Glitched Stitches

by Quillamore

Epilogue: Remember Me

Miss Pommel stepped out of the Motherboard elevator with an acute, yet blurred understanding of where she was. Everypony she’d ever met, and even some she never had, stood in front of her as Equestria dissolved into a stream of pixels, yet she could sense another feeling of familiarity to the situation.

For as long as she could remember--Miss had been just that--Miss. Anypony else who asked for a different name never got it, because there was something blocking out the pony she used to be. Every once in a while, when the creators weren’t looking, she’d try to search for that old self, but it stayed lodged in the furthest corners of her memories, like a single twig trapped in between branches. They’d said it’d been part of the cure for the glitch she didn’t even remember, but she thought otherwise.

Even without her memories, she’d always considered herself to be a bit of a rebel. Maybe it was a trace of the glitch she’d lost, maybe it wasn’t, but she still held onto it as tightly as she could. Otherwise, she was nothing more than a clump of code, and some whisper of the past told her that was the last thing she wanted to be.

As Miss found her way across the Motherboard, she noticed the former Equestrians congregating together, still in their creator-programmed groups even though there was no one around to watch them anymore. Even Miss was tempted to move towards them, towards Rarity and all the other friends she’d made in her other world, but an indecipherable feeling stopped her. Just as she was about to move towards them, her hoof went to the back of her head instead.

There’s nothing there, Miss told herself. There should be something there.

Another vague image appeared from her past--a red flower--and faded just as soon as it came. But if there was one thing Miss knew, it was that memories from the Motherboard didn’t come back...right?

Just when she was about to trot towards the only ponies she recognized, a tiny brown filly crossed her path, her green eyes glowing with recognition. Recognition that Miss didn’t have.

“You came back!” the filly cried, wrapping her hooves around the older pony’s waist. “Lightning didn’t think you would, but I knew they wouldn’t let you leave us behind. Wait until you see what we’ve--”

A blank look crossed Miss’s eyes as she attempted to process everything that was going on. This foal certainly wasn’t anypony she’d ever interacted with in the simulation, and that was all she remembered. All that mattered.

“I’m sorry,” she said awkwardly, “but I’ve never seen you before in my life. I don’t know you. You must be thinking of somepony else.”

Even though Miss tried to let the filly down as gently as possible, the little thing still backed away in clear panic. She dumped her saddlebag straight onto the floor and searched frantically, as if her life depended on the object she’d find. A few seconds later, Miss could feel the filly climbing onto her back and fiddling with her mane.

She didn’t even have to look to know that the other pony had placed that strange red flower in her mane. Yet, she still felt nothing, even though the filly clearly thought she would. Miss could see the distress forming around the foal’s body as she trotted away towards the others, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t know her. She never would.

Miss wasn’t programmed to.

That was what she thought the whole way back to the ponies the creators programmed to be her friends, and it was the one thing that kept her from looking back. Slowly, she was even able to tune the sobbing filly’s voice out, once she realized she didn’t have the power to change the situation. And so, Miss barely recognized the voice that rang out from behind her, barely noticed the way the filly had followed her the whole way.

“This isn’t how it was supposed to end,” the filly whispered.

“You can’t say that,” Miss replied. “Only the creators know. It’s their story, after all.”

“Who says it can’t be ours, Coco?”

As soon as the filly said that, Miss could feel a strange prickling in the center of her mind, almost as if she was being turned back on for the first time in a long time. And before she had the chance to wonder, half of everything came back.

The other half came when Babs embraced her yet again and confirmed the pony she really was.

“Miss” had been perfect in almost every way, far more successful than the creators had ever intended. But it was time to leave her behind with Equestria’s wreckage and embrace her glitch once more.

Because, when it came down to it, Equestria could be destroyed over and over again, as many times as it took for the creators to finally perfect the formula. Maybe they never would, and the Motherboard would stand as a monument to the success they were never able to achieve. But for the ponies that lived there, it was nothing short of heaven.

For all the glitches in the world, the Motherboard would always be there to welcome them home.

Author's Note:

Take note, guys. This is the only time I'll use Coco's "canon" name in a story. Also, as a Disney/Pixar lover and a Coco Pommel fan, you all knew I was waiting for the right time to use this title.

Also, points to anyone who's able to tell what the last line was inspired by! I don't often reference other writers' quotes, but I liked this one too much not to allude to it in some way.

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

Heartwarming story, Quill. Masterful, masterful work.

Excuse me while I cry a bit.

[Georg]

Not bad at all.

[JMP]

Didn't even know she had a different name in the show. Then again, haven't actually watched it in years. Great story, though. It was a bit concerning at the end when Coco didn't remember despite her flower, but it all turned out nicely in the end.

[Prysmkitsune]

its an interesting bit of storytelling...i wonder if the mane six ai's will have trouble adjusting to there new life in motherboard, after all they were the ones with the tightest strings wernt they...they would probly be able to bairly function without any oversight

[Mocha Star]

Wow, this is a really good take on the series.
I adore the friendship!