//------------------------------// // Questions and Answers // Story: The Long Ride // by Truffles //------------------------------// Clackety-clack … clackety-clack! The sounds of the wheels reverberated through the passenger car, producing the hypnotic effect the car's two passengers had experienced when they boarded. Now, however, they were both well aware of their situation despite feeling drowsy, and were simply resigned to the realization they were no longer alive – two souls headed into the unknown. There was one difference Rainbow Dash had noticed – the tempo of the train's wheels had changed. They were no longer traveling as fast as before, but instead had slowed to pass through tunnels and around sharp bends. Glimpses of what looked like a gigantic tower with brilliant lights appeared out the car's windows on the distant horizon when it made turns that allowed its spectacle to be viewed. Wherever it was they were heading, it wouldn't be long now. Still snuggled close to Fluttershy, she had been giving thought to how she had been beguiled into thinking she was still alive. She came to the conclusion she had been replaying the aerial acrobatics shows the Wonderbolts had done prior to her fateful day in Manehatten – her own pride being partly to blame, that pride simply refusing to even consider the possibility she didn't survive the explosion of the weapon she managed to destroy. She sighed, whispering to herself, “At least I got to go out a hero; you couldn't ask for a more honorable way to shuffle off the ol' mortal coil!” She paused and added a thought, I just wish it had happened later rather than sooner… With her rapidly approaching fate unknown, Rainbow Dash had given thought to simply leaving the train and flying off; but abandoned the idea when Fluttershy told her she had no intentions of joining her in doing any such thing – her friend was concerned they'd end up in some kind of limbo if they did. The only thing she was sure of was she would not leave her again until they reached the end of this journey – together. But the questions about the lives of the ponies she loved still lingered, and the need to know with a potentially unknown situation that laid ahead created a sense of urgency for her to get those answers now. “Fluttershy,” she whispered, “are you up?” tapping her on her foreleg. Fluttershy yawned, “Yes, I'm awake. What's going on?” “Well, I kinda still want to hear about my funeral… You said earlier you'd tell me everything.” “Oh, that…” Fluttershy answered reluctantly, still fearing the emotional pain digging up those particular memories might unleash. “Do you really want to know of such things? It's just, um… a bit ghoulish, don't you think?” she added, quickly thinking of an excuse to put it off a little longer. For crying out loud, Fluttershy! What did they do that you can't talk about? Drop me in the Ponyville garbage dump or something? She couldn't help but laugh to herself at the absurdity of such a thought, and it lightened her mood a bit. Rainbow pleaded with her, “Aww c'mooon, pleeease!” giving her friend a gentle poke in the ribs to try and loosen her tongue. “Look, all I really want to know is who was there, and did they give me full pegasus honors?” “Oh, well – yes, of course!” her fears allayed by the specificity of the questions. “You certainly did get full honors, Celestia and Luna wouldn't have had it any other way. The Wonderbolts all did the Missing Pegasus formation, except… um, Soarin, of course, who was standing beside all of us…” Fluttershy looked down and couldn't help but get teary again remembering the sight of Rainbow's spouse sending off his beloved. C'mon Fluttershy, hold it together… I don't want to start bawling again, too! “So was my pyre the most awesome sight you had ever seen?” she hammed, trying to keep Fluttershy's spirits up. “It was… Nice.” “Nice? That's it?!” “Oh, well, um… no – it was very impressive,” Fluttershy continued, “But I can't really say I enjoyed admiring it, knowing who was sitting in the middle…” “Aww, Fluttershy, it's really okay!” she consoled her, waving off her concerns. “All of that is in the past!” “Plus,” Rainbow Dash added, “you should know very well a funeral pyre is the most honored way for a pegasus to be sent off from this world… Uh, that world… Whatever,” she grumbled, forgetting again her situation wasn't quite as it appeared despite the familiar sights around her. “Yes, I know. And I know how the traditional invocation goes: We commit this pegasus to the wind and sky, forever to fly, amongst their ancestors.” Fluttershy sighed, “But, as you know, I've always been somepony who's more fond of the ground…” “Oh, Fluttershy…” Rainbow covered her face with her hooves and shook her head, “You requested an Earth Pony funeral, didn't you?” “Um, yes… Yes, I did, Rainbow,” She said uncomfortably. “I hope you aren't – angry at me for not wanting to have it done the traditional way?” Rainbow Dash smiled, “Not at all! Ever since I first met you at Summer Flight Camp, I always knew you liked having your hooves on the ground! So it makes sense for you to get a burial.” An idea popped into Rainbow's head and she couldn't resist using it to further lighten the mood. “I mean, who am I to dictate what you do? After all – It's your funeral!” She broke out laughing, “Don'tcha get it? It's a figure of speech – taken literally?” “Oh, haha. Yes.” Wow, tough crowd, Rainbow thought. “Um, in any case,” Fluttershy continued, “I'm hoping those last wishes were fulfilled. By being buried I'll be feeding all the plants and trees which in turn will feed many animals and provide shelter, all part–” “Yeah, yeah, I know. The whole 'Circle of Life' thing. I get it.” Rainbow reached out and took Fluttershy's hooves in her own, “Look, we both know we have great friends. And I'm sure they honored you as much as it sounds like they did for me. Just from the way you were visited it seems like they did! Anyway, it probably doesn't really matter what they do seeing how it is we all seem to end up riding this train…” A bit of an awkward silence followed due to the two of them once again being reminded of their situation. Rainbow Dash decided to break the silence, carefully asking some more questions that she hoped wouldn't upset Fluttershy too much, “So, erm… Do you know how Soarin was doing, y'know before you–” “Oh, well, um… I'm afraid he's gone too, Rainbow,” Fluttershy answered. “He was a lot older than you, and well – you know…“ “It's okay. I kind of figured… Maybe he's somewhere in one of these cars, too?” “Yes, maybe. We can certainly look for him if you want to!” Rainbow Dash wanted ever so much to go right out and start searching, but she saw that enormous tower growing in size through the windows, knowing it was getting close. “Well, seeing how it is this trip is probably coming to an end soon, we might as well look for him after we exit. Presuming we can, of course…” She fought back a few more tears, worrying again about what lay ahead and thinking of what life her love and flying partner had led after she was no longer with him, but managed to continue. “So, did he have a nice funeral, too?” “Yes. I was there and it was nice, just like yours. Full Wonderbolt honors. Chrome lit the fire…” Chrome! Rainbow Dash realized, “Fluttershy, tell me about my son! How did he turn out?” “He turned out great, Dash! Just like his mother and father!” Rainbow beamed upon hearing this, tears of joy welling up in her eyes that she could no longer hold back. “I'll bet he followed in his parents' hoofsteps and became a Wonderbolt, too, right?” Fluttershy held back a giggle at the presumption, “Well, no, not exactly. He was actually more interested in the science of flight – flight dynamics, wing posture, that sort of thing – rather than actually taking up flying as a profession. After you were gone, Soarin and him even moved to Ponyville so he could enroll in Twilight's School for Gifted Ponies!” “What!? You mean my son is an egghead?” Rainbow laughed at the irony: The universe, it seems, likes playing a good prank, too! “Well, it's all good – there's no way I could ever be disappointed in him, and getting accepted into Twilight's school for all genius ponies is totally amazing!” “It's actually even better – while he was doing his studies, and with guidance from Twilight, he came up with a new way to achieve a Sonic Rainboom – one that was larger than anypony else had ever seen! He even gave it a name – a Rainboom Cascade.” “Really?! That. Is. TOTALLY AWESOME! I'll bet all of Equestria was cheering him on as he executed it!” “Oh, well, actually… He didn't have you or Soarin's flight prowess, so he never got to do his theoretical Rainboom Cascade. Like I said, he enjoyed learning about flight more than actually doing it.” “Oh… That stinks.” Rainbow's heart sank. If I had been there for him, maybe he would have achieved that dream of his? “However…” Fluttershy eagerly continued. “However?” “His daughter, Rainbow Comet, at only the age of eleven, took his notes and data he had worked on for so long, and spent the next six years trying to make his dream become a reality.” Fluttershy paused to recall the moment, one that filled her with happiness, “One day, after the crowds had stopped bothering to gather to watch her make her attempts – when the conditions were absolutely perfect – she finally proved to the world all his theories were correct and executed a flawless cascade, painting the skies over all of Equestria with a beautiful colors!” Fluttershy watched Rainbow Dash's eyes fill with tears of joy, “As you can guess Chrome named her after his hero – his mom. That's how much he loved and admired you, Rainbow. His daughter is every bit as much the flyer you were, and,” she let slip a small giggle thinking about her personality, “just as stubborn about never giving up!” This made Rainbow Dash laugh, “If not more!” She proudly cried out her granddaughter's name, “Wow, Rainbow Comet! I can't believe it – I'm a grandma!” Rainbow wiped away another tear as she flashed a huge grin, regaining her composure, “Of course it only makes sense that my children and grandchildren end up twenty percent cooler than me!” Fluttershy giggled over Rainbow recalling her famous line, and how strangely appropriate it was in this instance. “Yes, she is a true prodigy when it comes to flying. Her parents were extremely proud of her, as was her grandfather.” “You mean Soarin got to see it, too?” Rainbow asked elatedly. “Oh, yes. He was still around then. He retired from the Wonderbolts after you… saved us, to spend all his time raising Chrome. He bought a house just down the road from Applejack's farm.” “Let me guess – so he could be closer to those pies he loved way too much!” she exclaimed heartily. Fluttershy smiled, “Yes, you obviously know him all too well! Since they lived nearby, Chrome would often come visit me after school to hear stories of us girls' adventures together. I think it helped him deal with things.” She paused for a moment to reminisce, “You know, just as much as he wanted to hear them, it was just as wonderful to me to recall those days. It almost made it seem like you were still with us…” Rainbow Dash felt a little sad at hearing this. His time with Fluttershy could have been time her son spent with his mom, but she smiled remembering the warm, motherly love Fluttershy embodied. “I suppose if he had to have somepony to hang with besides me and his dad, I'm glad it was with you, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy blushed, “Thank you, Rainbow. He returned the favor a number of years later when he comforted me after Angel passed.” She paused for a moment to take a breath, “Your son was very special to me, too… he–” She was cut off by the loud blare of the train's whistle, followed by bells and a jolt to the car her and Rainbow Dash were in as it passed over a switch. They looked over and trotted to the windows, pressing their muzzles against the glass like little foals to peer out upon the remarkable scene. Their train was slowly pulling into a station – the largest one ever beheld. As they passed each platform, an uncountable number of ponies of all races and ages, milled and buzzed about on and over them, searching for loved ones. Mixed in with the ponies were an equally large number of griffons, flying about, also looking for ones they knew and loved. Farther up thousands of giant airships hovered overhead, streaming out dragons in numbers that would make the Great Dragon Migration look like a second-rate parade. The platforms they passed as their car slowly rolled along extended into the distance as far as the eye could see. All these ponies, griffons, and dragons, exiting by the thousands from all direction; all of them arriving at the same time. “This is incredible!” cried Rainbow Dash, turning to Fluttershy. The ponies she saw – she recognized famous faces from history, old celebrities from days gone by, and even one or two from her lifetime. For every pony she saw, her anxiety increased ever so more, and she collapsed back into the seat as her mind tried to comprehend the experience: Everypony that ever lived, for all time, is here, all in one place! Whoa… “Yes, it is quite a sight to behold…” Fluttershy muttered. “Fluttershy, what's wrong?” Rainbow asked, noticing her friend's now crestfallen demeanor. “We're here – this is it – Pony Valhalla, or at least that's what I'm calling it for lack of a better term, anyway! Look at all the ponies, our friends and loved ones are out there, somewhere!” She wistfully looked back out on the crowds, hoping to see anypony else she recognized. “I – I don't see any animals out there among those ponies…” Angel… Rainbow Dash remembered. She hurriedly began scanning the new arrivals before her, to see if there were any animals coming off the trains, but she saw nothing – until she turned to face the opposite set of windows in the car. That was when she saw what she was looking for – down below them, in the distance, was an exodus of animals and creatures of all species, even the aquatic ones contained in glasses and pitchers of water of all sizes – some of them ridiculously large. All of these creatures being levitated and gently placed down across a vast landscape of grass, river, and ocean. “Fluttershy, look!” she said excitedly, “There are all your furry, feathered, and finny friends – somepony is taking care that they all make it here safely!” Fluttershy shot over to the other side of the car and beamed at what she saw: Animals, insects, even mythical creatures, all being set up in habitats. Seeing how organized the procession was, she immediately thought about the Element of Magic and conjectured, “Twilight?” Rainbow Dash scanned through the mass of moving beasts and strained her eyes to see where the magic was emanating from, and spotted the source and laughed loudly as she pointed Fluttershy's head in the direction she was looking, “Guess again, silly!” There in the distance, she saw him – dressed in sunglasses and a navy blue police uniform, whistle in muzzle, and baton in claw. A creature made of an amalgam of several beasts – directing the entire menagerie. “It looks like he cared about you enough to make sure not only the animal friends you knew made the journey safely, but all animals from all time!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I guess he's finally found his special talent – ferrypony for departed creatures. That's totally amazing!” The respect she felt for him was unexpected, and her hesitation at this moment of admiration caused her to think of and snicker at the possible consequences: “If he gets a cutie mark for that, I swear I'll rib him about it for the rest of eternity! Ha!” Fluttershy wasn't listening to her joking and simply closed her eyes and sighed three words to herself: “Thank you, Discord.” With her mind at ease again, Fluttershy turned her attention back to the train station they were passing through. Beyond here existed low hills with farms, basked in the ethereal light from the stars above. The farms surrounded a ring of towns, much like that of the appearance and style of Ponyville, only larger. Within that ring, a city that dwarfed the size of any Equestrian metropolis. In the very center of all of this was the tower they had seen in the distance, now stretching into the star-filled sky with a seemingly impossible height and a beam of light projecting from the top straight up into infinity. Everything appeared crystalline, much like the Empire they had once protected from Sombra. Even the tower before them bore a resemblance to that Empire's castle, despite it being hundreds of times taller. “I guess that's home now,” Rainbow Dash concluded. “All I can say is I'm getting anxious to get out there and start looking for our families and friends!” “Soon, I think,” Fluttershy calmly replied, patting her hoof on her friend's shoulder. “Soon we'll all be together again, and it will be wonderful.” “Hey Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash remembered, “What was it you were saying before you were interrupted by all that noise?” “Oh, that… Well, when you asked earlier if I had any foals of my own, I told you I hadn't, right?” “Right...” Rainbow Dash remarked, raising an eyebrow. “Well, even though I didn't give birth to one, Chrome and I were so close, he was like another Angel. It was like I was his mom, too!” Fluttershy took a breath before speaking her next words, “After Angel passed, he really was the only son I had. I guess I've felt really guilty about trying to be your replacement to him, Rainbow Dash, and was afraid to tell you what I had become to him...” “Look, Fluttershy…” her voice cracking, “I already told you, you were best pony when it came to being there for him. You don't have to feel guilty at all! I was gone, there's nothing that could change that.” She flashed Fluttershy a pained look, “And yes, it really hurts.” Fluttershy winced at that admission. “But, the alternative would have been for Chrome to have no mom at all,” she explained, shaking her head sadly, “and thinking about that hurts even more!” With that, Rainbow Dash launched herself into a deep embrace with her friend, and Fluttershy returned it in kind, tears running down both of their faces. “Thanks, Rainbow. For everything!” Fluttershy uttered softly, her muzzle pressed tightly into Rainbow's neck and mane. There could never be enough gratitude she could convey to her dear friend, who had finally been returned to her – returned to all of her friends. A pony who had courageously given them so much – Their cutie marks. Their friendships. Their passions. Their lives.