• Published 25th Oct 2018
  • 4,114 Views, 956 Comments

My Chemical Reaction - MysteriousStranger



Still recovering from the Midnight Sparkle incident, Twilight seeks to distract herself with a new book she's eager to read, but she soon discovers that she's not the only one interested in it.

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Chemical Reaction

Twilight’s POV

I felt a sickening feeling in my gut. I felt my anxiety rise. I was worried Aria would hate me for what I had done, and why.

"Please, explain. Tell me everything." She pleaded.

Aria’s words echoed in my mind, over and over. My eyes widened and I tightened my grip on her hands. I really wanted to forget everything about Midnight… but Aria’s question was fair. She deserves to know why I did the unthinkable and allowed th-that monster to take full control of my body.

"When I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore, I was heartbroken. I started to hear Midnight in my head even more than before."

"Oh…" Aria looked away from me, looking guilty. "I'm-"

"Don't apologize, please." I interrupted my girlfriend while I tried to smile. "It was my fault. I should have asked for help."

Aria looked away and nodded. "Okay. Go on."

I took a deep breath before continuing. "I tried to keep my mind busy. When Sunset invited me to look for Gloriosa Daisy, I thought that it was the distraction I needed. So, I stopped what I was doing and followed Sunset…”

Not long ago…

"So, Tree Hugger gave you a map?" I asked Sunset, walking behind her. I have to keep my mind busy to avoid unpleasant company.

"Yes. She pointed to a particular place. An old quarry." My friend said. "We'll start from there."

"A quarry?" I spoke. "I didn't know there was one here."

"That's what she said." Sunset explained before checking the map. "We should be close. Keep your eyes opened."

I tried to focus on looking for the cave, but Midnight invaded my thoughts.

"Why are we even looking for that stupid camp counselor? We should be trying to get Aria back!"

I tried to force her out of my mind, to think of something else, but she was really persistent. I closed my eyes tightly, holding myself back. Don't let her get to you, Twilight!

"There it is!" Sunset smiled as she pointed to what looked like an entrance to a cave. I glanced at the ground and saw footprints heading into the cave.

"Sunset, look." I said as I pointed to the footprints. "They look fresh. Someone's inside."

"It has to be Gloriosa." Sunset said while looking at the marks in the ground. "Come on. We have to bring her back to the camp."

I nodded and followed Sunset inside the cave. At first it was completely dark, which was eerie to say the least. But then we could see red lights on the walls and ceiling. They illuminated the way. These lights were produced by gemstones, rubies, perhaps?

Eventually, we made it to an opening. We went through it and found ourselves in a big space with more lights and…

"Gloriosa!" Sunset called. The camp counselor was indeed on the other side of the area we just entered. When Sunset called her, Gloriosa turned around and gasped, surprised.

"What are you doing here? This area is off limits!" The camp counselor said while glaring at us.

"Your cousin sent us to find you." Sunset said. "She told us we could find you here."

Gloriosa groaned. "I should have known… she didn't have to send anyone after me. I was going to go back on my own. Now, leave me alone, I'm busy trying to save my camp!"

"How? With magic? You'll do more harm than good with it if you don't know how to control it!" My friend said, gaining Gloriosa's full attention.

"How do you know about magic?" The camp counselor asked.

"We know, because that magic is from my world, Equestria." Sunset replied. "I know that magic well. My friends and I have magic inside of us "

"You don't want it, Gloriosa. Trust me." I said as I stepped forward. "Magic is dangerous. It messes with your mind if you're not careful and it can make you lose yourself." Just like I lost Aria…

"Ha!” Gloriosa snorted darkly. "Maybe you lost yourself, but I've got this! I'm not some dumb teenager!" She said before turning around, approaching some colorful stones on a pedestal. "I already lost too much. For my brother's sake, I will not lose this camp!"

"Wait, no!" Sunset tried to reach for Gloriosa, but it was too late. She activated something, causing a flash of light which forced us to cover our eyes. When the light ceased, we glanced again at Gloriosa and gasped.

She looked different.

Her skin tone became purplish and her hair became green. It also glowed and it looked like grass. She looked terrifying!

"G-Gloriosa?" Sunset asked.

"There is no Gloriosa. I became that who the legends my parents told me spoke about, I am Gaia!" The new entity said with a malicious smirk. "Gaia Everfree."

"Gaia…" I said as I stepped forward, gaining enough courage to address her. She looked at me and I took a deep breath. I must choose my words carefully. "P-Please, don't abuse magic. It's dangerous and the consequences can be too big."

"Ha!" Gaia chuckled darkly. "I am in full control of magic. Watch!" She said before snapping her fingers. Immediately after she did so, the cave trembled, forcing Sunset and I to find our balance.

"What's-?!" Sunset couldn't finish because a vine suddenly broke through the ground below her and caught her. "Aaah!"

"Sunset!" I called for my friend but another vine appeared below me and caught me too. "No, no! Release me, please!"

"I will do no such thing." Gaia said as she walked away from us. "You'll interfere with my plans to save this camp."

"What are you going to do?!" My friend asked.

"I'm just going to make sure no one leaves so the camp doesn't get closed. Don't worry, I'll come back for you." She said before starting to laugh like a maniac. Her laughter got muffed when she blocked the exit with a big boulder, leaving us with the lights of the gemstones.

Sunset and I struggled with the vines but the grip was too tight.

"What are we going to do?!" I asked with desperation.

"We have to cut these plants somehow." Sunset sounded much calmer than me. "Twilight, your magic-"

"No!" I interrupted my friend. "I don't want to use it! There has to be another way!"

"I can't think of anything else!" Sunset raised her voice. "Twilight, the boulder is completely obstructing the exit. At this rate we'll suffocate. We need to get out now and save everyone else!"

I felt sick. Magic is what caused this, magic has done nothing but cause me pain and agony, especially with Aria. But… I don't have any other choice… I'll have to use… magic.

I closed my eyes and focused, trying to find a way to summon the magic. Come on, come on!

"There you go!" Sunset exclaimed in triumph. I opened my eyes and saw a purple aura surrounding part of the vine holding me. The aura cut the vine and I fell to the floor. "Well done! Now, help me down."

I stood up and tried to focus on the vine holding Sunset, but…

"Twilight, behind you!"

I turned around by Sunset's warning and saw the vine I just cut arm itself again. I was too shocked to move so it caught me again.

"No! Please, no!" I cried in frustration before tears invaded my eyes. My friends are in danger. Aria as well…

"Our Queen needs us." My lips moved but that wasn't my voice… Midnight? "Listen, girl. My understanding of magic is far greater than yours. If you give in and let me control our body-"

"No, Twilight, don't listen to her!" My friend exclaimed.

“Gaia seemed to be strong...” I said. “Aria’s strong, but without magic...”

“Exactly.” Midnight spoke through me again. “She needs us.”

“Twilight, no!” Sunset spoke up again. “Try your telekinesis again. We know the vines can put themselves together again. If we act fast-”

“You’re not experienced enough to control that power!” Midnight said. “But I am. We don’t have time, Twilight. Gaia Everfree could already be attacking our Aria.”

“We have to save her…” I said. “And my friends...”

“Forget about them! Aria Blaze is the only one who matters!” Midnight said.

“No! We’ll save my friends too or there’s no deal!” I said while feeling frustrated.

Midnight groaned. “Fine! We’ll save those stupid girls too. Now, let’s go!”

“Twilight-!” Sunset tried to speak again, but this time I was the one to interrupt her.

“Shut up, Sunset! We don’t have another choice! You’re the magical pony here and all you can do is read minds?” The next words were mixed with Midnight’s voice. “That pathetic power won’t get us out of here! You stay here if you want! Midnight and I will rescue our Queen!”

As soon as we finished the sentence, we used our powerful magic to destroy the vines and push the boulder away. The vines didn’t regenerate this time. With no more obstacles, we escaped the cave and headed into the camp.

“Twilight, wait! Snap out of it!” We heard Sunset call for us, but we ignored her. That weak pony will only slow us down. Hang in there, Aria Blaze. We’re coming to save you!

Present Time

“And that’s the whole story...” I said, feeling my eyes getting wet and holding Aria’s hands tighter. I was not proud of what I did and I want to forget about it.

Aria wasn't looking at me. She kept her hands on mine and she was facing me, but her eyes were focused on the floor.

“Aria...” I called her while squeezing her hands to get her attention. She glanced at me, looking somewhere between sadness and… disappointment?

“Twilight...” My girlfriend took a deep breath. “I understand what you went through. You were stressed and worried sick. But letting that demon take over your body was way too dangerous. You even insulted Sunset. That wasn’t you at all.”

“I-I know.” I sighed. "I promise that I'll apologize to her. At the moment I was stressed. I felt so good saying those things, but now, I feel awful. I'm not sure how much of what I said was me and how much was Midnight.

"Twilight-" Aria scooted closer to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, making me look at her. "Listen, no one in this world ever went through what you did. You weren't prepared. But it's over. All you have to do is apologize and sleep."

"Sleep…" I smiled. "I can't believe I'll finally be able to rest without interruptions, it’s been so long."

"Do you want to go back to your tent?" Aria asked. "I can take you now if you want."

"I would love to, but first I have to make amends with everyone." I said as I stood up. Aria did the same. "Are you sure you don't want me to help you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." My girlfriend replied with a confident smile and a flex of her arms. "I have mastered the crutches already. Watch me go!" She added as she moved forward.

"Hey, w-wait!" I said as I caught up to her. It was quiet at first, but then, I managed to gain courage to ask some dreading questions. "So… we're still dating…"

"..." Aria remained silent. She looked at me but made no facial expression.

"Are we… good?"

She sighed, with a slump of her shoulders. "I'm not sure, Twilight. I'm still hurt that you didn't ask anyone for help. I'm hurt that you didn't come to me. You knew that dark magic controlled me once."

"It's not that I didn't trust you, Aria." I said, feeling a bit defensive. "I thought I had to deal with it on my own. Besides, I didn't want to bring back bad memories for you."

"Bad memories would have been the least of my problems. My priority is you, Twilight." Aria snapped and looked at me with sadness in her eyes. "I'm over my past. Bad memories can't trouble me much. But you were suffering. I could have helped you. I wanted to. But because you kept it to yourself... I almost lost you for good." She looked down after saying the last.

"Aria…" She was right… My stubbornness was almost my doom. Midnight was so close to taking over me. "If you need time… I'll understand.”

Aria glanced at me again and smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"Twilight? Aria?" I heard Fluttershy's voice. I turned my head towards my friend and I saw her holding Spike, sitting with our friends. They all stood up but no one approached. They respected our space. Even Pinkie Pie kept an unusual distance compared to usual.

"Umm…" Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak. She did so as she scratched the back of her neck. "You guys are talking again, right?"

"It’s up in the air. We need time to sort things out." Aria said. "We'll be fine, but I'm not ready to fully forgive her yet. I eased her worries, though. She thought we broke up."

"Oh, you didn't?" Rarity said before sighing in relief. I noticed that her head was bandaged too. That was my doing… "I'm so happy to hear that! I thought the worst after the big fight you had!"

"Me too." Pinkie Pie said while everyone else nodded.

"Rarity." I spoke up giving my friend a hug. Time to make amends with everyone. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Sweetie, it's okay." Rarity smiled. "I just passed out, but I'm fine now."

"Still, I'm very sorry." I said before turning to the fiery girl. "Sunset, I'm so sorry for insulting you and your magic back at the cave."

Sunset smirked. "Given the circumstances, I can forgive you. Although you were kind of right. Compared to everyone, my mind reading is somewhat lackluster. Even Trixie surpasses me! That's crazy!” She said before Trixie slapped the back of her head. "Ouch! Not that there was any doubt!” Sunset chuckled weakly.

Everyone chuckled at this, even I did. Sunset soothed Trixie’s feelings. After the laughter died down, I addressed everyone else. "I want to apologize to all of you. If only I sought help, maybe this could have been avoided."

"It's okay, Twilight." Fluttershy said.

"We're just glad it's all over." Applejack spoke next. Then, Spike jumped from Fluttershy's arms and ran towards me. I knelt to pick him up.

"You're in a better mood now." My pet said. "That makes me very happy!"

"Thank you, my little cute boy." I said as I nuzzled noses with my dog. Spike licked me on my face in reply.

"What have you girls been up to while Twilight and I were away." Aria asked as she petted Spike.

"Sunset said that the camp could close down if Gloriosa doesn't make enough money." Rainbow Dash replied.

"So we were thinking how to help!" Pinkie Pie excitedly exclaimed.

"I proposed to host a fashion show." Rarity said while placing a hand on her chest.

"But that idea was lame, so I said that the Rainbooms could play here!" Rainbow Dash said.

“I wouldn’t call it a lame idea.” Trixie said. “It’s not a bad setting for a fashion show.”

“She’s right.” Adagio spoke next.

“Thank you, darlings!” The fashionista smiled. “I’m glad hope’s not lost in our group.”

I giggled as Sunset approached me, holding something in her hands. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was. It was a simple necklace, but something about it was familiar. Wait, that gem.... It was…!

“Gah!” I quickly hid behind Aria. It was the gem which allowed me to use telekinesis at will!

“Twilight, it’s fine.” Sunset said with a reassuring smile. “All this will do is to help you control your magic.”

"Are you sure that it's safe for her to have it?" Aria asked.

"Yes, don't worry, we purged Midnight." Sunset said. "She and her dark magic won't influence your actions again." She added as she took a step closer to me and handed me the gem. "Trust me, you'll be fine. The girls and I are already wearing them and can now use our magic when we want."

When Sunset said the last, I looked at each of my friends. Except the sirens and Trixie, they were all wearing their gems as necklaces which they improvised with strings.

"Yes, Twilight, look!" Rarity said before making a movement with her hands to create a barrier.

"It's fun!" Pinkie Pie said before proceeding to throw explosive sugar into Rarity's barrier.

"Pinkie!" The fashionista exclaimed. "Warn me next time!"

“Oopsie! Sorry!” The party girl said with a giggle.

“Twilight.” Sunset spoke to catch my attention again. “Without this gem, you won’t be able to control your powers. We made some tests while you and Aria talked. The girls and I were able to fully control our powers while wearing the gems. You’re going to need it. Not wearing it won’t cause Midnight to return, but you might get into trouble if you move objects by accident at the wrong time.”

“When we get back to Canterlot, I’ll turn the gems into actual necklaces.” Rarity commented. “The girls already gave me their approval. These makeshift holdings are very gaudy. I would love doing the same with yours if you want.”

"Trust me, it's safe." Sunset said while still holding the gem close to me. I made eye contact with Aria, who nodded. I looked back at my friend and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Okay. I suppose I'll give it a shot." I took the Gem and Rarity approached me too.

"Allow me." The fashionista said as she took a string from her pocket and improvised a necklace with my gem too before placing it around my neck.

"Thank you." I smiled at my friend.

"You're welcome." Rarity replied before taking a step back. "I'm done. You can try it now, darling."

"What do I do?" I asked, looking at my equestrian friend.

"Just hold or tap the gem to activate your magic." Sunset replied.

I nodded and looked for something to test my power on. I noticed that Rainbow Dash was drinking from her bottle of water, so I waited until she closed the bottle before trying to move it. I focused and felt something new within me. I used this new thing and…

"H-Hey!" My athletic friend complained as her bottle of water floated beyond her reach. It worked!

"Nice one, Twilight." Adagio said with a smirk.

"Very funny, very funny." Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. "Can you please give it back?"

I giggled. "Okay. Here it goes!" I released the bottle, but Rainbow Dash wasn't looking at it so it fell on her head. "Ouch!" She said as she rubbed her head. "You did that on purpose!"

"It's on you, Rainbow." Rarity said. "You should have been paying attention."

Everyone but Rainbow Dash laughed until I yawned. My eyes couldn't stay open anymore. I started to lose my balance but someone held me. I could open my eyes one last time to see Aria's hands around me.

"Oh, poor thing." I heard Fluttershy say.

"After everything that happened, she needs to sleep." Aria said while I felt like someone carried me. I looked up to see that Adagio was the one carrying me while Aria followed us with her crutches.

"Have a good rest, Twilight." I heard some of my friends say as I was carried to my tent. Now, all I could hear were the footsteps of Adagio and Aria, but eventually, those sounds faded too as I welcomed my slumber. Finally, after so long, I can sleep. I had normal dreams. I missed them so much…


A week later…

It was the first Monday after I returned home last Friday. Besides the magic incident, Everfree Camp was fun.

The impromptu concert Rainbow Dash proposed was a good idea. Everfree received more recognition and is becoming a popular place to go on vacations once again. Thanks to that, and for all the donations from former campers, Filthy Rich had no choice but to withdraw his construction plans, however there was another lot of land he was able to settle for as a compromise.

As happy as I was for Gloriosa, I still have a problem of my own. Aria hasn't called me yet. I have been talking with Adagio and Sonata, but I wanted to hear Aria's voice again. I needed to be patient, though. Her reasons to need time were justified. I wasn't honest with her, nor my friends. Still, the wait was killing me. I miss her so much.

I was at home, sitting on my bed, with Spike sleeping on my lap as I petted him. I was also wearing the necklace with my new gem. I'm not risking taking it off. Waking up floating in the air wasn't a pleasant moment.

I sighed and stared into the ceiling. My friends are all busy today. I'm hoping to take Spike out on a walk once he wakes up, but until then, there's nothing to do.

Thankfully, I received a message on my phone. I had it in silence to not disturb my cute dog's slumber.

I took my phone only to almost drop it when I saw who the message was from. My heart skipped as I saw the familiar name I was waiting for.

"Aria!" I whispered as I opened her text. It was short and straight to the point.

'Meet me at the bookstore near my house in an hour.'

I was confused. Was she still mad? There was no time to think further. I need to get ready to meet with her.

I slowly stood up, careful to not wake Spike up. I kissed him on his tiny forehead before heading to my wardrobe. I must make sure to look my best. Oh, if only Rarity was here to help me! I whined as I mentally prepared for what felt like the most important meeting of my life.


I arrived at the bookstore with some minutes to spare. Before leaving my house, I grabbed some gifts I bought for Aria and her sisters during the weekend. I have them in a bag. Aria wasn't specific if we would meet outside or inside, so, I'll send her a message to tell her that I have arrived.

That was the plan. However, after pulling out my phone, the bookstore's door opened and Aria walked out, wearing a smirk and leaning against the wall. With her cast removed last Thursday, she no longer needed crutches.

"Well, hello, there." Aria greeted me.

"Aria!" I exclaimed as I rushed to hug her. The hug didn't last long. I quickly released her in case I went too fast "S-Sorry. I missed you and I couldn't stop myself.'

Aria raised a hand and smiled. "It's cool. I missed you too." She said before taking a step towards me and stroking my hair with her hand, making me blush.

“I thought long and hard about this, and I feel I’ve finally reached my decision.” She paused impressively. It made me a bit nervous as she gave me a serious expression. She turned and looked through the nearby window at a book. “Long ago back in Equestria I had feelings for someone who I thought had my best interests in mind. We were part of a pack, and I thought we were family. Heh... as it turns out she just used me and didn’t care.”

Aria lowered her head and I simply listened, anxious to hear what she had to say and what her answer to the nagging question in my head was. Were we still a couple?

“When I left my old pack I pushed everyone and everything away so I could never get hurt again. Even you at first.” She turned to face me and smiled, reaching out with one hand she took mine in hers and our gazes met. “I’m glad Sonata chased after you that day we met. And I’m glad I took a chance with you… cub.” She smiled, caressing my hands and I felt warm and overjoyed.

"Thank you for giving me the time I needed. I'm ready to forgive you and move on."

I grinned and tried to hug her again, but this time she stopped me by pushing her hand under my chin. "Just don't do that again. If you need help, ask, understand?"

I nodded. "Yes. I promise." As I hugged her again she hugged me back. After breaking apart from the hug she looked me over focusing on my face.

"Could you sleep well?" She asked with worry.

"Yes. I haven’t had nightmares since that day." I replied.

Aria looked into my eyes, her own shined like vorpal gems of dark violet in a nebula. I smiled feeling lost in her gaze, and she smiled back. "I’m glad you haven’t had any nightmares since. Your eyes are more beautiful when they aren’t red and puffy." I blushed while she smiled again before placing her hands on my hips.

"Aria-" I whispered. "Can I…?"

Aria didn't say anything. She nodded and closed her eyes. I did the same and we leaned closer and closer until our lips met. We haven't kissed in almost a week, so I quickly deepened the kiss and held for several seconds. I could recall a time, not long ago, when such an act would have put Aria on defense and me on edge, now it felt as natural to us as breathing.

I'm surprised that we remembered that we were in public and pulled away after a few seconds. Our eyes met and our foreheads touched. I smiled widely and rested my head on her chest. I missed hearing her heartbeat racing as fast as mine. We just stood together in the embrace not saying a word.

"So, Sparks…" Aria spoke after a long time of silence. We looked at each other and smiled. "What's in the bag?"

I giggled. "Impatient, are we?" I teased her a little bit before giving her the bag. "They're for you and your sisters. The purple box is yours. The orange is for Adagio and the blue one is for Sonata."

"Cool! Let's see what we have." Aria commented as she took her box. She gasped upon opening it. "Twilight…" She said before taking her gift from the box. It was a star necklace, very similar to her hair pins, with a musical note going through it.

"Since our friends and I have new necklaces, I didn't want you to feel left out. You told me you used to have one before."

"Yes, but this one is much better." My girlfriend said as she took a closer look at her new possession. "For one, it's not cursed. Not to mention that it was given to me by someone I love very much." She smiled at me after saying the last, making me blush deeply. Oh, Aria... "Can you help me put it on?"

"Oh!” I woke up from the trance Aria just put me in. “Y-Yes! It will be a pleasure." I said as I walked closer to Aria. My girlfriend gave me her necklace and turned around. She also bent her knees a little so I could easily put the necklace around her neck. Once I was done, she turned around again.

"So?" Aria asked with a smile.

"It looks perfect." I replied, admiring her from up close.

"Not as perfect as you, though." Aria's comment made me blush deeply... again! I had to hide my face on her shoulder, which she found amusing. "Well, that was easy." She joked.

"Y-You're not usually that cheesy!" I said against her shoulder, sounding muffled. Wait… did we just rhyme?

"I couldn't help myself." My girlfriend said before cupping my face to make me look at her. "Ready to find a new book for us to read together?"

"So, that's why we're here?" I asked, smiling brightly.

Aria nodded. "We can't wait until the second book of Young Sorceress Academia to read again. There has to be another book we both enjoy."

"And what better place to find us a new book than the bookstore we first met in?" I said before leaving a dreamy sigh. "Can you believe how far we got since we both reached for the same book that day?'

"I didn't at first." My girlfriend smiled at me. "I was sure that I was going to blow it up, but I'm confident these days."

I giggled and tiptoed to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for not giving up."

Aria smiled lovingly at me. "I'm thankful for that too." She said before clearing her throat. "Say, I haven't talked with anyone since we got back." Aria said before offering me her arm. "How's Spike? And our friends?"

"Spike's fine." I replied while I linked my arm with hers. "We have been having a good time since my mood improved. As for our friends-" I made a pause to push the bookstore door open. "They're good too. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are quite busy today with their annual family reunion."

"Hold on." My girlfriend stopped walking and looked at me. She seemed dumbfounded. "Applejack and Pinkie Pie are related?"

I nodded. "They told me they're distant cousins. Pinkie Pie made sure they remained close, though."

"Huh…" Aria nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's not hard to picture. Pinkie's always up in one's personal space."

I giggled again. "Exactly. Anyway, they always have their annual reunion around summer, apparently. It's the Season their family's the freest to get together."

"Makes sense." My girlfriend commented while checking one of the bookstore's sections. "Hmm… what do you think of detective books?"

"It's not a bad option. Let's see what we have." I said as I pulled out a book to check it. Aria leaned her head on mine to take a closer look. With our cheeks touching, I eyed her and smiled widely. I missed her too much. From now on, I'll make sure to never make bad decisions again. I really love her with all my heart. I can hardly wait to find out what the future has in store for us.

Author's Note:

Well, this is it. The final chapter. I won't say much yet because we still have to write the Epilogue, but the main story is technically over, so I'll mark this fic as completed :scootangel:

In case some of you are wondering, these are how The Dazzlings' necklaces designs are :scootangel:

Adagio Dazzle:

Aria Blaze:

Sonata Dusk:

I want to thank Windsor, Quantum Logic and Zalla661 for proofreading and editing this chapter before its release :twilightsmile:

See you on the Epilogue! :pinkiehappy: