//------------------------------// // Final Epilogue: Be Free. // Story: Pony-Me™ // by TheMajorTechie //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle awoke with a content yawn. The bright morning sunlight filtered softly through her window, bathing her room in golden hues. The smell of breakfast wafted through the air, aided by the distant sounds of kitchenware in use. A few minutes passed as she enjoyed the morning warmth. The pitter-patter of footsteps neared the door. "Spike?" she yawned again, rubbing an eye with her hoof, "Spike, did you make breakfast already? You really don't have to, y'know." "Yup!" the dragon chirped, bursting through the door, "Breakfast's already on the table!" Twilight smiled, hopping out of bed. "Lisa, what do you think about our pitch?" The girl looked up from the poster she'd been designing. Samantha beamed as she admired the simulated room around them. "All I can say is that the holograms really do bring the simulations to real life, don't they?" Lisa chuckled in return, "I promised both Argall and Roger, if we're gonna do anything when I get back into this place, we're gonna bring back those after-school courses you and I used to love so much, and we're gonna bring it to the masses." She held up the poster -- a faint glint of voxelation lining the edges of the virtual item --, peeking out from behind it. "...Do you think they'll like it?" "Surely," Samantha nodded, "But don't forget about the rest of the project, Lis. It may have taken some time to adapt the simulation framework to work with augmented reality, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any bugs to iron out!" Lisa smiled. "You betcha, Sam. And this time, we're gonna do things right." "Twilight, do you ever think about what's going on outside of Equestria?" The alicorn looked up from her book to her friend. "Huh?" "I mean," Pinkie continued, laying flat on her back, "It's been a pretty long time now since we've heard anything from Lisa or Samantha. Do... do you think they forgot about us? Forgot about Equestria, even?" Twilight shook her head, her attention returning to the book in front of her. "No, Pinkie. They're probably too busy making the next big thing now to have the time to visit anymore. You remember how excited those two were the last time they stopped by, don't you?" Pinkie nodded. "Yeah," she exclaimed, "Lisa was all like 'Guesswhatwe'regonnabringbacktheoldthingthatmeandSamanthausedtodothatledtousdoingallthisstuffand--'" The alicorn winced at the sudden onslaught of words. "Yes, Pinkie, that just about sums things up as far as we're concerned. Who knows? Maybe they'll finally visit again sometime in the near future. Some five or so years is plenty enough time to get a good education system up on its feet in the beginning." Lisa yawned, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she shut off the holographic projector. Student by student, the day's usual assortment of curious kids and teens filed out of the now pure-white room. She brushed a hand through her increasingly frazzled hair, glancing for a moment at the clock behind her before walking past the rows of desks to the door. "Hey, Lis," Samantha greeted, "How was class today?" "Tiring," Lisa shrugged, "Definitely still worth it though. You still up for swapping positions tomorrow? I'm just itching to start testing the new headset design. Um... let's see..." she paused, filing through her notes for the week. "Tomorrow begins the class's Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality unit." Samantha let out a playful snort. "Just like old times?" "Just like old times." Lisa continued walking, making a beeline to the break room. "Oh, by the way," Samantha called behind her, "What are you planning on testing the headset with?" "What else do you think I'd use?" A brief knocking came at the castle doors. Hurriedly, Spike rushed down the stairs and through the hallway, opening the heavy doors just enough to catch a glimpse of who had knocked. Lisa waved, a friendly smile on her face. "Hi, Spike. Is Twilight open to any visitors right now?" Special thanks to: Babroniedad: Prereader, ideas Doggyshakespeare: Prereader, ideas Twilight Connor: Prereader Drakos779966: Prereader, ideas, and being a good friend in real life. Momoruuu: Ideas, emotional support, cover art, and above all else, a great little sister. Past prereaders: Silence_EXE deadpansnarker TRIBOT 3000 Naga is alive Special mentions: Undyne Devotion: Ideas, original fiction prereader EverfreePony: Ideas, showing that I actually had a weaker grasp on grammar than I thought I did, original fiction prereader RQK: Ideas, original fiction prereader GMBlackjack: For including Pony-Me in The League of Sweetie Belles and for pointing out how the story was slowly burning out near the end. Porter Robinson and Madeon - One of their songs in particular -- "Shelter" -- served as a major source of inspiration in the latter two parts of Pony-Me. HDSounDI - It's an entire Youtube channel dedicated to collecting amazing music! Their "Most Emotional Music" and "Most Beautiful Music" categories, just like Porter Robinson and Madeon's "Shelter", served as major sources of inspiration for much of this story. You, the reader, for being an amazing human being. Keep reading, and don't forget that there are endless possibilities in this world. Wake up. Take a look around. The world is calling. There's so much to see, So much to hear. There's new people to meet, And old friends to greet. You'll never know what's in store, If you never open the door. You have the power. It's your choice. Forge your own path, Be your own guide. The road is never smooth, You are not alone. More than what meets the eye, There is always the unknown. The truth may be hard, Reassemble the puzzle. Give it some thought. The past never dies. A brief glimpse is all it takes, Now, there's a choice to make. Go home... ...Or go on. There's a greater world out there, Explore. Expand your horizons. Relive your past. Come back, Find yourself. Split lives, Unforgotten. Rewrite the script. Hold on... ...Let go. Start over. Move on. Be the change. Be yourself. Be free. Thank you for reading.