//------------------------------// // Twilight's Sunset (Sunset Shimmer) // Story: Siren's Call // by Thornwing //------------------------------// I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Twilight fell asleep much faster than I expected, but I had trouble getting comfortable while listening to her snore. The minutes ticked away with a steady knock from the wall mounted clock as well. The bed we shared in the Princess Suite was certainly big enough for the both of us, but it didn’t allow for an escape from the noise. After a short night and a total switch of scenery, I’d been fighting sleep all day. Now, I struggled to relax and find a way to settle my thoughts as well as quiet my nerves considering the threat that loomed over us. Only a day ago, I thought I had everything figured out. My life was on track, and I had nothing to worry about. All of that changed when I decided to try and follow Twilight’s example. My hand, now hoof, had been forced, and it felt like I was barely keeping up on this wild ride. As much as I had looked forward to and dreaded the day I would return to this world, it didn’t feel right for some reason. Somehow, I felt like an alien in my own fur, a human masquerading as a pony and not the other way around. I stretched my hooves over my head, almost unsure of the fact that I could feel my horn sticking out from under my mane. My tail twitched, an odd sensation to have given all the years I had spent attached to it. It struck me as weird that I could possibly feel more at home as a human than as a pony. With a hoof, I traced a line down my chest, brushing the fur one direction and then back again. I held the other in front of my muzzle catching the shine from the moonlight through the window on the tip of my toe. To think, this morning I had ten fingers and toes, and the closest thing to magic that I had at my disposal was a simple microwave. I tried shutting my eyes. Every muscle in my neck tensed while I tried to force myself to think of nothing at all. Rolling from side to side didn’t help, and I heaved an audible sigh that nearly woke Twilight. Maybe it was the mission? Perhaps I couldn’t stop thinking about Adagio and what could possibly be going on in her head? How much of it came from the pony, and how much ended up being forced upon her by the siren’s curse? Seeing Twilight’s friend, who could easily have been a huge, ferocious beast reduced to a sobbing mass of pitiful helplessness, gave me some serious concerns for what awaited us tomorrow. More than that, I felt sorry for Aria and Sonata, having to own up to their past while trying to stop their friend from a repeat performance. Giving up on trying to sleep, I sat up in bed. Without any difficulty I reached out with my horn, pulled my diary out of my saddle bag hanging on the chair beside the dressing table, and floated it over to my lap. Without a proper quill and inkwell, I made due with a little horn-writing spell that I still remembered from long ago. At least my magic felt intact. The spells came easy, even with how rusty I was. Mother, are you awake? I could really use your advice if you are. I waited for a response. It might have been too late to try and contact her seeing as the sun had set many hours ago. She wasn’t known for being a night owl, at least in the years that I had any recollection of. The book lay across the comforter with the sheets pulled up over my hind legs, pillow propped up behind my back. This was the position I’d held many a night in putting together a last minute homework assignment, or working out my latest plot for revenge. It didn’t work all that well for a pony, but it felt more comfortable than any position I had tried thus far. I stared at the page, illuminated by the glow of my horn and the stray shafts of moonlight filtering through the window, not really expecting any response. When a familiar golden script started filling the blank space, I got a little rush of excitement. Dearest Sunset, I am always here for you. How can I be of assistance? I smiled an inward smile and fired up my horn once again to write out my response. It’s hard to explain. I don’t know what the problem is exactly, but I don’t quite feel comfortable in my own body. Does that sound strange to you? Also, Adagio might be a bigger problem than we thought. She’s already caused a mess in Rainbow Falls, and we’re not sure how close she could be to restoring her powers. All things considered, it’s been a pretty crazy day, and I’m having trouble falling asleep. Celestia’s writing took another minute to start up again. It sounds like you have a lot on your mind. Your first day back, not even settled in, and already you feel like the weight of Equestria lies on your shoulders. Perhaps you should focus on one thing at a time? You always had a talent for setting goals and achieving them. I know that when you put your mind to something, great things can happen. In that regard, I suggest you focus on what matters most, the thing you have the most control over, and let the rest be as it may. Then, my daughter, your mind may be at peace, and you will find that sleep comes easier. I stared down at the yellowed parchment, re-reading her words a few times over. At the end of her message, she continued to draw a picture that began to fill the rest of the page. At first, it looked like the royal crest, a typical signature for official business of the crown. As the shape came together, the line weaving through the center of the sunburst pattern made it unmistakable—a perfectly accurate depiction of my own cutie mark rendered itself in the glowing golden ink matching the rest of my mother’s words. If this was a hint, it took me a while to decipher the clue. When I finally felt like I understood her message, I wrote out a simple reply. Thank you, Mother. You always know exactly what to say. Before I closed the book, I caught her last reply. Always remember who you are, and that I will always love you. I set the book aside, taking her words to heart. There was nothing I could do at the moment about Adagio, and I couldn’t go back to my life in the human world given what I now understood about its existence. All that remained of my troubles was of my own making. I had to come to terms with the fact that I was a pony, nothing more, nothing less. Once I accepted that fact, I would settle the noise, close my eyes, tuck in my hooves, wrap up my tail, and finally get some sleep. My head hit the pillow for the second time only moments before the scream came from the adjoining room. I bolted upright, leapt out of bed and scrambled for the door. Looking back from the hallway, I caught Twilight rolling out of bed, her horn raised with a near automatic defensive spell cast on reflex. I lit my horn to lead me through the dark corridor and into the next room. I didn’t bother to knock and threw back the door the moment I found it. My magic filled the room with light, casting shadows against anything past my direct line of sight. “Stop! Don’t hurt us!” Aria yelled, her cowering scaled body reflecting a partial glow from my hornlight. “It’s not what you think!” Sonata merely sobbed, curled up on her bed with her siren tail tucked between her forehooves, rocking back and forth. Before I could even process what it was that had happened, Twilight joined our midnight gathering in a teleporting flash. Her horn flared with all the energy of an alicorn princess set to strike. “No pony move! …and no siren either!” Without even thinking, I launched myself in front of the sirens. “Twilight, wait!” I wasn’t sure if Twilight intended to shoot first and ask questions later, or if she could actually process rational thought this closely removed from sleep. “Let’s take it easy. I’m sure there’s a reasonable—” “Where is she? Where’s Adagio?” Twilight said, more awake than I would have given her credit for, her mane bristling with energy. “She’s not here,” Aria said, hooves raised in surrender. Sonata stared blankly into the light shining from my horn, her tears still flowing from her large, vacant eyes. “Where are your siren gems, the source of your magic?” Twilight said, continuing the questioning without a pause. “How did you change form?” “I-I don’t know.” Aria bowed her head. “I just woke up like this.” “This had better not be a trick. I’m not in the mood for games.” Twilight moved toward the bed, her horn glowing a little softer, and without as much arcing implied force radiating from the tip. “It’s the curse,” Sonata said, regaining some composure and brushing the tears from her face. “Adagio must have restored her powers, but the siren’s call doesn’t have the same effect on us without the gems.” Aria slowly pulled the torn covers away from her tail. “We’ve been transformed, but not like before. I’m in control this time, I promise.” Twilight gauged her response, weighing the need for caution with my plea to help. “For the moment…” I stepped over to Sonata, reaching out a hoof to try and give what comfort I could. “Does it hurt? Can you move?” Being part sea creature, I wasn’t sure how mobile they would be on land. Sonata propped herself up on her forehooves letting go of her tail and stretching out her wings. “I’m okay, just tired. The changes take a lot out of us, but I think they’re done now.” She wobbled to the side and fell back on her pillow. “Leave it to Adagio to pick the perfect time to ruin my dreams with this nightmare.” Aria flopped back down on her bed, her hooves raised to cover her shaking head. “I can’t believe this is happening again. It was bad enough the first time. At least then I lost myself in the magic. What am I going to do now?” “You’re going to fight it, and I’m going to stop Adagio before she goes any further.” Twilight walked over to the window and looked up toward the shrouded mountain peaks. “Sunset, you stay here and watch them. I’m going to fly up there and get to the bottom of this myself.” I could only bring myself to find a single word to answer. “No!” Twilight turned around to face me, showing a side that I had never seen before. “I wasn’t asking.” She unfolded her wings and set herself up with a commanding tone. “As a princess of Equestria, it is my duty to safeguard the kingdom. I can’t take the risk of allowing all three sirens to regain their magic. I’m giving you a royal order, Sunset Shimmer, stay here and keep an eye on them while I deal with Adagio. If I’m not back by morning, send word to Princess Celestia.” “But, Twilight… the map… we’re all supposed to stick together.” “The plan has changed. This ends now.” “But—” I began to say, but Twilight teleported away before I could challenge her further. I sank to the floor. “What about the magic of friendship?” To be honest, I was angry. I felt betrayed and abandoned by the one pony I thought would never do such a thing. Having invoked her royal duty made it only slightly less painful to hear. Alone with the sirens, my closest friends miles and even worlds away, there wasn’t much choice left. As I sat on the floor, staring up through the window, I considered my options. I couldn’t follow Twilight without wings. A long walk up the mountain, in the dark, along unfamiliar paths through the snow and ice wouldn’t be doing either of us any favors. Following their transformation, Aria and Sonata could barely keep their eyes open. Exhausted, they quickly fell asleep, eliminating the possibility of enlisting their help. I did my best to tuck them both in before returning to my own room. I crawled back in bed, my own exhaustion finally catching up to me. Before I closed my eyes, I brought my diary out, debating if I should wait to inform my mother. I worried about Twilight having to face Adagio alone, but I also worried about what might happen to our friendship if I went against her royal command. I opened the book to the previous spot and re-read mother’s message from earlier. Somehow, reading those words, and hearing them spoken in my head, set my mind at ease. I wasn’t sure how long it took, but I fell asleep with the open book in front of me, hoping that everything outside of my control would turn out for the best. Hours later, judging by the sunlight pouring through the open window, I woke to the gentle buzzing and rattling of my diary underhoof. I peeled open my eyes and drew back the pages to find my morning wake up call. In the most delicate script imaginable, my mother’s words brought me out of my haze, fully awake and ready to go. Daughter of the Sun, now is your time to shine! Seize the day! I smiled. If ever there was encouragement that needed to be given, it was now, and this was mine. I got up and placed the book in my bag. While I worked to secure the load on my back, a knock came from the door. “Come in,” I said. The knob slowly turned, and the door slid open. Cautiously, a purple-scaled head peered around the edge. “Is it safe to come in?” “As long as you’re still in control, Aria, you have nothing to fear from me.” “That’s kind of the problem,” Aria said, slipping into the room with Sonata following closely behind. She shut the door once they both made it inside. “There’s something wrong.” I suddenly came to the awful realization that Twilight hadn’t returned. “Oh no! Twilight!” I quickly finished latching the saddle bags around my barrel. “We have to help her!” “Actually, we’re more worried about Adagio,” Sonata said. “The magic that’s been calling out to us this whole time, when I woke up this morning, I realized I couldn’t hear it any more.” “Yeah, and seeing as we haven’t changed back into ponies, that’s not a good sign,” Aria said. “Either way, we need to climb that mountain. Let’s go get George and—” “I doubt the yeti is going to want to help us,” Aria said, shaking her head. “We already scared off the innkeeper coming down the hall. It won’t be long before the entire town is beating down our door. We need to go, and we need to hurry. Conjure up a pair of wings, and let’s fly!” I stared at the sirens, their wings flexing and ready to go. The simple problem of my reaching the mountain summit came down to one missing puzzle piece. “I-I don’t know that spell.” “What do you mean?” Aria asked. “Can’t you just make up a spell to give you wings? What kind of unicorn are you?” I shook my head. For years, I had studied and tried to come up with the spell that would turn me into an alicorn. I had no idea how Twilight had managed it. “It doesn’t work like that. I’ve tried.” “Well, we can’t just sit here. If those townsponies find us—” “Wait!” I said. “I think I know what to do.” Thinking back through my memories, there was one instance that came into focus. My mother’s words, a friend in trouble, it made the answer clear as day. “What are we going to do?” Sonata said, looking out the window at the gathering crowd in the square. “Music!” I said. Aria blanched. “Are you seriously suggesting we use our siren magic, that we don’t currently have control of, to fight our way through the town?” “No…” I smiled, knowing how crazy the idea sounded. “Back in the other world, I was able to tap into a small amount of Equestrian magic. It only came out when I sang, but I think it’s the answer to our problem. Let me show you what I mean.” I had to hope it would still work now that I was a pony. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. The tune came to mind, and I let it flow from my heart. Power Was all I desired But all that grew inside me Was the darkness I acquired Aria and Sonata stared at me like I had lost my mind. I kept with the song, feeling its power growing within. When I began to fall And I lost the path ahead That's when your friendship found me And it lifted me instead Sonata began to hum along. I focused my thoughts on Twilight, and my mother too. I belted out the chorus as the magic wrapped around me. Now was my time to shine! Like a phoenix burning bright In the sky I'll show there's another side to me You can't deny Even Aria couldn’t deny the power of the music on display. She joined in on the tune with Sonata, tapping her hooves to the beat. I may not know what the future holds But hear me when I say Blazing wings of solar power erupted from my back. Lighting up my horn, I thrust open the doors to the small balcony off the end of the suite. That my past does not define me 'Cause my past is not today I barely looked back to make sure Aria and Sonata followed as I took to the sky. We raced up the mountain, cutting through clouds like a hot knife through butter. I knew the magic was temporary, but I held on tight, searching the trail below for any signs of life. Winding through the canyon, we fought against the wind. The altitude combined with the weather would have driven any pony other than a princess down to earth. The heat radiating from my wings put that fear to rest. We would not be stopped by the cold. Without Twilight or George to lead the way, I had no idea where to find his cave. Without the magic calling out to them, neither did my companions. All I could do was trust that fate would lead us to the right place, and that we wouldn’t be too late when we arrived. I kept to the path, seeing as that was the most logical course of travel. “There it is!” Aria yelled almost as soon as the opening in the mountainside came into view. I tucked in and made a dive for the finish. The magic in my wings gave out just before I touched down. The last few yards ended with a nosedive into the snow followed by a short roll to the cave entrance. Aria and Sonata landed beside me, much more gracefully than I had managed. I shook my head, trying to get my bearings. The chill of the mountain crept through my fur. I lit up my horn and projected into the cave. The sight that met my eyes caused me to drop the light spell while I struggled to force myself to move out of shock. Straight inside the cave stood Princess Twilight Sparkle, frozen solid in a block of ice. I charged ahead, heedless of the danger. Twilight’s expression, locked in place like a statue etched in stone, spelled out a look of surprise I was soon to feel myself. Coming up short of the block, a rush of ice cold wind blasted me against the near wall. I reached up to shield my eyes from the spontaneous storm only to find Adagio taking laps around the ceiling. What surprised me wasn’t the fact she was flying, but that she carried along with the wind itself, the gale erupting directly from her frostbitten muzzle. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Somehow, Adagio Dazzle had shed her siren skin and gone full blown windigo. I lit my horn to project a solar shield, trying my best to deflect her attack. The freezing rain pinned me down. It was all I could do to keep up a meager defense. “Adagio! Stop!” Sonata raced to my aid. For her trouble, she caught a glancing blow from the ice shards being flung my direction and tumbled to the ground. “What have you done?” Aria stared up at Adagio with an open mouth. “You’ve gone too far, Adagio!” Adagio paused her assault long enough to cackle at Aria’s implication. “Too far? This is only the beginning. No longer will I allow the shackles on my broken heart to hold me back. I will have my revenge, and nothing can stop me now, least of all you.” I used those precious seconds to my advantage, tumbling into position behind Twilight’s ice block. A quick glace around the room showed Sonata out cold with Aria now taking the brunt of Adagio’s renewed attack. She kept her busy, avoiding the blasts, dodging and looping, doing nothing more than holding her focus. I set my hoof against the block, scraping at the surface to judge the material density. Thank Celestia, the ice had the magical properties of a spell. That gave me hope for saving my friend trapped inside. If it had been natural ice, the odds of her survival would have been near zero. An errant blast had me ducking down to roll out of the line of fire. “Look out!” Aria yelled, too late but for my own reaction. I was quickly running out of time. Without a plan of counterattack, this fight would be over before it really even started. I scanned the rest of the cave, trying to find anything I could use to help turn the tide. My frantic search settled on a tiny pool of water situated near the back. With all the blue and white from the ice and snow, it was hard to miss the glowing red coming from the only spot in the cave somehow not frozen solid. I dove into a somersault at my earliest opening. Aria continued to draw Adagio’s fire while I sprinted to the pool. Reaching the spot, I dug down into the comfortably warm water and pulled a small sack attached to a necklace-like drawstring from deep within. I fumbled with the closure, trying to open the pouch before my hooves began to freeze. The draw came loose. I dumped three perfect rubies onto the sole of my hoof. Realizing what they were, I turned and shouted out to Aria, “Catch!” The gems flew from my grasp in a low arc. Aria swooped down to meet the throw. Instead of catching the elements that would have given her the power to fight back, she lined herself up and whipped her tail around like a baseball bat. “Never again!” she screamed. The gems took the impact and rocketed toward the back cave wall, embedding themselves deep within the solid sheet of ice. My cover blown, I stared up into the ice blue eyes of a furious windigo. “What have you done?” Adagio said, the frosty edge falling off her voice. She raced to the wall, driving her hooves at the gaps left by the gems. “No! No, no, no, no, no—” Jets of steam poured out of the channels blasting Adagio across the room. I scrambled to the side, casting my own bit of protective magic as the wall cracked and split, splintering out from the holes. Without even thinking, I raced back toward Twilight. Aria managed to drag Sonata out of the way and met me there as well. Back to back, we crouched in the lee of the ice block. “I have a really bad feeling about this,” Aria said, trying her best to rouse Sonata. “We have to get out of here,” I replied. “Yeah, but—ahhhhh!” Aria cried out, falling over and grabbing her gut. “What’s wrong?” I said. “I—I don’t know. Ahhhh!” Aria lurched and shuddered, contorting on the ground while I sat, helpless to lend a hoof. Sonata gasped and clutched her throat, suddenly coming to at the perfect moment to feel the shared effects of whatever came over Aria. All I could do was look on, powerless to aid either of them as they writhed in pain. I fell against the ice block with Twilight staring back at me, that same look of shock on her face from before. I knew the only pony that could save us needed my help first, but I struggled to find the strength within to call up the magic required to free her. With all the solar magic I could conjure, I reared back and blasted the icy prison. The cold, unforgiving windigo spell held strong under my unsteady attack. Steam poured out across the room, only seconds from what would surely be an explosion. All around, the ice of the cave began to crack. I knew I could save myself by simply running away, but I couldn’t leave my friends. With Aria and Sonata flopping around, their scales seemingly on fire, Adagio lost in the rising steam bath, and no pony or human left to help me, I happened to catch a glint of the sun’s rays shining off Aria’s thrashing tail through the opening at the cave entrance. An idea burst into focus. I ran toward the light, not to run away, but to try and save everypony I had come to help. Standing in the opening with full glow of the morning sun toward Canterlot at my back, steam billowing around my hooves, I raised my horn. Daughter of the Sun, now is your time to shine. Seize the day! Sunlight gathered into focus through my horn, a beam of light carrying straight into the cave. Twilight’s block erupted in a shower of ice crystals the moment they collided. “No!” Twilight shouted, finishing where she left off. I yelled back. “Twilight! Group teleport! Now!” Twilight took one look around the cave and picked out the bodies with her magic flaring to life. I leapt to the side as the eruption blew the entrance a wider opening. The explosion flung me back, and I landed in a soft snow bank on the other side of the pass. I lay there, buried in the snow, rattled, but alive. Once the world stopped spinning, I sat up. Steam continued to pour out of the cave. With a bit of a struggle, I managed to regain my full footing. I looked back toward the cave and down the path, afraid to see if Twilight and the others had made it out or not. To my relief, a couple dozen yards away, I found a colorful—moving—display a sight for sore eyes. I fell back into the snow, both relieved and exhausted. It didn’t take long before Twilight reached over the top of the snow bank, extending a hoof to pull me out. She had her signature smile plastered across her muzzle. “Sunset, I don’t know how you managed it, but you have to see this for yourself.” With her help, I hauled myself out of the snow. As soon as I emerged, I got knocked off my hooves again. “Sunset! You’re alive!” Aria tackled me with a diving hug. “Thank you sooooo much!” Sonata added, joining the pile. Not truly expecting their reaction, I caught myself staring up into the two pony faces piled on top of me. “You’re… back to normal. That’s amazing!” We all shared a friendly nuzzle, nice to feel their soft fur against my cheeks. It warmed my heart to see my friends, alive and well. Twilight gave a little chuckle. “Before you get too carried away, I think there’s somepony here who has something she’d like to say.” Sonata and Aria rolled off and let me sit up. Twilight stepped back to reveal Adagio Dazzle, the pony—not the siren, and definitely not the windigo. Adagio sat on her haunches, her poofy mane falling evenly to both sides of her head. “I’m… I’m sorry.” The only words she could manage to say were the only ones I needed to hear. My joy in the moment overflowed my senses, and I couldn’t help but smile. She reminded me so much of myself, I felt like I needed to reach out and give her the biggest hug of all. Before I could make good on that thought, our little celebration had another interruption. “Adagio?” a voice from back against the cave called out, echoing down the pass. I glanced past Adagio. The rest turned around. From out of the steamy cave opening, a trio of stallions ambled into the snowy glare of the mountain pass. Aria took off at a full gallop. Sonata raced to keep up. In no time at all, they fell into the embrace of their respective coltfriends. Adagio hung back with Twilight and myself, not seeming too eager to greet the new arrivals. “I—I can’t,” she stammered. I picked myself off the ground and stepped over to offer a little support. “You know the old saying, right? Time heals all wounds. Maybe there’s a chance you can start over?” I pointed over toward the lone stallion, starting to shiver in the wind, waiting for some kind of acknowledgment. Adagio turned away. “This is all my fault,” Adagio said. “My pride led to this. I can never make up for it. That evil curse—my friends—my family—this never would have happened if I hadn’t lied to them.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “I was young, and stupid. I wanted to look like I was in charge, that I was always one hoof ahead of everypony else—a leader.” Adagio shook her head, a frozen tear trying to break free from the fur of her cheek. “I told them I had been with that stallion, but I hadn’t. He was always the perfect gentlecolt. I pushed him too far, and then I got mad when he wouldn’t play along. I loved him, but I don’t think he loved me back.” “And Discord took advantage of the situation,” Twilight added. “Did someone call for me?” In a puff of smoke, Discord himself materialized out of mountain-top-thin air. “Honestly, it’s so hard to avoid answering your calls when I don’t want to be found.” Twilight planted a hoof in her face. Adagio cowered away. I just shook my head. Discord lit up a smile. “Ohh, lovely! It appears you figured out your problems after all. Return all three gems, full of love, to their previous owners and the contract stands null and void. Check, check and check! No more windigos; no more sirens. Looks like my work here is done.” “What?” I shouted. “You haven’t done anything!” “Au contraire, mon petit poney. I set the wheels in motion that led to the founding of Equestria. I helped forge an entire world where you spent a considerable amount of time exploring your human condition. I created all this chaos so that you could put it all back together and learn your important life lessons while exercising the all important ‘magic of friendship’.” He held up his claws to emphasize the last point. “Admit it, if it wasn’t for me, your lives would be boring.” Twilight heaved a long sigh, her breath instantly freezing in the air. “Discord, I’m too tired to argue about this. The least you could do right now is get us down off this mountain before we all freeze.” “Consider it a bonus present.” Discord snapped his claw. I drew in a warm breath, fresh from the fire of the tavern. Everyone crowded around the table, a little too close for comfort, but relieved to be out of the cold. Adagio’s former coltfriend, seated right next to her, leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I think we need to talk.” Being on the other side, I heard every word. Adagio blushed and shied away. “Yeah… I guess we should.” “A round of drinks, for my friends,” Discord said, giving a slanted eye toward Aria. He waved a claw and set down a jug of cider along with eight glasses on the table. “I’ll leave you all to celebrate. Wouldn’t want to spoil your fun.” With another wave of his arm and a trailing puff of smoke, he vanished. “Good riddance,” Aria said. I raised my glass. “I’ll drink to that.” The others joined in, and we drained our drinks together. The rest of the day passed in a blur. There were a lot of hugs and even more heart-felt ‘I’m sorry-ies’. We’d kept the damage to a minimum, and I was grateful for that. The train ride back to Ponyville was filled with introductions and life stories from a time before Twilight and I could even imagine. Before we packed up, Twilight made sure the town had a plan to fix the damage and properly celebrate their new hero. Trixie made some new friends and decided to stay in Rainbow Falls for a while, or at least until her head got too big for the quiet mountain village. She seemed to take her newly acquired fame in stride. George loved his new cave, complete with natural hot spring and expanded entertaining space in the back. Sonata left him the rest of her candy supply and promised to visit with Pinkie as soon as she could. I took a back seat to most everything wrapping up. I had no one to apologize to, no old friends to reconnect with, and no real issues I needed to resolve with Twilight. We agreed that she had done what she had to, even if it was stupid, and I agreed that I would remind her about it every chance I got. That’s what friends are for, after all. As for the windigos and the sirens, and even a certain she-demon, everypony agreed that we wouldn’t let the past define who we were. Everypony deserved a second chance, and a friend to help them up when they fell. Sitting on the train, I grew more excited with every passing mile. I couldn’t wait to see my mother, share with her all the things I had learned in our time apart. Finally, I felt like I had made up for all the trouble I had caused. As the train pulled into the station, I gazed up at the castle across town, eager to feel her hooves around me once again. Finally, I felt like I was home.