//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Even Stranger // by SaltyJustice //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle eventually completed three editions of the "Book of Everything" before deciding to abandon the project. Reviewers complained that, while exhaustive in its detail, the book was simply too large to carry and cumbersome to use as a reference product. Twilight also became frustrated in the entry on the Book itself, which would require progressively more and more detail the more the book was completed. The Book of Everything would take the world record for both "Longest Book (in pages and words)" and "Most Unpleasant Thing to Have Dropped On You". Derpy, despite receiving only a brief cameo, was nonetheless delighted to find out she received a mention in the epilogue. Princess Cadence never did quite come to accept changelings, and initially attempted to veto the Crystal Senate's attempts to allow full citizenship rights to changelings within the Empire's boundaries. To her chagrin, the senators cobbled together the three-fourth's majority necessary to override the Princess's veto, and changelings were acceded full recognition under the law. Charlie the Crystal Pony never did get his jar of honey. Fortunately, he never knew he was going to get one, and therefore was not upset. Due to his tireless efforts, Shining Armor managed to convince Princess Cadence to recognize, and negotiate with, the Dusty Dries hive. The negotiations were brief, but fair and forthright. Relations would not be normalized between the two for some time, but historians widely agree that Shining Armor played a pivotal role. Queen Chrysalis declared the changelings and ponies to no longer be at war, and opened up the hive to outsiders on certain conditions. In addition, any changeling who wished to leave was free to do so, any many of the workers took the opportunity. Still, some changelings kept to the old ways, and Chrysalis provided Nectar for free to those who chose to stay in the hive, as well as those in Equestria and beyond who still had need of it. Tegula convinced Chrissy to stop being so paranoid and to just relax and spend time with her friends. It had little effect on the Queen's demeanor, but, in light of the revelations about friendship, was a necessary step in the transition to a more open life. Princess Celestia sent out, by royal decree, a full guarantee of amnesty for all changelings operating within Equestria. Despite some initial distrust, many ponies quickly accepted the changelings in their midst when they found that most of them knew at least one or two in disguise. Not all was well, but over time, the distrust healed and the two societies found friendship. Vinyl Scratch hosted a concert whose initial attendance estimates had been at six-thousand, but eventually the total ballooned to nine-thousand. The concert went beautifully, despite complaints by the city's sanitation commission that the jumping of the dancers was shaking the pavement and could risk a collapse. After the concert, intoxicated patrons began a customary riot, and Canterlot guardsponies began a vicious close-quarters battle that lasted until five a.m. Vinyl Scratch managed to avoid all the negative consequences of her actions. Final tally: 517 noise complaints, 65,000 bits of property damage (estimate), 64 arrests, 15 ponies hospitalized. A.C. would comment that it was, "A good night". Rainbow Dash was never compensated for nearly killing Octavia with the bungee cord. She forgot about it within a day. Octavia's quartet finally saw some success after a dry spell of three months. They currently tour once per year, visiting every city and town except Canterlot. When asked if they were interested in auditioning for the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, all four politely declined. Thorax received a promotion to Vats Overseer after voluntarily rescinding his position as Infiltrator. He spent several months touring Equestria with Octavia, and now maintains a relatively small Nectar-brewing facility in Ponyville for any changeling who requires it. He has been disallowed from acquiring the ingredients himself. Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart would become world-famous experts on changeling anatomy and society after their paper, "Examinations of Changeling Physiology", was published in the respected journal Nature. Despite their accolades, the two continued to practice in Ponyville General, mostly because of the reprehensible misuse of their names and nicknames everywhere else. Pinkie Pie had major difficulty adjusting to having changeling friends, since some of them would put on disguises and confuse her. She eventually came up with elaborate greeting ceremonies that only specific changelings knew about, to better differentiate them. Lyra ripped the newspaper in half before she got the chance to read it. She was not happy about it. Spiracle would go on to start a relationship with Nurse Redheart, whose fascination with changelings blossomed into something that could be fed on. Spiracle continued to criss-cross the world as Sasha Gio, delivering packages and Nectar wherever a client could pay her to go. Commander Tarsus, due to the new nature of Equestria-Dusty Dries politics, retired shortly after a peace treaty was signed. He became the first changeling in the intelligence division to publish his memoirs, recounting the many exciting and dangerous missions he had been on and sent agents on, as well as the less-exciting ones. He is said to still have a soft spot for money, and can often be found devouring cinnamon-swirl ice-cream in the Dusty Dries Hotel after dark. Spike continued to be Twilight Sparkle's scribe and confidante for some time. When interviewed, he said he "Didn't mind it" as long as she "kept the gems flowing". It is believed he was being sarcastic. Owlowiscious made the same "Who?" joke that everyone is no-doubt sick of by this point. Five hundred more times. It didn't get any funnier than it wasn't the first time. The Ponyville Cookie Bandit was never caught. The Cutie Mark Crusaders maintained a careful vigil over the town, and fortunately, the Bandit never struck again. However, because he/she remains at large, it is advised to keep your cookies safely within their jar until it is time to eat them, especially if you are within the greater Ponyville area. This has been a public safety message from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. (Cutie Mark Crusader Vigilantes! Yay!) Octavia and Thorax would eventually marry, and move into their own house on the southern edge of Ponyville. They would frequently abscond to Ponyville's windmill/watermill hybrid at night, and, well, that much is obvious. Other than all the times when Vinyl was blasting dubstep at three in the morning, or when various supervillains appeared to attack the town, or when giant monsters invaded, or when metallic aliens invaded, or when creatures from the center of the earth attacked, or the many natural disasters which struck Ponyville, not to mention periodic assaults by Parasprites, Timberwolves, deranged hermits, travelling salesponies, and many, many other things, the two lived happily ever after. The End.