“Mmm… Fluttershy, what’re you doing?” Twilight mumbled as she felt feathers brush against her nose. The urge to sneeze caused her muzzle to wrinkle in distaste. A giggle elicited from somewhere to her side, confirming that it was indeed Fluttershy.
“It’s time to get up, Twi,” Fluttershy said instead, still chuckling. Twilight opened her eyes, closing them back with a groan.
“It’s too bright…” The pegasus brushed her lips against Twilight’s the way she did every morning before hopping out of bed.
“Come downstairs when you’re ready. I’ll make some breakfast.” Twilight listened as Fluttershy trotted out of the room, allowing herself a moment’s peace. When she knew she was in danger of falling back asleep, she forced herself up and over to the mirror.
She wouldn’t have recognized her reflection two years ago. So much had changed since then. The young naïve mare that had almost lost her life had finally learned to stand on her own hooves. Strong, defiant eyes stared back at her, ones that had almost lost their spark. Her gaze drifted to the scar that still rested over her eye, a constant reminder of her close encounter.
Twilight lifted a brush in her hooves and ran it through her mane. She parted it the way she did in the old days, back when she was still under Princess Celestia’s tutelage. A reminiscent smile played on her lips, and if she didn’t know any better she’d have thought she still looked the same. She moved the brush back into her mane before putting it up in a bun.
This was who she was now. Twilight combed over her figure once more before making her way outside of Fluttershy’s room and down the stairs of her cottage.
Fluttershy was in the kitchen, standing on her back legs, flipping pancakes the way she always did. She hadn’t changed much in the past two years, save for her attitude. She’d come out of her shell a lot more since those days, and it was a change everyone had welcomed.
“Hey, Flutters.” Twilight trotted over to Fluttershy and kissed her cheek. The pegasus smiled before turning her head to catch Twilight’s lips. The unicorn felt the brush of fabric against her chest and realized that Fluttershy was wearing an apron.
When Twilight pulled away, the two smiled at each other. “Good morning, Twilight!” A plate was handed to her a few seconds later, “You really should eat breakfast. We have a big day ahead of us.”
Twilight nodded as she took a seat at the table. “Oh, it’s today? Time flies by so fast…”
Fluttershy leaned back until she was on four legs. “I know.”
The two ponies made their way outside. What little of the animals Fluttershy still cared for remained inside, and the others had moved in with the new veterinarian. Fluttershy hadn’t minded in the least; she was happy for them. Life had essentially slowed down for the two, giving them all the time in the world to enjoy it.
As always, they crossed the bridge and paused at the statue that lay in wait. Angel Bunny—the brave little guy—stood there, frozen in time. When Pinkie had explained to her all that had happened in the cave, Twilight hadn’t been able to see straight. She’d charged into the cave after him, almost getting herself killed in the process, and brought him back out. There was no way to revive him now that the Sphinx was gone, but at least they’d gotten something to remember him by.
Fluttershy hummed a sweet tune Twilight recognized as the lullaby she’d often sing when the unicorn had trouble sleeping—“Hush Now Quiet Now.” It had no words, but its meaning was clear: Put him to rest.
Twilight let Fluttershy lean into her as she sang. It was another thing that Twilight had come to hold dear; something that reminded her of her past.
When Fluttershy had ended her melody, the two shared a hug before making their way into Ponyville. They no longer cared who saw them together or what other ponies might think. All that mattered was their love, and those they held dear.
Sugarcube Corner was their destination, and they had soon reached it. Outside, two of their closest friends stood—Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.
Fluttershy had smiled and waved to Pinkie, who returned the gesture with just as much enthusiasm. Rainbow turned away from Pinkie to grin at the two ponies.
Twilight gave Rainbow a big hug when she was close enough. When she pulled away, she drew a hoof across her chest and tapped it on the ground twice. She said, “How are you doing?”
Dash’s lips were still upturned as she nodded. “Great!” she exclaimed, a bit louder than necessary. She pointed a hoof up to her mouth.
Pinkie’s smile became tame. “We’ve been doing good! Rainbow’s actually improved since the last time we saw you; she can do backflips again!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” Fluttershy smiled brightly, turning toward her childhood friend. She tapped a hoof against her chest before pressing it into Rainbow’s—I’m proud of you.
Rainbow’s smile grew wider as she flared her wings out. She poked a hoof at herself before clapping them together—“Let me show you!”
“Be careful, Dashie!” Pinkie said as the pegasus took flight. Twilight watched with happiness splayed over her features as her friend flew circles in the sky, something she hadn’t been able to do in so long. She wasn’t deaf, but her hearing was so bad you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The Rainboom in the cavern had done dastardly things to Rainbow Dash, not only hindering her ability to hear, but also her ability to maintain balance properly.
Two years ago, the day Rainbow had been wheeled into the hospital, the doctor had said she’d never be able to recover—that flight was next to impossible. Too much time had passed since she’d gotten herself hurt, they said, and there was nothing they could do. The news had been heartbreaking to all of them.
Dash had stumbled aimlessly for days as the effects had finally settled in. She’d never be able to get into the Wonderbolts with the loss of her hearing—how could she listen to orders?—and flight wouldn’t come as naturally any longer.
Pinkie had been Rainbow’s savior for the second time in her life. She’d helped her out of the rough and helped her learn sign language—Pinkie had practiced at it when Rainbow hadn’t been paying attention, until at last she’d perfected it. Though they weren’t officially together—to the knowledge of their friends, anyway—their relationship was something special. With Rainbow grounded for the better part of two years, they’d even gotten an apartment and moved in together. Pinkie still worked at Sugarcube Corner, but had stepped up to help take care of Rainbow.
Twilight always felt a stab of guilt when she thought of Rainbow Dash. It was her fault all this had befallen the pegasus. Her dreams shattered, her talent suddenly meaningless… But every time she tried to apologize, Rainbow had pushed her away and told her there was nothing to be sorry about. She always said she “wouldn’t leave her friends hanging”—the very same words she’d spoken the first day they’d met.
“Go, Rainbow Dash! Wooo!” Pinkie cheered, jumping up and down as the pegasus did her first back flip. It was slow-moving, but it was definitely progress. Had Rainbow watched another pegasus do the same maneuver a few years back, she would’ve laughed at them. A grin stretched across her face as she performed each one, and Twilight was sure it was all thanks to Pinkie’s over-exuberance and her wings finally being able to hold her up.
“Why, is that Rainbow Dash flying? My word, is she alright up there?” Rarity trotted up next to the group, her eyes cautious. Pinkie nodded.
“She’s a-okay, Rares! We’ve been practicing for today.” Twilight smiled at Rarity, who gave her a hug.
“It’s been too long, dear. You really must come to the boutique every once in a while.” Twilight pulled away with a grin. Rarity had decided to stay in Ponyville despite getting the offer to work with the biggest fashion lines in the country’s capital, saying she much liked the nature of her hometown. It had filled Twilight with such warmth that she couldn’t keep a smile from her face for a whole week after she’d heard about it—knowing Rarity had declined so she could be with her friends.
“I know, I know… You’re right; I’ll try to stop by more often.” Her gaze drifted toward Fluttershy. “I wonder where Applejack and Spike are. They certainly are taking their time.”
The pegasus let her wing rest on Twilight’s withers, placing a kiss on the underside of her chin. “Spike’s probably closing the library right now, and I’m sure Applejack’s on her way.”
A sudden crash brought Twilight’s eyes back to the scene ahead of her. Rainbow Dash had swerved off course due to an unexpected harsh bout of wind, causing her to slam into two other ponies. Luckily, she hadn’t hit the wall just to the side of her landing.
“Rainbow!” Pinkie catapulted herself over to the three entangled ponies, pulling Dash up at once. She was checking all over her for injuries, to which the pegasus shook her head in a dazed fashion. Twilight looked over to see what two unlucky ponies had happened upon the veering flyer, and was surprised to see Applejack and Time Turner.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay, Dash. I was scared there for a second!” Pinkie nuzzled into Rainbow’s neck, briefly giving it a kiss. The pegasus smiled in the way only a pony completely in love could.
“Are you two okay?” Twilight approached her other two friends, who were muttering under their breaths. Time Turner had gotten the brunt of the blow, laying over the other earth pony.
“Quite,” he murmured, getting to his hooves and dusting himself off. He helped Applejack up, a smile playing on his lips.
The mare grinned, her eyes on Rainbow now. “Hey, Dash!” The pegasus untangled herself from Pinkie, a slight blush on her face. Applejack lifted both of her forelegs up and clapped them together a few times. Good job!
The two proceeded to bump each other’s hooves and catch up, and Twilight began to wonder where Spike could be. At this point everyone else had shown up—even Applejack and Time Turner, who were notorious for arriving last. As weird as it was, the two had actually hit it off and had started dating a few months ago. They were so cute, it was hard not to be happy for them.
Two years ago, Time Turner had been chased down by the Sphinx, and at the time, no one knew why. Anytime Twilight had asked him about it, he’d get this far away look in his eyes. He’d say the same thing every time: “I was a fool back then. Woulda done anything just to get back home… to be me again.” He would always walk off after those words, shaking his head. Twilight had stopped asking him about it when it became clear it hurt him, and she was glad to see him opening up to Applejack.
The orange pony turned away from Rainbow for a second, her lips dipping down. “So, where in tarnation is Spike at? He’s usually here before you are, Twi.”
Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure where he is. I know for a fact he takes a break at noon, so he should be here.”
They waited for thirty minutes for him to show up, but when he didn’t, they decided to try looking for him at the library. Time Turner and Applejack walked next to each other, making jokes, Pinkie and Rainbow trotted side by side, the earth pony resting a foreleg over Dash’s shoulders to help guide her. Twilight and Fluttershy, both having been in a relationship far longer than any of the others, only spoke to each other lovingly. Rarity was smiling, jumping into the various conversations.
When they’d finally made it to the library, the first thing Twilight noticed was that the lights were off. Now she was starting to get worried—if he wasn’t at the library and they hadn’t seen him on the way there, where could he be? She pushed the door open and stepped inside, all her friends walking in behind her.
It was when the lights flicked on and the door closed that she realized what was happening.
“SURPRISE!” A purple dragon jumped out, a huge grin on his face. Streamers and confetti and balloons were everywhere, and a banner overhead read “To My Best Friends, Who Have Always Been There For Me”.
He’d grown some since Twilight had been in the hospital. No longer was he the little, cowardly baby dragon, and though he was still young, he’d matured a lot. He’d taken on the responsibilities of the library when Twilight had moved in with Fluttershy, and even more than that he’d helped out everyone around town. Twilight knew he still harbored feelings for Rarity, and had a feeling he always would. She was sure it was only a matter of time until Rarity finally came around.
Spike wheeled a huge cake out, his smile rivaling even Pinkie’s on her best days. “This one’s for you, Pinkie. I still remember back when you saved my life, so this is the least I could do for ya.”
Pinkie let out a gasp before a smile overtook her features. She bounded over to the cake, which was pink all over and had a really well-drawn Pinkie Pie on the top of it. “Oh, Spike, you really didn’t have to! I thought you’d forgotten all about that!”
He started handing out cupcakes to the other ponies, still smiling. “It’s my dragon code, Pinkie; I would never have forgotten something like that. If you hadn’t been there for me, I might not be here today. I’m not gonna be your lifelong servant or anything,” he gave Applejack a lopsided grin, “but I still need to make it up to you.”
Everypony let out a laugh at that, and partied to their hearts’ content. It was great to be with friends, and though they’d overcome many hardships over the years and had suffered through just as many tragedies, they’d braved the storm. This was their time to shine.