Reconnection

Twilight

"Back again," said Magic. She looked terribly amused. Twilight hated it. "And so soon!"

"You didn't tell me I'd be seeing the others," said Twilight. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have succeeded!"

Magic narrowed her eyes. "Frankly, I don't want to help you. You should be thankful I'm so talkative. I should never have told you as much about us elements as I did, but sometimes I can't help myself."

Her face changed demeanour suddenly.

"However," she began. "I can't help but be impressed. For the first time since my creation, I got to actually speak with some of the other elements. Oh, they were none too happy with you!"

Twilight looked around. She hadn't thought about her successful severings.

"I take it they all went back to their original hosts after I died?" said Twilight.

"You were killed, the binding spell no longer had anything to bind to." She sighed. "You're so clever Twilight, why don't you try not stealing elements next time?"

Twilight thought about it. She'd failed twice now. But here she had another chance to do it right. And this time nothing would get in her way.

"No, I don't think so," said Twilight. "And I think I'll go back to the same time I did last time. No reason to go any earlier I guess."

"If you say so," said Magic. "Better luck this time."

Rarity

"And you say you haven't heard anything? Anything at all?" said Princess Celestia. The royal guards by her side looked at Rarity, hard.

Rarity shook her head. "I don't know why you think I'd know anymore than any other pony," she began. "But I simply have no idea where Twilight could have gotten off to."

Rarity was very proud of herself. Lying to the princess was no easy feat, but she seemed to be doing a good job. She hoped the others had been just as good.

It took a little over a weak before everypony began to notice Twilight was missing. And another week before news got back to Princess Celestia. It was strange, Rarity thought, that the Princess herself was taking such an active role in finding out what happened. But then, Twilight had been the Princess's prized student.

Princess Celestia sighed. She nodded to her guards in turn, who nodded before leaving the boutique. Rarity suddenly felt afraid.

As soon as the two male ponies had left, Princess Celestia turned and glared at Rarity. Rarity swallowed hard.

"I must admit, you're a pretty good liar. Had it not already been clear what has happened, I might actually believe you. But your friends, they're not good liars. And your aura...it's twice as strong as your friend's as well."

Rarity's ears folded back in fear. This was it, she was going to pay for what happened.

Celestia laughed coldly.

"Don't worry, it does me no good to do anything to you and your friends. Twilight had her job, and she failed. There's nothing I can do about it now, so you are all off the hook. I haven't heard any rumours floating around about what she was doing, so obviously you are keeping your mouths shut. And as long as they stay that way, everything will be fine for you.

"So that just leaves me wondering where Twilight's body is. That's all I'm here for. Just tell me, and you can go back to your lives."

Rarity looked away. She couldn't bear to look at the Princess anymore. Everything she had ever been told about the beloved benevolent Princess Celestia was a lie, and it was just too much to deal with right now.

"She was buried at Sweet Apple Acres...somewhere in the orchard, I don't know exactly where."

Celestia snorted. "I figured as much." The Princess raised herself to her full height, standing tall. Rarity felt her knees bend in submissiveness. She couldn't help it.

A bright flash of light, and suddenly Rarity was standing in the middle of the apple orchard in Sweet Apple Acres. It was a secluded spot, and even though it was still daylight, there was nopony else in sight.

"You will do your best to take me where Twilight is buried," said the Princess. Rarity nodded silently.

She was frantic. She really wasn't paying much attention when Big Mac had led her to the hole. She just followed the stallion, and dumped the box when she got to the hole. She didn't even stick around to bury it.

Nevertheless, even when not paying attention, Rarity's eye for detail never failed. She could feel little inklings of where the plot might be, based on bits of foliage in distinctive soil formations that she had subconsciously taken note of. All through the searching she could feel Celestia's gaze on her, as if it was boring through her body.

Finally, Rarity found walked over a piece of ground that felt more loose than the soil around it. It looked like it could be it, and she pointed with a hoof that this was the location.

She hoped she was right.

Celestia nodded, and without a word she teleported Rarity back to her boutique.

Rarity slumped down on the ground, glad to finally be away from the princess. For the first time since Twilight's death, she felt incredibly vulnerable. If she was wrong, Celestia would surely do something awful to her.

The rest of the day was spent doing nothing but hoping Celestia wouldn't show up again.

The next morning, Rarity relaxed. If the Princess hadn't shown up by now, she probably found what she wanted.
Now, Rarity could finally get back to her life.

The first thing to do was to move out of the boutique. She still couldn't stand the place. She didn't even want it to continue to exist, and so had to get rid of the building before selling the land. Which meant she needed a place to stay.

Luckily, Applejack had a lot of spare room, and allowed her to stay without asking any questions. The days on the farm were quiet, and Rarity spent most of her time making modest dresses. Strangely, she found it far easier now to make things magically than she used to. She could create an entire outfit with just a quick thought and some fabric. She really didn't know what to make of it, but in the end, it wasn't important.

The nights were even better than the days. Rarity didn't wake herself up anymore, and she was glad that moving out of the boutique turned out to be the right decision.

As soon as her boutique was demolished she sold the empty plot of land, and bought a nice cottage just outside of Ponyville, near Applejack's farm.

Really, she decided, she didn't need to move to Canterlot and design dresses. She had already fulfilled that dream, even if Twilight took the end result from her.

This life...it would be like an early retirement. A very, very early retirement.

Pinkie Pie

Pinkie Pie said goodbye to the stallion, neglecting to let him in for "coffee." She closed the door behind her.

She took a glance at the clock and saw the date had run long. She was going to be late if she didn't leave soon.

Pinkie ran over to her coffee table and grabbed a few bits of candy out of her candy bowl, before heading back outside.

Over the years, Pinkie and her friends had put a lot of effort into not drifting apart. It had happened before. It wasn't happening again.

And today, Pinkie had dinner plans with Rarity. It was easy to find time to hang out with Rarity. She was very good at making dresses magically, and she could fill her orders quickly enough that she was usually free to do something fun. And she seemed to always enjoy the company.

Making her way across Ponyville to Rarity's house, Pinkie thought about how little things had changed. There were still some strange differences that nopony could trace the origins of, but for the most part things were just as they were before. They had had the same old adventures. Just without Twilight.

Pinkie finally arrived at Rarity's. Her house was so different from her old boutique. For one, it was designed like a normal house. For two, it was a lot more plain than her old boutique was. Very simple, but still elegant, Pinkie supposed. Not a lot of fancy decorations, but everything was kept neat and tidy.

Pinkie didn't bother to knock, instead just letting herself in.

Inside she found Rarity sewing some fabric together on one of her mannequins. It looked like she had just started a new dress.

"Whatcha working on?" said Pinkie. Rarity didn't look away from her work as she answered.

"Getting a head start on this order. I don't have to be done for another week, so it's nothing that can't wait."

And wait it did, as Rarity suddenly turned around, setting the needle and thread she was magically holding down on a nearby table next to her cat Opalescence.

"Oh dear," she said suddenly. "Just look at the time! I had no idea it had gotten so late!"

Pinkie only nodded. "Neither did I! But it's alright, it's not like we needed reservations."

"True," said Rarity. "Well, give me a moment to get ready, and we'll be off."

Pinkie smiled and waited patiently for Rarity to "get ready" for nothing more than a simple dinner with a friend. When Rarity was done Pinkie honestly couldn't tell the difference, but she wasn't going to say so.

At the restaurant, they quietly sat down, and placed their orders. They were old, they didn't need to think hard on what they wanted to eat.

"So, Pinkie Pie, how's the new business venture going?"

Pinkie shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"It's going great! I wonder why it didn't happen before. Now I get to party even more!"

Pinkie Pie had been wandering from job to job for years. It was only recently she realised she could be paid to throw parties. Ponies all over always needed a good party, and nobody was a better party pony than Pinkie. They paid good money for her help and advice, and so far she had never had a dissatisfied customer. It felt strange, charging ponies for what she used to do for free, but a pony had to make a living somehow.

"Well, it's not too hard to guess, dear," said Rarity softly. "You used to love working for the Cake's. But we...we all understand why that's changed."

Pinkie's smile faded. She nodded.

"Rainbow Dash is coming to visit in a week isn't she?" said Rarity, changing the subject. Pinkie's smile returned as she took another bite of ice cream.

"You betcha!" said Pinkie. "Spike's coming with her too you know. It'll be great seeing him again."

Rarity chuckled. "Of all of us, I'm surprised it's been Rainbow Dash who's kept in touch with him the most. We exchange our letters of course, but those two could probably fill an entire library with their correspondence."

Pinkie didn't take much notice when Rarity's eyes suddenly got that far away look they got sometimes. Pinkie was sure she got that look too, every now and then. They all had the same problem, after all. Except for Fluttershy.

"Anyway," said Rarity, her eyes shifting back into focus. "Forgive me, I completely forgot to ask. How was your date earlier?"
Pinkie groaned.

"Terrible," she said. "I'm sure he had a good time, but I just want him to get me pregnant so I don't have to see him again. At the same time, he's such a loser and I don't really want to have sex with him!"

Rarity coughed loudly, her ears folding back.

"My, aren't we wonderfully carefree in our comments?" she said. Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Besides, it sounds absolutely dreadful when you say it like that, Pinkie."

"I just want my foals back," said Pinkie Pie.

Rarity nodded. Pinkie had explained her hopes before, there was no reason to explain them again.

"I've been thinking a lot about your, ahem, situation, and I thought of something that might be worth considering."

Pinkie's ears perked up. "What's that?"

"Adoption."

Pinkie set her spoon down. She tried to reply, but her mind went blank.

"What made you think of it?" said Pinkie finally.

"A few days ago Applejack told me she was considering it. She had a lot of complicated reasons, but I was thinking about it and I thought those reasons would apply to you too."

"Like what?" asked Pinkie. She picked up her spoon again, genuinely curious.

"Well you know...it was such a trauma for her to wake up suddenly, years younger and having never even met the father of her foal...If she adopts, and, dear me I hope it doesn't, but if somehow we ended up in the past again, she wouldn't have to feel such a sense of loss. The child's existence wouldn't be determined by her own actions, she could hope he, or she, would be around somewhere even if she makes different choices."

Pinkie inhaled sharply, dropping her spoon again. It clattered as it hit the table, but Pinkie didn't notice. Rarity reached over and took Pinkie's hoof in her own.

"Listen dear," began Rarity. "I know you're really hoping that you can get the same foals again. You've told me many times but...I think you're setting yourself up for a disappointment. What if you finally do have a foal with one of those...gentlemen again, and the foal turns out to obviously not be the one from before? Wouldn't you feel awful? And what about the foal!?"

Pinkie shook her head suddenly in shock.

"Are you saying I wouldn't love my foal even if it wasn't what I was hoping for?!"

Rarity didn't seem taken aback at all. "But that's just it Pinkie! Why are you putting so much of yourself into this when you'd be perfectly happy with different foals? Although I never had children, I understand what it feels like to lose everything. We all do. But we've all tried to move on the best we can. Why can't you do so now?"

Pinkie looked down at the table, then glanced at her hoof, still being held by Rarity's. She looked at her bowl of ice cream as it melted from the warm air.

"I'll think about it."

And she would.

Applejack

"Apple Dash, where's your sister?" asked Applejack. "Now don't tell me she forgot. Again."

"Sorry Ma," said Apple Dash, having just arrived, her wings tightly clamped around her torso in nervousness. "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Applejack sighed. Apple Pie was always getting caught up in some crazy adventure or another. Applejack remembered having her own fair share of adventures, sometimes the same one more than once, but she didn't think they ever made her miss important family events.

"I hope so," said Applejack. "I was hoping for everyone to be here for my birthday."

"I'm here!" came a voice suddenly. Applejack looked up from where the voice came from and saw the familiar form of Apple Pie in the sky. The pink mare landed roughly, before giving a sheepish grin to her mother. "Sorry I'm late Ma."

"Well that's alright," said Applejack. "Now that everypony's here...."

She looked around. Everybody was there. Applejack felt so happy to see everyone all together for her.

"We can start the party!" said Pinkie Pie, finishing Applejack's sentence. Applejack laughed along with everyone else at Pinkie, a middle aged mare, still getting excited about parties like a school filly. She had outstretched her front hooves and somehow managed to put a party hat on her head (a smaller version of Applejack's own cowboy hat) and set off two party crackers at the same time, confetti exploding out into the field. Applejack had worried that Pinkie, making her hobby her job, might have taken some of the fun out of it for her. But apparently not.

"I have pin the tail on the pony!" shouted Pinkie, after the laughter had died down. She walked to a nearby tree, one of the few in the clearing, and pointed a hoof. "Anypony want to play?" She looked at Rarity. "I know at least one pony does!"
Rarity smiled. It was still her favourite game.

Applejack liked the game a lot herself, but after watching her brother and sister crowd around the game with Rarity and Pinkie, she decided she could wait a bit before playing.

"D'ya want me to get you anything, Ma?" asked Apple Dash. "I see Pinkie Pie's set up an awful lot of food for your party."

"Quit your fussing," said Applejack. "I'm no cripple. Not yet anyway."

"Hey Applejack," said Rainbow Dash, walking up. She was beginning to look visibly pregnant. Catching sight of the kids, she said, "And Apple Dash, haven't seen you in a while!"

Apple Dash rolled her eyes. "Rainbow, I saw you just last week."

"Well, I see your sister so often I hardly see you in comparison!"

"Some of us have work to do on the farm," said Apple Dash. Rainbow Dash laughed.

"You're just like your mom," she said. "Apples, Apples, Apples."

"I'd like to think she's more like her uncle," said Applejack. "I had plenty of fun when I was her age. Sometimes I think I still have more fun than her. Girl needs to learn to lighten up some."

"Oh Ma, now you sound like Apple Pie."

Apple Pie stuck out her tongue at her sister. Applejack didn't scold her. It was all in good fun.

Rainbow Dash peered over Apple Dash's shoulder, her smile turning into something more like a smirk. "I see Spike's found the cupcakes Pinkie made for him. I better go stop him before he eats too many and gets sick again."

Applejack nodded, and Rainbow Dash trotted off towards her husband.

"That's going to be one strange family," said Applejack, smiling to herself.

"I'm gonna get me something to eat," said Apple Pie. Apple Dash looked at her sister walk off to talk to Rainbow Dash and Spike.

"I'm pretty hungry too. Sure you don't want me to bring you anything, Ma?"

"Now didn't I say not to worry? I'll eat when I'm hungry."

Applejack watched her overly responsible daughter help herself to some carrot sticks.

"Having fun A.J.?" asked Big Mac. He had somehow snuck up behind her, and was carrying an apple fritter on his back.

"Sure am!" said Applejack. "I haven't moved from this here spot since the party started. I wonder how much fun I'll have when I actually do something."

Big Mac smiled. "It's just nice to see everyone all together."

He understood her feelings exactly.

"I brought you this here apple fritter," said Big Mac, arching his back.

"Now why does everypony think I can't get food for myself?"

"It's your birthday."

"That's what the presents are for," said Applejack, grinning widely.

Applejack chatted with her brother a bit more before moving on to talk and really get into the party.

There was a time when Applejack thought she'd never feel happy like this again. Even after Twilight was taken care of, and Celestia stopped poking around, Applejack still had a difficult time. But after a while, with the help of her friends, she had been able to return to something like a normal life.

When she adopted Apple Dash and Apple Pie, she was almost back to her old self.

They were so cute when she adopted them. Twins, pegasus ponies who's parents had died in an accident. She didn't know what it was, but she knew as soon as she saw them that she wanted to help.

She named them after her friends. They were easy choices. Apple Dash's coat was blue, Apple Pie's coat was pink, so how could she not name them after her friends with the blue and pink coats? Funny how neither turned out like their namesakes. They were great, and Applejack couldn't imagine how it was possible to love a pony so much.

She wished her siblings would start to settle down soon. Apple Bloom was still young, and she still didn't have her cutie mark. But she wasn't that young anymore, and Applejack didn't want her to end up like Big Mac.

Poor Big Mac. He still had trouble with the mares. He was just too quiet, and when he did speak, it was in a slow drawl. It probably made him look slow. She hoped one day he'd find a mare who could see past that.

Pinkie Pie had decided to stay single. She had also decided to not adopt. Applejack didn't really understand, and Pinkie had never explained, but she had faith Pinkie had a good reason.

Rarity had mellowed considerably over the years. That, Applejack understood. Because Rarity had explained it...eventually.
Rainbow Dash was the biggest surprise. Not because of how she had changed, but because Applejack got to see her grow up at all. It was the biggest and most profound positive change to Applejack's life after dying, outside Apple Dash and Apple Pie of course. Sometimes it had been a little awkward. She had been young, and just didn't have the experience that her other time-travelling friends had. And unlike Fluttershy, nobody knew exactly what pitfalls to avoid with her. It had been an experience, to say the least.

Fluttershy was the hardest. It took a lot of work to keep her in the group because she was the only one who hadn't had the same experience as the rest of them. It had been Rainbow Dash who had one day told her everything, of course doing so without talking to anypony else first. It had been a mess, but Applejack couldn't deny Fluttershy had been easier to be around after that.

Applejack enjoyed her party thoroughly. Having both her kids around really helped keep her mind on having fun and enjoying everybody’s company.

All too soon though, it was time to for the party to end. Applejack said goodbye to everyone, saving Rainbow Dash and Spike for last, thanking them for hosting the party. It was refreshing to have a party somewhere other than Sweet Apple Acres. Sugar Cube Corner was never an option anymore because it always made Pinkie Pie sad.

Back at the farm, Applejack took some time before bed to make herself something to drink. She didn't drink often, but a bit of liquor every now and then never hurt nopony.

She sat down across from Apple Dash, who was laying on the floor reading a book of some kind. She always liked to read a bit before bed.

Applejack's eyes caught sight of an old picture hanging on the wall. It had been taken... must have been ten, maybe twelve years ago.

It was Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, all together, smiling. Applejack looked at herself in that photo. It wasn't obvious, (she had gotten a lot better at fake smiles over the years) but she wasn't really happy in that picture. It had been taken around the year she had died. She would have known then that she wasn't going to ever see baby Rainbow Bloom. And neither would anypony else.

She took a sip of her drink and looked at Apple Dash. Apple Dash looked up at her, as if sensing she was being looked at.

They held eyes for a moment before a look of concern crossed Apple Dash's face.

"Is something wrong ma?"

Applejack blinked, and realised her eyes were moist. She wiped them with her hoof, took another sip of her drink, and then smiled.

"I was just thinking," she said.

"About what?" Apple Dash folded the top corner of her book before closing it and looking up at Applejack.

"About you, and your sister, and...."

Oh, what the hay?

"Did I ever mention you almost had another sister?"

Apple Dash's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

Applejack didn't think she should tell the whole story. But she really wanted somepony to know about Rainbow Bloom, somebody who had a good chance of outliving her.

So she told the story.

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash woke up. Her joints ached, but it was nothing a bit of moving around wouldn't cure. She liked to move around. It was too bad she couldn't move like she used to.

She was old. Her once rainbow-coloured mane and tail was now just various shades of grey. Her coat was still blue, but it was a lot less vibrant than it used to be. Her eyes hadn't changed though. She hadn't lost her wits like some of the other older ponies. Neither had her friends.

Of course, her husband hadn't lost his wits either. How could he have? He was just barely out of his "teen years."

Dragons aged differently than ponies. Everypony knew that, and she knew that when they started dating. She knew that when they got married, when she had a daughter, and she knew that when the first streaks of grey started to show up in her mane.

It didn't stop her from being bitter about it. But like most things, it got better with time. Now she hardly ever begrudged him for being so youthful, and she never picked a fight about it anymore. She was old. It just didn't seem important to wish to be younger anymore.

Besides, she had gotten everything she ever wanted. First of all, she got to live. Even dying hadn't stopped her from living. She had joined the Wonderbolts, had a very successful flying career, dated, married, foaled, and was expecting a grandfoal soon.

She had great friends, and got to be with them as they all went on to live and do all the things they wanted to do, with a few hiccups here and there of course. Being murdered had taken its toll, but it'd been so long now.... For Rainbow Dash, it was like there wasn't a break in continuity. For her friends, their original lives were almost like a dream.

Rainbow Dash was stirred out of her thoughts from a loud rumbling sound. She rolled on to her other side, the soft cloud below her bobbing up and down a bit as she did so. She was facing her husband now.

Spike had woken up. He yawned, a loud sound echoing through the cave they shared.

"Morning," he said. His voice had gotten deep. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but giggle to herself whenever she thought about how he used to sound when he was just a "baby."

"Good morning," she said. She stood up, her joints giving soft pops as she moved. She stretched out her wings, gave a few test flaps, and then slowly made her way off the cloud and down to the ground.

She was lucky. Most Pegasus Ponies her age couldn't fly. But she'd always stayed healthy and in shape.

Spike sat up slowly, smoothing the spikes along his head and back with his giant clawed hand. Rainbow dash headed towards her own little spot of the cave, where she tried to manage her bed-head.

"Rainbow Bloom visiting today?" asked Spike as Rainbow Dash gargled some mouth wash.

She spat. "Yep."

Their daughter had been showing up every week, demanding stories of their lives. Where her name came from, the decision to be artificially inseminated and the process of finding a sperm donor both Dash and Spike liked, their wedding, how Dash joined the Wonderbolts....

Rainbow Dash figured it was just hormones. Mares got weird when they were pregnant.

Not that Rainbow Dash didn't enjoy seeing her daughter more often. Raising a filly had been difficult, and there were times during her teenage years that Rainbow Dash had been... well... not the best of mothers. She was too tough, not understanding enough, over-protective, and it took her years to learn to listen to her daughter. She'd gotten better at it though. All those bad times were long gone.

They had barely started to eat their breakfast when Rainbow Bloom showed up. There wasn't a door to knock on. People just walked in all the time, unless Spike and Rainbow Dash really didn't want company, in which case Rainbow Dash used to pile clouds to block the entrance. She was too old for that now, but it didn't matter because she was also too old to need privacy. Besides, Spike was too big.

"Hi mom, dad," said Rainbow Bloom, nodding to each of her parents. Spike grunted as he chewed on some diamonds from his hoard. Rainbow Dash grinned.

"You sure it's safe to be out? You're looking like you're going to pop any day now."

Rainbow Bloom scoffed. "I don't look that bad."

"You think so? I don't think I ever looked like that when I was pregnant with you."

"Dash..." said Spike. His voice was hard to ignore. "If I remember right, you were worse. And you hated it."

"Because I couldn't fly," she said. "Lucky I retired from the Wonderbolts then."

"Luck had nothing to do with it."

They chatted amicably while Rainbow Dash finished her breakfast. Eating was kind of a chore now. Her stomach couldn't handle some of the heavier stuff she used to like.

As soon as she was done Rainbow Bloom got that glow in her eye that said she wanting to hear a story. Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself, wondering what it would be this time.

"Sooooo," began Rainbow Bloom. She rubbed the back of her green and blue mane before continuing.

"Yeeeees?" said Rainbow Dash, mimicking her daughter's tone. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Could you tell me about how you and dad got together?"

Rainbow Dash looked at Spike. He looked back, and their eyes met. She tried to remember it all, and it occurred to her that this was a story Rainbow Bloom hadn't actually heard before. It had just never come up. For Rainbow Bloom, their relationship always was.

"It's not that interesting," said Rainbow Dash, after thinking about it. "Not as interesting as you'd think anyway."

"It really just sort of happened," said Spike.

"Tell me anyway," said Rainbow Bloom. She sat down in a comfortable position, as if it was already decided that she was getting a story.

Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Fine," she said, before sitting down herself. She opened her mouth to begin the story, but realised there was already a problem. She didn't want to talk about Twilight. None of her friends had so much as mentioned her name out loud ever since she'd... been taken care of.

"Well...we met when...."

Spike, sensing her dilemma, took over.

"You know I was an assistant when I was younger? I was assigned to ponies to help them keep notes, organise their living space, run errands, stuff like that?"

Rainbow Bloom nodded.

"Well your mom and I met when the pony I was assisting moved to Ponyville. That didn't last long though, I was assigned to somepony else after about a week and moved back to Canterlot."

"Then how did anything ever happen?"

It was okay for Rainbow Dash to take over now. "He was sad about leaving, so I offered to keep in touch. In fact, our only correspondence was through letters for like, a looooong time." She widened her forelegs to show how long it was.

"There were a lot of letters," said Spike, chuckling.

"Yeah," said Rainbow Dash. It hadn't started off that way. But after a while Spike's letters became something Dash had looked forward to, and she found herself spending more and more time thinking about what she was going to tell him in her next letter. It was like having a diary than actually wrote back. There was even a point where they exchanged letters daily. The mail ponies must have been paid overtime.

"I didn't see Spike again in person until I went to Canterlot to try out for the Wonderbolts. We hung out, I tried out for the Wonderbolts, we hung out some more...."

"Well that's all very interesting," said Rainbow Bloom, bringing a hoof to her mouth and yawning overdramatically. "But how did you fall in love? That's what I want to hear!" She said it like she was a teenage filly reading a sappy romantic novel.

Rainbow Dash thought about it. She looked at Spike again. When did it happen? She couldn't really think of a time when she didn't love him, and then suddenly did. But there was a time....

"You know I hate telling you this," she said. "But you're my daughter so I guess I'll have to suck it up and say it."
Rainbow Bloom smiled like she just won a prize.

"When I was living in Canterlot, Spike and I saw a lot of each other. And when I was given some time off, I'd head back to Ponyville to see all my friends. And I'd take Spike with me. By this time Spike was exchanging letters with all my friends too. He says he didn't get as many letters from them as from me, which is probably true because I'm so awesome, and -"

"Mom," said Rainbow Bloom. "Don't start talking about how awesome you are, you'll never stop."

"Ain't that the truth," said Spike.

Rainbow Dash glared at him.

"Well anyway," she said. "I would always fly him to Ponyville in a carriage. And one time... Spike fell out."

"I was stupid," said Spike. "I kept trying to get Dash to do some tricks with me. I figured, why not? She was a Wonderbolt, and the greatest flyer in all of Equestria! She could do something cool while still carrying me."

"And like an idiot I finally agreed to try it." Rainbow Dash sighed, thinking back to that day. "I thought he was going to die. There was only one other time I had to save a friend from falling."

"When was that?"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, but then closed it. That had never happened. Not this time.

"That's not part of the story," said Dash. "Anyway, I wasn't that high, there wasn't a lot of time to build up speed. And I still had that stupid carriage attached to me...." She was lost now, in memory. "I still remember thinking how I had to save him, how I couldn't let him die. How my entire life wouldn't be worth living without him. I had never accelerated so fast as I did then. I don't think I ever did after, either."

"She did catch me though," said Spike. "Obviously."

Rainbow Dash nodded her head slowly. She suddenly realised she was looking past Rainbow Bloom, and focused back on her daughter.

"Well, after I yelled at him and myself for being so stupid, I realised something. That he was very important to me. And that I loved him."

"That's kind of interesting," said Rainbow Bloom.

"But not that interesting," said Spike, repeating his comment from earlier.

Rainbow Dash continued to explain things about their developing relationship, with Spike filling in bits from his perspective.

Their first date, their first kiss, when Spike asked her to marry him.... It took a long time.

"I keep wondering," said Spike. "Why you're asking us all of this?"

Rainbow Bloom didn't seem to need to think about it.

"Because I want my foal to know about his grandparents. You're both wonderful, and I don't want the things you did to be forgotten when I die."

"I'm touched," said Rainbow Dash. She was, but she didn't want to show it. "But you won't have to worry about that. Spike will still be around long after you're gone. He'll remember everything for us."

There was a pause, as Rainbow Bloom let the thought sink in.

"I guess he will," she said.

Everyone

"Are you ready?" asked Spike. Rainbow Dash nodded silently.

"I can't believe you still do things like this."

"It's what we've always done," she said. "Just because we're old doesn't mean we can't still hang out."

"You're not just 'old.'"

Rainbow Dash smiled at his comment. She was lucky to still be alive after so long. They all were.

As Rainbow Dash and Spike left their cave, across the forest and into town, Pinkie Pie was brushing her mane. She didn't have as far to go, and so didn't have to leave quite as early.

Her once vibrant pink hair was all dull and grey now. Her cutie mark still held colour though. Setting down the brush Pinkie Pie took one last look at herself. Satisfied that she was presentable for her friends, she went to the kitchen to pick up her basket of goodies before leaving her house.

Applejack and Rarity nodded to each other as they met. They still lived close to each other, and so decided to make the walk to Fluttershy's cottage together. They both carried saddlebags filled with various items. Despite being so old, Applejack was still as tough as ever. Rarity though, was finally starting to slow down. She had become a slow walker in her old age, her joints aching with every step. But she didn't let it show. Applejack knew though, and didn't go faster than they needed to.
Pinkie Pie arrived first, outside of Fluttershy, who had already set down a large blanket and a few pillows for everybody to sit on. They could handle the bare ground, but old ponies deserved a little extra comfort sometimes.

Rainbow Dash and Spike arrived next. Rainbow Dash hadn't brought anything, but Spike brought a bunch of extra gems to munch on while he kept his wife company.

By the time Applejack and Rarity showed up, the picnic was shaping up nicely.

Applejack and Rarity set down their saddlebags and arranged their contents on to the blanket. Sandwiches, small cakes, bowls of hay, carrots. It was all very simple fair.

"How's your grandson, Rainbow?" asked Applejack, slowly chewing on one of her own sandwiches. Spike was off, looking out towards the sky, his huge frame providing shade for the ponies.

"Last I heard he was denied membership into the Wonderbolts. He should be on his way back home now, actually."

"Why? How could they go and deny him? Kid's just as good as you were at that age."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "He'll get in. He takes after me, he's not going to let a little thing like rejection ruin his dreams."

Rainbow Dash laughed at the thought of him giving up. No way that would happen.

"I'll have to throw him a party tomorrow," said Pinkie Pie.

"My dear, aren't you a little old for that?" asked Rarity. She was smiling though, and wasn't at all serious about the comment.

"I still have a few more parties left in me," replied Pinkie Pie, grinning.

"I'll help you then," said Rarity, smiling back.

The picnic continued for hours. When they got together they could spend a very long time talking, telling jokes and stories, or just doing nothing at all but enjoying each other's company.

As the sun began to set, everypony began to pack up. Rainbow Dash especially had to get back soon. She suspected her grandson would show up later to talk about his tryout and where it went wrong, and she wanted to make sure he didn't arrive to an empty cave.

They said their goodbyes, made plans to all get together again like this soon, and headed back to their homes. Rainbow Dash did get to see her grandson later, and he did tell her everything about what happened. She had agreed to coach him until he got into the Wonderbolt, and it looked like her job wasn't over yet.

Pinkie and Rarity teamed up to plan a party for him. It wouldn't be a huge thing, just a small welcome home party. Pinkie still loved parties, but even she had to admit they couldn't be as big as they used to be.

Applejack did what she'd always done. She took care of her family and the farm, although what that meant now that she was too old to work was that she helped keep the books, make dinner, and help clean the house, at least when Apple Dash wasn't trying to do it all herself.

Late that night, when they were all tucked in their beds, or in Rainbow Dash's case, asleep on her cloud, the four of them who came from the future so long ago would have a dream.

A dream about that world they each left at separate times. In it, a Fluttershy and Spike very much like the ones they now knew fought against an aged pony, a pony they had done their best to forget about. They saw Twilight's defeat in that other world, and for a moment could feel all that old anger and hatred bubble back to the surface as she lay there, writhing and pathetic, before Fluttershy ended it.

They woke up with a start in the middle of the night. They each knew it wasn't just a dream, although part of them wished it was.

The two worlds were very different from each other now. But some things stayed the same. Rarity was the only one to confirm what they all didn't want to believe, as she stepped outside her house and looked towards Canterlot. She couldn't see it very well at first, but her magic made things clear.

That battle between Celestia and Luna was happening here in this world too, on the same day.

Rarity thought it was kind of strange. Given what she had seen in the dream, she would have thought that without Twilight, Luna would have attacked at a different time.

She knew the next day they could wake up to a new government. Rarity especially had no love for Celestia, and she hoped Luna would emerge triumphant here, this time. But there was no point in worrying about it. She was old, and so were her friends. They couldn't do anything about it, and even under the most optimistic projections they wouldn't live long enough to need to worry about the long term affects of a change in rulership, or an attempted coup. So Rarity turned around and went back to bed.

Whatever the next day brought, politically, she wouldn't worry about it.

It was more important to throw that party. All her friends would be there, after all, and Pinkie wouldn't want to throw a bad party.