She had that dream again. Five years had passed, and she still remembered that scene like it was yesterday. It kept repeating to her, as a reoccurring nightmare. She would see and hear it all: The emerald heart, the explosion, the shattering statue, and Twilight with her own magic, amidst it all.

That was the scene that had haunted her most: Twilight, as she strode forward against the light of the wild magic. She had worn a face of determination.

Sweetie Belle had hated the purple unicorn for what she had done, stopping Discord like that. She had sworn on the next day that she would never forgive the mare. However, she soon came to realize that she couldn't keep up such a grudge. It had started to drain her and had nearly cost her the friendship of her fellow crusaders.

Afterward, Sweetie Belle had come to a conclusion, after much brooding. She realized that it hadn't been Twilight's fault. No, the mare had acted as she had thought was best, and even now, Sweetie Belle was certain that the lavender unicorn would stand by her decision.

Sweetie Belle now knew who was truly responsible for the incident, it was her own fault. She had done nothing and watched it all. She hadn't tried hard enough to save him. With that thought firmly in her mind, the young filly had managed to form a shaky sort of peace with the older mare.

Sighing, Sweetie Belle opened her eyes to look up at the simple wooden ceiling of her room, and along with it, she saw the more intricate and beautiful magic that resided within the wood. The late-morning sunlight caught in her eye as she stared, a stray beam had managed to assault her through the open window. I should get up, she told herself as she pulled the covers tighter around her. Maybe in a minute.

She nearly drifted back to sleep, when a loud knocking came from the front door accompanied by a very familiar voice.

“Sweetie Belle, get up, or yer gonna be late fer Scootaloo's big day! Are ya sleepin' in again?!”

“Oh, geez! I forgot, we were supposed to meet an hour ago!” she shouted and jumped out of her bed, spilling the bedding upon the wooden floorboards haphazardly. Looking around the room, with a sense of panic, she frantically paced about, “Oh where is it, where is it?! Where did I put it?!” Then she spotted the small orange-wrapped box sticking out from beneath the litter of sheets on the floor with its purple lace holding it firmly in place. “Aha!” She picked up the present gracefully, using her magic.

With no more time time to spare, she darted out the door, with her gift in tow. Her hoof-falls faded away as she raced down the stairs and met up with Applebloom at the door. Their cheerful and excited exchange could barely be heard over the wind from the open window.

The room remained a mess, which was nothing new for the young mare, however there was one thing that was out of place. Upon her nightstand, her emerald pendant, roughly half-heart-shaped, lay there, forgotten in the spontaneity of the moment. Had anypony been present, they would have been able to see a light flickering from it's green depths slowly glowing brighter with every pulse, and perhaps they would hear the slightest of chuckles playing alongside the breeze.

Author's Notes:

Here's the a longer epilogue to Scion of Chaos, set 4 days after the events in chapter 20: An Emerald Treasure
And the Sequel can be found here: A Heart of Change

Thank you so much for reading. I've learned a lot from writing this and only hope to keep improving. The fact that you've read my story means the world to me.

~SilentBelle