//------------------------------// // Approved by Celestia // Story: Equestrian reformation // by Vladilen_pro //------------------------------// Mac was as surprised as I was, and couldn't seem to get a word out of himself. "What's the big deal?" Applejack took the letter from Mac and began to read it aloud. "Dear Vlad, I have wonderful news for you and Mac! I have been following the progress of your friendship since your arrival in Equestria. Your visit to the bar, the serious conversation in which you were able to discuss problems and forgive each other, deciding to become friends... Your party together, where you were able to have fun... And of course, working together on the farm. Nothing brings you closer than working side by side, is it? By going through this together, you've proven that you no longer have bad intentions for each other. You're ready to let go of past wrongs and start fresh. I'm approving that you and Mac have successfully completed your programs, and now both of you can go back on Earth, congratulations! But, you will go there on different days. Vlad, you must come to Canterlot tomorrow morning to be sent back to Earth. A carriage will pick you up tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Mac, you will be sent the day after Vlad. Unfortunately, this is necessary because the portal has limitations. Mac, I'll send you a individual letter a little later. Best regards, Princess Celestia." Applejack finished reading the letter, looking at me and Mac in surprise. "Well, that was a lot faster than I thought..." an unintentional smile appeared on my face. "But it looks like it was good enough for Celestia." "Mac, that's really great news!" Applejack rushed to Mac and hugged him. "But I don't quite understand why you wouldn't be the first to go to Earth..." Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Come on, you'll just have to wait one day... Does it really matter? We can go back to our old lives! I'm so happy!" I was almost jumping on the spot with excitement. "And I think I have a couple of things to do before I leave tomorrow..." I was about to leave, but stopped and turned to Mac. "Hey, I'll come back a little later, okay?" Mac nodded, but did so with a little difficulty, as his sister was still hugging him. "Great, see you!" I walked home at a quick pace, since I didn't have much time left to spare. (I can't believe I'll be home tomorrow already! Maybe Celestia was hiding something, but who cares now? I'm almost home! I guess that's the news Luna wanted to tell me last night...) When I arrived home, I took a quick shower and ate dinner, at the same time making a small list of things I wanted to do on my last day in Equestria. (First and foremost... I need to see Coffeine and tell her I'm leaving tomorrow. Then go to city hall and talk to the mayor about the rent. I hope she hasn't went home yet...) There wasn't much time left, and it motivated me to be quicker. (Stop by Twilight's. Maybe she knows some details about tomorrow that Celestia hasn't told me. And of course, gotta see Mac, maybe we can arrange a meeting when we're both on Earth.) After finishing my to-do list, I folded it a few times and tucked it into my pocket. (Although... It would probably be wiser to go to the town hall first. Yeah, that'll be my first stop.) Five minutes later I was already standing next to the town hall. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon. (Celestia, just give me a little more time!) The Town Hall lobby was empty, and that made me a little nervous. I got to the Mayor's office and knocked a few times. To my relief, I heard "Come in." "Hello, Ms. Mayor. I hope I'm not too late." "Ah, it's you, Vlad. Come in, sit down. Don't worry, I always go home late, so I can find some time for you." Mayor Mare was talking to me while signing some papers at the same time. "Wow, that's a lot of paperwork..." I looked at the thick stack of papers waiting to be assigned. "You call that a lot of paperwork? Then you need to visit me on Monday morning." The mayor finally put the papers aside and looked at me. "So how do you like your house? Are you happy with it, or do you have any kind of criticisms?" "Ah, I like the house very much..... And I was just about to talk about it." "Okay, what about it?" The mayor was intrigued. "Well, the thing is, I'm leaving Equestria tomorrow morning..." "Already?" The mayor leaned back in her office chair. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you were going to... Stay here a little longer?" "Yeah, I thought so too... But today I got a letter from Princess Celestia saying I can come home. I have no idea why my program ended so quickly, but I don't mind, honestly." "I see... Well, the princess knows best." The mayor placed some sort of document on the table. "If you're leaving us tomorrow, you need to sign this document. Don't worry, you still have the right to stay in the rented house until tomorrow." "Thank you, that's exactly why I came here." When the signatures were done, I put the house keys on the table. "What about it?" "Ah, the keys?" Mayor tucked the document I'd signed into one of the desk drawers. "Usually renters give me advance notice about their plans, and then bring me the keys... But I realize that in this case it was unexpected change of things to you." "Yes, as late as this afternoon I had no idea the end was so near." "You know what? Just leave your keys under the mat by the door." The mayor shrugged. "That doesn't sound very reliable..." "Any other ideas?" The mayor crossed her hooves. "Hmm... What time do you come here in the morning?" "8:50 a.m. Town Hall officially opens at 9 a.m." "Great! Expect me in your office by 8:55 a.m. I could use a little jogging anyway." I put the keys back in my pocket. "Good. You're right, it'll be much more reliable that way." The mayor was pleased with my idea. "I'll see you tomorrow then! I've got a couple more places to stop by today, so I'm in a bit of a hurry." The mayor bid me farewell and I left her office. As I walked outside, the sun was already half hidden by the horizon. (One thing done, three more to go.) Keeping that in mind I headed over to the coffee stand. To my surprise, I met some ponies on my way who had already somehow found out that I was leaving tomorrow. "We're going to miss you!" "It was nice to have you here." "Glad you finished your program!" "Hey, thank you all..." I tried to hide my surprise as I spoke. (What the fuck? How did they know? What the hell is going on here?) I was genuinely surprised and even a little scared for some reason. (Okay, calm down... It's no big deal, I'm exaggerating.) As I approached the Coffeine Cream stand, she was apparently already waiting for me. "Look who we have here, a graduate of the reformation program! Congratulations!" Coffeine Cream smirked evilly. "You know too? You ponies never cease to amaze me... I got a letter from celestia like two hours ago... HOW?" "She made a public announcement in Canterlot about it. And as you know, such news travels fast in Equestria." Coffeine chuckled. "Coffee? On the house. You look like you need it badly." "Yes, the usual. Thank you." I rested my hands on the stand. "So... How's your mother?" "Oh, she's doing well! She's being discharged in two days. Such a pity you will miss it... She wanted to talk to you." Coffeine's voice became a little sad. "Yeah, I'm sorry..." I picked up my coffee. "Although... You can visit me, right? How about it? Wouldn't you and your mother like to see what life looks like on the other side of the portal?" "Oh... We... Are you serious?" the coffee pony stammered. "Of course! When I leave, Celestia will reopen access to the portal and you two can visit me. You can stay at my house, don't worry about that. I'll show you interesting places and stuff like that." "Wow... This... Yes, I accept your invitation! I'm sure mom will love it. Thank you!" Coffeine came out from behind the stand and gave me a hug. "Haha, I was sure you will agree." I hugged her back. "Got any paper? I'll write the address of my house." "Oh, yes, of course!" Coffeine let go of me and went under the stand. "Here!" I wrote down the address and handed over the piece of paper. "See you later! I hope so." The uncertainty in my voice was audible. "Don't even doubt it!" the coffee pony grinned. (Okay, now I'm going to visit Twilight.) On my way to Twilight's house, I met the ponies saying goodbye to me again. "Thought you were going to stay longer." "Will you visit us again in the future?" "That was an unusual experience for you, wasn't it?" (Okay, this is starting to get a little annoying...) After getting a few more goodbyes, I made it to Twilight. Wasting no time, I knocked on the door. "Just a second!" it was Twilight's voice. While I was waiting for the door to open, I heard the sound of teleportation again. (Looks like Twilight REALLY likes to practice her teleportation spell...) The door opened and Twilight greeted me with a smile, but I noticed that her mane was a little messy. "Hello, Twilight. Uh... Is this a bad time?" "Oh, it's okay, come on inside." Twilight stepped aside and allowed me to enter. "Actually, I guessed you were coming, but not so soon..." "Really? I visited a friend before I went to see you, and she knew I was coming too. Yeah, Princess Celestia public announcement did the trick." "At this point, all of Ponyville knows you're leaving Equestria tomorrow." Twilight chuckled. "I've already realized that. A bunch of ponies already said goodbye to me as I walked around town. I have a feeling I'll be getting more goodbyes very soon." "And you're absolutely right!" Twilight walked over to the couch and sat down. "Why don't you sit down too?" "Yes, thank you." Following Twilight's example, I sat down on the couch as well. "So what brings you here?" "Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me something I need to know about tomorrow? How it's going to be? I mean, yeah, I read the letter from the princess, but what if there are still some things she didn't mention?" I phrased the question carefully. "For example... Will Ms. Claire be waiting for me on the other side of the portal?" "Uh... Yes, of course! Princess Celestia have made an agreement with Ms. Claire. She... Will meet you." I could hear the uncertainty in Twilight's voice. "I see... Will someone other than Celestia be there when I will be leaving?" "Oh, about that! Yes, Princess Luna will be there. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are busy in Crystal Empire right now, so they won't be able to attend. And, of course, me with the girls. Well, except for Applejack..." (And why am I not surprised?) "It's too bad you and Applejack never got to be friends.... Maybe if you had a little more time...?" Twilight was a little upset. "Ah, who cares... She didn't want to go for it, and I'm not going to force her. She got what she wanted, and now we can go our separate ways peacefully. Some people just aren't meant to be friends, that's all." I sighed. "Sorry... Couldn't keep it inside anymore." "It's okay. And you're actually right... Not everyone can be friends, Pinkie Pie knows that from personal experience." Twilight nodded understandingly. "Yes, sometimes harsh reality hits unexpectedly." "Oh, by the way..." Twilight perked up. "As you know from the letter from the princess, a carriage will pick you up in the morning. But, the thing is, there's a bit of a carriage shortage right now, so you'll be with Fluttershy, she's living close to you. Do you have any disagreements with that?" "No... Why would I be against it? I'd have someone to talk to, these royal guards aren't very talkative..." but then I had a thought. "Fluttershy is a pegasus after all, can't she fly to Canterlot on her own?" "She's not very good at long distance flying..." "I see. Well, like I said, I don't mind." a smile appeared on my face. "Good to hear that-" Twilight didn't have time to finish as there was a knock on the door. "That's odd. Who could it be at this hour?" Twilight opened the door and I saw it was Applejack. (What the hell does she want?) "Hello, Applejack. Didn't expect to see you at this hour. Is something the matter?" Twilight was a little worried. "Just wanted to talk..." Applejack saw me as she walked through the entrance. "In private." "Sure..." I got up from the couch and headed for the exit. "I was just about to leave." Applejack recognized the sarcasm in my voice but didn't react. "See you tomorrow!" Twilight said, closing the door. (I could probably eavesdrop on what they're talking about... But okay, I don't give a shit. I'm done spying. Better go and visit Mac.) As was expected, I got a few more goodbyes from passing ponies on the way to the apple farm. When I arrived at the farm, Mac was sitting in the backyard of their house, apparently thinking about something. "Hey Mac. All good?" I sat down next to him. "Eeeyup." "Do you want to smoke with me?" I held out a cigarette to him. Mac took a cigarette and I lit it with my lighter. "That's it... My last night in Equestria." I inhaled the cigarette smoke. "So what about tomorrow? I heard Applejack won't be around in Canterlot while I'm being sent back to Earth. What about you?" "About that... I can't be there either." Mac let out a puff of cigarette smoke as well. "Oh... Why? If you don't mind me asking..." I was a little upset. "I want to help my sister on the farm before I go back to Earth too. Every minute counts, you know." "I see. Then no questions about it, helping relatives is a good thing. Anyway, we'll meet on Earth a little later." a slight doubt crept into my mind. "Right...?" "Of course. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't do it." "Haha, thank you. That answer warms my soul." while I was saying that, my cigarette was half finished. "What about Cheerilee? Is she happy about today's news?" "I can't even describe how much. She almost suffocated me in a hug when I told her. She actually really likes being out there, among the humans and ponies, watching their relationship develop over time. Sometimes, even I find it interesting." "I'm glad to hear that. You two deserve a better life out there on Earth. Hopefully, in time, I'll be able to communicate with her without those awkward memories..." I looked at the ground. "Of course you will. Like I said, we both have forgiven you a long time ago and realized our mistakes. No one's perfect, and if you're willing to give us a second chance, we are too." "Hey, those words mean a lot to me. Thank you." I finished my cigarette. "I suggest we meet at that bar that was near the place of our... Conflict. What do you think? Sounds a little ironic, I know..." "Sounds good enough for me. Actually, I've been there a couple times with my friends." "Oh...?" I was surprised. "You had friends there...? I mean no offense, it's just that you didn't say anything about it before..." "Eeeyup, I made a couple friends on Earth. There's even one human among them." "I mean, that's great! Why don't you introduce me to them when we go to the bar? We'll have a boy band, haha!" I was excited. "I was just about to suggest it, but I didn't know if you'd agree.... I'm glad you don't mind. They're good guys, we met in this bar when I recently arrived on Earth." "Then we have a deal!" I got up from the bench. "I look forward to seeing you at the bar with your friends! Maybe a good friend of mine will agree to go too. We'll have a good time, you'll see!" "Deal!" Mac held out a hoof to me and I gave it a shake. "Okay, I gotta go." I turn around and started to walk away. "Hey." I stopped and looked over my shoulder. "See you." "You bet!" I smiled and moved on. When I left the farm, Ponyville was still lively, even though it was night. As I walked along the houses, excitement and joy were overwhelming me. (This is why life is worth living...). I was deep in my thoughts when suddenly something dark and soft pulled me into a dark alleyway between the houses. I almost screamed, but my mouth was covered with something that felt like a...? A wing...? "Finally we were able to capture the moment when you're alone! It was difficult for us!" "OH MY GOD, LUNA! You definitely going to give me a heart attack one day! Was that really necessary?" my heart was beating rapidly. "Sorry about that, but we couldn't wait to talk to you!" Luna made an innocent face. "And please be quiet, we don't want the other ponies to see us!" "Okay, what's the news?" my heart rate started to settle down. "Nothing special, but we thought you might still want to know some details about tomorrow...?" "I'm listening carefully." I said sarcastically. "Well, where to start...?" Luna scratched her chin. I just chuckled.