//------------------------------// // An Imaginary Farewell // Story: Only an Imaginary Friend // by i_am_the_jam //------------------------------// √-1 √-1 √-1 An Imaginary Farewell It wasn’t Imaginary’s friends who first caught up to him. As Imaginary was recovering from his first teleportation, he was intercepted by another of Sour Grape’s farmhooves. He was a sea-foam green pegasus stallion with a sky blue mane and tail, both with a white stripe, and oddly enough, a five-o’clock shadow. He donned a red and white striped shirt, a jaunty sea captain’s hat, and a sturdy leather-looking belt. As he landed, the stallion seemed to be a touch unsteady on solid ground, for some odd reason. He waited for Imaginary to stop panting, and began, “Ye know, lad, I was catching up with Sour Grapes just now to talk to her about something up at her farm, and I couldn’t help but hear yer altercation with her cousin’s friends.” The unicorn sighed, “I…I know…I was a bit loud and—” “Lad, ever had an IQ test done on you?” Imaginary blinked and looked up at the farmhoof. “W—What? Well, yes I have. It’s common practice to do that at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns—” “I see. Well ye’d better head back and get re-tested, bucko. Yer acting like an idiot.” Slowly, Imaginary turned to him. “I beg your pardon?” “That's right. Lemmie tell you something about tribalism: we're all tribalists, in one form or another.” “Huh? But…but I never—” “Oh yes—ye—do,” he pointed at him with emphasis. “Every moment of yer day ye spend with others, yer head is filled with pre-conceived notions of what we’re all like. Same with, Dame Dash, Dame Pie, Dame Sparkle, Miss Grapes…even Princess Celestia…and yes. Me too.” Imaginary looked at him in the eyes. “With all due respect, sir, that’s just plain absurd! If what you’re saying is true, then everypony you just mentioned would be antagonistic to everypony else, making friendships impossible, and Her Highness Princess Celestia would be a dictator—” “Ah, not quite, lad. Yer confusing tribalism with something else.” The two stallions just looked at each other for a moment, and then Imaginary pressed, “And what, pray tell, am I confusing it with?” “Why, bigotry. Ye see, being a tribalist means yer living yer life with these nasty thoughts and pre-conceived notions at the back of yer head. Unicorns are always ‘horning in’, earth ponies are ‘like talking to a wall’, pegasi ‘have their heads in the clouds’…but, we can live good lives with those whispers in our ears. Being a bigot, however…” The pegasus looked toward Cloudsdale and sighed, “…that means yer using them notions as an excuse to treat another pony badly. Like, say, how ye treated Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash earlier.” At that, Imaginary growled. “Listen, you, I guess you didn’t hear the entire altercation, nor did you get the full gist as to why I happened to talk to them the way I did. Right now I could very well explain to you everything that those two mares did to me the moment I winked into town last Monday…” he huffed with anger, “…but I’ve already explained myself enough times for today. If you want more information, consult with Sour Grapes, she’ll happily tell you everything. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Imaginary willed himself away from the pony before he could reply, and disappeared, reappearing in another part of town, heading for his house. However, as he panted and waited to recover before the next wink, he heard a flutter of wings above him. “Using yer magic to teleport away from the truth? Now that could be considered tribalist, lad.” Imaginary gawked at the pegasus above him, who then finished, “Ye’d best be careful, lad. Yer magic is still recovering from yer ‘unfortunate prank’. But still, I’ve known hermits with a greater social life than you. But I’ll leave ye alone now, don’t worry, and I’ll speak to Sour Grapes, as ye requested.” With that, the pegasus flew off. √-1 √-1 √-1 Imaginary’s friends followed Big Macintosh and Bulk Biceps, who were moving at a very brisk trot, but as they eventually left behind Ponyville and the train tracks and headed for the foot of Mount Canter, they all came to realize just how far his house was from the last house and farm in Ponyville. “I still can’t believe that he winks all the way to the south side of Ponyville!” panted Rarity. “Eeyup, he does,” replied the red stallion. “An’ every day!” added Applejack. “Like I said before, I’m definitely going to get a workout winking back and forth until he recovers,” quipped Twilight. “Oh, look, there he is!” The stallion in question hadn’t quite reached the Ponyville-Canterlot district line, though his house was visible from very far off. He was currently standing still, eyes closed, sweating, panting, and waiting for his magic to recharge before attempting the next wink. Then he heard hoofsteps approaching, but didn’t make any attempt to distance himself from them, or even to look up. Big Macintosh began, “Yew know, Immy, maybe th’ doctor should have also told yew t’not try winkin’ in short stops so many tahms.” Imaginary still held his head down, “I’ll…mention that to him in…my next check up…” He then shook his long mane out of his face, and opened his eyes to see who else had arrived. “Well…this isn’t surprising…that all of you came here to speak with me…this is what true friendship is all about…I suppose…” Twilight slowed down and stood in front of him again. “Immy—um—Imaginary…once again, on behalf of the Knights of Harmony, I offer my sincere apologies for the actions and attitudes of Dame Rainbow Dash and Dame Pinkie Pie. Because they’re our friends, we know that often they can be very frustrating to deal with.” The red-brown stallion panted, “Apology…accepted…Dame…um…Twilight. I…I just don’t know…when I’ll be able…to face them again…not without…so many unpleasant memories…rushing out of my subconscious…despite their desire to make amends…this…just can’t be fixed overnight, you know…” “We know, Sugarcube,” said Applejack, stepping beside Twilight. “Well, me, an’ Big Mac, an’ Apple Bloom, an’ Granny Smith. We Apples know ‘bout this stuff, Immy. We felt it, an’ felt it hard. After our tragedy, we all buried our noses in our work, tryin’ t’go on, an’ it worked f’r a while…but it wasn’t long until Ah couldn’t look at an apple or apple tree without thinkin’ o’ mah Maw an’ Paw. That’s one reason why Ah left f’r Manehattan…but yew know that eventually Ah came back. No, Ah’ve never forgotten whut happened, an’ no, Ah never will. But what we all learned was that while it will always hurt…yew have t’move on. Yew never forget, of course, instead, yew make sure that yew honour th’ memories…” Applejack looked at Imaginary, and saw that he had closed his eyes again, but it was not because of exhaustion. Carefully, she leaned closer, and asked quietly. “Yew…haven’t let go yet, raght, Sugarcube? That’s th’ real problem here, ain’t it?” Imaginary just sighed, and collapsed on his knees. “Do you truly think it’s a problem, Dame Apple?” he still didn’t open his eyes. “Abstract’s memories have gotten me through thin and thick. The…vision of what happened at her birthday will never leave me, and with good reason. Because I kept her memories close, especially of the way she thought, I was able to get through the weeks and months after her death. It was her memories that gave me the strength to avenge her and give those pranksters what they deserved, and even that had a positive effect on me. You see, when I found out that what I did to those jerks had made me a few enemies, I eventually joined a gym and started to bulk up. With time, that helped fend off the colts that didn’t like me, and it also helped my telekinesis a trifle. Her memories have helped me select my friends, my colleagues, and even my current job and house. And everything was all fine…” he sighed, and looked back at Ponyville. “…until I heard what Dame Dash and Dame Pie were doing. And, of course, the kicker was on Nightmare Night. What they did to Her Highness Princess Luna is…unforgivable…especially after Night Court was nearly cancelled.” He then looked at Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack. “You…and Dame Fluttershy…have hearts of gold, if you are able to forgive them and still keep strong the bonds of friendship you have with them…you all are truly worthy to be the Knights of Harmony. You…know friendship more than anypony ever could—” “But you also knew that friendship, when you were with Abstract,” said Twilight. “Yes, what happened was a horrible tragedy, and yes, we all feel your pain, especially the Apple Family, but if you say that Abstract’s memories have been what has kept you going all these years, then…is that how you want to remember Abstract? You’re a grown stallion, Imaginary, are you building memories of your own now? And if you aren’t, do you think that is what Abstract would have wanted of you? If Abstract had survived, what would your relationship be like now?” Imaginary looked at Twilight and was about to snarl, but then he seemed to stutter quietly, and then his shoulders and head sagged. “I…don’t know.” Rarity laid beside him, also exhausted, but pressed on, “The job you have, the house you live in, the friends you’ve chosen until now…those are all the things Abstract would have loved, right, darling?” He sighed, “Yes.” Sour Grapes stepped up, not believing what she was hearing, “Wait a minute…Imaginary…you mean to tell me that you’ve been basing your life choices on the opinions of a dead ten-year-old?” The brown unicorn blinked. What… …had… …he… …been… …doing…????!!!! Sour Grapes shook her head, “Dude…that is just messed up.” Rarity continued, “Indeed, darling. The job you work in, the house you live in, and the friends you have, are all those the ones you want? Do you really like your job? Do you really like winking into town when few ponies can see you? Darling, are you truly happy with what you have now?” Here, the stallion had no answer. Instead, he just turned away, and rubbed his sore horn. Big Macintosh laid down in front of him, while the rest laid down close by. “Yew never let go o’ Abstract, Immy. A.J., A.B., Granny an’ Ah eventually let go o’ our parents, an’ look at us: we’re runnin’ th’ farm juss’ fahn. Sure, we had our setbacks, but we’re still goin’ strong, because we never forgot, Immy, but we also never stood still in those memories, either, an’ we know our parents would lahk whut we’re doin’ now, an’ how we’re runnin’ th’ farm. Would Abstract like th’ way yew’re doin’ things?” Silence once more. Finally, Bulk spoke, “You said you went to her funeral, but did you honestly say good-bye to her there? Did you promise to honour her and her parents by never forgetting her memories? Or…did you swear to keep her alive in your head…at the cost of everything else? Did you seek revenge at the request of her family? Did you promise to live a life that would revere her memories, or a life that would make sure her memories never left you?” Twilight finished, “There’s nothing wrong in keeping memories alive, but it seems that you used them to build for yourself a house of cards, and when two new pranksters appeared, it all came tumbling down. Imaginary, is this what Abstract truly wanted for you?” The red-brown stallion lifted his head, and opened his eyes to look at the mountain city. He spoke, “I…I never said good-bye. I did everything…except say good-bye…” He lowered his head and covered his face with his hooves. Big Macintosh stood, and sighed, “Then yew know what yew have to do. We’ll get yew home now, Immy, an’ when yew’re ready, we’ll help yew out any way we can.” The unicorn stallion could only nod. For someone very eloquent, he truly had nothing more to say, thanks to his friends. And thanks to his friends, he managed to make it home. Since he was completely exhausted, Rarity lifted him on top of Big Macintosh, and the red stallion carried him on the last leg of the road to his house. And there, his friends made sure he was properly settled in, and returned to Ponyville. And they left Imaginary all by himself. Alone… √-1 √-1 √-1 One week later… The gravestone stood on its spot as it had always done since that sad day, proclaiming Abstract’s name, but not displaying any insignia of any kind, indicating that the filly had indeed died before finding out what her special talent was. A bulky and shaggy brown unicorn stallion clopped up to the grave. “I…I don’t know how many times I theorized about what your cutie mark would have looked like. A calculus formula? A thought balloon? Or even more, a symbol of a specialization that would require telekinetic precision: A surgical mask? A scalpel? Clockwork gears? Or even yet, an integrated circuit?” The gravestone didn’t reply, as was expected. Imaginary cleared his throat and continued, “Abstract, the Knights of Harmony…um…my friends…advised me to come here and…talk things out. I haven’t come here since your funeral…I just didn’t see the point, but…I suppose…it’s best for me to just say all that I’ve wanted to say for so long…a lot of stuff has been building up since I tried to save you… “I don’t know if you’ll be glad to know that…the colts responsible…were expelled from CSGU. Not because of anything they did there…or because of what they did to you…it was because they could no longer perform advanced magic. After the funeral…I…hunted them down…teleported them all to the border of the Everfree Forest…and just unleashed every milligram of rage that was in me. I didn’t actually blast them with energy bolts, I…used my teleportation talent to wink them several metres in the air and let them fall into the ground…over and over again…and then I got the great idea of teleporting their entire bodies…except for half of their horns. Coupled with them falling repeatedly on their heads…their…horn and magic growth were stunted because of what I did. They had to go to magic remedial school to re-learn the most basic spells…but they still live with that handicap.” Imaginary sighed. “Was I sorry for what I did to them? Eventually…I suppose…eventually I felt sorry, and even afraid, because their friends and relatives in CSGU sort of knew what I did, even though those jerks were too scared to say that I did it, so I was never punished, not that anypony would blame a distraught 10-year-old colt, but…back then…I could only feel rage and anger for what they did to you and your family…and to me. I’ve been asked,” he looked at Twilight, who was close behind him, along with the rest of his new friends, “…I’ve been asked if you would have been proud of what I had done. Honestly? Considering that those idiots betrayed your trust, in your face, and in your parents’ face, and in your own home…I…” He thought. “It would be a trifle presumptuous for me to say that you wouldn’t, or even that you would, despite how well we knew each other then. Would I have been proud of you if the roles had been reversed, and it was you who got consumed with rage over my death?” He looked down. “I can only say that I don’t know. All I knew then is that I had to avenge you. The adults weren’t doing enough against bullies and pranksters…and…when I saw them lying on the ground, begging for mercy, I…” His voice cracked. “It felt good. Not that I enjoyed watching them suffer, but…it was because I felt that you had been avenged. Of course, it only lasted for a moment, and shortly after that I started feeling sorry and sad and guilty and afraid…” He looked to the clouds. “But as to whether you would have approved or not…my final answer is: I don’t know. And nopony will ever be able to know. And…and…” he sighed, “…that brings me to my next point.” Imaginary squared himself, and continued, “For a long time, after you died, whenever I met anypony, I would wonder, ‘would Abstract have liked him or her?’ Or I’d think, ‘I wonder what Abstract would have thought about this spell or theory or experiment.’ And then I started thinking, ‘would Abstract have liked for me to be friends with this colt or mare? Would Abstract want me to associate with this pony at all?’ And then, I realized, that…that…” He covered his eyes, “That…I had turned you into my Imaginary Friend…pretending you were always next to me, reading with me, talking with me, giving me your opinion, approving or disapproving of friends, colleagues, experiments, school work, research…” His eyes watered, “…because I missed you so much…my love…” He paused, letting it all out. Behind him, Twilight, Rarity, Macintosh, Applejack, Fluttershy, Bulk Biceps, Sour Grapes, Squall (the pegasus stallion who berated him earlier), and Spike stood by, in respectful silence. “And…and now…my friends have helped me realize…that…I was basing my life on the hypothetical opinions of a ten-year-old! I mean, even you wouldn’t have approved of that, and that’s a solid fact, not an abstract one!” he chuckled, still sobbing. “Still…” he sniffed, “…something good did come out of all this. I joined a gym so the other colts would stop harassing me, and now I look quite intimidating…but now I only go because it’s healthy…and…I suppose I like the way I look. I’m no longer the lanky colt that you fell in love head-over-hooves with…and I also realised that…if…if I grew up…and my way of thinking also matured…then if you had lived…you would have also grown up and your way of thinking…and opinions…would have changed and matured as well…but since you didn’t…it’s impossible for me to say what your present opinion over any matter would be…and it is wrong for me to live my life thinking that I do know what it would be. So…” Imaginary sat on his haunches. “I…will no longer hypothesise about your opinion on any matter. Not that I never valued your opinion, you know I always did, but…your opinions, the ones I am sure of…are those of a filly who no longer knows me. I’m…I’m sorry, Abstract, but it has to be this way. And as such…” He had to clear his eyes again. “I…I’ve decided to start dating again. I won’t be looking for your clone, of course, nor will I ask myself if you would approve of the mare I’m with. We had a wonderful time, Abstract, but…that time was tragically stolen from us…and it cannot be restored, not even by the princesses. You won’t be coming back to me…it is I who will eventually come to you, hopefully in the distant future. I’m really sorry about this, Abstract, but…I have to do this. I don’t know how many mares have tried to get close to me and…I brushed them off without even knowing it. I don’t even know if I already blacklisted myself because of the way I’ve been living with you as my Imaginary Friend…but if I have…and I end up old and alone…” He sighed. “It won’t be your fault, don’t worry. It will be the fault of an idiot stallion who never learned to put things behind him and move on with his life. Therefore…” He stood. “…I’m moving on. I’ll always miss you, and I’ll always love you…but I have to say good-bye. Good-bye, Abstract. Thank you for giving me the best childhood ever. Thank you for all the wonderful memories. Thank you for all the magic tips. Thank you for letting me know what true love is; I’ll certainly know what to look for if it happens again. Thank you…for everything…” He breathed deeply, and felt an emotion buried deeply within him start to bubble up, to surface. He knew what was happening, and since it was the first time it happened to him, he allowed himself to flow with the magic that emerged, and then enchanted the very air around him. And the music began. Moments later, he sang: “Seems like it was only yesterday She was living here, yeah, she was living here. No one knows why she has gone away. It isn’t very clear, no, it isn’t very clear.” He then sighed, and looked at some storm clouds in the distance, “Into every life a little rain must fall, And losing one you love is like a storm…” He cocked his head, “But storms are passing…” He chorused, “I hear…Abstract… Singing in Heaven tonight. And in between the sadness Oh, I hear Abstract… Telling me that she’s alright…” He paused for a moment, and then turned to his two best friends as they came up to stand beside him, “Life goes on even after life. That’s what I believe, yeah, that’s what I believe, wo—” Macintosh backed him up, “Abstract’s gone, but she will still survive.” He continued solo, pointing to his chest, “In a memory…that I’m keeping here with me. Silencing the voice of mortal tragedy, Oh, listening to whispers of the soul,” Now Bulk backed him up, “All is peaceful…” Solo once more, “I hear…Abstract… Singing in Heaven tonight. And in between the sadness Oh, I hear Abstract… Telling me that she’s alright…” He paused again to wipe his eyes, and now his two close friends chorused in their deep voices, “Into every life a little rain must fall, And losing one you love is like a storm. But storms are passing. I hear…Abstract… Singing in Heaven tonight. And in between the sadness Oh, I hear Abstract… Telling me that she’s alright…” They took a deep breath, and repeated, “I hear…Abstract… Singing in Heaven tonight. And in between the sadness Oh, I hear Abstract… Telling me that she’s alright…” Again they paused, to take a deep breath. But now, Imaginary finished, “I hear Abstraaact…I hear Abstract. I hear Abstraaact…I hear Abstract,” he whispered. His friends backed him up on the second part, “Oh, I hear Abstraaact…I hear Abstract, yeah yeah… Oh, I hear Abstraaact…I hear Abstract, yeah yeah…” Now Imaginary shouted, “Oh, I hear Abstraaact…!!! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Oh, I hear Abstraaact…!!! I hear Abstract, yeah yeah yeah… Oh, I hear Abstraaact…!!! Oh wo…oh wo… Oh, I hear Abstraaact……!!!” With that, the music faded. He nodded his thanks to his two close friends, and sighed again, feeling…oddly relieved. He stepped back, and with a strain, levitated a bouquet of magnolias and placed it in front of the gravestone. “Good-bye, my dearest Abstract.” He turned and walked away, joined moments later by the rest of the ponies and the baby dragon. His friends. As they left the gravestone behind, Big Macintosh asked, “So, yew’s gonna start dating, finally? Any mare we know?” he chuckled. “Don’t rush me, my friend,” he sighed, “It’s already difficult enough for me to ask myself if I will approve of the decisions I make. I now have to figure out what my own current likes and dislikes are before I can compare them to a potential VSSP. And then I’ll start visiting Ponyville during a time of day when everypony is not barely waking up or getting ready for bed. And perhaps, if a Mare Auction Fund Raiser is ever set up, I just might decide to go shopping myself.” Sour Grapes snorted at that, “I know three mares that won’t be in that shindig.” Imaginary smiled and approached the spectacled unicorn, “Because they already have their own VSSP’s?” “Well since one is me, then yeah.” She then turned to the two others in question, “Now if only a certain cousin, and a certain fashionista, would just…GET OVER THEMSELVES…” Imaginary laughed while Applejack scrunched her muzzle again, and Rarity just whistled, trying to seem aloof. “Say, Miss Grapes, I hear that you gave Dame Pie and Dame Dash a rather…poignant dissertation, shortly after I did. I must say that you certainly have a talent for compressing ideas and packing them with a much more brief, yet more powerful, punch.” “It’s called being blunt, or as Applejack calls it: ‘As subtle as a horseshoe to the forehead.’” He laughed again, rubbing his overgrown horn, “Yes, I certainly know what that feels like. But still, you gave those two a much better wake-up call than I ever could.” He sighed, “Thank you, Miss Grapes, for being my friend as well, and being there when and where I needed you most.” “My pleasure. It's not like I have a lot of them.” He just nodded, but as he walked past, he whispered, “…Stormfront is very lucky to have you…” “…I’m lucky to have him…” she whispered back with a smile. He raised an eyebrow. So no more “Wait…what?”? It looks like the auction “woke her up” and finally made her hurry things up with the Object of her Morning Analysis after all… Suddenly, his path was interrupted by the gruff sea-green pegasus. Squall stared at Imaginary with a frighteningly stern expression for a moment. Then, it softened as he spoke in a surprisingly soft tone for such a gruff voice, “Don’t worry, lad. I won’t be giving ye empty platitudes about old wounds healing. Scars might fade, but they never quite go away. No, I’m just going to pass along some advice a wise friend in the Chineighs Empire gave me. He said, ‘Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other pony to die.’ If you can, let it go. The best start is to forgive the pony yer holding most responsible. The easiest way to do that, is to find yerself a mirror.” “I’ll certainly do that, Mr. Squall, and thanks for the ‘wake-up call’ back in Ponyville. I—really needed quite the stern talking to myself.” “Yer welcome, lad.” Imaginary was about to continue again, but this time, another pegasus blocked his path, though this time, the pegasus was a butter-yellow mare. “Um…Mr. Imaginary…and Twilight…everypony…I…I just want to clarify something…if that’s all right with you…” The ponies in question just looked at Fluttershy for a moment, waiting, and then Imaginary had to coax her, “Yes, it’s okay with us, Dame Fluttershy, by all means, proceed.” “Well…it’s just that…there has been a bit of confusion concerning some of the things I’ve done. I…I don’t wrestle bears…” “What, you don’t??” asked Twilight, “But I saw you knock down a full grown grizzly and you held him down with a very elaborate trick of leverage—” “Y…yes…about that…I wasn’t wrestling Mr. Bear, I was giving him a massage. I don’t wrestle anypony…or anyone…there’s too much risk there of either wrestler getting seriously injured…um…and…sorry for interrupting you, Twilight…that was very rude of me…” Imaginary and Twilight looked at each other, and the stallion said, “Point taken, Dame Fluttershy. I’m sure the other Knights will keep that in mind in the future.” “Th…thank you, Mr. Imaginary…but…you…um…don’t have to call me ‘Dame’…not if you really don’t want to…” “Oh, right, sorry about that,” he winked at her, making her blush very intensely, squee with embarrassment, and hide behind her mane again. Once outside the cemetery, they were met by two more mares. Dame Pinkie Pie and Dame Rainbow Dash were waiting for them, and although they had remained outside, out of respect for Imaginary, they had caught plenty of the stallion’s eulogy. The pink mare was looking at the unicorn through tear-filled eyes, and it was obvious she was holding herself back, because all she wanted to do now was pounce on the stallion and give him a sympathetic hug, knowing he had lost his VSSP so tragically. She didn’t, naturally, because she knew Imaginary would not be comfortable with that just yet. And the blue mare was pacing back and forth, once again trying to hold back her tears, and pushing down her instinct to hover above the rest. Pinkie sobbed, “Immy…Imaginary…we’re…I’m so—” “Sorry!!!” blurted Rainbow Dash. “We’re sorry, okay?? I mean, I don’t think either of us have ever been sorrier in our lives!!! And if I had been at Abstract’s birthday party…I would have shown those bullies and pranksters a thing or two!!!” The pegasus was clearly crying now. “And I would have joined you in giving those jerks what they deserved!!! Because nopony deserves to die so young, and much less before they find their special talent!!! Imm—Imaginary…we’re so sorry for opening old wounds. We have no idea how to make it up to you…because…because we just don’t, okay??? We’ve never been in a situation like this one before!!! We have no idea what to do to make it better!!! We have no idea…” She stood in front of Imaginary, and lowered her head. “We…have no idea…of what to do…so you won’t hate us. Yes, we were stupid pranksters. Yes, we were brash and aggravating and careless and frustrating and annoying and inconsiderate and disrespectful, and everything you said about us!!! We…we admit it, Imaginary. But…please don’t hate us. Whatever you want us to do to make it up to you, we’ll do it. Even if we have to go to Tartarus and back…we’ll do it. Because…” She looked at him in the eye, “Because we’re not the pranksters who killed Abstract. We are Knights of Harmony and Champions of Equestria, and by Celestia—and Luna—we’ll do anything you ask in order to prove that to you.” She breathed deeply, and closed her eyes, “That is all we can do, Imaginary. Beyond that, if there is any way we can gain your trust and friendship, say it, and we’ll do it.” The two mares sat in front of him, defeated. Imaginary sat as well, and replied, “As Knights of Harmony and Champions of Equestria, I have no doubt that you both would go to Tartarus and back, if I just gave the word. But just to clarify things, Dame Dash, Dame Pie, I…I don’t hate you. Believe me, I hated those bullies, and you heard what I did to them, but it would take much more out of you for me to actively hate you. And considering all you said just now, I believe your sincerity, and I accept your apologies.” The two looked up, expectantly. “We’re not friends quite just yet, mind you. Being friends means that we are going to have to trust each other, so for starters, you both are going to have to earn my trust. But, I won’t ask for anything impossible, nor for anything I myself wouldn’t be willing or capable of doing.” He leaned closer, “First, we can start with me asking for your respect. I want you to respect me, and my opinions, and the choices I make. I want you to respect my family, respect the way I choose to look, respect my privacy, respect my job, respect my desire to talk or to not talk, and above all, respect my personal space. You don’t have to like or agree with everything I do or say, of course, because I respect your decisions and opinions, and if you really disagree, I’m all for having an open and rational discussion about what you think is wrong. And...” he sighed, “…I won’t ask you to stop with the pranks.” Both mares looked at him with surprise. “I…suppose pranking is part of who you are, and the Elements of Harmony chose you two for a reason…a reason none of us know yet, so somehow your pranking is part of Harmony and Friendship, I guess. And I know you two are not malicious or bullies and you really don’t want to hurt anypony, but all I ask is that you really, really think things through. You could have hurt Dame…um…Twilight by messing with her experiment, you know, and maybe even Spike. Just…plan your pranks a little bit more carefully, please. And do make sure that the pony being pranked will also laugh at the end. And the third thing—for now—I know you both were sincere in your apologies, and I accepted your apologies, but do remember that I’m not the only one who ended up having a bad time due to your pranks. There’s also another pony you have to apologise to, and you two know where you need to go in order to do so. And because you both are Knights, you have plenty of more access to do it than any other pony. If you can do all of this…then it will be a start.” Rainbow Dash straightened up, and replied with conviction. “I can, and I will, Imaginary.” Pinkie reached over and was about to hold his hoof, but after hearing his request about personal space, she sadly withdrew her hoof. Still, she also replied, albeit sadly, “I also can, and I also will. But…Immy—I mean—Imaginary, you…still don’t want to be friends with Rainbow Dash or me?” The unicorn thought for a moment, stood, and replied, “Considering what you’ve done, and what I’ve been through, and how I lost my VSSP, it’s…going to be a very long road ahead of us before I can call you my friend, Dame Pie.” Pinkie’s mane and tail would have deflated at that point, but he continued, “However, I’m not saying that it’s downright impossible. I mean, stranger things have happened in Ponyville, right? For now, I won’t downright reject your offer, and I will take time to analyse it and consider it. Perhaps I won’t call you a friend just yet, but we can start with me calling you the friend of my friend, and not just a pony I know. If things work out, we’ll move up to ‘friendly acquaintances’, and once I know that I can trust you both, then, and only then, I’ll gladly call you my friends.” The party mare’s face lit up, and she smiled. He continued, “And no, you may not hold a party to celebrate that.” Pinkie would have become sad again, but he added, “However, my brother-in-law’s birthday party is coming up next month. Perhaps…” he looked toward the town and sighed, “…perhaps…we can start with that, and see where things go from there, if he still wants to, of course. And maybe I’ll go into town tomorrow afternoon to get a few goodies from Sugarcube Corner. I hear that Princess Celestia herself said that the cupcakes and muffins there are among the best she’s ever tasted.” Pinkie’s face lit up. “Maybe I’ll stop at Sweet Apple Acres for an apple pie or two as well…” A.J.’s face lit up. “…and perhaps I’ll visit the library too. I think I saw a few tomes there that caught my interest, and, why not, I could have a small chat over some tea. Perhaps I can get some insider info about when Princess Luna’s Royal Night Court will finally open again; I’ve been looking forward to attending the re-establishment ceremony…” Twilight’s face lit up. “…and maybe while I’m in Ponyville I’ll take a look at what the current trend is in formal wear…” Rarity’s face lit up. “…and perhaps I might break the monotony of my house by adopting a pet, or maybe get one for Pip…” Fluttershy’s face lit up. “…and, of course, with my house being in such an open space, perhaps a demonstration of acrobatic flying may also break the monotony there as well…” Rainbow Dash’s face lit up. Pinkie was about to jump for joy and throw fireworks and streamers in celebration, but instead, she just looked at him tenderly and replied, obviously straining to keep herself in check, “Thank you, Imaginary, that really means a lot to us. To me.” The two brohoofed each other, and the whole group left the area. As they headed for the train station, Rarity asked, “Will you be winking back to your house?” “Actually, now that you think about that…no, I think I’ll be taking a long walk today. I’ve been winking back and forth so many times; I’ve very likely missed quite a bit of the scenery. After that, I’ll go to my sister’s house tonight and talk to her about Abstract. There’s plenty that she needs to hear, too.” “Sounds like a sound lesson,” said Twilight, smiling and relieved that Imaginary had taken her advice. “That is most true, Dame Spark—er—Twilight. And speaking of which, Mr. Spark—er—Spike, may you be so kind?” The dragon smiled and pulled out a quill and parchment. Imaginary began, “To Her Highness, Princess Celestia Helios of Equestria, and Her Highness, Princess Luna Selene of Equestria, on the twenty-third day of…” he trailed off. “What?” asked Spike, confused at Imaginary’s sudden silence. “Scratch that. Write, ‘Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’…”