//------------------------------// // Commend Thee to Thy Dearest Friends // Story: The Minuet // by Noble Phantasm //------------------------------// Chapter 14: Commend Thee to Thy Dearest Friends Remember all of the lights... Interlude Final: And the draconequus laughs no more. The aftermath of all the light and rumbling is a serenity that the two alicorn sisters have not felt or seen in a long time. It is like there was a noise, a noise so persistent and insidious that the ponies had gone numb to it, but it was always still there scratching at the back of their heads. Yet, now that it is gone, they feel a relief that they hadn’t realized they needed. Once again, the sun sat still in the sky, the breeze wafted instead of hurtling itself, and the cold checkerboard tile under their hooves was grass again. The small blue alicorn brushes her hoof through it, its blades ticklish and warm as she looks around with eyes that are still ready to call what they see an illusion. The older sister stands still, gazing up at a tall stone statue that now looms over them, casting a long thin shadow between them. “T-Tia…” the smaller alicorn breathes in disbelief. The two sisters turn to each and their eyes meet. “Luna, did we…” the alicorn trails off, raising a wing to look behind her. Her long pink flowing tail is back where it belongs. She turns back to her sister, awestruck as her sister’s face slowly works its way into a smile. “We…We did it Tia!” the little alicorn jumps at her sister, wrapping her hooves about her neck and doing a full twirl. The pink maned alicorn expects this to hurt, but it doesn’t. Her cuts are gone. The only thing she feels is her sister twirling onto her back and giving her a warm hug. The two sister’s faces are cheek to cheek as they look up at the stone statue before them, the perfect likeness of the draconequus that had made everypony’s lives miserable, until now. “Hah!” the smaller alicorn sticks out her tongue from atop her perch on her sister’s back. “Take that you worm!” the taller alicorn looks back at her and gasps. “Luna,” she says, seemingly disapproving. “What?” the smaller alicorn puffs her cheeks. “He deserved it.” “Which is why,” her sister explains, “you have to put much more effort into it than that.” The pink maned alicorn looks up at the draconequus’s statue and, “Pttthhhbbb!” spit jumps off her tongue as she taunts it unapologetically. “Oh, right,” her sister giggles and imitates the gesture, both of them giving as much grief to the pillar of stone as they can. “This might be a little weird sis…” the smaller alicorn says as she stops to think about what she’s doing. “Hm?” The pink maned alicorn looks over her shoulder at her sister. “What else are we supposed to do?” she asks, grinning. “We…we beat Discord!” “I can’t believe it either!” the smaller alicorn grins and hugs her sister around her neck again. “We did it! Minuette was actually right! Hey, Minuette!” the smaller alicorn looks around, calling for her friend, her vantage point seemingly better for spotting anything around them. But, when her eyes go searching for the familiar blue pony, they find nothing. Behind them is the Everfree forest and the grassy fields of Equestria stretch into the distance. “Minuette?” Luna says lightly. “Luna…” the older alicorn whispers to her younger sister and both of them look up. In a circle above them, the elements of harmony float gently down, the five other gems surrounding the element of magic. They stop and hover between the sisters and the statue of the draconequus. Minuette, however, is not with them. “Tia,” the smaller alicorn whispers in her sister’s ear. “Wasn’t the red one in Minuette’s necklace?” “It…was,” the older alicorn responds. It certainly had been, she thought. But it wasn’t now. The red element of harmony floated there with the others, gently circling the element of magic. “Then…” the smaller alicorn’s head darts around. “Then where’s Minuette?” The pony’s ears start to droop. But, they’re jarred by a sudden shriek, a gasp of horror and denial. “Nooooo!” a blur of pink zips past the two sisters and slams into the statue of the draconequus. But, it makes little impact. The body of the pony Screwball flops weightlessly to the ground, the gumball once full of chaos now curled like a cat at the draconequus’s feet. “What did they do to you daddy…” The pony starts to cry, turning angrily and glaring at the two alicorn sisters, the clearer sunlight reflecting off her tears. “What did you do!” “We beat him!” The smaller alicorn glares back. “That silly worm isn’t going to bother any ponies anymore.” “Liars!” Screwball screams. “Liar liar tails on fire!” “No.” The older alicorn looks down at Screwball. “We beat him with these.” The elements of harmony dart away from Screwball and twirl around the sisters, poised and ready to strike again. “The elements of harmony.” Screwball stops glaring, her face sinking to a pout as she bites her lip and looks down at her own hoof. The mare seems strangely frightened by it and turns back to the stone draconequus as if to plea for help. “No no no no…” she paws at the statue’s legs as if she could scratch the stone away with her hooves. She stops, looking around at the grass and the sky. “This wind is cold…” She sniffles and wipes her eyes. Looking back at the statue, she puts a hoof to one of its legs as small sparkles of light drift off her body and the grass below her becomes visible through it. “There was a crooked mare,” The pony starts, “and she walked a crooked mile…She…she found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile. She bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse and…and…” The pony wipes her eyes again and lets her hoof fall. “We never found our crooked little house.” And the mare fades, dissolved into the air. The two alicorn sisters remain quiet for a moment. “What was that about?” The smaller alicorn whispers. “I…” The older alicorn is unsure what to say. It was strange to see a pony that had been as cruel as Screwball display an emotion like sadness. Was that was it was, the alicorns wondered? Or was Screwball making one last show to simply mess with them? “That…” The older alicorn starts. “So…” she stops as a voice interrupts and the pink maned alicorn turns around with her sister in tow. Before them stands the gray unicorn, the fire and madness dissolved from his eyes as he limps toward them, his head low and his eyes gazing up resolutely. “They worked…” he says, gazing at the statue of the draconequus behind the two sisters. The pink maned alicorn looks back at the statue, head snapping back forward, glancing nervously at the elements of harmony. “Um…yes.” She says. She feels her sister slip off her back, the smaller alicorn planting her feet firmly on the ground, stepping in front of her sister, and spreading her wings. “Where is Minuette?” The unicorn asks, his tone flat. “We…We don’t know…” The smaller alicorn’s posture slouches, her ears drooping as she remembers what she had been looking for. The unicorn’s eyes seem to glaze over as he gazes listlessly at the ground. “So be it…” he says, and he turns his back on the two sisters, walking back toward the Everfree. “Sombra wait,” The pink maned alicorn says, stepping past her sister. The unicorn stops, but does not turn to face her. “Aren’t you happy? We finally beat Discord. Isn’t that…what you wanted? Your magical research is part of what got us here. You know that right?” The unicorn hangs his head. “There is nothing to celebrate in death…” he says. “I will be gathering my things from the castle…and then I will be returning to the Crystal Empire.” And the unicorn continues his limp walk back into the Everfree. “Som…mm…” The pink maned alicorn starts, but stops, lowering her head and looking at her sister. “We…we won, right, sis?” The smaller alicorn asks. “Yes,” her sister responds. “Everypony’s been through a lot though.” “Will he get better?” The smaller alicorn looks off toward the unicorn fading into the forest. “Sure,” The older alicorn smiles down at her sister. “We’ll help him out.” “What about Minuette… I’ll miss her.” “Oh Luna,” The alicorn smirks. “Your friendship is showing.” The smaller alicorn puffs her cheeks angrily. “Wh- I” she squirms. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m fine! Cause…cause we totally found out where she came from!” “I’m sure we’ll see her again one day Luna…” “Yeah…” The two alicorn sisters look back at the statue of the draconequus, the monument of their victory. The elements of harmony hover around them and fields of Equestria span out before them, their hope for a better future… Interlude End. Thud. The feeling of flying suddenly stopped. “Ow…” Were the elements of harmony always so rough, Colgate thought? How many times had Twilight and her friends been dropped by these things? Colgate stood up, aching from the landing, and opening eyes her to nothing. She thought she was simply disoriented, and so she shook her head and blinked, trying to get the mistiness out of her eyes. But, her eyes were fine. This was a familiar blankness. It was that room again, that cold, white, endless room. “Celestia? Luna?” Colgate called into the void. Nothing but an echo is her response. Where were they? Where was the Everfree and the fields of Equestria she should have been able to see freed from Discord? Where was his fresh stone form for her to make fun of that would eventually be part of Canterlot garden tours? This wasn’t the Timescape. This was where she had started this whole mess and after which she had landed in the caves. “No…” Colgate breathed and looked around. Had the elements of harmony already taken her back? Could they do that? Colgate may have known about the ponies that used the elements to keep Equestria safe and how they had been used to defeat Discord, but everypony knew those stories. She hardly understood what the elements were or of what they were actually capable. “I guess I don’t get to say goodbye, huh?” Colgate said her thoughts out loud. Then again, perhaps what she had done had been the best goodbye she could offer. With everything she had done, removing herself from the picture as soon as possible was probably for the better. Now that the elements of harmony were back with Luna and Celestia and Discord was defeated, her disappearance gave her no opportunities to screw anything else up after the fact. But then, how did she get out of here? She hadn’t exactly been in control of her magic last time this had happened and she didn’t remember what had gotten her out last time. Perhaps if- In a split second, her question was answered. Colgate had taken one step forward and it seemed that the click of her hoof had made her surroundings crack. The white room shattered like glass, replaced abruptly with streams of real sunlight that came in through tall windows and the feel of soft carpet under Colgate’s feet. It was a long red stream of fabric she stood on and a tall ceiling arched over her, its pale violet walls illuminated by the sparkling light that filtered in through elaborate stain glass windows. Colgate’s gaze was drawn forward to the center of the room, the glittering golden throne glittering over her, the span of a pair of gentle white wings sitting it in. The mare wore a rather surprised look on her face and Colgate suddenly found the points of two shining spears directed at her. Two royal guards had bolted forward, but Colgate was speechless. Was she really where she thought she was? The expression of the mare on the throne softened, her surprise melting away. “Hello, Minuette,” Celestia said. “C-Celestia- I…” Was this it, Colgate thought? Was she really back? This Celestia certainly looked like the one she was used to seeing as one of the princesses of Equestria. Her mane had its flowing colors back and she wore her shimmering gold crown and royal ornaments. It was almost strange to think that this royal alicorn and the pink and white pony she had met in the past were the same pony. “Stand back,” one of the royal guards barked, nudging his spear at Colgate as a warning. She instinctively shrunk back, realizing that, to them, she must have appeared out of nowhere. “It’s okay you two,” Celestia said. “It doesn’t look like Minuette meant to end up here.” “You know this pony?” The second guard asked, keeping his spear raised. “She’s Ponyville’s dentist,” Celestia said. “I offered for her to join my school once, but she was more interested in other things.” Celestia laughed, revealing pearly white teeth. How did she keep them so clean after so long, Colgate wondered? Was it an alicorn thing? It had been a long time hadn’t it, Colgate realized. She had gone so far into the past. Did Celestia actually remember her? Everything she had said so far indicated that perhaps her memory had been filled with many other things. “Another magical mishap?” Celestia asked, as the guards lowered their spears and took a step back. “Uh…” Colgate’s mouth hung open for a moment, partially stunned and at a loss. “R-right. I uh…a mishap.” The word seemed too unfitting for what had actually happened. To call what had happened to her required a word far stronger than mishap. But then, to try and explain everything…Colgate couldn’t even begin. “You know,” Celestia said, “there are plenty of ponies that could teach you a thing or two to help you.” “Oh,” Colgate laughed nervously. “You kind of already di- I… well, never mind. That’s okay.” Celestia gave an amused giggle, making Colgate feel a bit embarrassed. “Well, my offer still stands,” Celestia said “So, how are your friends? They might be worried about you if you just vanished on them.” “My friends?” Colgate echoed. “Well uh…” She stopped. Her eyes widened and her ears drooped in horror. “My friends…” Colgate breathed. She looked around the room in a panic. Canterlot was so far from Ponyville. Then again, what little she had learned about her own magic might be enough to at least get her that far faster. “Celestia I… I have to go.” “Oh?” The alicorn looked at her, her brow furrowing with worry and confusion. “What’s wrong?” “I can’t explain,” Colgate said. “No time.” She must have sounded ridiculous, but Colgate frantically readied her spell, her horn glowing with an intense cerulean glow that the Canterlot guards turned their heads away from as they squinted against it. With a harsh pop and a fizzle like a firecracker, Minuette was gone. Celestia stared at the slightly singed spot on the band of red carpet that led up to her throne. “Huh,” she said, “she is getting better with it.” Presently, a pair of hooves clicked their way out from behind the throne, reviewing the empty throne room with a pair of deep blue and analytical eyes. “You really think that she might actually be the same pony?” Luna asked, looking to Celestia. The alicorn smiled softly. “I think we just got our answer.” Colgate reappeared in front of her own home. This was Ponyville; she really was back. The familiar streets, faces and buildings seemed almost bizarre to see now. Even so, the sight was wonderfully inviting. The smell of cake batter drifting from Sugarcube corner, the quiet patter of a pony’s cart somewhere down the streets, the dusty road under her hooves, and the old familiar cottages in her neighborhood all had seemed like a places she might never come back to. Yet, here she was, Ponyville. But now wasn’t the time for nostalgia. Colgate could catch up with her house later. She had a pony to find. “Berry Punch!” Colgate called into the streets. It was silly. All it got her was weird looks from ponies passing by and a few other looks that seemed confused as they looked at her. “Colgate!” came a distant call. Colgate perked up, her eyes darting around to find the source. It was somepony she knew and it had been so long since she had been referred to by her nickname. One pony came galloping down the dirt road toward her. It was Lyra, Bon Bon following sluggishly in her wake. “Colgate,” Lyra said excitedly as she approached. “It’s really you!” “Y…yeah,” Colgate hesitated. “Why?” “Nopony’s seen you in days,” Lyra said, her head tilting in confusion. “What happened to you? Where did you go?” Days, Colgate thought, odd. She still really didn’t understand how all of her time magic had worked. She figured it might bring her back to shortly after she left or something. “I…had a problem with my magic,” Colgate said, twirling a hoof about in the dirt. She didn’t want to lie to her friends, but an explanation was near useless and would take too long. “Colgate,” Lyra seemed to plead with her. “If this is about the tree you burnt up, no pony blames you. We don’t want you to run away just because of your magic.” “Uh…Thanks…” Colgate said. It was very sweet of Lyra, but Colgate hardly cared about the tree she had burned down at this point. The fire had been put out, and Colgate was confident now that it wouldn’t happen again. “Colgate?” A sleepy looking Bon Bon finally caught up with her friend. “Is that really you?” “Tell her, Bon Bon,” Lyra said. “Tell her she doesn’t need to feel like she has to run away from home!” Bon Bon looked at Lyra groggily and then at Colgate, unsure. “I…yeah,” Bon Bon said, rubbing her watering eyes. “What she said.” “Bon Bon…” Lyra said with exasperation. “You look exhausted,” Colgate said. “What’s up?” “She’s been like this since you up and went poof,” Lyra exclaimed. “I can barely get her to walk with me.” “I don’t know what’s been wrong with me,” Bon Bon yawned. “Making punch with Berry Punch shouldn’t be this tiring. Is this what getting old is?” “You’re not old Bon Bon!” Lyra put her eyes to her friend’s and shook her a little, the tired Bon Bon flopping lifelessly with the motion. “Berry Punch?” Colgate perked up. “You’ve seen her?” She looked at the two eagerly. Bon Bon was nearly falling asleep against Lyra and Lyra looked at Colgate wide eyed like she had said something that made her seem insane. “Well…Bon Bon was supposed to meet her around here to make more crystal berry punch,” Lyra explained. “I decided to help this time since…” She paused, looking at Bon Bon and putting a hoof around her. “This one won’t stay awake!” She shouted. “Gh!” Bon Bon jolted upright, kicking away from Lyra. “Mmmm,” she rubbed her ear and glared at Lyra, her eyes still watering with exhaustion. Her posture quickly wilted and she gave a heavy sigh. “Hey you two,” a voice came from behind the pair. The two of them turned, Lyra flipping around while Bon Bon sadly dragged her hooves. “Oh,” Lyra grinned. “Hey Berry Punch. Look who we found!” Lyra hopped, turning to Colgate and raising a hoof as if presenting a prize. I should be happy, Colgate thought. But something was wrong. The sight of Berry Punch standing there didn’t set her off, but made her take a step back. She could see it in the pony’s eyes. Berry Punch’s expression had betrayed a slight sense of fear, like the initial sight of Colgate had made the mare’s heart jump a little. Colgate narrowed her eyes at the mare, remembering the scene from her vision that Axis had shown her. “Hey, Minuette,” The mare smiled. “Where have you been?” Colgate frowned, making Lyra tilt her head at her with an expression that seemed to ask, “What?” her eyebrows upturned. Colgate glanced at Bon Bon; the pony was almost asleep again at this point. “Who did you say was helping Berry Punch make punch this week, Lyra?” Colgate asked, keeping her eye on Berry Punch. “Uh…” Lyra looked back and forth between Berry Punch and Colgate. “Bon Bon…was…” she responded slowly. Colgate’s sour expression had warped into a threatening stare, a small spark jumping from her horn. “Right,” Colgate said, her unhappy gaze burning into its target. Berry Punch was having a harder and harder time keeping her happy expression on the longer she was subjected to it. “You okay, Minuette?” Berry Punch asked, her smile nervous as her eyes darted around, glancing at the nearby houses. “Is my friend okay?” Colgate asked, small strands of hair in her mane standing on end from the static on her horn. “What?” Berry Punch’s smile vanished, and she stepped back, on edge and looking confused. In a split second, a bolt of cerulean magic beamed from Colgate’s horn between Lyra and Bon Bon and striking Berry Punch in the face. The mare was sent tumbling backward, her body cracking as she slammed to her back into the dirt road. “Colgate, what are you doing!” Lyra shouted. The unicorn moved to stop her, but Colgate was already gone. She vanished from her place and reappeared over Berry Punch, anger visible in her eyes as the bright blue glow of her horn reflected off them. “Where is she!” Colgate screamed. “What are you talking about?” Berry Punch flailed. “Minuette, it’s me!” “You’re lying!” Colgate snapped back, using her magic to pin the pony to the ground. “Colgate, stop!” Colgate heard Lyra come galloping toward her. “This isn’t Berry Punch!” Colgate slammed her hoof into the ground next to the pony’s head. A wave of dust stopped Lyra in her tracks as she backed away from sharp jolts of blue lightning that jumped from the grains of sand. “Colgate…” Lyra looked at the pony as if she were witnessing one of her friends turning on them, a fear in her eyes like she was actually watching herself be betrayed. “Why do you think Bon Bon’s been so tired since I vanished?” She glared back at Lyra as she stood over Berry Punch like a mad mare. “Because I know who was there when I vanished. Isn’t that right, changeling?” Berry Punch looked up at Colgate fearfully straining as she tried to use her legs to squirm away. “Minuette…” Berry Punch seemed to sob. “What happened to you?” “Fine…” Colgate frowned. She stepped away from Berry Punch and slowly levitated the mare into air in front of her, her limbs still restrained. “I guess I’ll give you one more chance.” There were several moments of silence in which Berry Punch had no answer and Lyra remained in stunned silence. “Colgate, please…we-” Lyra stopped as Colgate screamed. “Where is my friend!” A flurry of cerulean bolts seared from Colgate’s horn and into Berry Punch’s body. The mare flailed in pain, screaming as the magic snapped against her, making a volley of bangs like a firework show. The entire area was coated in the deep blue glow of flashing light. “Where! Is! Sheeeeeee!!” Colgate yelled with enough volume to barely be heard over her stream of violent magic. “Stop!” Colgate’s balance was suddenly thrown off as she was tackled from behind. The two ponies flopped to the ground as Colgate’s magic gave one last harsh snap, sending its victim flopping limply into the ground hard enough to leave a dent. The dust settled around the now jet black figure, its body trembling in pain as Colgate forced Lyra off her, the mare grabbing for her leg as Colgate stepped forward. “Colgate wai-” She stopped, seeing the aftermath in the clearer light. “Wh…what?” Several doors in and down the street opened, heads peeking out to see the commotion, others still hiding and watching furtively and fearfully from their window panes. “There,” Colgate said, standing up firmly. “Now everypony can see what you are. Now, where is my friend!” At first, the changeling didn’t answer, his body still shaking as he tried to stand. Impatient, Colgate glared at him, her horn giving off a few jolts as she readied herself. “Stop, stop,” the changeling wheezed. “The attic. She’s in the attic of her house.” the changeling flopped back to the ground, descending into a fit of coughing. Colgate turned quickly, finding Lyra standing there and staring at her. “Wh…” her eyes darted between Colgate’s, searching them. “Where did you learn to use magic like that?” “Sorry, Lyra,” Colgate lowered her head. “I had to.” The shame didn’t last long. She perked back up, resuming her determined look and darting for Berry Punch’s house. It was the one right across from hers. It was only a few houses from where they were. “And tell that changeling to get out of here!” Colgate called as she went. Lyra looked at the bug-like creature as it got painfully to its hooves and began hobbling its way down the road. “You heard her!” Lyra called after it. The changeling glared back wearily, continuing its pained hobble as it went. “I’m going…” It wheezed. “Don’t worry about me.” “Man…” came a voice, a pony’s head slumping to Lyra’s shoulder. “I really wish I had been more awake for all of that.” “Oh Bon Bon…” Lyra said, massaging the pony’s neck with a hoof. “At least we know why you’ve been so tired.” “Mrrrgh…” Bon Bon slumped to the ground content to nap on the spot. As Colgate got to Berry Punch’s house she practically rammed the door, forcing the wooden slab open as she charged through the mare’s kitchen. Prattling her way up the stairs, she made it to the second floor, searching frantically for a way into the attic. Her search was far from thorough. After not seeing one in the main hall or in Berry Punch’s bedroom, Colgate was already starting to panic. Her eyes darted around the ceiling of Berry’s room, but there was nothing. “Fine then,” Colgate said to herself, making her decision. She stopped, bending her knees and poising herself like a cat about to pounce and looked up. With a short pop, Colgate launched herself at the ceiling with her magic. Forming a shield, she crashed through the wooden ceiling, feeling the rush of the heavy, warm air in the space above. She felt the hay of the thatched roof scratch against her fur as she hit the arch of her jump and landed firmly on the floor. Moving at a thousand miles an hour her eyes scanned the room as quickly as they could. She could feel the beat of her heart patter in her throat, her nerves jumping in every direction. And she stopped, letting out a gasp. It was the same. Why did it have to be the same? “Berry Punch!” Colgate shouted, and frantically leapt to her friend’s aid. The mare was tied up, a cloth gag in her mouth and ropes tying her front hooves behind her back, her back legs together and another rope around her neck, tied to a support beam on the back wall under the peak of the roof. She was curled up in a ball and facing the wall, making no move when Colgate yelled her name. Colgate quickly lay next to her friend and used her magic to cut the ropes, untying the one around her neck and tossing it to the side. Finally, she removed the cloth in Berry Punch’s mouth, turning the mare over to face her. Colgate breathed a short sigh of relief. Berry was still breathing. And, when Colgate lifted her up, cradling the grown mare like a baby, one hoof around her back and the other behind her head, Berry’s eyes made a slight effort to open. Colgate ground her teeth nervously. Something so simple shouldn’t look so hard to do. “Berry?” Colgate said. “Berry Punch, can you hear me?” Suddenly the mare gave a pair of dry, heaving coughs, curling up and looking up with half open, glazed eyes. “C-” She coughed. “Colgate?” “Oh, thank Celestia,” Colgate’s eyes started to water. “You’re alive!” “Th- there was-” Berry Punch stopped, coughing again. “Shh…” Colgate hushed her. “I know. There was a changeling. I took care of him.” “Was…all that commotion outside…you?” It looked like Berry Punch tried to smile, but didn’t have the energy for it. “Heh,” Colgate smiled through her tears. “You heard that?” “It was pretty loud…I” Berry Punch started coughing again, this time a bit more violently and more like her body was trying to puke but didn’t have anything left to give. “Shh…” Colgate wiped her eyes. “Right. What am I doing?” She sniffled and tried to compose herself. “Come on, let’s get you downstairs.” Colgate focused, her horn lighting up as she hugged her friend closer, telling herself it helped with teleportation. With a little build up, there was a bright snap of blue light and they were in Berry Punch’s kitchen. “What?” Berry Punch rasped as Colgate set her to floor. “Where did you learn how to-” Her sentence was stopped again by her coughing. Colgate didn’t answer her, but frantically pulled a cup from Berry Punch’s cabinets, her eyes locking on the empty double sink, an area that was abnormally free of fruit stained clutter. Among other things, it seemed that the changeling had also been far too tidy to be Berry Punch. Colgate remembered having to help clean the area several times and even then it was never as clear as it was now. Colgate quickly slapped the cold water handle and filled the cup she had grabbed up with water. Levitating the glass with her magic, she knelt down to Berry Punch, lifting her friend and attempting to get her to sit up. “Come on,” Colgate coaxed her. “Up you go.” “You know,” Berry Punch said, giving a few heaves as Colgate sat her up and leaned her against the cabinets behind her. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to find me…” “I had a few problems,” Colgate smiled, simply enjoying hearing her friend talk to her again. “Here. Drink.” Colgate put her hoof behind her friends back, supporting her and helping to prop her up as she levitated the glass of water up to the mare’s lips. Colgate managed to get Berry Punch to take one gentle sip. She would have liked to slowly nurse her friend back to health, but Berry punch yanked the glass out of the air and slogged it down in two gulps. “Whoa, whoa,” Colgate pulled the glass away, but it was already empty. “Slowly!” “Are you kidding?” Berry Punch said. “Where…” She coughed, wiggling her hoof as if she were trying to reach for something. “Hey,” Colgate caught her friend as she flopped forward ready to smack her face into her own floor. “What are-” Colgate stopped, hearing two thumps behind her as Berry Punch kicked one of her cabinet her with her hind leg. Colgate pulled it open with her magic, sitting Berry Punch back as a few plastic containers toppled out and a wooden bucket rolled onto the floor. “T-there,” Berry Punch heaved again, the mare making an uncomfortable jolt in Colgate’s hooves. The feeling made her uneasy and Colgate was one fainting spell away from having a panic attack. “Fill that,” Berry Punch said. “Uhhhh…” Looking at the bucket, Colgate didn’t think it was a good idea. It wasn’t quite as big as the one that still teetered on Ponyville’s old well, but it held much more than the cup. But, she levitated the bucket up to the counter and into the sink. She turned the handle with her magic listening to it as she kept her eyes on Berry Punch. Colgate clenched her teeth with impatience as she listened to the sound of the water, the sound of Berry Punch’s wheezy breaths seeming somehow much louder. Full or not, Colgate yanked the bucket from its place, water sloshing down the side of the counter as she banged the bottom of the bucket against the sink. Colgate breathed in through her nose and sighed, carefully lifting the bucket just a little higher. She raised it over them and set it gently next to her friend. With that, Berry Punch flopped in front of it and put her muzzle into the water, taking two huge gulps and coming up gasping. “Take it easy Berry,” Colgate laughed, looking at Berry’s drenched face as water dripped from her chin. “I’ve had hangovers worse than this,” Berry Punch said proudly, smirking. She immediately lost the confident expression as she heaved and flopped to her side into a fit of coughing. “Oh…” Berry Punch writhed. “Oh Celestia…” “Are you okay?” Colgate started to panic, looking around the room for the fastest exit path in case she had to rush Berry to a hospital. But she stopped. Berry Punch let out a loud belch and her body relaxed. Colgate frowned, reaching under Berry Punch and lifting her up and putting her in her lap. Levitating the bucket of water, she put it up to Berry Punch and put a hoof behind the mare’s head. “Really?” Colgate raised her eyebrow at Berry Punch and smiled. Berry Punch didn’t respond, her eyes seeming to flick around in thought. “How’d you know where to find me anyway?” she asked. Colgate gave a slight chuckle, recalling how ridiculously serious she must have seemed. “I asked your friend the changeling,” Colgate said. “How’d you know it wasn’t me?” Berry Punch asked, her question not hostile, but graced with knowledge that Colgate had somehow actually known. “You never call me Minuette unless you’re mad at me or worried or something,” Colgate said and then gave a smirk. “You’d also probably react a little less calmly to seeing me again if I’d been gone for several days.” “You’re right,” Berry Punch smiled. “I’d probably get super overprotective or something.” “What?” Colgate rolled her eyes. “No…” Colgate paused, eying her friend’s condition. “Doing better?” she asked. “What?” Berry Punch said. “You think I’m…” a cough, “going to let some changeling get the best of me? I’m too strong for that.” She coughed again, leaning forward and taking another large drink of water. She slouched to the side as she gulped it down, resting her head on Colgate’s chest. “Thanks, Colgate,” She said, closing her eyes. She had no idea, Colgate thought. Colgate was simply glad to finally be back, for her friend to be alive. But Berry Punch had been pretty strong for what she had probably gone through as well. Colgate couldn’t imagine going without food or water for as long as Berry Punch had. And the crazy mare still had the energy to be snarky. Colgate smiled, feeling the warmth of Berry’s head against her fur, her breathing already starting to get clearer. It was going to be okay. She had broken things along the way, and done things she probably wouldn’t be proud to say later on. But she was here. She had been strong and so had Berry Punch. Her, Berry, Luna Celestia, Ruya, they had all done their best. Minuette had seen some crazy things. From the chaotic Discord ruled Equestria to the master of time, it was a lot to take in. But here she was, finally fixing the last thing on the checklist of things that she screwed up. I didn’t do it as well I could have, did I, Colgate thought. But she was still here where she wanted to be. Was that what being strong was? Maybe. Yeah…I guess it’s one way. Wind in the rain, we wish only to be strong. Fin End notes: Well… I finally finished this! There were points where I didn’t think I ever would. A lot got in the way of this. If you made it all the way to the end, then you’re awesome for reading this whole thing. It was an ordeal. So if you liked it feel free to tell me what you thought in, like, the comments or something. It’s not the best thing in the world, but hey, it’s there. Also, perhaps if you are suspicious, when I started this story it was originally planned to have a sequel. We’ll see about that. I guess it depends on how things go. But this story itself is finally complete. That’s really half the battle.