//------------------------------// // Mother and Daughter // Story: Equestrian Epona // by Shritistrang //------------------------------// Navi took a sip of tea from the thimble Fluttershy had offered her. Gratefully, she looked up at her. "Thank you for the tea, Fluttershy." Fluttershy smiled. "You're welcome. Now, what were you saying about your friend?" Navi sighed. "I let her down. I let both of them down. We accomplished so many things together. We were a team… no, more than that. We could always count on each other. And even though it was Link who did most of the fighting and puzzle-solving, he always reminded us that what we did was just as important. Both he and Epona were the first true friends I had. Before we traveled together, I was always the lonely fairy without a partner. I felt tiny and unimportant. At their side, I had a purpose. I felt… needed." For a moment, the fairy's eyes lit up with joy, but then she looked down again. "And then I had to go and disappoint them." "I'm sure you must have had a good reason," Fluttershy said. "I had! I mean… that's what I kept telling myself. The truth is, I was afraid. After our journey was finished… I saw that the hero had saved the day. And now that the deed was done, what was his fairy companion supposed to do? Link had grown into a skilled swordsman and Epona was a strong and powerful steed. But me? I was just a little fairy… I served my purpose… and I felt as weak and helpless again as I did before. So… I did the only thing that seemed appropriate: I went back into the forest and let them live their lives." Navi took another sip of tea after she finished her tale. For a moment, the inside of Fluttershy's cottage was silent, except for the sounds of rapid carrot-munching coming from Angel Bunny. "You know," Fluttershy then spoke up. "You remind me a lot of myself. Like you, I am also often afraid that there's not a lot I can do. My friends are strong, brave, smart, funny and creative. What do I have? I live in a cottage near the forest and I'm so shy that I prefer the company of animals. And that's what I kept telling myself and them." "Were they upset with you?" Navi asked. Fluttershy chuckled. "Oh yes. Very upset. Especially Rainbow Dash. She insisted that every pony was different from another. And while I was unable to fly as fast as her and wasn't as brave as her, I had a different kind of strength. One that I had to discover myself. But the most important thing I discovered was that it didn't matter if the people don't know your strengths. Not as long as you have friends that do." Navi sighed. "You must have nice friends. Maybe Epona can forgive me for what I did." "Oh, I'm sure she will. She's your friend. Give it some time and everything will turn out okay." "I think you're right… I shouldn't be so pessimistic. I guess I should go and look for them now, huh? I just wish I knew where they went… I don't really know my way around Ponyville." "Let's go together then." Fluttershy finished the rest of her tea and put away the pot and cups. "I can show you all of Ponyville. And if your friends are there somewhere, I'm sure we will run into them." Navi smiled. It was very hard to stay depressed in the presence of the kind-hearted pegasus. She sat down on Fluttershy's head, Angel Bunny hopped on her back and together, they left for Ponyville. "Why hello there! My name is Pinkie Pie and I've never seen you before. Which means you must be one of the new ponies in town that I'm planning this party for. I sure didn't expect you to be here at Sugarcube Corner, but that's actually not so bad. Now you can tell me what kind of cake you prefer. Is it vanilla or chocolate? I've always liked chocolate, but vanilla can also be very good, especially with lots and lots of frosting. Oh, and do you want pink or yellow balloons? I have lots of pink ones, but not everypony likes them, so I have some extra. I mean, it would be very weird for me not to like pink, it's my own color. It's even in my name, how funny is that? Hahahaha! Hey, you know Applejack? You look a lot like her. At least your eyes do. What's your name, anyway?" Let me tell you, I've never heard anyone in either world I lived in talk this fast before. The pink pony said all of this without taking a breath, all the while she stood uncomfortably close to me. "I'm Epo… Romani!" I quickly said. Her behavior irritated me so much that I nearly told her my real name. "Nice to meet you then, Eporomani," Pinkie said. "I'm very sorry I didn't have the time to put up the party yet, but you're not leaving Ponyville anytime soon, are you? Because then I would have to make this a welcoming party as well as a farewell party." Cuppy chuckled. "Pinkie, why don't you go and prepare that cake? Make that a chocolate cake, we have loads of extra chocolate from last week in the pantry. Also, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are in the back, maybe they can help you as well?" "That's a great idea. You like chocolate, don't you, Eporomani?" I nodded dumbfoundedly and Pinkie grinned. "Great. See you later then." And she bounced out of the room. "That was… strange," I muttered. "Oh, you get used to it after living with Pinkie for some time," Cuppy laughed. "She's our assistant baker and salespony and has a room upstairs. She's one of Applejack's closest friends, you know?" "This pony and Applejack?" I was surprised. Her hyper and over-the-top behavior didn't seem to fit the calmer and laid-back attitude I remember from my daughter. My mothering instincts kicked in without me realizing it. "Who are her parents?" "Oh, she's not from around here. Her family owns a rock farm a short train ride away from Ponyville." "Rock farmers?" I grew more confused by the second. That seemed to fit even less. The only rock farmers I met in my life had a very stoic and old-fashioned mannerism. "I know Pinkie can be difficult at times, but given some time, you'll grow to like her. Everypony in Ponyville likes her." "I'm not even sure I'll stay that long…" I muttered. Cuppy looked at me with surprise and disappointment. "You… want to leave? But you just came back… and right now, I'm the only one who knows. Don't you want to stay? Don't you want to find out more about how much Ponyville has changed?" "Cuppy, listen…" I sighed. "I'm not sure it was a good idea to come back in the first place. The longer I'm here, the more I see how much everything has changed. It's not the Ponyville I remember. This isn't my home anymore. I have a place in Hyrule… that's where I belong." "Please, Epona… don't make a mistake. The little filly over there…" Cuppy pointed to the next room, which was filled with the giggles of Pinkie and the CMC. "You gave birth to her, yet you don't even know her. You have a chance to change that. Don't throw that chance away… don't throw away her chance to get to know you, either." "I'm sorry," I muttered. "I should go. Please don't tell anypony about me… tell Carrot if you must, but nopony else. I'll find my friends and go back to Hyrule." I gave her a farewell hug and walked towards the exit. "Epona… please don't go…" Cuppy said. I looked back at her with a sad smile. "It was nice to see you again. Take care of your family. And say hi to your children from me… At least they have a mother their whole life long." And that's when I wanted to leave. But before I reached the door, a rainbow-colored blur came dashing in and nearly ran me over. "Sorry, sorry!" a panicking voice shouted. I turned my head and saw a young pegasus mare with a very unusual, rainbow-colored mane. "Pinkie!" she shouted. "Are you there? Come on, something happened to Rarity!" "What, what? What's going on?" Pinkie asked as she came over from the other room. Apple Bloom and the other two fillies were right behind her. "What's wrong with my sister?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I… I dunno!" the rainbow mare said. "I was taking my afternoon nap on a cloud just above the spa and saw her walk in, followed by that stallion with the strange green cap and the sword…" "Oh, were you spying on Rarity while she had a date?" Pinkie giggled. "A sword?" Scootaloo asked. "That sounds so cool." A sword? A green cap? That sounded familiar. "Yer really worried that Rarity went to the spa with a stallion, Rainbow Dash?" Apple Bloom asked. "That sounds pretty normal to me." "Yeah, but it's been hours and they never came back out." "Aren't you worrying too much?" Pinkie asked. "Maybe she joined Aloe and Lotus for a cup of tea. That reminds me, I should buy some more tea bags for the party." "But Rarity said she wanted to join me and Mom and Dad for dinner this evening," Sweetie Belle said. "And she's never late for dinner. She always says it's unbecoming for a lady to be late for a meal. Ohmygosh! Maybe she IS in trouble!" I turned around. "Where is this… spa?" I asked. "Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked at me. "Who are you?" "That's Eporomani," Pinkie said. "I'm preparing a welcoming party for her and another new pony in town. Hmmm, you don't think that other stallion that is with Rarity is the other new pony, do you?" "If he has a sword and a green hat, it's him," I said. "Now, where is the spa?" "Come on, I'll show you," Rainbow said as she dashed outside. "Pinkie Pie, hurry." "Right behind you, Dashie," Pinkie shouted as she bounced after her. The three fillies wanted to run after them as well, but I stopped them with my hoof. "You better stay here, girls." "What? No way! I wanna see Rainbow Dash in action," Scootaloo protested. "And I want to help my sister," Sweetie Belle pleaded. "Can't we come, too? Please?" Apple Bloom asked. I looked down at her. This was my little daughter. And I couldn't allow her to put herself in danger. So I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but no. Be good fillies and stay here with Mrs. Cake." "Ya can't tell us what to do," Apple Bloom frowned. "Yer not my mother." Those words stung more than anything else, but I stayed firm. "Please, listen to me. I have a very bad feeling about this." Cuppy walked up to the fillies and said: "Don't worry, I'll make sure they get home." I looked at her gratefully. "Thank you." And then I ran after Pinkie and Rainbow. While Fluttershy, Angel and Navi were on the path to Ponyville, they met up with a certain, hat-wearing orange mare who just came from Sweet Apple Acres. "Applejack!" Fluttershy smiled. "Are you on your way to town as well?" "Howdy, Fluttershy," Applejack nodded. "And as my big brother would say: Eeyup! I was looking at Granny's old family album when I noticed I still had that book about the history of Equestrian Apple Farming Twilight gave to me last week. So I thought I'd return it to her." She then noticed Navi. "Say, who's yer lil friend? Another one of them Breezies?" "This is Navi, a fairy," Fluttershy explained. "I'm going to show her Ponyville and then we're going to look for her friends. Navi, this is Applejack, one of my friends I told you about." "Hello, Miss Applejack," Navi said politely. Applejack grinned. "No need for the 'Miss'. Any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine." She then thought of something. "Say… one of yer friends doesn't happen to have a golden triangle cutie mark, does she?" "Why yes, she does," Navi said in surprise. "Do you know Epona?" She then slapped her hands over her mouth. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'I forgot I wasn't supposed to tell anyone Epona's real name.' A deep frown appeared on Applejack's face as she was pondering. "Epona… Epona… For Celestia's sake, why does that name sound so familiar? I know I heard it somewhere before." "Navi said this was the first time she and her friends were in Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "Maybe it's another pony with the same name." "Possible," Applejack shrugged. Navi didn't dare to say another peep. She just hoped Epona wouldn't be too upset with her… or more upset than she already was. Together, they entered town. "So, this is Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "We have Twilight's library over there, the post office, the quills and sofas store, the spa and… EEP!" She ducked when a polychromatic pegasus came flying her way. "OUT OF THE WAY!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she tried to stop her momentum in mid-air. Only her long years of flight training allowed her to prevent crashing into Fluttershy. But then, Pinkie Pie came slamming into Rainbow's backside, the multi-colored speedster was thrown into Fluttershy, and the three ponies, along with Angel and Navi, collapsed in a heap of tangled bodies and limbs. "Whoooooo…" Pinkie said. "Anypony got the number of that pegasus?" "Fluttershy? Get your wing out of my face," Rainbow grumbled. "S-sorry…" Fluttershy muttered, Navi could only gasp for air. A rabbit was sitting on her. Applejack went to help untangle her friends. "Now where in the hay are you two going in such a hurry?" "Th-the s-spa…" Pinkie stuttered. There were still little Fluttershys circling her head. "Are you okay?" Another pony came to a stop in front of them. "I heard a crash…" It was a brown pony with a white mane and a golden triangle cutie mark. When she saw Applejack, she let out a gasp. "We're fine, thanks," Rainbow Dash said. "Not the first crash in my career…" Applejack looked towards the new pony. "You must be Epona, right? Pleased to… wait a sec… Epona… Epona…" "H-how do you know my name?" the pony stuttered. "Dammit, Navi! You told them, didn't you?" "Someone… lift… the rabbit…" Navi gasped. Applejack slowly approached the pony. The way she looked. The way she was looking at her. The way she spoke. All of this awoke something in her… memories from a time long ago… "Mommy! Mommy, look at my hat! Look at my hat!" The little filly's mother giggled when she saw the oversized hat on her daughter's head. "It's a bit big, don't you think, darling?" Her husband smiled. "She'll grow into it. As long as she likes it. You like yer new hat, don't you, little appleseed?" "I love it, Daddy!" little Applejack squealed. Laughing, her mother picked her up from the ground and her father gave them both a big hug. Applejack continued to stare at the mare in front of her. After a while, Pinkie Pie started waving her hoof in front of her friend's face. "Yoohoo! Equestria to Applejack! You still there?" "What's the matter with you, girl?" Rainbow asked. Applejack just pushed Pinkie's hoof to the side and approached the white-maned mare. "It can't be…" she muttered. "It just can't… y'all died! Both of you!" The mare let out a deep sigh. "I was hoping to avoid this… but I guess there's no way around it." She forced herself to smile. "Hello, Applejack. You've grown so much since I last saw you…" Small tears appeared in the corners of Applejack's eyes. Then she ran ahead and grabbed the white-maned pony that was her mother in a massive hug. "Mom…" she cried. "Mom…" Her friends could only watch in surprise as they saw their otherwise so strong and stubborn friend break down in tears. This was a side of her they had never witnessed before. Epona softly stroked her daughter's back. She, too, couldn't hold her tears back any longer. "Ssshhh. It's okay. Your mother is here, honey. Your mother is here."