I glanced out of the window at the settlement of Theater. Things were… well… normal. As normal as anything could be after a funeral. The services had finally been held for Mom. I had stood before the assembled ponies that knew her well, and spoken of her bravery. Of her love for her children. Of how she gave her life to protect others.

Of how she gave her life to protect me. I very nearly hadn’t made it through the entire speech. I wouldn’t have, without Lightning and the others there. Their strength had helped me make it through it.

“It was a lovely speech, you know that, right?” a soft, velvety voice said from behind me.

I turned to meet the owner of the voice, my god-mother Radiant Star. The alicorn sat across the room, accompanied by her partner Violet Iris.

“Thank you,” I said softly. “I just… I wish things had turned out differently.”

“Your mother was a great pony,” Violet said. “She would have been proud of you.”

“Your tale is… almost too incredible to note if I hadn’t seen the information on the Crystal Empire myself. Are we certain that they are truly gone?” Star asked. “What if they return?”

“I don’t think that will be happening,” I said. “Dusk… he seemed reasonably certain that Gideon could keep the city out of the timeline indefinitely. Besides… maybe Gideon was able to get through to Cadance.”

I sighed and sat down across from the alicorn and unicorn. My legs still ached from the damage that had been caused to them, no matter how well Cadance had been able to heal them. A constant and painful reminder of what I had lost.

“Still. I think we should remain vigilant,” Star continued. “Just in case.”

“I have that covered,” I said. “MMMM detachments will be making regular patrols up that way and keeping an eye on the place. Besides… there’s lots of crystal that’s mine-able up there. We might be able to make something out of it.”

“You’re settling into your new role well it seems,” Violet interjected. “It suits you.”

“Taking over for Mom… it wasn’t easy,” I said with a sigh. “But it’s what she would have wanted.”

“Well… regardless. I reiterate what Violet said. Patch would be proud of you,” Star said with a smile. “You did good, kid. Savior of the Crystal Empire? I mean, even I don’t have a great name like that.”

I giggled. “Mom said you’d probably be jealous.”

“Me? Jealous? Never,” Star said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, you’re totally jealous,” Violet said. “Now come on. We’d better get a move on. Things to do, people to see. Ponies to save. You know the drill.”

Star sighed loudly. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, Vi. Cracking the whip like always,” she said.

“Maybe if you’re good, I’ll crack the other whip tonight,” Violet said as she stood and walked out of my office.

Star’s face went beet red, and I stifled a chuckle. She stood and started towards the door before stopping.

“Your mother… she was one of my best friends. I’m going to miss the hell out of her,” she said softly. “But seeing you… your brother… it just fills me with a bit of pride. It feels good knowing that the next generation has got this well in hoof.”

She pulled the door closed after her, leaving me alone with my own thoughts. I sat for several long moments, sighing. A knock on the door, pulled me out of my mind.

“Come in,” I said.

The door pushed open to reveal a familiar green pegasi. Heartshine smiled brightly as she entered.

“I… I just figured I’d come by before I got on the road,” she said. “Gonna be a long trip and all.”

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay?” I asked. “You could do a lot of good around here… besides… I… I need you.”

Heartshine rolled her eyes and giggled. “You don’t need me, silly. You’ve got this. Besides… I think it’s time I returned to the world, right? There’s still… still a lot I don’t know but I do know that you were right. I can’t just hide, or run away anymore. Pain… pain is always going to be something that occurs, but that pain is what makes us ponies. I have to share the good and the bad equally.”

I sighed, looking down at my hooves. I was going to miss her deeply. Heartshine. The mythical Heartmender who was really just another hurting pony deep down. She had given me the push I’d needed to learn to feel again, and in turn… I’d helped her as well. We'd helped mend each others hearts.

“If you ever need anything, you know where to find us,” I said with a sad smile. “I’m going to miss you, Shine. Come back someday, alright?”

Heartshine smiled back and walked over next to me, wrapping her wings around me in a careful embrace. Her magic enveloped me for a moment, filling me with a sense of peace. She pulled away and grinned.

“Of course I’ll come back, silly filly. But for now… I have to go. You have a job to do. There’s a lot going on,” she said. “But someday… I’ll come back. That’s a promise.”

The lime green mare smiled again and stood, heading towards the door.

“Be safe out there,” I called after her.

“I will. Don’t worry about that,” Heartshine replied as she walked out of the office.

I took another deep sigh and stood, looking out upon the settlement once more. Ponies were starting to filter in from outside, trading with our merchants for things they needed to survive. In the distance, I could see Lightning and Coconut, side by side as they moved the crowd along. My two new chiefs of security for the settlement, the two had never left each other’s side since we got back.

I smiled. There was a very good reason for that. Not long after we’d gotten back, as we were settling into things, Danish and Lilith had approached us with taking over the settlement. It seemed the two had decided that it was time to pass on the torch so to speak. I had hesitantly accepted, but thanks to Lightning and Coconut, things had been… working.

I grinned a little as my eyes rested on Coconut. The strong mare who had always been by my side had come to me a little over a week ago with some news. She was pregnant. I was going to be an aunt. Lightning’s face had been over the moon when he found out. I was looking forward to it. After everything that had happened, I was ready for it. I turned to my desk, sighing again as I thought about my own ventures. The only one I truly loved had never been a pony, but a minotaur.

Rocky’s face seared across my mind, and I smiled. His sacrifice had allowed us to stop the Empire for good. It hadn’t all been in vain. I knew that somewhere… he was whole again. He was himself. And one day, I knew that I could meet him like Mom had met Dad. I was sure of it.

I thought about everypony we’d met and lost along the way of our journey. My mind turned to Velvet, a curiously strange changeling who’d tried to kidnap us and sell us for caps when we first met, but turned into one of the most staunch friends I’d ever known. We hadn’t been able to go back for her body. I had felt saddened about that, but she had died protecting her friends. She had died a hero. She had been remembered for that, along with Rocky. A statue had been erected in the center of theater with their names.

I thought about Chalice and Dr. Shimmer. Two alicorns, sisters, who had given everything up to try and stop the Empire. They were together again, I was sure of it.

I thought about Dusk. A pony whose intentions had been good, but his execution… well, you know. Still, Dusk had done the right thing in the very end. He had given his all to stop the Empire, to the point of sacrificing himself so that the next generation could prosper. I wished deep down I’d been able to get to know him better. Of course, I’d heard stories over the past few months. About a crazy unicorn in a ship that was saving ponies, claimed to be a time traveler. I wondered if that meant he was alive… and if he was… well… he was out there doing good.

No matter what had happened, no matter how beaten or broken we had been… our hearts, our souls, had never faltered. They had never been broken. We had done what needed to be done, because our hearts were solid.

All because they had been mended by the most powerful force in existence. Friendship. Love. Companionship. We had each other, and that’s all that really mattered.

I smiled and turned off the light to my office. Perhaps, I needed a bit of a break myself. Maybe, just maybe, I’d go down and enjoy the marketplace, and hang out with Lightning and Coconut while they did their rounds.

I made my way out of my office and locked the door, and walked towards the future, ever bright and ever winding. Time was a storm waiting to happen, and I was going to head into it with my heart forever changed.

Author's Notes:

And there we have it... the end of another thing I spent 2 years on to finish. :)

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