//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Flipside // by Bed Head //------------------------------// Epilogue High above Ponyville, the sun shone once again. The life-giving fire orb seemed as overjoyed as the little hamlet beneath it to finally be gracing the sky again. Seated in its throne of high-noon, it cascaded light across the land as the sky surrounded it with a more vibrant blue than ever before. A pleasantly cool breeze carried through the town below, perfectly balancing the warmth of the first day of summer. Accompanying the breeze was the sound of music and laughter, rising into the sky to join the sun. Spike, however, wasn't paying any of it the slightest bit of attention. "Really, it's okay..." It felt like he'd been saying that ever since he'd returned to Ponyville. Ever since the town and its freshly awakened foals had gathered to hear Princess Celestia's recounting of the night's adventure. The unicorn could still see mobs of faces gathered around him, many cheering, many more apologizing. His headache had returned afresh trying to keep track of how many tearful parents had asked for forgiveness. Certainly more than had actually seemed angry at him so many hours ago. All of them collapsing into a blur of colors and voices— "It most certainly is not okay!" —which had long since faded into the ivory-white unicorn mare seated across the cafe table from him. Spike stifled the blissful sigh trying to work its way from his mouth as he simply stared at Rarity. Even after the long night her purple mane was still perfectly coifed, highlighted slightly by the blue glow of her horn. His head rested against one hoof as he watched the delicate twitches of her head while her magic worked. All the rest of the empty cafe and the ponies celebrating in the streets around it couldn't pull his eyes away. His ears twitched as her voice slowly worked its way up again. "After the way everypony..." Rarity said, her head bowing and lowering the thread and needle she'd been working with. "After the way I treated you..." The purple unicorn blinked and shook his head. The daze slowly cleared from it as increasingly familiar words poured from the mare's mouth. "Uh..." he stammered, his voice coming out as a dry croak. "M-miss Rarity—" "Of course you'd have every right to be angry," Rarity carried on, her eyes not even flickering to the stallion. Spike's tongue clung to the roof of his mouth as he tried to swallow. Somehow he remembered the apologies from everypony else going much easier. He cleared his throat, struggling to break the stone that had formed there. One purple hoof inched across the table, staying low to avoid the sewing needle Rarity's magic held. "I... I mean..." his throat cleared again as he clenched his jaw and raised his voice above the harsh whisper it had become. "I'm really not—" Something clenched around his fetlock. Looking down, the reporter could see it was sandwiched between a duo of white hooves. His eyes slowly travelled up to the owner of said hooves, finding her blue eyes locked on his own. Fresh tears were forming in them, glittering like the multitude of stars his brain was suddenly soaring past. Everything else around him was slowly fading to black. "I suppose it's too late now," Rarity said with a wistful sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if you never forgave me..." The mare was sniffling, her gaze casting downwards. Spike desperately wished his mouth would open, but his mind still floated further. Disconnected from his body, yet still totally focused on the lovely (and saddened) unicorn mare before him. "I wouldn't worry about that, Rarity." Spike arched an eyebrow at the voice that was not his own. The sunlight and cafe suddenly crashed back into view as he managed to turn his head away from Rarity. Twilight's head peeked above the edge of the table, a notepad and quill resting next to her empty hay-fry basket. "I think if we learned anything, it's that it's never too late to apologize," she continued, flashing a quick wink to the stallion. "Right, Spike?" "Oh...Oh!" Spike gasped out, nodding in agreement as fast as he could. "Right, right." Turning back to Rarity, the stallion could see a relieved smile on her face. Her eyes were already dried as she gently released his hoof. "You're far too kind, both of you," she said, as she looked to the needle still hovering by her head. "Ah-ha! Finished!" With a swirl of blue light, the needle deftly flew back into Rarity's saddlebags along with a spool of thread. Her face broke into a proud smile as her horn sparked in excitement. With another practiced flourish of magic a familiar, brown fedora swooped in from the side of Spike's vision. Spike blinked in surprise at his hat suddenly being pushed into his face. He quickly leaned back, his eyes focusing on the head gear. Gone was the golden circlet with its jeweled feather, taken hours ago by Princess Celestia shortly before the retelling of his Everfree Forest adventure. A band of plain, black cloth with a fresh quill stuck into it had replaced them. The stallion smiled as his own magic took the hat, lifting it away to reveal Rarity once more. Just in time for her to flutter her eyelashes in expectation. "Perfect..." he breathed out, his mind suddenly blanking, right before feeling the hat slip from his magic and drop onto his head. "Er-it's perfect! Better than new!" "It's also backwards," Twilight whispered softly, her elbow nudging against Spike's side. Spike forced a cough from his throat, one hoof rising to cover his mouth and his burning cheeks. His ears still drooped a bit at Rarity's giggle, only to perk again as the glow of her magic surrounded the hat. "Well, I did the best with what I had. I'm so glad you like it," she said as the fedora turned right-way around. "I'm just sorry it's all I can offer after you've done so much for us!" Spike could feel his blush spreading, along with the scratchy feeling in his throat. Somewhere to his left was a light drumming sound, the sound of claws tapping against a notepad. The reporter bit down on his lip, noticing Twilight's purple eyes flicking impatiently from him to Rarity. He already knew what he wanted to say, even without her hints, as the words backed up in his mouth. "Actually..." he forced out, a notepad hovering from his saddlebag. "There's... still that interview?" He smiled broadly, feeling his breathing ease. Words continued to pour out almost faster than he could think them. "I mean, I need to write about Nightmare Moon. But it's... uh..." he stammered, his grin growing. "But I still have that article on the celebration! Including the decorations and..." The stallion trailed off, his smile fading. Rarity's gaze was cast down, her teeth clenched on her lower lip. "Well it's not that I wouldn't love to," she said, quickly lifting her eyes again. "But... it's just after everything... I was hoping to spend some time with Sweetie Belle." The image of Rarity sobbing over a tiny, white filly filled Spike's head. His notepad gently lowered back to the table as the last of the smile was wiped away. "Right," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "You're right, you should—" "Though, you're not leaving right away are you?" Rarity suddenly cut in, her eyes brightening. "Perhaps I could find you later? Ponyville isn't very large, after all." Spike's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the music filling the air sounded more vibrant as his grin returned full-force. "Sure!" he agreed, his hat clinging to his mane as he nodded. "I'll... uh, see you later then?" Rarity was already back on her hooves, trotting around the side of the table. Spike couldn't miss his own smile mirrored on her face. He did miss her moving closer though. Faster than he would have thought possible, the unicorn mare had leaned in right next to his face. There was a small smack noise and a faint warmth of her lips against his cheek. "I'll look forward to it," she said with a wink as she pulled away. "See you later, Spike!" "Yeah..." Spike breathed out in response, even as he tried to remember what he was agreeing to. The fashionista was humming a happy little tune as she started down the street. At least, as she started down the blob of bright color Spike assumed was a street. It was difficult to say with his eyes half-shut, a dopy grin stretching his muzzle, and a cloud of tiny hearts popping all around him. Something purple suddenly began to wave in front of his eyes, blocking his view of Rarity. A new sound was mixing into the music playing around him: A voice calling his name as though from miles away. SNAP "Equestria to Spike!" Twilight's voice called as she snapped her claws in front of his nose again. "Spike, wake up!" "Huh? What's—" Spike gasped as his head jerked in surprise. The baby dragon was at his side, her eyes wide with worry. Spike placed a hoof on his cheek, still feeling the warmth where Rarity's muzzle had touched. The last several seconds were suddenly rushing through his mind as he looked back to the street. His eyes strained, just making out Rarity as she vanished into the crowd. "I'm never washing this cheek again," he muttered, his muzzle stretching back into a smile. The sound of Twilight's relieved giggling broke out as she held something out in her claws. Spike looked down to it, his mind slowly recognizing it as his notepad and a fresh vial of ink. "Come on, Casanova," Twilight said between further chuckles. "I'll bet she'll be really impressed with the article about what happened last night!" "That'll be if Ink Blot even runs it," Spike joked, his telekinetic aura flaring. "I don't think even he'll believe this one!" The wisecrack provoked a laugh from Twilight, one that Spike couldn't help but join as a green glow wrapped around his writing utensils. Pad, ink, and quill lifted into the air, swirling around his head for a second before stopping in front of him. The feather quickly dunked into the ink, and quickly set to work scratching out the new story. "DOUBLE-P! TWI!" The unicorn's head jerked along with his quill, leaving a jagged line across his fledgling article. His pad darted away from his face, giving him a clear view down the street. Several ponies were darting to the side, many with irritated scowls, making way for a wide-eyed earth pony. A shockingly familiar one with a gray coat, jet-black mane, and a newspaper for a cutie mark. "Ink Blot?!" Spike exclaimed, Twilight's voice joining him. Spike's writing utensils clattered to the table top as his magic cut out. He stared in disbelief as his editor-in-chief galloped the last few steps to the cafe. Panting from exertion, Ink Blot stumbled to a halt and leaned heavily against the table. "Ink?" Spike repeated himself, shaking his head. "What are you—" "Hey guys!" the gray stallion breathlessly shouted back the way he'd come from. "I found him!" More murmurs and cries of surprise forced Spike to look over his employer's shoulder. His jaw dropped at a familiar gleam of sunlight reflecting off decorative, purple armor. He barely even registered the light-blue pegasus mare, Rainbow Dash, swooping from above as the white unicorn wearing the armor came to a halt before him. "Shiny!" Twilight shouted, her claws scrabbling against the ground. She was beaming earfin-to-earfin as she darted around the table, her arms clamping around the armored unicorn's foreleg. Spike simply rubbed his eyes before staring again, trying to double check what his vision was telling him. The presence of his older brother certainly seemed real enough as Shining Armor chuckled, returning Twilight's embrace with his free forehoof. "Hey there, Twily," he said, a deep-magenta aura lifting the little dragon onto his back. "Are you and Spike alright?" "We're fine, Shining," Spike cut in as his gaze darted between the three newcomers. "What's going on here?" "That's what I wanna know!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her wings flaring. Before anypony else could speak, the pegasus pony was in the air again. Her wings pumped as she turned a tight circle overhead, her multi-hued tail streaking the sky with color as she pointed every which way. "I mean seriously! Since we got here everypony has been talking about what a big hero you are!" Rainbow Dash continued, finally halting her gesticulations and hovering in place. "When I left last night, half the town was ready to string you up by your fetlocks!" "And we remember who to thank for that, right Miss Dash?" Shining Armor spoke up, shooting the weather manager a sharp glare. Spike bit down on his tongue, unsure whether to smile or not at the sight of Rainbow Dash cringing. She cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the side as she let out a nervous chuckle. "Right... heh..." she said, before snapping a hoof further down the street. "Oh hey! Funnel cake!" In a blur of color, the mare was gone. Nothing but a puff of smoke and a few blue feathers remained, drifting to the ground. Shining let out a frustrated sigh, his horn lighting as he started to stomp off in the same direction. "Now wait just a minute—" he shouted after the fleeing pegasus. "Whoa, it's okay Shining!" Spike called out, raising one hoof. "I've heard enough apologies today, really." Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, spinning back to face the younger unicorn. Spike lowered his hoof with a sigh, already feeling too familiar with the confused expression on his brother's face. The same one he'd seen on almost everypony else that he'd spoken with since his return. And now it was worn by both Shining Armor and Ink Blot. "Wait a sec," Ink Blot stated, rubbing his head. "You actually sound tired of being the center of attention!" "So who are you and what did you do with my little brother?" Shining asked, tilting his head toward the purple stallion. "Oh don't worry, Shiny," Twilight said with a giggle. "It's really him." "It's just been a looooong night," Spike explained, his body slumping a bit. A few chuckles sounded from the others, and Spike slipped in one of his own. Something about the laugh felt good. Especially with the combined rush of Rarity's kiss and Shining's appearance beginning to wear off. "It sure sounds like it, from what the princess told me," Shining Armor commented with a wink. "Seems Equestria has a new group of bona-fide heroes!" For some reason Spike felt himself blush at the praise again. As he raised a hoof to scratch at his mane though, Ink Blot suddenly surged closer. The younger stallion jerked back at his editor's sudden approach, and winced as the back of his head collided with his hoof. "So it's really true, right Prosey?" Ink Blot asked, his voice almost eager. "Er... Spike... whichever you're letting everypony call you! You really helped stop Nightmare Moon?!" "Well... yeah," Spike grunted, rubbing at the fresh lump on his skull. "I was just starting an article f—" He was cut off by a burst of laughter and a sudden, nearly unbearable pressure. The reporter's voice choked out as Ink Blot's forehooves squeezed him in a vice-like embrace. Just as he could feel his ribs threatening to crack, the laughing earth stallion released him. "Double-P you little so-and-so!" Ink Blot cheered, not noticing as Spike began coughing to catch his breath. "You just love to prove me wrong, don'tcha?!" Though his lungs had avoided complete collapse, Spike still found himself unable to respond. He merely raised his eyebrow in a confused look to the gray pony. He could only assume Twilight and Shining Armor were doing the same based off their silence as Ink Blot's laughter slowly quieted. "Um, Ink Blot?" Twilight's voice chimed in as the mirth finally stopped. "What are you talking about?" "What am I... how about how I thought Prosey here wasn't ready for international stuff?" Ink Blot answered, gesturing to Spike as he spoke. "And here he goes, taking on an insane goddess of the night and throwing my opinion right out the window!" "Well I had help—" Spike started to say, feeling another blush coming. His voice and the rush of heat stopped. Something about Ink Blot's phrasing suddenly stuck out as the reporter replayed the words he'd just heard. "Wait..." he gasped, his jaw struggling to stay attached long enough to speak. "Ink... are you saying—" "What do you think? Of course I am!" Ink Blot confirmed, throwing one foreleg across Spike's back. "I mean, after everything you got through, international assignments should be foal's stuff, right? Plus I'd say you've more than earned it!" Spike had lost track of how many times his heart had stopped throughout the previous two days. Suddenly he was sure it had simply vacated his chest all together at those words, seeking less stressful employment elsewhere. Not that any other part of him seemed to miss it as his barely-functioning mouth pulled into a smile wider than it had ever managed before. "Sounds like we're gonna have two reasons to celebrate back home," Shining Armor's voice broke in, his magic lifting Spike's hat as one hoof tousled his mane. "Congratulations, Spike!" Ink Blot's hoof was already off his back, not that the unicorn noticed. Some other weight had settled there in its place, the familiar sensation of scales telling him it was Twilight. She had him in another tight hug, and seemed pleased to just keep chanting "Yes yes yes!" over and over again. "Of course you still gotta get that article about what happened written up. Reporting is still most of a roving reporter's job, after all!" Ink Blot was continuing as he started pacing in front of Spike. "Once we've got that printed though, we're gonna have work to do! Gotta call back Scoop, get your passport set up..." Spike was only vaguely conscious of his boss's rambling, his eyes following the other stallion back and forth as his voice joined the sounds of the crowd around them. Little-by-little, the purple stallion found his gaze wandering to the other ponies. A flicker of motion, the wave of a violet hoof, pulled at his attention. Turning to it, Spike smiled. Further down the street, in front of one of the other shops, was a herd of foals. All of them were gathered around Cheerilee, watching intently as she waved one foreleg overhead. The teacher seemed just as engrossed as her students in the story she was telling, leaving Spike to guess which of the encounters of the forest she was talking about. Something else inside tried to guess how long she'd been so close without him noticing. His smile faded somewhat. In all the excitement and apologies, he couldn't recall just when he'd been pulled away from the other five. Spike found himself turning, looking about the street for more familiar faces. He breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted a pair of foals racing up the path. The pale-gray pegasus colt Rumble seemed to be caught in a game with lavender filly Dinky Doo. Dinky laughed as she stumbled, before spinning to face the colt. A few sparks of yellow flew from her horn, and Rumble skidded to a halt, howling in mock-terror before rolling onto his back. Twin streaks of gray swooped from overhead, catching up to the duo. Ditzy Doo was cheering as she scooped her "victorious" daughter into a tight hug. Thunderlane was shaking with laughter as he prodded his younger brother back to his hooves, only for the colt to tackle him. The two toppled to the ground in a playful tussle, sending up clouds of road dust as they wrestled. Big Macintosh was next to be spotted, though Spike wasn't surprise he'd almost missed him. The giant stallion was almost completely obscured by what had to be almost a quarter of the ponies on the street. The fact that Apple Bloom was prancing circles around him, springing as high as her short legs would allow, was the only thing that helped him stand out. That and the fact that his red coat seemed to be glowing as he simply stood in place, accepting praise, hoof-shakes, hugs, and slaps on the back from the crowd that Spike could only assume was the extended Apple Family. His eyes finally drew to some calm in the proverbial storm. Mayor Mare was trotting past, chattering away. Time Turner was at her side, struggling to keep pace as he occasionally halted to mark something on the clipboard he carried. The tan stallion still had a smile to match Spike's own though. A smile that spoke of somepony receiving some well-deserved recognition. Or a raise. Or a promotion. A promotion that'll send you half-way around the world. Spike's smile dropped away in an instant as the revelation rang in his mind. He cast his gaze around again, picking out the five ponies from the crowd again. Five ponies that his new job would take him away from. Five that he might never see again. His five new friends. "... of course the important thing is where to send you!" Ink Blot's voice was coming back into focus. "And your first assignment is gonna be—" "Right here in Ponyville," Spike said. "Right here in-wait," Ink Blot stammered, his eyes going wide as he stared at his employee. "WHAT?!" It wasn't the first time Spike had felt everypony else's eyes on him that day. Even he was blinking in surprise at what he'd just said. Somehow, though, the words had felt right as they'd left his mouth. I want to stay. His muzzle pulled into a smile as the simple wish played through his head. A smile that began to waver as he suddenly became aware of how awkwardly quiet the other three had become. "So..." Shining Armor spoke up, his helmet lifting away as he rubbed at the back of his own head. "We're sure this is really Spike?" "I'm starting to wonder that myself," Twilight admitted, her eyes wide in disbelief as Spike twisted to look at her. "I... it's just... help me out here, Prose," Ink Blot stuttered out, staring intently at Spike. "You're saying... what are you saying here?" "Oh, well... think about it, Ink," Spike said, straining to keep his smile as his eyes darted back to his boss. "I mean, once the article gets out... everypony is gonna know who stopped Nightmare Moon, right?" Ink Blot just nodded, waving one hoof for the unicorn to continue. Spike swallowed, his brain dredging about for something more to give the other stallion. "They'll... all know it was bunch a normal ponies?" Spike said, trying his hardest not to make it sound like a question. "A bunch of ponies from Ponyville..." "Hey yeah!" Twilight suddenly gasped, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Everypony in Canterlot is gonna want to know more about them! And the town, and what's going on down here—" Spike quickly repressed the urge to kiss Twilight. Inside, his thoughts had already shifted gears on just how to pay back the baby dragon. Suddenly the jewelry store he'd promised yesterday sounded woefully inadequate. "Yeah, you got it Twi!" Spike said as he gave an enthusiastic nod, before looking back to Ink Blot. "So it'd probably be a good idea to... have somepony down here. You know, on site to pass the news along?" Please, please, please... Twilight's claws were tense, digging into his shoulders. Spike himself could only hold his breath as his cheeks began to ache from smiling so much, his silent prayer almost deafening. Ink Blot was rubbing his chin, slowly nodding his head as a bright gleam came to his eyes. "Yeah... yeah, I like it! No... I love it!" he said, a chuckle escaping his muzzle. "This place is right next to the Everfree too! Who knows what sorta stuff goes on that the locals just brush off?!" The Canterlot Sun's editor sprang to Spike's side once more. Twilight barely jumped down in time to avoid being pinned as his hoof fell across the reporter's back. The younger stallion's breath left in a long whoosh of shock as Ink Blot pulled him close, sweeping one forehoof at the town around them. "It's brilliant, Prosey! You stay down here and send back all the news that's fit to print!" Ink Blot rambled. "We could even make a special weekly column for slice-of-life pieces! Call it... 'Prose's Ponyville Corner'!" "Um..." Spike panted out, his cheek uncomfortably squished against his employer's. "Work on the name?" "We'll talk," Ink Blot said, his smile shining even as he released the purple pony. Spike simply smiled back as Ink Blot began pacing again, his voice continuing to rattle on about future articles. All the while the cheering in Spike's head was enough to put the whole of Ponyville to shame. Looking down to his side, he found Twilight beaming up at him with pride. His eyes moved back up, looking toward Shining Armor with an expectant grin. One that wasn't reflected, much to his surprise. Instead it was confusion that once more coated the guard captain's face. "Spike, are you sure about this?" Shining Armor asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you always wanted that international position." "Well... yeah," Spike answered with a nod. "Yeah, I did." His head turned to the side, looking out at the gathered ponies once more. Even with the crowd milling about and all the smiling faces he could still pick out five in particular. "I think I just found a few more reasons to stay than to go," Spike explained, turning back to his brother. Shining visibly relaxed at the statement, his shoulders dropping a bit. A smile of his own appeared as he nodded to the younger unicorn. "If it's what you want," he said, holding one armored hoof out to Spike. "Best of luck, little bro." Spike took the offered hoof in a firm shake, nodding to Shining in return. He could feel Twilight already climbing onto his back once more. His ear twitched as another familiar voice suddenly broke into the conversation again. "Oh gosh, I gotta get back to Canterlot! I've got a whole new layout to plan, not to mention reports probably piling up," Ink Blot exclaimed, causing the three siblings to spin back to him. "And Prose! We gotta get you set up with a place to stay down here—" "I think I can handle that," Spike said quickly, his magic lifting up his pad and quill from the table. "And I'll get the good news to Mom and Dad," Shining Armor added as he marched over to the earth pony's side. "We'll have your stuff brought down from Canterlot in no time." "Fantastic!" Ink Blot cheered, giving a short leap of joy. "Prose, you get that Nightmare Moon article back up to my desk A.S.A.P! Got it?" "You got it, Ink!" Spike said, snapping a quick salute to both of the other stallions. "See you later, Shining!" Shining and Ink Blot both returned the salute, smiling all the while. Spike drew in a deep breath as he watched the two turn and leave. Soon they were fading into the crowd, already vanishing in the direction of whatever royal conveyance had carried them down from Canterlot. "YES!" Spike cheered, leaping as high as he could. Twilight was laughing once more as he landed. The stallion just laughed along as his magic swept her from his back, sending her spinning around in a tight orbit around him. It suddenly didn't matter how many other ponies stopped to stare at the joyful little dance. Spike simply brought his surrogate sister into his forehooves, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Did you hear that, Twi? We're staying!" he cheered, squeezing her tight. "Oh man, we've gotta tell the others! They're gonna flip when they hear this and—" A flick across the nose brought a quick end to his excited rambling. "Hey, Spike?" Twilight piped up from within his hug. "We do still have some work to do first..." Spike just chuckled, his green aura flipping the purple reptile onto his back one final time. Twilight let out a happy sigh, her arms wrapping around him in another embrace. The unicorn gave her a quick nuzzle, ignoring the stares of the few other ponies that had bothered to cease their own festivities. "Right. I guess we'd better find Time Turner," Spike said as he started down the street. "He'll probably know a good house to rent out." "You know, the library is pretty big," Twilight pointed out, leaning around to meet Spike's eye. "Maybe we could stay there for a while?" Spike started to open his mouth to reply but stopped. He smiled, letting his magic spark and sending a telekinetic brush over Twilight's spines. The dragoness giggled, and the unicorn's sides shook as he joined in. "Sure, why not?" he said, looking up to the clear blue sky. "It couldn't hurt to ask." The sun continued to shine down on Equestria. Another perfect day. The first of many to come. Acta est fabula