//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Ponies Protecting Ponies 
// by Venates 
//------------------------------//

	"All right, everypony, grab a seat. Your debriefing will commence shortly."
Lyra, Derpy, Amethyst, and Doctor Hooves sat as instructed in front of the raised ring that held the Ponyville PPP control room console. They looked up at Carrot Top and Bon Bon, who wore a tired smile and an expressionless frown, respectively.
Carrot Top turned a knob, and an illustration of a black alicorn from an old story book came into view on one of the monitors behind them. "As you know," Bon Bon began, "our mission today detailed the reformation of one Nightmare Moon. Naturally, this got a bit more involved than we anticipated, but I believe we all handled it to the best of our ability."
The slide on the monitor switched to a photograph of Princess Celestia. "Nightmare Moon subdued our princess, but during the events of last night, her location was determined, and Princess Celestia was forthwith freed from the prison Moon placed her in. Both the location of this prison and the ponies involved in her release have been deemed classified."
The doctor sat up and clopped two of his hooves together, as though applauding by himself. Bon Bon glared at him and he stopped, but his innocent smile never wavered.
"Twilight Sparkle," Bon Bon continued, a picture of the purple unicorn coming into view, "was a secondary target, meant to be tailed and protected from Nightmare Moon with discretion. Sparkle, unaware of the importance of her safety, chased after Nightmare Moon into the woodlands south of Ponyville, hereafter referred to as the Everfree Forest."
The slides changed to show some menacing-looking trees. "Two parties were sent into the Everfree Forest. The first was sent to tail and ensure the safety of Twilight Sparkle, and the other to head off and counter Nightmare Moon. When Sparkle and Moon converged on the same location, so did our two parties."
The picture of trees was replaced by one showing the remains of a castle. "The location in question is one of historical significance, and a known point of great interest for Nightmare Moon. Here, a small skirmish was held between Moon and Twilight Sparkle, with intervention on the part of the conjoined PPP parties."
Here the slides ended. Bon Bon sighed and approached the ponies seated in front of her. "I'm not going to lie to you guys," she said. "A lot of what happened last night is beyond anything this agency has tackled before. You all did some incredible work, and it pains me to say that public record will tell a very different story from the one we know."
Each of the four ponies looked to one another, and then back to Bon Bon. Lyra was the first to speak.
"Bon," she began, "we're secret agents. Most of what we do is kept from the public. None of us are here because we want our names in the papers for doing our job."
"I'm glad to hear it," Bon Bon said. "So just so you're all up to speed on what's going to be in today's paper, here is the official story on what happened last night: Twilight Sparkle and company discovered thousand-year-old artifacts, and, with the power of friendship, they transformed Nightmare Moon back into the deity hereafter referred to as Princess Luna."
Once again, Lyra was the only one who spoke. "...That's stupid."
Bon Bon shrugged. "The public generally seems to agree with it. Now, if you have any further questions, please address them to either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna."
"...W-what?"
A door slid open, and through it walked two alicorns. Although the smaller blue one was able to walk through the doorway without concern, the larger of the two sisters needed to duck to get through it. Her waving, multicolor mane looked completely out of place in a drab, underground facility with no wind to speak of.
"P-princess Celestia!" Lyra stammered.
The addressed princess smiled and approached the center of the command room. Her sister shyly followed.
Lyra struggled to achieve some sort of damage control. "I-I'm sorry! You didn't hear... Did you? I mean—"
The regal white alicorn raised a hoof to quiet her subject. "You have said nothing wrong, my little pony."
Other than a small "Eep!" Lyra became quiet and slunk backwards an inch or so.
"Now then," Celestia began, "I'm sure you all have some questions, and I think Luna and I both owe you what answers we can. Before you do, however, it's important to understand that very little — if any — of what's said here may leave this room. Do you understand?" The four ponies before her nodded. She turned to the two mares beside her, and they did the same. "Good," Celestia said with a smile.
Amethyst spoke first. "Uh, Celestia? Err, I mean, Princess?" The alicorn in question turned and smiled at her. "I've only been with the company for about a year, and this was kind of my first real mission..."
"And you performed admirably," Celestia said with a nod.
"Um... Thank you!" Amethyst looked pleased, yet humbled. Lyra stared at her with wide eyes, but said nothing. Amethyst shuffled her hooves before continuing. "But, uh, I was wondering..."
"Yes?"
"Well, Twilight Sparkle..." Amethyst struggled to make eye contact with the deity she was addressing. "As soon as I was done with training, I was told that I would be watching her and making sure that nothing bad happened to her, but all anypony would tell me when I asked why was because you told us to."
Celestia tilted her head.
"And, well..." Amethyst swallowed. "I was hoping... you could tell me... well... why Twilight Sparkle?"
"Oh!" Hooves chimed, "I told you! It's because she's a princess!"
"Knock it off, Hooves," Lyra said to him; her frustrations with the stallion broke her silent spell. "I don't know what got your brain so addled, but—"
"Actually, he is correct," Celestia said.
Doctor Hooves was the only pony smiling.
"...What?"
"Well, technically, not yet she's not," Celestia admitted. "But she first showed the signs of becoming one at a very early age. I knew that she would need protection and guidance, so I took her under my wing and approached my secret agency with specific instructions to keep her out of harm's way. However, for safety reasons, only a select few ponies were ever made aware of this."
"Wait," Amethyst said, confused, "you mean regular ponies can become princesses?"
Celestia merely smiled.
The lone pegasus spoke next. "And no pony is supposed to know about this?" asked Derpy. She turned towards Hooves. "But, Doctor, then how did you—?"
"I read things I'm not supposed to," he said simply.
"Okay, crazy pony breaching security aside," Lyra began, taking an incredibly deep breath, "I have a few questions as well."
Celestia shifted her gaze to the green unicorn. "I'm listening," she said with an inviting tone.
Lyra fiddled with her hooves before blurting, "You told Sparkle — and all of Ponyville — that Nightmare Moon was stopped with the magic of friendship?!" Luna shifted further behind her big sister. "The hay is that all about?" finished Lyra.
Princess Celestia closed her eyes before answering. "Twilight Sparkle will be a princess someday."
"We've established this," Lyra said with a roll of her eyes. Then her hoof shot to her mouth. "Sorry," she said as she pulled the hoof away, "I have snark."
"It's quite alright," chuckled Celestia. "You see, as a princess, it's very important that we listen to and understand the ponies who look up to us for guidance and wisdom, and that we don't get caught up in all the authority that comes with it." Celestia smiled and leaned closer to her subjects. "We need to be able to relate to one another. As friends." She stood herself back up. "Twilight Sparkle never made any friends in Canterlot. It was my hope that while here in Ponyville — a town rich with diversity and kind souls — she could meet some new faces to truly touch her heart. She now has five close friends, each unique in personality and walks of life, and I could not be happier for it. By showing her the importance of those friendships, she will grow into a kind and wonderful leader."
"Yeah, but—" Lyra hesitated before continuing. "You don't think that making her believe magic amulets saved the day will backfire at some point?"
Celestia laughed. "I'll be taking them with me," she said. "It's my hope that Twilight will find a different way to solve her problems, and in the moments she can't, you six will still be watching over her."
"Wait, you can't just take them!" cried Amethyst. "Hooves needs them for his machine! What if we need to use them again?"
Luna shifted further out of sight. Celestia looked back to her, and then to Amethyst. "We do not feel that will happen," Celestia said with conviction. "With the moon force bound to my sister destroyed, we—"
"Oh, it's not destroyed," Doctor Hooves said simply. Celestia gave him a sharp gaze.
"I'm sorry?" the princess asked.
"That's what the last-minute adjustments were for!" Hooves wore a huge smile. "The gems you initially provided were too pure, and would have killed the being inside of Princess Luna. And the number one rule here is 'don't kill stuff'!"
Every pony in the room stared at the tan stallion. Nothing moved other than Celestia's ethereal mane until Luna took a few tentative steps forward.
"You..." the blue alicorn swallowed. Her voice was almost too soft to be heard. "You didn't kill it?"
"Nope!" said Hooves happily.
Luna swallowed again and looked at the ground. "You should have," she murmured.
"No, Luna, he was right to not do so," Celestia said. She placed a gentle hoof onto her sister's back. "Kindness and compassion are the only way. I have spent eons proving this to myself." She turned back to the stallion. "Thank you, Doctor, for your sound judgment."
Lyra coughed.
The doctor raised a hoof into the air. "Is it my turn to ask something?" he said. Celestia stared at him for a moment before nodding. Hooves stretched his neck forward to peer behind the deity. "Are you feeling well, Princess Luna?"
Luna shuffled her hooves in alarm; this was the first she'd been addressed in such a fashion for over a thousand years. "I am... well. Yes. Thank you."
"Good." Hooves leaned back and smiled with content.
"And what of you?" asked Celestia, turning to the mostly quiet pegasus. "Is there anything more you wish to ask us?"
After a startled jump, Derpy averted her gaze and shook her head. "I'm just... I'm glad everyone is okay."
Celestia nodded. "As am I. How is your daughter?" she asked.
"She's... She's fine," Derpy said shyly.
The white alicorn nodded again. "I am glad for it."
"If that's really all," Bon Bon said, reintroducing her voice, "these two have a kingdom to run." She turned towards the two princesses and bowed. "Thank you for agreeing to this, your highness."
Celestia returned the bow, and Luna hesitated before doing the same. "We are in your debt," Celestia said to Bon Bon. "Speaking with the ponies who saved both my sister and myself is the least that could be done." With that, the great alicorn spread her wings, and her sister mimicked the action. They took flight and quickly, yet majestically flew straight up through the underground headquarter's entrance.
"Okay, you lot," Bon Bon said, reaffirming her command, "on to the next item on the agenda. Living arrangements need to be made for our two new agents, and I need at least one of you to get an eye on Sparkle. All six of us are down here, for hoof's sake!"
The four seated ponies got to their hooves and stretched. 
"Hey, Star," Lyra said to Amethyst, getting up last, "I just want to let you know... that I'm proud of you."
"'Proud of me'?" Amethyst laughed. "You inducted me into this company, trained me personally, acted as my first handler, and yet through it all I think this is the first compliment you've ever actually given me."
"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Lyra said with a forceful tilt of her neck. Several cracking sounds echoed from the motion. "If it makes things feel more normal: I saw your gem-cutting today. It was garbage. You sold better stuff on the street."
Amethyst could have protested, but instead she shook her head and smiled. "I'll take first watch on Sparkle," she called to Bon Bon's back. A short wave was her only response before the pink unicorn took a lift back to the surface. Carrot Top watched Derpy and Doctor Hooves enter the R&D lab before approaching Lyra herself.
"Is working here always going to be like this?" Lyra asked her, eyes closed while sorting out her back.
"We live in a pretty quiet town," Carrot Top chuckled. "There's really not a lot that happens here."
"Well, I've only been here one day, and all Tartarus broke loose." Lyra leaned back to get her front hooves stretched out as well. "I really hope you guys are better at second impressions."


THE END