Your eyes shoot open. There is a weight on top of you, and you can't really see much. You flail your arms around to push away whatever is on top of you. In its place you see a wooden ceiling. Looking around, it seems as though you're in a bed. Your bed. You sit up, letting your eyes adjust to the room around you. This... this is your room. It's back. You feel the bed beneath you. You move around, and sure enough, the bed reacts. You leap out of bed, taking great satisfaction in the sound of your feet hitting the floor. You open the window and breathe in the crisp morning air. You smile to yourself. Did all of that actually happen, or was it just a dream? It... doesn't really matter much, does it? You quickly get dressed and head out the door (using the handle this time), eager to experience a new day.
You walk down the quiet, mostly empty road. It IS an early morning, after all, but you're used to getting up before sunrise after sleeping with Tia so many times. To your delight, a familiar building can be seen standing a ways down the path. The Royal-Tea Shop, right where it is supposed to be. You glance through the windows as you pass by. It looks exactly like you left it.
Continuing on, you spot the familiar face of Lyra, once again sitting in that strange way she does. She locks eyes with you almost immediately and happily waves at you. You give her a happy wave back and exchange pleasantries before making your way further into Ponyville.
You're really here.
At first you thought about visiting Twilight, but you don't think that's necessary. She has enough on her mind as-is, what with her coronation coming up. Instead, you take a familiar trek back into the Everfree Forest. There is something you want to confirm.
The trip is almost identical to the one you had taken earlier. You stand a bit taller, both because of your heightened mood and the fact that you don't want to let your guard down now that you are in genuine danger in here. Making your way to and around Zecora's hut, you note that the old path is legitimately gone, forcing you to trudge through tall grass and having to avoid the local flora as well as you possibly can.
Thankfully, no dangers present themselves. Feeling a sense of déjà-vu, you spot sunlight breaking through the canopy up ahead. You move with a bit more urgency, eager to confirm the suspicions welling up inside you. Finally breaking through the treeline, you see the orchard once more.
Only, there is no orchard. There are no fruits, there are no animals. There isn't even a tree in the center. Before you is an empty clearing. Drinking in the silence, you take a moment to just sit back and ponder.
Even if everything you thought you had experienced was a dream, that tree wouldn't just disappear. Something had to happen to it, as well as the rest of the orchard. You look down at yourself, at your chest, at your arms, at your open palms.
...That orchard really was a part of you, huh? You close your eyes and give the clearing the best smile you can muster.
"Thank you."
Are you losing your mind, or are you just feeling particularly bold today?
After leaving the Everfree Forest, you confirmed that today is the same day as yesterday. It seems that escaping from whatever spell the First cast on you caused the day to repeat itself. With that in mind, you happily teleported to Canterlot Castle via teleportation circle and made your way through the halls, a spring in your step as you relished in the sound of your footsteps echoing throughout the corridors. Now you stand in the hallway leading to the throne room, a line of nobles and other important figures standing impatiently for their turn to speak to Princess Celestia as she holds her day court. Yet, for whatever reason, today you just don't care.
You happily saunter right past them, getting a few scoffs and sneers along the way. They know they can't actually say much to you, lest they incur Tia's wrath. Even with that being the case, you typically try to avoid getting on anypony's bad side, but you just can't bring yourself to care today. With a grin from ear to ear, you waltz right past the guards at the doors, who step aside and let you into the throne room, worry on their faces. They probably think there is some kind of emergency that warrants an interruption such as this.
An older stallion stands before the throne, presenting Tia with some complaint or another. He cuts himself off as he notices that Tia's attention has turned to you, who has ever-so-rudely interrupted his time with the princess. The two look at you as you continue to approach the throne, your pace quickening. You hear Tia's voice moments before you reach her.
"Uh, good morning, dearest. What are you doing here? Is something the matt-"
She is interrupted as you throw yourself towards her, wrapping your arms around her stiff, dignified frame. She seems caught completely off guard and a bit hesitant to return the hug, but after a few seconds you feel one of her forearms wrap around you.
"W-what is the meaning of this?"
"There is no meaning. I'm just... happy to be alive. And to have you be a part of my life."
After a few more silent moments you let go of her, the grin never leaving your face. She looks at you with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape and her cheeks an adorable shade of pink. It seems that she wasn't expecting this and is still processing what is happening. You give her a wink and walk back out of the throne room, noting that the stallion seems just as shocked. Outside the room, the nobles in line, who were not-so-subtly checking in on what you were doing, have similarly shocked expressions. You simply laugh to yourself as you make your way to the nearby tea room, ready to join Tia after her court concludes and she gets finished with those legal documents. Happy though you may be, there is plenty to discuss.
You sit back in your chair, which had been made specifically for your human stature. You take a sip of tea as you finish your explanation. Across from you is Tia, whose shocked expression made it clear that she was not expecting that story from you. She looks down at her tea, seemingly too nervous to take a sip. You know what's on her mind, but you aren't going to let it be brushed aside anymore.
"I know you want to ignore it, but we can't afford to anymore. The First is trying to get rid of me. You can't deny that this was her doing."
"But you cannot prove that her actions were malicious! Are you sure there wasn't some greater purpose?"
"The 'greater purpose' was a world without me in it, Tia! Do you want that?"
"Of course I don't, but why do you think she wants that so badly?!"
"I have no idea, but you know what? After yesterday, I don't really care. I don't care what she wants. I know what I want, and that's to live my life to the fullest here in Equestria alongside you. I want to live a joyous life in Ponyville, serving tea in a business I built for myself with the love of my life at my side, who gets to enjoy the rest of her days retired and happy. If whatever the First wants stops that from happening, well, she can take those desires and shove 'em."
"What if she is trying to avoid some kind of disaster? What if there really is a greater reason for you not being here?"
You are taken a bit off guard by her stance on this. Why is she so defensive of a goddess that treats her like she has no individuality in the first place?
"I... even if there was, are you okay with her getting rid of me to accomplish that?"
"..."
You sigh and look down into your nearly empty teacup. Her silence speaks volumes.
You feel your feet run cold. This really isn't how you were expecting this to go. Is she... really okay with that? Is she actually willing to sacrifice you for some "greater good" promised by some random deity?
"...I don't want her to get rid of you. You're the greatest thing to ever happen to me." You lift your gaze once more, only to find that she is looking into her teacup as well. "I am... not used to this. For the longest time, I have been 'Celestia, alicorn princess, ruler of Equestria.' I have always been the strong one, unwilling and unable to show weakness. Except around you, of course. But this? ...This scares me." She looks up, now looking you dead in the eyes. "The First scares me."
"I understand why. But look at me. The First is supposedly this all-powerful entity that's made of magic or whatever, and yet in spite of her casting a spell stronger than what you, or Luna, or anyone else is capable of, I am still here. She failed."
"And if she tries again?"
"If she tries again, I'll be ready. I will never stop fighting for this life. For our lives. Nothing, not even some insecure goddess, can stop that."
Tia lets out a chuckle, the anxiousness still noticeable in her voice. You give her a smile and walk around the small table, planting a kiss right below her horn. As you do, you feel her wings wrap around you, pulling you into an admittedly awkward embrace. You feel her beginning to match your smile as you share a quiet, comforting moment.
Regardless of what the future has in store for the two of you, you will never stop trying to live the life you want.
Because no matter what the First may say, you were never a mistake.
You deserve to exist.