Twilight cackled madly, prancing about the library like her legs were made out of springs. She kicked and bucked, bounced and jumped and throughout it all, she had the biggest smile on her face that Spike had ever seen. She was ecstatic as a pegasus, humming, singing, twirling around as she placed books on the shelves. At one point, she'd even swept Spike off his feet and squeezed him like a plush toy, squealing with happiness the entire time.
While Spike was always happy to see his sister in a good mood, he'd never quite seen her in 'this' good a mood. When he'd asked her what got her so riled up she'd started babbling about time and eternity and all the wonderful things they would accomplish in the future. Centuries into the future.
"And she's been like this for how long now?" Applejack asked curiously, staring at the squealing Alicorn who was oblivious to her presence. Spike shook his head with a helpless shrug.
"Err, since this morning. She woke me up asking me if I could show her how to make breakfast. She's been getting steadily, uh, 'happier' ever since. She didn't even notice me leave to go and get you. I mean, it's cool to see her in a good mood and all, but I'm getting..." Spike struggled to find the word he wanted. Nervous? Concerned?
"APPLEJACK!" Twilight squealed when she finally noticed the other mare in the room. Annoyed. Spike was definitely starting to get annoyed. Not by Twilight herself, but the fact that he didn't know the reason for the incredibly good mood she was in. He wanted to find the source and prolong it for as long as possible, which he couldn't do if he didn't know what was causing it. So he had meandered off to find Applejack for help.
"Howdy pardnah! Spike here asked me to come over and check out this fantastic mood ya'll seem ta be in, and well, I gotta say, ya'll sure look happier than a pig in slop!" Applejack giggled. Twilight's mood seemed horrifically contagious. For some reason, just seeing her so happy made Applejack feel happy in turn. It was strange but quite pleasant, to be honest.
Twilight skipped over to her and grasped her in a loving hug, before pulling free, pausing, and hugging her again, nuzzling into her neck, like she hadn't seen Applejack in years. Years. The idea made her crack into a smile and that smile turned into helpless giggles. Years! What a funny concept!
Applejack glanced at Spike who stood with a quizzled expression over his face, but didn't say anything. Even if Applejack was particularly confused by all of this, she wasn't going to rain on Twilight's parade...whatever it was?
"Hahaha, Well, alright sugarcube! Happy ta see you too, heh. Why don't you tell me whats gotten you so-" Applejack began, but Twilight cut her off with a squeal.
"FOREVER!" She announced, before happily returning to her books. She'd stopped placing them on the shelves and began to hurriedly pluck them off, stacking them in neat little piles. She had so much reading to do. Why waste the time putting them back onto the shelves?!
"Err...Forever?" Applejack asked quietly. Twilight twisted and peered over her shoulder with a beaming grin.
"Yes! Forever! Forever and ever!" Twilight explained, returning to the titles of her books. From the kitchen, she levitated a calendar over and started getting to work. Ok, this book she would read on April nineteenth, 2029, that one, April fifteenth, 2129...that one, wait, no, that one she would read in January of 3012. It was one of her favorites after all....better make it twice in 3012...Wait...would they still have books by then? Of course they would! Twilight burst into giggles at the idea that books would somehow vanish, while Applejack simply stared at her. A worried look of concern starting to shift her features.
"Uhhh...alright, forever...I suppose...ya'll maybe wanna start over ...eh...from the beginning?" she cooed quietly, hesitant with her words. Twilight seemed to be picking random things to start laughing about and it was hard to get a word in edgewise without her giggling her head off like Pinkie Pie.
For a brief, startling moment, Twilight looked up with wide eyes and her smile dissolving into a look of confusion. Only for a moment. Of course, poor Applejack didn't have a clue. Yet. She'd gotten so caught up in everything she was stumbling over herself to explain. The grin returned slowly, and she hopped over to Applejack with a brilliant beaming smile.
"I'm an Alicorn. I will not die. I will NEVER die! And neither will you!" Twilight explained with a buzz of excitement. Applejack slowly nodded her head. Yes, Alicorns lived incredibly long lives. Was this some sort of- wait what?
"Err, Sugarcube, I hate ta be the bearer of bad news, but I ain't no-" Applejack began. Twilight didn't let her finish.
"You will be, princess! Hehehe! OH! OHOHOHOHOHOH Think of the experiments we could perform!! An Earth pony using magic! HA! Oh my gosh! This will be incredible! I can't wait!! We'll all be able to go to the spa and get hornjobs, like Rarity and I do! It'll be so wonderful!!" Twilight giggled, plucking book after book off the shelf, faster now. She had new plans! New and exciting plans! Teaching Applejack and Pinkie Pie non-earth pony magic would take a few years, but they'd get the hang of it! Twilight was an excellent teacher, of course! Oh, what fun they'd have, studying Starswirls spells and- wait. no, no, better start them off with something easier...Fairy Flicker's primary spells would do it. That was the big yellow book...hmmm where was that one...?
"Sugarcube. I ain't no alicorn. I am an earth pony, ya hear. This ain't no whacky magic spell you're lookin' ta cast now, is it? Cause I reckon I want no part in that." Applejack said sternly. Dismissively, Twilight waved a hoof.
"No no, I won't be casting it. At least, I don't think. But I'm sure you'll end up an Alicorn one day. It just makes sense now. It all makes sense, Applejack! I'm immortal, and you'll be immortal too!" Twilight explained boldly, drawing in close to wrap a foreleg around Applejack's shoulder, throwing her other hoof forwards, as if displaying an invisible future to Applejack.
"Princess of Honesty. You'll have enough time to plant millions and millions of apple trees! You'll solve world hunger! You'll help generation after generation learn to be honest! You'll end lying and deceit, cheating stallions and unfaithful mares. You'll be a paragon of integrity Applejack!" Twilight gushed, barely able to control herself, or the radiating happiness that quivered inside of her. Bright like a light in her soul, she gave a happy squeal and turned back to her books, darting from shelf to shelf.
"I was just a normal pony, but everything changed Applejack! Can't you see the pattern?! I couldn't see it at first, either, but it's there! Oh, it's there, Applejack, it's there! It's there, it's there! Nightmare Moon, Discord, Tirek! It's all there, Applejack! I was a normal unicorn, and then I was an element bearer, and now I'm a princess. You must think I'm crazy, but I'm not! Really! I can't explain it, but I can feel it. I can see it!" Twilight squeaked with a wide smile as she happily pranced around the library. Applejack could only slowly nod her head, trying in vain to follow Twilight's insane rambling. It was a pleasant thought, though. Solving world hunger...all the ponies she could support with her millions of acres of apple trees. All the ponies she could help feed and take care of. And teaching others to be as honest as she was? Well, that actually was rather inviting. She found herself smiling now too- Twilight's infectious giggles and happy dancing were taking hold.
It was, of course, sheer insanity, but seeing Twilight so happy gave Applejack pause. She certainly didn't want to squash her spirits. But how was she supposed to tell Twilight that she had gone completely batty? She struggled to find the words, but came to a thought in her search. Why was it so insane in the first place? Until she met Twilight, she had just been a normal pony, like her. Then she'd become an element bearer, gone on numerous adventures and defeated hundreds of adversaries with her friends by her side. Tarnation, she'd helped defeated Gods of all creatures. Twice! Nightmare Moon and Discord. She'd been transformed into an Element Bearer. She'd absorbed the power of harmony into her and it changed her form and body (and mane). After that, she'd become a Breezie; an entirely different species!! Who knew, she might even become a mermare one day! The thought was laughable, but it stuck with her. Why was it so insane to think Twilight crazy for believing her friends, the legendary element bearers, heroes of Equestria, would ascend too?
More importantly, what was stopping Applejack from believing in it? Why was it so crazy? She'd saved the world dozens of times by now. Was being an Alicorn some sort of reward like knighthood, but on a great and cosmic scale? Now Applejack was struggling to find a reason this was all complete lunacy. She was struggling hard.
Thinking back over all the adventures they'd been on, all the trials they'd overcome, all the pain and suffering they'd endured...was it really so insane to think Twilight could be right? Was it really so far fetched? Forever...She would live forever...If Twilight had told her, years prior, she would one day become the element bearer of honesty, she'd have called it complete lunacy. Now...
Applejack's muzzle slacked in confusion and slowly, slowly, she started to grin, and it turned into a giggle until that turned into boisterous, uncontrollable laughter. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight's shoulders and together, the two of them laughed helplessly as the very concept sunk in. Twilight grinned. Now she was getting it. The concept of immortality had taken her like this, at first, too. The laughter, the wild places her mind had gone, the ecstasy of realizing you had all of the time in the world to do everything you ever wanted. Applejack was experiencing all of it, just like she had. It was liberating in a sense. Really it was, and Twilight was going to be there with her every step of the way. She threw her head back and cackled with Applejack, embracing the bright, happy feature the two of them had.
Spike sighed and hung his head in defeat. Twilight had gone absolutely insane, and somehow, she'd affected Applejack; the most down-to-earth one of the group. There was no hope for any of them now, Spike was sure of it. He still didn't understand what was going on, but seeing both of them so happy made him smile none the less. Maybe they'd explain it to him one day. Twilight kept saying she 'had the time.' surely she could lend a little bit of that to him to let him in on the joke.
"I...uh...I'm gonna get started on dinner...so..." Spike stammered, slowly making his way towards the kitchen. Twilight was upon him almost instantly.
"OH! Teach me! Teach me how to cook, Spike! Can we make hayburgers?! OH! A barbecue! I've always wondered how to grill! Applejack, do you want to grill up some hay burgers?!" Twilight squealed. Spike had never seen Twilight so excited about cooking before. It was adorable. Applejack quickly nodded her head and drew a wide grin over her lips.
"I reckon I could go for some hayburgers and I reckon I could teach ya'll a thing or two bout grillin' too," she explained. Twilight rested a hoof on Applejack's shoulder and grinned, helplessly trying to fight back another onset of giggles.
"Why stop at one or two? Teach us EVERYTHING. We've got the time!" Twilight announced, and both of them burst into helpless laughter again.
Spike gave a little sigh and rolled his eyes. He had a feeling this joke was going to last forever...but with the way his friends were bursting at the seams with happiness, That might not be so bad. He smiled warmly, and followed Twilight and Applejack out into the backyard, to get the grill started.
Rainbow Dash gave an irritated groan, while her ears perked at the sound of her name being called. Over, and over and over again. It was always something when she was taking a nap. With a frustrated sigh, she twisted to her side, and peered over the cloud she'd been snoozing on. Below her, the owner of the voice calling her name, Applejack, gamboled and pranced in a circle, giddy like a filly and beaming a bright and cheerful gleam of a smile. Rainbow Dash drew in a quiet sigh. Whatever it was that was going on below, wasn't going to let her get back to sleep. She was sure of it the way Applejack seemed beside herself with excitement.
"Yo AJ. What's up? I was kinda in the middle of a nap." Rainbow groused, leaping from her cloud high in the sky with a graceful little flip that set her down neatly next to the smiling Earth Pony. A contagious, beautiful smile that screamed of optimism and happiness. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash smile too, despite her grumpy demeanor at being woken up well before her nap was complete.
"Aww, shucks Rainbow! I didn't mean ta wake ya up, but trust me, heh, ya'll have all the time in the world ta nap!" Applejack squeaked happily. She was practically prancing in place with energy Rainbow swore she saved for bucking trees.
Applejack was cute in the way she could hardly keep her excitement down. The normally reserved Earth Pony seemed ablaze with ecstatic energy and Rainbow Dash found her wings starting to twitch in anticipation. As if she were preparing to dart off in a race or something. To her surprise, it only took a moment or so after she'd touched down for Applejack to wrap her forelegs around her in a loving hug.
Surprised by the sudden embrace, Rainbow Dash found herself returning it eagerly with a quiet laugh. It was unlike Applejack to be so open about her emotions, but Rainbow Dash caught herself smiling along with her friend. Whatever the reason for the good mood, it was making Rainbow Dash smile too.
"So whats up? Whadda mean I'll have all the time in the world to nap?" asked the pegasus. Applejack chuckled quietly and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, and then shook her head, as if finding the right words were difficult for her. Patience was not particularly a strong suite of Rainbow Dash, but she could wait while Applejack wildly searched for an explanation to her condition.
"Well...uh...forever! Reckon we're gonna live forever, Rainbow Dash! Least, that's the way Twilight tells it. Don't rightly understand it, but I-" Applejack began before Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes. Forever. Duh. My legacy as a Wonderbolt will be passed down, I'm sure. I mean, Wind Rider? Sonic Storm? Those legends? They're nothin' compared to me!" Rainbow chuckled. Applejack simply shook her head quietly and sat down in front of Rainbow, like she was carrying a huge secret. A huge, wonderful, glorious secret she couldn't wait to share.
"No, Rainy, ya'll ain't listening! You, Me? The Elements? We're gonna live forever!" Applejack explained in a rush of breath. Rainbow raised an eyebrow slowly. What?
"...err....whadda me-" She began.
"FOREVER Rainbow Dash! We're Immortal! I- I mean we're gonna be! Don't reckon I understand it myself, but, I got to talkin' with Twilight and-" Applejack stammered before Rainbow held up both her hooves. Slowly, Applejack was starting to understand Twilight's crazed behavior earlier this afternoon, for now her mind was racing too. The more she explained, the more she found herself drifting into thoughts of the future. She was going to need more land if she was going to plant so many apple trees. Much more land, and a better schedule, one Twilight surely could help with! Yes! That would work! She was snapped out of her thoughts by Rainbow's sudden, (and completely understandable) outburst.
"Wait, wait, wait! Whoa. Stop. Hold on. Back up. Rewind. What do you mean 'immortal' How does THAT work? We're not immortal!" Rainbow Dash snapped. That's when Applejack started laughing again. An onset of helpless giggles that came out of nowhere and seized her without mercy. It was a little unsettling to witness, but Applejack didn't seem to be able to help herself.
"I don't rightly know. I mean, Twilight was mighty convinced, and, uh, I gotta admit, I am too. She made a real good argument. Said, that uh, in the future, somehow, somewhere, we're all gonna be Alicorns. Didn't really take to it at first, but now that I've been thinkin' about it, it all feels right as rain." Applejack explained breathlessly through the throes of laughter that had over taken her. Rainbow Dash shook her head skeptically and gave a dismissive snort.
"Uh huh. And exactly what did Twilight say to convince you we were gonna be Alicorns, Applejack?" Rainbow asked. Applejack sat back on her haunches with a smug little grin tugging at her lips.
"She said she could see the pattern. That if it happened to her, she expected it to happen to all of us." Applejack responded. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, sure, but she was a unicorn. She was special." Rainbow said quietly. Applejack's grin didn't waver in the slightest, and she leaned forward to boop Rainbow on the nose with her hoof.
"And you ain't, miss 'Sonic Rainboom'?" Applejack asked, watching with amusement at the adorable blush that radiated over Rainbow's cheeks. She reached back to rub a hoof behind her head quietly.
"N-No, that's different. I mean, Twilight was-" She began.
"Just an ordinary unicorn that done did something extraordinary. Kinda like you. Kinda like me. Kinda like all us elements." Applejack grinned. The giggles were trying to return and she was doing her best to try and keep them at bay. Rainbow Dash gave an irritated snort at Applejack's clearly raging insanity. So it was Twilight who was to blame for interrupting her nap. She waggled a hoof dismissively and gazed back up at her cloud.
"Yeah? I mean...No. That isn't...that's crazy." Rainbow laughed nervously. Her voice was faltering. Applejack was grinning more and more.
"Oh yeah? That's just what I thought. But lemme ask ya'll this...why is it so crazy? We've defeated Gods. We've braved hundreds o' changelings. We done saved Equestria more than any other hero out there. Ain't nothin' out there that can stop us." Applejack explained. Rainbow Dash gave an irritated sigh.
"Why is it so crazy? Cause....Well...see...we can't just become Alicorns...that doesn't...that just...that just doesn't..." she sputtered quietly. Oh, but it did happen. It happened to Twilight. Rainbow Dash had never given it much thought before, but that's exactly what had happened. And if Twilight thought it would happen to them...
"Think about it Rainbow. I mean really think about it. Ya'll gonna live forever. You'll be the captain of the Wonderbolts. You'll create the worlds best stunts. You'll help me teach honesty and loyalty for generations and generations to come. You'll have all the time in the world to learn every trick, every stunt, every amazing impossible maneuver pegasi can do. You'll be the most sought after Pegasus by youngin's all over the place. Face it Rainbow Dash! Ya'll gonna be immortal!!" Applejack squealed, clapping a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. The cyan pegasus's mouth had dropped open and she sputtered and squeaked, looking for whatever words she could find to prove Applejack wrong. Words that weren't there. Words that turned to ash in her mouth and resurrected as an unstoppable, burning laughter. Noooow she was getting it. Applejack joined her, lost in the mind bending insanity Twilight had bestowed upon them.
"Now Rainy. I know we'll have the time n' all, but ya'll gotta promise me, one 'o the first things ya'll do...is teach me how ta fly, alright? Tween you n me...always...always kinda wished I could..." Applejack stammered quietly, a twinkling smile wrapped around her lips. Rainbow's muzzle twisted into a helpless grin and she threw her head back a cackled. Racing through the sky with her friends by her side? It was so surreal she couldn't wrap her mind around it. But oh, how she wanted to. It was a truly heart warming thought- a warmth that enveloped her soul entirely and left her with an unmistakable, unstoppable joy. Immortal...
Slowly, she turned to Applejack with a cheerful, unstoppable beam and wildly nodded her head, unable to pull the smile from her lips.
"OF COURSE I'LL TEACH YOU!!" She barked happily, squeezing her best friend in a firm hug! The idea of her and Applejack racing through the sky sent a tingle rippling down her spine and she found energy she didn't know she had coursing through her frame. Immortal? YES! She would be immortal! She'd touch the sky with Applejack and the others, race from one end of the planet to the other, and save any pony she came across and solved problems as they arose! She would be immortal, and she couldn't wait to tell somepony!
The terrible allure of pastries, pies, cookies, cakes, and other tasty treats brought ponies far and wide to Ponyville's famous Sugar Cube Corner, and like usual, the place was packed with ponies. There was only one particular pony Rainbow Dash was looking for, however, and it was the girl behind the counter with the already permanent smile etched across her features. Somehow, it got even brighter, when Pinkie caught sight of Rainbow Dash, who was wearing a very similar sparkling grin.
"Hi, Pinkie! Have you got a minute?!" Rainbow squealed. Her voice was loud, loud enough to carry over most of the idle chatter in the room. But she didn't care. Not that there was much Rainbow Dash could do about it in the first place. She was far, far too excited about the new prospects of her life that Applejack had revealed to her. Pinkie, however, did not seem to notice the intense lack of volume control Rainbow Dash exhibited, and instead greeted the pony with her ever present, cheerful demeanor.
"For you, Rainbow?! Always! Whats up?" She asked, already feeling the tingles of excitement in the air. Whenever Rainbow Dash was this excited about something, it always promised to lead to something amazing. The Wonderbolt didn't seem capable of standing still today. She was idly trotting in place with an energy Pinkie could only describe as 'extremely familiar.'
"I've been talkin' with Applejack, and she's been talkin' with Twilight. Pinkie, are you ready for this?! We, are, gonna, be, IMMORTAL! I mean, like alicorns! We'll be like Twilight!" Rainbow Dash squealed. Pinkie's powerful perfect, permanent smile only twitched slightly at this news and the pink pony threw her head back and giggle-snorted.
"Oh, yeah, Dashie, we're totally gonna be Alicorns! After seven seasons, I can't imagine that's not where things are going," she explained. "I mean, after Faust left, I was sorta worried, but you know, we're really comin' along. And even if it isn't in the script, it's veeeery toyetic, so ya know, marketing will make it happen if Larson doesn't," said Pinkie Pie. Rainbow stared.
"You...err...no. Pinkie, wait what? Who's Larson and Faust? No, no, Pinkie, are you listening to me? Immortal! We're gonna be immortal!" Rainbow Dash explained through the smile that was twisting across her features, which now actively starting to hurt. She couldn't get rid of it, though. There was a scene playing over and over in her head, like a scratched record. It was a cool summer evening, the air was fresh and clean, and Rainbow and Applejack were set to race each other through Ghastly Gorge. The rest of their friends- the alicorns were cheering them on from above, hooting and hollering with wild unchecked enthusiasm. A legendary race between two of the greatest legends Equestria would ever know...
With an unprovoked squeal of happiness, Rainbow Dash suddenly leaped into the air in a skillful little backflip. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop herself. It all sounded like so much fun, and so exciting the little pegasus performed a second, perfectly executed backflip with a gleeful squee of happiness. The perfect 'ending' to an already perfect story. She would be the worlds fastest pegasus. She'd have all the tricks. She'd know all the moves. She'd spend her days off teaching other ponies to be just as cool as she was. Scootaloo, naturally, would get the bulk of her training. She'd mold that pony into her counterpart. A perfect student that would be able to perform every trick, stunt, and maneuver that she could!! Of course, Rainbow Dash would have Twilight's expertise when it came to teaching. Just in case, of course. If she needed it.
Who was she kidding? Scootaloo would pick up on everything in ten seconds flat! She was the best little filly out there, and all of Rainbow Dash's considerable knowledge of tricks and skill would go to her. Her successor. Her protege. It would be nice to have a protege, she thought. Nicer, that it was her dear adopted little sister, Scootaloo.
"Think about it, Pinkie! You'll be a princess, like Twilight! You'll get your own kingdom and everything! We can have sleep overs in each other's castles! We can spend years planning the absolute greatest prank Equestria has EVER known! Or even bake the biggest birthday cake ever!" Rainbow explained with quite the over abundance of energy.
Needless to say, Pinkie Pie was feeding off of Rainbow Dash's endless happiness. She did not let it consume her, though, like the others. She did not burst into unstoppable, raving laughter. She did not let her mind wander into endless stretches of questions. She had far, far to much practice with insanity to succumb to those pitfalls of madness. No, she simply held her perfect smile across her face and nodded while Rainbow Dash rattled on and on about all the wonderful things they could do without the boundaries of time. Really, it was adorable watching Rainbow Dash dance with madness for the first time. Adorable and extremely comforting. Finally, Pinkie would no longer be alone in the secret knowledge she held. Of course, they were immortal. There was no other way things could go. She had seen this coming for years now, and now, finally, NOW her friends were finally starting to see the bigger picture. It was then, that Pinkie realized something extremely important: she wasn't alone anymore. Goodness, she'd never be alone again! They understood her! They really understood her! As alicorns, they would all see what she could see and it was a thought that wrapped around her soul like a warm and loving hug. She'd never be alone in her knowledge again!!
"Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked when she noticed the pink pony suddenly sobbing in silence. Tears of joy freely rolling down her cheeks, and the earth pony looked up with a brilliant smile.
"Y-Yes? Yes, Rainbow?" she asked voice choked with emotion. Rainbow didn't know why her friend was suddenly crying, but immediately she leaped over the barricade of the counter and wrapped Pinkie in a comforting hug.
"Hey? Hey, it's gonna be alright, Pinkie. It's gonna be okay! We're okay! We're really okay! We're immortal. We're gonna be okay! And if it's not okay, we can make it okay! We've got the time, Pinkie, we've got the time to fix everything." Rainbow squeaked. She was crying too, suddenly. She didn't know why, but it wasn't sadness. It was a level of joy she'd never felt before. This very concept was sweeping over her and drawing out emotions she wasn't sure out to process. Pinkie didn't seem sad, but Rainbow felt the need to offer a hug anyway. A hug Pinkie greedily accepted, squeezing her best friend back with a loving sigh.
"Y-yeah...Yeah, Dashie. It's gonna be okay now! It's gonna be okay!! T-Thank you so much!!" Pinkie squeaked. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. No longer would she face this world alone with the knowledge that nopony else had. She had tried to explain to others, before, but everypony wrote her off. Just Pinkie being random they would say. But not now. Never again. She was no longer exiled into solitude by this world view she alone suffered with. Her friends were there with her like they always had been but now it was different. Now everything had changed for the better.
"Dashie...Dashie...thank you, Dashie...Thank you so much," Pinkie blubbered into Rainbow Dash's shoulder. The cyan flier didn't know why Pinkie was crying, but she could sense the relief radiating from her. The sense of comfort and happiness that had been a long time coming for the poor element of Laughter. Rainbow Dash squeezed tightly before she took a step back, and held her friend at forelegs length and smiled brightly through her tears. They would be okay. Everything was going to be okay.
It was going to be so okay, Pinkie clutched her stomach, threw her head back and let out a tremendous laugh. Her knee-jerk reaction to the flood of emotions that burst through her. Her mind was racing, suddenly, now that it no longer registered that she was alone in the world. It was as if some magical door of happiness opened up for her! She could spend years coming up with the biggest party ever! After all, a year would pass in the blink of an eye to her. She had the time to set everything up and make sure everything was perfect. She had the time to create the ultimate party!
Teary-eyed and beside herself with relief, Pinkie found she was embraced by Rainbow Dash, again, before she could embrace her. Rainy squeezed Pinkie hard and held her tightly for a long few seconds. When she finally let go, Pinkie was beaming ear to ear.
"Every hundred years, we'll have a party. A huge party!! The six of us. We can talk about all the ponies we helped and celebrate all of our achievements and accomplishments, and we'll never be alone again! I'll never be alone again...I...I..." Pinkie stammered, finding her voice fading away, replaced with fresh sobs of emotional relief. She found herself lost in Rainbow's embrace again, and a quiet whispered dipped into her ear. A whisper that made all the difference.
The Carousel Boutique, as always, was the cornerstone of beauty in Ponyville. It was rich in luxurious fabrics, ostentatious headwear and only the finest in glittering baubles and accessories. Truly, no other place in Ponyville could hope to match the refined class and sophistication the Carousel Boutique provided. A ritzy bastion to the (charmingly) rustic denizens of Ponyville. It was one of the few places a pony could go to take in high society and glamour when in ponyville.
It had been at least. Where once, a painstakingly, and perfectly aligned trio of ponyquinns had been standing, (modeling the latest fashions to come to ponyville), was a cyan pony. A little blue pegasus who was giggling wildly and 'riding' one of her ponyquinns back and forth like a cheap amusement ride one might find in front of a supermarket. She was droning on and on and on about 'legendary tricks' this and 'Scootaloo's wings' that.
Instead of a wall of dresses and beautiful hoof-crafted designs, was a little purple alicorn that was prancing in place. She had ushered the latest trending clothes out of the way, to make room to draw complex configurations on the carpet in rich black ink that would take weeks to treat. She was darting about this way and that, screaming about all the extra room Rarity was going to need if she wanted to expand the Boutique.
"Rarity!! Rarity, I predict a tremendous boom in your popularity in the next forty years, especially once you've ascended with us! The sales will go through the roof! I've been crunching the numbers (I've got the time) and I think we'll need to knock out the far wall over there to make room for the new hallway. I've been thinking we could make this into a sort of semi-castle for you, you know, while we wait for you to get your own! I've already ordered the construction ponies, and they'll be here shortly to help! Oh, this is going to be so amazing! I've been putting together a new design for the boutique! You'll see! You'll love it!! There's so much you can get done when you stop going to sleep! Who needs sleep!? We've got forever, Rarity! Forever!" Twilight babbled happily, prancing in place. Her ears perked in alarm momentarily and she sat upright with a terrifying speed.
"I NEED A CALCULATOR!" she announced, paused and started giggling wildly. "WAIT! Nevermind! False alarm! I AM a calculator!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FOREVER!!" Twilight laughed, sat down, crossed her legs and closed her eyes.
Rarity didn't know what Twilight was 'calculating' but felt a specific sense of urgency to get her out of the boutique before she was finished. She was, however, distracted by the presence of Pinkie Pie, who zipped by with a lengthy scroll of parchment waving about behind her. She bounced to the remaining dresses, wrapping the parchment around, and around, and around the dresses that were still held captive by Rarity's ponyquinns. Something Rainbow would soon rectify, Rarity was sure.
"Rarity won't need these old dresses, now that she'll have forever to work on new ones!" Pinkie giggled gleefully, and only now did Rarity realize the word SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE written across the scroll in bright bold ink. Pinkie was putting her dresses on sale? Twilight was talking about knocking out the walls? Rainbow Dash was riding a ponyquinn like it were prom night all over again? Were they trying to drive her out of business?!
The little gray unicorn sat at the base of the stairs, mouth agape, watching the madness unfurl around her at a horrifying pace. Next to her stood a purple dragon who was wearing the same exhausted expression on his face that he had since he came in with the rest of them. It mimicked hers almost perfectly.
"Err....should we....get somepon-" Rarity began to ask, but Spike silently shook his head and gave a sigh.
"Tried that," he muttered, jerking a thumb towards Applejack. Applejack was standing in the kitchen, twirling a lasso around in perfect circles over her head. She wasn't planning to lasso anything specifically (at least, Rarity hoped she wasn't planning on it) and instead she simply twirled it over her head around and around. Practice she kept saying. Practice for 'forever.' whatever that meant.
Sadly, Spike shook his head and rested a claw on Rarity's side observing the fashionista's own plunge into madness. This, as far as Spike could tell, was a very different kind of madness. One that silently insisted he take a step back from the trembling designer. He'd never witnessed a murder before, let alone a massacre.
"Darlings? Darlings, please. Rainbow Dash, stop molesting that ponyquinn, Twilight, you're getting ink on m- Applejack don't lasso Rainbow Dash in the house, AND PINKIE I SWEAR TO CELESTIA THAT IF YOU FIRE OFF THAT PARTY CANNON INDOO-
"FOREVER!" Pinkie exclaimed happily, pulling the cord to her Party Cannon with a brilliant squeal. There was always time for a party, and a party might be just what Rarity needed to cheer up! Gleefully, Pinkie peered over her Party Cannon, looking for Rarity's smiling happy face.
'Happy Rarity' was not in the room.
"ENOUGH!!" shrieked Rarity, certainly loud enough for everypony in the room to stop what they were doing. Everypony in the room, the room next door, and every room down the street for that matter.
"Enough! Just what is the meaning of all of this! I have half a mind to take you all to Ponyville General to have you committed! What has gotten into all of you?! Did you all vote that today simply seemed a splendid day to go mad? Did you all decide you wanted to see how angry Rarity gets when she misses her deadlines?!" Rarity snarled in blazing fury, even as Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Applejack shared a twinkling smile.
"DEADLINES!?" Rainbow Dash howled as if the concept was somehow the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Twilight doubled over laughing, and Pinkie Pie descended into a giggling abyss Rarity was sure she'd never escape from.
"You all drank the same kool-aid, didn't you?" asked Rarity flatly. It did nothing to counter Applejack's infectious smile.
"Settle down ya'll! Rarity! Rares, ya'll don't fret 'bout none of this. I got an explanation that'll set everything right as rain, but first, lemme ask ya'll this; how would ya'll like to be a princess?" Applejack grinned. Rarity raised an eyebrow...
***********************************
They pronked along like Pinkie Pie. Bouncing gleefully through Ponyville's streets in a wobbling, hopping line of perpetual, radiating happiness. The townsfolk had never seen them so happy before; Twilight leading the party, with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack. Behind them, was the loudest member of their party yet.
"AND THE DRESSES! I COULD MAKE EVERY DRESS IN MY SKETCH BOOK! EVERYONE! AND THE HOMELESS!? WHY NONE OF THEM WOULD EVER BE COLD AGAIN- OR UNFASHINONABLE! I WILL MAKE THE WORLD BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL AS ALL OF US!! HAHAHAHAH!!!" Rarity cackled, joined in by the rest of the group. Spike was the only one not laughing. He was far, far to busy praying to Celestia that Fluttershy could knock some sense back into his friends. He gazed longingly at the tiny cottage near the Everfree Forest and wondered just how long 'forever' could last.
The fire burned brightly, devouring the wood with crisp, crunching pops and crackles. It flooded the room with an invisible warmth that reached every corner of the log cabin and cast with it a sense of cozy security Fluttershy found was nearly impossible to re-create in any other atmosphere. Even after the sort of night she had, the relaxation of her cozy cabin was a nigh-impenetrable force field around her. Still...
Fluttershy slumped at the tiny table within the tiny cottage and stared into the distance. Her friends had repeated the phrase that now tumbled endlessly in her head. Immortal. She'd be immortal. The word had a certain ring to it that she didn't know if she liked. True, she never gave her own death much thought, but now that it wasn't going to happen it gave her pause.
She shook her head, letting the strawberry curls of her mane dance this way and that, but the word still remained lodged in her thoughts like a splinter. Immortal. She pursed her lips and balanced the word on the tip of her tongue. Immortal. She shook her head once more, but the word remained ever present. Immortal. What did that even mean? Would she become unto a god, like Celestia, or Luna? Some all-powerful deity? Or did it mean she'd simply never die? And if she was going to be in charge of something what would it be? The sun? The moon? Time itself? The power of kindness? Was that a thing? Was that supposed to be a thing she knew how to control? Was there such a power and if so, what did that mean for her? Was she somehow supposed to control the world's kindness? To spread it to ponies far and wide? Was that expected of her now? Would it be in the future? Could she be up to the task? Would she? What if-
"Chill."
Fluttershy blinked, sitting up straight and proper suddenly; and automatic response when she was in the company of someone else. A habit learned from Rarity, if she had to guess. In a daze, Fluttershy warily glanced around the room. To be honest, it felt like she were in a weird sort of waking dream, ever since Twilight and her friends had barged into her cottage scream-singing about being immortal. This was followed by Rainbow and Applejack yammering nonstop about flying lessons, and Rarity trying to take down the sizes of every animal in the cottage. Pinkie was endlessly babbling about action figures and Spike immediately went searching for tranquilizers. To put it mildly, it had been a strange evening, and now even stranger, after sending her guests home, there was someone still in the cabin to talk with her. She let her bewildered gaze glance around the cabin once more before it slowly came to rest on the little white bunny reclining in the living room.
He too, was soaking up the warmth of the fire, and lay languidly on the couch, a carrot dangling from his little paws. Angel, rarely talked to Fluttershy, not directly at least. Not like this. He was usually very bold about his desires, and rarely felt the need to take advantage of Fluttershy's ability to communicate with animals. When he had noticed the girl shaking her head back and forth in silence, he rolled his eyes and nibbled gingerly on his carrot.
"I have been sitting here for nearly ten minutes and my tummy is not being rubbed," the bunny squeaked, his voice riddled with irritation. As usual. He rolled his eyes yet again, and glared until the yellow pegasus shambled over to the couch where he had flopped onto his back. Good help was hard to find, and while Fluttershy at least managed average levels of pandering, something seemed to be on her mind. Something it didn't take rabbit senses to pick up. Was she upset about her friends randomly bursting in? He'd not paid much attention to the cacophony they raised and had expected things to go back to normal when they had left. And yet, Fluttershy seemed distraught. Clearly she needed something to take her mind off of things, and rubbing a bunny belly was the best thing for her.
"So whats up, Doc?" he murmured softly, nibbling at the end of his carrot while Fluttershy got to work attending to his unattended tummy.
"I...I'm not...I haven't...I can't be immortal. I can't. They want me to...I'm supposed to become some sort of...I don't know. I just don't know!" Fluttershy sputtered, much to Angel's frustration. What on earth was this yellow filly on about. Immortal? That's what she was upset about? Angel sighed. Fluttershy was always flustered about something.
"So?" Angel replied, flatly. For a moment, Fluttershy's hooves stopped rubbing as she'd lifted them to wipe the freshly formed tears from her eyes. Angel sighed again. So hard to find.
"I don't know how to be immortal, Angel. I don't know that I want to be. Am I supposed to be the element of kindness forever? Nothing lasts forever. W-what if it fades away? What if, over the years, I forget how to be kind and it turns into something else? What if all my kindness gets used up and I become an element of being a meanie?" Fluttershy sobbed.
"What if you kept rubbing my tummy?" Angel growled quietly. Fluttershy sniffled softly, and gently set herself back to her task, stroking her hooves tenderly across Angel's belly. The bunny gave a murmured groan and closed his eyes.
"Being kind is sort of your thing. You've got that down, so that's not a major concern. What you should be worried about, is angry rabbits and running out of treats for them," He grumbled. Fluttershy frowned, but before she could protest his simple answer, he continued on as if she weren't attempting to interject.
"But aside from that, what if you could build animal sanctuaries all over the planet? What if you could amass so much wealth you could open dozens of veterinary hospitals and orphanages? What if you did all those things and then some? What if you learned how to worry less and focused on what you'd do with all this extra time you've been given? Like rub my tummy? What then?" Angel snapped and watched in satisfaction as Fluttershy's bewildered expression took on one of slow understanding.
"I could...I could make a sanctuary just for birds. I could...I would be a princess of Kindness and I could spend my days taking care of every animal...All of the animals, Angel!" Fluttershy gasps quietly. Angel sighed.
"Yes, yes, that's what I was getting at. And that's great. Hey, you've got two hooves, right? Is that other one rubbing my ears? Cause I don't think it is. Worry about all the stuff you wanna do first, then start worrying about turning into a monster. As if that could ever happen with me around. Listen, being immortal isn't going to chan-" Angel began and squealed when Fluttershy suddenly hopped up from the couch, flipping him unceremoniously to the floor.
"There's a patch of forest just outside that would make for the perfect place to start!! I could line it with fencing and a flower garden! Oh, Rarity is good at arrangements, she'd be perfect to help! And I could get Rainbow Dash to find all the strays and round up the homeless animals in Everfree forest in a flash! I could get Applejack to help me build warrens and nests and Twilight could put together an algorithm for the amount of space each animal will need! I have so much to do! ANGEL! I can't sit around here! What am I doing?! " Fluttershy screamed, excitement dancing in her eyes. She immediately dashed up the stairs into her room, presumably to start to work on the first of many sanctuaries while Angel slowly climbed back onto the couch.
"OK. That's great and all, but what about my ears? Fluttershy? Hello?!" he barked. When the only response he received was care-free, joy-riddled laughter, and vibrant shouts of "forever" from her bedroom, he got the feeling it was going to take quite a while for him to get his ears rubbed. That would not do at all. Fluttershy's friends had all barraged in earlier that evening, and while it was irritating, it only lasted for an hour or so. That was something he could deal with, but now that the insanity was eating into his pampering time?
The bunny glared maliciously into the raging fire and gave a huff. He'd inadvertently created a monster while seeking out a simple tummy rub. And now he was wondering how long would it take before his next tummy rub. Forever? He laughed. Not if he had anything to say about it...
