//------------------------------//
// Aftermath Part I 
// Story: Anim's Adventures in Equestria 
// by Animatorsnake 
//------------------------------//

	Three weeks… it’s been three weeks since Mina left with the void crystal. It’s also been three weeks since… Anim passed away. Nopony knows what happened, but since nopony knew Anim’s existence with only certain ponies that knew Anim personally, or were told after the incident that happened in Ponyville. Princess Celestia has made a speech after the incident at Canterlot, she told everypony that the incident was resolved by an unknown source, of course keeping the identity of this pony hidden was important… if somepony or somebody knew the existence of somepony this powerful existed… it would cause a lot of trouble. Afterwards the announcement, a few couple of days ago, a memorial was being made in Princess Celestia garden, specific ponies were invited to this event… this included, Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo, Fluttershy, Applebloom and her family, Rarity and her sister Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, Discord, Derpy, Doctor Whooves, Trixie… and finally myself. Princess Luna was of course there, and a number of other ponies that I didn’t recognize, I also remember my brother Shining Armor, and his wife Cadence being there, as well as my parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Since my friends and I were closest to being Anim’s friends, we each had something to say about him and so on.

Two days after the incident at Ponyville, 1500hours, Canterlot, Canterlot Castle Garden

“If Twilight and her friends like to say a few words,” said Celestia.

We stepped a podium, each of us taking turns to what we should say. Applejack started first, with the rest of us following behind. “Anim was somepony who was honest, and cared deeply for his friends and those he considered family… he’ll be missed,” said Applejack, tipping her hat.

Applejack let Rainbow to speak next; even though she said nothing for a few moments… she coughed and spoke. “I… don’t have much to say but… Anim was…” said Rainbow, sighing. “He was somepony you could depend on when you’re in trouble. His watched mine and my friends back… we try so hard to return to favor but… his been so loyal and generous to us in the end… I just wished I could do more for him.”

Rainbow wiped a tear and stepped off the podium, joining AJ. Afterwards was Rarity and Pinkie, who both were crying… well Pinkie was overdoing it but she’s being Pinkie. “Anim was a very dear friend to us all… he was somepony that would drop everything to help a friend or anypony in need… his most generous pony I’ve ever met,” said Rarity, blowing on a hanky.

“I’m sad that I never made a goodbye party for him,” said Pinkie, bawling.

After Rarity got Pinkie from off the podium, Fluttershy was next. “Anim was a kind pony and friend; he helped all of us when we were in need. He didn’t ask for anything in return, and a friend I’ll miss dearly,” said Fluttershy.

Fluttershy wiped a tear shortly after, and head down to meet with everypony else. After that was my turn, I had a lot to say that day… and I regret every minute for not telling anypony… or even Anim. “Anim has been somepony close to my heart, both being a friend and even maybe family. He was somepony I could relate to, like me… he had an interest to books, history, and magic. In my life I never met anypony like him, who had a deep care to both his friends and everypony. I always believed that everypony deserves a second chance… and I wished that Anim would have been given one… he’ll always be in our memories,” I said.

After that, a small statue was placed on top of a shrine. The statue was Anim’s cutie mark, a large A with an S that looks like a snake, with a pen going through between. A few flowers were placed by different ponies, with me and my friends being last. We then all went inside, but I stayed sitting in front of the memorial, and I heard a faint noise… when I looked behind me it was Princess Celestia. “He was indeed a unique pony… wasn’t he,” said Celestia.

I nod, staring back at the small statue. Celestia sits beside me, not making eye contact but continuing to speak. “I’ve seen friends past and go… many sacrificed themselves for my own safety… others go down the wrong path. I can’t say that your decision to do nothing wasn’t the wrong one… sometimes even somepony as powerful as me can’t stop destiny. Anim is older than any being I’ve met or seen… he knew the risks, so don’t blame you’re self over his passing,” said Celestia.

“Then why did had to be like this?” I asked. “We could of find another way… there’s always another way.”

“Maybe there was another way… and maybe Anim knew it wouldn’t be enough. All livings things have one life… Anim has more lives than the one he lived before… he seen things that are unimaginable to the average pony. Think that to live through another’s eyes… and be destined to fail in the end… an endless cycle of death and despair… over, and over, and over… and over,” said Celestia. “So how do you end something like that? You do something impossible… that impossibility was Anim… he gave his life so he can end that cycle… at the risk of losing his own life in the process.”

Celestia’s words phased pass me, even though I could hear her they simply move pass me… not reacting with a single feeling… but slowly I could hear her words. At first it slowly began to come to me… and I placed my head on her torso… sobbing. I kept all of these emotions inside me that maybe Anim is still out there… that maybe I could see him one last time. “Bu-but… the hero… is supposed to w-w-win… succeed… r-r-right?” I said, sobbing more loudly.

“Yes… but not all heroes live… soon, even they must make a decision… do the ultimate sacrifice,” said Celestia, comforting me.

After what felt like forever, I found myself in a train heading back to Ponyville. Inside the train were my friends, and my family. I tried remembering what happened, and I remembered… after I talked with Celestia, I said my goodbyes to everypony, where everypony left. My friends and family, and I left on the train back to Ponyville. While we left, Celestia, and Luna said their farewells to us as we left the station. My head was still dizzy from crying… I moan quietly shifting my weight against the window… beside me was Spike who was asleep. I smile, but only to frown as I let him leaned on, both sleeping together in the train.

1700hours, Ponyville, Ponyville Train Station

As we all got off the train, my family said their farewells waiting for the train to leave for their stop. “You’ll be alright… right Twily?” asked Shining Armor, worringly.

“She’ll be fine Shining,” said Cadence. “Now you take care okay Twilight… don’t stay up late, and resting up for a while… okay.”

“I will…” I said.

“Oh Twilight, don’t worry… you send us a letter if anything is bothering you, okay,” said Twilight Velvet.

“You take care of yourself, remember… we love you,” said Night Light.

“I love you too,” I said, reaching for a hug.

I hugged my family, saying my goodbyes. A few toots from the train is heard, signaling the departure of the train. Watching my family board the train and leave, I wave goodbye. “Remember, send us a letter if you’re not feeling well!” shouted Twilight Velvet.

“I WILL!” I shout back.

Slowly watching the train leave every passing minute, I trot with my friends. After what happened two days ago, much of Ponyville was under repair. With the help of some of the Royal Guard and Wonderbolts help move debris, many shops had to be closed off. Fluttershy is helping out with giving refreshments to everypony. Many of Applejack’s cousins and relatives came to Ponyville to help out too. Pinkie and Rarity are postponing any orders that need to be done to help out too, with Pinkie putting everyponies spirits up, and Rarity to make blankets to warm everypony when it gets dark. Rainbow with the help of the weather team ponies are helping too by, moving any clouds so the ponies on the ground have more light to see through all the dust from all the debris. Spike and I are helping out by moving stones and clearing the path so others can move to one place to another. Afterwards we take a short break; to relax from today’s clean up. “It’s been two days, and we barely got any of the debris cleared from Ponyville,” said Rainbow.

“Well a lot of things happened two days ago. We weren’t the only town that had problems when that massive meteorite was floating above Ponyville,” said Applejack, taking sip of some tea.

While Ponyville was having its own crisis, the rest of Equestria was under peril too. Floating shards of the meteorite caused many buildings and areas to be destroyed or disoriented. Not to mention that many ponies got injured in the process… luckily nothing severe has come up. “Well, we’re doing what we can… we can’t rush these kinds of things,” said Rarity. “Even though I have a lot of orders to be due soon, my clients must understand what’s going on.”

“Many of my animals’ homes were destroyed in the process, so they have nowhere to stay… I hope something like this never happens again,” said Fluttershy, worried.

“Yeah, Sugarcube Corner took a beating from all that falling rocks. One rock nearly crushed Gummy,” said Pinkie.

Many of my friends were worried and were in distress. After all that’s happened it’s not surprising for them to react this way… but I knew I had to do something… so I began to think. “You know… Anim would of laughed this off, and make some kind of pun out of this situation,” I said.

“Like what Twi?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know… maybe something like, ‘Well wasn’t this a rocky situation we gotten ourselves in’,” I said, giggling.

Everypony else began to laugh, and were back to their usual spirits. “Thanks Twi, we needed that,” said Rainbow, wiping a tear.

“Yeah… that’s sounds something Anim would say,” said Pinkie, laughing.

“Indeed… he was always the one to keep any situation, interesting’” said Rarity, smiling.

Everypony slowly frowned from remembering Anim… silently staring toward the ground. That was when Spike took everyponies attention. “Not to bother you girls, but break time is over,” said Spike, rubbing his head.

Once everypony got back to their senses, they went back to cleaning up Ponyville… I was going to head back to help… when I heard a familiar voice. “Twilight… Sparkle.”

I turned around, and it was Trixie… she was standing there staring at me, where she motions her head. “Trixie wishes to speak to you… in private,” said Trixie.

Unsure whether to follow or not, I decide to go with Trixie, telling Spike that’ll be right back. “Spike… I need to do something, I’ll be right back,” I said.

Spike nods, and goes back to help everypony else. Following Trixie, we end up at the cliff that Anim goes to. Near the edge between to trees… is the wooden cross that Anim made. On it were the same markings that Anim put… but on it were some new markings, which said, “Here lies a friend, who will never be forgotten”, Trixie stared at the cross then at the distance. “Trixie misses him… you too don’t you,” said Trixie.

“I-I… I do but…” I said, stuttering.

“Trixie knows you don’t want to remember what has happened to Anim… but he is somepony special… to both of us… so… remember him for now but what he was before,” said Trixie, closing her eyes. “Trixie comes here to reminiscence about Anim… the scenery helps.”

I watch Trixie think of what memories she has with Anim. After watching… I decide to sit down, staring toward the sun setting. I close my eyes, and too reminiscence the many memories I had with Anim… from when I first met him, to his birthday, to my birthday, to Hearth’s Warming and New Year’s Eve… I remember the many times we laughed, smiled, cried… together. Slowing having a flood of memories overwhelm… I can imagine Anim standing in front of me… smiling. “No matter what… I will always remember you,” I thought, a tear falling down my cheek.