What They Say About All Good Things
Twilight woke up. The sun was just over the horizon, sending hazy beams of light into her room. She gave a great yawn and stretched her legs. With several meetings scheduled for today, she expected the day to be quite productive.
Twilight turned to the rising sun and smiled; she enjoyed starting days like this. Soon Spike would have breakfast ready for her, then she’d eat and tell him all about her plans. Gazing to the ceiling, she tried to figure what Spike would say to her on the subject. He’d probably salute and say, “Ready when you need me, Twi!” She sighed to herself; Spike was the only one who could put up with her and do it wearing a smile.
Even though she’d soon be in the kitchen with Spike, even though her day would soon be shared with all of her friends, Twilight had this moment. It was just herself and the sun. She took another look at the horizon. Maybe Celestia too, if she’s watching.
With another yawn, Twilight threw off the covers and hopped out of bed. She walked over to her nightstand and withdrew her daily checklist with a quick spell. Get out of bed---check! Her grin widened and she chortled at herself.
The aroma of fresh coffee and roasted vegetables was already wafting up from the kitchen. Delighted that Spike had decided on a hot breakfast today, Twilight pranced down the stairs to greet him.
“Good morning, Spike!”
Spike waved to her over a pan of steaming vegetables. “Morning, Twilight!”
She took in a deep breath through her nose and moaned. “That smells so good. Your cooking really is the proper way to start a day off.”
Spike beamed. “Well, I suppose I am a pretty good cook.”
Twilight grabbed two plates and set them on the table. “So Spike, I’ve got quite a few things planned.” She showed him the checklist. “I’ve got ponies to see all over town and it will take up most of the day.”
He pulled out a quill and parchment. “Ready when you are, Twi.”
She sniggered. Pretty close.
“Thank you, Spike, but I already have my checklist written up for today. However, I didn’t exactly leave the basement in proper order. And, seeing as I won’t have time to clean it out myself today...” She gave a sheepish smile.
“I’m on it! It’ll be nice and clean when you get back!” he said, putting a fist to his chest.
“That’s my number one assistant!”
Twilight and Spike conversed on simple subjects during the meal. Spike was going on about some dream he had; it involved him battling a fierce manticore with nothing more than a tree branch. Twilight smiled as he told his tale, piping up with a humbling comment on occasion. She couldn’t let his ego get too inflated.
This was how mornings usually went in the library... and really, what reason did this one have to be any different?
Once her plate was clean, Twilight grabbed the saddlebags she had packed the night before and waved Spike goodbye. She would need to get started right away if she wanted to see all of her friends before the day was over. Starting at a canter, she headed down the street toward Carousel Boutique.
Just as the sunrise had suggested, the weather was beautiful. The sun glowed with a soft warmth, offset only by a comforting breeze. The occasional nimbus speckled a glossy blue sky. Twilight imagined Rainbow would be taking a nap on one of them. The librarian added a bounce to her step, glad she had picked today for her activities.
A tan-coated stallion with a black mane grabbed Twilight’s attention with a wave and a holler. She slowed and approached the pony, curious as to what she’d been flagged over for.
“Hi, there!” she chimed.
The stallion was only able to manage a weak smile. “Hi. Nice weather, huh?”
She looked at him quizzically. “I know! This weather is fantastic! Just look at the sky—” she glanced up and pointed at the blue curtain above them, “—it’s perfect for—”
He had disappeared.
Twilight paused. She hadn’t heard or felt any sort of teleporting. The stallion wasn’t even a unicorn. How did he disappear? An unsettling thought ran through her mind. Was he ever even here?
Shaking her head, she dismissed the encounter. I’ll figure it out later, when I’ve got the time. She resumed her journey at the same pace as before.
Her stride no longer carried a bounce.
The boutique wasn’t far and Twilight soon found herself knocking on Rarity’s door.
“Just a moment!” came the reply.
The reprise gave Twilight a moment to withdraw her checklist. Meet Rarity at Carousel Boutique—Check! She was just putting it away when Rarity opened the door.
“Twilight! How wonderful to see you! And punctual, as always. Come in! I will get right to measuring.”
Twilight stepped inside, talking in the familiar sights of Rarity’s boutique. Several mannequins stood near the wall, showcasing a variety of the fashionista’s work. Hmm... not a scrap of her usual workings lying around.
“Usually I see clothes and sewing materials out here. Are you not working on any projects at the moment?” asked Twilight.
“Ah, yes, I know I like to leave something of a jumble in the store front. There’s just no other way for me to work, but I do realize it’s not the best for appearances to let the organized chaos show too much. I took it upon myself to clear some time for our event, and that has given me a bundle of time to move things to the back. Now, are you still going with a hat? I am absolutely certain I could find a cape which would work wonders with that resplendent coat of yours.”
“Oh, no, I would hate to draw that much attention to myself. I’ll be quite happy with the hat,” said Twilight, blushing.
“If you insist, dear, but these inklings of mine are rarely off. Step up, if would,” Rarity said, gesturing toward the fitting stage.
Twilight hopped up in front of the mirrors, diverting her gaze from them. “I know, Rarity. You’re certainly the most talented fashionista I’ve ever met. I just want something neat, small and simple. Besides, I’ve been looking to get a hat for a while.”
“Why? I’d say you did that Starswirl topper justice last Nightmare Night.”
Twilight was taken aback. “That thing? It was oversized to be historically accurate. There’s no way that thing would look good on me any time outside of Nightmare Night.”
“If you say so.” Rarity grabbed a tape measure and focused on Twilight’s head. She was doing her best to keep her face neutral, but Twilight noticed the corners of her mouth had begun to betray her. Twilight gasped.
“Did you just... make a joke?”
Rarity tossed her head back. “I haven’t the faintest what you’re talking about, Twilight.”
The librarian put a hoof to her mouth. “I can’t believe it! Rainbow would be so proud of you if she knew.”
“Please, dear, you need to keep your head still while I’m working.” Rarity was clearly trying to concentrate on her work, but Twilight could see the smile threaten again.
“Sorry,” she replied, holding back a giggle.
Twilight stopped fidgeting, her thoughts already moving forward through the rigorously-scheduled day. Once she was done here, she would need to head down to Sugarcube Corner to give Pinkie the list of requested confections for the get-together this evening. I should probably ask her to have them ready when it starts. I’m sure everyone would appreciate fresh pastries. While Pinkie was the master of everything baked, she did have some trouble with organization.
Rarity withdrew from Twilight.
“I’m finished with the measurements. Your piece is actually the last one to do! Everyone else already has theirs, though I dread to think what kind of care Applejack has given hers.”
“So what did they end up choosing?”
Rarity waggled a hoof at Twilight. “A lady does not speak of such things. I wouldn’t want to spoil somepony’s dramatic reveal at the event tonight. If they choose to show you, that is up to them.”
Now she was intrigued.
“Not even a hint?”
“Not possible, dear. Now, any specifications you wish to give before I set to work on your hat?”
Twilight consider the question for a moment. “None I haven’t already told you.”
“Very well, I’ll start on it straight away. I’ll stop by the library just before our little soriée and give it to you then.”
“Thanks so much, Rarity!”
“My please, Twilight.” Rarity started back toward her workroom as Twilight headed to the door. A sudden thought came to her and she called back to Rarity just before leaving.
“What did you make for yourself?”
Rarity turned around. “My piece for tonight?”
Twilight nodded.
Rarity grinned and levitated a small set of saddlebags over her back. Each bag was emblazoned with an image of her Element. “I have always wanted a functional yet fashionable set of these. Tonight’s event was just the perfect excuse.”
“Those look fantastic, Rarity.”
The fashionista dismissed Twilight with a hoof. “I really just threw them together. Nothing too fancy.”
“You’re just being modest. They look great!”
A slight blush colored Rarity’s cheeks. “I suppose they’re alright. Thank you for the kind words, Twilight.”
“And thank you for putting my hat together!”
“You can thank me for that tonight when I hoof it over.”
“Okay, tonight then!” Twilight replied, and exited the boutique.
Once again on the streets of Ponyville, Twilight took out her checklist and marked off the next item. Finish morning meeting with Rarity—head to Sugarcube Corner. She took off for Pinkie’s place at a trot, eager to meet with her friend. Mostly, she was curious about what accessory Pinkie had chosen for tonight. With Pinkie, anything was possible.
Twilight took a quick peek at the sky. The clouds had thickened just a bit from when she first left the library, but she was sure there wasn’t rain scheduled for today. She rolled her eyes. It was probably Rainbow being lazy, just like when they had first met. A smile came to Twilight’s face as she recalled the state of her mane after their encounter. The same messy mane that had led her right to Rarity. It was strange, now that she thought about it. An odd set of coincidences that brought them together, much like the event they were celebrating tonight.
The wind picked up briefly, and Twilight paused to cover her face as it passed. Odd to have that on a calm day like this. When she opened her eyes, something she saw gave her pause.
It was the tan pony from earlier. He was standing just outside of an alleyway a short ways away, staring at Twilight. When she stared back, she saw something new in his eyes. Weight. It was like the sum of all the pains in the world rested on his back, and it was about to break him. His was trying to keep his face mostly neutral, but his mouth seemed to want to frown. His shoulders wanted to sag. A touch of concern joined Twilight’s annoyance as she adopted a stern face and began to make her way to the stallion.
“Hey! Where did you go earlier?”
He said nothing, replying only with the same hollow look.
“Who are you?” she asked, picking up her pace.
The pony turned away and began to walk into the alley he stood by.
“Don’t run off again!” She was now at a full gallop.
The pony disappeared from her vision just a moment before she arrived, and when she looked down the alley, he was gone.
Just like before. No trace of a teleportation. Am I hallucinating?
This pony had gone from a simple oddity to a real concern. Twilight would have to look into this as soon as she had the time, but the meetings today were too important. This would have to wait until tomorrow. She resumed her journey to Sugarcube Corner.
The smile had disappeared.
Twilight’s brisk pace soon brought her to her destination. She knocked on the door and pulled out her checklist once again. Meet Pinkie Pie -- check!
The door burst open and Pinkie flew out, encompassing Twilight in a hug. “Hi, Twilight!”
Pinkie’s momentum threw the two into a tumble, and they rolled for a short distance. The ball of ponies included a very startled and confused Twilight and an ecstatic Pinkie holding tightly onto Twilight while hollering in excitement. They soon came to a stop, Pinkie standing over Twilight. A huge grin was planted on the serial hugger’s face.
“I’ve always wanted to try out a new way to answer the door! What do you think of this one?”
Twilight looked at Pinkie with a sheepish smile. “Uh, I think I prefer the traditional method.”
“Hmm. I guess I’ll have to change it up a bit then.” Pinkie brought her face close to Twilight’s. “Wanna try knocking on my door again?”
“Maybe some other time, Pinkie. Do you think you could let me up?”
“Sure!” Pinkie bounced off of Twilight and helped the unicorn back to her hooves.
Twilight pulled a list out of her saddlebags. “Now, Pinkie, this is what everyone has requested for the get-together tonight.” She unfurled the paper in front of Pinkie. “Do you think you can handle this?”
Pinkie didn’t so much as glance at the list. “Silly Twilight! Of course I can handle it! The real question is whether you can handle how amazing my treats are going to be!”
“When will you have everything ready?”
“Just before the party starts. Everything tastes best straight out of the oven!”
Twilight’s smile returned. No matter what happened to her, just a few seconds with Pinkie Pie always seemed to brighten the librarian up. She was looking forward to the party tonight even more now.
“So, Pinkie, what accessory did Rarity make you for tonight?”
Pinkie’s eyes grew. “Oooh! I’ve been waiting to show it off to somepony! Wait here just a sec!” She raced inside, her speed turning her into a pink blur. Not a second later, she reappeared outside, wearing a peculiar mask. It wasn’t much more than a fine cloth wrapped around her head at eye level. Two holes were cut for eyes, and the cloth draped over Pinkie’s mouth. A picture of frown covered Pinkie’s obvious smile underneath.
“Well, Twilight? Isn’t it super awesome?”
“It looks good... but why the frown? You’re always smiling.”
“Cause that’s what I felt like! Why else?”
“Huh. Can’t really argue with that.”
“Argue? Why would you argue? Now you’re not making any sense, Twi! You’re so funny,” Pinkie giggled.
Twilight’s smile broadened. “I guess I am.”
She was just about to say farewell when another thought emerged.
“Say, Pinkie, you know everypony in Ponyville, right?”
Pinkie nodded furiously. “Yup!”
“Do you know a certain tan stallion, about our age, maybe a little older, with a black mane?”
“Ooohh yeah! I ran into him today! He stopped by here just before you did.”
Twilight perked up. “Really? What did he come for?”
“He just said some super weird things.” said Pinkie, waving her hooves around in circles.
“And what kind of ‘super weird’ things did he say?”
“Well, he walked up and I got really excited cause I haven’t seen him before and that means party time! But he didn’t say ‘hi’ like ponies usually do. He greeted me with ‘goodbye’. I was soooo confused and then he said ‘sorry I didn’t get a chance to know you better’ and just disappeared! I know a thing or two about disappearing and I’ve never seen anypony do it how he did. Not even I could figure out where he went off to!”
He seems so sad about something... but he never says what it is. It’s like he wants to get to know somepony, but something is keeping him from it. Maybe he’s just staying in Ponyville for a short while before he has to leave? Twilight struggled to wrap her brain around the strange pony’s appearances, but couldn’t grasp onto anything solid. Why did he greet Pinkie just to say goodbye?
“Did he tell you his name?” asked Twilight.
“Nope. Just said goodbye and sorry.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll have to work with that, then.” She turned to leave but Pinkie stopped Twilight with a hoof. Looking back at Pinkie, Twilight saw something she’d rarely seen in the Element of Laughter’s eyes: worry.
“Twilight, when you catch up with him, you gotta tell me! I haven’t thrown him a party, yet! It’ll be so awesome, too: a goodbye and a welcome party at the same time.”
Twilight nodded. “Absolutely, Pinkie. I’ll find him.”
Just like that, Pinkie’s face was once again plastered with a grin, her eyes lighting up at Twilight’s response. “It’s time for me to go into baker mode! Bye bye Twi! Thanks a bunch!” Grabbing the list Twilight brought for her, Pinkie flew back into Sugarcube corner.
“Bye! See you tonight!” Twilight called back with a wave.
Now I really need to find that pony. Not just for me, but for Pinkie as well. Twilight decided to keep an eye out, but she still had a schedule to keep. She glanced at the sky to check the time, but grew concerned when she saw the clouds. They had grown in number and size since she last looked. She grimaced; Rainbow Dash was definitely napping on the job. Next stop was going to be Fluttershy’s cottage, but Twilight would have to take a stop by Rainbow’s favorite napping spot first. It would do no good to have an outdoor event in the middle of a downpour. She closed her eyes and casted her teleport spell.
Twilight appeared in a flash of light on a street leading out of Ponyville. There were a couple of benches nearby, but she would never expect to find Rainbow on one of them. Flowing fields surrounded the area, dotted by the occasional tree or bush.. There were no buildings to block the wind out here; Twilight could feel it throwing her mane about like it would a pile of leaves. It was so much more... wild outside of town. Free.
This was where she often found Rainbow when she was being particularly lazy. Twilight scanned the darkening sky for her friend. Sure enough, she quickly spotted a splash of colors hanging off the edge of one of the lower clouds. Twilight rolled her eyes. Just as expected.
“Rainbow Dash!” she yelled.
Nothing. The rainbow tail still hung freely from the cloud. A heavy sleeper, too.
“Rainbow Dash!” she yelled again, this time amplifying her voice with magic.
The tail disappeared and was soon replaced by Rainbow’s drowsy face. “Oh, heya Twi! How’s it goin’ down there!”
“Swimmingly. Could you come down here so we don’t have to yell?”
“Sure thing!” Rainbow Dash leapt off of the cloud, allowing herself to free-fall until the last second, pulling up mere inches from the ground. The resulting gust threw dust up at Twilight, who covered her eyes as Rainbow landed. “So, Twilight, what’s up?”
“Well I just stopped by to—” she looked closely at an object on Rainbow’s head, “Are those goggles?”
Rainbow brightened up Twilight’s question. “Heck yes! How cool do these look? Rarity made ‘em for the party tonight!” Dash brought the goggle down over her eyes. She leaned in so Twilight could get a good look, turning her head back and forth. “Eh? Eh?”
The goggles were very sleek, clearly made to accommodate an aerodynamic pegasus like Rainbow. The band looping around her head was cyan, like her coat, with a smaller version of her cutie mark stitched in near the glass portion of the goggles.
Rarity’s skill with design and her precision never ceases to amaze me.
“Wow, those are really something else. I had no idea Rarity knew how to model aerodynamic pieces,” said Twilight
“I know, right? I helped her a little bit but she was able to take off with it no problem! You’d think she’d designed for the Wonderbolts before or something.” Rainbow moved the goggles back up onto her forehead. “Now, what brings you out to my napping spot? Something about the party?”
“Actually, yeah. How’d you guess?”
“C’mon, Twi! You’re always stressing this stuff right before it all goes down!” Rainbow hooked a hoof behind Twilight’s neck and poked her chest. “You should relax more often; chill with me and let your mane down.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, Dash, really.” Her face shifted to a more austere look. “But you can’t be slacking like this the day of an event this important! Look at the sky, it’s gotten really cloudy!” she said, pointing to the clouds.
Rainbow Dash looked at the sky, scrunching her mouth up. “Slacking? Are you serious?” This is the Rainbow Dash you’re talking to! I can clear this in no time at all! I’m just waiting for the right time. If I got rid of all these clouds now, they’d just come back later today! Kinda silly to clear the sky twice, Twi.”
“Yes, but if it does happen to rain on us before you clear everything, the ground will be damp! And mud does not mix well with picnics.”
“Now you’re fretting about mud? It’s going to be fine, Twilight. You’ve been working on this relentlessly for weeks! I won’t let you down. Element of Loyalty, remember?”
Twilight let all the tension out of her shoulders. I have been taking this pretty seriously... but not everything is ready yet! I’ll hang out with Rainbow later.
“Some other time, Dash. I still need to stop by Fluttershy’s place and after that have a talk with Applejack. Could you make sure these clouds are cleared in the meantime?” she asked, giving Rainbow a hopeful smile.
“No problem! But you have to do me a favor, too.”
“What’s that?”
Rainbow rubbed a hoof roughly through Twilight’s mane. “Relax.”
Twilight nodded reluctantly. “I’ll—I’ll give it a try.”
Twilight brightened up a bit. She hadn’t expected any much sympathy from Rainbow Dash—she was usually oblivious to the deeper thoughts of those around her... but here, Dash had said exactly what Twilight needed to hear. It felt like there was something heavy she’d been carrying, but she never knew how to relieve the weight. Without a single word of protest, Rainbow had taken up some of it herself—and done it wearing a smile.
Rainbow Dash stepped back from Twilight, still beaming, and saluted. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a some clouds to beat up!” she declared, and sped off.
Twilight gave Rainbow wave and then made her way to Fluttershy’s cottage. She was a bit surprised she hadn’t bumped into the mysterious tan pony again; he had all but followed Twilight around earlier in the day. Perhaps he had left on whatever journey led him to say goodbye to Pinkie... or maybe whatever haunted him, whatever put that desolate look of weight in his eyes, had caught up with him. The thought made Twilight shudder.
No, he can’t be gone yet. I owe it to Pinkie now to find him. As soon as I have time.
Twilight knocked on the door to Fluttershy’s cottage. After a moment, Fluttershy opened the door.
“Oh, hello, Twilight. Are you here to drop off the party supplies?”
“Yup, I sure am. Now, are you positive you want to do the setup on your own? You know Pinkie usually does this part and I’m sure she would love to help.”
Fluttershy meekly shook her head. “No, no, I wouldn’t want to trouble her any more. I know she has some baking on her hooves today. Setting up as well would just be too much to ask. Besides, Angel is going to help me. Right?”
She turned back to her bunny, who gave a defiant shake of his head.
“Oh, I guess that’s too much to ask. You must be tired from playing around all day.”
Twilight rolled her eyes; Angel had always been getting the better of Fluttershy, but she seemed to love the little bunny, so why make a statement of it?
“Um,” peeped Fluttershy.
“What is it Fluttershy?”
“Well, no... I just—” She shrunk back a bit. “You know, I probably shouldn’t say anything.”
“Fluttershy, I’m your friend. You can say whatever you want to me. I’m happy to listen.”
Fluttershy looked at Angel, then back to Twilight. “Ok, if you really want me to.” Her gaze fell to the floor. “It’s just that you seemed to have some kind of opinion about Angel. You were, well, you were rolling your eyes at him.”
Twilight clammed up. Her eyes darted back and forth. “No, of course not! Angel is a perfectly pleasant bunny! I was just, uh, allergies! Yes, I have terrible allergies this time of year and rolling my eyes helps to clear them out.”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth in concern. “Oh, no! I never noticed. It must be such a bother to come all the way out here around all my plants with allergies like that. I’m so sorry I asked you to bring the decorations—”
Angel had approached Fluttershy from behind and given one of her back legs a swift kick. Fluttershy turned to her pet and Angel pointed at Twilight, then made some gestures.
“She’s lying about her allergies? Angel, I really don’t—”
Another kick silenced her. Angel pointed to Twilight again, this time vehemently, then put his arms to his hips. Fluttershy blushed and turned to Twilight.
“Umm, Angel is insisting that you don’t have allergies, but I believe you, Twilight. I just don’t know what has gotten into him.”
Twilight let out a sigh. She couldn’t let Angel be portrayed as the liar here and from the look he gave her, Angel knew it. Time to come clean.
“The truth is, Fluttershy, Angel’s right. I actually don’t have any allergies. At least, none that bug my eyes.”
“So, you were lying about why you rolled your eyes? But why?”
Twilight gave an awkward smile. “Well, I didn’t want to bring up your relationship with Angel. It would have been rude.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock. “R-r-relationship with A-angel? You’re talking like we’re together or something.”
Twilight huffed. “No, not like that! I just meant how Angel is always pushing you around and you never seem to notice or even care.”
“I care about Angel very much, and he cares about me. He’s just a little, um, blunt.”
“That’s it? Just blunt? He was literally kicking you a second ago!”
Fluttershy cowered back a bit. “I can be really passive at times, he knows how to get me to speak up.”
Twilight shook her head. “I just don’t get it. He’s downright mean to you sometimes, not to—”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy yelped.
Twilight gaped at Fluttershy, her face frozen in a visage of shock.
“Oh, no, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I was way too loud, wasn’t I?” Her eyes softened; she seemed to be on the verge of running away.
“No, Fluttershy, it’s fine. Really. Just tell me what you wanted to say.”
She nodded. “You see, Twilight, Angel is much more than just a pet. He’s been with me for a very long time and we’ve gotten to understand each other really well. I guess he has always been a little pushy—sorry, Angel—but mostly just with me. He’s kind to all of the other animals I look after. I think he knows just as much about caring for others as I do, he just goes about it a little differently. Think about it, Twilight, do you think he’d be able to get a timid pony like myself to ever take action without some, well, rigid motivation?”
“You’ve done plenty with your other friends and I. I’d say you took some pretty decisive action back with that dragon.”
“And it took him scaring the wits out of my friends for me to actually do something about it.”
Twilight’s face softened. “Fluttershy...”
“No, Twilight, it’s the truth. I’m passive to a fault at times, and Angel knows how to treat me. He’s never really been mean—well, except maybe that one day he was really cranky—”
Angel silenced her with a soft jab.
“Heh, sorry.” she said, blushing.
“You really need Angel to be so firm? What did you do before you met him?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy looked down and poked at the floor with a hoof. “I got picked on, except when Rainbow was around. I didn’t make many friends. I almost failed flight school. I don’t know if I ever would have made it through without Rainbow and Angel. I need friends like Angel in my life, even if it seems... harsh... at times. Why do you think I named him Angel?”
Twilight looked down at Fluttershy’s bunny friend. He had been nodded along with Fluttershy the whole time. Now he looked at Twilight with a fierce determination. His eyes betrayed no doubt, no hesitation. He was the antithesis to Fluttershy herself and, Twilight realized, the perfect companion. She felt confident leaving Fluttershy in his hands: a friend like that was just as loyal as Rainbow Dash and, in Angel’s case, with twice the spunk. She smiled at Angel; he just nodded in return.
“I think,” said Twilight, “we’ve come to an understanding.”
Fluttershy grinned. “Good to hear.”
“Now, about the party supplies: are you sure you don’t want help?”
“I definitely want help, but you can leave if you have somewhere else to be. Don’t worry about me.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Who’s going to help you, then? Rainbow is busy clearing the clouds, Rarity is working on my hat...”
Fluttershy perked up. “Oooh, do you want to see what she made me? It’s beautiful.”
Twilight smiled. “Yes, of course. I was about to ask to see it myself, actually.”
Fluttershy bounded away and then reappeared at the doorway a moment later.
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
Fluttershy beamed. She was wearing a long, delicate scarf. It looked like it was made of a fine-woven wool, thick stripes of pink and yellow going across the piece horizontally. Woven in at both ends of the scarf was a butterfly in the likeness of Fluttershy’s cutie mark. It matched her coat perfectly.
“I know, isn’t it wonderful? I can only imagine how difficult it was for Rarity to work in these butterflies. I couldn’t be happier with it.” said Fluttershy.
“It really is beautiful. I look forward to seeing again tonight.”
“Speaking of, I better get these decorations up. Should be no trouble with help” She turned to the small pile of items Twilight had brought her.
“So you want me to stick around?”
“Oh no, Angel is going to help me.”
Twilight was flabbergasted. “But he just said he wouldn’t.”
Fluttershy smiled at Twilight over her shoulder. “He was planning on helping me all along. He just doesn’t like to look complacent around others.”
Twilight grinned and looked down at Angel, who was glaring daggers at Fluttershy. “Busted, buddy.”
Angel turned to Twilight, lifted his chin in defiance and swiftly closed the door on her.
She trotted away from the cottage, giggling to herself. Angel wouldn’t be able to live that down for a while, not if she had anything to say about it.
Twilight’s next and final stop was Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was providing the main course of the meal, seeing as Pinkie was just baking up sweets. Twilight wanted to make sure everything was still coming along on schedule, and offer Applejack help if it wasn’t. Twilight grimaced. Assuming she’d accept my help if she needs it.
Not too long after departing from Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight suddenly realized something: the sun was no longer visible through the clouds. She’d planned this leg of the trip would be fairly simple, but the sky was beginning to worry her. The clouds had only thickened since her talk with Rainbow Dash. What in Equestria is that pegasus doing? Am I going to have to talk to her again? Taking another trip down to Dash’s napping spot would take up precious time in her schedule. Twilight resolved to hurry her trip to Sweet Apple Acres. She would have a chat with Dash after a quick double-check with Applejack about the food. Speaking of checks....
Oh, Celestia, I forgot about my checklist!
Twilight frantically rummaged through her saddlebags, looking for that precious piece of paper that had been guiding her through the day. She tore it out as soon as she found it and looked at her progress. I didn’t check leaving Pinkie’s place! Or arriving at Fluttershy’s! Or—
“Hello, Twilight.”
Twilight stiffened up. That voice. She slowly lowered the checklist to get a good look at the pony who spoke up. He was standing right in front of her.
It was the tan-coated pony from earlier. And he wasn’t running away.
Twilight leaned in and narrowed her eyes at him. His black mane was a bit rustled; it looked like what a Wonderbolt’s mane would be after a flight show. His eyes shone a light blue, not much unlike Pinkies’. They still carried that weight.
“Uh, you’re staring pretty intently, there, Twilight,” he said, shifting in place.
She grimaced at him. “I’m half-expecting you to disappear again.”
He gave her an uneasy smile. “Heh, not this time. I’m not going anywhere ‘till the day is ended.”
“And where will you go then?”
“Let’s get to that when it comes, shall we?”
Twilight fell back into a relaxed posture. That last statement had seemed harmless, but the stallion had visibly tensed up while speaking it. Something is up with this pony, and I’m not sure I like it.
“Who are you, anyways?” she asked.
“Just—I’m just a, well, I guess you could—no, that wouldn’t really work, either...”
“Your name would be fine.”
“I, er, you can call me Hall.”
“Very well, then, Hall. Why are you following me and why did you say goodbye to Pinkie?”
“Wow. That’s really direct.”
This pony is having such a hard time giving answers to some questions that should be fairly simple. What’s his game?
“Could you please answer the question?”
“Oh, boy, I’m really messing this up, aren’t I? I was following you ‘cause I needed to and I said goodbye to Pinkie because I wanted to meet her. I’ll be gone soon enough, so I won’t get another chance. Nothing malicious, I swear.”
Twilight didn’t know what to say in reply. His tone sounded innocent enough, but he was trying too hard to avoid giving straightforward answers. She knew Pinkie was an Element, but was Pinkie really so famous that a complete stranger would try so hard to meet her? And when is ’soon enough’? Lastly, what the hay kind of expression is ‘oh, boy’?
“I know this may sound kind of weird, but can I come with you to—I mean, wherever you’re headed?”
This just keeps getting weirder, thought Twilight, but this was her chance to keep her promise to Pinkie.
“Sure! But do you think you could tell me why you want to come to Sweet Apple Acres?”
“That’s where you’re headed? Sounds great. I really just wanted to tag along. We can chat on the way.”
“That works out perfectly. The orchard is just a few minutes down this road; you can meet Applejack when we arrive.”
He smiled, but it was darkened by his eyes. Whatever was bothering him was still there... in force.
The two made their way down to Sweet Apple Acres. The conversation was kept fairly light, despite Twilight’s efforts to delve deeper. She answered several questions about herself (the stallion seemed oddly interested), but he hardly reciprocated when Twilight had a question of her own. Both ponies were talking plenty, but to Twilight it still felt like a one-sided conversation. When they arrived at their destination, though, their talk was ended by a familiar voice.
“Howdy, there, Twi! An’ who’s your friend? I reckon I ain’t seen him ‘round here at all.”
Applejack approached Twilight and Hall, meeting them at the orchard gates. Twilight presented Hall with a hoof.
“This is Hall. He’s visiting Ponyville just for today. We’ve bumped into each other a couple times and he decided he wanted to chat, so, here we are,” she said, shrugging. Hall held out a hoof.
A huge grin sprouted up on Applejack’s face and she shook Hall’s outstretched hoof vigorously. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! We love visitors down here. Just visiting for a day, ya say? That’s too bad, I’m sure the family woulda had a grand time meetin’ ya. I’m a mite sorry, we usually give much bigger greetin’s to new ponies, but I’ve had my hooves filled to the brim with work today! Applebloom, my sis, is off to school and my big bro, Big Mac, is busy in the fields. I’d introduce you to Granny, but she’s a tad tired today, think it’s best to just leave her be. So!” she said, still holding Hall’s hoof in a death grip, “got any questions ‘bout the orchard? Apples? The family? Farmin’ in general?”
Hall’s eyes were glazed over and his body was reverberating with the force of the hoofshake. He tried to muster a response, but couldn’t get anything coherent out. Twilight nudged Applejack.
“Uh, I think you might want to go easy on the shaking there, Applejack.”
Applejack looked at Twilight. “What’s that?” Twilight pointed at Hall. Applejack looked back to the hapless guest, suddenly realizing the effect her enthusiastic greeting had on him. She let his hoof go and scratched the back of her head. “Heh, sorry ‘bout that. Always get carried away with the ‘howdy’s.”
Hall shook his head. “It’s alright, really. I actually find it quite inspiring to see somepony so passionate about their work and their family—with a iron hoofshake greeting, to boot.”
Applejack tipped her hat. “That’s mighty kind of ya, Hall.” She turned to Twilight. “So, what brings ya’ll out here? I’m always happy to see a friend but you’re not one for spontaneous ‘howdy-do-ya’s’, Twi.”
“Actually, I’m just here to check up on the food for tonight and to see if you wanted any help. I’ve been visiting the rest of the gang today and so far, everything is looking good—with the exception of a certain weather pony’s job.” Her tone went flat with the last comment as she pointed to the darkening sky.
Applejack laughed. “That’s Rainbow for ya, all right. I was a mite curious ‘bout that myself. I swear, sometimes it takes nothing short of an invitation to the Wonderbolts to get that pegasus moving. Tell ya what, Twi, why don’t you come inside and I’ll show you what all I’ve got cooked up for us. You should come along too, Hall.”
He nodded. “I’d love to.”
“Alright, then! Let’s head inside,” said Applejack. She led Twilight and Hall into her home and then to the kitchen.
Twilight’s mouth dropped open. Applejack had laid out a magnificent display of apple dishes and the smell was incredible; cinnamon, sugar, syrup, jelly and, of course, apple scents filled her nostrils, sending her senses for a blissful spin. She imagined the assortment rivaled what she’d seen when she first met Applejack and her family. Twilight smiled. At least she’s not assaulting Hall and I with them like she did to me when I first met her; although, I am kind of curious as to how he would react to it.
She looked over at her travelling partner. He was smiling at all of the apple dishes Applejack had laid out, but it was an odd sort of smile. He looked at them as though it was food out of a fond memory; like he had missed it. Is he really hungry or something?
“Does it look good, Twi?” asked Applejack.
“Good?” exclaimed Twilight, “It looks absolutely fantastic! Not only does it smell delicious, but I bet you could feed twelve ponies with this!”
Applejack looked away and blushed at the compliment. “Heh, I guess I’m just used to cooking for bigger groups with such an extensive family an’ all. Ya’ll feel like giving it a try, seeing as I got so much here?”
“Well, I haven’t had lunch yet, so I’d certainly love to have some. It looks like Hall here is hungry, too.”
Hall suddenly jumped into a rigid stance at the mention of his name. He jerked his head to Twilight. “I, uh, I’m not really all that hungry—” he looked back and forth, a nervous sweat starting to form on his forehead, “—I need to be excused a moment, sorry!” With that, he bounded out of the house.
Twilight and Applejack exchanged glances. “I think I should go out there and see what’s bothering him,” said Twilight.
“Hold it, there, Twi. I think we best give him a moment, at least. He may figure whatever it is out himself. I’d wager we’re the ones who made him a bit uncomfortable in the first place.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that? How could you tell?”
“Completely sure. I can tell ‘cause I seen it before, plenty a’ times. You learn to pick up on things like that when you meet as many ponies as I do.”
Twilight sighed. Of course, Applejack goes out of her way to greet every pony she runs into, and I just spend time with my books... A small frown made its way to her face.
“What’s got to you, now, Twi? You better not be blaming yourself for making him uncomfortable.”
Twilight’s gaze found Applejack’s concerned face. “How do you do that, Applejack? I didn’t even say anything.” Her head sunk down. “I wish I could be as open and friendly as you.”
“Need help with that? Well, I’m afraid the answer ain’t so simple. First, I oughta tell you a little bit of what I’ve learned about bein’ a good friend—which, Twi, you ain’t a slouch at yourself. Everypony has somethin’ in common with each other. We all got dreams. We all got ponies we care about. We all like the company of a friend. So whadda I do? I act like a friend, even if the pony’s a stranger. When ya do that, ponies show a bit more of themselves. You can see it in their eyes, hear it in their voice. The sad ones don’t look at you so much and they talk real slow-like. The happy ones can’t talk enough.
“An’ Twi, you can’t make it through everything on your own. Heh, you may have thought that applebucking business when Big Mac was injured was the first time I had to learn that, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I been stubborn all my life, sugarcube, and I gotta learn that lesson every now an’ then. So, if I can’t be a friend to everypony, who can I expect to help when I need it, especially if I’m too thick-headed to realize it at the time? Bein’ a good friend is about listening to more than jus’ the words. An’ that is somethin’ ya can’t just look up inna book.”
She makes it all sound so simple, but I’ve been trying to figure it out for years and haven’t made any progress.
“That makes sense, I guess,” said Twilight.
Applejack walked up to Twilight and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, now, Twi, I’ve heard that voice before. You’re still mad at yourself for somethin’, ain’t ya? Out with it. And don’t try no funny business, you know how stubborn I am, and I fully intend to be stubborn as possible ‘bout this.”
Twilight gave her friend a weak smile. “I get what you’re saying about friendship, Applejack, I just can’t practice it. I feel like everything is over my head when it comes to this and no amount of studying has helped! I’ve never run into anything in my life that I couldn’t just research and work my way out of!”
Applejack smirked at Twilight. “I think you ain’t being quite honest with yourself there. Believe me, I know a thing or two ‘bout honesty. You’re lookin’ at your failure without lookin’ your success! Did you ‘study’ your way outta our encounter with Nightmare Moon? Remind me, Twi, who figured out how the Elements of Harmony worked? Who brought us all together?”
Twilight’s blush was as red as an apple. “I guess that was me, wasn’t it?”
“Uh-huh! And was that all jus’ studying? Did you have a guide on how the Elements worked?”
“I did have a book, but it wasn’t a real guide, per-say.”
“Well how ‘bout that. Somethin’ you didn’t study your way out of. You don’t give yourself enough credit. In fact, I think if you work on that, you’ll be gettin’ much better at figuring out when a friend needs help. Jus’ as good as me, I reckon.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank, AJ. I feel a lot better now.”
Applejack brightened up. “Now that’s the tone I was listenin’ for! Now, how ‘bout you help yerself to some ‘a these treats here?” She gestured to the array of apple dishes laid out on before them. Twilight looked over them for a moment before picking out an apple fritter, grabbing it with a purple glow and bring it towards her.
“I think I’ll go check on poor Hall. Make sure he hasn’t gone bonkers on us out there,” said Applejack.
“Okay,” replied Twilight.
Applejack stepped out, leaving Twilight alone with the apple fritter and her thoughts. She took a bite out of it, letting the strong, sweet apple flavors cloud out her mind for a moment. It tried to bring her thoughts to pressing matters, like the clouds, but she wouldn’t let it. ‘Relax’, right? Okay, Dash, I’m relaxing. She let out a heavy breath and leaned her side against the countertop. Taking another bit of the fritter, she closed her eyes and focused on her treat. Relaxing felt pretty good, Twilight decided. Why am I even worrying about Dash? She’s the freaking Element of Loyalty! Of course she’ll have the clouds clear. She’s always been a little lazy, why would today be any different?
Twilight continued to munch on her snack and thought about Hall. I wish I could figure him out. He seems suspicious, but why? I can’t put my hoof on it. He’s always sad. Nervous, too. She figured now would be a good a time as any to take Applejack’s advice. ‘Act like a friend, even if the pony’s a stranger.’ He seemed interested in Twilight, maybe if she just talked about herself he would ease up and she could learn more of his story.
A cough from the entrance to the kitchen caught both ponies’ attention. It was Hall and Applejack.
“Sorry to run out like that, I just got a little nervous. I don’t spend a lot of time in strangers’ houses,” he said.
“Ain’t nothing to ‘pologize about, Hall, s’long as you don’t call me ‘stranger’. Name’s Applejack and I ain’t a stranger to anypony.”
“You’ve got a deal, Applejack.” He looked more resolved, now. Twilight supposed he had gotten over whatever had triggered his nervousness. Perhaps she’d be able to get more out of him now that he was more comfortable.
Remembering the other reason she was out here, Twilight spoke up. “Just out of curiosity, Applejack, what did Rarity make you for the anniversary celebration tonight?”
“Aw, ya haven’t already noticed? I’ve been wearin’ ‘em the entire time. Take another look at my mane and tail.”
Twilight and Hall both looked closely where Applejack had specified. Twilight’s eyes slowly combed up and down her mane, but she couldn’t spot anything, at first. However...
“The ribbon! Rarity made a ribbon to hold your mane and tail together! It looks really nice.”
Adorning Applejack’s mane and tail were red ribbons in the place of the simple bands that she usually used. They were trimmed neatly on the edges, and the image of an apple was placed in the center of each, making them stand out just a bit from her typical set.
“Rarity wanted to make me all sorts ‘a clothing, but I didn’t want anything that really stood out. She had to fight just to get me to agree to these; though now that I’ve been wearin’ ‘em, I think I’ve become a bit attached.”
Twilight gave her an understanding nod. “Her pieces do that to you. I know I’m just looking for excuses to wear the dresses she’s made me. I can’t wait to see the hat she’s working on. In fact, I bet she’s about done with it by now. Since you’ve got the food situation well in-hoof, I think I’ll head back to town and see if she’s done with it. The afternoon’s about over anyways; I wouldn’t want to have to walk back in the dark.”
“Thanks for stoppin’ by, Twi.” Applejack turned to Hall and tipped her hat. “And it’s been a pleasure makin’ your acquaintance. I hope we get to see each other again someday.”
Hall gave her a slight bow and replied, “I wouldn’t worry about that.” He walked out the door, Twilight close behind. She said bye and gave Applejack a wave before disappearing out the front door.
The first thing Twilight noticed was the sky: completely clear.
“Wow, Rainbow Dash can really get to work when she wants to,” she said, staring upwards.
“Rainbow Dash? Can’t say I’ve seen—or met—her,” said Hall.
Twilight looked at Hall, perplexed. “You didn’t see her at all while you were out here? She must have flown by while clearing the sky.”
Hall shook his head. “Afraid not. The sky was still cloudy after I, er, ran out.”
Twilight’s perplexion intensified into concern. Rainbow Dash is fast, but... can she really clear that many clouds in a manner of seconds? She scanned the horizon; not a cloud remained. The sun shone freely down on her and Hall, slowly moving toward its daily resting place in the west. ‘Relax’, remember, Twilight? She started down the path to town at a trot. You don’t know what happened. Maybe Rainbow really is just that fast. Maybe she had help. There’s got to be a good explanation, right? Besides, with the sky clear, everything is on schedule to be ready for the party in a couple hours.
Hall caught up with her. “Hey, is something bothering you? You took off awful fast.”
“I just wasn’t expecting the sky to be cleared so quickly. I don’t even know why it’s bugging me, it’s exactly what I wanted. Now the event tonight can happen with no complications.”
“Oh? An event? What are you commemorating?”
“Well, it’s not some universal holiday or anything, just something that’s really important to my friends and I.”
“Do you mind sharing? I’m curious,” stated Hall. His tone had become a bit flat, and perhaps a little pushy.
Now’s a good a time as any...
“How long have you been in the area?” asked Twilight.
“Quite a while. As long as you, I imagine.”
“Did you—” She paused.
After a moment’s consideration, Twilight chose to let it go and continued, “Did you see the Sonic Rainboom that happened several years ago? Not the recent one during the Young Fliers’ Competition; way before that.”
Hall’s eyes shifted up and to his left. “Hmmm, yes I do recall that. What about it?”
“My friends and I all saw it as well. But it wasn’t just a Sonic Rainboom for us. It was the key to our cutie marks. All six. And here we are, by complete coincidence, friends and Elements living in Ponyville. So we decided to celebrate the day it occurred. That happens to be today.”
“That’s really cool. So what did you have planned?”
“We were going to have something of a fancy picnic out in a field near Fluttershy’s house. It’s the same field over which Rainbow Dash created the Rainboom. Rarity—she’s a fashionista—was nice enough to make everypony something for the event. I was hoping she’d have it ready by the time I got back home. That’s why I’m kinda in a hurry.”
“Fair enough. I can’t say I have the same passion for clothing, but it sounds like Rarity is quite the artist with it.”
Twilight grinned. It’s actually working! He finally said something about himself.
The road passed by quickly as Twilight and Hall trotted toward Ponyville. The sun was now just kissing the horizon behind them, throwing sunlight over their shoulders. A cool evening breeze settled in, rustling the leaves and the grass along the trail. Twilight closed her eyes briefly to take it in. Despite all of the hiccups she had run into, everything was turning out fantastic. She couldn’t wait for tonight.
Their journey soon brought them to the town. They both slowed down, catching their breath. Twilight smiled at Hall while panting, hoping to get him to reciprocate. His mouth curled upwards, but what she saw was not a smile. It was pain. I thought I was getting through to him.
Twilight picked her head up and began walking toward the library. What could possibly be troubling him so? What would AJ do here? Just ask? She scrunched up her face in thought. There had to be some way to get him to talk; there was no way for Twilight to help him if he didn’t.
While going over her options, Twilight realized it was awfully quiet in town for the time of day. She started looking at the houses and shops on both sides of the street: completely empty. Her pace slowed. It’s all but impossible for the streets to be this empty. She saw no visible cause of the evacuation; no impending threats, no strange animals wandering the streets. The only thing she heard were her own hoofsteps... and Hall’s. She stopped.
“Something bothering you, Twilight?” asked Hall.
She slowly turned to him. “I was about to ask you the same.” She started stalking toward him. “What’s been troubling you so much today? How come you’ve been looking so sad? Or is it guilty?”
He quickly looked away. “Guilty? I don’t—well, I guess that’s kinda true.”
“What’s going on here? Ponyville is usually busy this late in the afternoon.”
He started shaking, beads of sweat beginning to form on his face. “Twilight, look, I know you’re not going to like it—”
“So you do have something to do with this?” she yelled.
“Really, I’d be so much easier if I just explained first.” he whimpered.
“I’m interested in facts. What. Has. Happened?” she said, emphasizing each word of her question.
He let out a heavy sigh and slumped over. “You won’t be seeing them again.”
Twilight gaped at him. He couldn’t possibly mean—! She spun around and sprinted to the library. The door burst open in a flurry of magic the second she got there.
“Spike! Spike! Are you here?” she hollered to the air.
No answer.
“Spike! Spike!” She ran upstairs to his sleeping basket. Empty. Barreling down the stairs, she continued to call his name. Next she checked the kitchen. No Spike. The basement was barren as well. “Spike, please! Spike!” Her eyes watered with worry. Only one room left: storage. She threw open the door and desperately scanned the area. Completely deserted. Twilight frantically ran back into the main room, about to start searching the library again, but a splash of color caught her attention. Something she overlooked at first. On the center table, resting against the horsehead carving, was a hoof-crafted hat. It drank in light with the color of the night sky. Stars were scattered across the canvas, each different from the last. Twilight crept up to the table, her eyes locked on the hat the entire time. She could see one star stood out from the others. It had six distinct points, and was colored a fine magenta. Twilight let a gasp escape her lips.
From the front door, the sound of hooves drifted inside. Still gaping, Twilight turned to the source of the sound. She felt a tear forming as she looked at the intruder through hazy eyes.
“You’re In a Story, Twilight, and I’m the Author.”
*~~~*
Broken. That was the only way to describe how I saw her. Twilight stood over the hat Rarity had made her and stared at me on the verge of crying. I didn’t know what to expect next: would it be sorrow, or anger? I deserved both.
“That doesn’t even make sense!” she barked at me, rage showing on her face in a grimace.
Anger, then.
“You’re a character in a story I’m writing, Twilight. The setting we occupy now, all of Equestria, even, is fictional. Everypony is gone because that’s how the story must progress.”
“And you expect me to believe that nonsense explanation? It can’t possibly be true!”
“The truth exists regardless of your belief in it or lack thereof.”
“You’re insane.”
“In more ways than one, I imagine,” I said with a smirk.
Twilight just gawked at me, unable to find a reply. “Enough!” she said, and disappeared in a flash of purple.
I shook my head in exasperation.
She appeared a moment later in the same spot she had teleported from. Looking around, she realized she was not in her intended location. The fury on her face intensified.
“Why am I here? Why am I not at Carousel Boutique?”
“That’s not where this story goes.”
“That does not make sense!”
“You’ve said as much.”
Twilight threw her head back and grunted in frustration. She looked back and forth, likely contemplating a means of escape. When she saw the open door behind me, she lowered her head and snorted.
My expression flattened. “That won’t help, Twilight.”
She scuffed the floor with a hoof and then charged. I sidestepped her, and she barrelled out the door...
...only to appear in a field.
Twilight’s eyes darted around the scenery, very quickly realizing we had moved. “Where are we?”
“Don’t you recognize this place?”
She spun around, searching for a landmark she might recognize. Her eyes landed on an extravagant picnic setup. Curiosity replaced anger on her face as she stared at it. Her attention moved to a small house a short ways away. A chicken coop sat in the yard, as well as several flowers. A short bridge over a nearby stream led to the doorway.
“This is—this is where we were going to celebrate. And right over the field—” she turned to look at the sky above us, “—is where that Rainboom happened, so long ago.” Her mouth threatened to smile. “Dash even made up one of those racing ring clouds.” Twilight turned back to me, a glare in her eyes—but the rest of her face was weary of anger. The change in scenery had helped. “Why did you take them away? Today, of all days!”
“It’s not something I’m taking pleasure in. I’m really sorry things ended up this way. Truly. I’m not just—”
“Do you ever tell the truth? All I had from you were lies! ‘Nothing malicious’? Really? And you never even gave me a straight answer during our talks on the road! Honesty must mean nothing to you. You did this! Nopony else, you! Why do something you’re going to be sorry about?”
“Because in the end, it’s worth it. For both of us. Your friends, too.”
“Don’t even try to say you’re doing this for anypony else except yourself. You’ve killed my friends, and soon you’ll kill me too.”
“Is that really what you think?!” I shouted at her.
Twilight recoiled, not expecting to be torn from her dominant position in the conversation. The fire in her eyes remained, though. “You just announced the story would be ending soon and if I really am just a character in your stupid story, then that would mean I die soon, wouldn’t it. Even worse, actually: I’m going to cease to exist completely!”
You forget, my little pony... I’ll soon be gone too.
“‘Just a character’? That doesn’t make any sense. ‘Just a character’ implies that being what your are is nothing more than a whimsical object of amusement. You’re much more complex and powerful than that. You’re an idea given birth to long ago by dreamer—and ideas like you do not die.
Do not sell yourself short, Twilight Sparkle.”
She huffed. “And this explanation of yours is supposed to make me feel better about the fate you’ve just given me?”
I put a hoof to my forehead in thought and took a deep breath. This is more difficult than I thought it would be.
“I was hoping it would. It’s better than ceasing to exist, isn’t it?”
“To me, it’s the same. I’m not going to be around to care either way. I think you’re just saying it so you can feel better about what you’ve done—or, at least, what you’re doing.”
I slumped. I had spent so much time thinking about this, so much time convincing myself I was in the right here, but some small part of me doubted. What is she was right? It doesn’t really matter to her that she’s going to live on as an idea. Is this all really justified?
I can’t give up now. There’s still so much she could do, I just have to convince her.
Or perhaps it’s time you stopped being so selfish. ‘I just have to convince her.’ Who are you really helping there? You’ve got no interest in Twilight’s well-being, you just want a good story.
No! This is done as much for her as it is for me.
And what sort of twisted justification do you have for that?
If I can share this story, Twilight—this Twilight—lives on in those who know her.
My body was burning up. I didn’t know if it was embarrassment or anger that fueled the flames, but something inside of me was protesting with everything it could muster.
The sound of grass rustling nearby caused me to look up. Twilight had approached me. Her face was as dispassionate as the wind. The fury had left; something inside of her was protesting as well. Did anger still control her? Would she strike me down? Or was there something else?
“I just want my friends back. Give them back. Please.”
Every part of me screamed ‘Yes!’ It would be so easy for me to just return Equestria to the way it was and end this story here and now. I was the only one who knew of it; these events never had to leave my mind. That path was so simple, so painless.
But down that path, nothing changed.
I instead offered her something. “You never got a chance to wear this, Twilight. I think Rarity would have liked you to try it on, at least once.” In my outstretched hoof lay her hat.
“My friends, please.”
“I cannot offer you something you already have. I can only offer you this.”
Twilight looked down at the hat, then back to me. A soft purple glow enveloped the hat and she placed it upon her head. She looked upward at it with curiosity.
We stood in silence for several moments, accompanied only by the wind and the earth. They make pretty good company when there is nothing to say. The wind whistled in my ears, the blades of grass brushed lightly up against my legs. It was getting darker as the sun neared the end of its decent.
Time seems kind of funny, here.
“Look, er, Author, I’m going to be straight with you. I’m still angry. Impossibly angry. You’ve stuck me in a really awkward position here and I lashed out, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. As much as I want to hate you right now, more than anything I just—I just want to understand.”
“So do I.”
She looked to the ground, unable to make eye contact with me. I could understand why. You’re so close to making what you set out to! But this is the hard part...
“Why am I writing this story? There are a lot of reasons why, but one stands out over the others. I’m trying to make a statement; present a hypothesis, if you will. Tell me, Twilight, what you do you think is the difference between yourself and I?”
“Uh, well, assuming you’re not crazy and lying about this whole thing: you’re real, and I’m not.”
I stomped a hoof on the ground. “You’ve got to look beyond the surface! We’re both very real, we just exist in different forms. From where you’re standing, you can’t see the difference, though, can you?”
Twilight looked at me, nonplussed. “You said I’m just an idea. Ideas can’t... well... do stuff. I’ll never be able to cheer Rainbow Dash on when she does a sonic rainboom. I won’t be able to laugh at another one of Pinkie’s parties. I won’t even be able to tell Rarity how much—” she sniffed, “—I loved her hat. In fact, I never really did those things, did I? Why would you take everything away from me?”
I began to pace. “Twilight, when you cheer Rainbow Dash on, what are you really doing? What’s the end result?”
“I guess, uh, I’m giving her support. Making her feel more confident. Making her happy her friend cares about what she loves. It’s what a friend would do,” she mumbled.
“And when you laugh at one of Pinkie’s parties?”
“I’m expressing happiness, and I’m letting Pinkie know I’m enjoying myself.”
I nodded. “Yes, and that’s how I function. That how everyone in my world functions. We act to inspire feelings in others. That’s how we are limited.
“But you—you have a power I can only dream of. You embody that inspiration. You are the inception of feelings. You don’t need words to make others happy. People only need to watch you, to know you, in order for you to help them. You lift people up simply by existing and being you.”
Twilight opened her mouth but was unable to find words for several seconds. She stared at me with confusion, searching for a reply. “I-I don’t... how?”
I smiled. Finally, the easy part.
“Because—because when people see you smile, they smile too. When you’re panicked, they become concerned for you. When you cry, they want to put a hand on your shoulder and speak words of comfort. When you’re in a bind, they want to help pull you out of it.
“You say you’re just an idea, Twilight... but they couldn’t care less. You’re real to them. To me.”
She turned away, but I could see her blush. Her eyes were locked on the ground.
“I’m just a pony...” she mumbled.
I chuckled. “You use ‘just’ in the oddest ways.”
Desperate to change the subject, she threw a question at me. “And why are you here?”
“I’m only here because no one besides the author could deliver the message. I can’t deny I’m pretty selfish; I’d like to do this some other way, perhaps get to know you better, too. But this story isn’t about me.”
“It’s about an idea, right?” She looked down at her hooves. “I don’t feel like one.”
“But to so many, you are. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there who will never be able to see you like you see yourself, but in my world, the world where you were born, they can know you.
“From your point of origin, you were shared; scattered across the world for anyone to listen, if they chose to. Many did. When faced with a character such as yourself, different people had different reactions. Some were fascinated. Some disgusted. Others—” I cringed, “—others just didn’t care. But you got to people, and you inspired thoughts. And these thoughts, they linger. They persist. Then the mind does something absolutely fantastic. Something only the mind can do with them: grow.”
Twilight finally mustered the will to look at me. What I saw in her eyes, in her face, broke me. It was what I deserved; I knew it. I was being faced with the consequences of my actions: no words to shield me, no paper barriers between us. This was the full unrelenting force of the pain I had caused.
It was my duty to witness to it, knowing there was nothing I could do to nullify it. But that wouldn’t stop the idiot in me from trying.
“You know, Twilight, as out-of-place as this suggestion may seem, you do have an opportunity.”
A dark smirk appeared on her face. “What kind of opportunity?”
I could feel sweat start to come off of my brow. I was really pushing it here. “Well, you do have an audience. You could try talking giving a speech.”
Twilight looked around. When her eyes locked back on to me, she wore a frown. “I don’t see anypony. You made them disappear, remember?”
I shook my head. “No, a different kind of audience. The reader: the one who’s always been here.”
She recoiled a bit, lifting a single hoof off the ground. “I can’t just start yapping at the wind! That’s a silly idea.”
“I—uh—I don’t even know where to start! And I’ve got nothing to look at, nothing to focus on while I talk. Also, could you even imagine how ridiculous I’d look without a speech written up? No, Author, I’m not talking to the reader.”
A sly grin crept up on my face. “That’s exactly what you’ve been doing the entire time.”
“What? No-no-no-no, I’ve been talking with you.”
“The reader’s been with us throughout the whole story. In fact, the reader is right there,” I said, gesturing to you.
Twilight froze, gaping at me. “Uhhh, what did you just do?”
“I pointed at the reader, who, at this point, I believe deserves at least some acknowledgement. That’s all I’m really asking of you, Twilight.”
“Well...”
“Look at the reader as well. Just like I gestured.”
Twilight looked at me with exasperation. “How did you even do that?”
“There’s really no explanation on how to do it, just do it.”
“Ugh! Fine, I’ll give it a shot.” She looked in the general direction I had gestured, leaned in, and squinted. She held that pose for several seconds. “I still don’t—”
She looked at you.
“Gah!” She yelped, leaping backwards. “That didn’t even—I don’t—what just happened?”
I laughed. “Exactly what you were trying to make happen! You saw the reader. Now all you have to do is talk.”
“But what am I supposed to say?” she pleaded.
“I don’t know, I’m not you. I’m just the one writing it down. Say what comes to your mind.”
“Okay... here goes nothing, I suppose.”
She coughs, straightens her back, and steals a glance at you but quickly looks away. “Uhh, hi there! I’m Twilight—oh, you know that already, don’t you? Well, um, I live in Ponyvi—arg! You know that too! Stupid Twilight.” She shifts her hooves in the dirt. “I don’t really know what kind of advice to give. I guess... study? I know I kind of look like an egghead with all the studying I do, but it really helps! If you’re ambitious about knowledge it never hurts to study. Or read. Reading is really good too.” She pauses, her eyes darting around the scenery. She’s having a hard time keeping eye contact with you. “Author here says you already know me really well, and I probably feel like a friend. I suppose that’s pretty neat, huh? Making friends with someone you don’t even know? I wish I knew you, though. I wish I could ask you why you consider me a friend. I wish I could ask you your name, at least.” She finally dares to look straight at you.
“I’ve learned a lot of things about friendship since I came to Ponyville. And if you’ve been there with me, you have too. But... there are some things I’ve kept out of my letters to the princess. Important things. You see, learning about friendship is only half of it. The other half is living it. All the friendship letters in Equestria wouldn’t help me if I didn’t have friends to share my knowledge with. I always knew I was supposed to be honest, but I never really understood the importance of it until Applejack told me to let go of the edge of that cliff. I knew I should be kind, but I didn’t understand what it meant until I got Fluttershy back from Discord. Laughter, well, I thought happiness was just books and spending time with Celestia until I saw Pinkie starting to dance at her birthday party. Rarity showed me how generosity can truly touch a heart when I saw that Gala dress she made me. Loyalty seemed so simple, so black and white, until Rainbow Dash chose us over Gilda. Gosh, I’m rambling, aren’t I?” She blushes. “There’s one Element left, though. Magic. And it seems silly, really, because how do you define magic? It’s just a special power unicorns and alicorns have, right? How can it have anything to do with friendship? But magic is the difference between knowledge and understanding. It’s what separates friendship in a story from friendship in real life. It’s what you feel not just when you smile at a friend, but what you feel knowing that your smile makes them happy too.
Whoever you are, even if I don’t know your name, I want you to hear this: I’m smiling at you.”
She looked at me, like she was expecting some sort of acknowledgement. I just nodded.
With that, she walked over to me, keeping her eyes on the ground, and sat down. “I’m just horrible at impromptu speeches like that. I looked ridiculous, didn’t I?”
“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head. “It took a lot of bravery to do a thing like that. I’m a little envious myself.”
She looked up at me. “Really? But, didn’t you just do that? You wrote those words, right?”
“I put them on the page, yes, but you wrote them. You conveyed a message I never had the strength to say myself.”
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.” She jabbed my side lightly. “You did choose to take up this story, didn’t you?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I suppose I did.”
An odd silence passed between us. Have I mentioned how hard it is to find words in a situation like this? It’s just short of impossible. Unable to look Twilight in the eye, I turned my attention to the scenery.
The sun was setting; it wouldn’t be long before its light faded and the moon would come to take over. At least, it would be taking over if the story went on that long; I knew it was nearly time. The grass moved in waves, coaxed back and forth by a peaceful wind. A single scent filled my nostrils; a strangely complex representation of the scene around us. The trees gave off a smooth, sappy smell. The flowers added a sweet touch and Twilight smelled of daisies. I almost expected her to smell like lavender. I don’t spend enough time appreciating things like this.
“So,” Twilight said, “how exactly does this work? The ending, I mean.”
Ah, the crux of the issue. I kept my eyes on the grass and felt my face flush. “Well, it’s not really complicated. I’ll stick around until I think you’re ready, then I’ll leave. You’ll have a short time to collect your thoughts, I’ll stop writing, and that will be that.”
“Do you think it will hurt? Will I even feel anything?” she whimpered.
“Twilight—” I turned to face her. She was looking at the ground, tears falling freely from her eyes. What am I supposed to say? There’s nothing that can ease her pain now. Nothing I haven’t already done. I put a hoof around her withers, and did my best to assuage her.
“It won’t hurt, Twilight, but I couldn’t pretend to say I know what’s going to happen. I can only imagine the fear that’s holding you right now. And to know I’m the one that did it to you. But listen: you should have faith that things will be okay. Faith that what seems like a terrible calamity now, really is nothing more than change, nothing more than another second of time passing by. You can liken this to something that happened today, actually.
She gave a sniff through forming tears before raising her head a bit. “I don’t understand. What event are you talking about?”
I pointed to the sky. “It’s not raining, Twilight.”
She did her best to give me a smile, but it came out looking pathetic. “No, it’s raining.”
I simply nodded.
I think, perhaps, I’m learning just as much from this conversation as she.
We sat next to each other on our rumps; I, looking at Twilight, and she, staring at the ground. I think she’d finally understood what I wrote this story for. Or, perhaps, she’d just run out of will to resist it. I was glad she’d at least become friendly toward me, despite my part in this. I knew I didn’t deserve it, but I also knew it was in Twilight’s nature to be friendly. I felt so sick; disgusted by the blatant manipulation. But I kept to myself, knowing Twilight needed some kindness right now. For her, there was nothing holding a block on her emotions any more. She sat there and just felt. Every little feeling that passed through her was laid out for the world to see. When one lets emotion run so rampant, the body does something very predictable to show it.
So it rained. Without a cloud in the sky, it rained. And the rain today was awfully salty.
“You know, I used to always take comfort in watching the night sky. I spent so many hours cataloging the constellations, admiring Luna’s beauty for no reason other than the fact that I could. I never really knew why I found it so soothing. Maybe because it was an example of what imagination can create. Maybe just because it looks pretty. Or, I dunno, maybe because I knew somepony else was looking up at the sky, too.”
She’s poetic, in a cute way.
“Sometimes, Twilight... sometimes it’s just good to stare at the sky.”
So we did. The sky was beautiful, just as it always was. The stars shone clearly; there were no lights in the town to obscure them. I was never much of a star-gazer myself, so I couldn’t pick out any constellations—but in my mind, however, I made up my own. That’s one of the wonderful things about the sky; no one is painting it for you. I wondered what Twilight was looking at. Did she see the sky as a whole, like me, or was she picking out significant parts of it? Did she have a favorite star? Did she even try to keep track of every one? I kept silent, despite my curiosity. Such things are best kept secret.
A streak briefly flew across the portion of the sky we stared at. It was soon followed by another, then another. Soon several were running through the sky; beacons of light streaming along an endless canvas of blue.
Twilight glanced at me. “Did you...?”
I smiled. “Maybe.”
The meteor shower blazed across the sky for several minutes, a grand yet subtle show of beauty. The minutes passed by slowly—so slowly. I knew it was time.
*~~~*
Twilight continued to stare at the sky, entranced by the streaks that played across her vision. She knew it wasn’t real, but that didn’t stop it from being exactly what she needed. She went to touch the author’s hoof on her shoulder, but found it was no longer there. Twilight turned to him and found nothing but an empty spot on the ground beside her. A frown flashed across her face, but she wasn’t really sad. That emotion was gone now. She had been left with something else.
She felt she had to say something. A sentence to fill the void he left. An expression to keep the world from crashing in on itself. A saying to put this feeling to speech. A phrase to make her journey worth it.
Twilight looked upon the fading sun, mere seconds before the symbol of day hid behind the horizon. In all its light she saw what it stood for and what it did, what it had done, for the ponies in this doomed land. In that brightest of stars, she saw clarity.
Now she knew; there was only one last thing she could say, the same thing he’d been telling her the whole time in so many more words. The message he was here to say. The hypothesis he aimed to prove. The phrase that tore her apart and put her back together.
The words that created a perfect duality.
Determination and fear.
In her last moment, she existed as both.
“All good things—
...must not come to an end.
