//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The Magic of True Friendship // Story: Sunrise // by Black Kyurem //------------------------------// "Hey, y'all!" Applejack called out. She caught up with Fluttershy along with Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie and they all nuzzled each other. And then Applejack asked, "Where's Twilight?" They looked around with concern. Back in Canterlot, the real Twilight Sparkle stumbled out of the black pillar as it dissolved along with the last traces of the Nightmare Moon entity and collapsed to the ground. "Twiley!" Shining Armor ran to her and touched her. "Thank Celestia... She's still alive." "There's no need to thank me, Shining Armor." And there stood Princess Celestia, also alive and well. "Sister!" cried Luna, nuzzling her. "You made it! You're alive!" "How are you feeling, your highness?" asked Shadowstealth. "My goodness, I feel so much better," said Celestia as relief washed over Luna, Shining Armor, Cadance and Spike. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She then activated her magic and started to raise the sun, but then stopped. "Actually, that can wait a bit longer. We all have a lot to talk about first." Much later, while the sky still remained between dusk and dawn, the Mane 6, Spike, Shining Armor, and the other three princesses had all gathered in Princess Celestia's room. Twilight seemed to be sleeping peacefully, as her ordeal had taken its toll on her, but the others were just waiting for her to wake up, as it had seemed like hours. "She's been through an awful lot," said Princess Celestia. "But the important thing is that we not beat ourselves up over any of this." "Ah'll say," Applejack agreed. "Ah think we're all just glad to have Twilight back." Her other friends nodded. "That Nightmare Moon was the real stinker," said Rainbow Dash. "And I hope she's gone for good," said Luna. Eventually, Twilight finally opened her eyes, much to the satisfaction of the others. The first thing Twilight saw was all of her friends gathered around her, including Princess Celestia. "P... princess..." Twilight murmured with a slight smile, tears forming in her violet eyes. "You're alive... And I'm..." Twilight then allowed her tears to flow down her face. "We know, Twilight," said Celestia, wanting nothing more than for Twilight not to get worked up. "We may not know everything you went through, but we know how you're feeling right now." So Twilight had no emotional outburst and just cried quietly. And that's when the doors to Celestia's room opened. Two royal guards had escorted Twilight's parents to the scene. "Please tell us she's all right!" begged Twilight Velvet, Twilight's mother. "She's fine," said the guard. "She's just slightly frail." Twilight's parents entered Celestia's room and found their daughter curled up with Cadance. "Twilight, honey," said Velvet. "It's us. We're here." Twilight turned to see them, tears flooding her eyes. "Mom... Dad..." she murmured. Both parents gave her a big hug. "I've decided that nopony is truly to blame for this," declared Princess Celestia. "This was all just a serious misfortune that Twilight Sparkle happened to get swept up in." "Do ya really think she wanted to overthrow you, Princess?" said Applejack. "Perhaps Nightmare Moon did," said Celestia. "But maybe one day... Twilight will be ready." "How much longer before you decide to raise the sun?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I will in time," said Celestia. "The ponies of Equestria are aware of this, so they have time to settle back into their lives before they start again." Twilight was then seen fast asleep in the comforting embrace of her parents, Cadance, and Shining Armor. Twilight was back in her old room in her Canterlot home with Spike, looking around to see if anything had changed. Nothing had, of course, but Twilight felt good reliving the old times she used to have, including her moments with Shining Armor and Cadance. "We're just visiting, right?" asked Spike. "Yes, Spike," answered Twilight. "We'll be going back to Ponyville real soon, I'm sure. It was just nice for the Princess to let me have some time here." That's when there was a knock on the door. "Oh? Who is it?" The door opened, and there stood a tan Pegasus with a dark brown mane and tail, wearing a cap, jacket, and a watch on one of his front hooves. His cutie mark was a game controller. But Twilight recognized this pony as the father of Smiling Princess, the alicorn filly who touched the heart of Equestria with her passing. "Artissimo! What brings you here?" "I just wondered if it would be all right to have... a small talk," said Artissimo. "Of course!" "Well... as you know... my daughter passed away over two years ago. I've been recovering for a long time now. Yes, I have a good job that pays well and I have a most loving wife to support me. But my daughter, Smiling Princess..." He wiped away one tear. "She meant everything else to me... She was what a family was to me. I know you might want to ask what this has to do with you. Well, I think I have at least a small understanding for what you have suffered from. "When I was younger and I discovered the kind of pony I would become, I was initially excited. I knew I would be destined to do great things. But as time went on, I felt that I was becoming distant from other ponies around me. And I was afraid that I would be shunned for who I was. Believe it or not, I used to be ridiculed. I wasn't bullied or anything serious, but I was afraid. Some said I had irrational fears, which was probably true, but I just wasn't sure of myself. Things changed when I met my future wife, Sunny Sweet. She taught me how I could change my life for the better and she wanted to be there for me when I finally achieved my goal. We wanted to raise a family together and we did just that. "Smiling Princess was my little angel... and like me, she had such a promising future ahead of her. But unlike me, she was bullied... and terribly. I wonder... if she ever realized everything she was leaving behind when she chose... to end her life. My wife and I... We knew about her depression. But she was too quick to take her life when we wanted to get help for her. We never imagined how quickly her depression took its toll on her. We knew there was nothing we could have done, but it didn't stop the pain. Twilight... I'll never stop missing my little girl, but I have been gradually moving on with my life. And so has Sunny Sweet." "I'm so sorry," said Twilight. "But you're right. It's okay to miss loved ones who have passed on or left our lives in any way. But moving on is definitely a healthy choice." "I remember that my late grandmother never really moved on with her life," said Artissimo. "After her brother and father passed away, she had a choice to move on, but... she never did. She chose to make her own life miserable that way... not that I didn't pity her, far from it." "I know what you're saying," said Twilight. "And thanks for coming to visit. By the way, I know I'm the Princess of Ponyville, but would it be okay if I could visit you and Sunny Sweet in Vanhoover someday?" "Of course, Twilight. You would be most welcome with me and my wife. And thank you for your time. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."