//------------------------------//
// 30 - Epilogue 
// Story: Legends Of Ponyville 
// by mechafone 
//------------------------------//

"No, please! Enough!" Rarity cried. Fire Lotus smiled that too-pleasant smile and reached up to softly caress the unicorn's cheek. Rarity was strung up, her hooves held over her head by hard leather rope. She was in some dark place, and Fire Lotus was the only other pony there. Rarity's right foreleg stung, right in the pit where sensitive nerves were.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, this will be over soon..." the earth pony whispered as she knelt over a fire. When she stood back up, she held a small metal needle whose tip was red hot from the fire. "Now that I've finished heating...we can begin."

Fire Lotus stepped closer and stood up on her hind legs, wrapping one foreleg around Rarity's waist to balance herself. "Now, this might sting a little," she whispered into the unicorn's ear as she brought the red tipped needle up to Rarity's armpit, then dove the needle in.

Rarity awoke with a scream. She gasped and cried and rolled over in her bed, clasping her pit where the dream Fire Lotus had stuck her needle. It stung as if it had really happened.

For three nights now, since the meeting with Princess Celestia, Rarity had played it cool. She joked, she smiled, she pretended that nothing had changed. But things had changed, even though none of her town friends knew it. Deep down, she knew what was giving her nightmares. Her brief exchange with Fire Lotus was part of it, yes, but there was a bigger factor in her dreams: she dreaded telling Spark Storm that she didn't want to be with the Fighters.

Three days ago, when she'd been deep down in the earth, she'd been using her special gem magic to keep an entire cave structure from collapsing. That alone proved that she had great potential for earth magic, like Turbid had said. She had tremendous battle skills, as evidenced by her multiple encounters with changelings and even against Fire Lotus. On these merits, Spark Storm had recommended her to join the Fighters.

But even as she drove her way to the surface, Rarity began to face and realize her own mortality. Becoming a monster hunter, leaving the boutique behind and following Spark Storm on wild adventures and saving the lives of others was a very romantic notion, one that she had seriously considered both before and after Turbid told her what Spark had done for her.

But once she'd gotten home and unwound, and after the princess told her that none would even remember the deeds she'd done, the lengths she'd gone to to survive, she began to think of her home life. She was in the midst of starting up a shop. Her parents still came to visit, and as of two years ago she'd gained a sister that she'd barely gotten to know. There was still so much for her to live for here, it was too much to ask of her. The more she thought of this, though, the more guilty she felt.

Spark Storm had long been a figure that she looked up to, a symbol of strength, pride and loyalty. The horrible suffering he'd gone through, and still he rose up to the challenge of going on living. This had largely been due to Sapphire Snow keeping his head above the surface, but it was still his choice to keep going and live to serve others. He set a standard that she longed to live up to, but Rarity was beginning to find it was one she didn't want to hold herself up to. She wanted to live a peaceful life, live in ignorance of the world of monsters that lurked around Ponyville. Was it selfish? Maybe. Was it just self preservation? Probably. Was the decision tearing her apart? "...Yes..." she whispered to herself in the darkness of her room. She had to make a decision.



Cheerilee stared wide-eyed down at the plans before her. Her mother had never told her about this. Tears of welling emotion fell and spotted on the bottom of the house plans that had just been delivered to her by a most apologetic architect from Canterlot. He'd never received word of Cherry Joy's death, and having assumed Cheerilee to be said pony, told her of her mother's previously secret plans to build a home just for her children. The work pony had apologized profusely for taking four years to get around to it. Being an architect in Canterlot had been busy.

If Cheerilee's eyes had been leaking before, they were pouring down now as she picked up a small box that had been delivered with the blueprints. With quivering hoof, she managed to open the latch, lifted the lid, and nearly let out a sob as she found a single slip of paper with her mother's mouth-writing on it. She couldn't do it. She brought a hoof to her mouth to try to cover her sobs, then shut the box. It was too early to read it.

A knock at her door made her jump and brought her out of her thoughts. Has the architect forgotten something? Who else would be here at six in the morning? she thought, rubbing at her eyes to rid them of evidence of her tears. It was not the architect, but a unicorn that looked even more distraught than she did. "Rarity? What are you doing here so early?"

The fashionista sniffled quietly. Tired, dark bags hung under her eyes, but the rest of her was spotless. She'd gotten up and ready to go, but she looked like she was forcing herself. Cheerilee frowned sadly and beckoned the younger mare inside. "What are you doing up so early, sweetie? Are you looking for Spark Storm?"

Rarity inclined her head ever so slightly and stepped inside from the cold morning air. She noticed the blueprints on the table that sat in the adjacent room, but decided not to ask. She turned and smiled at her friend as she tried her best to appear nonchalant. "I do apologize for just showing up on your doorstep at this most disagreeable hour, but yes, I need to speak to your brother. Is he here?"

Cheerilee shook her head. "No, I'm afraid he's not. He woke up earlier this morning and headed out. He said he had an apology to make and left it at that."



Rarity paced herself, feeling herself tremble as she saw Spark Storm returning from the edge of the Everfree. She'd tried talking with Fluttershy about what had happened in the caves between herself and Spark, but the mare was just too broken up about what she'd seen to talk about it. With the disappointed look on Spark's face, Rarity surmised he hadn't had anymore luck than her.

Rarity picked up a little speed as she went to meet him, putting on one of those gentle smiles she always used to mask her true emotions. "Good morning, Spark Storm! Do you have a moment to spare, darling?" she called.

Spark frowned when he saw and heard Rarity. She'd been using the same avoidance tactics since the day of the caves. Something was really bothering her, but she wouldn't talk about it, she wouldn't acknowledge that something was wrong. He knew her well enough that she was hiding something. "Rarity," he said in greeting, coming to a stop to sit on his haunches and wait for her, a suspicious look in his eyes.

The tone in Spark's voice and the look in his eyes told her that the jig was up, he wan't falling for the fake routine. A stab of guilt stung her chest as she stepped closer and sat down before him. "Rarity, you've been acting like this for three days. Like nothing is wrong. You know it isn't, I know that's not right, either. Please, tell me what's bothering you?" he said, reaching with the crook of his foreleg to ease her gaze up to his.

Rarity stared up at Spark Storm. It took him a moment to realize what he was doing, and quickly released her, letting out a nervous cough. "Sorry." he told her quickly. The unicorn, instead of looking offended or uncomfortable at the breach of personal space, gave him a real smile.

This brief chain of reactions made Spark confused, so Rarity decided to continue for him. "Spark, I...I have a confession to make," she told him, taking another deep breath to ease her nerves. She'd been dreading this conversation for three days. As Spark came to attention, the unicorn lowered her gaze to the ground. "That day, when Turbid arrived to help us with the task of holding up the caverns, she told me that you recommended me to join you. Join the Fighters, that is."

Spark was taken aback by this. Yes, he'd mentioned it, but he was hoping to have some time set aside to ask her later. Turbid must've had a good reason to tell her. "Well, yes. I did. I wanted to talk to you later when I had a chance to prepare..." he said, feeling...well, unprepared.

Rarity nodded and murmured in understanding, her eyes still glued to the ground. "Yes, well...I wanted to reconvene with you before you left for Canterlot once more and communiquer with you about that. Spark, I..." Rarity finally brought her gaze up to meet Spark's. Tears of emotional anguish and guilt finally flowed from her eyes. Spark's form became a blur to the unicorn. "I can't do this anymore..."

Spark stared at his friend, unsure of what to do or say. Crying girls had never been his expertise. Crying babies maybe, screaming harpies sure, but not crying girls. "I don't think I understand, Rarity," he told her gently, slowly reaching out to rest a hoof on her shoulder. Spark honestly didn't know what he was doing at this point.

Rarity sighed quietly and brushed a hoof at her eyes before taking a step or two closer to lean against the pegasus, feeling a little better already. How did he do it? Just standing next to him made her feel stronger. Touching him this close did other things to her, mainly to her heart. Remembering what she came here to do, she begrudgingly pulled away from Spark, and this time rested a hoof on his shoulder.

"Spark Storm, I can't go with you anymore. The adventures, they've...they've been so wonderful, they've been a romantic adventure. But they have to stop now, for me." When Spark finally comprehended what she was telling him, he looked like he had something to say. She brought a hoof up to his mouth. "I am not finished, Spark Storm. Now, I...I realize that you've come to see me as a trusted and reliable partner in your travels, but I have other partners, other responsibilities, that I must see to. I have a shop I must attend. It's been my dream Spark Storm, my dream to design and sell dresses and have my name written forever in the social book of the entire valley, maybe the world!

"Not only that, but...I...still have my parents to look after, Spark Storm," she said carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was sound like she was bragging that her parents were still around. "They need me, and I need them. And my little sister, Sweetie Belle, needs me. I can't just go off and live my life the way you do, Spark Storm. You're bigger than me. You're too selfless. You give and you give and I..." Rarity frowned, choking up quietly. "I just...take. I want my life to be here, and I know that might sound selfish, I...I didn't want to disappoint you, Spark Storm, because you mean so much to me."

Spark felt his cheeks fill with heat. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? He would need time to process this. There was so much he still needed to take care of, he didn't have time for-

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt Rarity's hoof softly touching his cheek as she looked up into his eyes, a genuine smile sparkling in her eyes through her tears. "And that's why, Spark Storm, I'm not giving you a say in this matter. You shall just have to deal without me. I have faith that you most certainly can." The unicorn smiled and stepped away from him, leaving him with all new questions and a touch that burned his cheek. "This is au revoir, Spark Storm. Perhaps one day when the skies are untroubled and Celestia's sun is free to make her journey, we can sit down together and talk."

Spark Storm watched Rarity leave. He watched where she'd disappeared even as Celestia's sun rose to warm the cold ground. Usually, this was something that annoyed him. Lightning Twist was a good new example. She'd just popped out of nowhere and started flirting. It was annoying to have to deal with so much unwanted attention. Sometimes, it felt right, with Ditzy. Now he wasn't so sure, though. He'd already made a huge mistake with Sapphire Snow in that regard, and it was a mistake he intended to correct upon arrival in Canterlot.

But this was Rarity. As far as he knew, Rarity had never looked at him like that. They'd been close since he'd found her practicing her archery earlier this year. Their friendship before that was average, if that. Then when he'd reconnected with her, it was as if everything had changed. She'd changed, he'd changed. They bonded, they talked, they laughed, they fought, and they killed. They killed to survive and they killed to preserve life. When had he come to mean so much to her?



These questions continued circulating in Spark's mind as he made his way quietly through the town. It was the first time in many, many months that he felt he could without getting the stink-eye from somepony. Many smiled and waved. Others nodded their greeting and continued on their way. Some didn't even know who he was. It was a liberating feeling, to not be hated, to not be yelled at for his mere presence. Had things finally changed for him here in Ponyville?

It wasn't long before he found the market. He smiled to himself as he saw Shadow Heart trying to apologize to Applejack in a lengthy conversation about stolen apples.

Spark sighed to himself. Today's the day I retake my place as a Fighter, and I'm taking Shadow Heart with me. I can't believe it's only been three days, and nothing has changed in town. Maybe that's why everything feels off.

His thoughts occupying his mind, he wasn't watching where he was going when he ran into another pegasus, causing the workpony to drop his load of several boxes. "Oh, geez, sorry! Let me help you, mister..." Spark trailed off as he realized it was Laser Reflex. The light blue pegasus shrugged it off and started piling his boxes back on top of each other. Spark helped in awkward silence. He couldn't take it. "So, uh...how've you been?" he asked, offering up some light conversation.

Laser let out a humorless chuckle. "So that's what it's come down to? 'How are you'?" He turned to Spark Storm and leaned on his boxes, his body kept aloft as he beat his wings with agitation. "This sucks, Spark! Look at what we did, and what have we got to show for it?" He gestured across the market angrily. "Normal life. How the hell am I supposed to just slip back into normal life? This is the most unfair situation ever, and..." he paused as another pegasus approached, carrying a young filly on her back.

Ditzy gave Spark Storm a gentle smile as she stepped towards him. Spark swallowed hard as he turned to face her, apprehension clutching at his insides. Before either of them could say anything, Dinky dropped to the ground and ran up to Spark, a bright smile on her face. Then she turned to face Laser Reflex, threw her hooves up in the air, and yelled "Daddy!"

Laser stared down at Dinky with wide, surprised eyes before glancing first at Spark, who looked shocked, then at Ditzy, who looked very embarrassed. "Ugh...I-I'm sorry," she told Laser, reaching down to pull Dinky into her arms as she hovered in the air before the two. "...it's her first word and she's using it everywhere."

Hearing this, Spark looked up at Ditzy, trembling a little. "Wh...what? You mean earlier this week, that was..."

Ditzy hesitated for just a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "No. That wasn't the first time, but...you didn't know that, and I didn't want you to." Seeing the somehow sad and angry look in Spark's eyes, Ditzy gasped and ducked her head down as she held Dinky higher, her eyes barely cresting the filly's head. "I'm sorry I let you believe that, Spark. Please don't be angry, I just-I just wanted you in my life."

Spark frowned and glanced at the ground. So that's what happened? Ditzy landed, set Dinky on her back, and approached Spark, a patient smile and an air of resignation in her eyes as she reached up and put a hoof on Spark's shoulder. "Spark, it's ok. We shared a kiss in a moment of passion and you had a 'daddy' scare. Neither of those obligates you." Spark stared down in amazement at Ditzy's maturity. Again, he felt just a little bit intimidated. She was always so sure and so confident. Becoming a mother had given her courage.

"I can tell," she continued, "that your dream is somewhere else. I just wanted you to be in mine, but that's ok if you can't be in it. I have a bigger dream right now, and that's Dinky. Bringing her up in this town that cares about the two of us because you turned it around was a big enough gift, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Spark..." With this, she leaned closer and planted a kiss on Spark's cheek, then stepped away and smiled brightly at him.

Spark Storm frowned sadly at what he'd pushed Ditzy to do. Had he really pushed her? She was a big mare and could make her own decisions, but it still felt wrong somehow. "Ditzy, I-I don't even know what to say. I feel like-"

Spark sighed through his nose as for the second time that day a hoof was pressed to his mouth. "It's all right, Spark. It was a gamble, and I couldn't keep it up. You're in a different place than I am. The timing was wrong, maybe." Ditzy reached up and pulled Dinky into her arms and held her in front of her again. "Don't worry, I won't be lonely. And it's not like you're the only stallion in town. The one you were talking to was kinda cute."

Spark made to say something, but kept himself in check. He was not about to lecture Ditzy about getting involved with older guys. Ditzy gave him a suspicious look, probably suspecting him of doing just that. She smirked and reached forward to playfully knock on his head. "Very funny, Spark Storm." Spark winced, more from his blunder than from the hoofing on his head. "Well, I guess that's that," Ditzy said with a sigh. "You've got a big day ahead of you and I won't hold you up anymore..."

Spark tried to think of something to say. He saw her glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes to see if he had parting words for her, but when he didn't she sighed and suddenly darted forward and planted the lightest of pecks on his mouth and flew up with a giggle. "Bye, Sparky! Take care of yourself, ok?"

While her movement caught him by surprise, her action didn't. He smiled and waved before she was completely out of sight. With Ditzy gone, Spark could see Shadow Heart still talking with Applejack. The earth pony seemed to be insisting on sending him off with some apples, which he was attempting to refuse. Spark rolled his eyes and approached the two. "Shadow Heart, you're not going to get away with empty hooves. You might as well just accept the fact that your theft is forgiven."

Applejack beamed at Spark Storm, but Shadow Heart cringed as he turned to Spark Storm, a brooding glare in his eyes. "But Spark, I've done so much more than simply steal apples."

"And no matter how many times he tells me that, he won't tell me what else he did!" Applejack said with a frustrated but gentle glare down at the smaller unicorn. "How am I supposed to convince him that he's been forgiven?"

Spark frowned at this. He knew what it felt like to know that he'd done something terrible and not feel worthy of forgiveness. He reached up to rest a hoof on Shadow Heart's shoulder, then stepped closer to Applejack to take the apples she'd been trying to offer Shadow Heart, which she gave readily. He turned and stared down at Shadow Heart sternly. Wordlessly, Shadow Heart moved closer and accepted the apples into the saddlebags that Applejack had also provided.

Applejack watched the scene appraisingly, then clapped a hoof over Spark's back. "Y'all gotta teach me that one, Spark. Applebloom could benefit from a glare like that!"

Shadow Heart blushed with embarrassment, mumbled a 'thank you' and turned right around, headed back to the library to wait for Spark, who turned around to smile at Applejack. "Well...I can't really think of anything else I need to do in town today..." Spark frowned just a little. He could actually think of one thing, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Y'all all right there, Spark?" Applejack asked him. "Ya seem a might tight in the shoulders."

Spark matched eyes with Applejack, then sighed and lowered his head. "I've got...girl problems, Applejack. Well...I'm one problem down and a new problem up. Girls are stupid. No offense, AJ."

Applejack let out a barking laugh before patting Spark on the shoulder. "I think I get it, Spark. No offense, but y'all guys can be pretty dumb too. Dumb as bricks." Spark gave Applejack a playful glare before stepping close to give her a hug goodbye, then waved goodbye and headed off towards the library. As he walked along, he understood what Laser Reflex had been complaining about. The whole town seemed to smile. It was peaceful, it was busy, and it was ignorant of the horrible things that had happened just days before. So much had happened and so few remembered. It would feel good to get back to Canterlot where some ponies knew as much as he did. Of course, he'd still need to see one more mare...well, two.

Finally, he arrived at the library, only to find an angry Emerald Skies pacing in front of the door. Spark frowned and approached his old bookish friend, only to have him round on the bigger pegasus. "Another one, Spark?! Would you please take them all with you? I'm running out of excuses not to let anypony into the library!" Spark stared at Emerald Skies as if he'd been stung as the librarian stalked off angrily. ...What? Another one? Spark thought as he opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

Spark Storm entered the library to find a mess of feathers. Reddish brown feathers. Spark glanced around the room quickly, expecting another giant harpy to show itself. Instead, he found Shadow Heart sputtering and blowing feathers out of his face, a few of which hadn't reached the floor yet. "Did you see it? What are we dealing with?" Spark asked the unicorn.

"A chicken," came the annoyed response as Shadow Heart turned around to face Spark, his eyes on the upper level.

"Heh, it does seem that way. What kind of harpy molts like this?" Spark said with an uncertain laugh as he came to stand beside Shadow Heart, who gestured upward at the frightened harpy curled up in trembling ball at the top of the stairs.

"A chicken," Shadow Heart repeated. "...A chicken harpy."

"Daddy, come up here," Orea called from the second floor. She appeared a second later as she approached Amacia and laid a hoof on the harpy's back, who flinched, then peered out at Spark. Spark Storm tilted his head curiously, then turned to Shadow Heart and gestured for him to stay downstairs. He made his way up slowly up the stairs and cautiously approached the frightened harpy.

"'D-daddy'?" Amacia asked. She pulled herself slowly from her position and peered openly at Spark. She reached toward him slowly. "Um...if I may?" she asked. Spark glanced at her hands. While everything about her was much smaller than Sohl, her hands and feet still looked like they could do some damage. Her face might've been the most different thing about the two. Spark had no gauge of beauty for these creatures or the creatures they mimicked, but Amacia's face had a gentle round look to it, while Sohl's features were sharp and defined, sleek and dangerous. This harpy's big round eyes did nothing to make him feel like he was being hunted.

"I guess...?" he told her, not even sure what she wanted. Still, he stepped closer to her. Amacia smiled gently as she ran her clawed hands over his face slowly, then up into his mane and down his neck, then back up, a scrutinizing look in her eyes. "Um...what are you looking for?" he asked, just a little uncomfortable to be pawed at by a complete stranger.

"I have no idea how your species works, you're brand new to me. But...from the timbre of your voice and what I assume to a young body, you cannot be Orea's father," she told him, finally bringing her arms down to clasp in her lap.

"Oh!" Spark laughed, causing Amacia's former professional calm to shatter. She flinched visibly. "Uh, yeah. I actually get that a lot. It's a pretty complicated story...one that I can hopefully tell you on the way to Canterlot." Orea's eyes widened and she clopped her hooves together excitedly.

"Are we finally going back? I've missed it there!"

"Yeah, we're going back, Orea. I think it'd be a good idea to let the princess know that we have a new harpy." Spark glanced around the room. He spotted Ampelus hanging in her vines like a hammock over the entrance to the kitchen. Her body was almost completely grown back by now, her hind legs were strong enough to walk on. He wasn't looking for Ampelus, though. "Now where's the old harpy?"

Orea sighed quietly at the mention of Sohl. She'd been instructed not to say anything, and it was going to kill her when her surrogate mother left, but...no. She had a duty, and a secret to keep. "She went ahead to Canterlot. She's going to meet us there," Orea told him, trying to keep the frown on her face from showing too much.

Thankfully, Spark had his focus on the wall, glaring at some random pattern in the wood. "She's been acting so weird lately, it's like she's distancing herself, but why?" Orea had to close her eyes tightly to keep Spark's emotions from burning her. His thoughts of his bond with Sohl crumbling was hurting him much more than he was letting on.

Amacia glanced between the two, completely missing the tension in the two creatures. "So...a walk, then?" She got to her feet and stretched. When she brought her arms back down, she looked down at Spark Storm, who blinked up at her. She truly was different from Sohl. While Spark came up to about half of Sohl's height, Amacia was merely a head taller than he was. Plus, the fact that she wore clothes set her apart from the proudly naked Sohl.

Still, the clothes, and how she looked...Spark was pretty sure Sohl had never been seen by the public. At least not in harpy form. Sohl had the ability to hide in plain sight by assuming a bird form. His thoughts had to surface. "So, I really have to ask...how did you get in here without being seen? Do you have a bird form, like Sohl?"

This made Amacia blush and look down on the ground with intensity. "I...I do, but it's kind of embarrassing..." The harpy gave a great sigh and closed her eyes, and immediately shrunk down to a bird half the size of Sohl's bird form. It was indeed a chicken, covered with thick, fluffy reddish brown feathers, brighter along the bottom of her body and darker near her head.

"A chicken..." Spark mused with a dead-pan expression. "I don't know what I expected. Uh, anyway, we should get going, okay?"

Amacia clucked quietly, her head held down low against her body, giving her a look like she was trying to suck her head into her body, which she may well have been trying to do, she was so embarrassed. With a loud rustle of feathers, she flapped up onto Orea's back and settled down with her head tucked under her right wing.

"All right...I think it's time we head back. Today's been weird...too weird." Spark sighed and headed down the stairs and slipped over to Ampelus. When he reached up to tug on the vines keeping her stationed, the nymph groaned and turned over in her hammock-like position and wrapped her forelegs around Spark's neck. "Nnnno. Don't wanna go. Why don't we stay here and play?" she whispered seductively into his ear.



The library doors burst open, making Emerald Skies, who was waiting nearby, jump. The first thing he saw was Shadow Heart, who emerged with Orea curled up on his back, who appeared to be holding a chicken. When Emerald caught Shadow Heart's eyes, the unicorn shook his head with what might've been the funniest, most annoyed look the pegasus had ever seen. "Don't ask, just...don't ask," Shadow Heart told him.

Behind him walked Spark Storm with a pair of saddlebags across his back, one pocket bulging. Spark looked absolutely furious as he shifted the bag to balance the weight. A whine came from inside the bags, and Emerald could see it shifting, writhing like a hundred snakes. "Geez, Sparky, can't you take a joke?" came Ampelus' voice. Spark didn't respond to her. Instead, he turned to Emerald Skies, a tired expression on the dark pegasi's face.

"Well...I guess this is it, Emerald. We're finally going back, and you've got your library back. It'd be nice if we had our own place, and I'm sorry we hurt your business by hanging out there the whole time. It's back to the lives we know. I don't even know how long I'll be gone this time."

Emerald made a face at Spark, then clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't talk like everything's back to normal. It's not for you, anyway," Emerald told him with a smile and more than a hint of jealousy. "You seem to have been born for this kind of thing, Spark. Now go on, get on back to what you know best."

Spark smiled and embraced his old friend, then turned around and gave an encouraging nod to Shadow Heart. The two set out of town carrying their respective passengers, a certain silence between all of them.



"He's here, he's here!" Lemon Pop said with an excited bounce several hours later. Sapphire Snow hopped forward to stop at Lemon Pop's side as they stood at the edge of the town of Canterlot, where the road disappeared past the trees.

A frustrated frown broke over Sapphire's face, her eyes still looking for signs of Spark. "You baffle me. Every time. How do you do that?" she asked her long-time best friend. Lemon Pop merely grinned and began hopping. The longer she did it, the shorter her hops became until it just seemed like the red pegasus was vibrating. "Oh for Celestia's sake, go to him!" Sapphire nearly shouted with expasperation.

"Thankssapphireipromiseiwon'tkeephimlong!" Lemon Pop shouted as she took off down the hill towards where she just knew Spark Storm was coming.

Lemon Pop flew down the road, where the road eventually ran out of stone and simply turned to dirt, though the path remained just as visible. It wasn't long (about a mile) that she saw the group. By now, Ampelus, Orea and Amacia had slipped out of their disguises (in Ampelus' case, her prison) and were all walking together. A red pegasus headed their way, subtle as a train was a small cause for alarm until Spark and Orea recognized her. He held up a hoof as the older nymph and the unicorn poised for battle (Amacia had jumped into the bushes). "Easy, guys, this one's for me."

Lemon Pop came to a complete stop three pony-lengths ahead of Spark. The excitement in her eyes quickly changed to an angry pout, her chest rising and falling from her flight. Spark smiled gently at his companions and nodded his head forward. "Orea, you know the way, right? Take them to the gardens, ok?"

As Orea happily lead the other three towards Canterlot, Spark sighed and turned to face Lemon Pop. The last time he'd seen her had been three days ago, just before his first encounter with Shimmering Oasis. His words had been quick, uncaring and hurtful, and had caused her to miss out on the adventure. He still wasn't sure what had changed her mind to run get help, but he and his friends would all be buried if she hadn't.

Lemon Pop leaned forward with an expectant look on her face. She wanted an apology, and she wanted a nice one.

Not one to disappoint, Spark cleared his throat to begin. "Lemon Pop, I wanted to say I'm sorry-"

He got no further then that when Lemon Pop latched onto him and nuzzled him happily with tears in her eyes. "Apology accepted!" Spark Storm laughed and threw his hooves around her. They talked for several minutes, both catching the other up. Spark learned that her friend Choco Swirl convinced her to swallow her pride and go get help. If it hadn't been for that convenient apprentice-swap that week, things might've been different, and not in a good way.

The two began to walk and talk, continuing their conversation for the next mile. Spark had so many things to tell her of his adventures that there just wasn't enough to to finish when they came upon the place where Sapphire Snow stood waiting in the same spot she'd seen Lemon Pop disappear. Lemon Pop smiled as she looked between her two best friends, a concerned frown when she saw look in Spark's eyes. "Spark? What is it, why do you look like that?"

Spark turned to look at Lemon Pop, unsure of what to tell her. The red pegasus let out a tiny gasp, her hooves covering her mouth as she began to hover. "Oh, Spark...you and Ditzy...?"

Spark shook his head and looked his friend in the eyes. "No. Well...Yes and no, but I'm not with her, and I'm not going to be. But...something happened, and Sapphire needs to know, Lemon Pop. I can't just pretend that nothing happened."

Lemon Pop frowned at him, a look of disappointment. She landed beside him and rested a hoof on his shoulder. Spark couldn't hold the look and cast his gaze to the ground. "You're a good guy, Spark Storm. Don't let anypony ever tell you that you're not amazing. You're just not ready, yet." She leaned in to give his shoulder a nuzzle before taking off, leaving Spark Storm alone with Sapphire Snow waiting ahead.

Sapphire Snow stared down at the exchange. She couldn't hear anything, but she knew something was wrong. She watched Spark Storm as he approached her, her heart continuing to tighten, and suddenly she wished she hadn't gotten up so early this morning.



Spark Storm sighed as he sat in elder Orea's ash tree, in the very crook he'd found her when he'd planted this tree. Her progeny sat with him, curled up with a sad look in her eyes as she dabbed at the black and purple wound surrounding his right eye, visible only because the setting sun shone on it.

Spark sighed and closed his eyes, not even bothering to protest when he felt thick vines wrap around his body and pull him against a larger body than his, also coming to rest in the tree. The pegasus opened his eyes to see little Orea staring up at him with worried eyes. He reached down wordlessly to pull her into his forelegs. He felt more vulnerable now than he ever had before. Sohl still hadn't met them, and now Sapphire Snow had rejected him. At least she'd had good reason, but Sohl didn't seem to have one.

It wasn't like Spark's life just started to suck, he was just having a really bad day. Spark would resume his life in Canterlot as a Fighter, he would continue serving under Celestia, and he'd made new friends and allies. It was the wondering where his other allies and friends had gone to that concerned him.



Far away, some twenty miles away, a figure broke the canopy of the forest, a tall, thin, bug-like creature with straight teal hair watched the castle. She watched it with jealous, hateful eyes. While it hadn't been Canterlot itself that caused her downfall, it had indeed been Spark Storm's involvement that had resulted in the destruction of her clan. Well, almost all of it.

She looked down as Nuzo joined her. He had a nasty scar on the back of his head where he'd been slammed into a rock wall, the last action he'd seen before he'd escaped. Chrysalis managed a small smile as their eyes met, causing him to look up at her in fear and apprehension. They both knew-Chrysalis and Nuzo would disappear for a little while. A few years, at most, to rebuild the hive. And next time...next time, they would take Canterlot itself.



And that's it! I think the ending was maybe a bit rushed, but I do believe I got the point across. I'm not sure what I'll start with next - I have been planning to start the SCSD rewrite again and work on that, but I'm also anxious to keep this going! For those wondering, Sohl hasn't left yet. -That- will be an affair to remember. Stay tuned for...well, something! Much more writing to come. Thanks to all of you who have read and left reviews for each chapter, your support and encouragement has been a big influence to help me keep writing :D