I have never been happier before in my entire life.
Granted, that’s not to say I was miserable before. Quite the opposite actually. I’ve done things that foals dream of being able to do and have learned things I never knew could be studied. I’ve made friends, made a family, and made love, but you can only ask me questions about the first two. But what I can’t do, no matter what, is ever forget the road that got me here.
It was treacherous at times, filled with sharp turns and rocky paths, complete with sudden drops and tall hills. But, I never gave up. I always worked through it. With the help of my friends, my family, and… my wife, we were able to overcome every obstacle life threw at us. And I really have to say again, I have never been happier before in my entire life.
In my time, I have been accepted as Princess Celestia’s personal student. With the help of the five greatest friends I have ever known, we stopped the return of Nightmare Moon, ending what would have been a reign of an endless night. From there, I moved to a town I had never heard of before, learning about a topic that was little different than the Quantum Mechanics of Magic. That subject? Friendship.
Honestly, the two have more in common than one would think. Both exist around us in our every moment, awake or asleep, but if asked how they work, only so few ponies in Equestria could possibly describe them. We depend on them both, whether we admit it or not; to live, prosper, and enjoy our lives. More than that though, they each have the power to alter the very course of history; changing the way objects interact or changing the way we think. So when I was asked by my beloved mentor to study the depths of this powerful force, how could I not be glad?
And the lessons I learned paid off.
At the Grand Galloping Gala, I saw what happened to ponies who didn’t have friends to call their own, stuck up ponies that gave more value to the bits in their pocket or fabric they wore, than to the others they wished to spend their time with. Even the nephew of Princess Celestia thought so highly of himself that he wouldn’t dare lift a hoof to move if he could convince someone to do it for him. It was nothing short of a blessing to have everything in that room collapse in on itself. Spending the rest of that night with my friends was something I don’t think I’ll ever forget. But that was far from the last time, or worst of times, our friendship was tested.
Discord, an ancient evil from Equestria’s past tried to break the bonds of friendship with his magic. He turned my friends into everything… everything that they weren’t. Oh Luna it was so terrible.
The honest and proud Applejack stepped on her own pride to lie to my face. Rarity, the mare who would give away her magic if it meant seeing a pony smile, hoarded a rock like a gem. A Rock! I would have laughed if I wasn’t so close to crying at the sight of her. Pinkie Pie didn’t even chuckle when Discord was done with her. Fluttershy, the kindest, sweetest pony I had ever met hit me, actually hit me. But the worst of all? Rainbow Dash… I… I didn’t even get to see her. She flew off away from us, leaving us alone with a monster that would have drunk my tears if I wasn’t fighting against them so hard. When I finally realized how alone I was without any of my friends, when I felt the bonds that kept us together slip away… that’s when I started to turn gray.
But that wasn’t the end.
The reports of the friendship I had written for so long were sent back to me by Celestia, reminding me just how strong those ties were. They weren’t something that any amount of magic from any kind of spirit, or god even, could shatter. He could twist and bend them all he wanted, but they were still there. All I needed to do was remind my friends who they were, what they had done, and everything fell back into place.
Applejack apologized from the depths of her heart. Fluttershy wanted nothing more but to hold us close and cry for joy. Pinkie laughed like it was all a big prank. Rarity disposed of the boulder before offering us tea and apologies. And Rainbow Dash, oh Rainbow Dash. When she was reminded of who she was, when she returned to that prismatic coat and mane, it took every muscle in my body and cell in my mind to stop me from throwing my hooves around her and holding her close, crying for joy that she was back to normal. Because everything wasn’t back to normal, not yet.
With the help of my friends, with the strength of friendship behind us, we imprisoned Discord again, trapping him in stone and leaving him a shell that he could never break. There was a celebration afterwards, a grand event that filled the main hall of Canterlot Castle, a room designed to be filled by the entire Equestrian Army. Princess Celestia gave us royal honors, recognizing us as heroes, and reminding us once more just how important it is to remember the bonds of friendship.
Thinking back on it now though, despite all the evil that he did, putting aside all the torment me and my friends went through, I pity him.
Really, I do.
He probably never had a friend in his entire life. Forced to watch ponies around him share interests, laugh together, play together, maybe even grow old together. He never had that. And now, he never could. I can’t forgive him though, not that easily, not yet. But I can pity him, because when I see his reason for doing what he had done, how could I not?
How can I not feel sorry for a being that never had a friend to call their own?
I have done so much with my friends, accomplished so much with their help. From the improbable to the impossible, there is nothing that I haven’t done or couldn’t do with their help. I never thought I would be happier than living in those moments with them. But time kept moving, and with every day, my life got better in small, almost unnoticeable ways. There were ups and downs, it wouldn’t be an adventure unless there were, but the bonds of friendship proved themselves once more in the end.
There was rarely any single event that occurred all at once. In fact, there never were. There were just collections of small insignificant happenings that eventually balled into one great thing. They happened to all of us. Small events that kept occurring that changed our lives completely. I could go on with the examples.
So I think I will.
Applejack’s business on the farm grew slowly after the events of Discord, the nobles of Canterlot wanting to taste the apples of Equestria’s hero, even ponies in cities as far away as Manehatten, Trottingham, and Las Pegasus wanted her cider for the late night events. But like I said before, it didn’t happen all at once. It took years, almost a decade, but soon it was impossible to not see the Apple Family as a major provider for all of Equestria.
The work was hard on her, and it was obvious. She often tried to hide it, meeting up with the rest of us when she could, going to the spa when time allowed, but just like the apple bucking season she tried to do alone, we saw through the disguise. This time, however, it didn’t take nearly as much effort to convince her otherwise. In fact, Rarity had an excellent idea.
She proposed Applejack hire more farm hooves to help out around the orchard. She could expand her fields, open up her schedule, and with any luck, be able to meet the heavy demands that her apples were making. But like we all expected, our farm pony friend didn’t jump on the idea. Changing tradition, trying to adopt some new formula for business, it was something she wasn’t used to. She went back home, talked to Big Mac, talked to a growing Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. She came back the next day asking Rarity how she should get help.
It took time, like all good things do, but Applejack was able to hire a lot of help for her farm. Rarity was as good as ever with helping to manage the finances behind it. A few months of practice and precision, then soon Applejack was able to handle it herself. In her own words, “Calculators are a blessin’ from Celestia herself.” We all laughed at the affair.
Rarity worked much the same way. Her dresses at the Gala and celebrations were endorsed by the princesses as being of the highest quality. What kind of high-class pony wouldn’t go for something that a princess endorsed? The orders came in faster than she could fill them, but just like a generous soul that she was, she never complained. Rather, I think she enjoyed it. She went on like that for months, asking us for help when we could offer it and taking time with us when she could. Not even a Cranky Doodle could ignore the aura of happiness that came from her.
But in much the same way as Applejack, Rarity started to become overburdened by her work. The dress orders were taking too long for her too fill, and she dare not cut quality for time. None of us thought it even possible for her. Unlike Applejack’s situation, however, Rarity couldn’t trust the stitching and trimming of her dresses to just any pony. It had taken her years to perfect the art, and hiring just any pony off the streets would probably degrade the quality of her work. In the end, she told us the inevitable news.
She was going to move to Canterlot.
The unicorns there prided themselves in their work and detail to design. Almost any up and coming unicorn foal in the fashion world would jump to work under Rarity, and with her guidance, become a better designer for it. In the end, it was the smart move, but that didn’t make it the happiest one.
Saying goodbye to her wasn’t easy for any of us. According to Rarity herself, they all thought that I would be the first to leave. I did my best not to take offense. She promised to stay in contact with all of us, writing letters whenever she could, and offering us tickets and custom dresses to any events we would like to attend. Applejack hid her face beneath her hat. I remember Pinkie throwing what I could possibly describe as the most well-planned farewell party she had ever done. Streamers, confetti, and cupcakes all had their own individual custom designs, laced and frilled in patterns our unicorn friend couldn’t help but squeal towards. It really was the best way to send her off.
Applejack, however, saw Rarity off in the end, walking her back home and spending the night with her. We never asked why in the end. It really didn’t matter, not as long as we all stayed in contact. And Rarity was good to her word. Even now we each receive letters from her, telling us all about her weeks and months of work, never forgetting to list events that quite possibly could have ruined her, but was often saved by remembering how each of us would have acted in the situation. I had to giggle at the idea, but in the end accepted it. Even miles apart from one another, just the memories of our friendship were enough to keep us going, laughing all the while.
Speaking of which, Pinkie Pie was next. She had what I can probably come closest to describing as a sudden event of change, but if I look back hard enough, the answer is obvious. After my brother’s wedding… yes my brother had a wedding, remove I learned more about love than friendship that day. We’ll get to that. Anyways, after my brother’s wedding, Pinkie became obsessed with finding the stallion for her.
It was cute at first, watching her trying to approach so many different colts and stallions at the parties she threw, rubbing up against them and offering drinks and sweets. Whenever she had a party, I always found her closer and closer to the bedroom doors than the dance floor. I guess that’s why when she spilled the news, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Then again, it’s hard not to be.
Pinkie Pie was pregnant.
What would normally terrify most mares excited her to levels I thought would be catastrophic. She spent almost every waking moment around us talking about all the things she would do with her foal. Party planning, baking, cooking, playing, dressing, learning, and whatever else they wanted to do. More than once we, that being Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and I, tried to ask her who the father was. My heart dropped every time she shook her head saying she didn’t know. In the end, we decided to drop it. She was happier than any of us had ever seen her before. What did it matter?
She gave birth to a beautiful foal several months later. It was a filly, with a coat as white as snow and mane as bright as the sun. Her cries were soft and gentle, the babe snuggling as far as she could into her mother’s legs, Pinkie’s legs. Tiny feathered wings clung to her sides, carefully covered by the blanket wrapped around her form. Pinkie Pie kissed the top of her foal’s head with such a gentle touch; I felt my own heart soar. That was the first time I had seen Pinkie Pie cry with a smile. I wouldn’t have expected it from any other mare.
Rarity came down to see her when the baby was born, more than eager to see the newest addition to the family. More than once, our diva of a unicorn friend commented how the style of the room didn’t suit Pinkie Pie at all. All the pink mare did was chuckle with her pegasus filly still in her arms. If she was holding anything else, I’d swear she gave birth just to get us all in the same room. It was Applejack that raised the question we were all thinking though.
“So what are ya goin’ ta name ‘er?”
Normally, that being within the massive level of significant error that was usually attributed to predicting our pink friend, Pinkie Pie would put a hoof to her chin than ramble off a thousand and one inequitable names all relating to either sugary sweets or party favors. Instead, she did what I never expected of her. Leaning close to the white foal in her legs, resting now with an almost heavenly snore, Pinkie kissed the forehead of her filly, whispering a single phrase.
“She’s my little Surprise for the entire world.”
The name stuck.
Pinkie Pie’s new foal was the talk of the town, and more importantly, a jewel of the community. When little Surprise wasn’t being nursed or cared for by our pink friend; she was having play dates with the Cake twins, being baby-sat by the former CMC, or maybe just being admired by every passing pony. I have honestly never seen Pinkie more focused on one thing before in my entire life. Even more odd, I had never seen her happier either. Changing diapers, lying down to nurse, or napping with her cute little foal in her hooves, her smile was always one of the most content things I have still seen to this day.
While Pinkie Pie had… I can’t help it, had a “Surprise” to change her life, Fluttershy had something else. Usually opposites are used in irony or juxtaposing in literature, most commonly given the term of foils for one another. Fire and ice, air and earth, brains and brawn, pairing opposites is a common and often useful tool for showing the extremes of two different traits. In real life, however, when I say that Fluttershy had the opposite happen to her in relation to what happened to Pinkie Pie, I don’t feel any desire to detail or describe the differences between the two. I’ll just state what it means.
Pinkie Pie, bubbly and energetic, brought a new life into the world. Fluttershy, scared and timid, had to endure a life close to her leaving it.
Rainbow was the first to find her, crying in her tree home unabashedly. No words that Dash said got through to her. Everything she tried to say was drowned out by the sobs from Fluttershy’s curled form. Her wings hung limply at her sides, mane falling over her like a cheap blanket. No amount of prodding or contact could help her. Rather, every time Dash tried to lay a wing or hoof over her pegasus friend she was forced to retract. Every time she made contact, Fluttershy would cry harder.
When I finally arrived, Fluttershy had moved from the floor of her home to the sofa. She was curled about herself still, but now Dash and I could see something else. She was holding something between her hooves, letting her tears fall over it in a manner completely opposite to how Pinkie cried over her foal.
Angel was in her legs. He wasn’t moving.
Dash and I started to cry as well.
We hugged her close, not bothering with words. What good would words have done there? I could reference two dozen different articles on friendship regarding how actions speak louder than words, but it was more than that. Fluttershy was a friend in the very pits of mourning, already seemingly skipped denial, anger, and bargaining. All that was left to do now was let her know that we were here, we would always be here, hoping that she would eventually rise from the depths of her mourning.
It had taken hours since I arrived before her sobs began to subside. I didn’t want to think of how many hours that meant she cried before I had shown up. She kept Angel in her hooves, holding the rabbit close, protecting it the same manner Pinkie would her foal. Only… Fluttershy…
Even when she stopped crying, after Rainbow and I carefully laid the rabbit down for his final rest, Fluttershy wasn’t the same. She dragged herself through the town, collecting only what she needed before returning home. She cared for the animals, she cared for her home, but she never did more than that. She never went to the spa, never flew to a cloud, and never went outside unless she absolutely had to. Over two hundred and twelve reports on friendship, and I had no idea what to do to help her.
Pinkie Pie did.
The earth pony called us over one day to meet her at Sugar Cube Corner. None of us had any idea what she was planning. When we got there, Applejack was the first to notice what was different, aside from the alabaster pegasus filly on Pinkie’s back, napping away the day. Our energetic friend was holding a piece of paper in her mouth, something she told us, however that was possible, would be able to lift Fluttershy’s spirits and get her smiling again.
I didn’t need to look around me to know that her words put us all on edge. Fluttershy was not in a good place, at all. I honestly thought Pinkie was planning on inviting our canary coated friend to a party of some kind, something I knew she would either excuse herself from or simply fail to attend. It wouldn’t help, at all. But I kept my muzzle shut. If Pinkie wanted to try this, then she could.
When we all got to Fluttershy’s home, the doors were locked tight with the windows as well, blinds drawn and lights out. It wasn’t even past noon yet. Full hoofed, Pinkie was unable to knock on the door, not without rattling her foal, something she did NOT want to do. Rainbow Dash did it for her, letting her hoof beat on the door with a few raps. The door opened as tentatively as we all expected. But what we did not expect was the broken form of a mare just behind the door.
Fluttershy looked horrible, and even to this day I can describe her every detail. Her usually flowing mane was curled and bushy, no doubt from nights without sleeping. Bags fell from under her eyes, red and puffy with tears. Her legs seemed thin, her face haggard. Oh Celestia, it was hard for me not to cry.
But Pinkie, bless her or curse her, kept on smiling.
She nodded her head towards the door, and Fluttershy let us in without question. The house was okay, not a disaster like mine after a failed experiment, but it still seemed… cold, I guess would be the best way to describe it. Rainbow must have seen me shiver, because I felt her wrap a wing around my mid-section. Warmth spread to my cheeks before the rest of my body. It was when Pinkie removed the paper from her mouth that started to speak. If Fluttershy’s image was burned into my memory, than Pinkie’s speech was seared.
“Fluttershy, I know how hard it can be to lose some pony close to you. We all loved Angel, even if he was a bit of a grumpy pants around us. He cared for you, protected you, and loved you in ways that none of us ever could. We never got to say it, like, ever, but we owe him a lot.” Tears started to collect on the edges of Fluttershy’s gaze. Soft hiccups started to sound through her home. I saw Applejack move her hat over her chest.
“But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned recently, it’s that no matter what happens, we always have ponies who care for us, and we should care for them. Fluttershy, you have been one of my bestest friends since the moment I moved to Ponyville. I know all the ponies in Ponyville, but if I had to pick just one pony to be friends with, then I’d pick you.” Pinkie Pie reached to her back, gently holding Surprise’s blanket in her teeth as she sat down, letting her hooves hold her foal as close as she could. The babe cooed in her sleep, snuggling peacefully into her blanket. Pinkie giggled at the sound.
“Fluttershy?” She reached down with her hoof opening the page. My breath caught as I recognized the document. I thought it would be an invitation, a get well soon card, maybe even just a lifetimes supply of sweets from her store. No, it was so much… larger than that. Pinkie’s voice shook as she asked the question I knew was coming now.
“Will you be another mommy for Surprise?”
I was floored. Rainbow Dash, hit the floor. Applejack’s hat wasn’t too far behind, slipping from her hoof. Fluttershy gasped. In a moment, in that single bright moment, I swear I could see the bonds of friendship between Pinkie and Fluttershy.
“Yes!” Fluttershy had spoken in a shaking voice. It only grew with every word she said, even though it was just the same word. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”
Tears were falling from her eyes as she trotted close to Pinkie and Surprise, holding both of them close when she was close enough with her hooves and wings. Pinkie Pie was smiling again, tears falling from her eyes like Fluttershy. We were just behind her, crying for joy. But then a small sound started to form between the pair, a high pitched whine that Pinkie immediately recognized. Pulling away gently from Fluttershy, she held Surprise up in front of her.
“Oh, some pony is cranky after their nappy.” She slowly began to rock the foal in her arms, hoping the soothing motion would lull the child back to sleep. It wasn’t working. If anything, the cries only increased in volume. My hooves were against my ears before I even knew it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack beat me to the punch.
I couldn’t hear much, but I saw Fluttershy gently trot in front of Pinkie, offering out her hooves towards the foal. For only a moment, our earth pony friend hesitated, but then with that smile I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget, she offered the pony to the new mother. With a caring smile upon her lips, Fluttershy held the white foal close.
“Hush now.” She whispered to the baby pegasus in her arms, rocking the foal as I imagine she once would Angel. “Quiet now, time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed.” She sung the lullaby in a voice we hadn’t heard for what felt like the longest time. Little Surprise in her arms yawned as deeply as her petite form would allow, snuggling closer to the warm underbelly of the pegasus holding her. Fluttershy was crying again.
“She likes you.” Pinkie whispered next to her, sitting down and rubbing her coat against the canary pegasus. “You’ll be a great mommy Fluttershy.”
None of us could disagree.
The next day, Fluttershy turned in the marriage papers to the Town Hall, Mayor Mare accepting the documents with a prismatic smile of her own. I’ve heard a few ponies say before that she wears a mask like any politician, but I know she’s more level headed than anypony could give her credit for. Anyways, it wasn’t long after that until Pinkie and Fluttershy rented their own place, just on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was a short trot from Sugar Cube Corner, but far enough away that no pony could complain about animals during the day or night. With little Surprise between them, the two became what I can only describe as the very bastions of happiness. But I guess if they are the representatives of happiness, then Rainbow Dash was the symbol of joy.
It wasn’t long after the adoption of Surprise that Rainbow got a letter in the mail. A blue envelope sealed with a thunderbolt mark. If anypony in all of Equestria knew what that meant, it was Dash.She flew down to see me before she opened it. She told me it was because she wanted to show off her acceptance, but it wasn’t hard for me to really tell why. She was nervous, terrified even. Who could blame her? This very well could be the pinnacle moment of her life.
She must have mulled over the letter for close to an hour, looking over it, holding it up to the light, and analyzing it in every way she could. It was endearing in a childish kind of way, seeing how many different methods she went through before finally opening the envelope. However, she didn’t open it. She gave it to me instead.
“I-I just can’t.” She told me. “My… my hooves are shaking.” And honestly, they were. Bad. In any other circumstance, I would have thought something wrong with her. But really, again, she was just terrified, and understandably so. I took the letter from her, smiling as kindly as I could doing so. I opened the envelope, opened the letter inside, and read on.
“Dear Rainbow Dash, we of the Wonderbolts team are thrilled to see you apply for-” I couldn’t remember the rest of the letter. I just know that with every word I spoke, Dash fell closer and closer to the ground, nearing the point where I could have mistaken her for Fluttershy. What I do remember are the last few words the letter said. “Therefore, we eagerly accept your application and welcome you to the Wonderbolts team.”
Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate to show me her excitement.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt myself wrenched from my seat and pulled outside. The ground fled from us like a filly did her homework, clouds passing by my sight. Gravitational forces on levels I wasn’t used to started to affect me, taking the breath from my lungs and shaking my limbs. It’s a good thing I was so terrified, it’s what made me hold onto Rainbow Dash so tight.
When we were well above the height of Cloudsdale, Dash stopped throwing her hooves outwards and releasing me into the air. Instinct saved me, casting the cloud walking spell moments before my hooves hit the spongy surface of the material. I kept my vision on the white substance for a small amount of time, letting the breath return to my lungs. When I looked back up, Dash was dancing in the air.
She spun loops, twirled into corkscrews, rammed her way through clouds, and formed rainbows all across the sky. Above all of her motion and flying around, the sound of her excited cheers pierced the otherwise silent sky. Whoops of joy, screams of delight, and every other synonym for shouting and happiness that I can think of.
To say it simply she was thrilled.
I settled on my lower legs, watching her celebrate the news with a level of energy that was once reserved for Pinkie Pie. To be fair though, she must have traded it off when she had little Surprise.
“Congratulations, Rainbow!” I cheered for her as she flew by. In a dash that lived up to her name, she was beside me, but far closer than I think she ever had been before. She wasn’t just holding me in a tight hug, or letting her wings wrap around my, admittedly, petite frame. No, what she was doing could easily be called a bit more… intimate.
She was kissing me.
My eyes were wide with shock, recognizing the sensation only because of visual aids alone. A hot rubbery like substance was pushing against my lips, flaring through me hotter than a solar flare conjured by Celestia herself. If I wasn’t already sitting, I’m doubtless my legs would have given out beneath me. It’s only fair then that my eyes shut in the moment, enjoying the sensation that came with it.
Her tongue gently traced around the rim of my mouth, eliciting a moan from the back of my throat. It was all the encouragement she needed to go a hoof further, pushing the slippery appendage in further between my lips, tracing the back of my teeth and wrestling my own tongue into submission. I lost the fight, quickly.
When she rose off me, I found myself looking into the face of an angel, with wide spread wings, a halo above her head, and a presence that made me practically burn with awe. I was in blissful happiness.
“Twilight?” The angel’s voice called me, drawing me from the edge of a bright brilliant dream. “Will you marry me?” How could I deny my angel?
“Yeah.”
It was fast, I know. Even I can admit that.
Really though, I didn’t care. I was happy, so unexplainably and unforgivingly happy. I had gone through the motions and lessons of friendship for so long, it really felt like it was just another part of being alive. But this, being with Rainbow, was something else entirely.
It felt like walking on clouds without magic, like standing between the cool blanket of the moon and warm protection of the sun. When she’s standing beside me, the pits of Tartarus look bearable and the questions of the afterlife seem meaningless. As corny as it sounds, I didn’t care about anything else as long as I knew Dash loved me, because I loved her.
What I’d like to say now is that the wedding was expansive, massive, taking up half of the castle and being broadcasted via magical telepathic networking throughout Equestria. The halls would be lined with eager viewers from my family and Dash’s, flowers and petals falling from the rafters, and little Surprise herself the ring bearer for us.
That would be a lie.
Instead, Dash and I married in a very small affair. Incredibly small. It was just us, our four closest friends, and Princess Celestia to conduct the ceremony. The complaints would come for weeks afterwards about how we could have forgotten to invite other friends, family, or royals who wanted to look good for the princess. Really though, I liked it, and so did Dash. No… we loved it.
It was special, unique really. My brother had a large wedding, and I’m sure just about any noble in Canterlot does as well. Weddings may not have been nationwide events in Ponyville, but I’m sure they would at least invite every pony in town. Dash and I… we were happier to just have those closest to us. Easier to remember, simpler to enjoy.
But I will admit, kissing Dash with our vows spoken was a moment that couldn’t have been made any more magical, no matter how many ponies watched us.
The gifts came right after the short applause, with each of our friends pushing forward their own gifts for us. Rarity had already given us hers, in the form of two wedding dresses more elegant and cared for than the one she had made for Princess Cadance. I was thrilled and shocked all at once when she showed them to us, but it would have been nothing short of insane of me to say something bad about them. Mainly because there wasn’t anything bad about them.
Applejack, with her new found fortune, gave us something I never honestly expected of our friend. Money. Enough bits to make my life savings looks like a month’s salary. Any denial towards acceptance was shot down by her own waving hoof. Apparently, with the amount of business the farm was doing, from Ponyville to Appleloosa, she couldn’t get rid of the money fast enough if she wanted to. Giving to the newlyweds was apparently a good idea. Dash didn’t argue for a second.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy went in together on a present, letting their little foal push it forwards. The present was about the same size as Surprise, which was to say about a similar volume as the muscle and bone between my knee and fetlock, but the little filly pushed it towards us with all her might. When she was done, panting slightly, she looked up to both Dash and I expectantly. It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen in my life. A small nuzzle from Dash and I earned happy giggles from the filly pegasus, who eagerly rejoined her mothers, walking between their legs like the trees in a forest.
Dash and I giggled before we reached for the present, opening it with the same care I’m sure Fluttershy gave in wrapping it. Inside was nothing spectacular, or expensive, or glamorous. Inside was just a small picture, framed in wood and covered by a thin layer of glass. The picture that lay behind the glass made my lips quiver as the muscles on my features pulled into a smile.
It was us, all of us, back when I first moved to Ponyville. Sitting next to one another, hugging one another as close as possible. It was a cherished memory and picture, because it was the start of all of our friendship, the beginning of our magic.
It didn’t take much after that for us to all join one another again in a group hug, tears of joy from all of our eyes. But what was the wedding gift from Princess Celestia? I’m glad you asked, and on that, you can ask.
A top research position in Canterlot University. The subject? The Bonds of Friendship and Matrimony.
I was going to be paid, in no small amount, to study the thing that brought me an unparalleled level of happiness. How could I possibly be happier?
The move was fast, thanks to a combination of my Magic and Dash’s short supply of items to bring. It took more than one trip via teleportation, but it took far longer to unpack our items than it did to move them. Organizing my entire book collection took longer than it did for Rainbow to just empty her entire house. But then again, when you dedicate your life to knowledge, it makes sense you’d have a few more things to keep track of.
And really, it was fun. Being able to joke with Rainbow about what went where, what was needed, what was dispensable, and on a more intimate note, who slept on which side of the bed. But like I said in the beginning, you only get to ask questions about the first two subjects. My seven minutes of heaven are my business that you can’t ask about.
After that, Dash quickly started to adopt her schedule for training with the Wonderbolts, leaving early in the day and coming back late at night. I could tell almost immediately how much harder it was than she expected. She was used to sleeping once her work is finished. That doesn’t happen often for the greatest fliers in Equestria. But she loved it nonetheless.
She’d come home every night exhausted, giving me a complaint or two about how cramped her wings were or how sore her hooves were. It was just a silent request for me to work my magic, literally. Hearing her coo under the effects of relaxing ministrations, courtesy of my magic, was a sound that always got me… excited. One more time, no questions.
When she was finished, or I was finished, or both, she’d ask me how my day was, and unlike the routines that dictated her schedule, mine was always filled with something new.
Researching love and courtship is a much more involved process than friendship itself. I’ve constantly had to call in Princess Cadance for advice and opinions about the subject, being a princess of the subject and all, but even she had only vague details about how the connection works. I’ve documented couples coming together due to mutual appreciation for a given subject, admiration for one another, foalhood friendships, or in the rare cases, arranged marriages, though to be fair, those appeared to be happy only once a generation. Out of two hundred and fifty six documented couples, only two were confirmed to have been wed by their parent’s opinion.
Calculating the levels of love is impossible though, much like friendship. It is more like a force that super exceeds the boundaries or tools of any three dimensional object, relying solely on one’s personal perception of others or events. The amount of energy it offers any one individual is relative to the amount of dedication or belief in their own love. It is similar to friendship in that loving one another strengthens the bond, but unlike friendship, one-sided courtships often fall apart, whereas attempts at making friendship with another pony can indeed happen over time. It is almost as if love possesses an incalculable half-life.
That’s about as far as I always get before Dash starts to fall asleep at my side. I can hardly blame her though. Flying all day must take a lot out of her. She would rest her head on my shoulder, snore gently into my coat, and let her wing drape over me protectively as she slept. I can’t remember the last time I needed a blanket. Her feathers were so much warmer anyways.
It was at that moment that I could truly call my life complete.
And that’s when it began.
Thoughts started to swim through my head in the days that followed, reminders that this was the happiest that I will ever be. This was the highest point of my life. There was nothing greater that could ever come after this. Every time that thought entered my mind, I felt a pull of dread course through my body.
It crawled through me like a virus, a contamination that my body couldn’t fight against. It infected me like Discord’s magic. I didn’t know what it was, and it terrified me. The idea of having something happen to me that I not only couldn’t control, but couldn’t comprehend.
I walked through every moment of my week then. From sunrise to sunset, from work to play, from stress to relaxation. Every detail of my daily schedule was analyzed and processed in my mind. Somewhere, something had to have happened to make me feel like this. But I couldn’t find anything. Nothing. Everything about my life seemed… perfect.
My friends were spread out, but we were still able to see one another. We all had things to keep us busy, but we always made time to hang out. Little Surprise was growing faster than any of us expected, and Applejack’s farm was just about ready to be declared a major corporation. Rarity wasn’t too far behind in that front, and so far, there wasn’t a thing to complain about in my life or Rainbow Dash’s. There was absolutely nothing wrong. We had all accomplished our dreams. We were all living what I could honestly call the best moments of our lives. And that’s when it hit me.
If these were the best moments of our lives, than what was next other than disappointment?
The idea burned itself into my mind, resting on my every thought and action for the weeks to come. Every time I did something I knew was great, I felt a pull of despair instead of a lift of joy. Everytime Rainbow Dash leaned forward to kiss me, I felt my heart soar, only to fall into a pit upon the cruel reminder of the coming future.
It was horrible, a truly indescribable sensation. There isn’t any other way for me to talk about it other than with examples. I mean, imagine you have just received the thing you have been working for years for. Picture that there isn’t a thing wrong in your life, that you are in what you could call the pinnacle of existence. Now imagine, or better yet, remind yourself that no matter how happy you are, all of that will be gone soon.
Isn’t that horrible? Isn’t that… a nightmare?
I carried that reminder with me for the longest time, letting it haunt my every day and every night like the boogeypony would a foal in her covers. It consumed my thoughts with feelings I thought I could bury. That work or Dash could remind me it was so far away, so unimportant, that I shouldn’t worry about it at all.
But it didn’t go away. It just didn’t.
Finally, I had enough.
The day I finally decided to tell Dash, it was a bright day outside. It was warm, inviting, almost a gift from Celestia to the loyal subjects who worked so diligently for her. But then the dread came, the doubt, and I was reminded that tomorrow would be rain, possibly storms if the carbon in the ground needed to be revitalized. I shook my head at the thought.
Dash was just finished getting ready for her own day. Nothing had to be done for the Wonderbolts today, which is why I wanted to tell her today. I couldn’t distract her with worrying about me, not before she had some important trial to run, that would have been awful of me. Even though it wasn’t impossible for that very thing to happen somewhere down the road. She couldn’t be a member of the Wonderbolts forever. I slapped myself.
Unfortunately, that’s how I got Dash’s attention.
“Whoa! Twilight!” She called over to me, flying to my side before my hoof set itself back on the floor. “What the hay was that for?” I still remember seeing the emotions in her eyes. They swam through her vision like her feathers soared through the air. Confusion, fear, and worry. All of them directed at me. I bit my lip at the thoughts that I knew were rising.
“Dash I… I need to talk to you.” I saw a glimpse of anger about her, but it was quickly brushed aside.
“Then talk to me, please.”
I told her everything.
I told her how happy I was, how satisfied I was, that I was so excited that everything I had ever dreamed of had come true. Not just for me, for all of us. I prayed to Celestia and wished up to Luna every night back in Ponyville for all of us to eventually reach these dreams we held so dear, and now that we all have them, I have never been happier. But nothing is forever, and everything must fade. So if I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, then it could only mean that what comes next was going to hurt.
Dash listened intently to my every word, her face growing stern and careful as I spoke. She nodded when I asked questions, breathed deeply when I confessed what I felt, and put her wing around me when I started to choke on my words. I didn’t cry though. I didn’t want to cry in front of my wife, not like this at least.
Finally, I was done. I looked to her expectantly, hoping for her to say something that would make it all better, or do something that would freeze time, letting our lives stay this perfect forever.
When she started to speak, I memorized every word.
“Twilight, you are the dumbest pony I have ever known.” Okay, that seriously wasn’t what I was expecting. When I opened my mouth to say so, my wife put her hoof in it, silencing me. “Let me finish.” It wasn’t like I had a choice at the time.
“Twi’, I married you because every single time something bad was happening around us, you always found a way to make it better, or show us that we were all acting like foals. You have as much brains as Big Mac has brawn.” I had to admit, if going by equivalent exchange, that meant I had a lot of intelligence, or brain as Dash put it.
“Just being near you… I-I feel like I really can do anything. Because I thought that, I did!” She removed her hoof from my mouth as she flared her wings, showing off her athletic form in costume and all. “I made it to Captain of the Wonderbolts, fastest pegasus in all of Equestria, able to create a Sonic Rainboom on freaking command! Do you think I’d be able to do half the stuff I can if it wasn’t for you?” Honestly, to this day, I only take her word for how much credit I deserve, because personally, I don’t know if I can take any at all.
“But you’re right Twi’, these probably are the greatest moments in our lives.” Oh I can still feel the pit my heart made when it dropped at those words. It would have taken a foal to not see the pain on my face. “That’s not a bad thing. Listen,” She trotted closer to me rubbing a hoof over my features. “You’re probably thinking like this because you can’t think of anything you could possibly want, right?” I don’t remember if I said anything, but I definitely nodded my head.
“Well then, let me tell you a little secret. There is still something that I want that I can’t have yet.”
There must have been confusion in my eyes when she said those words, because I remember her smiling that victorious smirk before she went on.
“Everyday I leave in order to go out and practice, I see things that I don’t have, things that my fame and your money can’t get us. And no, not love.” She shook her head as if she was expecting me to suggest it. “I already get plenty of that from you.” Another smirk, this time most likely because I was blushing.
“Remember how Fluttershy felt when she lost Angel.” I nodded as the dread returned. “Remember how Fluttershy felt when Pinkie Pie offered for her to help raise Surprise.” I nodded again, feeling the happiness of that moment still radiate within me. “Twi’, that’s what I want. Not a rabbit, or to lose somepony close.” She bit her lip before she made it absolutely clear what she wanted.
“I… I want a foal, a baby!” Her breath shook with the declaration as mine froze. “I-I don’t mean that I wanted Pinkie to ask me, b-but I do want a kid of our own. You know… one that I could teach how to fly, raise, grow… I… I don’t know why, I really don’t. But I just do!”
There was nothing I could say. I had no idea what to say. Of everything I expected Rainbow Dash to say, this was the absolute bottom of the list of possibilities. A foal? A child? When did she start wanting that? There was not once, in all of the times I’ve known her, from Ponyville to Canterlot to marriage, did she even suggest having a baby. Now… it’s what she wanted? It didn’t make any sense.
“I don’t understand.” There was nothing else I could say.
“I didn’t always want a kid, you know.” That I did know. “But… I have everything now that I ever did want. Member of the Wonderbolts, respect from pegasi everywhere, and a mare I’m really glad I can call my wife.” She smiled again, the smile she gave me at our wedding. I really love that smile. She trotted as close to me as she could.
“Just because we’ve earned our dreams doesn’t mean we have to stop dreaming.” She leaned in close to me then, letting her lips brush against mine. “We can still think, still imagine, still ask for things we don’t have. Wishing isn’t just something for little fillies to do. All we have to do is work for our dreams to make them happen. Really, who is better at that then us?” When she pulled back, her cheeks were wet, but she wasn’t crying. I must have been. When she spoke her next words, I knew that I was.
“Just remember, the best has yet to come.”
I don’t need to think to remember how I broke down into her legs. I hid my face in her underbelly, sobbing and laughing and crying with emotions that I couldn’t control. She let me without restraint, rubbing her hooves over my back. She nickered into my ear gently with every heavy breathe I gave, letting me release all the tension I had been burying deep within. It was a relief, a complete and absolute relief.
What she said, how she said it… it all seemed so simple, so… easy to understand. She was right, so right! I didn’t have to stop dreaming, I didn’t have to stop believing that I could do more! There was always something greater coming, always new challenges to face, and new questions to answer. That’s what it meant to be alive, and that’s what it meant to be happy.
That was over a year ago, and now, I am with foal.
I have a child growing inside me, a little baby that Dash and I have yet to name. I can feel it churning, squirming inside my belly with an eagerness that I w` ould be shocked if it didn’t possess, given the parents it had. I still owe a favor to Celestia for helping us cast the spell, though I doubt she’ll ever consider collecting. She seemed as happy as us when she agreed to it.
Every night Rainbow leans over my carriage, resting her head just below my navel. She lists every little thing she hears, hoping to hear it call out for us in a voice that would bring us tears. I honestly couldn’t see us not crying when she was born. Yes, she. I don’t know how, but I just know. It’ll be a beautiful filly pegasus, eager to learn all that she could about the land she was coming into.
The due date isn’t for a while, but I’m in no rush to have it arrive. Having Rainbow lay next to me every night, dreaming of what’s going to happen when that day comes, brings me a kind of happiness I never dreamed up, not until she reminded me that we never stop dreaming.
I have never been happier in my entire life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop being this happy.
