"Spike, where'd you put those old alchemy books I asked about?"
Spike flipped through a comic book as he sat in a beanbag in the library. "Over on the desk, where you wanted them."
Twilight sorted through the pile of books on her desk, until she finally found the books she had been looking for. Slipping it into its shelf, she smiled with satisfaction at how light the book felt. The Tears' effects on the magic of the world were still very much apparent after all this time. It was not anything big, just a lot of little things, levitation is easier, teleportation requires less exertion, she was mastering new spells in only one or two attempts. The magic in the world in general was that much stronger.
She took a moment to dwell upon how things had changed since their adventure had ended. For her friends, it was pretty much business as usual by now. But for each one of them, there were some small changes.
Applejack had gotten back to work at Sweet Apple Acres, though many ponies visiting noted how sometimes, she could be seen proudly wearing her strange woven cloak while she worked.
Sugarcube Corner's patrons celebrated the return of Pinkie Pie, and she returned to work quickly enough, though the bakery now had a new shelf dedicated to strange exotic dishes Pinkie had begun to bake. Every now and then, also, customers could hear Pinkie singing some rather peculiar new songs while she worked happily in the kitchens.
Rainbow Dash was as competitive and thrillseeking as ever, though she rather quickly turned down any offer of trips to swimming holes or river trips. And she was quick to show off her suit of griffon armour to anypony who came to visit her cloud home.
Rarity, on the other hand, had not only returned to normal, but was flourishing! It appeared that her brief stint as a military commander had helped her develop a few new marketing strategies for selling her wares, competing with other designers, haggling with clients, as well as a notable recent range of clothes with a distinctly military look to them. It had been the talk of Fashion Week in Manehattan a few weeks ago.
Fluttershy still liked to reminisce on the days of the adventure. She was in the library at least once a week, reading any books she could find with information about the Deerfolk or Cervidas. At least twice, Twilight had been on her way to visit Fluttershy at her cottage, and overheard her singing or speaking aloud to herself in Deerish, as she would tend to her new herbal-medicine-patch, or simply sit in her backyard, gazing off into space.
And as for her, well, she would still daydream about the all-too-brief few weeks where she had the opportunity to work alongside Starswirl the Bearded, her greatest hero. But otherwise, she had gotten eagerly back to working at her library. The adventure had been fun, but she had always missed her books.
And of course, there was that little box on her dresser, and the simple emerald that sat inside. A little memento from some truly extraordinary creatures.
As she reminisced, she gazed out the window, and saw a strange pair of creatures in the town-square. They appeared to be approaching several ponies who were in the square, asking them something. Recognition glowed in her heart as she saw that one of them seemed to be clad in a dark blue dress.
Rushing out the door to the square, she skidded to a halt as she saw the two figures who turned and spotted her, waving with delight.
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, there y'are!" called Rowanoak, trotting over as quick as her creaking limbs could carry her.
"Rowanoak?!" Twilight gasped. "What are you doing here?"
The old mare cackled. "It's been too long since these old eyes saw ye, Twilight. I'd missed ye and yer friends, so I decided to pay a little visit. And, as luck would have it, I ran into this young fella. Says he's a friend of yours."
Twilight turned to the other and gawped. Clad in a fine green tunic, woven with golden trim, was none other than Yarrow, looking slightly larger and older, and even his antlers seemed to have grown a bit. "Yarrow? Oh Yarrow, Rowanoak, it's great to see you two!"
"Mae g'ovannen, friend Twilight," Yarrow said with a bow. "I was travelling through Equestria, so of course I had to visit Ponyville. It's wonderful to see you too. How have you been?"
Twilight eagerly shook their hooves. "Oh, I've been pretty good, thanks. I've been busy, certainly, tending to the library and all... but what about you two? We all have so much to catch up on!"
"I don't doubt it," Rowanoak replied. "But I'm a mite hungry from the trip here. Ye got anywhere we can get a bite to eat?"
Twilight grinned. "I know just the place. Follow me! Yarrow, you coming?"
The stag smiled back. "I'd love to. But I'll join you two later. For now, could you just point me to Fluttershy's house?"
Yarrow took a long, deep breath the crisp afternoon Ponyville air. It had a very different feel to Cervidas, which always came across as very chilled and clean. But out here, in the true nature of Equestria, it was truly a wonderful feeling. Walking over a small bridge, he chuckled appreciatively as he spotted a small sod-roof cottage just ahead. Of course, he thought, where else could she be?
Taking another deep breath to calm his nerves, Yarrow tapped on the door of the cottage. From inside he heard a muffled "Be right with you!", before the latch clicked and the door creaked open slightly.
"Yes, who is it?" asked a familiar, timid little voice.
"An old friend," Yarrow replied with a grin, "Who's been travelling a long way to visit."
The door swung open fully and Fluttershy stepped out into the porch. She froze in her tracks as she saw the familiar stag smiling at her. "...Yarrow?"
"Hello Fluttershy."
Fluttershy could not stop herself as she hurried forwards and grabbed Yarrow in a tender embrace. "I was wondering when I'd see you again," she whispered in his ear as they hugged. "It's lovely to see you again!"
"And you as well," he replied. "I would have come sooner, but work has kept me busy."
"Oh, well come inside and you can tell me all about it."
Moments later Yarrow was sitting at her dining table, a cup of tea resting before him. He breathed deep of the fragrance with satisfied sigh.
"Mmm, is that Darjeeling tea?" he asked, as she poured him some cream and deposited a sugar-bowl on the table.
"Why, yes it is," she replied proudly. "And I've also got mint-tea, Oolong tea, green tea, chai tea... I, uh, I've become a bit of a tea-nut since I got back home."
He chuckled. "Apparently so! it sounds like I've rather rubbed off on you. Well, you brew it well, Fluttershy."
She blushed from the compliment. "Thank you... So Yarrow, what brings you to Equestria? I mean, I'm guessing you didn't come all this way just to stop by for tea, right?"
Yarrow shifted in his seat. "Heh, well, that wouldn't have been out of the question... I really have missed you..."
Their eyes met briefly, but just long enough for butterflies to rise in the pegasus' stomach. "I've missed you too..."
"B-but you're right, there is another reason. You see, since the Fainum were destroyed, things have been very different in Cervidas. They've properly opened up their borders for the first time. No more secrecy, the White Hart's decreed, we're being open with other lands. For one thing, it's meant trading goods with neighbouring settlements. You wouldn't believe how much some creatures will pay for just a sliver of our silver wood."
"Heehee, well it is beautiful." Fluttershy took a dainty sip of her tea. "What about the whole relationship with the griffons? Has anything come of that?"
"Well, nothing concrete yet," Yarrow replied. "But we're definitely making progress. King Gideon put in a good word for the Deerfolk with the Griffon Kingdom, so we're in new talks about a peace treaty and maybe opening trade routes with eachother. And with all this trading and talking with other civilisations, the White Hart has been sending out researchers to study aspects of these other lands, to see what they may have to offer, that sort of thing. Including, among many others, yours truly."
The pegasus beamed. "Oh congratulations! So this is what you mean when you said that your work has kept you busy."
The stag nodded, taking another sip of the rich tea before continuing. "Indeed. I've been on a business trip around nearby lands, looking for new medical techniques and healing herbs that we could use back in Cervidas. And after my work in the Southlands, where better else to go than Equestria? A useful business trip, and a perfect opportunity to see the filly that I... er, that is, to see you."
His face flushed a deep crimson red, and he suddenly became very interested in his tea. Fluttershy could not help but smile at his bashfulness. "You know," she said timidly. "That poem you wrote for me... I still have it."
"... Really?" he looked up into her eyes. "After all this time?"
She nodded, shuffling around the table to sit a little closer. "I read it to myself sometimes. I've almost got it memorised, the Deerish version and the translation. I just... I wasn't sure I'd ever actually see you again."
Fluttershy began to blush as well, looking down at her forehooves. The two were silent for a moment, neither one all that certain what to say. Wordlessly, Yarrow placed a forehoof upon Fluttershy's, and she looked up into his eyes again. He smiled at her, and she could not help but smile back, before holding him close in her forelegs.
"I'm just... so happy to see you," came her muffled voice from Yarrow's chest-fur. "So... how long are you visiting for?"
"Well..." Yarrow gently prised himself loose from her hug for a moment. "That brings me to a slightly awkward question... You see, this research trip of mine here in Equestria, it's a rather long-term trip, and... heh, this was rather silly of me, I never got around to arranging for a place to stay..."
Fluttershy felt her heart racing. Was he about to ask what she thought...?
"So... I was wondering, I mean, if it's not too much trouble... Would it be alright for me to... you know..."
But he was silenced as Fluttershy bowled into him, knocking him into the floor as she hugged him tightly. "Of yes, yes, yes! Of course you can move in with me, Yarrow! It's a wonderful idea, oh we can have so much fun together! We can try out all sorts of teas, and grow herbs together and..."
Yarrow chuckled. "Well, actually I was going to ask if you could help me find somewhere to live in Ponyville... But you know what, this works even better!"
If it was at all possible, Fluttershy blushed an even deeper read. "Oh... uh, heheh, I mean... well, I care about you, so of course I'd offer to let you stay with... Oh my..." She trailed off into nervous giggles, leaving the two lying on the floor together.
"So..." Yarrow muttered. "What do you want to do now?"
Fluttershy's eyes met his once again, reviving the butterflies in her stomach that had just been starting to calm down. Fluttering her eyelids, she inched closer to him. "I can think of a few things..."
But as she leaned in, her muzzle coming close to his, she stopped as there came a gurgling, rumbling noise from her stomach. She grinned sheepishly at Yarrow. "Heheh, sorry... I haven't actually had any lunch yet."
"Come to think of it," Yarrow replied. "I haven't actually eaten since early this morning, and I have been on the road all day..."
The two looked at eachother, and nodded with understanding.
"I'll get us another pot of tea."
"I'll start putting together some salad from the garden."
As she got to work, Yarrow watched her with a smile, half amused, half smitten. This is going to work out just fine.
Meanwhile, in Sugarcube Corner Twilight and Rowanoak sat around a table. The old pony swigged from a bottle of sarsaparilla as Twilight regaled the story about her journey after she and her friends had departed from Neighagra Falls. Rowanoak was eagerly asking questions and following along with the story, wanting to hear as much as possible. Twilight had never had such an attentive audience before!
"And, well, half a year later, here we are." She finished her tale with a deep sip of cocoa.
Rowanoak nodded thoughtfully. "Well, sounds like ye've had quite the adventure."
"Oh, you have no idea!" Twilight said, sitting back to relax. "But still, things seem to have returned to normal easily enough, though everypony's taken something from it all."
The old mare sighed. "Well, sometimes that's all ye need, y'know?"
Twilight nodded. "Exactly," she said. "We might not have come back laden with bags of treasure or with some super-powerful new artefact for Equestria or anything, but still, I wouldn't change anything that happened for the world. We've gone through a lot, but also learned a lot. Sure it was tough at times, and scary, but it was worth it in the end... And in the end, I guess that's enough of a treasure for me."
"How very deep of ye," Rowanoak chuckled, taking another swig and emptying her bottle. "I wish I could say I've been as busy as y'all, but not so... I have had a few pretty interestin' visitors recently, though.
Twilight got up from the table. "Well, just let me fetch us another of these delicious spongecakes and you can tell me all about it!"
"Ye got it," she said with a nod. "And Twilight, it's good to see ye back safe and sound."
"Heh, glad to be back!" Twilight replied.
The old mare watched as Twilight headed off to the counter. With a twinkle in her eye, she turned and smiled at you.
"Sure am glad to see she's doin' alright after all this time," she said to you. "She and her friends went through quite a bit, and come out stronger and wiser than ever. Well, that about does it, wraps the whole thing up. Things seemed to work out pretty good fer Twilight an' her friends. Not to mention it made for a pretty decent tale, eh? Now I'm not sure she's aware of y'all out there, hearin' this story. But if she did, I'm sure she'd appreciate ye stickin' around as long as ye have. Takes alot of dedication to wanna stick by her, find out where she'd go next, what adventure she'd run into..."
Rowanoak paused a moment and chuckled. "Oh look at me, ramblin' on like the old coot I am. Heh, s'funny, when ye've bin goin' as long as I have, once ye got an attentive audience ye don't wanna stop talking. But I'll let y'all be on yer way now. I hope you've enjoyed yerselves. See you out on the trail."
Rowanoak then turned to Mrs Cake as she passed. "Say miss, be a dear and get me some more o' that good sarsaparilla..."