//------------------------------// // 16 Epilogue // Story: Ponies Give Me Hope // by Kuyashii //------------------------------// “Once I reopen the portal, I cannot predict how long it will be stable. It’s likely to only remain open for a few minutes,” Twilight informed me. We stood in the field where I had first appeared in Equestria. Beside us, the other five Elements of Harmony and the two sisters waited to say goodbye. After the last night's celebration, I decided that it was time for me to return home. It wasn’t an easy decision; I had always found goodbyes difficult. We set off on one last patrol together, back to where it all began. The rest of the ponies were back at the outpost, packing up what few possessions they had carried out of New Ponyville and preparing for what would hopefully be the final leg of their journey. Twilight looked to me, waiting for the signal that I was ready to leave. I turned to each of the Elements, exchanging hoof bumps and hugs. When I got to Pinkie, I embraced her for an especially long time. She seemed content to hug me back without understanding why I was so emotional. As I reached Derpy and Lily, they rushed me together and threw their hooves around me. I barely managed to encircle them with my arms. I didn’t know what to say, so I silently held them as they buried their faces in my shoulders. “We’ll miss you,” Derpy whispered. Lily squeezed me tighter. “Brother,” Derpy added. I froze, eyes wide. Looking down, I saw them both smiling back at me. “We decided that you had earned the title of ‘honorary brother’, for all that you’ve done,” Lily explained. “Thank you, for everything.” I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, and neither could Derpy or Lily. I squeezed them both as closely to me as I could. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” I stepped back, wiping my cheeks. “The honor is mine, sisters.” They each wrapped a hoof around one another, tears sparkling on their faces. I walked over to Twilight. “I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” “This isn’t goodbye,” Twilight reassured me. “It’s just goodbye until next time.” I smiled, and hugged her as well. “Until next time, then.” When she let go, I squared my shoulders and nodded. She bowed her head, her horn glowing, and sent out a pulse which stopped just in front of me. An oval shaped doorway between worlds appeared, swirling with prismatic radiance. I reached out toward it, and once my hand contacted the edge of the portal, I felt it drawing me in. I turned to wave to the ponies with my free hand as I let it pull me across the threshold. It seemed like no time had passed at all before I found myself on my back at the base of the horse statue in the park, still wearing my bloodstained sweats. I quickly made my way back to my apartment to change, lest I attract any unwanted attention. I surprised my parents with a phone call that night. We talked for hours, catching up with each other. I left the ponies out of it, but my parents still noticed the change in my personality. I asked if they wanted to meet up for dinner some night that week, and they happily accepted. I started spending more time at the park, jogging down there and finding a nice shady spot to sit and think for hours. I found another job which would allow me to work from home, developing web content for a locally based company. It was a breath of fresh air to be doing something I loved for a change. On one of my jogs, I found a blonde woman sitting on a bench, completely lost in the novel on her lap. “What book is that,” I asked. “It’s been a while since I’ve read something good.” “Oh, it’s an older story by one of my favorite fantasy authors.” She seemed surprised, but welcomed the friendly conversation. Rather than sitting alone and thinking that day, I talked with her for hours before asking if she would like to meet me for coffee sometime. She smiled shyly and gave me her number. “I’m Max, by the way.” “Lily,” she replied, extending her hand. We’ve been dating for several months now. Lily has a younger sister who’s still in high school, with beautiful eyes that tend to wander in an oddly familiar way. Her sister often goes by the nickname “Ditzy”, though Lily definitely wields it as a term of endearment, and Ditzy owns it anyways. This weekend, we’ve got tickets to go and see the finals for a Battle of the Bands at Ditzy’s school. It feels good to be doing things with people again. I frequently find my mind drifting, lost in daydreams about the ponies back in Equestria—wondering how they’re doing, and whether they found what they were looking for. I often head back to the statue and run my hands along the smooth concrete base in the hopes of finding the portal again. Nothing yet, but I remain optimistic. Those ponies gave me hope for my future, and the courage to seize the opportunity for a fresh start. I couldn’t be happier.