//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: The Sparkle of his Eye // by Silentpegasus //------------------------------// Epilogue Five years later. Ink waited off stage next to Twilight. The stallion was tapping his hoof nervously. Twilight rubbed him on the back trying to calm him down. “Easy Ink. You’ve gone through the script a million times you’ve got this.” “Yeah I know.” He said with a gulp. Twilight gave him a kiss before the stallion walked on stage and took the podium. He sent out a pulse and saw the outlines of hundreds of stallions and mare waiting for his speech to start. “Good evening Fillies and Gentle Colts. I am truly humbled to accept the Artist of the Year award here in Canterlot.” Several ponies cheered and stomped their hooves for him. “I had this big long boring speech planned out.” He said as he held up the piece of paper. “But, instead I’m gonna wing it.” Twilight gulped offstage. “Art isn’t something you can put a tag on or something that you can put behind a frame. Art is life. It breathes, it lives and dies like everything else. The beauty of life itself is Art. I would not have made it this far if it weren’t for my lovely wife Twilight Sparkle and my adoring sister, Vinyl Scratch.” The crowd cheered as the spotlight focused on the blushing lavender mare. “Before I take my leave I just want to say this. I quote Colt Jobs; ‘Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice. And most Important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.’ Truer words have never been spoken. All my life ponies told me I would never become and artist due to my disability. A disability I’m now tired of hiding.” The ponies in the crowd started to murmur to one another in confusion and anticipation. “Ponies always ask me how I see the art in the world. When the truth is...” The dark stallion smiled and removed his glasses. The crowd gasped at the sight of his eyes. “The art in the world see’s me. Goodnight!” He said as he levitated the trophy with a golden paintbrush on top and turned. As he started to walk off stage the entire crowd erupted with clapping and cheers. As he got off stage Twilight hurried up to him with a surprised look on her face. “Wow.” “Yup, how’d I look?” “Excellent.” She said as she put a hoof on him and the two vanished from the massive horde of reporters. The found themselves inside the large tree house where a white unicorn mare and a grey earth pony mare were sitting on the couch with two small Unicorn foals. “Daddy!” He heard a familiar filly’s voice exclaim as the two trotted up to them. The stallion got on his knees and gave them each a hug. A dark unicorn filly with long a long purple mane and tail smiled. “That was so awesome dad!” The light blue Unicorn with a jet black mane said as he hugged his mom. “Were they okay?” Twilight asked Octavia. “Absolute angles.” The charcoal mare said with a smile. “That daughter of yours has learned the ‘look’ be careful Ink.” Vinyl said with a smile. “Relax she can only use it on me once a month anyway.” “Okay kids time for bed.” Twilight said as she clapped her hooves. The foals hurried off upstairs. “That took some guts Ink. Glad to see that you’re still the colt I grew up with.” Vinyl said with a smile. The friends said their goodbyes and the two unicorns made their way up to their room. Ink sent out another pulse and saw the two outlines of the sleeping foals. Twilight walked up next to him and smiled. “They’re beautiful aren’t they?” She said in a sweet tone. “My...Our best works of art.” He said as he kissed the mare. He followed his wife into bed and held her close in his hooves. He let out a deep sigh as she fell asleep in his embrace. There he was, a stallion who had gone through the edge of the abyss and back had ended up with the best mare anypony could imagine and two wonderful children. His children. The End.