Author's Notes:

Second to last chapter, ye boi. This will begin to close up some "storylines," though not really end the story in a sense. More like, things are winding down. The epilogue will begin to close everything up and wrap it in a distorted, pink little bow.

I hope nothing here seems rushed. I'm trying to improve my writing gradually while not sacrificing story. Also, mature chapters are now actually listed as such, at least those with major clop scenes.

Also, in case you are confused about what Windfall is, it's part of a calendar that I'll be using in future stories. Windfall is the equivalent of October, and symbolizes the beginning transition from fall to winter, and the wind falling in temperature. I know, creative. :)

Woona lives!

The rays of the early morning sunshine were the first thing to greet you... unfortunately.

With a great yawn, you stretched your body as far as it could go, letting out a satisfied moan as your bones cracked and popped. Another yawn came to you as you ran a hoof through your mane.

When you opened your eyes, she was the first thing you saw, and it all came flooding back to you.

You smiled and wished you could do it all again.

It wasn't long before Rainbow Dash woke up after you and near mimicked everything you did, from the yawns to the stretching, to the second yawn. She even ran a hoof through her mane, but you were there to help her out with that.

"Morning," you whispered to her, kissing the back of her head.

She giggled silently. "Morning. When'd you wake up?"

"About a minute ago. If it weren't for the sun, I'd probably still be sleeping right now."

Rainbow looked back, prompting you to do the same. She groaned, pointing out that she had left the blinds open.

"Sorry."

"It's fine," you laughed. "Waking up with you made it bearable."

Dash laughed, but paused to let out another yawn. "I guess I'm just that good."

"Don't flatter yourself."

You and Rainbow laughed together for a good moment before settling down again, snuggling up further in the blankets as a gentle breeze seemed to resonate throughout the bedroom. Dash sighed with content as you wrapped a free foreleg around her.

"I missed this," you said.

"Me too. I forgot how warm you felt."

The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the morning pass you by and taking in the warmth of the bed just a bit longer. Your muzzle sank into the depths of Rainbow's mane, taking in its softness, while Rainbow embraced your hoof's clutch against her stomach. She giggled as she felt your breath slowly hit the back of her head.

The air was cool outside of the blanket, and mixed with the inner warmth, you were at this perfect temperature that left you feeling almost paralyzed against the mattress.

"I love you."

The mare smiled tiredly. "I love you too."

"No... I mean..." You tapped on Rainbow's shoulder, prompting her to turn towards you. She was curious, yet... maybe worried. "Last night, at the tavern... here... I just realized that I never once said 'I love you' back. Even before, when we were together, I didn't say it often, if at all. Yet, you must have said it a dozen times alone before bed."

Rainbow couldn't help but blush at the mention, but didn't say anything yet. You held out your hoof and rested it against her cheek. She embraced it with a nuzzle.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash. I have always loved you. Even if I never really said it, I always meant it. No matter what happens after today or where we go, I will never stop loving you. And I'm sorry I ever hurt you."

The mare began to tear up, only to try wiping them away with her hooves. No matter what she did or said, she would always call it a 'mushy' feeling. It wasn't to say she didn't like it, though.

Rainbow Dash gave you a faint kiss, only meant to last a moment. But as soon as her lips touched yours, she couldn't stop touching them. You pulled her close, embracing her as if she'd slip from beneath you—even if you knew she wouldn't. Eventually, you pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

"So you wanna try again? For real?" she still had to ask, cautiously.

You smiled. "I'm ready when you are."

The way she looked into your eyes. All that time ago, you never would've anticipated that feeling. It was like falling in love with her all over again.

She kissed you again, and neither of you stopped until you grew tired of it.

Then again, would you ever grow tired of it?

The sound of a distant train horn filled your ears as you sat on a bench overlooking the platform. The train station at this time of day, while not abundant, was still relatively full of ponies either eager to greet those getting off, or looking to ride off into the sunset at the first chance.

You, Dash, and the others sat patiently for the former.

"Is my sign big enough? Ooh, I hope she'll be able to read it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed while holding a pony-sized sign that said WELCOME HOME, AQUA LILLY in big aqua blue letters.

Rarity groaned to herself. "Yes, Pinkie darling, she'll be able to read it just fine."

You couldn't help but laugh silently to yourself as the train appeared in the distance. It'd been three months since Aqua Lilly went back to Chicacolt to "settle some family ties," according to her letters. While the way it was written in word actually raised an eyebrow, in reality she was just helping her family get back on their hooves following a few "medical mishaps."

It's actually more funny than it sounds, she wrote in the final letter you got a couple days ago. She went into further detail, even going far as to mention medical costs and the lengthy recovery process, which explained why she had been gone longer than the original planned week. Regardless of her troubles, everyone was looking forward to seeing her again.

The steam locomotive ground its wheels against the tracks, hissing as it made its stop. The doors slowly opened, and a conductor stepped out with his hoof wrapped around a funnel, but he didn't say anything yet.

As soon as he was out, countless passengers from inside the train followed, pouring out onto the platform. Many of them were greeted by those already standing by, whether they be friends, family, or even special someponies.

You darted your eyes around the crowd looking for Lilly, but no such luck. What were the chances several other aqua blue ponies would be on the same train? Granted, they all had different mane colors, but... wait, there she is!

"Aqua Lilly!" you shouted among the constant chatter of other folks, hoping to get her attention. As soon as you pointed her out to the others, they all joined in.

It didn't take long for the mare to notice the several ponies saying her name, and quickly squeezed her way through the crowd to reach all of you. Lilly hugged and was hugged by everypony, with the occasional chatter of how things have been since they last saw her.

"How's your family doing?"

"Darling, you striped your mane!"

"Did'ya see my sign? Did ya? Did ya?"

Lilly laughed, yet smiled at the attention she received, while answering every question and statement she could. Once she got to you, she couldn't help but pull you into a bear-hug. No doubt, as much as she stayed in contact with the others, you two were far closer.

"How have things been for you?" she asked around.

You smiled. "Pretty good, actually. The usual hijinks, but otherwise things have been better."

"So I've heard!" Lilly turned to Twilight, curious about a number of things. "How's the princess business coming along?"

"So far so good! Beside a couple problems, we've been able to set up donations for the repairs down in Manehattan. If I'm right, we should have it all fixed up before the year's out!"

"Aaaaaaaannnnnnd...?" Lilly inched toward the alicorn, wiggling her rump with anticipation. Everyone already knew exactly what juicy details she craved.

Twilight slowly lifted her hoof to reveal the golden band wrapped around it, an embarrassed yet pleased grin plastered on her face. On the golden band, the name "COBALT" in capitals.

"Last month."

"EEEEEEEE-HEE-HEEE!" squealed Aqua Lilly as the mare hugged Twilight tightly in her grasp.

"Tell. Me. Everything!"

The nine of you traveled down the streets of Ponyville on the way to Lilly's new house which, beyond the weekly upkeep by the Ponyville Lease Committee, had been sitting empty for three months per Twilight's request. Had Lilly stayed gone another week, not even the princess' requests would be able to keep that place from being swooped up by someone else.

Along the way, Twilight, per Lilly's request, went into detail surrounding the wedding between her and Cobalt. Who attended, who played music, which certain somepony ate the wedding cake before it could be cut... No details were spared.

Well, except the obvious ones.

"I'm so happy for you guys," Lilly remarked as she walked beside Twilight. "I had a feeling something was there, even if I wasn't always around to notice it."

"It was... bubbling up for a while. But I'm happy that bubble finally popped the way it did."

"I tried to save you a bit of cake from the wedding!" Pinkie exclaimed with a toothy grin, only for it to deflate with embarrassment. "... Then it went bad. Oops...?"

Lilly dismissed her worries with a hoof. "It's fine. I'm not all too crazy about cake, honestly. Fudge, however, is a different story."

"Ooh! Then you gotta come down at Sugarcube Corner! I got lotsa fuuudge~" Pinkie mentioned in a sing-song tone.

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Lilly winked an eye before belting out a laugh.

It wasn't long before you and the others reached the home. Flipping underneath the welcome mat, you grabbed the hidden key and slid it into the door hatch. The door opened with ease. And what was inside could only brighten that smile on Lilly's face.

Aqua blue walls and floors with the occasional striped shade of purple that connected all around. Also, the entire place had been furnished... as per her design.

"But... I—"

"Your guys came earlier this morning," you mentioned, "and since you gave me a general idea of where you wanted everything, we figured we all come down and save you the trouble of putting everything together. It can be a bit of a hassle."

Lilly recoiled, trying to take in everything. All of her things were definitely here, in the places she expected to put them in. Even her record player was sitting on the same intended perch she saw in the photos! Down to the detail!

"I..." Lilly burst out laughing, giving you and the others individual hugs. "Aww, thank you guys! I... I appreciate it...! Sorry, I wasn't expecting that."

"Don't worry about it, sugarcube." Applejack patted the mare on the shoulder. "It was the least we could do."

Lilly and Applejack exchanged nothing but kind smiles to each other. For the next several hours, you and the others did nothing but catch up on everything Lilly missed out on, and vise-versa. Some of the details weren't as entertaining—like that Bugbear incident a little under two months ago—but Rainbow Dash couldn't contain her excitement when she recalled you taking her out to the Wonderbolts show back in Windfall.

"And then they made a dragon! With clouds! Like, it was moving around and breathing fire and just going all over the place like an actual dragon! Then the atom! You should've been there, Twilight, it was awesome! Oh Celestia, my heart is still pounding just thinking about it!"

"I bet that weren't the only thing pounding that night..." Applejack whispered to Rarity, letting out a little snicker. Apparently not quiet enough, considering everyone heard her say it.

"Seriously?!"

Even as she was chastised by Rarity, who had a reddish hue growing on her cheeks, you found yourself laughing at the little joke—only to be roughly elbowed by Rainbow a moment later with a heavy "OOF" to boot.

Spike looked around the room, noticing the various blushes hanging over everyone's face.

"... Nope, still not getting it."

"Good, 'cause we're still not telling you," Twilight assured the little dragon as you struggled to hold back a grin, and Rainbow the urge to hit you again... even as she began to show the faintest smile.

"Glad to see nothing's changed between you guys," Lilly giggled to herself. She turned towards you and Rainbow. "What about you two?"

"Well," Rainbow planted a hoof on your head, maybe a bit too hard, "we've still got this idiot here with us... But, he's my idiot, so... we're doing fine."

"More than fine," you added, looking into the mare's eyes. Already, she was captivated all over and couldn't stop giving you that sweet smile. It would never grow on you.

"Ugh," groaned Spike, "get a room, you two."

"... Maybe later."

Another bonk, this time on the snout. It didn't stop you from laughing like your namesake. Still, she hits hard.

Soon enough, Pinkie had the idea of playful activities to share with Lilly. Whether it was Pin The Tail or a safe version of Spin the Bottle, it didn't matter as long as you were all having a good time.

Eventually, the entire day had suddenly gone away, and evening began to set in; as much as they wanted to stay, everypony had a job to get ready for tomorrow. Once seven o'clock rolled by, Twilight and the others said their goodbyes, gave final hugs, and headed off to their respectable homes, leaving you and Dash as the only remaining guests.

Weather near Ponyville was scheduled to be clear for the next couple days, according to Spitfire, and although you had a job tomorrow, you didn't have to wake up as early as Applejack. Her words, not yours.

"Well, assuming they're all also in the same place," Lilly pondered with another giggle, "you guys want anything to drink? I'm sure I've still got half a bottle of Seaddle Ale left."

"Seaddle Ale?" Rainbow Dash blew some air into her mane. "Man, it's been ages since I've had that."

You tried to recall any times you drank the stuff, but nothing came up. "I don't think I've had it before."

"It's veeerryy strong," Rainbow remembered as she turned to you. "Trust me. I've seen Fluttershy get drunk out of her mind off it back when I was in school."

"... Somehow, I can see that."

The two of you had a brief laughing fit as Lilly searched for the Ale bottle. Eventually finding it perched in the common liquor cabinet, she grabbed three cups and filled them with only a small amount of the stuff. That alone should've told you how strong it was.

After just the second little cup, the three of you were beginning to feel the effects of intoxication. Once you finished your second cup, you swore off a third. Any more, and you wouldn't be able to go anywhere. And you sure as Tartarus weren't going to let Dash fly home drunk.

"I needed this," Lilly groaned with satisfaction. "Like, I really needed this."

Rainbow smiled. "This is *hic* nice. We should totally do this more often. But like, get the girls and we can all get drunk off our minds."

"Even Fluttershy?" you asked curiously.

"Even Fluttershy. Totally Fluttershy."

You, Rainbow, and Lilly sat in the living room, staring at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity. The sounds of Ponyville spring to life outside, but even the crickets were loud enough to hear over the muffled chatter of ponies going about their evening business.

It was kind of peaceful, in a strange way.

Eventually, Lilly sighed.

"I have a confession."

"That you two kissed?" Rainbow immediately filled, inching in your direction, and the look on Lilly's face was more than enough confirmation. "Saw it coming. He told me after we got back together."

You scrunched your lips. "... Wow, you didn't skip a beat."

"Eh, figured I get it outta the way instead of letting it linger on."

"Fair enough."

"Oh," Lilly silently said. The mare fidgeted with her hooves for a moment, unsure of what to say next. "Look... I'm sorry if I, you know, impeded on anything by doing that."

"Nah," Rainbow sighed, dismissing her worries with a hoof, "you didn't do anything wrong. I mean, we weren't even together when you did that, you know? I can't exactly get mad at that."

"I know, but I still should've known better."

"Against what? Being a regular mare and smooching up a guy you like?" Rainbow Dash scooted up to Lilly and gave her a firm hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You had something you wanted to get out and you did. Nothing to it."

Lilly looked up to Dash. "... You promise?"

"I promise. Just... don't do it again since we're together and all. Deal?"

The mare laughed at the proposal. "Deal."

The two mares clanked their cups together and downed the rest of their respective portions. For the remainder of the time you were there, not one more drop of Ale was touched, lest any of you wanted to be literally paralyzed from drunkenness.

But eventually, the time did come for you and Dash to make your way out. You helped Lilly clean up whatever mess that was formed throughout the day and washed out the cups. Whatever furniture that was moved was put back into its original position, leaving the living room look as it did when you first came in.

"I had fun," Lilly said as she led you two to the door. "I really did. I really hope we get to do this more often."

"Totally!" Dash exclaimed. "Ponyville's got just as much stuff to do as any city like Manehattan. Only difference, the ponies here are actually bearable."

Lilly giggled. "Definitely." She then hugged the two of you together, and you returned the gesture.

"We'll make sure you feel right at home here," you tell Lilly, patting her on the shoulder. She held your hoof firmly with her own.

"Thank you. Both of you, and the others. I'm glad everything worked out for you."

"Me too."

"Me too."

Lilly smiled at you and Dash, but still seemed hesitant, like something was on her mind. Before either of you could ask, Lilly embraced you in a hug, sighing with content.

"I missed you... friend."

You hugged her back. "I missed you too, friend."

As you pulled away from her, Aqua Lilly opened the front door to let you out. You both exchanged your goodbyes and were off into the night, slightly drunk, but nonetheless satisfied. The two of you walked beside each other, helping one support the other with each step forward.

"Hey, um... do you mind if I crash at your place tonight?" Rainbow asked, hiccuping afterwards. "I don't really think I'm fit to fly at the moment."

"Not at all," you grin. "Think you'll be able to make it up the stairs?"

"Nope."

"Good, because I probably can't, either."

You both laughed into the night as Ponyville began to tuck itself into bed.

Aqua Lilly watched as her two drunken friends disappeared behind the corner, supporting each other's weight. She shut the door and locked it behind her, then headed upstairs to locate the bedroom, which didn't take too long, considering there were only two upper doors.

The mare flopped down onto the bed and sighed. She wanted to fall asleep, but felt troubled.

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

Ever since that day, he'd always be on her mind in some way. Every time she wrote a letter, no matter how much she loved writing to the others—especially to Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies!—writing to him always made her day. Suddenly, the worst day of her life didn't seem so bad in retrospect the moment "Dear Lilly" caught her eyes.

And that kiss. That was the first time she truly felt the happiest she could've been.

And she knew she would never be able to feel that again.

And frankly, she was okay with that. She was happy. Happy the two of them were able to look past their differences and their problems and just be themselves without prejudice. Happy they would have a brand new chapter of their lives to look forward to together.

Happy that he could finally be happy too—no matter who made him so.

She smiled.

"I'll be here."