Domain of Friendship

by Cold Bolt

Epilogue

A pair of blue wings fluttered as Waterwing stretched.

Warm light from Celestia's sun streamed in through the window, warming her bed just enough to nudge her out of it. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a fetlock, she slowly approached the balcony door and pushed it open, the sounds of mid-morning Ponyville greeting her.

With a deep breath, she crouched and sprang into the air.

These morning flights were the perfect way to start the day. Nothing made her feel alive quite like the wind whipping past, lifting her wings and pulling at her mane as she flew. The friendly faces smiling and waving from below were just icing on the cake.

Even now, flying made her heart race as it had the day she first flapped her wings; it hadn't lost any of its magic over time. Inwardly, she wondered if it ever would. She certainly hoped not.

Satisfied after only a few minutes, she landed in front of the house and trotted inside to find Scarlet at the kitchen table. Her horn was glowing, its aura wrapped around the newspaper hovering in front of her. Her gaze locked with Waterwing's; with a soft smile, she cocked her head slightly in the direction of the counter. Eggs, oats, muffins, and juice waited upon it, all but begging to be eaten.

"Hey, you're up!"

Tank trotted in behind Waterwing. "Better hurry through breakfast - duty calls. Twilight says we need to catch the next train for a place called the 'Crystal Empire.' That mean anything to either of you?"

Scarlet shook her head. "No, not in the least. Waterwing?"

Waterwing shrugged, busying herself with loading food onto a plate.

"We need to be at the station in twenty minutes, but I didn't see any of the other girls packing, so it probably won't be a long trip." Tank followed Waterwing to the counter and plucked the last muffin; half of it disappeared in one bite. "Still, after that crazy wedding, I figure we'd better be prepared for anything."

"It seems safe to say that we ought to be regardless, given all that has transpired in our time here thus far," said Scarlet, folding her newspaper and setting it down before hopping out of her chair.

<I'll catch up in a sec when I'm done eating,> flapped Waterwing. <You two go on ahead and let everypony know we're coming!>

The pair nodded and rushed out the door.

Waterwing had to admit - of all the infinite possible worlds on which to be marooned this way, they'd ended up with one of the best. A part of her felt guilty for thinking that; she would likely always feel bad about not being able to tell her mom back home that she was thriving as a colorful pony in a world full of the same... but when your only regret is something that wasn't your fault anyway, you have a lot to be thankful for. She still had Scarlet and Tank, and now she had Twilight and the others as well - all the best friends anyone, or anypony, could ask for.

The moment she had finished wolfing down her food, she set her plate in the sink... and with a flurry of feathers, rushed out the door on another adventure.

Whatever awaited her out there in the Crystal Empire and beyond, Waterwing knew it was no match for the power of hope, courage, and love.

Author's Note:

I have far more to say about this story than will fit comfortably in an author's note, so click here!

Comments

[bonberjean]

sequel?

[Starlight Nova]

Will there be a sequel?

[Cold Bolt]

9147967
9148307
I'm glad there are people who liked it enough to want a sequel, but if I ever come back to this story, it'll be as a reimagining - same characters, different premise.

If you wanted to know more about my original plans for the story, check out the author's notes at the end of the last chapter!

[Samellan]

Yeah, certainly worth to explore more, either in this continuity or a different one.