Epilogue: Here We Are
~BlackRoseRaven

Sally O'Connor had done her best to make herself look nice, but that basically amounted to braiding her hay-blonde hair and making sure her clothes weren't covered in grass stains or manure. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt... and a huge, fur-lined coat, shivering a little as she hugged herself tightly and glowered up at the gray, listless skies above.

She had a backpack on the ground beside her, and she wrinkled her nose as she glared up at the apparently-endless snow falling from the sky. It was just a light powder, but there was already plenty of it on the ground and she was freaking cold. Sure, she could go back inside the crappy excuse for an airport here, but... the place kind of creeped her out. And that jackass was supposed to meet her soon. At least, he had better, or she was getting back on the damned plane and leaving, because it was too cold here for people to live.

Then she scowled as a man sauntered towards her, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, big black stetson on his head, headphones covering his ears. His big boots were scuffed and his pants were torn and his hair was shaggy and he looked just like the jackass she had been waiting for, the woman scowling at him... or at least, doing her best to hide the smile that began to spread over her face. “Hey. Where were you?”

He only shrugged amiably, then reached up and pulled his headphones off. “Hey, I walked here. It's not my fault the planes arrived on time for the first time ever.”

Sally frowned at him, then asked slowly: “And how are we going to get back?”

“Walk?” he suggested, and she shot him a sour look. “What?”

“I am not walking through this.” Sally complained, and then she added grumpily: “And neither of us are horses anymore, anyway, so I would like a car. Go... walk back home and come back in a car.”

“Okay. I'll come back... tonight, at some point.” he said amiably, turning and beginning to walk away. Sally watched him, waiting for him to turn back at five... ten... fifteen feet away...

She swore angrily, then picked up her bag and charged after him before slinging her backpack at him, and he stumbled with a wince as it bounced off his back. “What the hell is wrong with you? You're already ruining this stupid vacation I took so we could actually hang out together!”

He spun around, glaring at her, and she glared back... and then he reached suddenly up and poked her in the cheek, saying seriously: “Smile.”

Sally stared at him... then smiled in spite of her best efforts not to before she said finally: “I hate you. I hate you so much.”

He replied by shrugging, then he stepped forwards, and the two hugged tightly for a few long moments before they pulled apart. Then the man smiled at her, reaching down to pick up her backpack and sling it on over one shoulder before he gestured ahead. “Come on. You'll enjoy the walk, trust me. And I thought it might be nice, considering how much we walked together in Equestria. You enjoyed that, right? Or am I mistaking 'pleasure' with 'intense hate' again?”

“Shut up, Datura.” Sally said mildly, and then she reached up and slapped him on the shoulder, and he smiled over at her before turning his eyes forwards, the two friends walking side-by-side together through the snow, weathering the storm together just as they had in another place and time... and ready to face the future, together.All you need for friendship,

Is the will to be someone's friend.

Author's Notes:

This was a childish and ridiculous story in a lot of ways. It needs an editing run quite badly - which I sadly don't know when I'll have time for - and there's a lot I wanted to explain I never got the chance to, and a lot I wanted to expand on that I didn't get to build up. But at the same time, writing this was very cathartic for me. And I've found that sometimes, that's a good enough reason to write a story.

Thank you everyone for sticking through this short journey with me. Soon I'll get back to my actual writing, don't worry, instead of bouncing along these silly paths. Your readership is always much appreciated and valued, though, especially when I meander down these weird little paths.