//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Ending // Story: CRISIS: New World Order // by GanonFLCL //------------------------------// One Year Later Sundial and Weaver sat together at a table at a small hole-in-the-wall diner in Hope’s Point late in the afternoon. Spring was just about coming to an end and it had started getting warmer already, so the pair wore some much more comfortable outfits for the current climate: Sundial wore her kilt, her balmoral, and a white blouse, all part of her typical uniform; Weaver wore a loose gray shirt and a light, black jacket. Many of the other ponies in the diner wore similarly comfortable clothing, and the diner was certainly crowded at the moment. Little had really changed over the past year, so far as Sundial was concerned, though Weaver had taken to wearing a pair of sunglasses to cover his eyes so as not to bother anypony. He’s also started growing out his mane a little bit, partly because he’d never had the opportunity to do anything with his mane before, partly because Sundial had said she thought he looked good with it longer, though Sundial was merely guessing on that last part. Public spaces like this were still a bit of an aggravation for Sundial, but she’d gotten better about it generally speaking, if only because she didn’t mind it so much if her friends were with her. Especially if Weaver was with her. The pair sat close together so that Sundial could whisper details she saw around the room to him without anypony overhearing, as he was still sadly unable to see. It didn’t really bother either of them anymore, though. Sundial checked her pocket watch again—for the third time in the past ten minutes—and shook her head. “They’re late,” she muttered. Weaver tilted his head in her direction. Even though his eyesight hadn’t recovered yet, his hearing had improved as he got used to using it more. “Give them time. We’re in no rush, are we?” “No, but ye know I hate waiting around for so long for no good reason,” Sundial grunted. “Whatever this is about had better be worth making us wait. No rush, sure, but I want ta finish getting packed for the hike, aye?” “Fair enough.” Weaver’s ears then perked up and turned just off to the left, towards the door. “It sounds like there’s a commotion near the front.” Sundial raised an eyebrow and looked towards the door, where she saw that several of the patrons had made a bit of a fuss as somepony walked into the diner, some of them rising up from their tables a little while others just sat calmly. Said somepony happened to be Bluebolt and Symphony. Like Sundial and Weaver, they were dressed in comfortable clothing fit for the weather, in this case a couple of simple blouses—white for Bluebolt, green for Symphony—and a pair of matching red jackets. Symphony was still wearing that ear injury with pride, practically drawing attention to it with the new silver stud she’d used to pierce her other ear. Bluebolt, on the other hoof, hadn’t changed a bit, though Sundial noted she was still wearing that green-and-gold scarf despite the weather. Something about it being lucky. “Och, about bloody time.” Sundial rose up from her seat and waved them over. “Oy! Ye’re late!” Bluebolt grinned and waved as she approached the table. “Hey, guys! Sorry about the time, but we got caught up in a bit of business at the palace,” she said as she and Symphony took their seats. “Dad wanted my help picking out a gift to send to my brother for his upcoming anniversary, y’know, what with the big announcement and all.” “Big announcement?” “Fireglow and Gleaming Dawn are expecting! Isn’t that great?” Bluebolt shook her hooves excitedly. “I’m gonna be an aunt! I’m gonna be the best aunt ever, too. Just you watch, Aunt Bolt is gonna spoil the heck outta that foal.” “Aye? Well, that’s pretty good news then, especially after all that’s happened. Families sprouting up all over the place down there, I bet,” Sundial said with a grin of her own. “Give them a congratulations from me.” “From us,” Weaver corrected with a little nudge to her side. Sundial nodded. “Aye, right, from us.” “Oh, also, Mom wanted me to tell you that they confirmed that those gryphon eggs are all being taken care of by GAIA and everything,” Bluebolt said with a smile. “Och, good, one less thing ta worry about, aye? How’s that going then?” “Well, she’s got some of her engineers trying to figure out a way to interact with GAIA since we don’t exactly have any gryphon techno-magic keys or anything to gain access, and your Timekeeper didn’t work when we tried it back in the fall, so… y’know.” Bluebolt shrugged. “We’re doing our best.” “So hey, you two are headed out hiking tomorrow, right?” Symphony asked, gesturing between Sundial and Weaver. “That we are, up inta the southern Goldridge Mountains. After that last Void storm passed through we’re not expecting any new rifts for a few months at least, so I figured Weaver and I should take a wee break before it starts getting busy again.” “We’re going stargazing,” Weaver said with a smile. “Aww, how romantic,” Bluebolt cooed, giving Sundial a little nudge. “I didn’t think you had a soft spot in you like that, but there you go again proving me wrong. That’s really cute. What’s next, the ferris wheel? A picnic in the park?” “Don’t push it, lass,” Sundial grunted. She leaned back in her seat and looked between Bluebolt and Symphony with a knowing grin, already suspecting why the pair had called her and Weaver here. “So, you two wanted ta meet us for a reason, aye? Go on then, spill, what is it?” The other couple shared a brief look and a smile, then in unison they said: “We’re engaged.” Sundial’s eyes widened, as did her grin. “Really now? Och, about bloody time, aye? Y’know that I’ve been waiting all damn year for ye ta spring this wee bit o’ news on us? What took ye so long?” “Well, we just wanted to get a bunch of things lined up first so that there wouldn’t be any issues when we finally tied the knot,” Bluebolt said matter-of-factly, placing her wing around Symphony. “As you’ll no doubt recall, my mom got engaged when she was about the same age as me, but because of… circumstances, she didn’t get to marry my dad for years after that.” “So we’ve been putting together all of the arrangements with His and Her Majesty for the past few months,” Symphony continued, cracking a big grin and wrapping a hoof around Bluebolt. “That way, we can move forward with the wedding as soon as we’re ready to get hitched.” She leaned over and kissed Bluebolt’s cheek. “Pecha popped the question about a week ago, if you’re curious.” “Well, congratulations ta both o’ ye,” Sundial said, reaching her hooves out to pat both of their hooves on the table. “This has been a long time coming, aye? I’m honestly surprised ye waited so long in the first place.” Weaver grinned and clapped his hooves together. “We’re very happy for you. This is great news. So, when’s the wedding? Have you ‘set a date’ yet, I think is the phrase?” Bluebolt put her hooves together nervously. “Well, considering we also just heard about my brother and Dawn expecting to be having a foal sometime this winter—their spring—we don’t want to steal their thunder or anything, y’know? So, we’re hoping to push it up a bit. So, uh… two months or so from now, actually.” “We wanted to wait until you got your eyesight back, Weaver,” Symphony said, patting Weaver’s hoof, “but nopony knows how long that’ll take at the rate the research is going… sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but—” “It’s fine,” Weaver said, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to delay things on my part. It’ll happen eventually, but you two deserve to be happy now. Besides, there are bound to be lots of pictures and maybe even a video, so I can at least look over the event after the fact. I’ll still be there all the same.” Sundial raised her half-full glass of beer. “Aye! Well, here’s ta you two, then, aye? Congratulations.” “Congratulations!” Weaver said, raising his own glass of water. Sundial clinked her glass against his. “Aww, thanks, guys,” Bluebolt said, her face red. “I’m looking forward to seeing you there on the big day. Hey! If we’re lucky, maybe the portal will be open by then, huh? Wouldn’t it be awesome if I could invite the whole family to the wedding? That’d be one hell of a party.” Sundial smirked. “Aye, that it would. I wish I had news for ye on that front, but the going is slower than a bloody tortoise, sorry ta say. This thing is gonna take time. A lot o’ time. We can’t rush it if we want it ta work out proper-like, lass. If anything messes with it, we could very well destabilize the other world, and that’d be… well, very bad.” Symphony shrugged. “Yeah, we know, no rush. Still, it would be super cool to get everypony together for il grande evento, yeah? I bet Her Majesty wouldn’t hesitate to put together the biggest wedding the city’s ever seen if it meant that many ponies were coming along.” “I can’t wait to tell Apple Bloom about it, even if she isn’t able to make it,” Bluebolt said with a wistful sigh. “I just can’t wait for everything to work out altogether, actually. I bet a lot has happened in the last year over there…” “I bet Rarity’s married to Zircon by now,” Symphony said with a thoughtful nod. “And if I remember, Flurry had a big ceremony coming up, didn’t she? Like her coronation or something?” “Something like that.” “I wish I could give you two an update, I really do,” Sundial said, patting Bluebolt’s hoof. “Just you wait, though, soon enough we’ll be able ta have a wee get-together with everypony and share all o’ the new stories from the past year. For now, though, let’s all just keep focused on the here and now, aye?” Then, her stomach rumbled. “Och, bloody hell… sorry about that. I skipped breakfast.” Weaver hummed and nodded. “Hmm, yes, focused on the here and now, starting with lunch.” The group shared a laugh, then lifted their menus—Sundial scooted over to help Weaver with his—and made ready to order. Today was a good day, Sundial thought. ***** It took six full days of hiking west from Hope’s Point, across green, grassy fields and up steep, rocky trails for Sundial and Weaver to reach the highest point of the highest peak in the southernmost ridge of the Goldridge Mountains. It was early in the evening—the sun was just setting—and the weather was just right with not a cloud in the sky, pleasantly warm and cozy even at this hour and altitude. Sundial had planned this excursion out precisely so they’d be on this peak on this night at this time, and Weaver—despite his handicap—was still perfectly capable of meeting her expectations. While she had to advise him on a few dangerous areas here and there and help him actually climb, his sense of direction and awareness of his surroundings were still as stellar as ever. Bloom had been spot-on about his special talent: he sure knew how to find his way around. As the sun continued setting over the horizon, Sundial set up their campsite—just their large, comfortable sleeping bag and a small campfire—before she and Weaver—no longer in his sunglasses, since Sundial wasn’t bothered—enjoyed a quick, simple dinner of heated-up canned vegetables, then the couple laid down onto the sleeping bag and looked skyward just as the two moons were rising. The stars were out in rare form this evening, and Sundial set about describing every single one of them to Weaver, in detail, particularly the constellations. There were hundreds of them that could be seen with the naked eye, so it took a few hours to do, but Sundial didn’t mind it one bit, not in the least. Thus, it was late at night when she finally moved across the sky enough to finish the set. “And that last one there is called ‘The Archer’,” she said, gesturing towards a set of bright stars in the westernmost part of the sky. “It’s a set o’ ten stars that form a curve, like the limbs of a longbow, and what looks like the hooves of a mare drawing it back. Four stars make up the bow—two marking the end o’ the limbs, two making up the grip—and six make up the mare—one for her head, three each for her hooves and limbs, and one for her body. She’s aiming directly at The Heart, actually.” Weaver hummed. “In my mind, that shape could just as easily represent a scorpion though, couldn’t it? Four stars for the tail, six for the body and pincers?” “Aye, that’s been brought up a few times before in the last couple o’ decades now that everypony up north can see the sky. But y’know, a lot o’ these constellations were named or discovered by zebras and ponies in ancient times, before anypony came up north. There aren’t scorpions down in the southern lands, so they figured it was an archer.” “Ah. That makes sense.” He paused for a moment, seeming to take in all of the sensations around him now that it was quiet and late. The gentle, warm breeze in the air as it breathed on his face. The sound of said wind as it rushed through the rocky mountain pass below. The feeling of Sundial pressed up next to him, just as she was feeling him against her. He really seemed to love the outdoors as much as she did, actually, which made her happy. “Sundial… I’ve really enjoyed this,” he said with a content sigh. She smiled and set her head against his shoulder. “Aye, lad, me too. I haven’t enjoy this part o’ the job in years, let me tell ye.” “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t even need to do this all over again when I get my eyesight back. You’ve done… well, everything for me. You’ve given me the whole world, and that’s no small feat.” “And ye deserve the world,” she grunted. “Ye had yer whole life taken away from ye by that bastard Overseer. I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything I can ta give it back. I want ye ta be happy. Ye deserve ta be happy.” He paused again, then put his hooves around her and pulled her in close to him. She felt him put his muzzle into her mane. “I’ve been thinking for a while about how to say this, but…” When he stopped, she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “But what?” He let out a breath. “I think it’s best if I just be straightforward about it. The thing that I’ve enjoyed the most about traveling with you all this time is that… I’m with you. I’ve never felt anything like this before. Ever. After talking with Flurry way back when about these sorts of things, and then seeing Rarity reunite with Zircon, plus seeing how Bluebolt and Symphony are together… I think I know what this feeling is. Love.” Sundial was given pause herself, her breath catching in her throat. “I can’t imagine living my life the way it is now with anypony else but you. I want to be part of your life, just like you’re a part of mine. I love you.” Sundial took a long moment to mull this over, setting her head against his chest, closing her eyes so that all she could hear or feel was his heartbeat. She didn’t hesitate, just needed a moment to regain her senses. She’d never expected him to say those words, nor did she ever expect to want so badly to say them back. So, once she’d had a moment to breathe, she did. “I love you, too, Weaver…” she said quietly. “I really do…” She paused again, then gulped. “If I might ask… what about me makes ye feel that way?” “Hmm?” “I mean… I could tell ye all o’ the things that I love about you, lad. Ye’re honest. Ye’re loyal. Ye’re confident. Ye got a good sense o’ humor.” She coughed gently into her hoof. “And ye’re not bad ta look at, either. Plus, ah… ye know all o’ my, uh… sweet spots…” “Oh, that I do,” he chuckled, nipping the tip of one of her ears. She giggled at the pleasing, tickling sensation, her face reddening in the process. “Well, if we’re sharing,” he said. “You’re loyal and confident, too. You’re a driven, tough survivalist. I know that before you and Flurry pulled me away from the Overseer, you and I got into a few violent entanglements.” “Aye, that we did,” Sundial grunted. “I still remember the last one, back in that rainstorm when you were injured, though. You still fought back even though you were at your lowest point. I think that… that’s when I started to admire you.” “Really now? Admire? Heh.” She leaned up and kissed him on the chin. “What else do ye admire about me, eh?” “You’re compassionate. Even when you were, and I’m quoting here, ‘a right bitch’, you cared about everyone around you, even if you weren’t the best at showing it. Like how you are with the twins, for example. I also love all your colorful language. You always speak your mind, no matter what.” “Heh.” She smiled and took a short breath. “Thanks… that makes me feel better.” He pulled her tighter into the hug, and she leaned up to kiss him again, this time on the mouth. There wasn’t anything else that needed to be said up on that mountain top on that beautiful night. ***** These days, Rarity loved the snow. No no, that wasn’t good enough. She adored the snow. On a snowy day in Canterlot, if she didn’t have any immediate work to take care of, she sometimes found it enjoyable to head out into the snow and just take it all in. Nothing quite as messy as making snow angels—getting her coat wet was not on her list of “things I enjoy”—but a making a snowpony wasn’t out of the question. Thus, she was grateful that the Crystal Empire tended to have snow pretty much all year round, but especially had lots of snow now that winter had rolled around. The fields outside of the royal palace were covered in an incredibly pure white powder that stretched all the way to the horizon, and the gray clouds above sprinkled the stuff down like perfectly arranged confetti. Naturally, it was perfectly arranged. After all, nothing but a perfect winter’s day would be appropriate for today’s festivities. She and Zircon arrived by train in the mid-afternoon—fashionably late, because of course—and made their way straight for the royal palace under the escort of one of the Empire’s many guard ponies. The streets outside the palace were crowded and cramped with crowds of crystal ponies partaking in a market fair as they awaited the big moment of the day. Said big moment was precisely why Rarity and Zircon were even here in the first place: Today was Princess Flurry Heart’s official coronation ceremony. Today, she would officially be named as an Equestria alicorn princess, just as Twilight had been when she “ascended” some twenty-one or so years ago. The guard escorted Rarity and Zircon into the palace through a side entrance that was kept clear just for the guests of the royal family’s own festivities going on inside the palace itself. An attendant took their coats as they entered, for the ballroom was kept at a pleasant, comfortable temperature with magic just for the event, leaving them in just their fancy attire for the event: Rarity wore an elaborate purple dress decorated with genuine diamond sequins that sparkled in the light; Zircon wore a tight-fitting black suit that hugged his robust figure nicely but was still flexible enough to move around in, just in case he needed to get… physical. Like dancing, yes, dancing. Rarity had made them both herself just for the event, natch. The room was crowded at the moment as guests from all across Equestria mingled with one another, either chatting excitedly amongst themselves, listening intently to the exquisitely talented band that was playing, dancing to the band’s music, or partaking in the plethora of sumptuous, sweet delicacies and beverages that had been provided for them. Rarity uncharacteristically, and immediately, made straight for the catering table without a second thought, feeling rather glad that nopony had noticed her arrival just yet, and Zircon just followed along, a coy grin on his face all the while as he watched her sway just so in her dress. Every manner of sweet and tasty baked treat that Rarity could possibly imagine was available here, a testament to the catering skills of Pinkie Pie and Red Velvet, both of whom were on the other side of said catering table in adorable, matching chef outfits serving guests. Pinkie, who was the closer of the two at the moment, waved Rarity over when she noticed her approaching. “Rarity! Hey hey! Welcome to the party, slowpoke. Everypony’s been waiting for you to show up. Fashionably late, as always, huh?” She shook her head and smiled, then whistled as she looked Rarity over. “You look gorgeous. That is a fine dress, yup!” Rarity smiled and adjusted her mane slightly and pressed her hoof against her dress to smooth out a wrinkle. “Why, thank you, Pinkie. I’m terribly sorry if anypony’s been waiting for us specifically to arrive, but… well, I won’t make excuses.” She leaned in to whisper: “Truth be told, darling, once I got Zircon into that suit of his I simply had to get him right back out of it, hmm?” “Oh ho ho, scandalous, Rarity, simply scandalous,” Pinkie giggled, hoof to her mouth. “Hey, I don’t blame you one bit, fillyfriend. I know that sometimes I get that way around Dashie when she comes home still in her Wonderbolts uniform after a show. Mmph. Y’know? It really shows off her nice assets. Eh?” “Ha. Quite. Speaking of, where is your rainbow paramour, hmm?” Pinkie gestured behind Rarity, to where Rainbow was currently engaged in a conversation with Skyflash and Tropic Thunder, two other Wonderbolts that had been invited, younger members that Rarity recalled Flurry Heart was a fan of. Both were rather handsome colts, maybe a little older than Flurry herself, and were quite popular with the younger fillies and mares, and for good reason. "Keeping an eye on the cadets, hmm?" Rarity tittered, giving Pinkie a side-eye. "Keeping them out of trouble, more like," Pinkie said back with a grin. "Rainbow knows Flurry wanted Rainbow to bring them along but, uh, I don't think Shining Armor knows." Rarity grinned. "I see." Zircon, meanwhile, came up and gave Pinkie a polite nod. “Mrs. Pie, 'tis a pleasure to see thee here. How art thou this fine afternoon?” Pinkie smiled and nodded back. “Oh, I’m just peachy, Zircon! Thanks for asking! Quite a party, huh?" "'Tis a pleasant affair thus far, yes." Just then, Havocwing trotted up to the table and poured herself a glass of punch, as hers seemed empty. "Rarity. Zircon," she said, quick and to-the-point. "Havoc," Rarity replied, equally quick and to-the-point. She noticed Havoc was wearing a rather nice black outfit—not one of her design, and too masculine for Rarity's tastes anyway. "Enjoying the party?" Havocwing gave a little shrug. "Yeah, I guess. These kind of shindigs aren't really my scene, y'know? But hey, free eats." Rarity looked at the display of sweets on the table and licked her lips. “Yes indeed. My goodness, this is quite a spread you’ve got here, Pinkie. I don’t suppose I might be able to partake?” “Pshaw! Help yourself!” Pinkie said, passing Rarity a plate. Rarity took the plate and began loading it up with treats immediately in a veritable mountain. She turned to Havoc as she did so. "So, Havoc, where's your date?" "Huh?" Havoc asked, eyebrow raised. "Your date, darling. Surely you brought a plus one?" "Oh. No, I'm here by myself," Havoc said, shrugging and downing her punch. "I'm single again as of last week." Rarity gasped, hoof over her heart. "Oh dear, whatever for?" "Eh, I brought him back to my place so we could finally, y'know, get to 'know' each other, but uh, apparently he thought I was a stallion the whole time." "Beg pardon?" "Yup. Got me out of my uniform, saw I wasn't packing anything between my hind legs, and decided to bail." Havoc poured another glass of punch. "I'd say I was disappointed but that's like the fifth time that's happened in the past couple of years." "Maybe you oughta grow out your mane?" Pinkie suggested. "Y'know, look more like a mare? I mean, even Dashie kept her mane longer than you do these days." "Nah, not my style." Havoc turned and noticed Rainbow talking to the two Wonderbolts, then bit her bottom lip and downed her new glass. "Plenty of fish in the sea, though. Wish me luck." Rarity tilted her head and grinned as Havoc set off. "Best of luck, darling." She turned to Zircon and gestured towards the table. "Love, aren't you going to eat anything? There's plenty to go around." Pinkie nodded and gave a flourish with her hooves to present the table. "Yeah! You want anything from the table? We’ve got waffles, your favorite!” Zircon held up his hoof and smirked. “If there is anything left upon my wife’s plate when she hath finished, that will suffice for me. I am anticipating a large dinner after the main event hath concluded, if 'tis anything like these sorts of events back in Zeb'ra'den.” Pinkie tilted her head. “Are you sure? Rarity doesn’t usually eat—” Then, she noticed that Rarity’s plate was filled to the top with a mountain of cookies, tarts, candies, small cakes, slices of larger cakes, fudge, and chocolate-covered strawberries, with no rhyme or reason to their arrangement. “—much. Wow, Rarity, that is a lot of sweets. I’ve never seen you eat like that before. Especially not baked goods. Don’t those ‘go straight to your flanks’ like you always say?” Rarity shrugged and stuffed a shortcake into her mouth. It was delicious. “I simply couldn’t resist, darling. I’ve been feeling a mite peckish all day. Perhaps we shouldn’t have skipped lunch.” Red Velvet, who had been on the opposite side of the table, but who had clearly noticed the goings-on from there, zipped over with a look of amazement on her face as she stared at Rarity’s plate. “Holy moley, Rarity, you’ve got one heck of a sweet tooth today. Won’t those all go straight to your flanks?” “That’s what I said!” Pinkie agreed with a nod. “I suppose I do. Hello, Red, it’s good to see you,” Rarity said with a grin as she stuffed a donut hole into her mouth. It was delicious. “Mmph, oh my goodness, you two have outdone yourselves today, I must say. These are simply divine.” Pinkie scratched her head. “Thanks, Rarity. You, uh… don’t usually like donuts from what I remember… huh. Guess we really did do a good job?” She tilted her head towards Velvet. “Red, did you put something special in the donut holes without telling me again?” “Nope, not me.” Velvet’s lips curled in a wicked grin. “Oh ho ho, oh wow, I get it, though. I get it. Ha!” She gave a brief look to Zircon and bit her lip. “You two have been working… hard, I take it?” Zircon coughed into his hoof. “Aye, that we have. 'Twas a busy few months.” “Oh, I bet.” Velvet grinned at Rarity. “You are one lucky mare,” she said, giving Zircon a brief once over. "If I wasn't married. Rawr." “I’ll say, darling,” Rarity tittered right back. “Rarity!” called Applejack from nearby. Rarity glanced over to see Applejack trotting over to her, Flathoof in tow. She gave her friend a smile just after wolfing down a gingerbread cookie—it was delicious. Applejack was wearing a lovely, simple green dress fit for the occasion but not too fancy, and Flathoof in a simple suit. Rarity hadn’t designed either of them—she’d been busy most of the last few months with Flurry’s dress, after all—but could at least appreciate the look. Even if it wasn’t quite Rarity-grade. “Applejack, darling, hello!” she greeted with a little wave. “You look lovely.” She nodded to Flathoof. “And Flathoof too, of course. You look simply dashing in that suit of yours. Like a proper gentlecolt.” “Heh, thanks,” Flathoof said, scuffing the front of the suit with his prosthetic hoof. “You look pretty stunning yourself, if I might say so. I don’t usually see you in purple, though, do I?” “Heh, I should’ve known when y’all walked in the moment I saw all o’ that glitter all over ya,” Applejack said with a smirk, gesturing at the diamond sequins. “Ya look like the sky on a winter’s night.” “Oh my, that’s awfully poetic, coming from you, dear.” Rarity gave Zircon a brief nudge and a grin. “Did you start sharing your material with others, sweetheart? Hoping to make some bits on the poetry market, perhaps?” Zircon chuckled. “No such thing, my love, my words art only for thee to hear.” He looked briefly to Flathoof and Applejack. “Why, just this morning as my love donned her gown by the open window, I didst say to her: ‘But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? 'Tis the dawn, and Rarity is the sun’. It’s not often I use my old meter… though I suppose that doesn’t rhyme, hmm?” Rarity fanned herself jokingly. “Zircon, dear, I’ve told you not to recite poetry to me in public. You might get me all hot and bothered.” Applejack and Flathoof shared a look between themselves, then rolled their eyes. “So, uh… I guess you’re enjoyin’ the caterin’?” Applejack asked, gesturing at Rarity’s loaded plate, a curious grin on her face. Rarity nodded and placed a chocolate-covered cherry into her mouth. "Hmm? Oh! Right, yes, of course. It is quite a sumptuous affair, isn't it? Have you tried any of it yet?" Flathoof nodded. "Yeah, it's quite a lot of good food these two brought along," he said, gesutring to Pinkie and Velvet. "I mean, they brought donuts! You know how I love donuts. Former cop and all." She smiled tilted her head towards Pinkie and Velvet as she lifted a mint candy up to her mouth. “Kudos to the chefs!” she cheered as she ate the mint. "Hey, Rarity!" came the bubbly voice of Insipid from nearby. The excitable unicorn, dressed in a sleek gold ensemble that Rarity had made especially for her. Rarity as glad to see that the dress complimented Insipid so well in this light. "It's, like so totally good to see you," she bubbled, giving Rarity a hug. "I wanted to, like, thank you again for my dress and junk? It's super, no, major fresh." "Yes, indeed, it works wonderfully on you, dear," Rarity said with a grin. "You look absolutely stunning. I'm certain you've caught the eye of some handsome stallion out there by now, hmm?" Insipid rolled her eyes. "Well, duh." "Just be sure you bring any potential suitors to meet myself or your sister first," Rarity said, tilting her head towards Red Velvet. "I know, I know, pshaw," Insipid said, rolling her eyes even harder than before. She gave a side-eye to Zircon and grinned. "Oh, hey Zircy! So glad to see you too!" Zircon smiled and noddd briefly. "And I, you, my lady Insipid. 'Tis a pleasure indeed." Insipid paused for a brief moment, then turned to Rarity. "Anyway! I'm gonna go back out on the dance floor and, like, get the attention of this major hottie I've had my eyes on and junk, or whatever? So, like... see ya later!" Rarity chuckled as Insipid bounded off. "Have fun, dear!" She shook her head. "My oh my, it would seem as if everypony here is trying to find a new beau, wouldn't it?" Velvet shrugged. "Eh, I mean, what do you expect? Big party hosted by the Princess of Love in honor of the Princess of Hope? I think a lot of ponies here think they might just get lucky tonight, y'know?" "Well, most everypony," Applejack said with a low chuckle, gesturing back towards where Princess Twilight was currently engaged in a conversation with Starlight Shadow. Both of them were dressed in gorgeous dresses, the former's a design of Rarity's and the latter's a design of Hoity Toity's. "Them two ain't lookin' ta hook up at this shindig." Rarity shook her head and grinned. "I would be more surprised if they did." She glanced around, seeing if she could see any of the others in their circle of friends. "Where's Fluttershy, incidentally? I thought she was going to be here?" "Cancelled last minute, somethin' 'bout a bunny emergency," Applejack said, shaking her head. "Ah, I see," Rarity said, frowning. "Oh well, it can't be helped. I assume your brother and Grayscale are badysitting the kids?" Flathoof nodded. "That's right. Like you said, it can't be helped. Either we came, or they came, and I think we all know how much Big Mac and Grayscale would've enjoyed this big gathering, hmm?" "Yes indeed. A shame not everypony was able to make it. I'd actually hoped to see Curaçao at this event." "Oh?" "Yes, I wanted to thank her for hiring Coco Pommel as her personal designer for the upcoming EFI Awards. Honestly, if I find whoever's in charge of scheduling that film premiere on Flurry Heart's birthday, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind." "You're always lookin' out fer that mare, Rarity," Applejack said with a grin. "Coco'd be glad ta hear ya care so much 'bout her success after all these years." "Well, after all, what are friends for, darling?" Rarity placed another sweet into her mouth and then went to grab another, but hadn't realized her plate was empty. "Hmph, oh dear, seems I finished my plate." She moved back over to the table and started loading it up again. "Whoa, sugarcube, are y'all alright? I ain't never seen ya eat so much before," Applejack said, concerned. Pinkie pointed at Applejack and nodded intently. "Right? Right? She said she skipped lunch, though, so I mean, I guess it makes sense, right?" Rarity nodded and stuffed a butterscotch candy into her mouth. It was… well, it was all delicious so far. “Yes indeed, dear, and it's all so delicious, too. Pinkie and Red have certainly done quite a number on this offering, haven’t they? They have everything I like, it seems. Absolutely everything.” “But I thought y’all hated butterscotch? Ya gave me an earful way back at mah weddin’ when I offered ya some. Kind o’ weird gettin’ all ornery over butterscotch.” "Well, apparently these two just made one that I actually enjoy. All the more reason to give them credit where it’s deserved, I say,” Rarity scoffed as she brought another butterscotch to her lips if just to spite Applejack. She did hate butterscotch, or so she thought, but right now she just had a craving for it. Then, Applejack’s mouth curled in a wicked grin, just as Velvet’s had. Rarity had no idea what it meant but it looked odd on Applejack’s face; Velvet just had a natural “wicked” smile that Applejack couldn’t match. “Well now, ain’t that somethin’...” she muttered. “What was that, darling? Speak up,” Rarity said, though she’d heard Applejack just fine. “Nothin’, don’t pay me no mind.” She gave Zircon a coy grin and a wink. “Y’all work fast, sugarcube.” Zircon laughed, catching on rather quick it seemed. “Ha! 'Tis the way of things back home in Zeb’ra’den.” "I'm surprised it took them that long, to be honest," Velvet noted with a sagely nod. "I mean, if it were me, I'd be a lot further along." Rarity rolled her eyes and groaned. “Okay, okay, I get it. I bet you all think you’re being so cute and discrete, but you’re simply going about it all wrong. Goodness, even after all these years you still act like a gaggle of gossipy schoolfillies without any sense of tact or how to be inconspicuous.” “What, me? I ain’t got a clue what you’re talkin’ 'bout,” Applejack said with an innocent smile. “Me neither!” Velvet said, pointing at her own innocent smile. “Me neither!” Pinkie said, tilting her head in legitimate confusion. “Oh please,” Rarity grunted. She looked amongst the group and shook her head. “I was waiting until our monthly court meeting next week to bring it up, so that at least we could do so in a more intimate setting, but fine, just ruin my surprise, you bunch of amateurs.” Flathoof scratched his head. “Did I miss something? I’m completely lost here.” “Goodness, Flathoof, you’re supposed to be the detective, aren’t you?” Flathoof scoffed. “I was a beat cop, not a detective.” “Whatever! Hmph.” Rarity grumbled, then stuck her nose in the air. “Yes, well, since obviously Red and Applejack figured it out, I might as well just come out and say it before rumors or misinformation start spreading, hmm? Zircon and I are expecting.” Pinkie let out a gasp so loud that the band stopped playing—completely with a comically loud trumpet despite there not being a trumpet player in the band—and the entire room’s attention directed straight towards her. “You’re pregnant?!” she blurted. Rarity slapped a hoof to her forehead, then looked out into the crowd and saw not only a bunch of strangers and a few familiar faces looking her direction with varying degrees of pleasant smiles and grins, but the telltale movement of her other friends making a fast approach—Twilight especially, since it was hard to miss her in the crowd. Rarity really hadn’t wanted to discuss this now, or here, or with all these others around. She popped a sugar cookie into her mouth to calm her nerves. It was delicious. But, as luck would have it, the most suitable distraction possible came up right then and there, almost as if it was perfectly arranged to happen right that instant. A brief fanfare of trumpets had announced the arrival of Princess Cadence. “If I could have everyone’s attention, please?” called Cadence from up on the stage overlooking the ballroom. The entire room went quiet in an instant, minus a brief breath of relief from Rarity. The princess was as lovely as ever, and wore an elegant gown of pink and white, another not of Rarity’s design. It still looked nice, of course. Just not Rarity nice. “Citizens of the Crystal Empire, honored guests, it is a pleasure for my family to have you all present for this momentous occasion,” Cadence continued. “Thank you all for joining us this afternoon. Without further ado, I believe it’s time to proceed to the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” She stepped aside briefly and gestured to the pink velvet curtain behind her. “Please welcome my daughter, the Princess of Hope, Princess Flurry Heart!” The curtain opened, and the trumpets and band started playing a tune in unison together that Rarity recognized as a sort of mix between the traditional “happy birthday” song and a royal decree. After all, today was Flurry’s twenty-first birthday as well, so it made sense to put it together with her official coronation ceremony. Whether the trumpet players and the band had somehow coordinated this was a mystery, but if they hadn’t, they were working spectacularly together. Shining Armor escorted his daughter out from behind the curtain, leading the way with a proud smile on his face only possible from a father for his daughter. He was wearing his old decorated armor from his time as the captain of Celestia’s royal guard, which had been polished to a pristine shine that reflected every light in the room. Rarity noted that it looked like it was a little tight on him at the moment; he just didn’t have that figure anymore, the poor dear. Flurry, though, drew gasps of awe from the crowd as she approached the balcony. She was beautiful. Her dress was beautiful. She looked absolutely stunning in that dress, which was a Rarity original, natch. It was a multi-colored affair lined with a luxurious faux ermine that glittered with diamond dust, with the actual body of the dress composed of one of the rarest, most extravagant materials Rarity had ever used: arcanasilk, woven out of pure magical energy imbued into spidersilk. With the right enchantments and know-how, Rarity made the material look like genuine crystal that glowed with the light of every color in the rainbow, shifting with every step so that no two creatures saw the exact same thing at the exact same time. Rarity had put every ounce of pride and joy that she’d felt over the past year into that dress, not just because it was a favor to Cadence and Shining for their daughter, not just because the trip to the other world had made it impossible for Rarity to get a dress out in time for Flurry’s twentieth birthday like originally intended, but mostly because Flurry was Rarity’s dear friend and had helped reunite her with Zircon from across worlds. It was the least she could do for the best gift anypony had ever given her so far. Apple Bloom, who was across the room beside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo—they’d come together—leapt into the air and cheered. “Yeah! Happy birthday, Flurry! Woohoo!” “You look gorgeous!” Sweetie shouted, waving a ribbon in the air. Scootaloo just whistled, and rather well at that. Rarity noted that Cadence and Twilight’s horns were glowing, as they were using their magic to show the crowd outside what was going on in the ballroom at that moment. Just a little spell that Twilight had worked on after hearing about what Lockwood had done at Newhaven, and quite a well-made spell at that. As Flurry approached the balcony, she looked out onto the crowd below with a smile, and they all looked up at her with bright smiles of their own. She then took a short breath and made to speak. “Thank you, everyone, for being here for me on this very important day. Today marks a momentous occasion for me, for my family, and for the Crystal Empire. “I am the Princess of Hope, and so I hold in my heart a hope for the future of everyone. A hope that you will all go on to lead happy, healthy lives, that you will succeed in all of your endeavors, that you will meet all of the expectations placed upon you,” and, looking to Rarity with a little grin, she continued, “and that you will find someone out there that loves you with all their heart. “Though Equestria has not been darkened in many years by those who would mean us harm and those who would threaten us and our way of life, I hold on to the hope that there never will be again. But if there is, know this: I will stand as a light against the darkness. I will be here to guide you through the toughest ordeals we may face. I will protect you from those that bring evil back to our lands.” Flurry took another deep breath. “As this ceremony draws to a close, I know that my fondest memory of it will be not only the beauty of the ceremony, or of the wonderful food and music that have been provided for us all, but of the inspiration given to me by your friendship and love. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.” She lit up her horn, and the Crystal Heart appeared in front of her from thin air. Light went streaming out from it towards everypony in the ballroom, much as it had done in similar circumstances of joy and celebration before. As the light struck the room’s occupants, they found their natural coats transformed into a crystalline, translucent material. Rarity noted the sheer awe that was on Zircon’s face as he looked down at his crystal hooves. It was adorable. And with that, Flurry Heart bowed to the crowd, and the Crystal Heart vanished again back to its proper place within the palace. The crowd cheered, hooted, hollered, and applauded as loudly as they could. Rarity wiped away a little tear. She was very, very proud of that mare.