> Friends Forever
>  by Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Friends Forever I: An Ending
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am ninety-eight years, two hundred and fourteen days, three hours, and sixteen minutes old. When I was young, or well, younger, I met the five most wonderful ponies in Equestria, maybe even the world. My heart fills with remembered joy and laughter as I think over their faces.

Pinkie Pie.
Rarity.
Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy.
Applejack...

It's Applejack's face I'm looking into now, a soft kind face, weathered by dozens of wonderful summers, full of hard work, matched only by the fun we, and all our friends had together.

Seventy six years. Seventy six years I've seen that face and for all but seventy four, I knew this day would come. Today is my last day with my last, dearest friend. She's asleep now, dreaming no doubt of when she was still young enough to buck the apples now tended by her children, and her children's children.

Perhaps I should explain a bit... I am ninety-eight, but I haven't aged a day since my friends and I rescued Princess Luna from the darkness in her own heart; a blessing that has become a curse, as I've said goodbye to each of my friends in turn, and now, I am forced to say goodbye to the last of those dearest to my heart - dearer than Princess Celestia, and dearer than Princess Luna, though I love them both. 

I apologize; I seem to be losing my train of thought a little. When Nightmare Moon was defeated by the power of my new found friendship, granted by the Elements of Harmony, something changed inside of me. Maybe some of Princess Luna's power found a home inside of me, maybe it's a result of channeling the Elements of Harmony themselves, or perhaps it's my 'reward' for saving Princess Celestia's sister. I've never had the courage to ask, and now, I don't know if I want to know.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I am an Alicorn.

These are my thoughts, you see, as I have them. Princess Celestia, or 'Tia' as she seems to prefer from Luna and I, suggested I record them, that one day in a thousand years... It hurts so much to think of a thousand years without my friends.... one day in a thousand years I'll be able to look back, and remember.

Remember my family, now past. Remember my friends now.... now passing... and remember myself.

"Well hey there sugar-cube. Come to see yer ol' granny Applejack have ya?"

My heart skips at her voice. It's so sweet, like dear old Granny Smith before her, and there's still a strength that I don't think I'll ever posses. She's managed to look on my 'blessing' as nothing but a gift, and jokes about her own age even now.

"Of course I have Applejack. There are still apples in the fields that need bucking. What'll Big Macintosh think if he finds you lying in bed, lazy-hooves?" My face is a gentle smile I don't feel, but I think she can see the tears in my eyes.

"Shoot, sugar-cube. That won't do t'all. Maybe after my nap ah'll go show those little foals how it's done." She yawns and smiles, looking up at me with those vibrant green eyes, just as sharp as the day I met her. Her coat is a faded orange, and her mane is stark white, but when I look at her I still see my friend bucking apples like nopony’s business.

"Of course, Applejack, you need your rest before the big harvest. I remember a certain stubborn mare always bites off more than she can chew, as Big Mac used to say."

"Aw hush now lil’ filly. Ah'll get them apples harvested in no time at all. Ten seconds flat." Her face turns up in a smile, but all I can feel is my heart breaking. Rainbow Dash.... I can't hold back the tears anymore, even if I wanted to, especially since I can see her eyes starting to droop.

"...I'll miss you Applejack. Say 'hi' to Rainbow for me -- And Pinkie, and Rarity, and especially Fluttershy. I wish you didn't have to go." I don't know how my voice is steady, and I can't see for tears.

"...Ah will sugar-cube, don't you fret. Take care o' the farm would ya? Them young'uns need all the help y'can give 'em. Ah've lived a long, happy life, especially thanks t'you, so don't go cryin' bout me none." Her eyes close and she smiles, her breathing slowing, and stopping. She looks for all the world to be just asleep.

Before I can break down and let my emotions out, Applebloom pokes her head in, her mane still the beautiful strawberry-pink coloration, if a bit tireder, and still worn in a bow now much more suited to her size.

"Oh hey Twilight, how's Granny Applejack...? Oh... Oh dear Sisters..." She looks from my tears to Applejack's smiling face and the last bit of resolve in the mare, venerable herself, wilts. We sit with each other, crying, and mourning. I for my friend, and her for the closest thing to a mother she's ever had.

I... I don't want to remember how much this hurts. I'm stopping the spell now.





It's been a year since I said goodbye to Applejack, and I dare say I spend most of my time in Ponyville, rather than the Palace. It's alright though, Tia and Lu have things covered, and I won't be coronated as a princess for another few decades, so I have no official duties. I think that's a decision they both made when it became apparent what had happened to me.

I'm truly grateful to them both. In the past year, they've managed to help fill the void in my heart left by the last of my friends leaving me. Nothing can ever. Ever. Take their places... But at least I have family, even if they have adopted me - or perhaps especially because they adopted me.

I help run Sugarcube Corner, like I promised Pinkie, and I throw a party every year on her birthday for the whole town, just for her.

I own and help maintain Rainbow's cloudhouse. She asked it to be turned into a museum for the Wonderbolts, past and present, when she died. I display her own uniform in a glass case in the entry way. The only time I ever saw her happier than when she wore it, was when she was with Pinkie Pie.

As for Rarity, she left me perhaps just over one hundred sketchbooks full of her ideas, thoughts, and plans. She worked on them until the day… the day I lost her. I swore to her I'd make every single dress, real or imagined, no matter what it took for her, and I've kept that promise. Every year I make ten dresses, and host the fashion show in the Carousel Boutique. Sweetie Belle still comes to visit to catch the show, and a glimpse of her sister's memory. We talk a little, but mostly she spends her time with Applebloom and Scootaloo once a year.

For Fluttershy, every spring I wake up the descendants of all her animal friends, every winter I help them to sleep, and whenever I can find time, I go visit her cottage, and sing for the animals at night like she used to. She didn't ask me to do anything for her, but I like to think it makes her smile, wherever she is.

Applejack... Even now I'm taking a short break from applebucking. I don't know how she used to do it with just her and Big Macintosh. I've gotten used to it though, and promised myself I'd do it like AJ did. No magic involved. I'm paying for it, but I'm glad for my decision, though I think Apple Seed, Applebloom's youngest, is still surprised to see me carting in a load of apples. The little colt's still afraid to talk to me for more than a sentence or two at a time, but I don't mind; he has very expressive eyes.

I need to get back to work before I lose myself in emotions and thoughts again. It's nice, being able to just go out and do something simple, and exhausting like this. Even if I did send the first tree flying.





It's been another few years since my last 'entry' I guess. I've been keeping all of my promises, and that's been keeping me busy. The pain of losing Applejack is starting to fade enough that doing my 'chores' makes me feel close to my friends again. I love them all so much, and I miss them every day.

My heart aches but I don't start crying every time I hear one of their names anymore at least, or see a pony that looks like them. I may not have mentioned this before, but Applejack passed on her hat before she got too old to applebuck anymore. Apple Cider, the spitting image of Applejack, though with yellow coat and orange hair, has taken over for her, and Apple Bloom's starting to get on in years too, and I'm afraid soon I'll need to say goodbye to the 'cutie mark crusaders'. We still talk about some of the things they got up to as fillies and laugh.

It feels so good to laugh. I haven't really been able to very much since the past year or so. I still remember Pinkie Pie's first song when I met her. Giggle at the Ghosties indeed... I wish I could hear her sing it again...

So, before that goes someplace depressing, what else can I talk about? Spike still lives with me in the Library, and he's actually taken over as its custodian since I do have to spend some time in Canterlot at least. He's becoming a very handsome young dragon and he's even starting to grow horns. It's so cute. Still the same ol' Spike though, whatever he says. I'm grateful he's going to be around for a good long time.

Speaking of the Library, I actually found an old diary from when I first came to Ponyville. I remember most of what I said, but it's still a bit strange to read over the old book. I guess I really have changed a bit since then. Heh. Hehe. 'All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!' I had written that at least five times in the first two days, and another ten in the following month. But every time I did, it was with more affection. 'Study the magic of friendship' indeed. I think Tia knew how I'd feel at this very moment before she even said those words.

Still, that reminds me. I haven't been able to find Applejack's pendant anywhere, or any of the other elements. I know I've kept my tiara either near me or on me through the years. Usually in a nightstand or someplace I can find it just in case... What? Just in case I need it...I guess. It makes me wonder about the Elements of harmony. Do they vanish when their holders die? Have they passed on to new ponies that deserve them? Are they back at that old castle in those big marble balls? I'll ask Tia sometime and see.





Time is flying so fast, I can't keep up. Between the business of my studies on court law and etiquette, my promises to my friends, and all the other things that occupy my time, I haven't realized just how long it's been since I updated this!

Let's see... It's been about fifty years since my last entry, and I still don't look a day older. The only differences between now and when I first found my friends is about a foot of horn and two wings that I still don't use all that often.

In the meantime, things have gone on, much as life does. I've said goodbye to Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. It hurt, but I wasn't quite as devastated as when I lost my friends. They actually passed all on the same day, and I think it seems appropriate somehow. They got their cutiemarks together too, it's only right they're together for one more big adventure.

Ponies have started forgetting what the party I throw every year is for, and I think it's begun to take a life of its own. Other towns have started celebrating, and Tia told me they're even starting to celebrate it in Canterlot. Oh how I wish Pinkie could be here. It used to be called the Pinkie Pie Palooza, now it's just called Pinkapalooza. Some ponies seem to think the proper way to celebrate is to decorate in pink, make pink cupcakes, pink cakes, wear pink dresses... I honestly don't have the heart to tell them otherwise. Pinkie would be happy just to see them having fun.

Sweet Apple Acres has become something of a center for the apple family, though they still live all over Equestria, the farmhouse has gained several additions over the years, and I'm honestly thrilled it's become so lively. The apple trees have never been tended better, and I'm sad to say my contribution to applebucking season is minimal, only about an acre of trees that Applejack herself planted. I still think they're the sweetest that's ever grown there. 

As for Fluttershy's cottage? A family of ponies has moved into it. I was really hesitant about it at first, but they all wanted to be close to the animals, so how could I refuse? I've introduced them to every critter that lives in or around Ponyville, and even a few of the more harmless things from Everfree.

The Rainbow Dash Museum has had to be expanded actually, but I still make sure at its heart, it's still my friend's home. I've walled off her bedroom because... I just need a little something about all of my friends to stay the same. Something I can see, and go and visit, someplace to go when I miss them.

The boutique has actually gotten something of a ponytail going on about it in the past few years. It seems not everypony realizes I'm the one making her dresses, and finding the gems like she taught me how to. Some ponies seem to think that Raritys ghost haunts it or something. Still... I wouldn't turn down seeing her again, even if it was like that. She could make more designs and I could sew them for her. I've gotten quite good at it.

Oh and on the note of Everfree, the forest has actually started receding a bit. Nopony is cutting down the trees but... It seems like it's taming itself, as the years go on. I don't think anypony would realize it, to look at it, but after so long near it, I can sort of pick up on the little shifts. The poison joke field, for example, has lost its vibrant blue color. Goodness I miss Zecora too. Her hut's remained unchanged, oddly enough. Nothing ever goes near it but me. I still visit and smile at the masks, and remember old stories she told my friends and I.

Let's see... One more thing I'll add before I probably forget again; the Elements of Harmony. Tia smiled at me when I asked about them, and that's about all the answer I got out of her. Lu wasn't much help either, though she at least made an effort.





I found my old entries in my old room at the palace today. It's been nearly four hundred years since then, and as I read back over them, I remember how much it hurt to say goodbye to Applejack. I remember how much I miss my friends, though I've never forgotten. Not for a moment. I guess true to my prediction, I've forgotten about it.

There's simply been so much going on, so many things to learn, and still my old promises to keep. 

Ponyville's become a city, though it's grown in the direction of Canterlot. Everfree is still old and weird in ways ponies are hesitant to approach, and Sweet Apple Acres is magnificent, as always. I still go to applebuck in the fall, every year. I meet Applejack's family, I tell them old stories. They think of me as one of the family and my heart sings whenever I see their freckles and happy, honest faces. AJ's hat still continues to be passed down, and I think it will for as long as there is a sweet Apple Acres. At least, it will be as long as I'm watching over them.

Pinkapalooza has become a national party holiday. I don't think anypony except me, Tia, and Lu remember Pinkie Pie as a pony anymore, but I'm not upset. I think this many ponies being happy all at once and partying is the greatest gift I could give her.

Fluttershy's cottage is still there, in a way. It's become a hospital for animals and ponies alike. It's still held in the family that I met when they first came to Ponyville. At my request, they've actually built the entire thing to the same decor as Fluttershy's home, and there's a special room hidden away in one corner that's actually Fluttershy's old parlor where we had tea on warm afternoons with our friends.

The Rainbow Dash Museum has become a bit of a national treasure. Every flying group in Equestria has at least an entry there, and a ramp has been installed with unicorn tour guides so Unicorns and Earth ponies can visit too. I still go see Rainbow's old bedroom though. I keep everything looking as if she had just left; which I'm pleased to say means it's still a royal mess.

Rarity's old boutique is still turning out the promised ten dresses a year, though I'm down to the very last book. It's... it's the one she left unfinished. Next year will be four original dresses, and the six she made for us for the Grand Galloping Gala. I could probably start making new designs but... The old yellowed sketchbooks are fading a little, no matter how well I take care of them and... I feel like I'd be breaking some kind of unspoken trust. I could never do that to one of my dearest friends, not even after over six hundred years since I last saw them.

As for me... Well I've aged a little. I've grown a bit lanky, and Luna is starting to resemble Celestia, though Tia herself seems to have stopped aging as well. Perhaps to let us catch up to her? Hehe. Oh! I'm a princess now. That happened ages ago, and at my request, I wear the Element of Magic as my crown. It's starting to look like one too instead of the massive head piece it once was. My responsibilities are the dawn and evening sky, and I color them like my old friends so I'll never, ever forget them. I think Tia and Lu approve.

So... What else to tell? Ah! Spike has found himself a mate, and I couldn't be happier for him. He still thinks of me as his mommy, even though I can fit on his muzzle now. He seems to still prefer vegetables and gems to anything else, and he's encouraging his new mate toward the same diet. The Library is long gone, I'm afraid. In its place is a grove of trees built into a much larger library instead. I may have had a hoof in that. Hehehe.

Hmm. Before I end the spell, I think I'll share a few dreams. Back when I lost Applejack, I dreamed of them every night without fail. Sad dreams, happy dreams, it didn't matter. I'd wake up in the morning crying. I've started to do so again; memories as fresh as the dawn dew play over in my mind when I'm asleep. How selfish I was when Rarity offered her generosity to make dresses. I still keep my old dress and the failed design as well. I have all of my friend’s dresses, and their horrible counterparts. I keep them preserved like Rainbow's Wonderbolt outfit, in my room with pictures of them... I wonder why I'm having them so much lately.





It's been only a single year since my last 'entry' and I just got home to the palace after showcasing the last ten dresses, and making the announcement that the boutique is closing. Rarity's dress show had become sort of a national event as well, but then it has been going on for the past five hundred years. I think everypony there was shocked when I explained that I had been keeping a promise to my oldest and dearest friends, and working from designs she had left behind.

When they asked if that meant the yearly fashion show was over, my heart broke a little bit. I think I might turn the whole thing into something for new and upcoming fashion fans to show their stuff. Rarity got, and deserved, her first chance, after all. 

I considered making dresses in her style and not telling anypony but... I feel a little fulfilled now that I've completed my promise to her. I'd still trade anything to see my friends again though... anything save my new family.

My dreams have been constant for a little over a year now, and I still wake up with tears from emotion. I miss them so much. Still, I have to hold court twice a day now, and between that and my chores I don't have time to reminisce. I think Luna and Celestia are grateful for their mornings and evenings off. I think they spend them together, and it makes me so happy that they have each other again.

I think I'll leave off for now, maybe for good. I don't think I'm going to ever forget my dearest friends, no matter how long they're gone. I still don't know what happened to the Elements of Harmony, but the spark they ignited within me so long ago has become a flame that will keep me warm until the end of time.

If I don't return to my writing, and these memories ever dull, please. Please. Remember them. If I forget my own name one day, or forget everything I've ever learned about magic, remember their smiling faces. Remember the wonderful times we had together. Remember the joy and sorrow I feel even now.





	The old document ended, and a tear fell onto the bottom of the yellowed paper, the magical ink still refusing to fade. A purple Alicorn sitting on the third throne between her two sisters looked up from it with a smile on her face. She and Luna looked akin to Celestia, as if triplets, though the sun princess had yet to age another day in the two thousand years she's spent with her family.

"Of course I'll never forget them. Not after Celestia's sun burns cold, and Luna's moon turns black, and the world beneath my hooves splinters to nothing." The words were spoken aloud, and the two listeners smiled to one another, perhaps a little too widely. 



To be continued in Part II: Hopeful Dreams

> Friends Forever II: Hopeful Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Twi-i-i-light" Celestia's playful tone woke the once-unicorn from her slumber, the resting mare's eyes wet with fresh tears.

"Tia? What time is it?" Twilight’s voice had matured in the nigh two thousand years since her 'ascension' to the status of immortal, and she had still yet to develop a working internal clock. This worked out just as well since her province was the dawn and the dusk, which left her to pick either Celestia's Day, or Luna's night to sleep through.

"It's time for you to get out of bed lazy mare. Lulu and I have a surprise for yo-o-u!" The day princess, ever since having truly settled back into having a sister, much less two, had lost much of her somewhat aloof mannerisms, at least in the privacy of the royal wing.

'Uh oh. I know that tone of voice.' Twilight told herself, crawling out of bed and stretching her wings with a yawn. 'It means either she's either gender-swapped Equestria for the day again, or I forgot my own birthday again.'

Celestia often reminded her of Pinkie Pie; she was always quick to laugh and loved little jokes she saw as harmless. It was one of the qualities that had grown on her in their time together. As a mentor, Celestia was very kind, but a little unapproachable because of the stigma of being a princess. As equals, she was mischievous, playful, kind, and loving; a very sweet older sister.

So, with a head full of memories and a polite smile learned from Celestia herself on her face, Twilight strode from her bed after giving five heartfelt and true smiles to five photographs hanging in front of dress forms. "Good um..." a quick check of the wall clock, "Afternoon, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack. I miss you." It was how she woke herself up every day and every night, and though was a deeply ingrained ritual, the mare meant it. Her final stop before following Celestia into the common room the three Princesses shared, was a tiara that had become just the right size for a crown and inset with a purple gem. She's worn it every day since her coronation, after all.

"OK, I'm up Tia. What's all...the...como...tion?" From left to right stood Luna, five dress forms, and Celestia, spread in a curve before her. What had caused her shock were the familiar sparkling pendants that adorned each dress form's neck. Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, each shaped like a very familiar cutiemark. The Elements of Harmony.

"Told you she'd be speechless." Luna grinned to her older sister, though as the three princesses stood now, their age was apparently identical.

"Hush, Lulu, let her have a mo-" Tia got cut off as a pair of purple forelegs found their way around her neck in a hug. "-ment?" She finished with a squeak before returning the hug gently.

Not one to be left out, Luna joined in on the hugging, the three having grown very close in the somewhat boggling amount of time they had spent together, and the shy bookish filly of a Luna had grown into an empathetic and kind ruler, like her sister, if a bit more quick to show her affection through more direct means.

"How did... Where were... What is all this?" Her voice betrayed the emotional upsurge within the purple Alicorn, both in its shakiness and the stuttering.

"Well, we had to dig a lot, the information was hard even for us to find..." Luna began.

"Nearly took a millennium actually!" This from Celestia.

"But we managed to dig up information on the Elements of Harmony as they existed back when mom and dad were around. Apparently the Elements of Harmony are only in those spherical marble shapes when they're dormant. Once they've found appropriate spirits to embody them, they take a form until there's nopony left that can adequately handle them." Luna again, looking proud of herself, and happy to be delivering the news.

"This is only half of your surprise, actually. The other half is that when the Elements of Harmony pick hosts, they sort of become them. The stronger the host embodies that element, the more of them that gets carried over..." Celestia spoke that time, apparently struggling to keep from blurting the other half of the surprise.

Twilight listened, her ears perked, and a growing sensation of... Hope? Fear? Excitement? Horror? Perhaps all of the above? "Then. Then... They're...?"

"Your friends were the closest to their elements as anypony could hope to be… Perhaps even supernaturally so. We managed to gather the current hosts, and manifested the elements themselves. They're all asleep, and we were wondering if you'd like to meet them." Luna followed the offer with a small smile, though Celestia soon cut in before Twilight could completely lose her stack.

"These aren't your friends, though perhaps with the right memories they could be. There is a chance though. You see the characteristics from the previous owners only really shine through after the elements have been used in that pony's lifetime. Surely you noticed the behavior of your friends altering slightly as time progressed, making them more in tune with their given element. If you, the Element of Magic called on them, they might recall who they once were, after all the connection was very strong." In contrast with the previous tone of her voice, Celestia had sobered, making sure to remind Twilight to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

There is no one word to describe how Twilight felt then. She was possibly being told that her friend's souls were on display right now in front of her. That there was a chance, however slim, that she'd get to talk fashion with Rarity; tell Rainbow that in the two thousand years she's been gone, not a single pony has pulled off a double rainboom since her -- and only two have pulled off one in their lives. It was mind boggling, and even more, it was terrifying.

The purple Alicorn simply sat down, tail curling around her hooves, and stared at each of the gemstones in turn. It seemed to her like they sparkled like little stars as she looked at them. "There's a possibility I'll have my friends back. With all the memories they had up until our goodbyes." Her voice was controlled and evenly measured; both princesses recognized it as a sign Twilight did not trust herself to act evenly at the moment.

"A possibility, yes. It's possible that the ponies they are now would be completely overwritten with who they were..." Luna's voice was soft, gentle, but reminding Twilight that first, it's only a possibility, and secondly, it may not be a good one.

"And it's possible that their personalities might change, but without any memories to go along with them. I… know how hard it can be to be reminded of someone you love, but can't see." Celestia's voice was somber, a sympathetic look on her face.

"So, there's a chance it'll be looking at something that might have been, and there's a chance I'll get exactly what I've wished for, for the past two millennia at the cost of five special ponies, who have lives to live ahead of them." Still there was the calm, even tone of voice despite tears falling fresh from Twilight's eyes.

"..Yes, Twilight. We don't really know what will happen but... We know how much you love them, and how much you missed them. It's your right to make the choice for yourself what you want to do. There was a time I may have tried to urge you one way or another, or make it for you but... I'm afraid my days as your mentor are long over. All I can offer is my love and friendship no matter what happens, sister." Celestia's voice was to Twilight's reserved facade as dynamite to a dam. 

Sobbing, Twilight buried her face into her two sisters. They may have not been her birth sisters but it didn't matter anymore. She loved them, and was loved in return. That was all that mattered. 
"Is there any way I could ask them? They deserve the right to choose for themselves. If I could just see AJ or Fluttershy one more time..." It wouldn't be enough. She knew it, the other two knew it as well. Still, if what they said was true... every generation she could have her friends back, in possibly varying degrees but...

"Actually, I might be able to help with that. Dreams are a funny thing, and many ponies think they're windows into the soul." Luna, goddess-princess of the Night offered, smiling. It was all Twilight could do to avoid trying to choke her in a hug.

"Alright Lu, let's start with Honesty. Even if it's just a dream her, I want to see her the way I remember her at least one more time. Please."

With that, the two of them vanished into a side passage, leading to a guest room, while Celestia sighed softly and returned to her court; after all family came first but work didn't rest.

Meanwhile in another room, five young fillies slept peacefully, never having met one another in their lives, but looking strikingly similar to a certain other five ponies. One with freckles, blonde hair, and a dark orange pelt snoozed in an ancient and worn hat, one that wrenched at Twilight's heart upon seeing it...


To be continued in Part III: The Truth in Friendship


> Friends Forever III: The Truth in Friendship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Honey Apple was young, a year older than Applebloom at the time of the Nightmare Moon incident, and had long loose blonde hair, and a burnt orange coat, with no cutiemark. She slept soundly, dreaming a familiar old dream; she was on her family farm in Sweet Apple Acres, which had grown so large as to require several branches of the Apple family to tend it. In that dream, she was bucking the ancient, massive apple trees like they could do in newer sections of the orchard; she was doing it all by herself.

Many of the older trees in Sweet Apple Acres had simply grown too ancient, and had to be cut down before they became hazardous the next time a storm blew in. A particular grove though, was reputed to be a little over two thousand years old, and it took an entire team of Apples to buck those apples! They were Honey Apples namesakes. These were the ones she was dreaming about bucking all by herself like the Princess that was rumored to come tend to a few trees for some reason.

Princess Twilight was the only pony to ever buck a honey apple tree all by herself in anyponies living memory, and for that reason she was usually the one that brought in the most honey apples. Not a single pony knew how that had gotten started either, but she was always so friendly it seemed natural to treat her like one of the family.

"Good afternoon, Honey Apple, it looks like you're enjoying yourself." The filly jumped at the voice; it was Princess Twilight herself!

The filly found herself blushing a bit, shy around the princess, but couldn't help nodding. "Ah was just applebuckin' th' honey apples, Miss Twilight"

The smile Twilight gave that filly could have melted a patch of ice that had never even heard of sunlight, as she always did when talking to a member of the Apple Family. The reasons why were never revealed save as a polite, "A promise I made somepony very important to me” which caused no end of rumors.

"I can see that! You're doing a wonderful job of it too. Your parents will be so proud." The tall, regal-looking Alicorn with her purple fur and mane of varying hues smiled down warmly at the filly again as she spoke, putting her head level with her.

"Thank ya kindly Miss Twilight" Honey Apple's voice was a squeak, and her cheeks red as the apples filling the baskets around the trunk of the ancient tree.

"Did you know I once knew the pony who planted these trees with her own hooves? No magic or anything. Her name was Applejack." Twilight spoke conversationally as she lowered herself onto her knees, leveling herself with the young filly, who was flabbergasted; just wait till she tells Granpa Apple Stem about this!

"Ah...Ah didn't know that Miss Twilight. We got ourselves two Applejacks right now though. There's grandpappy's cousin's nephew Applejack, then there's momma's cousin's uncle's brother's sister's son's daughter named Applejack, but she's only three." Even the foals are apparently as familiar with the Apple family tree as they are any other apple trees.

"My, my. I think for a few hours I may have forgotten just how expansive your family is." A laugh flavored Twilight's words, but a kind one. "But in fact, it's you I've come to visit, little one. Could you take a little break from applebucking and have a talk with me?"

The filly was torn, truthfully enough; it really was a request, even she could tell that. On one hoof, Princess Twilight was practically family, and for all anypony knew, was family. She sure bucked like an Apple. On the other, she was actually having fun with the big trees, and knew somehow that she'd probably never be quite this good again. Still...

"Well, these here apples aint gonna buck themselves but... Well if ya aint got time for yer friends, yer a bad Apple." The words had a practiced feel to them, and it was a piece of advice that Twilight remembered Applejack saying to her own foals, once.

In that funny way of dreams, the two made their way to the kitchen without seeming to cross any of the intervening space between the orchard and that homey little room. Though, something seemed a little out of place to the filly; it was a cozy warm wooden room, smelling like years and years of cooking apples and had the old Apple family feel to it, but with a start she realized what it was. She hadn't ever actually seen this room before.

In the truly massive expanse of time since Twilight laid eyes on Applejack last, she never forgot the kitchen where she'd eaten more than her fill countless times, to the chagrin of her belly. It was her memory that the two found themselves within.

"Where...are we, Miss Twilight? This aint th' farmhouse kitchen." Honey Apple's mind was starting to struggle against the dream, but between the magically induced sleep, and being within one of Twilight's own memories, the filly couldn't quite wake up, even though she had realized she couldn't be awake.

"Relax, Honey Apple, it's OK, you're safe and nopony is going to hurt you. I just needed to talk with you about something important. You can leave anytime you want, just let me know. Alright?" A wing draped over the filly as Twilight stood beside her, her voice softer than silk.

"Ah'm... Ah'm dreamin'. Gotta be." Honey Apple looked up at Twilight; that wing felt real, as did the Alicorn’s presence. Realer than anything in a dream had any right to. "But you aren't a dream, are ya...?"

A quick poke that drew a giggle from a still-ticklish Twilight gave further evidence to that particular observation.

"Well, Ah guess it can't hurt none, 'specially since Ah guess Ah wasn't really applebuckin'." The prospect makes the filly wilt a bit, but something about being draped in those warm downy feathers just made it difficult to feel blue. "What didja wanna talk about?"

Twilight stood for a moment longer, considering. Truthfully she hadn't given too terribly much thought as to what she would say when it actually came down to explaining it. Since this was the Element of Honesty though...

"I wanted to talk about my old friend Applejack, actually. You see... A long, long time ago, Ponyville was a small, small town; nothing like it is today..."

Together, they sat in that cozy little kitchen, Twilight talking about an age gone by, and Honey Apple listening intently, interrupting only to ask a question or two. They talked about how Sweet Apple Acres had grown, about how Twilight met Applejack, how they found the Elements of Harmony, and used them to rescue Princess Luna, and how Twilight missed her friends every day.

"...And that's why I wanted to talk to you, Honey Apple. You see, you inherited the Element of Honesty, and..." She sighed, starting to buck herself sideways for what she was about to ask. "And, I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me see my friend again."

Honey Apple sat dumbfounded, dozens of thoughts fighting for attention like, 'What does she need me to do?' and 'I inherited an Element? Can I even do that?' All the while Twilight just sat here patiently, allowing the filly all the time she needed to think.

The filly took awhile to respond, but she did so with a somewhat hopeful smile. "Ah wanna help Miss Twilight, but um, how? Ah mean Ah'm glad t'help but Ah don't rightly know how Ah can, with some'n like this."

"Well Honey, Applejack's spirit sorta gets passed down with the Element of Honesty. If the Element was activated, any number of things could happen. You could get Applejack's memories, her personality, or both. You could become a mix between you and her, or..." Twilight took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. "Or... You could end up being overwritten with Applejack entirely. This hasn't been done before, and it has to be your decision if you want to or not. I miss my friend, but not so much that I'd force something like that on one of my wonderful little ponies."

The filly looked up at the Alicorn, at one of the mares that she had been taught were goddesses, at the serene and ancient being before her. She looked up at all of those things, and yet all she saw was a friend, and member of the family. She couldn't imagine the kind of emotions Twilight must have been going through, and she, Honey, knew she could help.

"Miss Twilight..?" she asked, after another contemplative silence, "Ah still wanna help. If Ah do get... um... what you said, 'overwritten' then 'least Ah did it helpin a friend. 'Sides, maybe then Ah could finally buck one o' them honey apple trees by m'self!" She turned up a somewhat worried smile, but she meant it.

Facing a hard decision, Twilight weighed her own feelings, and the willingness of the filly before her against the very real risk of losing a special, unique pony at such a young age. She knew that each pony was special, each life a wonderful unique thing that needed to be valued, and that she as one of the Princesses should try to take care of each one to the best of her abilities. Yet, she also knew the emptiness in her own heart where her friends used to be, and the sorrow of waking up every day without them.

"...Honey Apple, are you sure? I don't know if we can undo what might happen..." For the first time in the conversation, her voice cracked, letting some of the emotion show through; a tiny spark of hope, fear, worry, and even the shadow of disappointment, though that was directed at herself.

As young as she may have been, Honey had a big heart, and she'd be lying to herself if she thought she could have said no. "Ah'm sure Miss Twilight."

It was all the Alicorn could do to choke back a sob as she nodded. Not trusting herself with words, she reached deep inside of herself to a place she hadn't touched in ages. Her crown lit, and the gem set within glowed with an inner light. It was a warm and comforting sensation, like sinking into a bath on a cold day.

Light coalesced around Honey's neck, forming the familiar necklace of the Element of Honesty, and the gem set within it began to glow in harmony with Twilight's crown, but before the magic could activate beyond that, the necklace sparked, a mote of light shooting out of its heart.

Before the two's eyes, a third formed. She wore a brown Stetson, wore her golden tail and mane tied back into a pony tail, and looked out with brilliant green eyes. It was Applejack, exactly as Twilight remembered her in the days of her youth. Not even all that much older than when they first met. The next thing the dusky mare realized was that she, the apparition, bore a very confused look.

"What the hay..?" That was it. When Twilight heard her friends voice, she lost all composure and threw her forelegs and wings around her old friend, hugging her so tightly that even the stout Earth Pony had to squeak a bit.

Honey Apple watched this with confusion, looking down at the necklace wound around her throat, then over at Applejack and Twilight. She noticed what Twilight had not; Applejack wore the same necklace as her, glowing in harmony with her own.

"Miss Twilight? What happened?" The filly's voice broke the spell, and the two friends that had been hugging one another looked to her, then at each other, and laughed a bit, settling down onto their hooves.

Neither moved to answer at first, then both tried to reply at once. Twilight quickly shook her head and smiled at Applejack, giving her the floor. After all, Twilight was just as confused as Honey, because strictly speaking she didn't feel the element activate. She just felt it start to.

"Ah...Well, y'see sugarcube, when y'all did whatever it was y'all were doin', this here thing," Applejack tapped a hoof against her own glowing necklace. "Pulled me plum 'cross creation t' right here. Other'n that, Ah couldn't rightly tell ya."

"Wait," Twilight began, "Pulled you... You mean you were... and you came.... And you're..." She boggled, giving an expression she used to reserve for Pinkie Pie.

"It did, Ah was, Ah did, and Ah am. Was. Ah don't rightly know m'self at th' moment." A familiar little grin appeared on Applejack's face, followed by a shrug before she turned to Honey Apple, giving Twilight time to piece together her thoughts.

"Hey there sugarcube. Guess that hat means yer family, even if th' freckles didn't give it away. Ah'm Applejack." She offered her hoof.

"Um, Ah'm Honey Apple..." The fily took applejack's hoof in hers and gave it a nervous shake. That is to say, it lasted five seconds instead of ten, and neither pony had trouble putting their leg down after. "So um, you planted the Honey Apple trees?"

"Ah sure did, sugarcube! Me'n Big Macintosh even got a few harvests outta 'em 'fore... Well, we got a few harvests outta 'em anyway! They still 'round?"

"Course they are! They're th' biggest trees on th' farm! Bout th' oldest too!" The ice was broken between the two on the subject of apples, and Apples, discussing plants and family both.

Meanwhile, Twilight had been trying to sort out what all this meant. If Applejack had been...wherever it was dead ponies went, then that probably meant that the information Celestia and Luna had dug up was a bit flawed. That was understandable, she supposed, since the Elements didn't exactly come with an Instructional Booklet of Harmony. Beyond that, her thoughts kept turning to Applejack; she was sitting there in the apple kitchen chatting away with her great great great great..... Chatting with her descendant as merrily as if it was over a picnic. It did her heart a world of good, and yet old wounds had been reopened. There was only one question she could think to ask, and she was honestly afraid of the answer.

"So..." she began, cutting off the other two, "What...happens now?"

Applejack looked at her friend of over two thousand years, and smiled a warm, healthy, happy smile. "Well sugarcube, Honey Apple here has a decision t'make. Ah'm here 'cause of this fancy necklace." She tapped the gem again. "And Ah can stay, or leave, dependin' on what she wants. It's up t'her how much o' me gets let in, an' what happens to her. Fer instance, she could boot me out, and the Element along with it, or on th' other end, she could let me move all th' way in and sorta take over. She'd still be here mind, but as a part o' me. Leastwise that's how it got explained t'me."

There were so many things in what Applejack told them that confounded the daylights out of both mares, though Twilight recovered first. "Explained to you? By....?"

The question was answered with a shrug. "Don't know, sugarcube. One minute Ah'm havin' th' saturday picnic with th' gang, next Ah'm surrounded by orange light an’ this voice soundin' awful lot like mine talks to me. Right when it quit talkin, Ah'm here."

"So um, Ah gotta choose?" The question sounded hesitant as Honey Apple looked from Twilight to Applejack and back. "Ah want Miss Twilight t'have her friend back but Ah'm a little scared. Ah wanna still be me but... Could Ah be you too?"

It wasn't the most eloquent phrasing of the question, but the light orange and blonde mare nodded in understanding. "Course, sugarcube. Th' Elements of Harmony are 'bout helpin ponies, not hurtin 'em. Now, Ah think Honey Apple here an' me have some details t'work out" Applejack turned and smiled to Twilight again, her green eyes glimmering.

Twilight took the hint, and nodded. "Alright Applejack. And... no matter what I'm so glad to see you again. I missed you so much." They embraced again, Applejack nodding in response.

"It's OK sugarcube, Ah missed you too. An' one more thing? No matter what happens we'll all be there for ya when your own time comes. T'aint nothin t' be afraid of."





Luna's horn dimmed and Twilight's eyes opened. She was resting on a cushion next to Honey Apple's bed, and tears were pouring down her cheeks. A smile was on her face though, and her eyes shown with happiness. Even as she sat up, there was a soft flash, and the Element of Honesty appeared around Honey Apple's sleeping neck.

"So... What happened?" Luna nuzzled her younger sisters tears away, and draped a wing around Twilight.

"...I think we need to update the information Tia and you found... And, I got to see Applejack again." Another choked back sob later and a bit of rearranging, Twilight was looking at a very young unicorn filly with a silver mane, dark grey fur, curled up into a comfortable ball. Luna had told her that she had inherited the Element of Kindness, and Twilight was excited to see Fluttershy again.


To be continued in Part IV: A Kind Heart.



Notes: Sorry for the delay. I hope you all enjoy the story thus far.

> Friends Forever IV: A Kind Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sunlight drifted in warmly into a small unicorn's window, illuminating a room that would perhaps not be out of place in a palace. It glimmered across polished surfaces of heavy oaken night stands and a magnificent vanity mirror. It shown over precious silks of vibrant purple hanging from a four poster bed large enough to sleep a family at once, and illuminated oil portraits of a family of somber-looking ponies, all with dull colors, polite smiles on their faces that did not touch their eyes. Most of all, however, what those golden rays washed over were more books than were contained in many small libraries, turning the spines of storybooks vibrant hues, and blazing merrily off of embossed lettering of textbooks.

This was the bedroom Twilight found herself starring at in awe, eyes roaming over the plentiful plethora of playful ponytales and exciting enumerations of encyclopedias. She couldn't help wonder if she was in one of her own dreams, at least until her eyes pried themselves from the books to behold the severe family they seemed to belong to. That brought her back to reality, such as it was, and her eyes scanned the room, already excited to meet the owner of the dream,, almost as much as she was at the prospect of seeing another of her dearest friends.

"Um... Excuse me.... um......."

The voice came from behind her, and was so soft and timid that for a long moment Twilight thought it may have belonged to Fluttershy herself.  In fact, it was followed by a squeak so familiar that Twilight found herself about to pounce the source in a hug.... only to find nopony behind her, or rather nopony where she was looking. Instead, she had to direct her eyes downward.

There, seated primly on the floor was a unicorn filly that couldn't be more than a few years old. She bore no cutiemark, and couldn't yet have graduated magical preschool, much less kindergarten.  She had large red eyes, silvery-white mane neatly brushed back, and dark grey fur. On her small muzzle was perched a pair of frameless, round glasses. She looked positively terrified, but still held herself poised and dignified with mannerisms that had the air of being enforced rather harshly.

"F-Father's study is d-down the hall t-to the l-left..." Soft didn't begin to describe the tone of her voice. Perhaps fragile would be a better word.

Even as Twilight stood somewhat dumbfounded, she managed to take in the view of the dream she had apparently interrupted.  The small filly was seated on a cushion with a book nearly as large as she was open on the floor in front of her, and in a small semicircle were several dolls, which were looking up at the Alicorn as well with glowing blue eyes. It hit her as a little creepy until she recalled that they were a kind of toy invented in the past few years, very very expensive. They were enchanted ten ways to Tuesday, almost as much mechanical as magic, and could learn to a fair degree, even talk, if one purchased the higher end models. In fact, to her knowledge the older ones could become roughly as smart as eight year old foals, and as long as they were maintained, could last years and years and years. The ones in front of her looked pristine, and numbered as a cat, a puppy, a bunny, and even a small pony, almost the same size as the filly.

"..Oh!" Twilight exclaimed, she had realized she was standing there staring for a long moment while the foal very obviously was resisting the urge to hide behind something. "Well um... Actually, I'd like to talk to you a little bit, if that's alright with you."

The tall purple mare lowered her head level with the filly, and offered her a warm smile that truthfully came from the heart, trying to communicate wordlessly that it was, in fact, a request, and not one that needed to be obeyed.

It took a long moment of the small foal sitting there, staring into Twilight's warm lavender eyes, quivering now and then, before she could muster an answer. "I-I was r-reading t-to my f-friends..."

They sat in silence for another few moments before Twilight realized that was all the response she was going to get. It wasn't quite a refusal or acceptance, but she could guess well enough that the filly gave answers like that rather frequently. So, she went out on a limb, and knelt down. "That's just fine. I rather enjoy stories myself. Would it be alright if I stayed and listened until you finish? We can talk after if you like."

Consternation replaced fear for a moment on the girls face; she was not expecting to be allowed to continue, much less have somepony interested in her storytelling too. The fact that this huge, strange pony had knelt down nearby without preamble or ritual surprised her as well. So, off kilter, the filly responded with a nod and a squeak.

And so, the nervous and shy filly tried lifting the book in her magic, a thin veil of sparkling silver, only to lose grip on the heavy tome after a few long moments. It was obvious she was either too young or too nervous to hold it, even in her dreams, and as a result the filly eventually had to give up and lie down in front of it, peering through her glasses, and began to read aloud.

At first, her voice continued to stutter, almost too soft to hear, though the dolls finally turned back to her. The sound of her own voice and the steady, written words beneath her eyes reassured her and emboldened her voice, until she spoke with a flowing tone that rather surprised Twilight. It was melodious, and once it had lost that nervous stutter, rather pleasant to listen to. This girl was a born story teller! On the note of stories, the one being orated appeared to be a retelling of the founding of Canterlot and the crowning of Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.

Time passed in that odd way of dreams, and by the end Twilight was beaming, her eyes closed. For the filly to narrate this well, she had to know the book by heart. After all she literally was reciting it in her sleep.

'Even if she weren't the new Element of Kindness, I think I'd like to get to know this pony.' Thought Twilight, which brought her mind back to current events. She always could get distracted by a good book. It was on that note she opened her eyes as the filly was closing the book and floating it with difficulty onto her back. Without thinking, the Alicorn took it gently in her own magic and helped the filly with the task, which in turn made the straining girl's eyes snap open in surprise. 

"T-Thank y-you." The stutter had returned, but the filly's voice was neither soft nor timid. It seemed that unless she had the reassurance that her words were the correct ones, she spoke that way.

"Oh it's no problem dear." Twilight's reply was warm and she stood with a stretch, extending her wings which made the filly squeak again, jaw dropping.

"H-holy... Y-you're P-Princess Twilight!" The filly stumbled over herself, tripping on her front hooves as she tried to bow mid-step, and ended up on the floor in a heap, glasses askew. It was the most adorable thing Twilight had seen in... Years, now that she thought about it.

"Calm down! No need for that!" The Alicorn held back laughter only through sheer trained discipline, and leaned down to nuzzle the filly gently, helping her back up with her muzzle. She couldn't hold back a somewhat Celestia-esque smile, however. "Though, I'd like to know your name in exchange, please."

"S-Silver Chalice, Y-your hi-highness...." Her voice was back to its subdued, fragile, and shy state, apparently adopted around anypony she thought to be 'important' as far as class went.

"Silver Chalice..." Twilight combed her memory. Chalice...chalice... Oh, one of the older families. The Ponyville Spoons married into the Rich Family a few generations after... What were their names, Silver Tiara and Diamond Spoon? No, that's not quite right. Still, that clicked a few things in her memory.   "Oh yes! The Chalice family mansion in Ponyville."

That caused Silver Chalice to blink in confusion. First one of the Princesses was there to see her, which only clicked shortly after giving her own name, and second, how could Twilight not know where she was if she was standing there in her bedroom. This was so surreal to her she must be...

"Oh. I'm dreaming." The small fillies voice evened out, as though she were no longer concerned with her own words. With that realization, the room flickered a little, and the dolls vanished, the book as well, edges starting to soften as the pony pressed against the sleeping magic instinctively.

"Easy now dear. Yes, we're in your dreams, but I still need to talk to you, if you feel up to it. Of course, if you'd rather not I can leave and let you wake up." Twilight did still very much want Fluttershy back, or even just to see her again, but she could wait if she needed to, and it came down to Silver's decision anyway.

"Wait. You mean I-I'm not d-dreaming y-you?"  Caution and nervousness began to creep back into the filly's voice once again, and her ears wilted at the prospect of having slipped up in front of one of the Princesses. Father would be furious if he found out.

Twilight answered by walking over to the grey filly, and draped a wing over her, much as she did Honey Apple. It was a gesture rather alien to the filly, who rarely interacted with Pegasi, and never experienced being wrapped in warm feathers, and so obviously couldn't dream such a sensation. Still, it wasn't unpleasant, and for a short moment the filly caught herself relaxing against the mare's leg.

"W-what d-do y-y-you w-wanna t-talk ab-about?"  She had no clue how to handle the situation. She had been taught not to speak unless spoken to, to always carry herself with dignity, etcetera, etcetera; lessons that a pony that young really shouldn't be subjected to, and as a result, her stutter was getting worse in accordance with her nervousness.

Not being quite as slow on the uptake as she once was, Twilight knelt down, still draping her wing over Silver Chalice, and smiled over at her. "Well, I wanted to talk about you, and an old friend of mine named Fluttershy..." The Alicorn began regaling the filly with stories of her old friend, such as how they met, how Fluttershy faced down a manticore (a creature that had since largely passed into myth), and later stared down a cockatrice, and even faced her worst fear of a full grown dragon. She talked about how she flew fast enough to catch Rainbow Dash (a name even Silver Chalice recognized), took care of every animal a pony could imagine, and even befriended an Ursa!

Silver Chalice, for her part, sat enraptured. She had very rarely been read to herself, and this Fluttershy pony sounded like something straight out of one of her storybooks. Eventually, however, she had to ask. "P-Princess Twilight... I-I'm sorry to interrupt b-but how does this have a-anything t-to do with m-me?" Her question ended as almost a squeak.

Twilight, for her part, paused and blinked a few times, before laughing softly. "Oh I'm sorry Silver, I got lost in memories. Have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?" Upon recieving a shake of the head in answer, she continued. "Well, I'm not surprised, The Elements haven't been needed in a long, long time. The Elements of Harmony are the physical embodiments of the most powerful magic in Equestria, probably even the whole world. Loyality, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, Kindness..." She paused, giving the filly a smile. "And when those five come together in friendship, it creates the spark of Magic. Fluttershy was, a long time ago, the bearer of the Element of Kindness. I'm here because the one pony in all the world with a warm enough heart, and a caring enough nature to inherit that element, is currently tucked under my right wing."

There are advantages to breaking shocking news to somepony while they're asleep. For one thing, they can't faint. Not for lack of trying, though. Still, Silver Chalice managed to squeak out a sound that sounded suspiciously like, "Me?!"

That particular grain of cuteness broke the Alicorn's back (or at least her ability to hold back her laughter), and she started laughing warmly, somehow managing not to sound as if she were laughing at Silver, and laughter like that is contagious. The two were soon giggling together, though the little one didn't know exactly why.

"Yes, Silver dear. You're the new Element of Kindness." Twilight resumed after getting her own giggles under control.

"Um... I won't have to f-fight a manticore or anything will I?" Silver Chalice asked after a few more giggles, the stutter temporarily all but gone.

With a shake of her head, Twilight gave her a reassuring hug with her wing. "No I don't believe you will. The thing is... Well Fluttershy was one of my dearest friends, and because you're the new Element of Kindness, the two of you are connected. If you're willing, we can meet her, and maybe if you wanted to, I could have my old friend back, in a way."

That piqued the filly's interest, but confused her as well. "Have her b-back? But how?"

"Well Silver, once she's here there would be a few decisions to make. I'm not too clear on the details exactly, but if you wanted to you and her could become the same pony, to varying degrees. That's up to you to decide though; it's your body, your life, and your choice. Either way, I'd be happy to get to know you better." Twilight was careful to stress that it was Silver's choice, and that she liked the pony for who she was, not just who she could be.

Judging by the look on Silver Chalices face, however, it was obvious it went over her head. Twilight inwardly sighed, she couldn't be expected to make a decision like this at such a young age.. At least that's what she thought till Silver looked up and said, "I-if it's alright, I-I'd like to meet her, at least... We can t-talk about what will ha-happen next r-right?"

Relief, and a little guilt at feeling it, welled up inside of the Alicorn, who nodded in response. "Of course. As one of my other friends said, the Elements are for helping ponies, not hurting them. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

With that said, Twilight once again reached deep into her heart, where she still felt the fires of her friendship burning brightly, and her tiara showed with light, light which left the gem atop it and coalesced into the necklace around Silver Chalices neck, and from behind the two of them, there was a small, surprised squeak.

Looking slowly over her shoulder, Twilight's eyes alighted on her butter-colored, pink-maned friend, who looked sufficiently shocked to be hiding behind her mane, peeping out with one eye. At least, till she recognized the large purple mare as Twilight, at which point the pink and yellow Pegasus  turned her expression from one of shy surprise to joy, aqua-green eyes sparkling.

"Twilight, it's so nice to see you." Fluttershy's voice was just how Twilight remembered it, and it brought tears to her lavender eyes. Soon she had not just Silver Chalice tucked under a wing, but she hugged Fluttershy in under the opposite wing as well, the buttery-colored mare not entirely sure how she ended up there. Normally, she was too timid to engage in many physical shows of affection like hugging, but after seeing her friend for the first time in... Goodness however long, she made an exception gave up a tentative neck-hug to the larger mare beside her.

"It's wonderful to see you too Fluttershy! You have no idea how much I've missed you. Or Rainbow, or Rarity or Pinkie or Applejack..."  The excited Alicorn's voice caught in her throat, and she had to fight back tears. Fluttershy for her part seemed to be trying to think of something to say.

Taking advantage of the momentary silence, the white-maned filly tucked beneath Twilight's wing greeted the stranger in her dream with a squeaky "H-hello m-miss F-flutters-shy M-my na-name is Silver Chalice." Of course, the end was barely a whimper by the time she had finished speaking. 

The fact that she had spoken at all surprised Twilight a bit, but no more than Fluttershy un-tucking herself from her wing, and zipping over to the filly that might perhaps rival her in timidity. In fact, at the sudden movement Silver Chalice tucked herself further under the wing, as though trying to hide.

"Oh dear. She is possibly the cutest thing ever!" Fluttershy's voice bore the same tone as it had upon meeting Spike for the first time, and Twilight couldn't help but grin at the memory. In fact...

"Well, why don't I let you two talk? I'm... guessing you got the rundown like Applejack...?" Twilight inquired of her friend, who took a long moment to pry her eyes from Silver Chalice (much to the filly's relief), and received a nod.

"Um, yes I think so. One minute Applejack was sitting there about to eat a slice of apple pie then her necklace popped up around her neck and she vanished! I guess I know what happened now." Flutter smiled down at her own necklace, and then seemed to recall something else she was going to say.  "Oh um, also, we um... We saw what you did for us, Twilight."

Saw what she.... "...Oh gosh." Twilight blushed, possibly for the first time in... Decades? Centuries? "Was it... Was everything OK? I mean I know you didn't ask for-"

Twilight was cut off by a warm smile from her friend, who then nodded. "I love the hospital Twilight. Thank you for taking care of all my animal friends for so long, too."

Unable to think of a single thing to say, the purple Alicorn simply sat there, eyes full of tears and her breath caught in her throat. Her friends were watching her, all this time! Why didn't Applejack... Oh, probably because she got distracted by Honey Apple.

By the time she surfaced from her thoughts, Fluttershy had knelt in front of Silver Chalice, and her warm, approachable demeanor had the filly talking with barely a stutter to be heard.

"-from P-Ponyville, but Father doesn't let me get out m-much so I like to s-spend most of my time reading to my f-friends.." Silver Chalice's words filtered in mid-sentence, and received encouraging nods from Fluttershy.

"That's very nice of you. When I was little my mom used to read to me too. What are your friends names?" This was from Fluttershy, when Silver trailed off. Twilight couldn't hold a smile back. It seemed her friend would be getting the life’s story from this little filly and, though she longed to stay and listen to the two talk, she knew now that if the others- Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie pie- didn't know what to expect by now, they probably would soon, and would be waiting for her.

Her drive rekindled, Twilight gave her two friends, both old and new, one more wing hug before standing and excusing herself, receiving distracted nods from both, and a smile from Fluttershy.





Luna started in surprise when Twilight awoke from where she was seated nearby, a stack of scrolls neatly arranged to either side of her, and one open in front with a quill out. It had been a few hours since Twilight first ventured into Silver Chalices dream, and in the interim it had passed from Celestia's court to Twilight's, and Luna's. Celestia was happy to cover for Twilight of course, and most of Night Court was scroll-work anyway. No important visitors in Canterlot, either, so Luna had simply asked an attendant to have her work delivered to the royal wing.

"How did it go...?" Came the inevitable inquiry from the Night Princess, a hopeful tone on her voice.

Twilight, who had woken with not a tear to beheld grinned. "It went absolutely spectacularly!" The grown mare bounced a little in place and it was obvious the only reason she didn't make more noise was for the benefit of the still sleeping ponies.... And on that note, she glanced at the clock and blinked rapidly. "Oh uh, sorry for taking so long. How much longer till the sleeping spell wears off?"

Luna just laughed softly and set her quill and paper down. "As long as you need it to, their parents know where they are, and I've got all night." That made Twilight smile, and the lavender mare stood, stretching as she did. Or she started to; a gentle flash announced the second element necklace appearing around its owner’s neck. "I guess they reached an agreement."

Not one to dally around after so long waiting, she looked over the other three sleeping ponies. One more foal, and two ponies in their teens perhaps. One of the latter, an earth pony mare with a bright azure coat and a nearly black mane was smiling in her dreams, and wiggling a hoof. Twilight cast a questioning glance to Luna, and was answered with,"Loyalty."

That surprised Twilight, and she wondered how Rainbow Dash would react. In fact, she definitely wanted to see her speedy friend again... So, mind made up, she carried her cushion over and, after stretching out a cramp or two, settled back in, and with a soft flash from Luna, ventured into dreams...

TO BE CONTINUED IN: Part V: Promises To Keep.

> Friends Forever V: Promises To Keep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Speed, hooves pounding on a racetrack, or darting nimbly through trees, with crowds of cheering fans at every turn; dreams of soaring through the air, or riding down a frozen slope on a sled. These were the kinds of things that Twilight had come to expect after seeing the similarities in Honey Apple and Silver Chalice to their respective counterparts... What surrounded her, however, was...

In a word, tranquil.  The sound of waves cresting time and again against a sandy shore drifted through the air, and in time with each soft roar of sea-foam, the sound of calm weak creaking could be heard, like the sound of an old rocking chair. She didn't have to look far to spy the source, either. There, inside of a large, spacious parlor filled with soft greens and blues offset with occasional bursts of yellow or orange, was the new bearer of Loyalty, sitting beside a cradle containing three sleeping foals, all the same age by the looks of it. She was rocking it in time with the sound of waves with the tip of her nose, and had yet to notice the purple Alicorn.

Taking a moment more to look around Twilight saw light streaming in from over the ocean, the sun turning the waves a sea of gold, accented with blue bordering on black, a view granted by a large bay window facing south, so that dawn or dusk, the sea to the south and west would be lit in a way that bordered on magical for the family that lived there to behold. As for the parlor itself, toys were strewn here and there out of the way on the wooden floor, blocks, dolls a few story books, mostly things for small foals. The furniture was simple, two chairs and a sofa, all of which looked well used and cushioned, but kept clean and pleasant, with a low coffee table nearest the chairs, all of which was arranged in a corner atop a sea green area rug to open up the rest of the floor for play and walking space. On one wall was a fireplace, complete with mantle, with several photographs of the family, including a somewhat round mare and tall stallion, the mother and father presumably.

"Oh, good evening, Highness." The voice came quietly, accented just slightly of Trottingham, and it took Twilight a long moment to realize that the azure mare was looking at her while still rocking the crib. Her eyes were the sharpest gold she had ever seen, and instantly reminded her of the sun gleaming outside. "I had thought I was dreaming, and I suppose now I know for certain." The mare continued rocking the cradle despite this. However, she did begin using her hoof rather than muzzle.

Twilight stood somewhat dumbfounded for a long moment, and the look on her face caused her host to laugh, albeit quietly in respect to the sleeping triplets. 

"Err- Good evening... I... apologize if I'm interrupting..." Still off balance, Twilight was unsure of how to proceed, and so she fell back on cautious politeness for the time being.

"Not at all, Highness. I admit I'm surprised to see you, however. It's been... Years I believe, since I've dreamed of you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Another adventure across the waves or perhaps you've come again to whisk me away on a life of adventure before I wake?" The mare's voice wasn't bitter, though it was not far. Instead, that azure mare sounded sad, and perhaps a little hurt.

"Oh dear..." This wasn't going at all like she had anticipated, and it seemed to her as though every time she thought of something to say it slipped from her grasp.  "I'm... afraid not as such, no. In fact I'm afraid this is our first meeting..."

A brow quirked over one of those golden eyes in curiosity, but the mare it belonged to shrugged after a moment. "I see, so it's going to be one of those dreams, very well." She finally stopped rocking the crib and leaned down to nuzzle each of the sleeping foals within, receiving a little squeaking yawn from the middle one. That done, she knelt with a practiced motion, head low to the ground. "Princess Twilight, my name is Morning Waves. Won't you please take me away to a land across the sea where dreams come true and every day is spent filled with fun?" The words had an oddly practiced feel to them, and once again bore a tone that was just shy of bitter.

'Oh my...' thought Twilight beginning to realize what she had gotten herself into, 

"Morning Waves... I'm sorry." It was all she could think to say at first, "I-"

"For what? Leaving me to grow up staring out that window and waiting for you? Stringing me along with dream after dream, promise after promise of something better?!" The room around the two of them darkened, thunder rumbling out above the sea, matching the fierceness in her voice. It seemed that this was a pony with old wounds and, and pain in her heart, "You're sorry for letting me wake up to the same old room in the same old  life with nothing to look forward to but another day of- of..."

Tears poured from those golden eyes, staring at Twilight in accusation, rage, and pain. The room went dark, lit by lightning and the light all but snuffed as a storm raged outside and the intensity of the mare's reaction staggered the Alicorn, who was left breathless. Morning Waves, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to choke out another accusation while holding back a sob when a scared cry stopped them both. The center foal, bright pink filly with a short yellow mane was awake, and hiding her muzzle under her blanket, watching the two and shivering.

With a deep breath, Morning Waves turned from Twilight, and leaned over the crib once again, nuzzling the small filly's forehead and murmured to her, the sound of the storm outside calming noticeably. "It's alright Coral, big sister's here. It's alright. Go back to sleep."  Her voice was once again soft and reminded Twilight of Fluttershy tending to a sick animal. The crib began to creak again as Morning Waves rocked it with a hoof, mastering herself before turning back to Twilight.

"Look, you’re just a dream, and I've woken up crying enough because of you. If I try, I can make you disappear and enjoy the rest of my evening." Those sharp, golden-orange eyes closed, and Twilight could feel the dream world around her attempting to reject her as though she were nothing but a figment of this mare's imagination. It was a fair tug too; it seemed Morning Waves was a strong dreamer. Still, between the magic from Luna and Twilight's own determination to see this through, she stayed precisely where she was, for all appearances unphased by the sleeping mare trying to push her away.

In fact, the azure pony opened her eyes fully expecting an otherwise empty room, and seeing the concerned-looking purple mare still before her rendered her gast pretty well flabbered. She stood mouth somewhat agape in surprise. "What the hayseed?"

"...I apologize for wearing out my welcome, but I needed to speak with you, if you'd be willing to. You are dreaming, but not of me. If you truly wish me gone, however, I will leave, and this will be nothing but another dream." Twilight spoke softly, matching that fiery gaze with her own lavender eyes. Truthfully, she was sorry for imposing on her like this, and perhaps irrationally, lamented any harm she brought on this pony even if she had no hoof in it.

With a heavy sigh, Morning Waves sat upon a chair which was not there a moment before, still absentmindedly rocking the cradle with one hoof. "What's the difference? Either you're just a particularly stubborn dream or for some reason you're actually here and I’ve just made a foal of myself. Regardless of which is the truth, I'm too tired to care. Talk if you must, I have nothing better to do while you're here and I doubt I could wake if I tried." She sounded defeated and, true to her word, tireder than anything else.

"Well then..." Twilight began, walking tentatively forward, and sitting upon the floor in front of the smaller mare. "Why don't we begin by talking about you? Believe what you will about me, I've never intended to cause pain like this on anypony. “A snort interrupted her for a moment, but she continued on, "So.. I guess first I'd have to ask why you hate me, so."

That gave Morning Waves pause, and she began her answer with a sigh. "I don't hate you, Princess, and I know in my heart you wouldn't deserve such a thing if I did. No, Highness, I don't hate you, but you have hurt me, whether you meant to or not.

"When I was little, maybe their age," Morning Waves nodded to the three sleeping foals before continuing, "Mother used to sit with me in that window in the evenings when she got home. She would tell me stories about tiny ponies with butterfly wings that played in forests and a secret world of ponies with flippers for back hooves beneath the waves. Always these fantastic tales when the sun was going down, turning that ocean gold.

"Now, don't get me wrong I've never had a bad life, my mother and father have always taken good care of me, and my little brother and sisters, but when you're told all these wonderful stories about things you've never even imagined, you can't help but want to live them, or at least I couldn't.  Well, one day in preschool, we were learning about the Sisters- You, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia- and how Luna rose the moon and the stars, and Celestia raised the sun, and how you painted the sky to celebrate the coming of both, and keep the magic of the day alive.

"Well, as you can imagine, in my heart I associated you with these ponytales mother had taught me in the hours of twilight, and so in my dreams, you would come and take me away from my life of school and routine, with promises of wonders and always new games. I dreamed, and I waited, because I thought if I wished hard enough, one day you'd arrive.

"Time passed, and I got tired of waiting, so I worked extra hard for a whole month doing my chores, and I saved my allowance till I could afford to send a letter to you. Well, I couldn't just ask you to come whisk me away, what if somepony read it? Instead, I wrote, 

'Dear Princess Twilight,

I have a special dream that I want more than anything to come true, and I would do anything in the world to see it happen. Please, tell me how I can make my dreams come true?

Your Faithful Subject,
Morning Waves'"

The azure mare closed her eyes, tears having begun to well within her eyes once again, and by the time she had finished reciting her letter from heart, she needed a moment to collect herself. Twilight, for her part, was shocked. Now that she mentioned it, she remembered that letter. She remembered telling her-

"You... You wrote back the very next day. My heart felt like it was going to burst before I opened the scroll. I waited until the sun was going down, I wanted it to be perfect.." Morning Waves continued, her eyes closed, and Twilight's own heart was sinking.

"I waited till the sea was gold when I opened your letter. It said 

'Dear Morning Waves,

Having a special dream in your heart is a wonderful and important thing, and I promise you, if you stay true to your dreams and to yourself, and always be the best pony you can be, it will come true. Never give up!

Best wishes,
Princess Twilight.'

"It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I had thought that you somehow knew what I meant, that this was your way of saying if I was good enough and was patient, one day you'd come, and one day all those foalhood dreams would come true. After all, I had your promise" The word was spoken as though it were a snake, coiled to strike.

Twilight was searching for something, anything she could say when the mare  in front of her opened those golden-orange fiery eyes, and once again found herself without words.

"Well Princess, I waited. I waited, and hoped, and I was such a model pony that ponies I'd helped showed up and brought toys, storybooks, bits, and my parents always asked why. I didn't accept any of it, I didn't feel I needed any of it, and I always told my parents I was keeping my end of a promise. I grew older, still no cutie-mark by the time I was thirteen, and still doing the best I could.

"By then, I was having nightmares from time to time that you came, and told me I wasn't good enough, and left without me. Other times, I'd dream you finally came, just like you promised, and took me over the sea in a chariot towards the sunset, and just before we arrived, I would wake up. I lost hope Highness in everything, one by one. I still helped, I still did the best I could, but out of habit, out of expectation. Then, one day, mother came home and announced she was pregant.

"That's when it finally clicked, I guess. You weren't coming, and your promise was empty." The azure mare's voice was flat but her eyes seemed to be trying to bore into Twilight's soul, and she felt as though they were doing a fair job.

"Well, I swore from then on that I'd never do that to anypony else. I would never break my word like you did, and when my mother had triplets, one colt and two fillies, I promised my parents I would watch over them always. I promised my little sisters and brother from the moment they opened their eyes that I would take care of them.  I got my cutiemark that day."

The azure mare stood and showed her flank properly, and Twilight couldn't help but look. It was a single purple ribbon, tied in a bow. Simple, highly symbolic, and had she not heard what she had, the purple mare likely wouldn't have understood its significance.

"On the upside, I now have one brother and two sisters I love with all of my heart, I've made some friends now that I'm not constantly pining for a dream that will never come true, and overall, I think I've managed to be happy. Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Story told, Morning Waves visibly deflated, and it was obvious to Twilight that the mare had likely told no one of what was gnawing at her.

Words came slowly to the Alicorn. She had never imagined that such a simple encouragement might have caused so much pain. Or perhaps she had simply grown disconnected from her subjects as time passed.

"Morning Waves..." Twilight began, pausing a moment when the mare before her flinched, "If I had known what you were asking, if I had known what it meant to you I would have..." What? Whisked her away from her family? Made dreams a reality somehow, regardless of the consequences with her not in-substantial magic? What could she possibly say to this mare? "...I would have chosen my words more carefully, and have paid you a visit long before now. However...."

Morning Waves was watching Twilight tiredly, sadness in her eyes. Her silence seemed almost as cutting as her words.

"However... Even I cannot change the past. I can only apologize for my errors, and causing you pain. Will you accept my apology, and take my friendship in exchange?" Twilight lowered herself first to Morning Waves' height, and then bowered her head low, closing her eyes.

"I... I want to be mad at you. I want to tell you to get out for the spiteful relief I would feel in my gut. I want to make you feel the same pain of rejection I did..." The mare in front of Twilight spoke slowly and carefully, and with her eyes closed she could only guess at what was coming next, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. "I want to... But that wouldn't be fair to myself, or to you." She felt a hoof on her shoulder. "I forgive you, and I'm sorry too."

When Twilight opened her eyes, Morning Waves sat before her, smiling a small, somewhat tearful smile down at her, and for a brief moment, the purple Alicorn gained a flash of insight into some inkling of her eldest sister's feelings upon the return of Luna. So, taking a leaf from Celestia's book, Morning Waves found herself being wing neck-hugged, and was even more surprised to find herself returning it.

"So... I'm fairly sure you aren't a dream, but I'm also confident you knew nothing of all this when you came to 'visit', so what's the real reason for coming?" The words brought Twilight out of a momentary reverie, and she was relieved to hear only curiosity rather than accusation or more pain.

"Well Morning Waves, a long time ago, before I was even a Princess, I had a very dear friend, named Rainbow Dash--" She began, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"Wait, Rainbow Dash? As in the Rainbow Dash? The one Sea Foam-" A nod toward the colt on the far right of the crib, light blue with a green mane, "-can't hear enough about?"

That made Twilight smile for a plethora of reasons, "The very same. She was one of my best friends, and I miss her very much. Well, I learned that she- and  five of my other dearest friends- shared a connection with five equally special ponies, through a kind of magic called the Elements of Harmony. Each one represented a special quality of friendship. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty. Rainbow Dash, and you, share the Element of Loyalty."

"So..." Morning Waves began, trying to fathom what that meant. "I have this special magic or something that Rainbow Dash had? Or like, I'm her greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreat grand daughter or something?" Her voice was flat and somewhat disbelieving. 

"Well,  in a way I suppose, as far as the magic goes, but what I mean is, you're both bearers of the Element of Loyalty, and that means the two of you are connected. The truth is, I miss my friends very much, and through this connection I could see my friends again, possibly even have them back..." The Alicorn felt somewhat nervous as she trailed off.  While on one hoof, she was being as honest as she knew how, and she was confident none of the ponies were being made to do anything they didn't want to, saying it like that made it seem... 

"Alright, so let me get this straight..." Morning Waves' voice broke Twilight's train of thought, "You want to use this special connection to see your friend again right? OK I can understand that, but what do you mean 'get them back?  Where would that leave me?  Are you talking about something of the sort of bringing her back to life...?! Or....?"

The question was more than reasonable, but Twilight, for all her experience and magical knowledge, still didn't really know what the answer was. "Well...  The way it's been explained to me what could happen ranges from not a thing, to you more or less becoming the new Rainbow Dash- but don't worry,  you don't have to do anything you don't want to, and the Elements of Harmony are a force of good, they wouldn't do anything to you to harm you." She hoped it was a good enough answer, and though if Morning Waves refused she'd accept the answer, she truly, in her heart of hearts, hoped that the other mare would accept.

"Wait, so you are coming back into- err, well coming into my life, anyway, asking for my friendship, and then immediately wanting a favor like that?" The azure mare sighed a deep breath, closing her eyes. "So basically what you're saying is, if I wanted to, I could give up... well, give up being me, my old life, and become this... This... Nearly-mythical pony, fastest ever and go on adventures with you and who knows what. Princess, you, or somepony out there, has a very cruel sense of humor."

The words broke Twilight's heart, and it showed. She visibly sagged just enough to be noticeable before masking it behind a neutral expression. The mare opposite her continued speaking, for that moment not reacting.

"If you had come to me with this offer five years ago, I would have taken it without question. Four years ago, I'd still be seriously tempted. But now...?" Morning Waves looked from Twilight, to the three siblings still asleep in the crib. "Princess.... Twilight. I can't give up being me, I can't leave my friends, my family. I can't leave them for all the fun, for all the adventures, for all the magical experiences in the world...."

The words fell on Twilight's heart like a hammer nails in the lid of a coffin, but at the same time, she understood. Loyalty. Loyalty to ones friends, to their family, and to themselves, even when faced with the offer for everything they ever wanted. If Morning Waves had accepted, she wouldn't have deserved--

"...But." Once again, Twilight's train of thought found itself derailed, and her heart again leaped into her throat. But...? "I'd like to help you see your friend again.... And... You said a lot of things could happen right? It... Wouldn't hurt to just talk-- But I'm not agreeing to anything yet, understand?"

There's no feeling quite like falling into the jaws of despair only to be snatched aloft by a faint butterfly of hope before they snap shut, and it was that feeling that Twilight found fluttering through her belly. If nothing else, she'd see Dash again, and that was more than she thought she could expect only a few moments ago.

It was with a nod and grateful smile that Twilight reached within herself once again, touching that special place in her heart where her friends dwelt, and as before, her crown lit, light gathering in its heart before shining out to coalesce around Morning Wave's throat in that familiar necklace bearing a lightning bolt. What happened next made both ponies jump.

"oooooooOOOOH YEAH!" That was all the warning either of them received before, chased by a rainbow of light, Rainbow Dash made her entrance in her old manner; by crashing in through a window and ending up in a pile atop Twilight, leaving a very surprised Morning Waves looking over at aftermath of a supersonic glomp.

"Hey Twilight! Miss me? Of course you did! I'm the one. The only. RAINBOW DASH!"  The cyan mare managed to extricate herself, and pose, wings spread, looking proud of herself, before blinking a few times, and actually looking around, especially at Morning Waves, and the crib beside her. "Ummm. Did I miss something?"

Dash looked... Not entirely how Twilight was expecting (once her vision cleared). She was older, about the age she finally managed to get into the Wonderbolts, for one, with a somewhat longer, shoulder-length mane, worn straight.  Come to think of it, wasn't Pinkie usually telling her she'd look good with...?

"Uhhh Twilight, Equestria to Twilight?"  Rainbow stepped curiously closer to the still sprawled Alicorn, only to be summarily glomped in a hug. "OK! OK! I get it! You missed me! Uncle!" 

Twilight kept hugging her friend for another long moment before looking over to Morning Waves, who was at that moment calming the foals in the crib again. "Morning Waves, meet Rainbow Dash-"

"Fastest flyer in all of Equestria-" Dash herself interjected.

"...Fastest flyer in all of Equestria." Twilight added with amusement, "Rainbow Dash, meet Morning Waves, the new Element of Loyalty."

Morning Waves took another moment to make sure the foals were alright and calmed down before looking to Dash and holding out a hoof somewhat hesitantly. "Hello...?"

Rainbow grinned and gave Morning's hoof a shake, then looked her over. "Well, you definitely aren't what I was expecting but at least they found a better replacement than Spike!"

That sent Twilight and Dash both into a fit of giggles, leaving Morning Waves looking rather confused for a long moment before she ventured again, "Alright so...You're here. What now?"

That brought the two reunited friends back to the moment, and Twilight looked to the cyan Pegasus to answer and, perhaps demonstrating just how much Dash had grown over her life, actually picked up on it.

"Right! Well how would YOU like to be the new Rainbow Dash? We could fit you up with a nice pair of wings- Twilight you can do that right?" "-Uh-" "Great! With your colors you could be like, fifty percent cooler with a big pair of wings with black-tipped pinions and- ooh! Maybe gold flecks! Yeah that'd look awesome when we're flying over and-"

"Excuse me...!" Morning Waves interrupted, holding a hoof up to interrupt the excitable Pegasus. "I don't know about wings, but I'm not becoming the new anypony! Like I told the Princess, I'd help her see her friend again, and we'd talk about what came next! I'm not going to abandon my friends and family for anypony, not her Highness, and not you."

Rainbow's face turned from surprise at being interrupted, to confusion, then indignation. "What?! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I mean with some training your name could TOTALLY go down right beside mine! I bet I could get you up to Rainboom speeds in a year, maybe two! And your family and friends-?!"

"Rainbow...!"  Twilight began, watching the ire grow in Morning Wave's eyes.

"Yeah yeah Twilight just a sec." Rainbow waved a hoof at the purple Alicorn, her magenta eyes never leaving Morning Waves. "Your friends would have me! And besides, with all the bits and fame we'd have, we could get them anything they ever wanted! I mean hay, do you know how much I made in the Wonderbolts, much less giving lessons after?!"

Morning Waves sat perfectly still, but her golden orange eyes looked for all the world like gates into the fiery heart of the sun itself, and even Rainbow stuttered as she began talking again, and trailed off. "Miss Dash, I don't care who you THINK you are, but I will not break my promises for some pompous, arrogant, full-of-herself MUSCLEHEADED pony like you..." Her voice was crisp, hard, and angry.

Dash sat there completely stunned the whole while, and blinked repeatedly at the mare while Twilight hid her face behind her hoof. 'What has gotten INTO her?' she thought.

Then, Rainbow's face turned up in a smile, her eyes softening and she nodded, the next word out of her mouth stealing the fire from Morning Waves' eyes: "Good."

Both Twilight and Morning looked at Dash, then each other, then back. "What?" They spoke in unison.

"I said good! I don't like ponies who'd give up their friends, much less family, for something like fame or money. In fact, I don't even like the kind of pony I was, once. Humility and empathy are almost as important as loyalty to those you care about, and keeping your promises." Rainbow's eyes sparkled, and Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Morning Waves was still speechless.

"What happens next is up to you, Wavie. I can go back to watching and next time a new Loyalty pops up, we can see what happens. After all I'm not going anywhere and neither is Twilight, or we could work something out where everypony's happy. S'up to you." Rainbow's voice was calmer and had lost a fair portion of the brash tone. It sounded to Twilight like it did in her later years, after retiring from the Wonderbolts and settling down. In fact, it was almost matronly.

"I... err... Uh... Guess...?" Morning Waves looked to Dash, then Twilight respectively, still off her even footing.

"Great! Twilight, Pinkie and Rarity are still waiting for you. We kinda figured what happened after AJ and 'Shy vanished a second after their necklaces popped up, more or less, and Wavie here and I have things to talk about." Dash smiled to Twilight, and started to turn back before a purple hoof found its way to her shoulder.

"Rainbow, it's really wonderful to see you again. Before I go... Before whatever happens, happens... I kept my promise, right? I did the best I could." All this talk of promises, especially Morning's accusation of breaking hers had Twilight rattled, and it showed. Her face was worried, and it was on her voice as well.

The question seemed to stun Rainbow, who blinked again in surprise, before she grinned an honest and full grin. "Twi, you did everything I asked for and more to boot. We're all grateful. In fact, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack wouldn't stop talking about it. Now, go on. Watching you snooze beside these ponies was getting dull when I got here."

Tears in her lavender eyes, Twilight stood and gave Rainbow another hug, and even one to Morning Waves, though the latter wasn't sure how to respond, before turning, and lighting her horn, breaking her connection to the dreaming spell.





The smell of hot tea and daisy sandwiches met Twilight's nose as she opened her eyes, a tray sitting in front of her featuring a steaming mug of peppermint and a sandwich cut in half. Luna was nearby as well, looking up from one of the last of her scrolls as the purple Alicorn stirred.

They sat quietly for a moment, the middle sister giving Twilight time to sort her thoughts, and eat.

"So, how did it go?" Luna finally asked after Twilight had finished half her sandwich, and was working on her second mug of tea.

"...Luna, even a thousand years isn't long enough to learn all of life's lessons, and every now and then I'm reminded of how little I really know." Twilight looked to her sister, a somewhat shaky smile on her face. "It... went well. I do have a question though."

"Oh?" One of Luna's brows was quirked, and she took a sip of her own mug of tea, a blend of lemon and orange.

"Which of--" Twilight was cut off by a dull flash of the Loyalty necklace appearing around Morning Wave's throat, and the sight made her smile, pausing for a long moment, then resumed her thought as she looked upon the remaining ponies. "Which of these two is the new Generosity?"

"Her." Luna directed her muzzle toward the younger of the two, a Pegasus filly older than Honey Apple by a year, perhaps two. She was a small thing, thin, with a soft, nearly white, yellow coat, and a mane of aquamarine. "Her name is Sun Dew. We found her in an orphanage in Old Manehatten. We.... thought it was best to put her under before we left since... We didn't want to give the wrong impression." The Night Princess gave Twilight a helpless look, then looked somewhat sadly to the sleeping filly.

Twilight on the other hoof felt her heart, already soft from the emotional roller coaster she had just ridden, break clear in two as she looked at Sun Dew, curled up with her head resting on a wing. ".. An orphan...? The new bearer of the Element of Generosity is an orphan?"

"It... looks that way, Twilight. Medicine's advanced, as has healing magic, but sometimes there are still complications. Her mother passed away shortly after she was born, and she has no registered father, or living relatives." Luna sighed softly and sealed the scroll before her. "The matron at the orphanage said she's the sweetest child she's ever met, but she doesn't talk much..."

Twilight continued watching the filly sleep, almost afraid of the dreams she might be having, and her heart continued to break. There's a reason the Royalty tended to distance themselves from their subjects, even if they didn't try. Eternity was a long time to bear emotional scars, and trying to heal the world all at once was too much even for them. Still, her mind was made up then, and there.

"Luna, while I'm asleep, could you please get the adoption papers ready? No matter what happens, I'm not letting her go back to that orphanage unless she wants to." Her voice was a whisper, and Luna quirked a brow, only marginally surprised, before giving a nod, possibly of approval.

"Of course, sister.  I'll see about a room for her as well."

'We live in such a peaceful land, and between my sisters and I, we keep it that way, but maybe a guiding hoof isn't enough. I'm going to talk to Tia about Sun Dew tomorrow...'  Her decision made, and aching heart mollified for the moment, she settled her cushion down beside the small sleeping pony, and closed her eyes. Shortly after, she felt Luna's magic carrying her away.

TO BE CONTINUED IN: Part 6 – Meaningful Gifts.

> Friends Forever VI: Meaningful Gifts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	There are orphanages that are sadly underfunded, overcrowded and meager in their means and appearances; institutions in which unwanted children are housed until mercy is shown upon them or they grow enough to leave on their own life's journeys; sad places that happy families do not often consider, or dwell upon, for fear of an orphans fate becoming their own, or that of their child.

...This... was not one of those orphanages. The walls were colored brightly with playful designs on wallpaper that looked new, the air comfortable with no drafts to be found, and plentiful toys were stacked neatly where they belonged. There were foals of all sorts and races playing games with one another, or practicing a weak grasp on magic by stacking blocks. By the looks on their faces, they were happy enough, a few colts and fillies singing a nursery rhyme while jumping rope.

Suffice to say that Twilight was rather pleasantly surprised by the sights and sounds around her even as her eyes scanned the various ponies for Sun Dew. She did notice that only a few of the dreamed ponies had any real definition beyond a cursory glance, though. Many older ones lacked a cutiemark, and their motions were somewhat repetitive. Only a small number  of younger ponies had details such as cutiemarks, or individual hairs, whereas the rest were merely smooth, nearly cartoonish figures of color.

'They must be ponies she actually knows.' Twilight thought to herself, but as she looked about the room she couldn't spot the filly in question until she had turned almost a full circle. There, in one corner doodling on a piece of paper was Sun Dew. She sat by herself, but frequently glanced over at the group of ponies that Twilight figured were her friends.

Normally, the purple mare would have approached quietly and watched, waiting until she was noticed, so as not to interrupt the activity, and she started to do just that, but Sun Dew noticed her immediately upon looking up, and some of the other ponies began fading from the dream, the Alicorns presence startling the small Pegasus.

"Oh! Um, hello there." Twilight ventured, closing the distance at a sedate walk, carefully watching the small Pegasus.

No answer came, however, just a pair of large green eyes looking back at her, a curious look on the filly's face. She didn't shrink away at the approach, nor did she make any move toward the new face. It seemed that she was fairly used to strange ponies visiting. Still, Twilight stopped a short distance away, and despite being several centuries old, she still hesitated. Making good impressions with new ponies never was her strong suit, after all.

Her proximity did let her see the drawing, though. It wasn't particularly detailed, and the exact image seemed to shift with the dream, but the focus appeared to be several ponies with older ones present, and that made Twilight somewhat curious, and gave her something to hopefully start a conversation with.

"That's a nice drawing. Are they your friends?" Twilight put on her best smile, her face and eyes soft, and the mare positively glowing gentleness (a far cry from a few other 'smiles' in her lifetime). For her effort, she received a small smile in return, and a slight nod, those green eyes still peering up at her.

"Um..." Twilight reached for something to say; the silence was a little awkward for her. "Who's that with them...?"  The question was both born of curiosity, and an attempt to encourage the girl to talk. For her effort, the filly turned and looked up at a Monday-Sunday calendar on the wall, with events written on it. On Saturday was marked 'Adoption Day'.

"Oh... So, those are their new parents?" Nod. "...Aren't you... hoping for somepony to be yours, too?" The question was a bit more probing, but the filly didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, it seemed to Twilight almost like the filly was trying to seem... distant. As for the response, Sun Dew tilted her head ever so slightly for a long moment, and then rolled her shoulders in a shrug before nodding.

'Translation: I guess..?' Twilight's thoughts were the only words she had for company, and she started to become more and more sure that the filly just didn't want to talk.  She could keep fishing for a topic to talk about, anything really, but something told her she would receive much the same responses.

"...Alright then..." The Alicorn decided aloud, receiving an ear-flick from the filly. Twilight couldn't force her to talk, and though she certainly wanted to see Rarity, she figured that maybe a discussion in the waking world would go over better. Therefore, as she turned and began to walk away, Twilight said, "It... was nice meeting you Sun Dew. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

Just before Twilight began working the waking spell, however, a small voice,  sweet and very soft, almost inaudible, stopped her with a single word. 

"Wait."

Surprise, more than anything else, stopped Twilight at first, making the tall mare blink a few times, sorting out whether she had actually heard anything. That was soon answered as a light touch on her hind leg registered. She turned, surprise still evident on her face, to see the young Pegasus, looking up at her again with those green eyes wide. The filly stared at Twilight a moment longer, then looked over at the group of ponies who still seemed to be playing, her gaze lingering there, then looking back up at the lavender mare, face questioning.

It took her a moment to understand the question being asked, but Twilight shook her head in response. "No, I just came for you Sun Dew, though I'm sure your friends will be adopted in no time."

A pregnant moment followed as the other ponies in the room faded from the dream one by one, until the two were left alone. Those emerald-green eyes never fell nor lifted as the small pony watched the Alicorn- who at this point was feeling a tad more uncomfortable than before.

"This isn't like my normal dreams." Sun Dew's voice came again, still quiet, perhaps out of habit, and was neither a question nor a dismissal. A simple statement of fact, "After they talked to me, grownups would go over and take my friends to their new homes. I make them happy, even if they don't know it."

Twilight could have expected any number of things from this quiet little artist; shyness, shock, disbelief, even fear. What she got, however, was calm, reasonable ('Or maybe "logical' would be a better word...'), and a little more analytical than she expected from a foal Sun Dew's age.

"You knew my name, too." The words stirred Twilight from her thoughts, and surprise, the little Pegasus going on, and canting her head to one side at this, suggesting it was meant to be a question as well.

"Um...” The lavender mare stated, oh-so-eloquently, her head leaning back a bit and a hoof rose. It wasn't that Sun Dew bothered her as a pony, but the personality was such she'd expect it with a mare, or at least an older foal than this. Come to think of it, was she like this as a foal?

"Um..." Twilight tried again a moment later, before setting her hoof down and taking a deep breath, then letting it out. "Well, I guess there's no point beating around the bush is there? My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I know your name because you're actually at the palace right now. I'm visiting you in your dreams because..." Saying it out loud like this made her feel kind of like some kind of ghoul, visiting ponies in their sleep to try and resurrect her long gone friends.

It must have shown on her face, because Sun Dew's head was canted to the other side when Twilight emerged from her thoughts, and the princess took the time to study the filly's expression.

At first she had thought it almost disturbingly neutral, but the little cream-colored Pegasus' breathing was a bit too fast and her eyes a little too large, pupils dilated. It wasn't fear, exactly, but a mix between hope and trepidation. 

"...Because you are a very special pony." Twilight continued, and in her heart she knew she was speaking the truth, not just sugar-coated words. "You see Sun Dew, a long time ago I had a dear friend named Rarity who was kinda like you; she always offered up anything she had to those needed something more than her, and even a few occasions where she'd give something she needed away she needed..."

The Alicorn descended onto her belly, to put herself on level with the green-eyed gaze directed onto her. She talked about Rarity's generosity, making her friends gala dresses even before her own, about how another of her friends became a model; something Rarity envied a great deal, but encouraged and helped maintain because she was truly, in her heart, happy for her friend, and wanted their happiness more than her own. She of course told the filly that everything worked out, but she talked, openly and fondly, answering a question or two, and soon Sun Dew was lying down, listening too.

"...and you share a very special connection with Rarity. You, in your heart, are as generous as she was. I just met you and I can already tell that. That special connection would let me see her again, but you have to be asleep to do it. And... if you wanted to.... you could help me have her back." The smooth and confident voice the princess had adopted for story telling cracked at that, but she tried to hold a smile.

A moment passed, Sun Dew looking into Twilight's eyes for a long moment. Her expression had softened a bit as she relaxed. She had listened without a word outside an occasional question , such as for clarification or to ask what happened next. Then, after making sure the story was done, she nodded. "Alright."

"You- You don't have to Sun Dew." Twilight was a little taken aback at how readily the filly agreed. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, and I don't want you to if you're afraid or-"

"It's alright. I want to." The cream Pegasus didn't speak any louder, but there was conviction in her tone, and she even let a small smile touch her features. 

"...Sun Dew..." Twilight felt a smile tugging at her lips. 'Generosity. Right.' "I want you to know... No matter what happens or what you decide, you're still a very special pony, and... I also want you to know that when you wake up there'll be the offer for a new home for you at the palace. With me I mean." The smile turned a little unsure. Even after a thousand years, this just wasn't a situation with which one can become familiar.

Being visited by an Alicorn in her dreams? No problem. The idea of bringing back a thousand-year-dead mare? Alright, if it'd make her new friend happy. Being told that she'd have a new home- a new mother- if she wanted one? Altruism or no, that was enough to shatter the overly mature facade, and in a moment of deja vu, there was suddenly an excited foal prancing around Twilight, a very excited voice going "YesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesYES!"

With a laugh, Twilight interrupted a view into her own foalhood by trapping Sun Dew under one wing and hugging her to her side, before standing up and looking at her. "Alright, knowing that, do you still feel comfortable?"

There was an excited nod; the subdued filly had taken a vacation and in her place was a jubilant foal, seeming excited even then, and it was with that jubilation, that warmth, the joy, and hope that Twilight reached within and touched on the old ember of her friendship, which had begun fanning into a healthy flame once again.

So it was with that warmth and light that Twilight's crown lit, bathing the dream in a brilliant glow, only part of which had to do with actual light, and when Twilight's eyes opened again, she found herself with two white forelegs around her neck and a familiar purple mane tickling her nose.

"Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you thank you." The cultured tones of Rarity’s voice were alone enough to bring tears of joy to Twilight's eyes, even though she knew what to expect. "Thank you, darling. I'm so proud of you, and I'm so so grateful. You have been positively wonderful, and I daresay you've gotten absolutely stunning with your sewing, if I do say so myself."

The hug was broken as Rarity settled onto all fours again, her crystalline blue eyes meeting Twilight's lavender ones, sharing emotions, and tears. 

During this exchange, the aquamarine-maned filly looked between Twilight, and Rarity with curiosity and interest, though remained respectfully silent... even if she had wiggled her way beneath one of Twilight's wings again during the conversation.

"Rarity..." Twilight finally found her voice, "I just wanted to keep my promises. To keep you all close and in my life for as long as I could. I never expected to get to see you, any of you, again. I did my very best to-"

"Twilight dear," Rarity interjected, holding up a hoof. "You did wonderfully. I thought I was being very clear. I know what you did for me, for all of us, and I couldn't be happier with you, or prouder of you as a friend. Or as a pony for that matter! Why, I was telling Sweetie Belle just awhile ago how lucky we were to have you in our lives for as long as we did, and there's not a day that's gone by that we haven't thought of you, too."

Rarity held Twilight's gaze, an understanding and warm smile on her muzzle, before breaking it and looking to the cream filly that had been content to fade into the background, as was her wont. "And who might you be dear? Well the new bearer of my own element of course but as much as that tells me of your character, why don't we get to know one another a bit better? Oh and those wings are simply gorgeous!"

Sun Dew had emerged from Twilight's side upon being addressed, and shuffled the very same wings being praised by the alabaster mare, unfolding one a bit hesitantly. The feathers, much like her fur, were a shade of cream; yellow and nearly white, but her contour feathers (those feathers providing shape and more warmth than actual support in flight) were a darker shade of yellow, bordering on golden.

"Oh yes those are positively divine. But I'm sure we have plenty to talk about beyond that. My name is Rarity, a pleasure to meet you."

"...I'm Sun Dew." replied the filly, unused to being lavished in so much attention, and still out of her shell because of Twilight's offer. In fact, her resemblance to another Pegasus had Rarity beaming, and Twilight shaking her head with a similar smile.

'I should leave these two to it, I still have a certain pink typhoon to say hello to after a thousand years, and I need to get some restful sleep soon myself!' The words played through Twilight's mind, but Rarity, glancing at her during the inner monologue, broke off from describing her special talent as if she had read the mind of the Alicorn. 

"Now Twilight, don't you even think about leaving without a word." Another hug startled the twilit mare  as well, more-so because she found herself nuzzling back, a long elegant foreleg curling around her friend. "Now Twilight Sparkle, no matter what happens we'll always be your friends, and not just because of what you've done for us.  We all love you to pieces Twilight, and we've each lead the happiest lives, and happiest afterlives we could have imagined thanks in no short part to you." Rarity held Twilight another long moment, before returning to Sun Dew. "Now dear, I believe Pinkie was about to bounce a hole through the ground when I left, and there's no telling what she'll do if she gets too excited."

It wasn't a dismissal so much as an offer for Twilight to continue, one which the Alicorn took with a grateful smile, and bow of her head, but not before looking to the filly. "Sun Dew, remember what I said. Don't do anything you don't want to or feel comfortable with, and Rarity, she's a smart filly, make sure she understands what's happening OK?"

Sun Dew smiled, and smiled wide to Twilight but didn't actually respond, she just let the warmth in her eyes speak for her. Rarity, however, was much more vocal, as always. "Of course dear, I wouldn't dream of anything less. Now off you go."

With one more look at her friend; knowing that even though Sun Dew had a good heart and wanted to help, it didn't mean that she'd have Rarity back; Twilight lit her horn with a soft whisper of magic, and found herself stirring awake to... humming?





Princess Celestia of the dawn sat by her sister, humming a familiar little jingle, the words long forgotten, but it was pleasant enough to wake to.

The radiant light of the morning sun filtered in through one window, igniting white fur in a glow that only partially had to do with the physical world; it was as if Celestia's own warmth and love radiated out from her just as the sun's spread from its heart.

It was a sight which Twilight had become familiar with, and yet through all her years it never failed to make her reflect on how blessed she was to share such a close bond with her, and Luna as well.

Luna, on that note, was sipping another cup of tea, and helping Celestia with her scroll-work while she maintained the spell… Or at least she had been before Twilight woke with a wiggle and yawn. "Good morning Celestia, Luna."

"And to you my dearest student." Celestia responded, rather wryly. It was a ritual they shared since the early days of Twilight's youth, harkening back to her first lesson, in which she was deathly afraid about proper protocol of greeting the Princess in the morning, worrying that perhaps suggesting it was a good morning indicating there were bad ones, or other worries that seemed nonsense to think about now. Likely this was why the ritual had prevailed for so long.

"Mm. Good morning Twilight. The papers you requested are waiting for you in your bedroom, whenever you're ready to deal with them either way." Luna sounded tired. Even if she didn't actually require sleep, it certainly helped, and the mane of stars and moonlight reflected that, drooping listlessly across the Alicorn's back.

"Papers?" Celestia asked with a brow quirked as she smiled and draped a wing over Luna. "Why Twilight, I thought you hated the tedium of scroll work."

"Um... hehe. Well Tia... It... turns out that Sun Dew here is an orphan... and a very special pony as well. I... I'm going to adopt her, whether she ends up Rarity, herself, or anypony in between. And... on that note we need to talk. A guiding hoof for our subjects has lead ponies to be far happier than not, and peace that's stretched for centuries... but I worry that it might not be enough."

Celestia, in turn, canted her head to one side, considering Twilight's words, and then bowed her head in acknowledgement. "Of course Twilight, we can talk about anything you want, and I must say I'm proud of you for your decision."

After the exchange, Twilight looked over to Sun Dew's sleeping form and saw there... no necklace.  "Oh..."

Disappointment weighed heavily on Twilight's mind, but the pillars of  the other elements, shining in the morning light around the necks of their new bearers gave her the strength to keep smiling, as did the knowledge that either way, she was gaining a wonderful new friend.. or perhaps 'daughter' would be more accurate. Now there was a thought that would take some getting used to.

Still, she had one more pony to-

Wait.

Wait wait wait.

"Buh."

Twilight realized something that had been poking her in the back of her mind from the moment she learned which of the two remaining ponies was the new Generosity.

"That..."

Celestia and Luna couldn't help but smile, looking to each other curiously, amused by Twilight's reaction, then looked back.

"That's a unicorn." Twilight's voice came, finally. Her wings had unfurled uneasily and she found herself standing up and back, away from the sleeping pony; a cheerful red filly in her early teenage years, with a golden-yellow mane tied back in a ponytail, with the cutiemark of six confetti streamers.

Luna, drawn from her fatigue by the odd reaction, tilted her head. "Yes that is generally a given, what with the horn and all." Humor flavored her voice.

"But-- That's a unicorn. The new element of Laughter is a UNICORN." Twilight announced, exasperated, and staring at Celestia and Luna.

"....And?" Celestia ventured, her smile turned into a look of mild concerned.

"Celestia... don't you remember who that is? That's Pinkie Pie. Pinkamena Diane Pie. Could end up. With magic. Don't you remember what she used to do without magic?"

Now that gave both Luna and Celestia pause, looking at one another in  concern, then back at Twilight in unison. "Oh my."

Pinkie Pie... or a pony that might end up very much like her. A unicorn. Well, Equestria had handled worse.... Right?

"...A unicorn!"


To Be Continued in Part VII: Warming Laughter.


> Friends Forever VII: Warming Laughter
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	"A unicorn...!" A slew of emotions tumbled from the lips of the lavender Alicorn, with those simple words. It was the seventh time she had repeated it in half as many minutes, her mind a record skipping over that fact even as elegant legs folded.

"Seven...."

"A UNICORN!"

"Eight..." Luna counted, unable to keep a smirk off her face, and a titter from her voice. Then again, she wasn't exactly attempting to do so either.

"I know. I know! but for Harmony's sake, she's a-" Twilight responded in exasperation, shaking her head as she cut herself off. Her mind was restless, as indecisive and unstable as a foal angling for a cutiemark after ten mugs of Pony Joe's black coffee, and twice as many donuts.

"Twilight dear, be she unicorn, earth pony, or otherwise, Pinkie Pie in any form is still your friend in your heart. You know that. One way or another everything will work out for the best." Calm serenity, as warm as a summer morning filled Princess Celestia's voice, cutting through the miasma of doubt within Twilight's mind, smoothing the edges of her psyche and endowing it instead with a measure of the kind reassurance.

"You're right, Celestia... Thanks..." Twilight took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, expelling the remnants of her inner turmoil in one cleansing exhale. "It doesn't matter if she's a unicorn, or an earth pony, or anything else. We don't even know what'll happen anyway. Barring acts of chaos, Pinkie's always done her best to help and be a good friend. Everything will work out."

As if by some cosmic cue, a sound akin to a breath of wind accompanied a soft flash. There, on Sun Dew's neck was a familiar golden necklace, bearing a blue diamond, and on the face of the sleeping filly? A smile, content, and happy.

The three mares looked to one another, surprise turning into amused smiles before a wordless nod from Twilight sent her off into dreams once more.

After she was out, Luna turned a questioning look to Celestia, who just smiled for a long moment... and shrugged. "Isn't fortuitous timing allowed to occur on this world without me arranging it somehow?"





Silence. 

Silence and darkness.

An endless black void of weightless quiet that stretched deeper than the depths of Tartarus.

"Is... this a nightmare?" Too quietly Twilight's voice echoed, but only in her mind; the words were swallowed by the dark.

"Nope!"

With a lurch, the alicorn fond herself rocketing in a direction her senses told her was 'up' at a pace that made her heart pound a mile a minute, which incidentally may have been the speed of her ascent. Wings flared and tried to make sense of this sensation of shooting upward, cork-like, to little effect.

Then, with the sound a kazoo being played backward through a hallway full of party favors, Twilight found herself.... shot from the barrel of a brightly colored canon amidst a cloud of confetti and streamers.

"SURPRISE!" A bright, excited and jubilant voice called at the top of its owner’s lungs; A neon pink mare with a mane as puffy fluffy poof-filled as a cotton candy cloud, sparkling blue eyes, and a grin that could split the sea.

"What the-OOF!" Twilight managed midair... before smacking straight into a post, which rebounded with a rubbery sound and launched her onto a strategically placed cushion.  "...Hay?!" She continued, after spitting out a few squares of brightly colored paper.

There, standing behind her trusty party canon, was Pinkie Pie, beaming at Twilight in absolute joy as laughter erupted from the teenage filly whose dream Twilight occupying. At least, she severely hoped this was the case.

For a long moment Pinkie just stood there beaming to Twilight, that familiar smile full of the combined joy of every pony that had ever seen it, the only sound the chorus of the as-yet-unnamed filly presently on her back and clutching her stomach.

"Pinkie...."

"Were you surprised? Oh you were SO surprised! C'mon admit it, you were so surprised! In fact I'd bet you were so surprised you were super-ised! Are you super? Of course you are! You're the bestest most wonderfullest nicest-"

"Pinkie...!"

"-caringest  pony EVER!" Pinkie paused, possibly to actually inhale, or perhaps even realized she was being addressed. "Yes, Twilight?"

"PI--! Oh... Um.. Why.... how.... What in the hay are you doing here?!" Twilight grasped at the words, completely flabbergasted. In fact her gast was so well flabbered that she found herself starting to smile despite herself. Somehow, this made some kind of sense, in a mind-warping kind of way, and that thought simultaneously made Twilight want to laugh and flee at the same time.

"We-e-e-elll.... I got so tired of waiting for you to come get me or call me or whatever it is ended up yoinking the other girls away with these neat little 'WOOBLEVOWRM' sounds soooo I decided to come meet Joy here myself! She's got a great sense of humor and loves parties. In fact..."

'Maybe it's because I haven't seen her in a thousand years....

"- streamers everywhere and then we had this HUGE CAKE I mean like it was so big even I couldn't eat it all and then she was like 'Let me show you something' and then she-"

'Or maybe I've gotten wiser in my lifetime...

"-marching band playing a DIDGERIDOO, which is a hilarious word by the way, didja redo? Did grrrr I do! Hehehe. So anyway-"

'But she's starting to make sense'

"-juggling tubas on a unicycle in June and that's just crazy! I mean tubas are such an autumn instrument to be juggling in June so they totally had no taste in fine dining whatsoever-"

'.... Then again...'

"...Twilight?" At some point Pinkie had stopped her monologue after realizing the alicorn was just staring at her, and to Twilight's surprise, smiling.

Without responding, (and still listening to the red, golden-maned filly, Joy, cackling, pausing only to breathe,) Twilight stood from where she had landed on the cushion, walked toward a still smiling, but head-canted Pinkie.... and promptly draped her neck over the smaller mare in an affectionate equine hug, nuzzling her.

Pinkie blinked a few times. She didn't mind of course, it just wasn't something she was actually used to. Mostly because it had been quite awhile since somepony that tall actually could! Still, after a few moments she leaned her own head up, returning the hug.

"I missed you Pinkie." Twilight said, softly and still smiling, the candyfloss mane tickling at her chin.

"...I missed you too Twilight." Pinkie replied in one of her rare moments of calm seriousness. 

Once she might have said something silly to lighten the moment, trying to fill every instant with as much joy and laughter as she could, but thanks to the patience and care of her friends, the hyper mare learned a very important lesson...

'Even though it’s important to laugh with your friends, it's important to listen, and share your heart with them as well.'

During this quiet, shared moment, Joy finally caught her breath, and rolled to her hooves, helping herself to some punch as she sat down properly, looking between the two with a mix of expectancy and jubilation.

Momentarily ignorant of the other pony, Twilight looked on the last of her best friends after disengaging the hug. 

"Pinkie-" Twilight began, starting to search for words. She knew from Rainbow Dash and Rarity that they had been watching her, and appreciated what she had done, but she wanted to hear it, had to hear it. She-

"Twilight." Pinkie cut her friend off, voice firm, but touched with a smile brighter than the sun itself. "You made Sugarcube Corner the cornerstone of sugarcubes all across Equestria, you kept each and every promise to all of us and beyond. I mean for the love of hot sauce cupcakes! Twilight every year just about every pony in Equestria smiles, dances, plays, sings, and plays pin the tail on the pony. They have so much fun, and it's all because of you, and you did it for me." Her voice cracked, even though she was smiling as wide as she could. "Twilight Sparkle, you are the best friend a pony, past, present, or future, can ever or will ever have."

It was at that point Pinkie Pie reared up onto her hind legs, and hugged Twilight around the neck as tightly as she could, which meant it was a fairly good thing none of them were actually awake or it very well w could have been painful.

Between the reassurance and the embrace, Twilight felt warm. Warm, inside and out, by the roaring inferno of her friends, both old and new. When Pinkie drew away, she was wearing her element necklace, looking down at it in surprise, then laughing, with Twilight joining in after a moment of confusion.

"Sooooo I hate to interrupt but now seems like a good time. Hi, I'm Joy! Pony-party-planner nonpareil! Well, mostly; I thought I was, until I met Pinkie Pie here." Joy's voice drew the attention of both mares, and Twilight was stricken with just how close Joy's voice was to... Rainbow Dash, actually.

"Oh RIGHT!" came an exclamation from Pinkie, energy regained tenfold for the brief interlude of sanity. "Twilight this is Joy! Joy, this is Twilight Sparkle!" Pinkie suddenly sidled up beside Joy, faux whispering, "She's a Princess y'know!" 

That earned another bout of giggles, from Twilight and Joy both. It was infectious! Pinkie, however, just looked sort of confused between the two of them, before shrugging and laughing right along.

"P-pleased to me-heehee meet you Joy." The serene, cultured, and even voice of Princess Twilight had long since taken a vacation, and after seeing the company she'd have to come back to, decided to spring for awhile longer, maybe go visit a spa. In its place was a hopeful, almost unsure, and bright bouncy tone, almost too happy to be believed, and vaguely reminiscent of her speech in ages gone by. "So you're a pony who likes to party?"

Joy's response treaded the line between enthusiastic and over-excited, "You bet your hooves I do! I love partying, the bigger and wackier the better. In fact I got my cutiemark on my very first-"

"PINKAPALOOZA!" Pinkie Pie set off another round from her party canon, laughing in such happiness that it bordered on mania. "I love that word! It's so much fun to say! Pinkapalooza pinkapapinkapinkalooza!"

"-Err, heheh, yeah! I got my cutiemark the very first time I could actually be a part of a Pinkapalooza party! So we partied twice as hard cause it then it was a cutiemark party on the day you party your hardest every year! Seeing ponies having fun is just one of the best feelings I can get! Which after talking to Pinkie here, is why--" Despite (or perhaps because of) her good humor, Pinkie just wasn't a pony that one got used to all in one sitting., and Joy found herself giggling at each interruption bearing the fruit of nonsense. 

One such interruption came in the form of a pink hoof suddenly inserted in Joy's muzzle. "Tut-tut-tut! No spoiling the surprise! Twilight's just gonna have to wait to find out like everypony else!" Pinkie's jubilant, bright voice chirped to cut Joy off, as if her hoof hadn't done just fine.

"Um, Pinkie? Who else? And also, please tell me how in the hay you got here without me bringing you." Academic curiosity and disbelief could only be suspended for so long before the purple Alicorn had to ask, for better or worse.

"Hmmmmmmmmm....." Hoof still in Joy's mouth, Pinkie shifted her head, brows furrowed as she considered. "....OK!" With a -pop- her hoof withdrew, and the pink mare was suddenly right beside Twilight in the space o a blink. "Well first of all, I'm your friend too silly, so why couldn't I use the same special connection to come visit without you having to call me? Second, you talk in your sleep. Did you know? That's totally how I knew what you were gonna ask! Third, I got sooooo bored of waiting that as soon as Rarity kerpoofled I came to visit Joy here and figured I'd introduce myself and explain what was going on!"

"I... you...." Stammering, Twilight couldn't actually fault anything Pinkie just said... even if it was vague on several points... and for some reason that was almost as frustrating as when Pinkie gave completely unhelpful answers. So successfully was she distracted, in fact, that the first of the two questions went completely unanswered without a fuss.

"Yep! So here we are! Well 'scept you need to actually get some real sleep in your own head instead of other ponies, believe me it gets weird if you don't! Of course weird can be good like the time I tried this awesome hot sauce that's like made from rainbows or something? Never had a cupcake liquify before but it made a darn good smoothie!"

During this exchange Joy just shook her head, and smirked a little to herself, speaking up only after Pinkie had finished. "Yeah, Pinkie and I have a party-pony party to finish. Besides you do look kinda tired, and you're asleep!"

"But I'd really like to get to know you Joy! What if-"

"Twilight I promise. I Pinkie Pie Promise that I know what I'm getting into. Pinkie's been very forward... even if she gets distracted every other second. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a pie-"

"Cupcake!" Pinkie corrected, incredibly seriously.

"...Right. Stick a cupcake in my eye!" Joy jabbed herself in the eye, and jumped. "Ouch!"

"But-" Twilight interjected, raising a hoof and taking a step toward Joy.

"Twilight you silly filly, just trust ol' Granny Pie, you'll have plenty of time to get to know Joy later. Now shoo!" Pinkie Pie gave a wry grin, and on the last word Twilight felt a lurch, once again ascending like a cork with the world around her fading into a blur, and the next thing she knew, light.





"What." Luna asked of nopony in particular as her spell... quite simply ended with the distinct sensation of a beep on the nose. She stood, and took a few steps over to Twilight, who at that moment was opening her eyes blearily looking around, looking far too tired for somepony that had just slept from dusk to dawn.

"....Pinkie Pie," Twilight responded tiredly, but smiling. Before she even had time to stand up, the Laughter necklace appeared around Joy's throat with not a breath of wind or a flash, but a pop of confetti and a party horn.

Both Luna and Celestia, the latter of which had been signing a few more scrolls, shared a look, then peered at Twilight. "Should we wake them?" Luna asked, as if by some unspoken cue.

"Not yet... I wanna know what happened to them all but...  At the same time I need to sleep and dream some dreams of my own. I feel better than I have in a long, long time, and I can kinda imagine that when I wake up my friends'll be there waiting for me." A yawn punctuated Twilight's statement.

"Then go to sleep Twilight. A little longer in dreamland won't hurt them either. We'll wake them this evening when you rise." Celestia brought her head to rest on Twilight's withers in an affectionate hug, one which Luna joined in on her opposite side.

"Thanks Tia, Luna. For... everything really. I don't say it enough." Sleep, true, restful sleep, had caught up with Twilight, and was demanding her attention.

"You tell us every day -" Celestia began, grinning.

"- And every night!" Finished Luna, a smile soft on her features.

"Mm..." Another most eloquent and wordy response from the tired mare, who for some reason... felt as if this ordeal had lasted months! "Good morning everypony."

It was only the proximity of her sisters that kept Twilight from collapsing into dreams; her own this time, and it was those same two sisters that carried her to her room, and tucked her in.

TO BE CONCLUDED.






Whaddiya mean 'to be concluded'?! The readers have been waiting bucking forever for you to get off your-

Pinkie.

-and finish this story! You can't do all the elements and leave- 

Pinkie!

WHAT?!

I said you could help. This isn't helping. I'm building dramatic tension and letting the readers speculate over what's happening.... and taking a moment to refresh myself with my own story to make sure the ending I have in mind fits.

Oh. Why didn't you say so?

THWACK

Oooh. That looked like it hurt. Is there a doctor in the audience?

> Friends Forever VIII: A Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Mmnnngh!" A tickle, poke, a tickling poke and a prod to my nose disrupted a view into saccharine nostalgia so vivid that were I more awake to enjoy it, I perhaps would have worried of cavities.

My insistence to descend back into sleep went unheeded as well; "Tia... stop it. 'M having the best dream..." I received a honk on the nose for the effort, and one of my wings informed me something small was wiggling its way underneath it. If that weren't enough to wake me, what happened next surely did.

"Suuurrrrr-PRISE!" 
Krak-BOOOOOM! 

I didn't even realize I owned a chandelier  prior to that moment when I found myself clinging to it, staring down at... a party cannon. Five party canons, in fact, lined up like howitzers while confetti and streamers floated about.

There, before my eyes were five ponies of varying ages, wearing five necklaces and delight shining on their faces. Even the voice that greeted me, belonging to Joy, sounded familiar, full of jubilation and happiness.

This could work, I thought, with a smile on my face... before Pinkie Pie or Joy or whatever I was to call her set off her pentapartillary, powerfully packing pounds of playfully-picked party paraphernalia. Even as I fell onto my bed from the noise, my thoughts changed to 'I  know this will work.'

"Know what this calls for?! A--" Joy began in true Pinkie Pie style, leaping into the air before we all answered her at once, joining in. "PARTY!!"





So, here I am making another 'journal' entry on probably another of the most important days of my life.

After spending breakfast with Tia, Luna, and my five old...new.... my five newest, old friends, I spent most of the morning asking – and answering – every kind of question imaginable, and only now find enough presence (and peace) of mind to record my thoughts.


Sun Dew, or Sunny as Joy's started calling her hasn't left my side since I woke. She hasn't really spoken much either, but what she has told me is that she and Rarity made a deal. Rarity refused to take Sunny's foalhood away from her, but Sunny wouldn't let Rarity or me lose our friends, even for a few decades now that we had the chance. So, as she gets older Rarity's personality and memories will start surfacing for the little filly and the two will become much the same mare. I don't really know how that will work but I have faith that if things have worked out so well this far, there's no reason they won't just keep on.

Morning Waves has been a little quiet too at times, but she seems to have... something about her that reminds me of Rainbow. It turns out that Dash understood the promise and gave her some memories and a touch of her persona,  but decided to just 'hang out' for the most part. I'm really proud of her.

Silver Chalice and Honey Apple hit it off pretty well, too. They're both from Ponyville after all but the kicker is Silver Chalice's mansion isn't even twenty minutes away from Honey's home. As for Fluttershy and Applejack.... Well Fluttershy's apparently sharing Silver's body with her so that she'll always have a friend, and Applejack let herself become an 'honest' 50-50 with Honey Apple, and it really seems like they're both one pony.

Now as for Joy, well she's asked to just be called Pinkie, if that's any indicator. Joy's still in there, she assured me, but by and large wanted to be as much like the original Party Pony as possible and she got her wish.


I know it's probably... not ideal and the actual metaphysics of just how all this was done just fascinates me to no end, but looking back at it all, and looking forward to the future... I'm happy, and it feels so good to be able to say that.

I'm happy because I have my old friends, and new ones both. 

I'm happy because I have two wonderful sisters who loved me enough to make this all this a dream come true.

I'm happy because I know now that friendship is something that you don't lose when that friend passes away or drifts apart from you. It's always there in your heart, and your friends are always, and will always be there for you, watching over you, wishing the best for you.

I'm happy because when Celestia's sun burns cold and Luna's moon is dust, the three things that will endure forever are Love, Hope, and Friendship.

I have to go now, Joy...Pinkie's... wanting to throw the biggest party she can before Morning Waves has to go home tomorrow for a week or two, and I don't want to miss a moment of it.


"Twilight!"

"Coming!"

- End.

> Bonus: Questions Answered by Twi
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Thanks to Pinkie Pie scaring the Fourth Wall into hiding along with Logic and Physics with her newly acquired magic, we have Twilight Sparkle with us today to answer some questions that readers, critics, and lurkers have voiced!

Hello everypony.

Let's jump right in shall we? Princess Twi, during the time of the show there weren't really any indicators that you are, were, or ever would be an Alicorn like your mentor or her sister. Can you explain then how you find yourself one?

Well luckily Pinkie managed to fish up some DVDs so we could watch some of our old antics so I know what you're even talking about but really this is something you should probably have addressed as the story teller.

...Humor us, please?

Oh alright. I suppose, first and foremost, I should say that the episodes that many of your readers consider canon fall in a slightly different reality than mine. For example, I was born an only child and while I'm certain Shining Armor would have made a positively darling big brother, I'm rather glad I didn't have to say goodbye to him as well. Similarly, there is no Princess Cadence in my world, though I admit I do wish I had a foalsitter like her when I was young.

The events of most of season one and even a large portion of season two were rather accurate, overall though I'd say, and I didn't even start having growing pains in my horn until three or four years after Luna's return, and it took almost a full decade for my wings to grow in fully. It was quite a slow process.

Fascinating, and while I'm sure we could get into quite the interesting existential discussion--

Oh yay! I haven't had a chance to--

--I'm afraid we don't have the time to get into that just now… Questions to answer and all that. Maybe next time.

Oh.. Well, at least you're organized.

Anyway, next question. What happened to Spike after the first several journal entries? Is he still around?

That's two questions, but yes, he's still around, if getting rather old. He sleeps most of the time, and we still see one another once every few decades. We ran out of subjects to really talk about a long time ago about our old friends, and sometimes I think if it weren't for my reminding him he may have forgotten a lot of the adventures we had together. He was just a baby for most of them, after all.

Spike settled in with a dragoness, and has maintained a diet consisting of vegetation and gemstones for the majority of his life, though he has not eaten (and never will eat) anything that can communicate. Unlike many dragons he and his mate keep in touch with local ponies and though they're reaching the end of their considerably long lifespans, seem happy with their lives. I'm considering introducing Sun Dew to him once she gets old enough for Rarity's personality to start really showing through but... it may be better to leave him with the peace he's made.

I'm glad to hear he's well, but speaking of Sun Dew and your new friends, do you have any idea how the metaphysics of all this works, what with the Elements and dead souls and all this?

Actually I do have a working theory! In short I believe that while their minds may be combined or even shared to accommodate the souls of both ponies, the souls themselves do retain their individuality and upon their deaths will separate into two distinct ponies once again -- providing they want to, of course. As for my new friends' souls, I do believe that my old friends will drastically impact their own psyches and spirituality but at the same time I feel that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Through new experiences and views they can grow and develop in ways that would be otherwise unthinkable, so overall I'm willing to say that even in cases like Pinkie Pie's where it's almost a complete replacement - if not a total one - it's a net gain for both parties.

As for the Elements of Harmony themselves, some research and poking around, as well as judicious checking with Pinkie Pie and her 'cheat sheet' (that she refuses to show me), I've come to discover that the Elements of Harmony are actually separate form my friends souls, even if their personalities leave a very large impression on the sapience behind them. This means that should a pony come to represent that element even better than they in the future, I wouldn't necessarily lose my connection to that friend.

Truly the fourth wall must be sobbing. Remind me to thank Pinkie later. There is a small question I have though. In the story, it's briefly mentioned that it's been two thousand years since you lost your friends, yet the journals end after about 457 years, give or take. That's over fifteen hundred years that you've maintained your friends outfits and Ponyville's been growing. What happened in the meantime?

I don't really think I can go over fifteen hundred years of history in the time we have if I can't have one little existential debate but frankly technology's progressed slowly and population's evened out. There's been a little legislation involved but it's lead to overall happiness and a high quality of life for just about everypony and it is improving by the year. Most of our advances have been in entertainment and medicine; things that make ponies happy. As for preservation, I utilize a combination between preservative magics and careful repairs to maintain their appearances.

As for Ponyville, since population's stable it hasn't actually expanded all that much, and it's still a fair deal smaller than Manehatten, though it does rival Fillydelphia, and several other towns and cities have popped up in the meantime. In fact, some parts of Ponyville look like something out of a history page, as the town's very proud  of its past and has dedicated resources to maintaining places of historic significance, including Sweet Apple Acres, and Rainbow Dash's cloud house, or rather the museum it's become.

Let's see... Twilight, some stories feature all of the Elements of Harmony becoming Alicorns, what are your feelings about being the only one to become immortal when the Element of Magic is so closely tied to each of the others?

I used to ask 'why me' almost every day, and I guess it would even seem like a curse to some but I've accepted a long time ago that there are other forces at work in our world than just those Celestia, Luna, and I are responsible for...

I suppose I like to think that I was the only one of the six of us to become an Alicorn was because there was, or is something yet to do, that could only happen with my life taking that turn. With me, and my friends learning the lessons we have because of all of this. I can very safely say that I have become a better pony for all that I've been through, and I like to think the same of my sisters, and my friends.

That's actually... an inspiring way of looking at it I think. So, one more question I suppose. Do you have anything to say to the readers, your fans, or just anypony that stumbles upon this?

Well let's see... To my fans I guess I'd have to say "Thank you" for supporting me, even if I never really get to meet you all... To the readers who have gone on this journey with me, I'd like to say that I hope you all have learned something that you can take away from my experiences, as I have and overall enjoyed it and shared in some of the joy and happiness I've felt.

I think if I could give a little advice and share in my lessons? It's important to never give up hope and keep your promises. Be honest with yourself and your friends, cherish the time you have, and never stop living just because you might lose somepony dear to you. They're still there in your heart, and wouldn't want to see you sad.

Thank you, Twilight for your time, and I hope we see you and your friends again soon.