//------------------------------// // Got to Love It When Things End Happily // Story: I was just lonely ... // by Rune Caster the First //------------------------------// Rosedust / Chrysalis opened her eyes. She idly glanced at the changelings around her, and then widened her eyes in shock. Rosedust / Chrysalis looked slowly down at herself, looking awed and happy. She was smiling, and then suddenly frowned. “Is this … a dream?” Rosedust asked quietly. Twilight and Starlight shook their heads. “It’s all real”, said the purple princess. Starlight beamed a big grin, feeling very happy about what just happened. Impulsively, she rushed over to Rosedust and gave her a hug. Rosedust was surprised, but quickly smiled and hugged her back. A cheeky thought came to the pink unicorn. “Are you happy that you’ve got your plushie back?” she asked, out loud. The renewed Flutterpony hastily let go of Starlight, her face flushed bright crimson. “What … I … I don’t know what … you mean … I mean … I …” stammered Rosedust awkwardly. It was Starlight’s turn to smile now. “Yesterday I saw your eyelids fluttering slightly when you were cuddling me. You were not asleep, you were wide awake”, she said triumphantly. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You like plushies?” she questioned. Rosedust blushed even redder, and stammered more. All of the ponies were trying not go ‘Awww’ at the regenerated Flutterponies. “Can I ask you something?” Thorax asked Rosedust. His body had changed once again: becoming an average-sized stallion with a deep blue coat and tousled dark blue mane. In fact, Thorax (as he looked now) seemed to bear a strong resemblance to Blue Joke. Quite uncanny, she thought to herself. Rosedust gave a single nod to Thorax. “When I was rummaging through the remnants of the old Changeling Hive, I found a hidden alcove full of soft toys. Plushies of animals and ponies, that sort of things. Do those belong to …” “STOP TALKING!” shouted Rosedust. Her face was now as red as a beetroot. Starlight quickly gave Rosedust a nuzzle to calm her down. Rosedust nuzzled her back. Two gasps were heard. Everyone turned around to see Shining Armour and Cadence standing in the door way, looking flabbergasted. Rosedust’s smile got rather shaky. She waved a hoof nervously at the duo. Cadence frowned. “Chrysalis, is that you?” she asked. Shining Armour was finding it extremely hard to recognise Rosedust / Chrysalis now. “Yes”, the tall Flutterpony said quietly. “Look, I’m sorry for everything I did to the two of you: the kidnappings, the brainwashing, the imprisonment … everything. I know now what I did was inexcusable, and I understand completely if you can’t forgive me for it.” Shining Armour and Cadence looked at each other, and then had a small, whispered conversation. Finally, they finished, and Cadence gave their answer. “Chrysalis, while an apology is a good start, it may take a little longer for complete forgiveness to come, especially from my husband.” Rosedust looked a bit forlorn at that. The pink alicorn then winked reassuringly at the sad Flutterpony. “That said, I am impressed that you’re apologising.” Rosedust managed a little smile. “I don’t mind if it takes a long time, I’ll make amends to you in time.” Meanwhile, the former changelings had been talking quietly to each other. Suddenly they ceased their conversation, and Thorax stepped forward to speak to Rosedust again. “In view of what we’ve seen and heard in the last couple of days, my kin and I feel that you deserve a second chance.” Rosedust looked happy, and partly confused. “A second chance? At what?” Thorax took a deep breath. “Will you be our ruler again?” The big Flutterpony’s jaw dropped, and she stared at the blue pony in shock. Of all the things she’d expected him to say this was most peculiar. “I don’t know what to say … I … uh … no, I can’t … sorry …” she muttered. All of the Flutterponies seem to droop at that, staring at Rosedust with forlorn expressions. Rosedust then smiled. “Can I be ‘co-ruler’ instead?” the dark pink haired Flutterpony said. Thorax’s jaw dropped in astonishment. The other Flutterponies looked up in wonder and renewed hope. Rosedust’s horn glowed brightly, and a little sparkle came off it and touched Thorax on the head. There was a flash, and a little crown (like the one Rosedust wore) appeared on his head. Twilight levitated a mirror across to Thorax so that he could see it. After admiring his new crown, the co-ruler looked around at his mother. “Why do you want to be a co-ruler?” Thorax asked in astonishment. “Because sometimes it’s good to have another perspective when you’re taking care of others. I mean … if it wasn’t for you wanting friendship, we might not have got our forms and real magic back”, explained Rosedust. The blue Flutterpony smiled. “I think I’m all right with you as a co-ruler.” The rest of the Flutterponies gave murmurs of agreement. “Only one thing”, Thorax said suddenly. “Could I please be ‘Prince’ Thorax, not ‘King’.” Rosedust raised an eyebrow at that. “It’s just that ‘Prince Thorax’ rolls off the tongue better, in my opinion.” The reinstated queen grinned. “Deal.” Rosedust and Thorax gave each other a big hug. “It seems like ‘Rosedust’ is a lot humbler now than she was a couple of days ago”, Applejack whispered to Twilight. “There is just one thing that I want to ask”, said Thorax suddenly. “What happened to Blue Joke in the end?” All of the Flutterponies nodded. “Oh yes”, Twilight murmured. “That little blue Flutterpony filly.” The Flutterpony Queen sighed. “When Blue Joke grew up, she became a Royal Adviser. She was pretty good at it: giving me useful hints, helping others around the Hive … and comforting me whenever I got downhearted. Blue Joke always said that things would turn out better in the future, for everyone. I wish she was still around. I miss her.” Rosedust sniffled slightly. Thorax gave her another hug. Rarity coughed, politely but pointedly. “Might I ask what you and your children are going to do now?” she inquired. “Can we see Flutter Valley?” a couple of young Flutterponies suddenly asked. A chorus of ‘Yes’ and ‘Yes, please’ then followed. Rosedust shrugged. “If you really want to, but as you’ve seen in my dream: Flutter Valley was destroyed”, she said gloomily. “But you all have your magic back”, Spike pointed out. “You could use it to restore the valley to its original splendour. Heck, maybe we could help you.” The Flutterpony Queen perked up. He’s right. It would take time, but we could definitely do it now! “We’re forgetting the Hive though”, one Flutterpony suddenly said. “The new one we made, with all of the flowers and bright colours. I rather like it.” “It would certainly be a shame to abandon it”, Thorax said thoughtfully. Rosedust then had an idea. “Maybe … we don’t have to abandon it”, she said. Everyone looked at her. “What if we spent some parts of each year in Flutter Valley, and then come to the Hive to be near our friends in Equestria?” She smiled at the ponies and dragon in the room. “All of you would be free to visit Flutter Valley at any time.” “I second that”, Thorax added. Everyone cheered. Fluttershy was clapping her hooves together in excitement. “Can I come to Flutter Valley? I mean, as soon as it’s ready … I mean, if it’s okay with you.” Her friends all chuckled at her eagerness. Pinkie Pie nudged Starlight. “Do you want to go too?” she said. Starlight nodded. I do want to go to Flutter Valley (when it’s regenerated) to see Rosedust, the other Flutterponies and to look at the valley itself. “Yep”, she said. “How about we all go there, together, in the future”, proposed Twilight. Everyone agreed to that. The Flutterpony Queen smiled at everyone in the room. “Thank you everyone for helping me … in lots of ways”, she said sincerely. “You’re welcome”, Starlight answered, and then added: “Also, thank you for showing us the reasons behind your actions. We couldn’t really understand, until you showed us.” The purple alicorn nodded. She had a thoughtful expression on her face. “You’ve really learned a lot about friendship, haven’t you Starlight?” Twilight murmured. “So much that perhaps you’re not a student anymore.” The smile on the pink unicorn’s face disappeared. “Not your student? But … I don’t want to leave Ponyville.” The purple pony saw Starlight’s face become all forlorn, and smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to”, Twilight explained. “You’re our friend, Starlight. No one wants you to go.” The purple pony smiled. “You’ve been a very good and intuitive student, and I think you’ll make a great friendship teacher!” Especially after what’s recently happened, she thought, glancing at Rosedust. The aforementioned unicorn sniffed slightly, and smiled in relief. “You’re the best friendship teacher of all, Twilight”, she said … and then suddenly hugged the purple alicorn tightly. Her ex-teacher was surprised at first, but then hugged back, folding her wings around Starlight. The rest of the Mane 6 joined the hug too. Fluttershy sighed quietly. “I love it when things end happily,” she whispered. Pinkie suddenly gasped. “Wait! It can’t end yet, we’ve missed something. Something urgent!” she shrieked. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion. The pink pony suddenly bounced high in the air, unfurling her party cannon and shooting a HUGE blast of confetti out of it. “ A PARTY!! But not just any party. This is the ‘Chrysalis-Turns-Back-Into-Rosedust-And-The-Flutterponies-Return’ party. I’ve been waiting to do this party for ages!” Chrysalis looked completely and utterly bewildered. She opened her mouth to say something … and ended up sneezing, blowing the confetti off her muzzle. “It’s just Pinkie Pie, don’t question it!” said Twilight, helpfully. Rosedust’s look of confusion slowly turned into a smile, as Pinkie whisked out from somewhere: cakes, balloons, sweets, drinks, and streamers. As the Flutterpony Queen watched the party start, she quietly contemplated the events of late. The explosion at the Hive, the running, the sicknesses, the ponies’ care and attention, the dream visions, and the harmonic magic that had finally undone the terrible metamorphosis of the Flutterponies. Rosedust looked around at the partying crowd, and finally decided to join in. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had real fun. But Rosedust knew that this would be one of the bestest times in her very long life.