//------------------------------// // Part VII // Story: Journey Home // by Bulbasaur //------------------------------// A bolt of lightning illuminated the landscape. Thunder cracked only a few seconds later. Rain poured down in sheets, soaking Twilight’s coat and carefully-preened wings. She decided that swooping down closer to ground level would be much safer. As she drifted around, looking for Dash, she let her thoughts wander... Twilight sat across from her mentor, sipping a steaming cup of jasmine tea in one of the Castle's many gardens. One pony observed the other with a smile; the other gazed above her cup of tea, eyes wide with admiration. “Princess,” Twilight asked. “Where did you grow up?” “When I was young, I grew up alongside Cadence, in the Crystal Empire; I ruled that land for quite some time. But that is no longer my home, my little pony. Home, now… home for me is…” … “The fair land of Equestria, miss” said Zecora. “I’m grateful for your apology, and hope in time you’ll get to know me. Zebri’s the land of my parents, yes, but I was born in Canterlot, I confess.” “That’s cool,” said Rainbow Dash. “I know what you’re going through, and I know it sucks.” “Went through, I say, but now that you’re here, I’ll hold onto Ponyville dear.” “Great!” said Dash. “So on behalf of everyone in town…” …”Welcome!” said Cherilee. “And sorry! I didn’t assign you a team or a vest for Winter Wrap-Up. I was supposed to handle these affairs; I suppose you just fell through the cracks.” “It’s quite alright,” said Twilight. “As you can see, it worked out in the end. Though, I suppose next year, the task will fall to me.” She chuckled. “Still, it was very nice of you to help out, however you could, even when you weren’t assigned. Why?” "Cherilee, I wanted to fit in with Ponyville. That was the first step. Don’t you think I’ve succeeded?” “Yes, Twilight. With flying colours.” Twilight sipped at her water, observing Cherilee’s quaint little cottage. An oil lamp, an impressionist painting, and an old sofa… … comfortably filled the room. “Just so we’re clear.” A mauve stallion approached a rainbow-maned filly. “You don’t want to move back to Gryphona with us, now that my project here is complete, to continue your schooling? Would you move back?” Dash hesitated for only a moment before saying… …“No!” cried Dash, as a pack of construction workers approached her house menacingly, wielding jackhammers, sledgehammers, and spades. “This is my home! I’ve got nowhere left to go!” “Miss Rainbow Dash,” said the foremare, “You can go back to your primary residence for a while. Sixty-two Bis, Pine East, Talon Bay.” She paused. “Gryphona.” “This is my primary residence,” said Dash. “Listen, Miss Dash. You will be compensated for this. But right now, Cloudsdale needs the water more than you do. Equestria needs the water more than you do. You can rebuild later should you desire.” She paused. “Though I’d prefer you didn’t.” “But I… I thought… I thought Cloudsdale was a great city…” “It would be greater still without ponies like you around,” a worker said. Laughter sounded all around… … as Dash sat in a sofa, her own kin teasing her Gryphonese. Sure, she supposed it was somewhat rusty, but she was proud of how hard she’d worked to keep it intact. It was like they didn’t want her to… …“Join us, the Shadowbolts,” said a mare cloaked in night fog. “We need a captain: the most magnificent, swiftest, bravest flyer in all the land.” “Yes,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s all true.” “We need…” … “You to help us defeat him with your Element, Loyalty!” Twilight pleaded as chaos stampeded past her. “Loyalty, schmoyalty,” said Rainbow Dash, not bothering to turn around and face her so-called ‘friends’. “Have you seen Ponyville? It’s a disaster! I’m staying here in Cloudsdale where everything’s…” …”Awesome!” Dash said. “You’re really picking it up, ‘Twi!” She hoofbumped the newly-fledged alicorn. “You’re gonna be an awesome flyer, I just know it!” “Thanks, Dash.” Twilight blushed. “Aww, don’t mention it. Now, I’ve noticed that your wings are sort of messy. They haven’t been preened since your coronation, huh? You've gotta preen your wings often. If you don’t, you’ll have no control over what direction you fly and you’ll lose orientation. You could get lost, especially if it’s dark out.” “Got it,” Twilight said. “Any techniques?” “Eh, I suppose I could preen you a couple of times… you know, just 'til you get the hang of it.” Dash blushed. “If you want to.” “Sure,” Twilight said. “Now how do I get down?” “Oh, just dive down as slow as you possibly can and make sure you get some forward momentum.” Following Dash’s advice, Twilight landed… …on the platform. The kerosene lamps were dark—in preparation for the storm that night. She looked around. The platform was nigh empty, but that was to be expected of a small town. “Why, if it isn’t Princess Twilight Sparkle, paying our quaint village a visit!” A middle-aged mare bowed, and Twilight helped her up. “What brings you to Talon Bay, your Highness?” “Just ‘Twilight’ is fine,” said Twilight. “I’m here on a personal visit. I had some free time so I just wandered around the town. It’s a nice, quiet little village, and its surroundings are beautiful.” “Yes, I suppose.” “The wildlife, the intimacy, the atmosphere…” “That’s true, I guess.” “Leaving for somewhere else?” Twilight joked. “Where’re you headed off to?” “Ponyville, for a visit.” “Oh? I live in Ponyville, you know?” “Really? Huh. I never knew that. Tell me about Ponyville!” Twilight considered the question for a while. “Ponyville… it isn’t as nice as this place. It doesn’t have the scenery, the connection with nature, the small village mood anymore. Yet…” “But what, Princess?” “Well, for me… Ponyville is… it’s…” …“Home.” Dash turned and saw Twilight landing beside her, then taking a few cautious steps towards the pegasus. The cyan mare closed the rest of the distance in a dash and kissed her marefriend. “Missed ya, Egghead.” “Missed you too, Featherbrain.” There they sat, pelted by the cool rain, with a wing slung around each other. “Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight eventually, “I’m sorry for not sympathizing with your troubles earlier. It must be tough, not having anywhere to call your own.” Dash turned to look at her and sighed. “I don’t know where to go anymore now that I can’t call this my home.” “Dash, don’t be silly. You can always go back to Ponyville!” “What if I’m kicked out of Ponyville?” She stared at the ground. "Or what if I leave it by mistake, like when..." “You’ll always be welcome in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash." Twilight embraced her tighter. "Look at you, you’re the leader of the weather team, local hero, and marefriend of one of the more prominent citizens, not to mention a princess. They couldn’t shut you out of Ponyville if they tried, and we'll always go looking for you and bring you back, 'cause we're your friends. Remember Applejack's little incident?” “But what if…” Dash started. A distant roar of thunder rolled in the background. The pitter-patter of rain slowly faded. “Yeah, I guess.” Dash raised her head and met Twilight’s lavender eyes. “Come on. Let’s go back to your folks’ place, at least for the night. They’ll be missing you; let’s give a proper farewell to those ponies who were your home for years past. And when we get back to Ponyville, you can start building your new home, Dash — with me.” Twilight stood up and stretched her wings. “Hey, Egghead?” “Yes, Dash?” “Have I told you how much I love you?” “Every day, Featherbrain. Every day.”