//------------------------------// // Epilogue 2: Got To Be Strong // Story: Our Name Across The Multiverse: 10 years later // by DATONETWIxDASHFAN //------------------------------// Deep in the valley where Cantorlot and the castle had fallen into, construction workers were removing the rubble and cleaning the valley up. Still, many stayed away from one pink unicorn pony, alone as she moved large rubble towards the wagon. "Can't believe she's here after what she did." whispered a Changling, helping an earth pony move a piece of a roof. "Yeah, she's why Cantorlot and the princess castle are here in this valley. She should be in prison, not out like this." another earth pony whispered. "Don't forget the rumors about her and her mother. " the first earth pony shivered. "The apple doesn't drop far from the tree! We shouldn't trust her, no matter what the princess and her friends say." The whispers and stares didn't end as Luster kept working away, trying to ignore the whispers. Soon, the lunch bell rang, and everyone walked off to the station food wagon, where they were given lunch. Luster didn't go; in fact, she kept working away. She knew everyone wouldn't easily forgive her, but she needed to clean the mess she had created. "Luster." Hearing a voice, Luster turned around and saw it was Applejack. Behind her was her counterpart, April. Luster looked away and went on with her work. April pushed up her trucker hat and crossed her arms. "Hey, Luster. You need to take a break." "I'm fine. I can keep going," she lied, her horn flickering with magic. April shook her head while AJ walked up to Luster, patting her back. "Listen up, sugar cube; I know you want to make it up to everyone, but you'll hurt yourself. We don't want you pushing yourself like you have been doing these past few days. So come with us and have a meal. The food is great!" Luster looked at the two, feeling the sincerity and kindness they were giving her, but she still refused their offer. "Braver always pushed herself for others, never stopping, never giving up." April and AJ looked at each other, then back at Luster. "Yeah, but you aren't her, apple pie. You are you, and I bet she doesn't want to see you like this. She wants to see you happy and not beating yourself up." "She's right, Dawn. Come and eat." smiled AJ. Luster looked up at the two, saw their smiles, and felt her eyes tearing up. Finally, she dropped a broken window, followed the two to the food wagon, and got a meal. "We'll be back; we need to check on the other team further down the valley and give them their lunch," AJ said, hooking the wagon on her and April's back. Luster watched them leave, not touching her food, not feeling hungry. She walked away from everyone and sat alone near a pile of ruins, setting the tray on the ground and curling up, crying. "Why, why aren't they mad at me? I caused so much damage and chaos that Braver would still be here if I were just normal like everyone else! She wouldn't be..." She couldn't finish her words; only sobbing came out. After a bit, she finally calmed down and was gonna eat her lunch when she noticed something in the ruins she was next to. She dug and found a broken photo frame covered in dirt. "What is this?" she whispered, removing the dirt and revealing a photo of her and Braver dressed up as mages for Braver's theme birthday party. Tears started to fall, making her hold onto the photo for dear life. She looked at the pile of ruins. "This must be part of Braver's bedroom from the castle!" she flinched. "I need to recover her things, or they'll get tossed out to the dump!" she put the photo on the ground and started to dig through the pile but quickly stopped as she noticed the pink leather jacket that Braver had given to her almost a week ago, got slightly rip by the left arm when she was digging through. She took the jacket off and held it to her chest. She was shaking and crying. "I miss you, I miss you so much. Why did you leave me behind?" Luster hugged the jacket, sobbing quietly. She finally let it go, sat it next to the photo, and returned to digging until she disappeared into the rubble. Not noticing a few shadows were watching her, they came closer and took the jacket. After some time, Luster emerged from the ruins, covered in dirt and dust, carrying a few small things. She coughed, walked out, and was surprised to see her jacket was gone. She looked around but couldn't find it. She was so sure she left it next to the photo frame. "HEY! MONSTER!" Luster turned, and the jacket hit her in the face. It hit the ground, and her heart started to race as she could see it all damaged. "That jacket means the world to you, huh? How does it feel to lose something so special? I bet that's how everyone feels right now, losing their homes!" the earth pony shouted at Luster. Luster could see a few ponies and creatures gathering around her, but she didn't care; the jacket mattered to her. She picked it up, crying about how damaged it looked now. She toned out the angry voices and stared at the jacket, remembering how Braver gave it to her when they first met as fillies. Remember how Braver just pulled it out from her purple jacket and made it leather and pink. She only wore it that day and kept it in an airtight bag to never get dirty. Though she could tell it was magical as it increase in size to match her older body size. She put it on, ignoring the name-calling and gathering Braver's things. She did not care what they were calling her; she knew she was a monster, and no matter what, the jacket would always mean the world to her. "It's ok. It's ok. I'll fix it, Braver. I'll fix everything." she whispered, holding Braver's things and gonna walk off, but the group surrounded her, and she could see them holding rocks and other things, and she knew what would happen to her. She smiled and closed her eyes. "I'll be strong, just like you, Braver. No matter the pain, I'll keep pushing forward." "MONSTER!" They threw the rocks and other items, but before they could hit her, a barrier surrounded Luster, blocking the attack. Luster could hear yelling and someone attacking the mob. She opened her eyes and saw Cozy holding a stone slab with her hooves. "IF YOU DARE ATTACK HER AGAIN! I'LL MAKE SURE TO DESTROY YOU ALL!" she screamed and tossed the slab, missing the retreating ponies and creatures. She spit on the ground and turned to Luster. "Cozy?" Cozy walked over, sat on the ground, and ate her friend's meal. "Yeah?" Luster joined her and watched her eat. "Why are you here? Why did you protect me?" Cozy spun an apple on her hoof. "We're friends, you idiot. Why wouldn't I be here for a friend?" she tossed it in the air, caught it in her mouth, and ate it whole. Luster looked down in sadness, and both didn't say a word for a long time until Luster looked back at her. "Do you hate me? Hating me for causing all this, which lead up to Braver dy-" Cozy shoved her hoof into Luster's mouth, stopping her from saying the word. "No," she looked at her with a smile. "That blockhead would die at some point in how she did things." She pulled out her hoof from Luster's mouth and looked up at the sky. "She always came back, no matter what happened to her. Crushed, blown up, frozen, she always came back." "You don't blame me, even after what happened?" Luster asked. Cozy looked at her, shaking her head. "No, we all made mistakes, and with you, you are different from the rest of us in how you feel about things, but that doesn't mean you're a bad pony or monster; just misunderstood. Just like me." Luster wiped her tears away. Cozy chuckled, looking at the clouds. "I miss her, too, but unlike you, I didn't get to tell her how I felt about her. Sure, I told her how much I love her, but that blockhead would think I meant it as friends." She got up and didn't look at Luster. "We two sure loved that blockhead, huh? So much so that we would fight over her." Cozy slightly turned her head to her. "You were the always better pick for her anyway, so treasure the memories you have and keep going forward, Dawn. We can't have you dying on us." "Cozy," Luster whispered as she saw Cozy was crying. "She's not gone, you know? A part of her is in her sister and us. So, remember that, and if you ever feel weak, come to me. I'll make you stronger. We can't have you breaking down and crying. And if anyone says anything about you, tell me." she pounded her hoof into the ground, smirking. This made Luster feel better, and she thanked her friend. She looked at Braver's things and turned to Cozy. "Hey, can you cover for me? I want to bring these things back to Braver's room in the library." Cozy faced her, seeing the things, even the figure she got for one of her birthdays. She smirks, nodding. "Sure, just hurry back before they notice." She was going to walk away, but Luster hugged her. "THANK YOU COZY!" That said, Luster teleported away in a flash, leaving Cozy alone. "Whatever. Should have said she owed me or something." She rubbed her hooves together but quickly coughed, her body glitching out as it went from her standard color to red and back to normal. Her coughing became more severe, and she couldn't stop. Cozy fell onto her side, panting heavily. She still had her hooves over her mouth, which she pulled back and saw blood. "Crap," she said as her Alicorn horn appeared, still broken and bleeding out of energy. Luster reappeared in front of the library where she and Braver had run. She opened the door and was going to walk inside, but she saw Twilah and Dashie cleaning up a destroyed library. She scanned the room. "Booksleves have fallen on each other like dominos, and tables and chairs have been destroyed. It looks like the books are still okay, though," she said to herself, and a smile formed on her face. "BRAVER IS BACK!" Dashie and Twilah heard her and noticed she was there. Before they could tell her anything, she rushed up the stairs and headed to Braver's room. She slammed the door open and breathed heavily and crying, hoping to see Braver. Instead, she saw Braver's parents and... "Dawn," Spark whispered, seeing her standing at the door, holding a bag of Braver's things and dropping it. "You!" shouted Luster as she rushed over to Spark, who closed her eyes and waited for a slap or something. But instead, Spark felt something else, not a slap but a kiss on her cheek and a hug. Spark opened her eyes and saw Luster on her, crying as she hugged her. "Braver! You're alive! I was so worried about you." She could feel Spark hugging her and telling her that she was indeed Braver and was back. This made her so happy; she knew Braver was in there somewhere, and they could finally be together again. Meanwhile, outside of the library, Lucy broke away from her friends as they visited New Ponyville and wanted to visit Blitz's sister's library home. "This must be it!"