Parallel's Path

Ponyville had finally been in sight for Parallel, as she had been on the train back home after such a long journey. Now that she had met up with the stallions from the park, she was wondering what to do next. She still didn't know what her purpose in Equestria was, nor was she perfectly clear on what her origins in her home world were, but she thought that if anypony could steer her in the right direction, it was Equality. Before her quest started almost two weeks ago, her father was the only adult pony she could trust, besides Cheerilee, who hadn't seen her since they met in the park. She knew that her father would always be there to give her advice if she needed it. Plus, she was feeling kinda homesick. The train finally came to a stop in Ponyville, and all of her train ticket's rides had been used up. She still wasn't sure how she was lucky enough to get this ticket in the first place, but that was in the past now, and she could only think about going back home at this point.

It was mid-morning by the time Parallel had made it back to Ponyville, and judging by the lack of foals roaming the streets, school must have started again. Parallel didn't want to intrude on her father's class unannounced, so she walked back home, and saw that the door hadn't been locked, so she opened it, and walked inside, and sat down, hoping to find a way to occupy herself while Equality was still teaching. She found some paper, and still had a pen from her travels. She decided to write some letters to all the stallions she had met. Her first letter was to Jack Bolt. She wrote,

"Dear Jack Bolt,

I'm back at home, taking a break from the quest I told you about. I met all five stallions that I was looking for, and I was glad you were one of them. How's your work coming along? I hope you've been able to sell some great lumber, because I know how much effort you put into your work. Also, I should thank you. You taught me just what it means to have integrity, only being satisfied when you know you did something right. Maybe you could come to Ponyville again, so I could thank you personally. If you ever get the chance, please let me know.

Your friend,

Parallel."

Her second letter was to Island Breeze. She wrote,

"Dear Island Breeze,

I'm taking a bit of a break from my quest, which I'm sure you remember me telling you about. How are the waves treating you? I haven't exactly had a chance to practice since I left Las Pegasus, but I'll be sure to try it again when I can, since my skills were, as you said, impressive. Also, I was able to meet up with everypony from the park that day, and we're all tight now. Finally, I feel like I learned something from you. You taught me just what it means to be patient. If you rush your like, or get too tense, it could end up in a major wipeout for you. Maybe we can meet up again in Ponyville. Catch you later.

Hanging loose,

Parallel"

Heraldry was the next recipient. The letter said,

"Dear Heraldic Gilded Ancestry,

I'm pleased to report that I am still safe, and am taking a break from my quest. How has your job at the observatory been coming along? Has anypony else found any undiscovered stars? I still cannot get over the fact that the one I knew about hadn't been documented yet. Anyway, I'm glad we had the chance to meet. You really taught me something while I was in your company. It's better to think of what makes you similar to everypony else, than what makes you better than them. That's called humility. Perhaps if you get the chance, we could meet again in my hometown of Ponyville. I hope to hear a reply from you.

Sincerely,

Parallel"

The fourth letter was for Split Mentality. It said,

"Dear S.M.,

I've been on the road for a while now, but I'm taking a break from my quest at my home in Ponyville. You're still able to keep your two sides in check, right? I hope so, because I'd hate to see you looking crazier than you already are. Anyway, I'm glad we had the chance to meet up, because you taught me a very valuable lesson. Dedication is an important factor into achieving your goals, whether they're long-term or short term, as you've shown with becoming Equestria's best flyer, helping Melody move in, and still helping out Cloudsdale with whatever it was they were troubled with. Maybe we can meet up again, here in Ponyville. I hope to hear from you soon, regardless of which side I hear from.

Your friend,

Parallel"

The final letter was addressed to Corona. It read,

"Dear Corona,

I have arrived back in my hometown, and am still safe. I decided to put my quest on hiatus, while I decide where I want to go from here. I must say, when I was visiting you, you taught me a valuable lesson. When your flank is against the wall, and you run out of options, it helps to be resourceful, because putting two and two together when you're in a jam can help you see the light (metaphorically speaking, of course). I hope your lectures are still going well. I was disappointed that I could not say goodbye to you  up front, but I know how busy you are. Perhaps we can meet again in Ponyville sometime soon. Please reply soon.

Sincerely,

Parallel"

Now that all of her letters had been written, she made sure that they were all addressed to the right pony, as she placed them each in individual envelopes. As she walked out the door to deliver them, a messenger pony came to her. He said,

"You must be Parallel, Equality's daughter."

"That would be me, sir."

"Well, I'll be, I met up with him back in town a few days ago. He really misses you, you know. Anyway, I see you have some letters there. I can mail them for you, if you need me to."

"That would be perfect. Thank you, sir." She gave him the letters, and he placed them in his bag. Parallel had been feeling nostalgic, so she decided to return to Ponyville Park. She eventually found her way there, and saw that there had been three foals, about the same age as her when she started school, playing together. She remembered how Rocket Boost and Woodwind were her first two friends, and this was where she met them. She looked in the distance, into an open field, and saw five mares, each talking to each other. She remembered how this was where she saw Jack Bolt, Island Breeze, and all the other stallions so many years ago. Suddenly, a couple of familiar voices came to her, both female. One said,

"Well, well, if it isn't the little black filly that reminds me of my former student." Parallel didn't even have to turn around to recognize the voice of Cheerilee. She saw the mare, and grinned, being able to catch up with her. Then, the other mare responded, in a southern accent,

"You seem to have done well for yourself, Parallel. How's your quest going?" It was Apple Bloom.

"Well, I got one thing accomplished, meeting up with the stallions I had hoped to see. I'm not sure where to go next, though, so I'm taking a break here in Ponyville until I decide my next step." Cheerilee replied,

"That sounds good to me. Your father has been missing you, anyway, and it's good to recharge your batteries every now and again. Speaking of which, I'd imagine school would be over with in about half an hour. Why don't all three of us go there to see him?" Apple Bloom, who had been meaning to visit the school again, anyway, commented,

"I'm up for that idea. I haven't met your father yet, so it would be nice for me to get that chance." Parallel replied,

"Sounds good to me. I suppose it's settled, then. Off to the schoolhouse."

As the three ponies walked to the schoolhouse together, they talked about what each had been up to recently. Cheerilee had been enjoying her retirement alone, and even become close friends with Mayor Mare, and being offered the chance to become her successor. Apple Bloom had been taking on more and more responsibilities, since Granny Smith had unfortunately passed away since she last saw Parallel, and Applejack and Big Mac had both injured themselves recently. Parallel told them both what she had done during her travels. By the time they got to the schoolhouse, the dismissal bell had rung, and the three walked in, to see Equality, relieved after what must have been a tough day. The stallion caught sight of his daughter, and, like last time she stopped in Ponyville, he was at a loss for words, and could only open up for a hug from his daughter. After the two gave each other a hug, and cried tears of joy, Equality stood back up, and said,

"Welcome home, Parallel. How was the Crystal Empire?"

"It was beautiful. The buildings everywhere are all so shiny and well-made, the library is beyond words in terms of size, and I was able to meet up with the last stallion from the park, as well. His name is Corona. He's an amazing scholar, who knows just about everything there is to know about Equestria. He's probably still out giving a lecture somewhere, since everypony seems to value his knowledge. He's also a gifted flyer, being able to fly wherever he needs to go without getting tired. An interesting thing is, he seems to have a fear of stormy weather. I helped him overcome this by allowing him to use my hat as an umbrella when he needed to go outside during this massive rainstorm. Also, he taught me what it means to be resourceful, by combining my hat with some supplies from his house, he made the umbrella that I mentioned. Finally, I learned that, when the time comes, I will have to choose whether I stay in this world, or return to my world." Parallel was happy to hear everything she said, except for the last part, which split his emotions. He knew that he'd want his daughter to stay with him, but he also knew she belonged somewhere else. All  he could say in response without becoming emotional is,

"Well, I'm proud of you. I know you've made plenty of good choices in your life, and you'll make the right one when the time comes."

After their heartfelt reunion, Apple Bloom wanted to say something to Equality.

"So, you're this filly's father, right? Hi, my name is Apple Bloom. I was also a student of Ms. Cheerilee's once. I think I started right after you graduated, because you do look kinda familiar. Anyway, I remember last time Parallel was in Ponyville, she was looking lost and hungry, so I gave her some food, and told her how to get to the schoolhouse. I guess she found her way home, since she's safe now." The stallion replied,

"Oh, so you're the pony who told her how to get here. I must thank you for what you did, Apple Bloom. If it wasn't for you, I'd have lost the one pony that matters more to me than anypony else." Apple Bloom smiled, knowing that she helped somepony out in a big way. Cheerilee noticed the sun starting to go down, and said,

"I suppose we should all be heading home. It is getting kinda late, and I know Apple Bloom needs to get back to work soon. Plus, I'd imagine you'd want some time alone with your daughter." The two black ponies nodded in agreement. The four of them all said their goodbyes, as Apple Bloom ran back to Sweet Apple Acres, Cheerilee walked back to her home on the other side of town, and Equality and Parallel walked down the road to their home.

Equality and Parallel arrived back at home, and Parallel was feeling hungry. Equality said,

"You hungry? I've been trying out some new recipes, and was wondering if you're up for them." Parallel had eaten several different meals while she was on her quest, and with everything she tried, she was sure that whatever her father could make would taste just as good as, if not better than, everything she had.

"Sure. Just surprise me with something. I could use some excitement while I take a break from my quest."

"Alrighty then, let's see what I can conjure up." It was easy to see the excitement on Equality's face, as he had smiled the whole time he was cooking. Meanwhile, Parallel was going back to her room, making sure everything was in order. She thought that since she was taking a break from her quest, she would not need to keep her vest and hat on anymore, so she left them on her dresser, as she walked back into the kitchen. She asked her father,

"So, Dad, now that school has started again, and you're back to your teaching job, what's your class like now?"

"Well, there's a lot of energetic students this time around. Some of them don't really pay attention as much as they should, but they're all great foals at heart. Sure there's a couple troublemakers, but what can you do about that?" This gave Parallel a feeling of nostalgia again, remembering how when she was a student, most of the other foals were energetic and impish. Sure, Rocket Boost and Woodwind were her two best friends, but she liked everypony in class a lot. Parallel realized that, even though she was still a filly in terms of age (although at the older end of the spectrum), she had taken on a lot of responsibilities that applied to mares during her travels. In terms of maturity, she was all grown up, even if she had a couple more years before she could be called a mare. She was quiet for a while, only responding to her father with a nod of the head, until he said that her dinner was ready. She was already sitting at the kitchen table, so she waited as her father presented a plate that smelled heavenly.

"Mmm, what is this? It smells delicious."

"Well, I had been meaning to try making this. It's a casserole of celery, asparagus, and tomatoes, with a hint of lemon. It sounds strange, I know, but why not try it?" Parallel remembered how bitter the asparagus she lad last time was, but she didn't want to disappoint her father, so she took a bite of his creation, and it tasted amazingly good. She found that the lemon eases the bitter taste of the asparagus, so she quickly scarfed it down, as she had always had a tendency to do. "Wow, you still have the appetite you've had since you were little. I imagine you liked it?"

"Are you kidding? It was amazing. Thanks for the excellent food, yet again, Dad."

"Hey, I'm not going to let my pride and joy go hungry, am I?" Both of them chuckled.

The moon was now fully up, and Equality was getting ready for bed, but Parallel, for whatever reason, wasn't feeling the slightest bit tired. Equality, who was surprised by her beaming energy at this point, said,

"What's up with you? Normally you're the first to go to bed, but now, you're acting like it's still daytime."

"Oh, sorry, Dad. I just got a lot on my mind."

"A lot on your mind? Like what?"

"Well, for one, I noticed that every stallion I met had a particular trait that set them apart from the others. Jack Bolt has his sense of integrity, Island Breeze has his sense of patience, Heraldry has his sense of humility, Split Mentality has his sense of dedication, and Corona has his sense of resourcefulness."

"I see. Well, if you had just randomly met me on your travels, what would you say my sense would be?"

"Hmm... I guess you have a supreme sense of devotion. I know how much I matter to you, and everything you do, you seem to do for me. I guess I might have learned that without even noticing." Suddenly, the filly froze up, and her eyes gave off a rainbow glow, while her cutie mark shined a green light. Parallel then passed out, which left Equality frightened.

Parallel, now in a dream state, once again saw her biological parents, who had been meaning to talk to her. Her mother, Crystal Destiny, came up to her, and said,

"Hello, Parallel. I must tell you how proud I am of you for making it this far. You've now discovered the six stallions that you were destined to bring together." Parallel, feeling confused, said,

"Wait, what do you mean, bring together?" Her father, Sacred Alignment, said,

"Remember how each of the five stallions you have befriended said something to you that made you freeze up? Well, that was you forming a bond with each of them. Also, just a few minutes ago, you froze up in front of Equality. What you may not have noticed is that each time you did, your eyes gave off a rainbow glow, and your cutie mark shined a light of a color to match that of each stallions." Parallel had no idea what he meant, so a screen appeared, and it showed her freezing up, and giving off the glows and lights each time. "You see, each stallion's cutie mark is a different color. Jack Bolt's is brown, Island Breeze's is blue, Heraldry's is silver, Split Mentality's is white, Corona's is black, and Equality's as you'd remember, is green. The rainbow glow signified your bond, and the light from your cutie mark shows why they are special to you. Each one taught you a valuable lesson, and they have, in a way, become a part of you." Parallel, now marveling at just how much the stallions mean to her, could only keep a wide mouth open. Her mother commented,

"The way each stallion took care of you, as was foretold, it's like they're all family to you now. The same goes for the others you befriended on your journey: Midnight, Rusty Sprocket, and Melody, as well as your childhood friends: Rocket Boost and Woodwind. It pains me to say this, but the time for you to choose whether to stay in this world, or come back home to ours, is almost upon you. I suggest that you try to gather up everypony that you know and love, and meet up with Princess Celestia. She knows about your whole story, including before you came to this world. You see, our world is connected to yours by a magic mirror, similar to how the world of humans and Equestria are connected by another magic mirror. The thing is, our world's mirror only has enough magic to survive for three more days. If you do wish to return home to our world, you must do so before then. Otherwise, the rest of your life will be spent in Equestria." Parallel had never understood the caliber of the situation before, but now she knew what she must do. She would have to send out a message to everypony she met on her travels, and tell them to meet up with Princess Celestia. Parallel, now ready to determine her future, said,

"Thank you, Mother, Father. I know what I must do. I'm ready to get back to Equestria." The two nodded in approval, as everything around the filly turned bright.

Parallel found herself in her bed, with Equality watching over her. He said,

"Parallel! You're alright! What happened to you?"

"Dad, I had a reality check. This is going to sound very hard to believe, but I need you to send a letter to Midnight, telling her to meet here within three days, and to bring Rusty Sprocket with her."

"Why Rusty Spro--"

"Don't ask, just trust me on this. I just happened to have sent letters out to the stallions I met on my quest already. Now I just need to find Cheerilee, Apple Bloom, and my childhood friends, Rocket Boost and Woodwind."

"Don't worry, I can handle that. Apple Bloom and Cheerilee will be easy, and Rocket Boost and Woodwind are always walking through town, so I can get them together no problem. As for Midnight, she writes to me occasionally, so I can just write back to her explaining everything. If I'm correct, I assume Rusty Sprocket is still with her."

"Perfect. I just hope that everypony else I met can respond to me, and gather together." The two of them spent the next two days trying to get them all at one point. Meanwhile, everypony Parallel had written to had just been receiving their letters.