"What the heck is all this stuff?" Twilight asked as she stalked around the several crates that had arrived at High Rock that morning. She jumped up on the cart and pried one of them open, finding the crystal heart from Caverndown sat on top, wrapped in padding to protect it. "What is going on?"

"Forgive me if I overstepped my bounds Twilight," Celestia said a little nervously, "but I took the liberty of having yours and Luna's belongings from Puddingarde and Prance delivered here for transport up to Stalliongrad, and through the pass back to Equestria."

"Oh." Truthfully Twilight was a little disappointed as she'd been looking forward to heading down to Puddingarde to pack, just so she could have one last look around the place. "Thank you," she said anyway, if a little unenthusiastically.

"I take it we're not leaving in the same manner we arrived then," Octavia asked.

Celestia chuckled lightly, "No, there'll be no packing you into crates this time. My personal railway carriage will be waiting for you on the other side of the pass. I felt you deserved to travel home in comfort. As for when you return, I have issued payment for your services to the bank accounts you provided me, as well added a significant bonus. I've also provided the same for Summer and the-ah, 'filly,' but have put the funds into yours and Fleur's accounts respectively, since they have no accounts of their own as yet."

"Wait..." The filly grinned manically, "You mean I'm rich?"

"For a pony your age, certainly, but I'm afraid that your wealth shall remain under Fleur's watchful eye until you come of age."

"And when's that? Because I'm not totally sure how old I am."

"And didn't that cause some issues," Celestia replied with a smile. "For the sake of simplicity we put your age down as fourteen, and put your date of birth as the day we filed it a little over a month ago. However, if I can have access to the records from Brayside I can find your true age and date of birth and amend the record. Honestly though, I'm not sure why you haven't looked yourself."

"Because I don't care probably," the filly sniffed, earning herself a cuff around the ear from Fleur for being rude.

"Then I shall at least have Fleur informed when I find out."

"And I can't wait to find out myself," said Fleur. "Speaking of money though Princess, I, and all of the others, were promised access to psychiatric help once we returned to Equestria. Is that to come out of our bonus, or..?"

Twilight looked up from rummaging through one of the crates, "I told you Fleur, I'll pay for that myself if I have to."

Celestia held up a hoof, "That won't be necessary Twilight. Everything has been taken care of Fleur, and you can see a therapist as soon as you return if you wish."

"Thank you your highness."

Octavia nudged Summer on the side, "You seem rather calm about this. You're rich now Summer!"

Summer shrugged, "Maybe I'll get excited once I work out what that really means for me. Right now I'm more concerned about the rest of the pegasi moving to Equestria. They did a lot more than me, so do they get something?"

Twilight paused, and slowly looked at Celestia, "Yeah, do they?"

"Of course. I've had a large number of new residences constructed in Cloudsdale for them, and they will have access to education, counselling, and everything else they need to integrate into Equestrian society. In the meantime they shall receive a monthly stipend for a year until then."

"Two years at least," Twilight said sternly. "You don't get over a lifetime of enslavement in a year."

"As you wish Twilight," Celestia said as she screamed internally at how much more that would cost.

"What about the thestrals?" Summer asked.

Celestia smiled knowingly, "I'm afraid that's out of my hooves. Knowing Luna's habits with her children though, they'll be well cared for." Celestia looked over as a couple of her Royal Guard carried another crate out of the keep, "Ah, excellent."

"What's in there?" Twilight asked, eyeing the crate suspiciously.

"A suit of the anti-magic armour that the council kindly donated. I felt it would be good to relearn the art of runic warding again, just in case." Celestia wasn't about to say that she needed it to work out how to contain Faust.

"Okay," Twilight said, fully suspecting Celestia's motives, even if she missed the mark by a little. She jumped off the cart, allowing the two guards to place the final crate on the end. She watched with increasing confusion as they hitched themselves to the cart and started to pull away. "Where are they going? Shouldn't we go with them?"

Celestia shook her head, "No need Twilight, they'll meet you at the train. I've arranged for you all to travel to the train via sky chariot, so you won't have to walk."

"Oh goody," Fleur mumbled, while Octavia went pale. "Trixie's going to love that as much as I will."

"A sky chariot?" Trixie said nonchalantly. "Never been in one of those, because, y'know, I hate flying."

Twilight grimaced, and held back on saying that Trixie seemed fine with flying on her own wings when she had them. "I'm sure Celestia means well, and it'll get us to the train in a couple of hours, which is a lot quicker than walking there. Especially since, you know," Twilight pointed at the fetters Trixie was forced to wear, "those."

Trixie looked down at the fetters with mock surprise, "Oh my goodness! How could I have forgot?!" She then fixed Twilight with her most deadpan expression.

"Cut the crap Trixie."

"Uh-huh. So, how come nopony else has come to see me? Even Celestia's been to see me, but my dear and oh so caring friends haven't seen me once past the brief visit I had off Octavia and Summer. I mean, seriously? What the hell?"

"Didn't you try to attack them?"

"No, I tried to attack you. Massive difference, because you possess the ability to beat the snot out of me." Trixie sighed and shuffled over to the window to look outside, "I really fucked everything up. Even the ponies I thought were my friends have abandoned me."

Twilight sat beside Trixie and crossed her forelegs on the windowsill, "They haven't abandoned you. They're just...unsure, because you've given them plenty of reason to be, even before you tried to kill me."

Trixie snorted a laugh. "Was that supposed to make me feel better? Because it failed. Hard."

"Sorry." Twilight watched Trixie out of the corner of her eye for a moment, then smiled. "I guess you can ask them tonight at the dinner being held in our honour."

"What?!" Trixie choked, and had to smack a hoof against her chest until she could speak again. "Are you kidding me Twilight?! I can't go to some fancy dinner and pretend to be all happy and smiley! I tried to kill a large number of those ponies down there not all that long ago!"

"Actually there won't be that many ponies there. Most of our army is still in Stalliongrad to prevent it from imploding, so mostly it'll just be us, our friends, Luna, Celestia, and the council, along with a few others. No big speeches, no awkward moments, I hope, and-"

"Alcohol?"

"I think the quantities could be described as copious. We'll even take your fetters off since there'll be plenty of ponies there to keep an eye on you."

"Hot damn! Sign me up!"

"I thought you'd like that," Twilight laughed. "Then tomorrow we're going home."

"Home..." Trixie said thoughtfully. "Whatever that is. I imagine I'll be calling a padded cell somewhere home for a while once we get back."

Twilight laid a hoof on Trixie's, "It won't be like that. Canterlot hospital actually has a very nice mental health ward, because of all the rich and well to do ponies that go there."

"Really? Why?"

Twilight shrugged, "Who knows? The pressures of Canterlot life? Dealing with Celestia? The extortionate price of tomatoes? Rich ponies are a fragile bunch at times."

"Ugh, sounds like a new kind of hell, being surrounded by those snotty bastards. If they even dare to suggest that they're better than Trixie, I'll- I'll-" Trixie sighed explosively and slumped forward against the windowsill, "I'll stare at them really angrily, because that's all I'll be able to do."

"I promise it won't be that bad. The walls are a really nice shade of institutional green, and Nurse Ratched is actually pretty nice once you get to know her."

"Nurse Ratched?! You mean there's actually a nurse called that th-" Trixie caught the mischievous glint in Twilight's eyes, "Oh har har Twilight, you almost had me there."

"Nothing gets past you Trixie. Anyway, once you're out of there, I really did mean it when I said you could come live with me. I have dozens of spare rooms in my funky crystal tree castle...thing, so there's plenty of room for you."

"Can I have a hot tub?"

Twilight smirked at Trixie, "What makes you think I don't have one already?"

"Trixie is loving this idea. I'll have to decide on how permanent it'll be, but spending a few months getting drunk in a hot tub sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Hey, I didn't say you could..." Twilight gave up before she even started. "Oh whatever. Come on, you need a bath before you go anywhere. Honestly, you smell like a pony that's been pissing in a bucket for the last few weeks."

"Really? I'm intrigued Twilight; how could you tell that rather specific set of circumstances?"

"Eh, call it a knack."

"I'm freaking out a little Octavia," Summer said as she paced around the room they shared. "I'm actually going to leave Mareitania tomorrow!"

Octavia paused in brushing her mane to give Summer her full attention, "You've known you were going be leaving for Equestria for months once this was over. Why is it bothering you now?"

"Because that was in the future and far away. I didn't have to think about it, so I didn't think about it at all, but now it's really happening and I'm worried."

"About anything in particular?"

"What if- What if ponies don't like me there? You make Equestria sound like this wonderful place, where ponies don't go through what I did, so what if ponies treat me like a freak, or a whore because of what happened to me?"

"Then that wouldn't make Equestria much better than here, would it." Octavia stood and walked over to the bed, sat on it, then patted the space beside her. Summer paced her circuit a couple more times, then sat next to Octavia a little closer than Octavia meant her to, but she wasn't about to make an issue of it. "Summer, ponies aren't mind readers, so they won't know what happened unless you tell them."

"B-b-but what if they can just tell? Do I act like other ponies?"

"And what do other ponies act like Summer?"

"Well they, um..."

"Exactly. There is no set way a pony has to act, so the most they might get from you is that you're not native to Equestria. They certainly won't be able to tell what happened to you here, although I would suggest you to tell the ponies that are close to you. You don't have to, but I think telling the ponies that care about you might help you."

"If you say so..."

Octavia wrapped her leg around Summer and pulled her into a hug, "I do. I also guessing you're nervous about other things?" Summer nodded, "Well don't you worry. I'm going to take care of everything you'll need, so all you'll have to do is meet new ponies, and make new friends, and you'll make one straight away once I introduce you to Vinyl."

"Will she like me?"

"Summer, Vinyl likes everypony, and compounds the issue by being really likeable herself. I mean really, she could probably get away with murder if she tried. It's probably the reason how I've put up with her for so long anyway."

The filly sat back and tossed a grape into the air, and catching it in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then swallowed so she could speak. "Fleur, what's the penalty for theft in Equestria?"

"Depends on what you're stealing, and if you get caught."

"Okay, petty theft then. Food off stalls, pickpocketing, that sort of thing."

Fleur giggled, "So you're not going for grand larceny then?"

"Not yet, whatever grand larceny is," the filly said in a mutter. "I'm just saying that the quick-hoof-discount is a habit that's hard to give up."

"Damn I love your priorities." Fleur clambered up onto the bed, grabbed a couple of grapes in her magic, and popped them into her mouth. "Okay, so, vaguely defined petty theft would probably get you a fine and some kind of community service-"

"What's that?"

"Basically you'll have to do like a hundred hours of litter picking or something."

The filly stuck her tongue out, "Forget that."

"I know right."

"So, what about bigger stuff, like... I don't know... Robbing a jewellery store?"

Fleur rolled onto her back and scratched her belly, "Y'know what, I'm not actually sure. I would say jail time, but Equestria doesn't actually have a major prison. Local jails, sure, but no actual prisons."

"Sweet, so-"

"No. I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."

"But we'd be good at it!"

"No."

"Aww..."

Trixie played with the curl in her mane, showing just how nervous she was. Twilight had removed her fetters, so in all honesty she could just run, and run, and run, then stop when Twilight inevitably caught up with her on her cheating alicorn wings. "I'm not sure I can do this Twilight."

"You'll be fine Trixie. These are all ponies you know, and I'm sure they'll all be glad to see you."

"Perhaps. Or, maybe you could just grab us a few drinks and we could have our own little party, just you and me? Maybe invite the others?"

"Trixie, I know you had your own reasons for fighting, but defeating the Duke and ending the duchy is as much your victory as it is any of ours. You deserve to be part of the rather modest celebrations."

Trixie closed her eyes and scowled, "Was it really the best idea to remind me of all that?"

Twilight cleared her throat awkwardly, "Sorry. My point still stands though. Trust me Trixie, they'll be happy to see you, and I'll be next to you the entire night if you want?" Trixie nodded feebly, "Okay then. Can we go in now? I'm hungry."

Trixie stared apprehensively at the door between them and the modest soiree taking place in the dining room on the other side. She never used to be afraid of anything, and now she was scared of a little social interaction. "I guess I've changed more than I thought," she whispered to herself. "Do it for the bourbon Trixie."

Trixie nodded to Twilight, and waited as the still fully magic capable mare opened the door, and wasn't jealous about it at all in the slightest. She let Twilight lead the way, trying her best to stay out of sight behind the marginally larger mare. It didn't work very well, but Trixie kept trying as she followed Twilight to her place to Luna's right, Trixie's place being to Twilight's right again, while Celestia sat to Luna's left, then the council. To Trixie's right was Octavia, then Summer, while Fleur and the filly sat opposite with Shadow, Snowbright, Rush, Thorn, Sawbones, and Suture Shine, who were holding hooves.

"It's good to see you again Trixie," Fleur said with a gentle smile. Trixie smiled back, but couldn't meet Fleur's eyes. Instead she saw the glass of wine on the table before her, and tried to pick it up in her magic, and yelped as she was reminded that her horn needed to be more whole for that to work. "Yeah, you don't want to do that," Fleur said with a wince.

"No kidding." Trixie took the glass in her hooves, and downed the entire drink in one. Then she looked at Fleur. "So how come you didn't visit me?"

"I wanted to, but I was told you weren't being very receptive of guests..."

"That, and we were in Stalliongrad," the filly added.

"Uh-huh." Trixie leant to the side as one of the servers refilled her glass, then she downed half of that. "Sounds legit." She turned her scrutinising eye onto Sawbones and Suture, "So are you two a couple now, or something?"

"We've been together since before Prance," Sawbones replied with a half smile. "Didn't you ever notice?"

"More like she didn't care," Suture mumbled.

"That's not true," Trixie protested, but the rest of her argument died before it could be said. Truthfully, she hadn't cared, about that, or anything really. All that mattered was the war, and what she wanted from it. Her friends had been secondary considerations, and ponies beyond them even less so. "Twilight, I shouldn't be here."

Twilight squeezed Trixie's hoof in her own, "Please Trixie, just stay for dinner. If you still want to go after that we both will."

"I don't know..."

"Please." Trixie looked at the purple hoof resting on her own, then looked up at the eyes of the pony it belonged to, and the hopeful smile just below them. Trixie didn't think she owed anypony anything, but she at least owed it to Twilight to sit here and put up with this for a while. Maybe getting obnoxiously drunk while doing so.

"Alright, but can I have something stronger than wine?"

"That's the spirit. I'll see what I can do."

"Hah, puns..."

Trixie sat quietly while ponies chatted around her, feeling the ebb and flow of her own anger as it threatened to make a spectacle because she didn't really want to be here. The tumbler of bourbon that arrived in front of her helped, as did the starter, but then that led to a new problem where she had no idea how to eat soup without magic, and watched mystified as the earth ponies and pegasi held their spoons I their hooves and ate without issue.

She picked up her own spoon in her hoof, then felt silly because she was making a huge issue over nothing simply because she couldn't do it with magic.

"You okay?" Octavia asked from beside her.

"I think so."

"Good." Octavia nudged Trixie, then nodded towards Celestia, "Keep an eye on her glass. I don't know if I'm the only one to ever notice it, but her glass is never empty, never gets refilled, and yet she is definitely drinking it. Confuses the hell out of me how she does it."

"I'm going to say magic."

"Well, yes, but is there magic capable of doing that?"

Trixie shrugged, "Ask a pony that's good at the kind of magic not used for tearing ponies apart."

Octavia opened her mouth to say something, but sighed instead as she didn't think there was anything she could say to cheer Trixie up. For her own part though, Trixie did watch Celestia's glass as the mare in question raised it to her lips, and the liquid inside it shimmered strangely. Then she froze as Celestia spotted her.

"Can I help you Trixie?"

"Yeah. Why are you drinking an illusionary wine?"

Celestia smiled as Luna chortled, "She has figured out your secret Celestia. About time somepony did."

"I don't drink Trixie."

"Why not."

"I'd prefer to not say."

"Oh. Okay-"

"Twas quite a famous incident at the time," Luna began, enjoying the horrified expression her sister was giving her. "Tis part of the reason why the yaks had refused to deal with us for so long."

"Luna, please don't."

"You see, Celestia is an excellent drinker, but loses quite a few of her inhibitions."

"Luna, stop. Now."

"First she challenged their Khan to a drinking contest, and served them great insult by drinking him under the table, which you apparently aren't supposed to do."

"Shut up Luna!"

"Then she bedded his son."

Celestia hid her face behind her mane, "I hate you Luna."

"Why was that so bad?" Trixie asked with a smirk. "Y'know, besides him being a yak."

"Him being a yak wasn't the problem, nor was when she fractured his pelvis during their...activities."

"Wasn't it?" Trixie said as she watched Celestia's blush grow, and Twilight stare straight ahead, her eyes wide and her pupils like pinpricks as she heard things about her mentor she never expected, or wanted to hear.

"Oh no," Luna continued, "the part that caused them to cut ties with us was when she refused the prince's marriage proposal the next day."

"Oh that's terrible Princess. How could you?" Trixie absent-mindedly patted Twilight on the back as the purple mare started choking, replacing the sound with a high pitched keening as Twilight did her best to bleach this conversation from her memory. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Trixie said as Celestia mumbled something.

Celestia closed her eyes and regretted her life choices, "I said, he wasn't very big."

"And you said that to him? That's harsh."

"No I did not say that. Thankfully as a princess I have reasons enough to refuse him without insulting his yak-hood. Not that I was required to give a reason at all, especially since we'd only met the day before."

"And yet you tried to bed him after only just meeting him?"

Celestia shrugged and smiled coyly, "What can I say? He was roguishly handsome, for a yak."

Trixie frowned as Twilight grabbed her bourbon and downed it, "For the love of Cele-" Twilight stopped as she realised what she was about to say. "I mean, will you please stop asking these kinds of questions? Please?"

"Prude."

"Yes! Yes I am!"

Luna smiled her dirtiest smile, "Oh the stories we could tell you." Then she saw the way her sister was looking at her with a mix of well concealed fury and betrayal. "Except we won't, because of reasons pertaining to Celestia attempting to murder me should I continue."

"Or perhaps I should tell them about the time you wandered into the Sultan of Saddle Arabia's harem?"

Luna went pale, "No... No need to ever mention what happened in there. Ever."

"Why not?" Trixie asked.

"You are aware of how fast alicorns heal?" said Celestia. Trixie nodded in reply. "Then you can imagine what I mean when I say Luna had trouble sitting for a week after that." Celestia's smile grew as Luna's whole body seemed to blush.

"Wait-wait-wait!" They all waited as the filly tried to formulate the best way to ask her question, "I thought harems only had mares in them."

"Not true," said Luna. "The Sultan at the time was rather open-minded about those kinds of activities and had both mares and stallions. As for myself, living for a certain length of time can also make you rather open-minded."

"Will you please stop!" Everypony else in the room jumped at Twilight's outburst. "I don't want to hear it!"

Celestia cleared her throat as politely as possible, "Perhaps we should change the subject," she said as Twilight sank back into her seat, her embarrassment having taken a new direction after her outburst. "Actually, perhaps it's time for something else entirely. Daybreak?"

"Uh, yes? I mean, yes Princess?"

"I believe you wanted to say a few words?"

Daybreak looked down at his half finished meal, "Now? As in right now? Ah!" He squeaked as Ivory jabbed a hoof in his side, "I mean yes! Of course Princess!" He stood, and once he was sure he had all their attention, he started to speak. "This has been one hell of a crazy year. It seems almost impossible to think that we'd be sat here now as a result of you six finding us in Neigh Orleans-"

Fleur interrupted him with a giggle, "You mean after you captured us and ineffectually tortured us."

"You clubbed me unconscious. Twice," Twilight added. "I'm looking at you Thorn."

Daybreak winced, as did some of the other former members of Pierre. "Yes, that. Truthfully it was the best decision of our lives, as was the one we made to follow you into this fight for freedom. There have been ponies lost, but the price of freedom was always going to be high, and as we sit here victorious, I can only say it was worth it, and will only continue to be more so as the children of this nation grow up free of the oppression we all lived with everyday."

"Most of us anyway,"said Mash, sparing a glance at Hayfield.

"And I did my best to share that luck with others," Hayfield said back, not rising to Mash's jibe.

Ivory stood up beside Daybreak, "What we're trying to say is that we owe you all so much for getting us here, and you will always be heroes in our eyes. Even you Princess Luna. Seriously, you've spent the last fifteen minutes calling her Luna. Did you not think we'd notice?"

There was a popping sound as Luna transformed into her true form. "Guilty as charged, but honestly, I've stopped caring around you as you're all trusted friends. All I ask is that the truth of who I really am doesn't leave this room." She cleared her throat meaningfully, "It really, really, shouldn't leave this room."

"As you wish." Ivory raised her glass in her magic, and gestured for everypony else to raise theirs. "A toast, to the heroes of Mareitania, a toast to the ponies who gave their lives to get us here, and a toast to the prosperous future of the Republic of Mareitania." There was a moment of silence as everypony sipped from their glasses, except Trixie, who pouted at Twilight for emptying hers before. There was an even briefer moment of peace as the short speech was concluded, and then the filly opened her mouth.

"I don't see why you're including me in all that since I did fuck all. Since you are though, does that mean we all get medals?"

Daybreak chuckled at the filly, "Right now I don't think we could find you a blank piece of paper to write you out a certificate, let alone make you all a medal."

"Well that blows."

The party proceeded apace as the small collection of ponies did their best to dent the stockpile of vintage wines the Duke had kept in the cellar. While the atmosphere was mostly jovial, with ponies taking the opportunity to talk with those they might not be seeing again for a long time, there were two black spots in the party called Twilight and Trixie. While they wanted to toast to those who gave their lives, and to the future of Mareitania, toasting to themselves as heroes felt more than a little disingenuous. They didn't even notice as Shadow, Rush, and Thorn sat down next to them, they were that deep in their funk.

"So, who pissed in your chips?" Shadow asked to break the ice.

"I think we did," said Trixie. "I really wish you'd stop calling us heroes, because I really don't think of myself like that."

"Why not?" asked Rush.

"Do I really need to explain that?"

"Alright," said Thorn, "so your motives weren't the same as ours-"

"And certainly not your methods," Shadow added.

"Or those," Thorn continued smoothly, "but you fought as hard as anypony in this war, if not harder, because there were things you were asked to do that nopony except Twilight or Princess Luna could have done. So you messed up at the end, but you're still a hero to us. And you Twilight, you pulled this together and led us to victory. Hell, you even died for a cause that wasn't your own, then kept fighting for it after you came back. If that isn't heroic, I don't know what is."

"It's easy to be heroic when you have nothing to lose." Or at least nothing physical, Twilight thought to herself.

Shadow smirked at the two dour ponies, "Wow... You two are just determined to be a pair of downers, aren't you."

"You freed the pegasi," said Rush. "I remember the day you came and freed us from the compound. You gave us food, helped us to freedom, and agreed to free the rest of the pegasi even if we hadn't helped you. Thanks to you, little Drip Dry not only survived, but she can even fly again after her wings were fixed by your invention. Say what you want Twilight, but you're a damned hero. Live with it."

"Everypony that fought is a hero," said Twilight. "What have we done that puts us above them? Above you?"

Shadow cocked an eyebrow at Twilight, "You were the leader? Remember that?"

"Oh, so I can get hundreds of our ponies hurt and killed to win a battle, but because I'm the leader I get remembered as a hero, while they're just dead. You know what? Maybe I do feel heroic in that case. Clearly my definition of hero has been wrong this entire time."

"Oh come on..."

"Look, it doesn't matter." Twilight tried to smile bravely at them, "The point is we won, and if you want to call us heroes, fine, just don't do it to our faces, because we might not agree with that assessment."

Thorn rolled her eyes, "Fine, be like that. You can at least join the party though. Tonight and tomorrow are the last times many of us will see you for what could be a long time, if ever."

"I think the odds are good we'll see each other again Thorn. Especially me since I guess you'll be sticking around your father."

"Too right. I want to be where I can keep an eye on him, especially since that assassination attempt on Ivory. I know we might have caught the culprits this time, but who's to say there aren't going to be more ponies who want to hurt the council. If there are they'll have to get through me first. Nopony hurts my dad."

"It's good to know the council is in safe hooves. Speaking of..." Twilight smiled as the four ponies of the council walked up and sat around them.

"You didn't think you could hide in the corner for the entire party, did you?" Daybreak joked. "Get involved and mingle a little."

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you," said Ivory, giving Daybreak a playful nudge. "We figured you weren't really comfortable with the hero talk, but to many ponies you are, and we wanted to show that we appreciate that in front of Princess Celestia. What we really want to say to you, and Trixie, and all of you, is thank you."

"Seriously," said Mash, "I've seen ponies go above and beyond the call of duty, but you two are something else. We only wish there was some way we could really show our appreciation."

Twilight clamped a hoof over Trixie's mouth the moment she opened it, "No Trixie, there will be no statues of us."

"Aww."

"If you really want to show your appreciation, just keep doing what you're doing, and make Mareitania into a decent, thriving country."

Hayfield laughed, "The task is upon us then."

Daybreak nodded in agreement, "Hopefully we live up to your expectations." He looked down and fiddled with his hooves for a moment, "We're going to miss you guys."

"Aww," Twilight giggled, "we're going to miss you all too."

Trixie spread her forelegs wide, "Come Daybreak, bring it on in."

"Uh, I don't think-"

"Wrong answer!" Trixie pounced and grabbed him around the neck, "You get hugs whether you like it or not."

"I guess this isn't so-ack!" Daybreak squeaked as Twilight joined the hug, then more as she dragged Ivory and Thorn into it. They overbalanced as she did and toppled over, forming a giggling pile of ponies, one of which was thinking some very impure thoughts. "You're a married stallion. You're a married stallion. You're a-"

"Dad!"

"And one of them's your daughter."

"I can't believe this is really happening," the filly murmured as she sat among the group of ponies outside High Rock the next morning. They were all gathered around a well appointed, open topped sky carriage, the one Celestia used for long distance excursions with more than one passenger, and the only one big enough to fit all seven of the ponies using it.

"Can't believe what's happening?" Fleur asked quietly.

"I'm really leaving Mareitania. Just as it was getting good too. This is so weird."

"You'll get used to it, trust me. Equestria is still way better than here."

"I'm not saying it isn't but... I don't know. Whatever." The filly jumped up into the chariot and tested the seats. "Hmm, plush. So when we getting this crazy contraption on the road?"

"This flies, which was rather the point. And I think we have to wait for everypony to say their goodbyes first."

"I thought we did that last night?"

"That's because I hate goodbyes, and would rather not bawl like a foal now." Fleur leant against the side of the carriage as the others all made their farewells. Octavia and Summer were hugging Sawbones and Suture, while Twilight and Luna was talking with Celestia and the council. Trixie sat off to the side, head low and eyes sad, but how much of that was because of a hangover was debatable.

Rather than leave Trixie to it, Fleur walked over and sat down beside her. "What's up with you?"

"It feels weird going back, like we've been on holiday and now we have to go back home to reality."

"You must have a funny idea of what holidays are."

"You know what I mean."

"I guess so, but I grew up here, so to me it's like I'm going back to my holiday in Equestria."

"While I get to go to the mental health ward of Canterlot hospital. Goody."

"Don't you want to go?"

Trixie shook her head, "Not really, but since I'm sat here with the bloody urge to tear somepony apart and kill myself, which might all be the hangover, I'm not sure; it might be best I do go. I owe it to Twilight to at least try to get better."

"The fact you care enough to try is probably a good sign, even if you won't do it for yourself."

"Maybe." Trixie watched Twilight talk animatedly with Daybreak, giving her a look that Fleur mistook for something else entirely.

"You love her, don't you?"

"What? No! Where the hell did you get that idea from?"

"You mean that wasn't a look of love?"

"Not even close. That was a look of 'why the hell won't she hurry up because I'm sick of waiting out here in the cold and I want to go.' Really Fleur? Now you're trying to match me and Twilight up?"

Fleur cleared her throat and blushed with embarrassment, "Sorry."

"You do realise I'm not into mares, and more than likely Twilight isn't either, no matter how much we tease her about it."

"Yeah, I totally misread that. My bad." Fleur smiled awkwardly as Twilight and Luna broke off from their conversation, and Twilight came to talk to them while Luna jumped into the carriage.

"Are you both ready to go?"

"Are you sure you can't knock me out for this?" Trixie asked as she eyed the carriage nervously.

"Make that us," said Fleur. "Flying is for ponies with wings."

"Tough luck. Now get in and let's get going before I talk myself into staying."

Fleur looked up in surprise, "You're finding this hard too? I thought you wanted to go the most out of all of us."

"I do, but..." Twilight rubbed her forelegs together anxiously, "Normal life seems like a barely remembered dream after all this. It's going to be hard going back to it."

"What's normal to a princess," Trixie asked with a cheeky grin.

"I don't know. I barely had a chance to find out before we came here." Twilight shook her head and smiled more for their benefit than from an actual desire to do so, "I guess I'll find out soon enough. Shall we?"

Twilight let Fleur lead the way, and let her and Trixie climb into the carriage while she waited for Octavia and Summer to finish their goodbyes. She smiled at them as they climbed in as well, saying nothing of the few tears she could see on Octavia's cheeks.

"You will come back and visit, won't you?" Ivory asked, catching her off-guard. "Once Overlord Snowbright allows it anyway."

"Of course," Twilight replied. "At the very least we'll want to see what you've done with the place. Until then though, I guess this is goodbye. Take care of yourselves, all of you."

"And you. Goodbye Twilight. Goodbye all of you."

Daybreak smiled at them, although it wasn't hard to see it was a little shaky. "See you soon yeah?"

"Count on it." With a nod from Twilight the quartet of Royal Guards pulling the carriage started running, then gradually lifted off, leaving those ponies within to wave and shout their farewells, while they left behind did the same, until they were out of sight of each other. Shortly after their escort of the thestrals joined them, filling the sky around them with dozens of dark bodies.

Twilight sat back in her seat, her chest tight with emotion as she wiped a few tears away. "I guess this is it then; lets go home."

Author's Notes:

Nothing to see here. Go read the epilogue for my post chapter ramblings.