Sour had smirked when she said the word, 'forgot'. "Perhaps you could give it to her for me? Maybe get to know her while you're at it? She's a good writer."

Fizzlepop smiled. "She'll get it. See you, Sour."

Sour finally stepped through the front doors of Canterlot Pychiatric Center. Her sight immediantly went straight across the parking lot toward a man holding a little girl. Sour's pace quickened with every step. Her resolve not to cry broke down as she got closer and closer. By the time Sour reached her family, she was sobbing with a big smile. Second Person knew what his wife wanted the most, so he held out their daughter to her. 

"Mama!"

Sour took hold of Bitter Honey. She beheld that little face. There was not a trance of fear of her own mother. Just joy. Pure joy. Just the way she liked it. Sour began smothering it with kisses.

Bitter grinned. "I knew you would get out soon, mama!"

"You did?"

Bitter nodded. "Yep! Mister Carpathia and Screwball told me so!"

"Oh, Bitter," Sour chuckled through her tears. "I'm going to pretend you never said that, baby..."

Second went over and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Let's go home, Sour."

As the three of them loaded into the car, Fizzlepop and Floor peared out from a window inside the building.

"How are we ever going to have a scene like that?" Fizzlepop asked thoughtfully.

Floor allowed herself a small smile. "Through the power of –"

Suddenly, the Storm King shot over and wrapped his arms around the two women's shoulders and spouted in mock-cheeriness, "Yeah, yeah. Patience and therapy and medication, and –" He snuck his tongue out in disgust. "– blegh!"

****************

*DING DONG!*

Niban Person took a break from the preperation of her husband's sandwich. She quickly went to answer the front door, only pausing a moment to check the condition of her graying beehive in the hallway mirror. She opened the door to see a couple of ladies standing there, one of which being her own daughter-in-law.

"Why, Sour Sweet!" Niban gasped excitedly. "How lovely! Those awful Jesuits finally let you out!"

"Hi, Niban," Sour said politely. "I'd like you to meet Starlight Glimmer."

"Nice to meet you, Niban," Starlight greeted cheerfully. "I'm the founder and head pastor of Our Church: The Peoples Organization for the Expansion of Christian Communism. Care for me to explain how the Book of Isaiah teaches that Republicans will burn in Hell forever?"

Niban stared at Starlight, expressionless except for a slight eye twitch.

Sour grinned trollishly. "Starlight's gonna be your new best friend, Niban..."

THE END