The thundering of little hooves was enormous. It had not taken hardly any time at all to spread the word among the children that they were free to leave, and at that point the young fillies and colts had needed no further encouragement to drop their picks and hammers and tools to storm out of the network of tunnels. Most of them gave Spike very dirty looks as they passed, and Twilight had to protect him behind her wings as one or two even tried to lunge forward to take a swing at him.
Twilight looked around when the tunnels had been emptied, and Don looked at her curiously.
"What's up?"
"These tunnels must have taken hundreds of years to dig like this, it could be a fantastic educational experience... I could arrange tours!" she said. "It'd be a nice boost to the economy, I bet... maybe even try to make it a historic landmark."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "It's cool and all, but let's try and focus on making sure all the kids get back home and getting Courage back, yeah?"
Twilight agreed that it was a sensible objective, and followed her friends.
---
Dinky rushed forward into Derpy's outstretched wings with a shrill cry of 'Mama!' The party had started only a few moments before, and all around them relatives were being reunited with their lost loved ones. Apple Bloom burst in through the back door like she owned the place, a cocky grin on her face, and hurried forward to hug her sister. Applejack grinned back, took off her hat, and placed it on her little sisters head. The hat fell over her eyes, and Bloom immediately tried to run to reunite with Scootaloo, and ran into a wall.
'Were ya scared, sis?" Applejack asked.
"Naw, no way!"
While the reunions were taking place, Twilight approached Derpy, and gave her a tender yet confused look. "Pinkie said you've had this party planned for hours, before we even knew if we were going to get the children back. How did you know we were going to be successful?"
Derpy gave her a confused look. "You're Princess Twilight Sparkle," she said gently, while hugging her daughter. "You promised you were going to get to the bottom of it, and you always keep your promises."
"But what if I'd... failed?"
Derpy laughed, and escorted her daughter towards the cookie table. "That's a good one, Twilight."
Applejack came up to her, Apple Bloom had gone off playing with her friends. "Ain't it about time y'got Courage back home?" she asked.
"Yes, I think so, I think we've all deserved a rest." she and Applejack went up to Courage, who was sitting in the corner playing with a yo-yo. "You want to go back home, pup?" she asked.
"Yes!" He got up, putting the toy away.
"I'm not sure if we'll be able to get you back here again, it was only a technological marvel that you've been here twice," Twilight said. Courage was on her back, and she was leading him back towards her castle where she'd equipped an extension of Celestia's now infamous Canterlot mirror. Applejack walked beside her, with Spike on her back. Twilight had made sure not to leave him behind again. "The medal Luna gave you was only good for one use, I think, and it will take me quite a bit of effort to open my mirror onto your world. I'm not sure if I can do it twice."
Courage nodded. That was alright with him, he just wanted to go home.
Twilight entered the castle, went down a long, decorated hallway, and entered a side room. A mirror equipped to a complicated looking set up of wires and pulleys was centered at the back of the room. Spike slid own off of Applejack, and immediately proceeded to trying to pull one of the embedded gems out of the walls.
Twilight returned her attention to the mirror, and placed a wired receptacle over her horn. "You said you came from Nowhere, Courage?" Twilight asked.
The pup nodded.
Twilight closed her eyes tightly, and tried to tune in to that location. It was difficult, as she'd never seen it, but by visualizing the dog in her mind the reluctant, shimmering visage of the farmhouse slowly warped into life in the mirror.
"Go on home, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Y'definitely earned a rest, helping us twice an' all."
Courage looked at the mirror for a moment, then ran through it without looking back. Twilight gave a groaning noise from trying to keep the link open, and the mirror went blank as she lost the connection a moment later. She went to Spike, who was still trying to pull the gem out of the wall.
"How about some pancakes instead?" she asked. "I think we still have a bit of explaining to do."
Spike lit up. "Aw, sweet!" he grinned. "I'm really tired too, like I slept for a long time. Is that alright?"
Twilight smiled. "It's more than alright, Spike. It's more than alright."
---
Courage ran through the mirror and skidded to a halt a second later on the dusty, cracked ground that rarely allowed any vegetation. He looked behind him, seeing a flash of pony for a brief moment, and then there was only a dull, solid rock. In two trips to Equestria he felt he had toughened up quite a bit, and perhaps was no longer as cowardly as everyone thought he was.
He opened the front door and went in through it, relieved to be home, seeing everyone where they were supposed to be, Muriel in the kitchen making tea, and the Farmer in his chair, only his legs visible behind the sprawling, open newspaper.
"Where've ya been, stupid dog?" he asked.
Courage just shrugged.
"Make a mockery of me, will you!" The Farmer exclaimed. He dropped the newspaper and lunged forward at the same time, wearing that awful green mask that Courage hated so much.
"Ooga booga booga!"
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"
Well... maybe not as brave as he thought.