//------------------------------// // Broken and Reunited // Story: You Can Fight Fate // by Eakin //------------------------------// BROKEN AND REUNITED I wake up screaming, and sit bolt upright in my bed. Something next to me startles, and the covers are cast aside as it struggles to get itself free. My eyes turn to it, and the shape of a pony emerges out of the dark and grabs me. “Twilight? Twilight, what’s wrong? Come back to me, Twilight,” she says. Reality comes rushing back in and I remember where I am. “Star Gazer?” I ask like a scared little filly. My wife leans over and gives me a big hug. I’m so lucky she’s there for me, but then she always has been. “I dreamed... I dreamed that... I don’t remember, but it was something so awful,” I say. “Shhh... it’s okay. You’re safe now.” Her whispered words begin to calm me down almost instantly. She's right, I am safe now. “Think of something happy. Do you remember our first kiss?” I giggle. “Of course I do, how could I not?” I ask. I seek her mouth out with mine and recreate it, lingering over every single familiar but incredible sensation associated with it. I take in as much of her as I can in the low light. Her unkempt dark red mane is hanging down over her eyes just like it did on that night. Back when we should have been studying for finals. When I doubted everything, especially myself, but she showed me the way. The best possible thing that could ever have emerged, and yet... “I wonder, sometimes. What would have happened if, you know, you hadn’t been...” “Gay?” she asks, her words gentle and accusing at the same time. “Well, I suppose I wouldn’t have been so eager to kiss you back that I fell off my chair and sprained my ankle.” I laugh quietly. The conversation's practically a tradition between us by this point. “I could apologize again, for the thousandth time, but I still won’t be sorry.” “Neither will I,” says Star Gazer. I glance at the clock just beyond her on the nightstand. We have to get up in about twenty minutes anyway, and I don't feel like going back to sleep. Instead I snuggle up under our covers against the most important pony in my world and kiss her, hard. She kisses me right back, employing all the little tricks she's learned over the last decade to make it even more thrilling than that first time. "Do you think we have some time before Leafy wakes up?" she asks. "Who?" She frowns and gently bonks my horn with an orange hoof. "Our son, dummy. Honestly, has Celestia had you researching memory spells over at the Academy again? I don't care if you're the 'youngest professor ever,' the last time one of those backfired you couldn't even remember my name for two weeks." "You were so mad. Celestia still talks about the way you broke into one of the meetings she was having with her cabinet and forbade her from letting me experiment with them ever again. It's a good thing she was so impressed." "We've come to accept that we have to share you with one another. But right now?" She rolls on top of me. "You are all mine. And I intend to pay you back for that thing with the weather vane last week." The door to our bedroom creaks as it opens, and we both suppress a little groan at the interruption. "Mommy Sparkle? Mommy Star? Are you okay? I heard yelling." "It's fine, Leafy," I say. "Mommy had a bad dream, but I'm feeling much better now." I hear the pitter-patter of tiny hooves on my bedroom floor and a *whumph* as the colt leaps into our bed. He clings to my chest, squeezing desperately. "Then I'll help you make the bad dreams go away, just like you do for me." I look over to Star Gazer, an apology implicit in my eyes. She just smiles, shrugs, and repositions herself behind my back with a hoof draped over me so she can stroke Leafy's mane. I don't fall back asleep, but I spend the next quarter hour sandwiched between the two ponies I cherish more than anything in the world, savoring every second. The alarm goes off too soon. I rouse the little green unicorn clutching my chest from his slumber with a peck on the forehead, and all three of us get out of bed to face the new day. Despite what I said, I still can't quite shake the sense that my dream was important. I take a quick shower and blow-dry my mane, preparing myself for another day of research over at the academy. With a kiss each for my wife and son I head for the door. Star Gazer will take Leafy to school just like she does every morning. She does teach there, after all. Right before I leave I remember to grab a little shard of topaz out of the pantry. It always pays to stay on the good side of Celestia's pet dragon, Spike. The little guy has a good heart; it's obvious why Celestia made him her assistant. I walk through the streets of Canterlot, wishing I could throw off the last lingering traces of whatever it was I dreamed last night. Whenever I try to remember it's so tantalizingly close, but perpetually out of reach. A statue I've passed by a thousand times before catches my eye, and for some reason it's interesting enough to me that I have to stop and look. It's a monument, a carving so lifelike that if the six ponies it depicts came to life and stepped down from their pedestal I wouldn't think twice about it. The statue commemorates Trixie Lulamoon and her five friends, the ponies who wielded the Elements of Harmony and redeemed Princess Luna after she returned as Nightmare Moon. What a shame that their heroism cost all six of them their lives. I study Trixie's confident gaze that looks out across the city she helped save. Of course, she's been a household name ever since, her story the talk of Canterlot ever since that artificially lengthened night. The tale is well on its way to being immortalized as legend. Supposedly, the six had met that very day. I wish I could make friends like that. Sure, I have colleagues at the Academy, and of course Star Gazer and her friends, but it just isn't the same. Something twinges in the back of my mind, something related to the dream I had last night. Was it about Trixie and her friends? It all seems unusually familiar. I continue walking, getting closer to the Academy, but I stop a block away. I look over at the train station I'm passing, and an irresistible impulse wells up inside of me. Before I know it, my hooves have carried me over to the ticket window. What am I doing? It's not at all like me to just skip out on work. "Hello, sir," I say. "One, please. On the midday train, going anywhere." "Cheapest fare's to Ponyville," he replies. For some reason, that sounds like it's exactly where I want to go. "Perfect!" I throw down a few bits to cover my ticket and walk to the platform the train will be leaving from in ten minutes. Behind me, the stallion mutters something I don't quite catch about how he had just gotten that song out of his head. As the train pulls away from the station, I wonder again what I'm doing. This feels important, important enough to risk Celestia's displeasure at my playing hooky. I can always catch up over the weekend, and in my present state of mind I wouldn't get anything done anyway. As the train rolls along, the sense of familiarity only grows, as does my confusion at it. I've never even been to Ponyville before, so why do I recognize all the scenery that's passing by my window? The sensation of déjà vu only continues to mount over the next several hours until by the time I arrive at the Ponyville train station my mind is screaming for me to remember this, but frustrates me when I try. I step off the train and wander into the street. At least on the train I was moving, which gave me the illusion of progress, but now that I'm actually here I've got no idea what to do next. "Oh, hello there. Is this your first time in Ponyville?" I turn to the source of the voice, a white unicorn mare with an elegant and distinguished purple mane. "It is, I think," I say. "Is it that obvious?" The other pony laughs graciously. "Not to most, I would suspect, but I'm something of an informal welcoming commitee around here. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Rarity. A pleasure to meet you." I extend my hooves and bump hers. "Twilight Sparkle, and the pleasure is all mine." I study her for a second. "Have you ever been to Canterlot? I can't shake the feeling I know you from somewhere." "Hmm... This is embarrassing. I have the same sensation. I certainly have heard of you by reputation, some my clients will simply die when I introduce them to one of the foremost minds in Canterlot, but I can't place where I know you from either." I take a step back. "You've heard of me all the way out here? What line of work are you in?" "Well, technically I'm an event planner..." she turns to one side so I can see her cutie mark, a trio of yellow and blue balloons, "...but my passion is in networking. Bringing ponies with common interests together, or matching up ponies with needs to those with the ability to fulfill them to their mutual benefit." She allows herself a small chuckle. "I suppose I like to think of myself as the pony everypony should know." "That does sound useful," I admit. "Why, thank you for saying so! If you're going to be here later this evening, you simply must attend a small soirée I've been working on. There are so many ponies I need to introduce you to." "Oh... Gosh," I say as I wrack my mind for an excuse. I hadn't planned on staying that late. Well, strictly speaking I haven't planned any of this. I don't even know why I'm here. "...I don't have anything to wear." Rarity's eyes light up. "Then I know just the pony you should see! Our local seamstress will have exactly what you need, and she's such a kind and gentle soul. I'm sure she would even lend you a dress if you only needed it for one night. Let me take you there now." Seeing no escape from the mare's relentless generosity, I don't have much of a choice but to follow after her. We walk past a number of other ponies along the way who I could swear I've met before. I have to stop myself from waving several times. We stop in front of a boutique, stylized to look like a giant carousel. All manner of animals are depicted on its walls. We step inside, and Rarity looks around for the proprietor. "Fluttershy? Are you in?" "Hello Rarity," says a voice from much closer than I anticipate. I spin towards it and see the pony I missed before, hidden amongst mannequins, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. "There you are, darling. Honestly, you're so quiet sometimes I just don't realize you're there." "I'm sorry," says Fluttershy. She tilts her head as she looks at me. "Oh my, have I forgotten an order? I know I've seen you before, but I'm afraid I can't remember your name." "That seems to be going around today," I say, "I'm new in Ponyville, though, so I can't say where we'd have met." "Twilight Sparkle, this is Fluttershy. Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle," says Rarity. "I know this is a bit last minute, but I wanted to make my dinner tonight into a welcome party for Twilight, and I hoped you would help her look her best." "Oh, I could do a quick fitting," says Fluttershy as she sizes me up with a discerning stare. She turns her attention to some of the dresses on the racks. From what I can see, they're all modest but quite refined numbers. Flattering on the appropriate body type, but nothing that would make you stand out of a crowd. "It would be good advertising, I suppose. I have just a few things to finish up first." "You are too kind, dear," says Rarity. "If you're interested in advertising, I know a number of ponies who work in marketing. I'm sure they would be happy to give you some pointers." "I couldn't. I don't like the idea of telling ponies what they should think or wear, I just like helping them look their best." Fluttershy gestures to the three diamonds on her flank. "It is my special talent after all." "Well, how fortunate it is that your work is so beautiful that it speaks for itself," says Rarity. "Now please, don't let us keep you from it. We'll wait." Fluttershy returns to the dress she's working on. Holding a spool of thread between her wings, her hooves move with a surprising dexterity, and stitch after stitch appears before my eyes. "Wow, Fluttershy, I've never seen a pegasus who's so good at sewing." "Oh, thank you Twilight," says Fluttershy as she continues her work. "I'm glad you think so. Back in Cloudsdale, a lot of ponies thought it was a little freaky." She grimaces at the memory. "They simply did not appreciate how special you really are," declares Rarity. "Their loss is Ponyville's gain." I let my gaze travel over the rest of her boutique, and something on one of the racks catches my eye. Hanging there are some intricately decorated outfits, but far too small to fit even a foal. "What are those for?" I ask. "Hmm?" says Fluttershy, looking up and following my gaze. "Oh, those are for a special commission from-" The door to the boutique slams open, and a pink blur rushes inside. "Hiya, Fluttershy! It's us!" "-Pinkie Pie," says Fluttershy, answering my question and greeting the new pony with the same words. "Yep-a-rooney! Were you girls talking about me? My ears were burning!" She turns to me. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is Angel," she says. For the first time I notice that there's a little white bunny riding on her back. "Aww, he's so cute! I'm Twilight Sparkle," I say. Pinkie smiles. Angel glares. "He'll be even cuter when we dress him up for our show tonight. Hey, you should come see it!" says Pinkie. “It’s very kind of you to extend the invitation, Pinkie,” says Rarity. “However I’ve already asked her to attend my event.” “Ooh! Then we should do the show for you right now! Let’s go, Angel.” Before I can protest that I don’t need to see her show, the bunny hops off her back and over to a nearby corner. Pinkie reaches into her mane and pulls out a hoop that just happens to be on fire. “That was in your mane this whole time?” I ask, unable to believe my eyes. I have all kinds of questions, but before I can voice them something tells me that I should just go with it. “Yep!” says Pinkie. She holds up a hoof to the underside of her chin. “Hmm... now that I think about it, I bet that’s why my ears were burning.” “Oh, I hate this part. It always looks so dangerous,” says Fluttershy as she covers her eyes. “Don’t worry, Angel’s a pro! Watch!” With that she tosses the burning ring into the air. Angel takes off running, building speed as he goes. He leaps up onto Pinkie’s back again and carries the momentum as he jumps high into the air. He does a little flip as he soars through the descending hoop, his puffy little tail passing just inches from the flames. Then he lands and at the very same instant Pinkie catches the hoop again, holding it above her triumphantly as she falls onto her rear knees. “Tah dah!” The three of us can’t help but applaud at the display, though Fluttershy looks a lot more relieved than impressed. I’ve been having trouble making out what Pinkie’s cutie mark is, but it clicks in my head. Three pink butterflies, although the pink-on-pink color scheme was making it hard to tell. “That was amazing!” I say. “So you’re a rabbit tamer, I take it?” “Not just rabbits, all kinds of animals,” she replies. “In fact I’m friends with just about every animal in Ponyville!” “Pinkie has performed at a number of my events,” says Rarity, “it’s always quite amazing what her little friends can do.” “What can I say? I love to make ponies smile,” says Pinkie “And I just love to make little outfits for all of them,” says Fluttershy. “The three of us do make quite the team, I must say,” says Rarity. Looking between the three of them, I can’t disagree. Their talents really do complement one another nicely. I’m just about to say so when everything explodes. I cry out as the boutique shakes, grabbing a folding screen for support. It isn’t enough, and I fall to the ground. I look out the window and I see a ring of colors, every single part of the rainbow, spreading outwards. The other three are entirely unimpressed. “Oh,” says Rarity, “I had forgotten that it was Tuesday.” “What was... how did... where did that come from?” I ask. “Ha! Your first rainboom! You’re a real Ponyvillian now,” says Pinkie, slapping a hoof on my back. “They are a little scary if you aren’t used to them,” says Fluttershy. “To answer your question, just follow it back to the center of the ring,” says Rarity. “You’ll likely find the origin over Zap Apple Acres.” “Zap Apple Acres?” “Don’t tell me you’ve never had Zap Apple jam before,” says Pinkie. “Of course I have. Who hasn’t? I didn’t know this is where it came from, though.” “Indeed, it’s Ponyville’s biggest export,” says Rarity. “It’s made the farm’s owners quite well off over the last few years, after they found a way to produce it regularly.” “I’ll still be awhile before I can start on your dress, why don’t you go over and see? I’m sure they would love to meet you,” says Fluttershy. I consider it. I might do just that. Now that I think about it, I could swear that something about that explosion felt familiar. Haven't I seen it before from all the way in Canterlot? Like so many other things today I can’t place it. I bid farewell to the three friends and leave the boutique, following the trail of the still-expanding ring. About ten minutes down the road, I start to find evidence that I’m in the right place. Trees adorned with multicolored apples are planted in neat, even rows in the nearby fields, their rainbow crop dominating the view of the countryside. A few minutes later I pass under a wrought iron gate and survey the center of the farm. There’s a three-story mansion at the end of the path, dwarfing the barn I can see just behind it. All the equipment scattered around the yard looks top-of-the-line and well maintained. “Yee ha!” The cheer makes my ears perk up and draws my attention over to an orange mare who’s waving a beat-up old hat at me. We trot towards one another and meet halfway. “Well, howdy there partner. Name’s Applejack, pleased to meet’cha. What brings you all the way out here to the Acres?” She grabs my hoof and shakes vigorously. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s my first day here in Ponyville, and I when I saw that rainboom I wanted to come over and investigate. The walk over was nice, too. Your land is really beautiful.” She breaks into a grin. “Well shoot, ah can already tell that ah’m going to like you.” Somehow I’d known she would appreciate that particular compliment before I even said it. “Ah’m not quite the right one to tell you about the rainbooms, though. Might wanna cover your ears or back up a nudge.” Confused, I do as she suggests. She inhales a huge lungful of air and holds it in for a moment. “HEY RAINBOW DASH! SOMEPONY’S HERE WHO WANTS TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE RAINBOOMS!” she bellows up into the sky. Even with my hooves covering my ears, my head keeps ringing for a few seconds after the sound stops. For a moment nothing happens, but then a projectile with a rainbow contrail zips across the sky before turning down and coming to rest a few feet above us. The cyan pegasus pulls off the goggles she’s wearing and shakes out her rainbow mane. She wipes her forehead and flicks the moisture off to the side, making a small dent in the sheen of sweat that runs down her chest, sides, and even her cutie mark of three ruby-red apples. “Sure, I could use a break. I’ve been out in the fields since sunrise,” she says. “I guess you heard, but the name’s Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you.” She has just the hint of an accent herself, but not nearly to the degree Applejack does. She sets herself down next to Applejack. “Twilight Sparkle. That was amazing back there. What did you call it? A rainboom?” “Sonic rainboom. And yes, I am pretty awesome,” says Rainbow Dash. Applejack rolls her eyes, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Dash. She flicks her tail, and wetly slaps it right against the other mare’s lightning bolt shaped, tricolor cutie mark. Applejack gives a little yelp at the impact. “Oh, don’t pretend you don’t love it.” I look from one to the other, unsure if I should acknowledge the flirty behavior. “Well, I was really impressed. With moves like that, you should try out for the Wonderbolts.” Rainbow Dash shrugs. “I thought about it, but ended up deciding not to. I have everything I need here, and these guys would be totally hopeless without me around.” “My family worked this farm for generations perfectly fine before you showed up, Rainbow,” says Applejack. “Hey, I’ve got nothing against your family, AJ. After all...” She suddenly lunges at Applejack, catching her by surprise with a deep kiss that just goes on and on. “...I married into it,” she finishes when she comes up for air at last. She turns her head and gives me a wink. “Turns out I really like the taste of apples.” Applejack coughs and sputters. “Dashie! Come on!” “So... uh... you two are... wow,” I say. “Yeah, wow is a good word for it,” says Rainbow Dash. “Fell for this one more or less the day I met her. She took a few years to come around to the idea though.” “Ah always prefered stallions, growin’ up,” explains AJ. “Sorry, ah dunno why ah’m telling you all this when we just met. Just... feels like ah’ve known you for a long time, somehow.” Rainbow Dash makes a loud *pffft* sound and waves a hoof. “Mares, stallions, everypony’s a little bit Rainbowsexual. Too bad most of ‘em won’t ever find out what they missed.” “So how did you two meet?” I ask. Applejack looks over to Rainbow and smiles, giving her cheek a nuzzle despite the sweat. “C’mon inside and we’ll tell you over some tea,” she says. We step into the front hall of the mansion, tastefully but ornately decorated, and Applejack leads us to the kitchen. She pulls three glasses from the pantry and a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator. I take a sip. It’s as delicious as it is refreshing. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, chugs an entire glass in one go and motions for more. “So before I decided I didn’t want to join the Wonderbolts, uh, I did want to join the Wonderbolts,” begins Rainbow Dash. “Practiced all around town, trying to learn the tricks I’d need to impress them. Finally I came up with something that’d knock ‘em out of their flight suits when they saw it. The Sonic Rainboom. So I practiced and practiced and practiced until I was ready to do it for real.” She takes another gulp from her refilled glass. “Anyway, free tip about Sonic Rainbooms. Don’t do your first one heading down towards the ground. Although I guess that won’t help either one of you unless you magically grow a pair of wings somehow. I’ve had bad crashes before, but that one was worse than most. I totally pulled it off though.” “Anyway,” Applejack cuts in. “Ah was just on my way to the big Appleoosa rodeo competition. Ah spend a couple months a year out on the tournament circuit. Guess ah’m a pretty competitive pony, as this one knows.” She pats Rainbow Dash on the back. “Ah was leavin’ for my train when bam! Sonic Rainboom right over my head. Well, ah probably ran faster than ah ever had before trying to follow the trail of where she landed. Meanwhile, around me the apples are turnin’ all kinds of colors. Found the crater in the southern field, and her right in the middle of it.” “Right, so first thing I see when I come to is this gorgeous mare leaning over me. Glowing blonde mane, adorable freckles, the whole nine yards,” says Rainbow, jumping into the story with a practiced ease that makes me think the two of them have done this many, many times before. “Naturally, I played it suave and cool.” “As ah recall, you’d broken a wing and were cryin’ for your mommy.” “But, like, in a totally suave and cool way,” insists Rainbow Dash. “We took her in and patched her up. It was only neighborly. Wasn’t until hours later we noticed we’d both gotten our cutie marks during the whole ordeal. Once my Granny figured out that the rainboom had turned our crop into Zap Apples, we hired her on the spot.” “After I worked out the kinks and got the Rainboom down cold, we started making Zap Apple jam full time. I thought I’d been working hard before, but these ponies really cracked the whip at me, even though sometimes I asked for it.” Applejack goes all red again. “Rainbow Dash! That’s private!” she hisses. Rainbow Dash nearly spits up her tea giggling. “I only meant that I was one lazy little fieldhoof back then, Jackie,” she says. Then she turns to me with a grin. “That other stuff came later.” Applejack swats her, but the smile on Rainbow’s face lets me know she thinks it was worth it. “So it worked out for both of us. AJ and the rest of her family got the money to fix this place up, I got a steady job and, oh yeah, we both ended up with the mare of our dreams.” She leans over to me conspiratorially, and stage whispers into my ear. “Just between us, AJ got the better deal.” Another swat, another laugh, another kiss, and the two of them end up leaning against one another, Applejack’s left foreleg intertwined with Rainbow Dash’s right. They both look utterly content. I glance at the clock. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize how late it was getting. I need to head back into town,” I say. “Feel like some company?” asks Applejack. “I’ll come too,” says Rainbow Dash. “There’s something there I need to do.” “There is? What’s that?” asks Applejack. Rainbow Dash blinks several times at the question. “I... I don’t know. I just know there’s something important I need to do.” She shrugs. “I’ll probably remember when I get there.” The three of us set out from the farm back towards the boutique. We’re almost there when we run into Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy coming the other way. The six of us look from one to another, unsure of what to say until Rarity breaks the ice. “Do you all feel this as well? Like we’re... we’re...” “Connected? I’m glad it’s not just me,” says Rainbow Dash. “Well, ah know I’ve seen y’all around town, but yeah. Like it’s something more important.” “More important than you can possibly imagine,” says a voice from above. We look up and gasp as Princess Celestia descends from the sky, carrying a sealed chest on her back. “Wowsers! It’s the Princess! The Princess, you guys!” “Um... yes Pinkie, I think we all noticed her. I mean, I did,” says Fluttershy. “Twilight Sparkle, I’m surprised at you. Skipping out on your work to come here, of all places.” I wilt a bit under her criticism. “I’m sure you must all be very confused, and I’m here to help you resolve that confusion with these.” She opens the chest and reveals a crown accompanied by five necklaces. “Are those...” “The Elements of Harmony, yes,” answers Celestia. “I would like each of you to take the one which feels most natural to you, and put it on. When you do so, the Elements will fix your memories.” “So we’ll be able to remember how we know each other?” I ask. I’m eager to solve that particular mystery. “No, Twilight. They will fix your memories so you forget one another for good.” The hoof I was reaching for the box with freezes in mid air. “...What?” “The six of you shared a connection in a... different time. It was a wonderful friendship and you accomplished many things together, but it proved dangerous to harmony in Equestria. So your minds and your fates were altered. Incompletely, it seems. The time has come to correct that.” “Twilight,” says a new voice from behind a tree. Out steps Star Gazer. Celestia appearing from nowhere was odd enough, though not completely out of character for her. How did Star Gazer even get here? “Put on the crown. Then everything can go back to being the way it was before. Weren’t things wonderful? I love you so much, I couldn’t bear to go back to a time when we weren’t together.” “But... but my friends-” at the words ‘my friends’ my head snaps back and I cry out in pain as the dam blocking up my mind breaks. Memories of another life pour in and mingle with what I thought I knew about my past. “Star Gazer... You didn’t sprain your ankle that night, did you? I did, because you shoved me.” “Please don’t remember that, Twilight. Put the crown on so you won’t have to. I can’t bear to see you remember the way I treated you then. It doesn’t have to be real if you don’t let it,” says Star Gazer. “You’re a lie,” I say. She begins to cry. “No, I’m not. I’m a better truth. Please, Twilight, do it for Leafy.” “Mommy Sparkle?” I spin around, and there’s my son right in the middle of the ring my five friends are standing in. “You,” I say, “are supposed to be in school.” The Elements fight dirty. “Don’t you want me to be real, mommy? I thought you loved me. Why do you want me to go away?” I rush over to him and wrap him up in my arms. I’m his mother. I’m not his mother. I’m... I’m... “Of course I don’t want you to go away,” I whisper into his ear. “I don’t want my friends to go away either, though.” “You have to choose, Twilight,” he says. My ears twitch. That doesn’t sound like something he would say. I lean back and look more carefully. I am Leafy’s mother. And a mother knows her own child. “You aren’t Leafy.” He frowns at me. “No, we aren’t,” says a new voice from his mouth, about three octaves lower than his real one. “We simply find that a corporeal form helps us to communicate better. Put on the crown, Twilight.” “Why are you doing this to us?” asks Fluttershy. “We don’t want to hurt you, any of you. The six of you made phenomenal champions, and we did so much good with your aid. We didn’t anticipate how effectively you’d marshall the forces of chaos and darkness from other timelines, though, they’ve always been something of a blind spot for us. With the exception of that other Twilight from the time loop, naturally, who was a known quantity. That will all be corrected in the future.” “What do you mean, by ‘corrected?’” “You fulfilled your destiny, and gave us a great boon by doing so. Under our guidance, your actions vastly expanded our influence through enabling the existence of the Regalia. Yet the process left you profoundly dissatisfied, which would have led to you and your friends investigating the Regalia as Star Swirl did and possibly undoing us once again. We discovered a mutually beneficial solution, and arranged things through Star Swirl and Princess Sparkle to bring you into a situation where we’d be able to bestow an entirely new life upon you, one where you would find no need to look into our nature. You weren’t supposed to remember the other timeline at all, but your connection to one another is... stubborn. This isn’t a punishment, Twilight, it’s a reward if you’ll only just accept it.” “So, what, happily ever after for Equestria?” I ask. “No. Equestria is a failure. We were close, much closer than with the worlds that came before, but we haven’t succeeded in creating a perfect harmony yet,” not-Leafy explains. “You all did well. We’d say you get an A-minus as a species. So live a happy, uneventful existence, and a few centuries down the line we’ll wipe the final remnants of this world away and start from a clean slate.” The colt puts a hoof to his chin and considers this. “Perhaps a race of sentient ostriches next time.” “I won’t let that happen. Somehow, I’ll stop you. We deserve to live. Ponies aren’t just pawns in some stupid game, or variables in an experiment.” “We understand that the news is upsetting. That’s why once we’re finished here and you accept the inevitable, we’ll remove your memories of all that you’ve learned. You’ll live a wonderful life, and you’ll never have cause to think about Ponyville or one another again. We feel we are being more than reasonable about this.” “Ah’m not interested in living a lie,” says Applejack. “We’d expect nothing less from Honesty’s champion. Are you comfortable telling your wife that what you feel for her is a lie? Because if you go back to the truth, or more accurately the most recent truth before this one, all of that will be gone.” Rainbow Dash looks over to Applejack, the pain on her face as clear as day to anypony that looks. Applejack hangs her head without answering. A heavy silence descends over the six of us. Leafy doesn’t press us to reach a decision quickly. “I’ve made up my mind. Give me the crown,” I eventually say. Probably-not-actual Celestia lifts it in her magic and passes it to me. I take it in my hooves and examine it. “Twilight-” begins Pinkie, but I hold up a hoof to cut off her protests. “I’m sorry girls, but I know what I want.” I stare into the star-shaped jewel, the one modelled after my own cutie mark. Each facet and cut surface reflects an image of my face looking back at me, each one just a little bit different from all the others. The blissfully happy, unaware me from this world and the stressed out, sometimes miserable one from my original world side by side. I take a deep breath and brace myself for what’s coming. Then I drop the crown to the ground and stomp my hoof down on the gemstone, breaking it into a thousand pieces. The world shatters with it. The light is back. Colors streaming by, inches in front of my face. I look around and there I am along with all of my friends, right back in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Right in the eye of the storm of rainbows circling counter-clockwise before me. I smile, and dip a hoof into the stream. It isn’t going to hurt me. I understand it now. A chime rings out through the room. “You know,” I say, gathering my thoughts as I begin, “this all reminds me of music, actually.” I don’t raise my voice, but it cuts right through the noise of the fighting and the tempest just the same. I’m as sure as I’ve ever been of anything that everypony can hear me just fine. “Star Swirl told me about how the Princesses created music, a long time ago. How Celestia favored the resolved chords, and Luna favored the flawed and minor ones. Only when they put all those imperfect pieces together could they find something worth celebrating. You were right about one thing; ponies aren’t perfect. But guess what I just realized? You can see everything that has been. Everything that is. Everything that will be or could be. Yet you’re still missing the big picture.” The rainbows around us start to slow. Then they stop for the space of a heartbeat. Then they start revolving in the opposite direction. “Music isn’t just about what’s printed on a sheet of paper. It’s about the rises and falls, and the emotions we fill them with. Ponies’ lives are the same way. Maybe you can read notes from a page, but you can’t carry a tune. You need us to do that for you, otherwise you would have just changed our memories without needing us to accept you. And I very much do not accept you. Without us? You’re just a bunch of gaudy costume jewelry.” A new light catches my eye from behind me. I glance back and see that it’s swelling from the chests of the five most important ponies I’ve ever known, from just where a necklace would rest if they were wearing any. The Regalia might be great amplifiers for the Elements, but they aren’t their source. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. You were scared of me before, and you have no idea how right you were. I’ve seen what you planned for Equestria. I’ve been on the other side of your wall, and I came back. It’s dull and empty, just an eternal white void. Monotonous. That literally means ‘one tone.’” The power pouring out of my friends is matching that of the regalia blow for blow. I can feel the crackling rage and frustration billowing off of them. They aren’t used to being defied like this. Tough. “Somewhere along the way you should have learned. A monotone...” A fresh burst of light pours out of us, overwhelming anything I’ve ever seen the Elements do before. It’s too bright to see through, but I don’t need to see anything any more. I’m one with anything that light touches. “...cannot form...” I take a step forward, and I feel the surface of the regalia start to warp and blister. Ugly welts bubble up from them before they pop, spattering precious metals all over the floor. “...A HARMONY!” With a final pathetic whimper, the Regalia melts away forever. I fall to the floor, completely drained and just as completely satisfied. Across the room, Celestia’s jaw hangs open and her eyes are wide. Melted gold from the piece of slag on her head that used to be the Element of Magic runs down the side of her face, but I don’t think she’s noticed yet. The remains of the crown slip off her head and land with a wet slap in a semiliquid puddle. Celestia's mane and coat are singed around the edges, but other than that she’s no worse for wear. Luna and Star Swirl are looking over at us too. For a long time nopony says anything. “That... was... AWESOME!” says Rainbow Dash finally. With the silence broken all five of my friends begin to talk at once, confirming to one another that yes, that did really just happen. My only warning of what’s about to happen next is the clatter of a wooden baseball bat falling to the floor, and before I can turn around the body pouncing on me undoes any progress I’ve made at rising up again. “You’re okay! You’re okay! When I saw the Princess try to blast you, I thought... I thought...” says Azalea, then she gives up on words and just starts peppering me with little kisses. At some point we’re going to have to have a conversation about the appropriate times and places for surprise tackle-hugs, but moments like this one are certainly going in the ‘approved’ category. “I’m fine, Azalea. Never better,” I lie. This almost feels like cheating on the wife I’ve never had, but remember spending a lifetime with. I remember everything. I try to push away the nagging little guilty thoughts, and at least for the moment I succeed. Azalea stops mid-kiss. Her lips press against my cheek and the tip of her tongue gives my skin a few experimental pokes before she pulls away, confused. “Why do you taste like oranges?” I chuckle. “Kind of a long story, I’ll tell you later.” "Hey, where's Black Snooty?" asks Pinkie Pie. We all looks around. In the spot where Nightmare Moon had been pinning Luna in a choke hold, now there's just a pile of smoldering broken armor, the way there had been after the very first time we used the Elements. "Well would you look at that," says Applejack staring up out through a nearby window. The moon is sitting in the sky, and once again it’s adorned with the markings it used to have before Luna broke out. The mare in the moon is back. Luna looks up as well, and her jaw drops. “Is that what my moon looked like for a thousand years, while I was banished to it?” Star Swirl, switching from enemy to loving husband in an instant, gives her a hug. “It must be hard for you to see that. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this together.” “I’m not some traumatized little foal, you doofus,” she says to Star Swirl, although she does return the hug. She turns to the still-stunned Celestia. “Honestly, Tia, slapping a picture of me up on the moon? That’s just tacky.” Her ear twitches and she looks back at Star Swirl. “Wait, when you said we’d get through this together...” “I’m not going anywhere, Lunatic. This is about the age I was when I disappeared from the past, isn’t it?” asks Star Swirl. Luna looks him over for several seconds, then nods. “Well then I can’t go back or it would mess everything up, wouldn’t it? No reason I can’t stick around here, though, and get to know this new you. Technically, aren’t we still married?” She smiles. “I suppose that we can say so. Although I regret to inform you that I have been committing infidelity against you for several hundred years.” “Oh yeah? Any of them any good?” "Well, the was this one lavender unicorn mare..." “She's taken,” I call over to them. Azalea snorts and resumes her kisses. “There will be time for all of that later,” says Luna, blushing. “We should dispose of Nightmare Moon’s remains. They are physical manifestations of her power, and in the wrong hooves may be dangerous.” She picks up one of the shards, but when she tries to put it back down again oily tendrils of it peel off and stick to her coat. She tries to detach it by shaking her hoof, but it keeps its grip. The rest of the broken armor begins to vibrate and shake, before more tendrils dart out and stick all over her body. The armor melts into a thick liquid while Star Swirl looks on in horror. As it flows and envelops her, Luna screams. The scream is what finally snaps Celestia out of her daze. “Luna!” she cries out and dashes towards her, but she’s been entirely swallowed up by the black fluid. From the outside, she just looks like a three-dimensional silhouette of herself, and then even that begins to warp and change. She staggers around as her body stretches and shifts, and then a tiny crack appears in the surface. Bright light pours out from it, and the cracks spread as the light grows overwhelming. With a final explosion the oily darkness vanishes, and when I can see again it isn’t exactly Luna standing there. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that it’s more exactly Luna than it ever was before. Just like back in the past, she stands as tall and regal as her older sister. Her wings flare and she twists her head, as she works out the kinks and soreness from the transformation. Whatever the Regalia of Harmony ripped away when it sealed her away, I get the feeling she just took it back. She laughs. “Oh, my! What a rush. I feel... I feel fantastic!” she trots over to Celestia and giggles. “It seems I no longer need to stare upwards to look you in the eye, sister. As it should be.” Pinkie gasps. “Oh no! But if you took some of Nightmare Moon’s power does that mean you’re gonna go all crazy and evil and do the eternal night thing again?” she asks. Luna shakes her head, perhaps a bit more emphatically than she needs to as she lets her newly rich and starry mane flow through the air. “I am pleased to report that my desire to plunge the world into perpetual darkness has increased only slightly from its usual level.” “Yay!” shouts Pinkie. Luna giggles at the way Celestia is eyeing her warily. “I meant that in jest, you and I are meant to rule as equals. I have no desire to repeat the mistakes of the past. Besides...” she stalks over to Star Swirl and kisses him on the nose. “...I have more important things to do than scheme against you.” “Oh, geeze, not again. Why do you two always have to be so gross in front of everypony?” We all look towards the sound of the new voice at the entrance to the throne room. Star Swirl looks like he’s about to have a minor aneurysm. “Shooting Star? What are you doing here? You were supposed to use the scroll I gave you to get home. I explicitly told you not to follow me!” “Yeah, like that’s ever worked before,” she scoffs. She trots up to both of her parents and hugs them. “I don’t wanna go back if you don’t. I’m staying right here.” Star Swirl seems moved, but his anger hasn’t dissipated entirely. “What if we hadn’t won? What if the Elements had killed us all, or Nightmare Moon had taken over after we won?” “I don’t know, that whole ‘daughter of the evil empress’ thing sounded like a cool fallback plan.” While the three of them cuddle together and chat away like they’re somehow the most normal family in the world, Celestia returns to me, Azalea, and our friends to give them some space. “I apologize for not trusting you, Twilight. Attempting to use the Elements of Harmony on you... I’d understand if you didn’t forgive me. Azalea, I also apologize for defenestrating you.” I smile up at her. “It’s fine. It’s what I wanted you to do anyway, although I couldn’t explain it with Nightmare Moon right there. I’m sorry for all the things I said to provoke you. It’s not like things went according to my original plan.” Azalea nods. “I’m just glad that you picked an open window. Sorry about hitting you with a baseball bat.” Celestia grins. “In your position, I might have done much the same thing. Twilight is very dear to me. If you’d like, I think we should have some tea together and discuss your relationship with her. Alone.” “A...Alone?” “Perhaps. Or perhaps I shall invite her parents to join the two of us as well. I’m sure they would have quite a few questions for you as well.” Azalea starts to tremble and look down at the floor. I frown at Celestia. “Princess, be nice.” She narrows her eyes ever so slightly for a moment, but then throws her head back and laughs. “I have a large and moderately painful welt beginning to form on the back of my head. I think I’m entitled to a tiny bit of payback.” She spreads a wing over Azalea, and pulls her against her side. “If Twilight loves you, and you her, of course you have my blessing.” “Thank... thank you, Princess.” Celestia looks over at Luna, her power and her family restored to her in the space of a few minutes, and gets a wistful look in her eyes. “It’s the best feeling in the world, to see those you love together with their friends and families. I couldn’t possibly be happier.” I’m not really sure if she’s telling that to us, or to herself. “Mom?” Celestia goes rigid. Frozen there on the floor, it’s several seconds before she can respond. “That... That can’t be...” I grin up at her. “Are you sure that you couldn’t possibly be happier?” Celestia stands up slowly and turns to where Morning Glow is standing in the doorway. I thought Shooting Star might have brought him along. He’s still a bloody mess, with dirt and mud caked onto his matted coat. It’s not like that cave was equipped with a shower. They stare at each other for almost a minute, neither of them able to believe their eyes. “...Glowie?” At the sound of his name Morning Glow charges into the room. Celestia rushes towards him as well. Halfway into the room he leaps to her and they collide in midair, forearms and wings wrapped around one another by the time they hit the ground. “Mom! Oh, Mom, I saw... I watched you die. Most of this is your blood. I thought I’d never get to tell you that I love you again.” “I love you too. Oh, Glowie, I love you so much. So, so much. My baby.” “Wait, who are these ponies? I remember Star Swirl, and his letter mentioned Shooting Star, but who’s the new guy?” asks Rainbow Dash. “That’s Morning Glow, Celestia’s son,” I explain. “Princess Celestia has a son? Since when?” I look over at the two of them, clinging to each other like they’re never going to let go again with tears streaming down both of their faces. Celestia is gently rocking back and forth as she whispers something just for the two of them into Morning Glow’s ear. “Since right now.” Rarity gasps. “Do you realize what this means? With all these ponies from the past coming to live in our time?” My mind races. Could there be some sort of temporal feedback loop? A paradox that wipes out existence? Gigantic changes in history rippling outwards from this moment? What am I missing? “What does it mean, Rarity?” “It means that retro is going to be huge next season!” She grabs my cheeks and as she pulls me to face her, I see a manic glint in her eyes. “Twilight, I need every book you have on fashions from those time periods, a sewing machine, and three hundred pounds of purple silk, stat!” She drops me to the floor and brings a hoof up to her forehead. “And Princess Luna! She’s bigger now! She’s going to need an entire new wardrobe from the ground up! I need new measurements! Oh, where is my tape?” “Uh, Rares, don’tcha think you might be forgettin’ somethin’ important?” asks Applejack. “Well, well, well. Look at all the lovey-dovey wittle ponies with their happy endings,” says Discord’s voice from above. “I haven’t seen this much sap since I turned Manehatten into a forest of maple trees.” We all gasp and look up the monster standing on the ceiling looking down on us. Oh no, what are we going to do? I don’t know if I have the energy to draw directly on the Elements again like that. “Discord!” I shout. “The one and only,” he replies. “No, really, the one and only. Had a big fight with that other one, real knock down, drag out stuff. Probably blew the special effects budget for months. But in the end, that other me just wasn’t up to snuff. So he got snuffed.” “Wait, um, I don’t know if I understand,” says Fluttershy. “Are you the nice, reformed Discord or the mean, unreformed one?” “Hmm...” he strokes his chin, then he looks down at Fluttershy and winks. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” With that and one final, lingering laugh he vanishes into thin air. “Ugh. Never can get a straight answer out of that one. What a pain,” says Applejack. “Yeah, maybe we should've locked him back up in the statue, just in case,” agrees Rainbow Dash. The two of them look at one another, then suddenly blush and turn away again. It doesn’t go unnoticed. “Um... Rarity...” says Fluttershy, changing the subject, “if you’re making a whole new line of retro-inspired period works, do you want any help? I mean, I still remember a lot about how to design and sew from that... other place.” “Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that, Fluttershy. I’m sure some of my connections can help me acquire the labor that I need. Assuming, ah, that they do still exist. Besides, if you were in my boutique who would look after your animals?” “Ooh! Ooh! I will! Pick me, pick me!” Pinkie bounces into the air, waving her hoof to draw their attention. “Do you think I could teach a ferret to do a backflip?” “Wait, do you all remember everything the Elements did to us?” I ask. I had assumed for some reason it would only be me. “What did they do, anyway?” asks Azalea. “How did you know you needed to attack Canterlot with Discord and Nightmare Moon?” “It’s been kind of a weird day,” I reply. “Not actually the weirdest one I’ve ever had, which says a lot about my life, but I’ll fill you in on the train ride home.” “Heh, I betcha aren’t going to want to leave the library for a straight month after all this,” says Applejack. That does sound good, but first there’s one more trip to make. ------------------------- A week later, I push open the door of a small flower shop in Trottingham, the jingling of the bell announcing my presence. I hear movement and a stallion emerges from behind a display, a green earth pony with a flower for a cutie mark. “Hello, sir,” I begin. “You wouldn’t happen to be a Mister Xylem, would you?” “Sure am. Can I help you?” “Not me, but there’s a pony here I think you should meet.” I take a step to one side and gesture behind me. “Uh... there’s nopony there. This some kinda prank?” My confident smile falls away as I turn my head and look. Sure enough, the two of us are alone in the shop. “Heh heh,” I chuckle, “I’ll be right back.” He shrugs. “Best be quick about it, we close for the day in about ten minutes.” The jingling of the bell is a lot more frantic as I run through the door a second time. I stop on the empty street and look every way I can for my target. I find her closer than I expected to. Sitting against the wall just to the side of the door and silently crying is Azalea. I sit down next to her and pull her into a hug. “I can’t do this. I’m scared, Twilight, I’m so scared. What are they going to say when they meet me?” “I don’t know, sweetie, but there’s only one way to find out. You need to walk through that door. No more sneaking and hiding, that’s not who you are anymore, is it?” Azalea shakes her head. “Please don’t make me,” she begs. “I won’t. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. If you’d rather come back another day we can, but you’re going to have to do this eventually.” She sniffles. “Yeah, I know. But what am I supposed to tell them? Hey, sorry your daughter died last year. Don’t worry though, I’m here to replace her?” “You are her. You are Azalea,” I say. She doesn’t seem convinced, but at least she stops crying and lays her head down on my shoulder. I let her rest there for a minute, acutely aware of the time limit I’m under. “Hey, remember that night on the lake?” I ask. I feel her nod, but she doesn’t say anything. “It’s a leap of faith. You didn’t think you could do it that night either, you just thought you were going to end up soaking wet and disappointed. But you leapt, and something amazing happened. Us happened. And just like that night I’m going to be right here helping you walk on water. If something goes wrong and we take a plunge, we’ll just crawl back out and help each other dry off and warm up. Does that sound good?” Azalea wordlessly reaches out, and I take her hoof in between mine. She takes a long, deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready.” “You go in first this time, I’ll be right behind you.” I give her a quick kiss and help her stand back up again. She steps over to the door and after one last glance back to assure herself I’m there, pushes the door open. The bell jingles for a third and final time. The same stallion as before steps out again, from another direction this time. “Did you find the pony... the pony that...” He stares at Azalea, unable to form coherent words. Azalea’s knees have stopped shaking, and her tears dried up. She smiles up at the stallion, and though it takes her a few tries she does manage to get the words past her lips. “Hi Dad.”