Author's Notes:

Hey all, thanks a bunch for being patient with me. Life has definitely taken hold of me as of late, especially with this project I'm working on. To reward you all for being so patient with me, this chapter also comes with a new cover photo for the story, drawn by yours truly! Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Also, a super big thanks to my best friend in the entire world for proof reading for me and being a huge influence and inspiration for me.

“LILY!!!" I pressed my hooves to my ears as an almighty screech of Lily’s name was echoing throughout the yard. Finally letting my senses return to me, I watched as a pink coated mare with a bright green mane jumped through the air to land in Lily’s splayed hooves.

“Gah, S-sis!” Lily yelped with a frown on her face as she almost tumbled from the surprise embrace. “What do I always say about air tackling me?"

“Oh my gosh, you still say that? It was like, a year ago that I last tackled you. Oh wait, that's right, you were a weird “Hyoo min” for a bit back then, weren't you.” The mare said flatly.

“Uh, that's right!” I interjected. “Excuse me, are you…?”

“...Am I what?” the dumbfounded mare stared back.

“Daisy. You're Daisy? Lily’s sister?”

“ 'Course I am! Who else would I be? Anyway, who are you?”

I blinked.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“Uh, your name?”

“Roseluck…?” I replied nervously.

Her face paled.

“Oh.”

A huge smile suddenly stretched across her face.

“Oh! You're Roseluck! Oh my gosh, it's been so long! You totally died a while back, didn't you?”

“Woah, uh, yep. That was me.”

“Don't worry, I know about the whole situation, so I'm not gonna freak out.” she added with a charismatic smile. Then she looked down and her eyes opened wide.

“Oh. My. Gosh! You're super pregnant!” Daisy rushed forward and placed a hoof on my belly. I nervously scratched my neck as the zealous mare inspected my swollen belly.

“Have you had the dream?" she asked, staring up at me.

“The dream?"

“You know, naming dream."

“Oh! Uh, yes. Her name's gonna be Brisk Breeze." I smiled nervously. What was with this mare? She was making me feel just a little weirded out.

“Awww, that is just the sweetest thing ever!”

Meanwhile, Lily had picked herself up off the floor and was brushing herself down. She stepped to my side and smiled widely at her sister.

“Sis, I really can't say how happy I am to see you again.”

“Ooh, I know, right?” she said as she hopped up and down on the spot. "We’re gonna have so much fun. And Rose! We didn't get to spend much time together before, we should definitely find time to now that you're back!”

“Okay, okay. Rose might not be in the best state to do all the stuff I know you'll want to do, so maybe think of the baby before you plan your events?" Lily said, almost pleading, to her sister.

“You got it, Lily!" She punctuated with a sharp salute and a stamp of her hoof before breaking into giggles.

A strange feeling of normality had started to wash over me. Like, everything, while it was now something I remembered, felt so fresh, yet so… normal. I remembered the few times I had actually met Daisy before, yet it still felt like our first time meeting.

I relished in the feeling of calm that was pervading my senses, yet a sense of dread still stuck with me. Luna had even assured me that they should be fine with everything, but part of me still worried about seeing Lyra and Bonbon again.

“Hey, you okay?” Lily put a hoof on my shoulder, sensing my worry.

“Yeah, I think so. Just being paranoid. Again."

“Thinking about Bonbon and Lyra?”

“That obvious?”

“Rose, they're your best friends. I'd be more worried if you weren't scared. Hey Luna?” She turned from me to our mutual friend.

“Hm? Yes, Lily?"

“Can we take Rose to see Lyra and Bonbon?”

“Wh-what?” I stammered out.

“Of course we can. That was next on our agenda anyway."

“Oooh, I just remembered I have to meet up with somepony else, but I’ll see you two later, okay?” Daisy smiled, bouncing up and down.

“Of course!” Lily answered with a smile and her sister walked off with a wave.

------

Thankfully, the journey to our meeting spot was uneventful, and the time was passed by Lily and I talking about what we remembered about Ponyville. I wasn't sure how much of it she remembered, but with the speed that our memories were returning now that we were back in Equestria was kinda intimidating.

Luna had said that our memories were kinda connected to our magic energy or whatever, and there was supposed to be a lot more of it here, so it made sense as to why it was coming back this fast, it was just another intimidating thing in a long list of intimidating things.

Apparently, we were meeting up in a park, a place I now remembered as a regular hangout spot for Lyra and I. Like the rest of this town, it was a beautiful sight to behold. Birds chirped cheerfully in the trees, flowers bloomed brightly in the garden beds, and Lyra sat happily on her favorite chair.

Wait, what.

Lyra! Lyra was there! Ahead of us, about twenty meters away, was the pony I once, and hopefully again, would call a best friend. Cheerful butterflies filled my belly at the sight of her and I quickened my pace to reach her faster. My excitement got ahold of me and in the last few meters, I rose my pace to a run.

“Lyra!” I called out, a smile beginning from ear to ear. She turned to me and her mouth opened up in awe. I came to a stop in front of her and paced excitedly.

“Heya! Excited to see me?” I asked as Lyra’s expression remained the same.

“Uh, Lyra?”

Suddenly, Lyra’s eyes glossed up and a tear dripped down her cheek. She breathed in as if to say something but it got caught in her throat and she said nothing. Her lip quivered a little as she looked me up and down, taking in every detail.

“Rose…? Is it… is it really you?"

“It is." I smiled, my own eyes beginning to well up.

“Rooose!” My friend wailed as she threw her hooves around me and sobbed hysterically into my shoulder. I held her as she cried and said nothing, knowing my presence said more than anything I could say.

She pulled away for a second and looked at my face only to collapse back into my hooves. I let her cry herself out until she eventually pulled away. Her eyes drifted to my face again and a tearful smile crossed her lips.

“It's really you, right?”

“It is.”

“Rose, I… when you… died, I… I thought I had lost my best friend. When Princess Celestia told me about what happened, I could hardly believe it. But now… here you are." She giggled tearfully. “You're alive."

“I am. I'm so sorry, Lyra."

Lyra let out a weak laugh. “Sorry? You haven't done a thing wrong."

“Well, I worried you, I made you sad, I… I dunno.”

“There's the Rose I remember. Always apologizing for something she doesn't have to. You really are one of a kind."

Lyra pulled me in for a hug just as Luna and Lily approached. She glanced toward Lily as she arrived and a smile graced her face again.

“Lily! Oh my gosh, you too. Come in for a hug, right now.”

Lily stepped forward and accepted the hug happily. After the hug was over, Lyra turned to Luna.

“Would I be stretching my luck if I asked for a hug from you too, Princess?"

“M-me?” Luna said, confusion in her voice.

“Luna, you helped bring back two of my best friends. There is no way that doesn't deserve at least a hug."

A blush crossed Luna’s face as she stepped forward and accepted the short hug from the minty coloured mare. After a short while, they separated and Lyra turned to me.

“So, what has my second favourite mare in the world been up to?”

“You mean besides figuring out that the last twenty years of my life might as well been for nothing? Not much.”

“Gosh, twenty years. You really lived as one of those humans for that long? Wait, that means that time must go slower on earth, right?”

“Uhh…” I turned to Luna for an explanation.

“Well, not precisely. Human years are slightly different to ours, but time moves at the same speed. When Lily and Rose were incarnated as humans, our world wasn't fully connected to theirs, so time didn't flow at the same rate. Once I created the link between our worlds to visit Rose in her naming dream, our time started traveling at around the same pace.”

“Woah." Lyra blanked before giggling. “Now that is some major magic babble.”

“Oh yeah, I'm also pregnant.” I added.

“You're what!?" A huge grin plastered itself across Lyra’s face. She quickly looked down and began inspecting my belly even more than Daisy had.

“I mean, I knew you were kinda pregnant before, but now you're really, really pregnant!”

“Heheh, yep. Her name's gonna be Brisk Breeze.”

“Brisk Breeze, huh? Wonder if she's gonna end up as pretty as her parents.” Lyra nudged me playfully and giggled. “Ooh! Wait, Bonnie should be here any second! She’s gonna be psyched when she sees you!”

Almost as if on cue, I saw a colorful two toned mane walk out from behind a building, one most definitely belonging to Bonbon.

“Bonnie!” Lyra called out to her marefriend. "Rose and Lily are here!"

Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks. Her pupils darted between Lily and I before she darted forward and threw her hooves around me.

“H-Hey, BonBon. Long time no see?”

“Are you kidding me?” BonBon pulled away from our hug with a teary scowl on her face. "After all this time? You got some explaining to do."

“Well, I couldn't exactly keep in touch.”

“You should have tried harder.” A blush intertwined with her scowl. “I’m… Oh gosh, Rose, I'm so happy you're back!” she jumped forward again, hugging me tightly with both hooves.

“I'm happy to see you too, Bonbon."

She pulled from the hug and smiled up at me.

“Rose… I can't describe it. This is so unreal! You're alive, Rose, you're…” Tears began to form in her eyes and she scrunched them tightly before shaking her head and smiling. “I'm not letting you get away from us that easily." She added warmly.

“Bonbon, check out Rose’s belly!"

BonBon raised an eyebrow and looked down at my stomach before raising the other in shock.

“Oh my gosh! Your belly! It's so big! You must be… how many months along now?”

“Almost five months. We decided on the name Brisk Breeze."

“Brisk Breeze! So adorable! I can tell she'll get along with Sweetie Star so well!”

“Uh, pardon me?”

“Sweetie Star, you know, my and Lyra’s foal.”

“You two have a foal!?” Lily shouted.

“Well not yet, Lyra was supposed to tell… Lyra, did you not tell them? Ugh, that mare sometimes. Yes, we're having a foal. Lyra is carrying since I… can not.”

“This is so amazing!” I squeed, grabbing ahold of a shy looking Lyra's hoof as I bounced up and down on the spot. “How far along are you?"

“Uh, about a month now. Had my naming dream a while ago and Sweetie Star was what we decided on."

“We are so happy for you two!" Lily added, smiling widely.

“Looks like you're next, Luna!” Bonbon joked and laughed softly.

“M-Me? I don't even have a marefriend!”

“I think Luna has been around lesbians too long that she forgot you need a stallion to get pregnant." Lyra said with a cheeky grin.

“Wh-what? I… I… Oh, nevermind.” Luna relaxed and smiled, content to go along with the joke.

“Oh yeah, Luna, you should tell Lyra and Bonnie the big news, since you'll probably be seeing a lot more of them.” I suggested.

“News? Oh, yes, um, I have decided to stay in Ponyville! I’ll be living in my own home once I acquire a job and will be spending a lot of time with Lily and Rose. I would love it if you would be my friends too.” Luna said, nervously blushing.

“Of course! Being friends with a princess? That's rad as heck, having a princess as a friend. I mean, we’re kinda friends with Twilight already, but we're not really close. I’d love to be your friend.” Lyra said with an ecstatic smile on her face.

“I agree. We'd be happy to be your friends!” Bonbon added with a nod.

“Thank you two very much.” Luna said with a soft smile before she turned to Lily and I. “Oh, I just remembered, Twilight said we should go back to the castle once we had met up with Lyra and Bonbon. Would you like to go there now?”

“Sure. Do you have any idea what for?” I answered.

“Not really. She was being very strange when she asked us to meet there, so I’m not sure what it could be for.”

“I guess we’ll just have to find out.”

------

The door to the castle opened slowly with a creak and we stepped into the dark room. I was about to ask why the lights were off when they suddenly switched on and I jumped back, hundreds of ponies lept from behind every possible hiding spot in the room.

“SURPRIIIIIISE!”

“Gah!” I gasped and found myself clinging to Lily.

“Wh-what? What’s going on?” Lily stuttered in shock.

“Uh, Duh!” A colourful pink pony rushed toward us and stopped just before my face. “It’s a surprise party! You’re new here! Or I guess, new again? You were here before, but then you weren’t, now you are again! It’s a re-welcome party! SURPRISE!”

“Gah, okay, okay!” I sputtered out. The room was absolutely filled with smiling faces, some of which I recognized, like Twilight and Celestia, but a large majority of the ponies were new faces to me. At least, they were kinda new? A few faces in the crowd I could match to a name, like Berry Punch and her daughter, Golden Harvest, even Derpy Hooves.

“You’re all here… for us?” Lily asked.

“Well, and Luna! She’s gonna be living here, so this is a welcome party for her too!” She motioned to a large banner hanging above the entrance that read “WELCOME BACK TO PONYVILLE, ROSELUCK AND LILY VALLEY!” with “And Luna” scribbled at the bottom.

“It’s a party, fillies! Go and have some fun!” The pink pony said before bouncing off to a snack table and eating a hoof full of candy in one bite.

“Well, I guess we should try our hardest?” Lily said to me with a nervous grin.

“I’ll try.” I nodded. “As much as I can with all these ponies around.” I looked down and away from my partner.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just… Uh… There’s lot’s of people-- Uh, ponies around here. I haven’t always been the best in social situations, and especially not around so many ponies.”

“Well you just do what you’re comfortable with, okay? I’ll be with you no matter what.”

“Th-thanks.” I took her hoof as she offered it out to me and we walked together into the party.

There were so many ponies around that I felt myself shrinking into myself and pressing up against Lily. I felt as if every eye was on me, and they probably were, given that this party was for us.

“You doing okay?” Lily said and nuzzled against my neck. I reveled in the small amount of comfort, but it was short lived.

“I-I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.”

“I’m… as good as I can be. I’m sorry, Lily.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, just know that you can trust me with everything.”

“I do trust you, it’s just… k-kinda complicated.” I half buried myself in Lily’s fur.

“Promise we’ll talk later?”

“I promise.”

“Roseluck, howdy!” An orange coated mare wearing a cowboy hat that I recognized as Applejack walked up to Lily and I. “So glad to see y’all back in Ponyville! How was the “Hoo-man” world?”

“I, uh… it was… uh…” I stumbled over my words.

“It was a long time that we were there for, so it’s a bit hard to explain, but it definitely doesn’t compare to Ponyville. Everyone here is so much more welcoming than Earth.” Lily finished for me and I silently thanked her with another nuzzle.

“Eeyup, sounds about right. No place is more accepting than Ponyville. Anyway, I’ll let y’all get out there and chat with some other ponies, ‘right?”

“Th-thanks.” I mumbled as Applejack walked off.

“You okay?” Lily asked again.

“...No.” I shivered and pressed up closer to her.

“Oh, Rose…”

“I-It’s fine, let’s just… get this over with.”