//------------------------------// // Epilogue - Hope For The Future // Story: Pandemic: Aftermath // by ASGeek2012 //------------------------------// Bob strolled through the center of Pony Hope as a light snow wafted down through the crisp, cold air. A breeze made him shiver, his horn glowing as he adjusted the scarf around his neck. Other ponies he passed greeted him enthusiastically. Even after several months had passed, he was still considered something of a celebrity in town, but another part of that may be due to the calendar. A few days remained before Christmas day, but with as festive as the town was, it might as well have been the day itself. Ponies were always a friendly lot, but it had gone into overdrive as the holidays approached. Ponies were not the sole blame. Wherever he looked, he spotted humans among the ponies. Many were relatives of ponies who were in town to celebrate the holiday with family, some were from Washington as part of the ongoing goodwill tour as the newly minted Department of Pony Affairs worked with Congress to hammer out new legislation to replace the Homestead act with something more palatable to both human landholders and the ponies who occupied those lands. The humans appeared in just as festive a mood as the ponies. Many participated in what had been a several days long mass decorating party with the goal to festoon the whole town in the bright trappings of the holiday. That day was supposed to be a conclusion of that effort, with a party being held that evening to celebrate. Yet the effort was only to decorate the public parts of town. Ponies decorated their own homes, and with the town now being supplied with electricity, there were the familiar sights of strings of LED lights. However, the propensity to emulate Equestria was still strong, and many houses were graced with decorations that flickered and glowed magically; having some of the worst restrictions on magic use eased in recent weeks had given them many new options. Bob entered the town square, where several earth ponies were helping to erect a massive Christmas tree. Earth ponies being what they were, they had not been content to simply cut down a tree and prop it up. They had instead meticulously dug up its roots largely intact, and were now effectively replanting it, using their combined magic to keep the tree healthy during the transfer as well as ease any transplant shock. Bob looked up. A few pegasi were helping to keep the tree steady as the roots were sunk into the soil, while unicorns and crystal ponies helped sort out the decorations. One of the latter, Whisper Touch, turned towards him and smiled. "Ah, Bob, there you are. Did you bring the tree-topper?" "Yes, I just made it this morning," Bob said. He levitated out a bright, shiny magic crystal from his saddlebags, nearly a foot long. "Oh, that is absolutely perfect!" Whisper gushed. "With the right amount of magic imparted to it, it should be visible for miles." "It wasn't easy finding a piece of quartz this big," said Bob. "Oh? I thought we were rife with quartz after those expeditions to scour the lands around the town for it prior to Thanksgiving." "Yes, but mostly small pieces. I had go hunting for a sufficiently large one. I had to call on one of the visiting Equestrians for help. Turns out one of Pinkie Pie's sisters is the Equestrian equivalent of a geologist." Whisper smiled. "So nice to see our esteemed Equestrian guests getting into the spirit of the holidays as well." He turned to one of the other unicorns nearby. "If you would, please?" The mare nodded and took the crystal from Bob. "They have a similar holiday around this time of year," said Bob. "They call it Hearthswarming Day." "Quite astonishing how they appear to have so many equivalents to our holidays. I seem to recall they were interested in Halloween as well." Whisper glanced at the tree. "At any rate, we'll be waiting until the evening to light the crystal along with the tree. That way the night ponies will have a chance to see it, and we can use it to kick off this evening's party." Bob was grateful to see more consideration being paid towards the night ponies. That had been partially Sunny's doing, as well as seeing to it that Pony Hope fully embraced its crystal pony population. While the sentiment was starting to spread though other settlements, Pony Hope still remained a popular emigration destination for crystal ponies, and they could boast the largest population of them of any town in the western United States. He looked up again at the pegasi holding the tree steady. He saw a few familiar faces but not the specific ones he was looking for. He finally asked of Whisper, "Have you seen either Tina or Sunny?" "Tina's a few blocks over helping one of the more elderly ponies decorate his house," said Whisper. "Sunny is, ah, taking some pegasus instruction." Bob tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?" Whisper chuckled and stepped closer to Bob before speaking in a lower voice, "Don't go spreading it around, but one of the visiting Equestrians decided to hold an, ah, unofficial training session. Sunny and a few of her teammates decided to go." "I thought they already had an experimental exchange program in place." "Yes, but where Sunny has had very little time to spare for an extended trip through the portal, she leapt at this chance to see what it would be like ..." Sunny felt the same sense of excitement as her teammates as they hovered above the clouds that swathed Pony Hope, where the bright sun gleamed off their fur and feathers. Despite the sharp cold of the air, neither Sunny nor her teammates felt anything more than a slight chill. Nor did the thinness of the air bother them as it might another pony or human at this altitude. Thunderburst was especially excited. Sunny had just recently promoted him, and he was eager to show what he could do before their Equestrian instructor. They talked excitedly amongst one another over who it might be that had called this impromptu session. Sunny had an idea, but she chose to keep it to herself. The less said out loud about this unofficial gathering, the better. Yet soon their speculation came to a halt with surprised gasps and whispered disbelief as a rainbow-maned pegasus mare suddenly rocketed up from below with such speed she was momentarily a blur before stopping with ease and hovering before them. Sunny's pupils shrank slightly at the sight. The last time she had seen Rainbow Dash, it had been dark, and she never really got a good look. This mare had to be the most well-muscled pegasus she had ever seen. Rainbow appeared to look over the assembled pegasi, who had now lapsed into an awed silence. A whistle hung around the mare's neck, which she now lifted to her lips and blew on briefly before letting it drop. "Okay, listen up, you noobs!" Several of the pegasi gave her surprised and indignant looks. Thunderburst looked particularly affronted. He glanced at his cohorts and said, "Did she just call us noobs?" "Must be something wrong with her translation spell," a mare responded, and the rest chuckled. Thunderburst turned to face Rainbow, only to find the mare almost muzzle to muzzle with him. "Yeah," Rainbow said. She jabbed a hoof at Thunderburst's chest. "You. Noob. It means exactly as it sounds. N-o-o-b, noob." Thunderburst frowned, "Ma'am, with all due respect, I'll have you know that we're quite accomplished at Pony Hope's weather control." Rainbow drew back and rubbed her chin with a fore-hoof. "And you've been at this, what, eight months now?" "Yes, we have." "Back in my neck of the woods, we call that being a trainee. The earliest Cloudsdale will ever certify anypony for weather control duty is a year, and then there's another year of training under a mentor. Then, maybe, possibly, kinda-sorta can you claim any experience." "Hmrph," Thunderburst muttered. "See, that's your problem, all of you," Rainbow said. "Yeah, when it comes to ability, no question about it, you nailed that. What you don't have is experience. I don't care how good Sunset Shimmer thought she was, she can't give you that." "We've been doing all right by ourselves," Thunderburst murmured. "Yeah, I get that. I'm just trying to make you understand that humans have a point in restricting how far and wide you guys can be let loose. If this were Equestria, I wouldn't let any of you handle Ponyville's weather unsupervised. And I definitely would be wary of turning you loose over Sweet Apple Acres." Sunny could not help but smile. In a way, this made her feel better. She had always been a little uncomfortable with the comparison to Rainbow Dash, especially after it had started spreading among her cohorts. She was glad for the chance to bring them all a little more down to earth, at least as much as was possible for pegasi. "You know, there's one pony here that none of that smack talk would hold up against." Thunderburst gestured towards Sunny. "Her." Sunny blinked, and her smile quickly faded. "Um ..." Before she could say another word, Rainbow was suddenly hovering before her. "Hey, there, Sunny. Nice to see you again." Sunny managed to reclaim some of her smile. "Yes, same here." Rainbow smirked. "And I hear you've become pretty hot stuff since then." "Um, well, not really, I just--" "She's the best pegasus in Pony Hope!" cried one of her cohorts. "Maybe even in all of America!" said another. "I'll do you one better," Thunderburst said. "I don't think any pegasus in the world can hold a candle to her. Even Twilight Sparkle said so." "That is not what she said!" Sunny cried, blushing hard. Rainbow grinned. "Oh? What did the egghead say about you concerning me?" Sunny gave Rainbow a flustered look. "Uh, nothing really." "Nothing? You don't get so many admiring fans over nothing. If anypony knows that, it's me. Now, come on, what did Twilight say?" "She ... she just said she thought she felt a lot of pegasus magic from me," Sunny said. "Similar to what she felt when she was around you." "Oh, did she now?" "And I am not about to let that go to my head. You're right in that we don't have nearly the experience you and your fellow Equestrian pegasi do." Rainbow gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Still, it takes something to be noticed by Twilight. And I have to admit, I'm getting an interesting vibe off you." Sunny stared. "You are?" "You just may have the potential that Twilight sensed. Only one way to find out." "Uh ... which is? She jabbed a fore-hoof at Sunny and then herself. "You and me. One on one." "Wait, what?" "A short race, and maybe a bit of endurance flying," Rainbow continued. "You up to it?" "Do it, Sunny!" a pony called out behind her. "Yeah, Sunny, go show her what you can do!" "Show her you're no noob!" "You're the best, Sunny, if anypony can show her up, it's you!" Sunny face-hoofed and blushed. Rainbow chuckled. "Quite the set of admirers you've got there." "I didn't ask for this," Sunny said in a low and slightly quavering voice. "And I'm not interested in competing with you." Rainbow shot a short distance up into the air. "Then don't." Sunny looked up at her questioningly. "Let's make this just a friendly little workout," Rainbow continued. "I'm seriously interested in what you can do. If you really are the best out of this group, it'll give me an idea what I have to work with." Sunny considered for another moment, glancing back at her friends who continued whispering encouragement. She had to admit to feeling something of a thrill at the prospect of exclusive flying time with a pegasus of this caliber. Sunny nodded and flew up to meet Rainbow. "All right, I'll do it." As Sunny's fans cheered, Rainbow smirked and narrowed her gaze. "Not that I'm going to make it easy on you. See if you can catch up." And in a blur, she was off. Rainbow's multi-hued trail had barely started to fade when Sunny launched herself forward, leaving her own yellow and orange trail behind her. She spotted Rainbow up ahead, speeding along like a pony bullet. Sunny had never formally put herself to the test with regards to how fast she could fly, she simply knew she could do it in a pinch. Soon she was flying alongside Rainbow, who looked over to her and grinned. "Not bad at all. I usually leave new recruits back home in the dust with that." Sunny slowly smiled. "Or they're already breathing hard. You really look like you got what it takes." Rainbow chuckled. "Or maybe ... not!" The next moment, Rainbow was simply not there. Sunny looked on ahead frantically, but her trail was nowhere to be seen. It took a flicker of movement at the bottom of her vision to realize Rainbow had made a sharp ninety degree turn straight down towards the clouds. Sunny followed, her turn not quite as sharp, but soon the wind tugged at her mane as she caught up with Rainbow. When the Equestrian pegasus did another ninety right at the cloud tops and zoomed across the sky, Sunny was ready. She turned at a more shallow angle and used gravity to assist her in catching up, briefly riding a thermal in a controlled descent to conserve wing power. Once more she came alongside Rainbow. "I'm impressed," said Rainbow. "You even know how to let the air work for you." Sunny's smile broadened. "Now let's see how well you handle some aerial maneuvers where that won't help you. See if you can follow along. Come along behind me and follow my trail." Sunny nodded and dropped behind, and at once she was forced to make a series of abrupt turns. She was absolutely amazed at how quickly and effortlessly Rainbow could turn her body around, yet Sunny was equally astonished to find that she could catch up with just a bit of practice. By the time Rainbow halted the exercise and they hovered facing one another, Sunny was panting lightly. "That was not bad at all, Sunny," Rainbow said with a smile. Sunny beamed. "I didn't think I was going to quite get to the end there, but--" Rainbow suddenly chuckled, and her smile turned sly. "End? Hardly. That was just the warm-up ..." Tom held on to the bars that ran parallel on either side of him until his knuckles turned white. He looked down at legs that still appeared frail and thin despite having been at this for the past two weeks. He knew that the injured leg would be difficult, but he had not expected to lose this much tone in his good one. "You're doing very well, Tom," said his therapist, a human who stood just off to the side. He stepped into view and smiled. "You're putting more weight on that leg than you were just a week ago." Tom tried not to sigh in exasperation as he fought to walk in a straight line. After two weeks, he had hoped to have shown more improvement than this. They had offered to defer the start of his physical therapy until after the holidays, but Tom wanted to start as early as possible with the goal of being able to stand on his own by Christmas. With the holiday only days away, however, and his therapist on vacation after that day until the new year, that seemed a pipe dream now. He managed to make it to the other end of the bars, but not without his leg starting to hurt. He took a deep breath and let it go as a ragged sigh. "Had enough for now?" his therapist asked. Tom just shook his head and carefully turned around. As he did, he heard a clop of pony hoof. The therapist's assistant, a unicorn stallion, came around his side and positioned himself so he could see Tom starting back down the track. Halfway through the return trip, Tom stumbled, his face twisting in pain as too much weight came down at the wrong angle. Despite holding onto the bars, he started to fall. At once, he felt a gentle pressure around his hips, and he was lifted upward until the pain eased and he could get his footing again. He glanced down to see his hips suffused by the same colored glow as that which surrounded the unicorn's horn. "Got it?" the stallion asked. Tom nodded quickly. "Got it. Thanks." Tom had to admit that he was impressed. To be able to hold a living thing with enough force to lift them against gravity and not crush them took a deft touch. He reminded himself that it likely would never have been possible had not some of the restrictions on magic been lifted. Tom slowly completed the circuit, but the lingering ache in his leg told him that was going to be the last for that session. Both the therapist and his assistant helped him back into his wheelchair. He let out a frustrated sigh as he settled back down, and the therapist laid a hand on his shoulder. "You are doing better, Tom," he said in an earnest voice. "I know it can be frustrating when you can't see the progress yourself." "Do you really know what it's like?" Tom asked. The therapist nodded and pointed to his left shoulder. "Three years ago, I broke my shoulder blade in three places. The joint had to stay immobilized until it healed. That gave me a lovely case of frozen shoulder that took months of PT to fix." Tom nodded, feeling a bit guilty for trying to take it out on someone who was only trying to help. Despite all the counseling he had had, he still had a lot of anger to get through. At least now he no longer took it out on his family. "Ready to head back?" the therapist asked. "The van should be here by now." The stallion smiled. "And your family arrived a few minutes ago. I think they'd like to ride back home with you." A faint smile came to Tom's lips. "Yes, I'd like to see them." The pony nodded and looked up at the human. "I've got this. You can go get some dinner." "Thanks," said the human. "Meet you in the cafeteria later." The handles of the wheelchair glowed as the stallion took them in his magical grip, and he pushed the wheelchair out the door and down the corridor of the physical rehab facility. "If it helps any, I was no stranger to having a long stretch of PT," said the stallion. "Hip surgery." Tom winced. "Ouch." "Tell me about it." "Had an aunt who had that," said Tom. "She was never the same again. She was always in pain." "Yeah, even after the PT, I still had issues. Only this transformation got rid of it." "That why you stayed a pony?" He shrugged. "Nah, just couldn't be bothered to change back. I just bided my time until they lifted those silly restrictions on magic so I could get back to what I wanted to be doing." Tom was impressed with himself. He could hold a conversation with a pony other than his family as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Part of his counseling had required him to reach out more to other ponies. It had taken some effort at first, but now he could do it without even thinking about it. "Hey, um, I never got your name." "Paul," said the pony. "No pony name?" Tom asked. "Why change what works?" Paul said. "Anyway, I wanted to remain part of human society, and doing a name change is a bitch. This way, I just had to update my ID picture and I'm good." Tom would have continued the conversation, but they emerged in the lobby of the facility, where his wife and daughter were waiting for him. Theresa smiled, and Molly flew over and landed in his lap, wings buzzing as they held her aloft. Without hesitation, Tom lay his hand on her head and brushed his fingers through her mane. It was a simple act of affection, so easy to do now, but one he had to build up to. "How are you doing, Dad?" Molly asked. "Tired," Tom said with a sigh. "And a little frustrated." Theresa stepped up. "Therapy not going as fast as you want?" "It never does. But I'll get there." "Of course he will!" Molly said. "And my friends will keep helping in the meantime." That had been the hardest to get used to. While they stayed in Grand Junction, several members of the pony community had taken it upon themselves to assist in maintaining the grounds around the house they were staying in. At first, he couldn't get past the fact that they were likely Shimmerists. Then again, he never asked them their political affiliations, and they never asked him his. The only saving grace was that they were all close friends of Water Wings, and Tom had learned to trust that pony, despite the organization he led. Harder to accommodate than even his daughter remaining a pony. There had never been a moment that a formal decision was made. Molly never came out and said, "I will remain a pony." That had been the hardest for Tom: to simply accept his daughter as she was and not pressure her one way or the other. Even when she continued to see the counselor at the Rehumanization Center -- at least until it officially closed its doors for good two weeks prior -- he had to stop from hoping she would rehumanize and just see and accept what she did. "The van pulled up a few minutes ago," said Theresa. "Are you ready to head back home?" "Yeah, I am," said Tom. "I want to put some ice on this leg, it's starting to hurt again." "Evie has a spell she says will ease the discomfort, if you wanted to try that." Here Tom had to battle his instincts, not so much against the idea of magic being used on him as reconciling with his sister-in-law. It had meant concessions on Evie's part as well, and Tom had been very grateful that Theresa had agreed and had a long talk with her sister. "Sure, why not?" Tom said. Theresa smiled and touched her hoof to his good leg. Tom draped his hand on her fore-leg, feeling the warmth of her body through the fur. Another simple gesture, another former hurdle, and now another expression of renewed love. Theresa let her hoof remain there for a moment before heading around the back of the wheelchair. She drew herself up on her hind legs and placed her fore-hooves on the handles of the wheelchair in a well-practiced move. She could have had any number of human assistants do this for her, but she had been insistent on learning how to do this herself. Only then did he realize why he had felt more at peace in recent days despite his frustrations with his recovery. He had finally stopped seeing his family as ponies and saw them simply as family. Father Donovan had been right; Tom had to take a completely different approach. He had to relearn everything, including exactly why he loved his family. For the first time in a long while, he was looking forward to heading back to Pony Hope. It didn't matter that the place was mostly a pony population despite the recent influx of humans. All that mattered was that his family would remain together. The attendant from the van came out to greet him. "Ready to head home, Tom?" Tom smiled. "Yes, I am." Sunny crashed onto the top of the cloud, her wings aching. She planted her muzzle in the soft white just to have some moisture to help soothe her burning lungs. She lay heaving in air until she had regained the energy to rise to her hooves. Her fur and mane were damp with sweat, and the cool wetness of the cloud was a welcome sensation. "Not bad." Sunny turned her head to see Rainbow Dash hovering nearby, having barely worked up a sweat, looking like she could do that exercise another hundred times over. Rainbow smiled. "Not bad at all. Twilight was right, you have great potential." "B-but you left me in your dust," Sunny croaked Rainbow chuckled. "I, uh, tend to do that a lot, yeah." "So how can you say--" "It's what was I trying to tell your friends. You've got the potential, but you're just lacking in endurance and experience. That'll come with time and practice." Sunny took a few moments to catch her breath and speak with less of a ragged voice. "I never really wanted to be seen as the best." "I hear you," said Rainbow. "Though to be honest, you could be. You're, what, seventeen? A pegasus for only eight months of that? And you're already this good? And teaching others on top of that?" "As much as I have trouble underestimating myself, I don't want to overestimate either." "Hey, I get that, too. I've had my fair share of taking on more than I could handle." "And I'm not as keen on having admirers as maybe you are." Rainbow smiled. "Nothing wrong with that. So long as you love what you're doing, that's all that matters." Sunny had recovered enough that she could use her wings. She lifted off the cloud and hovered before Rainbow. "I really do," she said in a soft voice. "And thanks for not making me feel bad about not being able to keep up with you." "I didn't do this to show you up, or to try to take you down a peg," Rainbow said. "I was serious when I said I was interested in what you could do. You really did impress me." Sunny chuckled. "I almost wish it was to 'take me down a peg', at least in the eyes of the others." "Sometimes, ponies need someone to look up to. We don't always get to choose whether to be that pony or not." "It just feels like a huge responsibility." Rainbow nodded. "I know. Back home, there's this pegasus filly named Scootaloo who really looks up to me. I've come to love that little filly more like a sister than a fan." "So how do you handle it?" "By making sure I have friends as well as fans," said Rainbow. "Friends don't care what you can do, only who you are." Sunny smiled. "Yes, I do have friends. I suspect some of them look up to me, but I still feel I can rely on them." "Good. Keep that up, and you'll be fine. So, recovered enough to head back to the others?" Sunny nodded, and they flew off together at a more sedate pace. "So, um, what are you going to tell the others about our little race?" "The truth," said Rainbow. "That you have great potential but need more experience like the rest of you do. I figure that's pretty low-key and gets the message across." "Thank you," Sunny said. "Hey, it's what friends are for, right?" Rainbow lifted a fore-hoof and held it high. Sunny smiled and lifted her own, and they clopped them solidly together. "You know, I'm going to be really interested in seeing what you've become ten years from now," said Rainbow. "I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear the word 'awesome' mentioned alongside your name, no matter what you end up doing." As she had eight months ago, Sunny felt better after just this short talk with this pegasus from another universe. It helped reassure her that it was not all about what she could do, that she was more than that. And ten years? Considering how much had happened in just eight months, that seemed a lifetime away. The guard marched forward, resplendent in his golden armor polished to such a sheen that it almost glowed of its own accord, adorning the body of an earth pony colt who normally went by the name of Juan. He approached to the shocked gasps of the raggedly dressed peasants before him, who otherwise would be the fillies and colts of his classmates at school, save for the addition of a single human girl. "Get back!" cried the guard. "Get back, you rabble, and prepare to bask in the magnificence of your Queen!" The peasants almost as one dropped their forelegs to their knees, the human girl moving into a deep curtsy and bowing her head. The guard stepped to the side and thumped his spear against the ground as their sovereign stepped forward, resplendent in her robes, golden shoes gracing her hooves, a crown of sparkling jewels upon her head, all adorning a marmalade-colored unicorn filly who normally went by the name of Gina. "What is this?" the Queen demanded of her subjects. "Who among you will speak for your lot?" Some of the peasants glanced at one another in confusion. Urgent whispers were traded, and many eyes turned to the only one among them who dared to hold his head up high while the others kept them bowed in the presence of their powerful ruler. Finally, this bold one nodded his head, and a pegasus colt who normally was called Sky Streak stepped forward. "I will speak, my Queen." The Queen stepped up to him. "And what do you have to say for them? Why do you not toil in the fields?" "It is Festival Day, my Queen," said the peasant leader. "We are taking a well-earned rest." The Queen sneered. "Well-earned? While others still starve? Have you not been told to redouble your efforts?" "We have." "Then what of this? Why do you defy me?" "We do not," said the peasant, holding up his head even more, as if the Queen's bombast had only further emboldened him. "We are merely upholding the ancient traditions. This has always been the day--" "Enough," the Queen declared. "Who is your sovereign, peasant?" "You are, my Queen." "Yes, I am. Not some dusty tome written by those long dead." "And yet, it contains more wisdom than those who would claim to lead us wisely today." The Queen stumbled back, the peasant's words as good as if the miscreant had slapped her across the muzzle. The guard surged forward, lowering his spear. "This one would dare to insult you, my Queen! Shall I have him hauled away and have your Inquisitor deal with him?" The Queen frowned but held up a fore-hoof. "Not just yet." Her gaze swept past the peasant, and she waved her foreleg for him to step aside as she approached the human. "And what do we have here?" The human girl bowed her head and dropped into a curtsy before the Queen. "A humble visitor to your Queendom, Your Highness." "Indeed? And what do you bring to us?" the Queen demanded. "What tribute do you give to the Crown for the privilege of being allowed in our lands?" The girl raised her head. "Only truth, Your Highness." The Queen arched an eyebrow. "Truth? And what value do you place on such a thing?" "Priceless," declared the peasant who stood up to the Queen moments ago. The Queen whipped her head around and frowned. "I did not ask you." "And yet, I still feel the need to speak, as we all have ever since this visitor granted us a revelation into your true intentions." "I do not need to hear this!" "But everyone else does!" He stepped up to the human girl. "Speak your truth, as you did to us earlier." The human girl nodded and turned her gaze back to the Queen. "I have told them what you have really done with the fruit of the labors of your peasants." The Queen narrowed her eyes. "How you are keeping food out of the mouths of your own people to feed an army you are assembling in secret." The Queen gasped. "That ... that is a lie!" "It is not," said the peasant leader. He swept a foreleg towards the other peasants. "And they know it as well. They know you plan on violating the ancient peace and draw destruction upon us." The Queen looked on not a group of properly subservient and cowering subjects, but upon a sea of angry and determined faces. "And I will remind you, my Queen," continued the peasant leader, saying the title as if it were an epithet. "That this very festival celebrates our deliverance from an endless war, a war that you seek to--" "Sorry to interrupt," came a new and unexpected voice. The peasant leader blinked, and a few others looked on in confusion as well. "But there's someone here who wants to talk to Jenny." Jenny blinked rapidly, and the Scene began to dissolve as she pulled her mind back from the Narrative. "Awwww!" Gina complained as the trappings of royalty dissolved around her. "I wanted to see what happened next. We were just getting to the good part!" Jenny smiled. "We'll pick it up later. You were all doing very well." "That was amazing fun!" Gina cried. "I can't wait until we get to do this play for everyone at the party tonight." To Jenny, it was always odd whenever someone referred to what she did as a "play", as if it really was something invented to give some foals and children something to do for the festivities planned for that evening. She knew these events had played out on some world far from Earth, thousands if not millions of years ago. This was their history, a moment of triumph and glory, a turning point that had ensured another thousand years of peace. "Yes, that was nice," said the human girl. "It was a little weird at first, but once I got into it, it was really cool." "I'm glad you liked it," said Jenny. The girl smiled and nodded. "I do hope it has a happy ending, though." Jenny's own smiled broadened. She would have picked nothing less for the party. She turned her attention to the one who had interrupted the Scene, her Aunt Eileen. "You said someone wanted to talk to me?" "Yeah, if you really want to," said Eileen in a wary voice. "Um, why wouldn't I?" Eileen glanced at the others. "We shouldn't talk about this here." Jenny gave her aunt a confused look, but shrugged and stepped past the others. "Let's take a break and come back in an hour." "We'll be here!" Gina said as Jenny headed away. Jenny was careful to duck her head as she headed out of the room. They were staying with Sarah and Harold for as long as they were in town for the holidays in a domicile built by ponies for ponies. They had at least conceded that they would have human family members visiting, thus had built the ceilings higher than was normal for a pony household, but the tops of the doors were still just a bit low. "So what's this all about?" Jenny said as they stepped into the main living area. Eileen turned to face her. "While you were practicing for the play, Anthony Heller showed up." Jenny's eyes widened slightly. "What would he be doing here?" "That's what I thought, since we were supposed to be done with all the legal shit." "So his visit is a social one?" "I wish," Eileen muttered. "It's more who he brought with him that upset me." "Who?" "You remember that asshole who hit you that day when all that crap went down in the pony sector?" Jenny's heart skipped a beat. She lifted a hand to her mouth as if to feel a wound that had long since healed. "Are you serious??" "Dead serious." "What the hell is he doing here?" "Same thing I asked," said Eileen. "I had sworn I would never forget what he looked like, and I was right. I almost decked the bastard the moment I saw him." Jenny's heart thumped, but she held her tongue until she heard the whole story. "Anthony asked me to hear him out, said that he'd never have brought Handel here if he thought the bastard would be a threat. Said that Handel's been wiped clean of what Fuller's goon did to him." Jenny nodded quickly. "Okay, fine, but what does he want?" "He wants to talk to you." Jenny had been afraid of that. It had taken her a long time to get over the trauma of that day, and on more than one occasion she had been glad she was reconnected to the dream realm and could take advantage of nightmare-banishing night ponies. "I made it very clear that this is your decision," said Eileen. "You say the word, and I'll tell him to go to hell." Jenny was very tempted to take that route. Yet now she wondered if she did need to confront him one more time, that perhaps it would bring some sort of closure, something she felt had been lacking despite reassurances from everyone to the contrary. "I want to know what you think about it." Eileen raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" "Yes, please." "Me, I wouldn't bother. It has nothing to do with whether he's a threat or not." Eileen paused before saying in a softer voice. "Though I have to admit, Handel is definitely nothing like I remembered him." Jenny nodded and glanced towards the door to the common area. She could hear the two men talking softly, though she could not make out what was being said. Neither voice sounded like the Handel she had known that day. Eileen stepped closer to Jenny and said in a low voice, "If you do decide to talk to him, and he does start to go apeshit, you have my permission to go full-on Narrative on his ass. Hopefully that will be good enough to satisfy the Sadistic Six." One corner of Jenny's mouth rose. She still found her aunt's nickname for the Dreamwardens amusing. She was just glad they had taken her into their confidence like Psychic had suggested they might. At least Jenny didn't have to tip-toe around it anymore. "And Anthony was in agreement with me," said Eileen. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Jenny wanted to explain that it was not a matter of what she wanted, but what she felt she ought to do. That the Narrative was not clamoring for her attention to offer insight suggested that perhaps she at least didn't have to fear for her safety. The Narrative could not predict the future, but if something Handel had done earlier suggested that he was not being sincere, that would be valuable information. She closed her eyes for a moment. Nothing to say about this? Almost immediately came the reply: You know everything you need to in order to handle this yourself. And this has the sense of something big in his part of this Chapter. I don't want to spoil it for him. Jenny wondered if that had been a subtle coaxing. Surely this man could not have his moment in the Story if Jenny didn't furnish the opportunity. Jenny opened her eyes. "All right. I'll go see him." Connie smiled as she watched Christina levitate another ornament onto the tree inside their apartment in Washington DC. The place had been intended as temporary accommodations until they found a house they wanted to purchase, so they had hesitated to do too much unpacking, but she and Frank wanted to have a proper Christmas. "Hey, Chrissie, I still have a bare spot here," came a bright voice from just behind the tree. A blue-furred pegasus colt with a bright green mane flitted into view, his wings a blur and buzzing faintly as they held him aloft. "Gimme one of the blue ones." Christina turned towards the box of ornaments and levitated one out. "How's this?" "Perfect!" Christina floated the ornament over to her friend, and he clasped it between his hooves before disappearing around the tree. Connie considered herself fortunate that she had met that unicorn mare at the capitol building while she was interviewing for her staff, and that her family was willing to share the holidays with them. Especially since Christina and Ken -- the pegasus colt -- had become friends almost immediately. As much as Connie wanted her daughter to get along with human children, she wanted her to have pony contact as well. Connie heard hooves against the hardwood floor, and turned to see her unicorn friend and Ken's mother Marie trot into the room. Marie smiled as she said, "The tree is coming along really nicely, Connie." "Thank our two expert decorators here," said Connie. Christina beamed at the praise. This was the first time she had been allowed to do most of decorating of the tree. Letting the children do all the decorating was a tradition on Frank's side of the family that Connie really liked, but Christina had to be old enough to reach the top branches. Where they liked to put up a really large tree for Christmas, that meant Christina may have had to wait a few more years before she could take up that tradition. Having a magic levitation spell and a flying friend accelerated things a bit. "And thank you for inviting us over," Marie said. "Like I told you during the interview, we're still fairly new to Washington as well." Connie's smile broadened. Marie's husband Carl had come to be in Washington when he ran for a US Senate seat that had been vacated by a human-turned-pony who decided to leave politics. The governor had appointed a human in his place, but the state constitution required that an election be held to fill the seat. Carl, an earth pony, ran against the appointed human as an independent candidate and won. "Will Carl be coming?" Connie asked. "He's finishing up some business with some colleagues of his in the Senate," said Marie. "He should be here within another hour or so. He's been really adamant about the coalition he's trying to build between the Democrats and Republicans." "I see he's trying to court the Harmonists, then." "He knows as well we do that eventually the Harmonists are going to become a potent political force," said Marie. "Frankly, I think it's our best hedge against Shimmerism." Connie was aware that the latest round of elections, while they had brought more moderate voices into federal government concerning the pony situation, it had also brought a smattering of people into local offices who held to some level of Shimmerist belief. The political landscape of the United States was poised to change in ways she doubted even its founders could have anticipated. Before Connie could comment, the doorbell rang. "I wonder if that's my sister-in-law Delicate Flowers," said Connie as she headed for the door. "She's been hinting that she may come up to DC for part of the holidays." "Oh, is she a pony?" Marie asked. "Most humans don't have a name like that." Connie grinned as she put her hand on the door knob. "A lot of relatives on Frank's side of the family are ponies, and they occasionally tease him about not being one himself." Marie giggled, but it quickly became a gasp when Connie opened the door and revealed the visitor: a pony, but certainly not one either was expecting. Twilight smiled. "Hello, Connie, and Happy Holidays!" Christina gasped as well and stared, open-mouthed. "Hey, that sounds like--" Ken started as he flew out from behind the tree. "Holy shit, it's Twilight Sparkle!" "Ken, mind your language around the Princess!" Marie admonished. "Sorry, Mom, but wow! I wasn't expecting this!" Connie smiled. "Twilight, this is my friend Marie and her son Ken." Marie stepped forward. "This is indeed an honor, Princess." "Please, just call me Twilight," said Twilight. Ken landed next to Christina, who nudged him and said, "See? It's just like I told you. She's that way with everyone she meets. It's like she's a universal friend or something." Twilight chuckled. "I've never heard that term applied to me before, but I suppose in a way you're right." She looked to Connie. "I thought I would stop by before I headed to the portal. Equestria will be celebrating Hearthswarming Day about the same time as Christmas here." Christina stepped up to them. "I think it's so cool we have kinda the same holidays around the same time of year." "It certainly makes coordinating vacations easier," said Twilight. "Are you taking some time off yourself, Connie?" "Some," said Connie. "Not quite as much as I would like. I really need to hit the ground running with this new position. There's a lot of work to be done before the next presidential election. Just in case our current President is not re-elected, I want to make a good impression on whoever replaces him." "I'm confident you'll be able to show that a bipartisan approach is the best. Or perhaps even tripartisan, what with the rate ponies have been entering politics." "I hope it will be worth it," said Connie. "Those confirmation hearings were brutal. I wasn't sure either party liked me. I think they settled on me simply to avoid either party getting the upper hand." "Oh, I think they saw you were truly the best one for the position," said Marie. "Of course she is!" Christina piped. "Look at everything she did back in Greenwood Village. They were even going to put up a statue of her in the pony sector!" Connie managed not to roll her eyes. She had quietly asked them to cancel those plans, as flattered as she was that the ponies thought that much of her. Twilight turned towards Connie. "In either case, I bring some news from Equestria. It's going to hit the news media soon, but I thought you would like to hear it from me first." "Is this a sensitive matter?" Connie asked. "Not so much sensitive as it would take some time to explain to inquisitive foals." Christina pouted and fell to her haunches, crossing her fore-legs in indignation. "You're going to send us out of the room, aren't you?" "Just for a short time," Connie said. "If Twilight has time, you can come back out and talk to her." Marie stepped up to them. "You two can help me in the kitchen. I was planning on baking some Christmas cookies to have for dessert tonight." "Oh, all right," Christina said as she rose to her hooves. Connie waited until they were away before turning back to Twilight. "So what's up?" "The final trial has concluded in Canterlot," Twilight said in a more somber voice. "That would be for former Prince Blueblood?" "Yes." Twilight sighed. "Honestly, I wish he had done as Trixie and Spoiled Rich had and pleaded guilty right from the start. Things went much easier for them." "I had heard he was trying to stonewall the court." "A lot of ponies back home don't realize that, for all his faults, Blueblood has a very keen mind for Equestrian law. He was using every trick he could to evade the charges and claim he was working for a greater good. He even tried to put the laws themselves on trial." "To be fair, we can technically do that here," said Connie. "Though not many prospective jurors even know they can." "Yes, I'm aware, and we do have something similar, but the way he was twisting things, I suspect he was just trying to muddy the issue. In the end, neither the judge nor the jury were fooled." "So what was he ultimately convicted of?" Connie asked. "Conspiracy to violate the sovereignty of a foreign power," Twilight began. "Conspiracy to smuggle restricted magic to a foreign power. Gross violations of the principles of friendship with a foreign power. Gross abuse of royal privilege. Gross disrespect for the Diarchy." Twilight paused. "That last one is something Celestia very rarely prosecutes, as much as she respects freedom of speech, but she felt it justified here. She wants to send a message to anyone else who may have any ideas of circumventing the portal restrictions that her word is absolute law on the matter and not up for debate." Connie often did wonder just how to classify the Equestrian government, as it was structured unlike any on Earth. The closest she could come was constitutional monarchy, except there were two monarchs, and they were virtually immortal. The fact that they also controlled the sun and the moon on their world threw something into the mix that nothing on Earth could really relate to. "So now the big question, the one on which hinges how my government will react to it," Connie said. "I can guess," said Twilight. "His punishment." "Yes." "Realize that we do things differently in Equestria, Connie. Not better or worse, just different." Connie could at least be content they did things quickly. Fuller's trial was still dragging on, despite most analysts predicting that he was facing a lifetime in jail, as he simply had no defense for his actions that could convince a jury. Billy was in a similar situation, though unlike Fuller, he might have the possibility for parole due to giving more evidence against Fuller. Both had to be placed into protective custody just from the sheer number of death threats they received. "I doubt you'd have trouble convincing me that his punishment is adequate," said Connie. "But I should hear it anyway so I can prepare a defense of it if anyone makes a stink about it on Capitol Hill." Twilight nodded. "First off, the stripping of his royal privilege is permanent. Nothing he can do will get it back. Second, he's been banished from Canterlot. Again, permanently." From what Connie knew of how things worked with the Canterlot nobility -- and what she knew specifically about Blueblood -- that was already a big deal. "Third, he has been sent to Manehattan -- that's a large city on the east coast of Equestria -- where he--" "They even have places just like ours!" Christina's voice suddenly rang from the kitchen. "Christina, no listening in!" Connie said. Twilight chuckled. "It's fine, Connie. I have a feeling I've underestimated her intelligence. Anyway, for the third part of his sentence, Blueblood will have to live in Manehattan and work as a street cleaner. He'll be paid a fair wage for his work, but only if he actually works." Connie considered. "That's a rather interesting punishment, I have to admit." "In Equestria, we don't just make the punishment fit the crime, we make it fit the pony as well," Twilight explained. "For Blueblood, this is far worse than simply sitting in a jail cell. I just hope we can get the American government to understand that as well." "For how long will he have to serve his sentence?" "For as long as it takes for him to gain some humility and truly understand why his actions were wrong. And really understand, not just give lip service to it just to get out of his sentence. I'm hoping the fact that he can never return to life at Canterlot court will be some incentive." Twilight paused before adding in a lower voice, "Especially given that he broke down and cried just at the announcement of the first part of his punishment." "I'll be interested to the see the reaction from the media to his sentence," said Connie. "I, for one, certainly think it's appropriate. I take it Spoiled Rich and Trixie were given similar punishments?" "Yes," said Twilight. "Though no permanent bans or banishment. The judge came really close to doing that with Spoiled Rich, but by Equestrian law, friends and family are allowed to plea for leniency during sentencing. Her daughter Diamond Tiara made enough of an impression on the judge that he relented in outright permanently banning her mother from Ponyville high society." Twilight sighed. "Which is likely why Blueblood bore the full brunt of the judge's wrath. He had alienated so many ponies that no one stood up for him, not even any of the nobles." "Who stood up for Trixie?" Connie asked. "Funny you should mention that ..." Trixie emerged from the bathroom, her mane and tail in disarray, a toilet brush levitated before her. Her stomach rumbled, as it was already past her scheduled dinner break. Not that she was looking forward to having to put a meal together using nothing but levitation. She rubbed her head at the base of her horn, where a band encircled it holding a monitoring crystal. The band had started to itch, and she was going to have to have it adjusted or she'd never get any sleep. She wished she could take it off at night, but part of her sentence required she wear it at all times; if she attempted any magic whatsoever other than simple levitation, officials would be notified, and she would be immediately incarcerated. Trixie heard hoof-steps off to the side, and she turned her head to see Nurse Redheart trotting towards her. "I know it's getting late, but we just had a patient throw up on the second floor hallway, east wing, and all the other staff are already on break." "I'll take care of it," Trixie said in a listless voice. "I promise you can go on break after that." Trixie nodded. "Thanks." She watched the nurse head away before heaving a sigh. Trixie rubbed her head again. Despite the indignity of being reduced to cleaning up other ponies' bodily waste, it didn't hold a candle to not being able to practice any magic other than levitation. No magic meant no shows, and no shows meant no fame, and no fame meant ponies would have forgotten about her by the time she was able to perform again. She shook her head. She was not supposed to be thinking of things like that. The whole point of her punishment was to show her that there were things more important than fame. It was too easy to fall into old patterns of thought once she heard that not only had Bob recovered, he went on to do great things. In a way, he had the fame she had wanted for herself. As she headed towards the east wing, she realized just how truly ingrained those ways of thinking were. She could claim all she wanted that a desire to do the right thing was what had motivated her -- and she would not be entirely wrong -- but it had taken this sentence to make her realize just how seductive fame and glory had been. On her way to the east wing, she had to pass by the non-emergency admitting area. As close as it was to Hearthswarming Day, the place was almost deserted. Thus it was very easy for Trixie to pick out the one pony she instantly recognized. She froze, and they looked at each other for a long, awkward moment. Finally, Starlight stepped up to her and managed a tiny smile. "Um, hi." "Hi," Trixie replied in a low voice. Starlight glanced to the side as if looking for somepony to give her a cue. Instead, she turned her uncertain gaze back to Trixie. "I, uh, just wanted to take the time to wish you a nice Hearthswarming Day." Trixie tried not to cringe. She wasn't about to come out and say it, as it would sound too much like complaining, but she likely would be spending the day at Ponyville General. After all, somepony had to work over the holiday to keep the place running. The holiday shift staff were planning a party, but she wasn't sure whether she would go or not. She was not feeling particularly festive. "Thanks," was all Trixie could think to say. She recalled the last time they had seen each other, and it prompted her to add, "And, uh, I never thanked you for speaking on my behalf at my sentencing." Starlight managed a wider smile. "I was happy to do it." "Were you?" Starlight's smile faded slightly. "I'm sorry?" "What was your real reason behind doing that for me?" Starlight looked flustered for a moment. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean." "When we last talked at the Castle of Friendship before I was called before Celestia, you weren't even sure you still wanted to be my friend," said Trixie. "I'm not even sure you are now." Starlight hesitated for a long moment before uttering a sigh. "I'm not sure yet, either. Trixie, I don't hate you, not after I understood how much you did care for Bob's welfare. I wanted to make sure the court knew as well." "I want to believe that was really your motivation," Trixie said. "What else would it be?" "What you talked about that day," Trixie said in a lower voice. "How you felt responsible for me, that you had to do everything to make the friendship work." Starlight gave her a surprised look. "You actually remember that?" "Why wouldn't I?" Trixie cried. "It's like what I said back then. I never set out to hurt you. I don't want to be responsible for hurting you even more. And if blaming yourself for what I did is behind this visit, I don't want you to keep hurting yourself by being here." Starlight's eyes glistened. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a choked sound came out. She rushed forward and drew Trixie into an embrace. A shocked Trixie nearly recoiled. "Ugh, Starlight, I don't exactly smell very good right now." "I don't care," Starlight said in a quavering voice. Trixie slowly relaxed and closed her eyes, accepting the hug and managing one in return. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, though her voice betrayed that she had needed this contact. Starlight drew back, smiling. "Because I know what you just expressed is sincere. I can be sure that you really do care, and you're not just looking to get something out of me." "It never was about that, Starlight." said Trixie. "Yes, I know that now. Back then, I couldn't be sure." "Then please be sincere in return. What's your real reason for stopping by?" "You're right, I do still sometimes blame myself for your actions," said Starlight. "It's a problem I've been dealing with for some time." "I'm sorry I made it worse," Trixie said. Starlight shook her head. "No, I actually have you to thank, in a way. I've taken my own advice, the same one I've been giving to victims of mind magic on Earth. I've started to see a counselor, and it's really been helping." Trixie managed a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that." "So I really did want to see how you were doing." "I'm managing," Trixie said. "In fact, I probably should get going. The vomit is not going to clean itself up." She started to turn away. "Wait," Starlight called out. Trixie stopped and turned back around. Starlight appeared to steel herself before she said, "I had said I wasn't sure I was your friend. Maybe I can't use that word right now, but I could in the future." "What do you mean?" asked Trixie. "I want us to be friends, and not because any sort of guilt is motivating me. I really liked what we've done together, not just working on Earth, but before that when I helped you put on shows." Trixie slowly smiled. "I never did think I would like sharing the spotlight with another pony. You proved me wrong." "And I hope for that chance again, but ... but friendship requires trust," said Starlight. "That's the big problem. That's what's going to take a long time to get back. It's nowhere near there, but I hope it will be. I want it to be." "So what does that make us in the meantime?" Trixie asked. Starlight looked thoughtful for a moment. "Um ... Potential friends? Future friends? Pre-friends? Pseudo-friends? Primordial friends? Prototype--" Trixie face-hoofed. "Ugh, stop, your suggestions are getting worse, not better." The two mares looked at each other, then broke out laughing. "Princess Celestia was right about one thing," said Trixie. "I really am going to have to work at gaining back what I lost." "You'll make it," said Starlight. "I'm sure you will." Trixie shared another hug with her former -- and hopefully future -- friend. The fact that Starlight still wanted to make this work gave her motivation to continue. Humans sometimes said that even the ponies of Equestria had an almost pathological need for friendship. Trixie had scoffed at that idea, but only because she had the luxury of actually having a friend. It was only when she threw that away did she realize how badly she had needed it. Despite steeling herself as best as she could, Jenny wanted to bolt back to her room and slam the door shut the moment she laid eyes on Handel. Only the fact that Anthony was standing next to him did she feel even a hint of safety. It took a few moments for Jenny to gather her wits after the initial shock, as the memory of her on her hands and knees dripping blood from her split lip had come back as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. Only then did she really notice that Handel was carrying himself nothing like how he had that day. He stood with his shoulders drawn in and slightly slumped. He held a cap in his hands, which he fidgeted with constantly. His eyes were subdued, and he had trouble maintaining eye contact. Anthony broke the awkward silence first. "Good to see you again, Jenny. I've heard you've been doing better since we last met." Jenny kept staring at Handel and nodded once. "You likely recognize this man," he continued, indicating Handel. "His full name is Eric Handel. He wanted to come speak to you badly enough that he was willing to go into the Homestead lands. I thought it best I escort him so you would feel a little less threatened." Jenny saw Eileen step along side her out of the corner of her eye. Neither she nor Jenny said a word, neither trusting what they might say given the initiative. Anthony got the message and nodded. "Eric?" Eric bit his lower lip briefly and took a deep breath. "Jenny, I ... I want to apologize." Jenny blinked in surprise but remained silent. "What I did to you ... that was wrong," Eric said in a choked voice. "I assaulted you for no valid reason. I-I could tell you I wasn't myself, and I guess that's true on some level, but what that bastard did to me -- um, pardon my language -- had to start with something." Jenny stared in disbelief. When she had gotten over the initial shock that this was an apology, she had expected it to go differently than this. The news media had been filled with reports from former FBI agents claiming they had been completely brainwashed by Billy and thus bore no responsibility for their actions. Jenny was still on the fence as to whether she believed that or not, but she admitted to having a biased perspective. Eric remained silent for a few moments and glanced at Anthony, who simply gave him an encouraging nod. Eric turned his attention back to Jenny. "After they got rid of the magic used on me, I realized just how much anger I had even before that. I knew I still wasn't right. So ... I want to thank you as well." "Thank me?" Jenny said in genuine confusion. "If it hadn't been for what happened, I would never have realized afterward the problem I have," Eric continued, his eyes glistening. "It had a-already cost me my marriage, and I just assumed my anger was from that. Instead, it had caused that as well." Jenny felt Eileen drape an arm around her shoulders. She looked up to see Eileen gazing at the man not in suspicion or anger, but with sympathy, even if it appeared a bit begrudging. Jenny herself was not sure what to think; she never had someone pour their heart out like this to her. Was it bad of her to still feel wary around him? "I won't ask you to forgive me," Eric said. "But I just had to tell you that something good came out of it. I'm getting better. Even if you never want to see me again, I just had to let you know." Jenny let out a quavering sigh. She did feel for him, even if it was still hard to see past what he had done. Yet he was doing something that no one else from that FBI operation had tried to do with any of them: actually reach out and try to make amends. She couldn't just ignore that. It was the holiday season, after all. Wasn't that the time for this sort of thing? "Thank you," Jenny said. "I mean ... I'm sorry if I can't bring myself to shake your hand or anything like that, I just--" Eric was already nodding. "I understand perfectly. I'm not looking for anything from you, Jenny. This is just ... I don't know ... another step on my journey, I guess?" "Another part of your Chapter." Eric paused, then slowly smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could think of it that way. Maybe this story will have a happy ending after all." "I hope yours does," said Jenny. "I mean that." She felt Eileen's arm tighten around her shoulders. Anthony stepped forward. "I wish we could stay longer, but I have to get Eric back to Denver so he can check in with his counselor before the holidays." "The lighting ceremony for the tree in the square is going to be in another few hours," said Eileen. "Yes, and I'm sorry to have to miss it, but where his counselor is already agreeing to stay late, I don't want to keep him from his family any longer than we need to." "Does Eric have somewhere to go for the holidays?" Jenny asked. "Oh, um, yes, I do," said Eric. "My sister and her family. Thank you for asking." "We better get going," said Anthony. "Of course." Eric turned to Jenny. "Thank you for listening. I wish you well." Anthony smiled at Jenny and Eileen before heading out with Eric. "You handled that better than I thought you would," said Eileen in a soft voice. "Hell, I'm impressed with how I handled it." "I had no idea how this was going to go," Jenny said. "If you were about to ask me about the Narrative." "No, but I did have a question. Why did you ask him if he had a place to go?" "I just didn't want to see him alone, that's all. I wasn't going to invite him to stay here, but I was going to have him go to the town hall and ask if any ponies would put him up for the holiday." Eileen smiled. "That's nicer than I ever would've been to him." Jenny could have said the same about herself just moments ago. She could have held on to the hate and fear. Instead, that one comment by the Narrative reminded her just how interconnected all beings were. She could no more deny him his part than she could stop breathing. And they were both the better for it. Bob felt as if his senses had been saturated amidst the large crowd that had gathered around the large Christmas tree in the town square. Despite the dimming light of the passing day, his fellow ponies were a sea of bright color, with humans standing out as tall buoys against the deepening twilight skies. A constant low roar of conversation emanated from all directions at once. The air was heavy with the tantalizing smell of baked goods and confections that ponies from all over town had volunteered to bring to the celebration, set up in small stands scattered about the periphery. Overhead, several pegasi zoomed by, doing one more pass to ensure not a single wisp of any clouds remained. Already the air was crisp, and no cloud cover meant a frigid night, but it would also allow the tree to stand out against the dark skies. Illumination had been purposely kept subdued so that when the tree was lighted, it would look that much more spectacular. Bob stepped up to the tree and craned his neck. It had been decorated by both ponies and humans, and like the rest of the town had a mix of old and new. Some of the lights were electric LED, others magically powered. At the top was the crystal that Bob had provided, still dark and quiescent. He heard both hooves and feet approach, and he turned to see Sarah and Eileen headed towards him. "They're almost ready to start," said Sarah. "Whisper wanted me to fetch you so you could head over to the stage." "Where's Tina and Sunny?" Bob asked. Eileen pointed up. "They're with the last weather patrol. They'll be down shortly." Sarah smiled. "I'm really excited about this. Christmas is still a few days away, but I feel like it might as well be today." Eileen smirked. "You ponies just like to have any excuse for a party." Sarah blew a raspberry at her sister. "Well, it's true," said Eileen. "Yes, but you're still a wise-ass anyway." "Hey, I resemble that remark!" They laughed, and Bob smiled. He had never seen his mother and aunt get along as well as they had for the past few weeks. Harold had confided in him that this was the way they used to be like back when they were kids, before the rift had begun between them. They threaded their way through the crowd, which thinned the closer they got to the stage. Upon it stood the mayor Golden Sunshine, Harold, and Jenny, all talking to one another. Nearby were a few human representatives from the American government, speaking with some pony representatives from Equestria. He recognized the stoic gray mare Maud, who had helped him find the quartz crystal earlier, and next to her was her much more brightly colored and exuberant sister Pinkie. Nearby was the white furred unicorn mare with the purple hair whose name he could not immediately remember, and next to her hovered Rainbow Dash. The security detail at the foot of the stairs -- a uniformed human FBI agent and a stocky earth pony from the Pony Hope sheriff's office -- parted to let them pass. Bob had placed only a single hoof on the stage when he heard a gasp. His world suddenly became bright pink, and he felt himself hugged with earth pony strength. "It's so good to see you again!" piped Pinkie Pie. "It feels like it's been months since I last saw you!" Bob wanted to say something, but nearly all the wind had been squeezed out of him. He heard another set of hoof-steps approach and a female voice say, "Pinkie, darling, it has been months, and do allow him to breathe." "Uh, yeah, I'd rather you not literally suffocate my son with kindness," said Eileen in a wry voice. Pinkie mercifully let go, and Bob gasped in breath. "I am soooo sorry I had to miss your cutie cutecenara," said Pinkie. "But four foals back home got their cutie marks within days of each other, and I was super busy with that." "It's fine, Pinkie, thank you," said Bob. He looked towards the marshmallow white mare. "Um, I apologize, I don't recall your name." The mare smiled as Maud and Rainbow approached as well. "It's Rarity, and Twilight sends her regrets for not being able to make it, but she really needs some time off, the poor dear." "Believe me, I understand," said Sarah. "Even as much as I enjoy my career, I like having a break from it on occasion." "Applejack wanted to come," said Rainbow, "But she already had plans to stay with family in Appleloosa for the holidays, and Fluttershy had a sick bear to deal with." "Did the quartz crystal I helped you locate work out?" asked Maud. "Yes, it worked out great," said Bob. "It made a nice magic crystal for the tree topper." Maud nodded once. "I'm delighted to hear that." "Uh, are you sure?" Eileen asked in a dubious voice. "Yes," said Maud in the same deadpan voice. "Quite delighted." Pinkie giggled. "In fact, I've never seen my sister this happy in the longest time!" Eileen stared at the Spock-like expression on Maud's face before exchanging a confused look with Sarah. "Am I missing something here?" Rainbow Dash snickered. "Ah, Maud is a bit, shall we say, reserved," said Rarity. "Suffice it to say, she was glad to have helped." Bob admittedly wanted to chuckle at his aunt's continued bemusement, but he was saved from potentially embarrassing his mother when Goldy stepped over to them. "Welcome, all! We're just about ready to start." "One moment, please, Mayor Sunshine," said Bob. "Sunny and Tina are not--" A rush of wing, and a panting Tina suddenly zoomed down, back-winging at the last moment and coming down hard on her hooves. Sunny descended just as quickly, but landed more gracefully. "We're here!" Tina cried. "Sorry about that," said Sunny, sounding far less winded. "Had to deal with some really stubborn cirrus clouds that kept reforming soon as we tried to break them up." Tina stepped over to Bob. "Remind me never to try to keep up with her again. She hasn't even broken a sweat, for heaven's sake!" Sunny inexplicably blushed. She glanced at Rainbow Dash, who winked at her. They headed towards the podium. Harold trotted over to meet them, smiling and giving Bob a brief hug with a single fore-leg. Jenny smiled at him as she stood next to her parents. Goldy stepped behind the podium, her horn glowing for a moment. Bob immediately recognized it as a voice amplification spell. The glow faded, and Goldy cleared her throat. "Testing, testing," she said, her voice loud enough to make Bob's ears ring. She turned towards the crowd, who had started to quiet down. Now turned towards them, her amplified voice did not sound nearly so overwhelming. "Thank you, all, humans and ponies alike, for coming to this celebration of life, hope, and peace!" Humans clapping hands mixed with hoof-stomps greeted her opening statement. "When I look out upon this town, I see a beacon of friendship between two species," Goldy continued. "It has been almost three months since we first set forth a delegation to the United States government with an initial goal of a redress of grievances." Bob thought the wording of that part of the speech to be clever, as it was right out of the First Amendment. "Yet we soon discovered it was simply not enough to have our complaints heard," Goldy continued. "True peace and understanding requires effort on both sides. We as ponies had to live up to our ideals of friendship and cooperation. They must apply to all beings to have any meaning. We must look past our labels. Call us human or pony, American or immigrant, but we are one in Harmony." Both humans and ponies alike responded with applause. Bob had a feeling Goldy couldn't avoid injecting a bit of her own beliefs into the speech, but some of the recent human residents of Pony Hope were starting to call themselves Harmonists as well. The idea that one could live a life aspiring to five basic tenets -- kindness, generosity, loyalty, honesty, and laughter -- appealed to more than just ponies. "And I want to thank the pony who is largely responsible for this effort," said Goldy with a wide smile. "None of this would have happened, nor would this very celebration be possible, were it not for the hard and tireless work of Sunrise Storm!" The applause which rose halfway through Sunny's name became deafening, and the ground shook from the enthusiasm of the ponies' hoof stomps. A blushing Sunny briefly took to the air and hovered so everyone could see her. She smiled and waved, receiving cheers from even the Equestrian contingent, especially Rainbow Dash. This just made her blush deepen before she lowered herself to the stage. Bob knew Sunny didn't care for the spotlight very much, but he for one was glad she was getting some recognition. From the way she had fretted over whether the community of Pony Hope would be this accepting of humans in their midst, it was good to see that the respect ponies felt for her had paid off. Goldy continued when the applause had died down. "When I first became mayor of this town, the one thing ponies told me they liked best about it was that they felt safe here. I will be honest with you, there were some ponies who thought we would be giving that up if we let humans into our midst. Instead, our community is every bit as peaceful as it has been since the day it was founded, and I ask that every pony gathered here now give our human residents and visitors a round of applause in appreciation!" The ground shook as the crowd of ponies thundered as one, the humans among them smiling at the accolades. Bob was glad Goldy included that in her speech, even if she had to downplay it a bit. The truth was, there were indeed many who were quite worried about what would become of their town once humans moved in. What ponies seemed to forget was that humans could be said to have a herd mentality as well. If they see others acting polite and friendly towards one another -- regardless of what species they are -- they tended to the act the same way. "And now, we're ready for the lighting of the tree, a tree decorated by both human hands and pony hooves and magic." Goldy stepped over to a platform near one corner of the stage, where a switch was mounted, wires under the platform running off the stage and towards the tree. Next to it was a Bob-created crystal tied to a spell. "If Senator Henderson and Sunrise Storm would step up, please. Bob, would you kindly be ready as well?" That was Bob's cue. Eileen smiled and squeezed his shoulder before he left her side. Sarah, Harold, and Jenny gave him a brief hug as he went by. He stepped behind the platform and turned to face the tree. His horn glowed as he prepared the spell. One of the men from the American officials stepped over to the platform and placed his hand on the switch. Sunny hovered next to him and held her hoof above the crystal. "And on the count of three," Goldy's voice rang out. "One. Two. THREE!" The Senator flipped the switch, and Sunny's hoof came down on the crystal. A brilliant beam of light erupted from Bob's horn and struck the crystal at the top. The tree came ablaze with light, strings of electric LED lights intermingled with strings of flickering magic bulbs. The crystal topper briefly became a miniature supernova to the surprised but delighted gasps of the audience. When Bob concluded his spell, the glow from the crystal settled to a more serviceable light, but in the encroaching darkness and the clear skies, it would be visible for many miles. The applause which rose was the loudest and longest yet, and Bob exchanged hugs with not just his family, but the Equestrian contingent as well. He even got to see a hint of a smile on Maud's face. Tina clung to him for a long moment and trotted alongside him. Bob motioned with a hoof to his mother, and Eileen crouched down and turned her ear towards him. "I know someplace a little more quiet we can all go to look at the tree," Bob said over the din of the crowd. "Now that the ceremony is over, we're not needed up here anymore." "That works," said Eileen. "So long as we're back in time for Jenny's thing." "She'll take a bit to get the others ready for that." Eileen nodded. "Good, because I, uh, have a little Christmas present for you." "Can't you give it to me on Christmas day?" Bob hesitated. "You are going to be staying through the holiday, right?" "Of course. But I wanted to give you this one early." "Well, okay. Tina, you coming along?" Tina smiled. "I'll catch up with you later." Bob gave her an odd look. "Let's just say I know what her present is already," Tina explained. "And I think you're going to like it." Bob arched an eyebrow in confusion. He looked over to Sarah and Harold as they approached, and they were wearing wide smiles. "Uh, let me guess, you two know what it is as well." Both Sarah and Harold nodded. "And you're not going to tell me." They shook their heads. Eileen grinned. "Come on, show us that place you mentioned, all this noise is going to give me a headache, and I don't even have pony ears." Bob led them from the stage and around the bottom edge of the tree. The din of the crowd slowly fell away, muffled by several thick branches of the tree. They came to a patch of ground that had been used earlier as a staging area for the pegasi who were helping to decorate the tree, the ground having been packed firm by pony hooves. "Oh, this is a lovely area," Sarah said as she looked off into the darkness. "I think I can see the lights from the next pony settlement north of here." Bob glanced at his mother and saw that she had no purse or bag with her. What could this mysterious present be? It couldn't be a gift card, as not enough businesses had set up shop in pony lands for that. "Okay, so don't leave me in suspense," Bob said. "Where's this present?" Eileen smiled. "You're looking at it." Bob tilted his head. "I'm sorry?" "Me." "I don't understand." Eileen crouched before her son. "I'm staying." "Well, of course you are," said Bob. "You said you would stay through the holidays." "No, I mean for good." Bob blinked. "What??" "I landed a job here in town at one of the restaurants, and Sarah and Harold have agreed to keep putting me up until I get a place of my own," Eileen explained. As much as Bob's heart leapt, the practical side of him prompted the question, "But what about Jenny? She has to head back with you after the holidays, doesn't she?" "She made friends with another girl who was seeing the same counselor. Her family has agreed to have her stay with them. Jenny's looking to go back to high school anyway, and there's one within walking distance of where she'll be living." Bob couldn't hold back anymore. He hugged his mother tightly, and when the tears welled up in his eyes, he let them. Everything he had done, everything he had achieved, everything he had worked to attain, none of it could have given him this. This was indeed something that had to be gifted to him, and it was worth more than anything else he could have wanted. He finally had his mother back. THE END