//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: An American Werewolf in Equestria // by Ron Jeremy Pony //------------------------------// An American Werewolf in Equestria Chapter 18 – Epilogue (Ponyville – Sweet Apple Acres – six years later) “Mama! Ambrosia said that ah can’t go with ya and Daddy!” a small white filly said as she ran up to her mother. Applejack looked at the little filly and gently pulled her into an embrace. She smiled at her and leaned down to her. “Of course ya’ll can go, but ya better tell Ambrosia that she’s gonna be in trouble if’n she keeps telling ya stories like that,” she said. The little filly began trotting back toward where she came from. A slightly bigger off yellow filly stood in the distance looking at her. “Mama said yer in trouble!” the smaller filly shouted. “Gala, yer a tattletail!” Ambrosia shouted. “Nuhuh! Mama! Ambrosia said Ah was a tattletail!” Gala shouted. Applejack rolled her eyes and walked into the barn. She saw Jack working on the wagon. She neared him and nuzzled his neck. He turned toward her and pulled her into a hug. She felt the cold metallic feel of his artificial leg. It was a stark reminder of his brief time serving as an honorary guard in the Crystal Empire. He kissed her and felt her return it with gusto. “So, Mrs. Goodman, what do you have planned for tonight?” he asked. “Never gonna get used to that,” she said. “Get used to what?” he asked. “It’s just weird that the place you came from did things like that. Ah mean I know some ponies who have. Like the ‘Mash’ family, but Ah didn’t think that Ah ever would,” she replied. “Sweetheart, I don’t care if you take my last name or not,” he said. “Ya know that ya don’t have to keep yer human name anymore. Ya could take something else instead,” she said. “Naw, I want to keep this. It helps me remember everything. There’s a lot I don’t want to forget,” he replied. She saw the sadness spread over him. It had been so hard the first year. He had blamed himself for so much of what happened. She knew better, she knew he couldn’t have stopped it. In truth his idea with modifying Pinkie Pie’s party cannons, sending Rarity and Fluttershy off to make sure the foals and mares were safe inside of the castle had most likely saved a lot more ponies than if it hadn’t been done. Still, in the end so much had happened. They had witnessed something only spoken about in the history books Twilight used to read. They had fought in a very real, and very bloody war. She felt him pull her close for another kiss, and she gave it willingly. She broke it and looked into his eyes. “Ah don’t mind taking yer last name Jack. Ah’ll get used to it,” she said. He smiled before he looked toward the wagon and then back at her. “If we’re going to make it to the library before dark we better hurry,” he said. She nodded and walked over to the door. “Gala, Ambrosia ya’ll better get your little tails in gear! Yer Daddy and me is gettin’ ready ta leave!” she shouted. Before another word could be said there was the sound of two fillies running as hard as they could toward the wagon. “Is Big Mac and Cheerilee going to meet us over there?” Jack asked. “Naw, little Bismarck’s got a cold. He said they’re gonna stay here and take care of him,” Applejack said. “I knew the little guy wasn’t feeling too well. I’m sure some of Granny Smith’s soup will help,” he replied. She nodded and soon she helped the two fillies up into the wagon. Jack attached it to his back and backed it out into the yard. Applejack looked at the old wagon, and the time Jack had put into it. The old worn seats had fresh plush velvet on them, the canopy was a crisp white again, and he had even sanded and painted the old wood back to the original deep red that Granny Smith had said it had once been. She heard her fillies arguing and turned around toward them. “Ya’ll better behave or Ah’ll tell Daddy that we’re not gonna stop at Sugarcube Corner,” she warned. Both of them quieted down and started to behave like a couple of angels. She smiled and at them and gently tussled their manes. “That’s my good little fillies,” she said. “Mama, why do we go over to aunt Twilight’s library every year on this day?” Ambrosia asked. She smiled at her daughter and tried to think of how to say it, “Well, yer aunt Twi is a wonderful Mare, but sometimes she needs her friends around to remind her of all of the good things in her life. Ah know she’s got her two littleun’s, but sometimes it just takes knowing that she’s got a whole family worth of friends to help.” “Ya mean like how we visit aunt Rainbow Dash?” asked Gala. “Exactly Sugarcube. It’s just like that,” Applejack said. “Mama, sometimes, when she doesn’t think we’re looking or listening, I hear aunt Twilight cry, and sometimes Twinkle says she thinks that she’s crying cause Junior,” Ambrosia replied. A knowing look crossed Applejack’s face. Of course Twilight’s little filly didn’t understand why she was crying. She hadn’t gotten old enough yet to really understand it. Her little colt was another matter. He might have been the same age as his sister, but he was a lot more mature. He seemed to understand things better than somepony his age should. “Sweetie, listen, Aunt Twilight misses someone very much. It’s not our place to pry into it, and we shouldn’t,” Jack said from up front. “But Daddy how are we ‘post ta help ifn’ we don’t know what’s wrong?” Gala asked. “I know it’s hard to understand sweetie, but you just need to know that there are some things that people need to keep to themselves. Sometimes they need that feeling, whatever it is, to remind them of what it is they’re missing. Because having that feeling sometimes is the closest thing to having what they need,” he replied. “Ah don’t understand Daddy,” she replied. “I know sweetness, I know you don’t, but one day you will,” he said. They were quiet until they reached the Golden Oaks Library. From the other wagon, and royal carriage, present it was obvious they weren’t the first or only ones visiting. Jack stopped, unhooked himself from the wagon, set the breaks, and then helped Applejack and his daughters out of the wagon. They walked up to the door and knocked. Spike answered the door, and like most things do he had done some growing. He wasn’t the small dragon he was before. Instead now he easily stood as tall as any of the ponies. He could walk on his hindlegs, but it was obvious he enjoyed walking on all four instead. “Jack, Applejack! It’s good to see you!” he exclaimed. “Good to be seen,” Jack replied. “Yeah… I still remember those jokes you pulled on me before,” Spike replied. “If it makes you feel any better my jokes don’t include being invisible and dropping books anymore,” Jack said. “Come on in,” he said. They walked in and saw Princess Candace and Shining Armor at a table. Shining nuzzled Candace’s neck and she smiled at him. Down on the floor their three foals were playing with Twilight’s foals. Gala and Ambrosia ran into the room to play with their friends. Applejack looked to see Dash sitting with Soarin’ sitting together. Dash was holding their little filly and gently talking to her. She nodded to Dash who nodded back. She walked into the room, acknowledged both Candace and Shining Armor before she opened the door to the back room. She saw her friend, with her back to her. She neared her and touched her shoulder. A few sniffles passed and then Twilight turned toward her. Applejack could see the red and puffy eyes of her friend. She gently nuzzled her friend and pulled her into a hug. “I miss him so much AJ,” she whispered. “Ah know Sugarcube, but ya got yer and his foals. He’d want ya to be strong for ‘em” she said. “I have been… I’ve been nothing but strong for Twinkle and David Jr…” she said. Applejack looked over her shoulder at Twilight’s foals. Both of them were slightly bigger than the other foals. They had gotten used to the idea that they had teeth like David did, and even gotten used to the idea that they had to eat fish or something of the like. It didn’t stop the little black and gray colt, or the little lavender filly from being two of the sweetest foals she knew. She turned back to Twilight and smiled for her friend. “Ah know ya have been Sugarcube, and Ah know that ya’ve told them about their daddy,” she said. “Yeah, but I haven’t told them everything. I don’t think I should… I… it was hard enough to learn about Nurse Redheart and who she used to be!” Twilight exclaimed. Applejack nodded. Once they freed the nurse, learned that she had been the woman David had tried to protect in his world… and then learned that she had a foal, no Jack called them children, or a child, in that world had been trying. Twilight had taken it amazingly well, and she had even become friends with Nurse Redheart. Instead of returning to Ponyville the nurse had decided to stay in the Crystal Empire. Apparently she had fell in love with one of the wereguards. Applejack almost chuckled at that thought. She then looked at her friend and gave her another hug. “He’d want ya ta be happy Twilight. Ah know he’d want ya ta be happy,” Applejack said. Twilight nodded and followed her out. Slowly more and more of their friends began showing up. Applejack watched as the room became more lively, and she smiled at it. Things had changed, the world had changed some, but even with it changing things were still good. The world was still a beautiful place, and although the cost had been dear Loyalty, Generosity, Laugher, Kindness, Honesty, and Magic had proven to be greater than any tyrant in the world. She looked at Jack, walked toward him, and pulled him into a kiss. The sound of her two little fillies saying “Ewwwww.” Could be heard, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind because something else had been proven. Buildings may burn, ponies may die, but real love is forever.