Self-Satisfaction, Epilogue [Fluttershy X Butterscotch]

>You are Wildflower
>And you currently find yourself sitting in one of the myriad chambers in Princess Twilight's castle
>More specifically, the one with a giant, glowing arrow-shaped rift on the wall
>Patiently, you stand and watch as a glimmering stream of golden particles flows through the portal and into the chamber
>Swirling about in the fog of magic now filling the room, they coalesce at the centre of the magic circles inscribed upon the floor
>Bending and warping under the influence of the Princess of Friendship's magic, the glowing glob of matter before you starts to take on a familiar, pony-like form
>But not just anypony's form
>To you, this was the most important stallion in the world
>Even if he was technically only in this world for a fleeting moment every year or two
>Looking to your left, you see your mother staring as your father's features start to truly come into view
>Anxiously, she passes her hooves through her mane in a last-minute attempt to tidy herself, her flowing pink locks falling perfectly into place as she does so
>Turning to you for a second, her eyes shift nervously. "Do... do I look okay?"
"You look fine, mom."
>"Thank you," she murmurs in response, breathing a sigh of relief
>As the two of you look back towards Butterscotch's emerging shape, you see the reconstruction process is almost complete
>Instinctively, you gallop forward, throwing a hoof beneath him just in time to arrest his collapse
>You gently ease him down to the floor before stepping back, giving him some much-needed space to recover
>"Ugh..." The stallion blinks his eyes, his gaze wandering about the room
>Groaning, he presses a hoof against his temple
>"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this," he grumbles, shaking his head
>Placing his forelimbs in front of himself, your father attempts to bring himself to his feet
>Halfway, up, though, his body freezes
>Your father's eyes shoot open as his pupils narrow to pinpricks, a grunt of pain barely passing his lips in the same instant

"Hey, Dad? You alright!?"
>Worriedly, you approach him again, standing a foot or so away
>Your mother joins you, equally concerned. "Are you okay? Do you... need a hoof getting up?"
>"No, it's okay," he insists, taking a deep breath to brace himself. "I'm fine..."
>As he says this, however, his right leg gives way, forcing your father to ease himself back onto the ground
>"On second thought," he finally admits, sheepish, "maybe... um, that is, if you two wouldn't mind..."
>Rolling your eyes, you move in, planting yourself sturdily as you offer a hoof to your father
>As he hooks his own around yours, you effortlessly hoist him upright
>Stretching his neck, your father takes a moment to get a good look at the two of you
>"Hello, Wildflower," he says, releasing your hoof before turning to face your mom. "And Fluttershy..."
>A broad smile crosses his face as he takes a step towards her
>"How have you both been?"
>Your mother silently moves forward in response, nuzzling him deeply
>She hums contentedly as she gently shuffles her neck, getting into the perfect position
>"Oh, Butters," she whispers, running a hoof through his now grey-tainted mane, "I missed you."
>You throw your hooves around your parents' necks, hugging them both
>Though initially jarred by the strength of your grip, they quickly relax, chuckling in perfect synch
>As you hug them, however, you find something poking into your side
>Pulling away, you look down to find a familiar-looking wooden stick poking out of your father's saddlebags
"Is that...?"
>"Hm?" Your parents pull away from one-another as your murmurings reach your dad's ears. "What's the matter, Wildflower?"
>Ignoring his question, you reach around with your tail, grasping the wooden shaft before smoothly drawing it out of your father's saddlebags
>One good look at it is all it takes to confirm your suspicions
"Dad, you..."
>Taking a deep breath, you feel the weight of the battered, aging toy sword in your tail

"You're... still carrying this old thing around?"
>"Well, yes," your father answers meekly, his gaze fixing itself upon your old blade. "Though, um, to be fair," he adds, cracking a slight grin, "it -was- a gift from a very special young lady."
>A blush grows upon your face as you plant your face squarely into your hoof
"Daaaaad..."
>Your eyes shift, catching a glimpse of Princess Twilight herself standing near the portal
>Though she appears to be in some kind of meditative trance, you're fairly certain she's fully aware of everything happening around her right now
"Not in front of the Princess...!"
>Suppressing a giggle, your mother trots over to you
>She places a hoof upon your shoulder as she smiles warmly at you
>"It's okay, Flower," she quietly assures you. "Your father loves you very much. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I... I know, but..."
>Defeated, you sigh, shaking your head
>You opt to silently examine the old toy, bringing it before your muzzle for a closer look
>Twisting it about a few times, you re-familiarise yourself with the blade's balance and handling
>Your mother steps back, taking a position beside your father as you give the sword a quick overhead swing

>As the blade comes down, the shade of a long-forgotten memory passes through your mind
>You find yourself not in Princess Twilight's castle, but perched precariously atop a cliff
>From the skies above, a trio of Changelings charge straight for you
>Deftly, you dodge the first, leaping up before coming down hard on its back with a plunging stab
>Drawing your blade out, you roll forwards to dodge the other two
>As you turn back to face them, the first of the remaining pair charges straight for you, horn-first
>You instinctively parry to the right, following up with a hard leftward counter-swing
>Cold steel meets chitin as the demon's head is cleaved from its shoulders
>Ruthlessly, you charge your final foe, your blade held high
>Bringing the weapon down, however, it meets nothing but thin air as the illusory Changeling fades to nothing
>In that same second, you hear malevolent cackling from behind
>You turn your head just in time to see the monster plant a hoof into your backside, toppling you straight over the cliff's edge
>Screaming as you fall, your sword slips from your grasp, plunging into the abyss below
>Just as it seems your time has come to an end, though, your head slams not into stone, but something much softer
>Not to mention more feathery

>Opening your eyes, you find yourself perched upon the back of a great gold-and-pink eagle
>A second eagle emerges soon after, flying in formation with the first
>As the two colossal birds glide towards the bottom of the cliff, however, things begin to change
>The cliffs at your back shrink down, adopting a distinctly stairway-like appearance
>The surface of the chasm bottom shifts from hardened earth to wooden floorboards
>And the eagles carrying you to safety certainly look a lot more like your parents than they did before
>Smiling, you relax as you feel the warm, comforting embrace of their hooves and wings
>Suddenly, however, you're jolted by the familiar voice of your mother
>"Wildflower," she softly calls. Looking up to the face of the mare embracing you, her lips remain still as the voice sounds out again. "Wildflower?"
>Realising the voice is coming from behind, you immediately snap out of your little nostalgia trip
>You look up from the floor back towards your parents, curiously looking on as you get yourself sorted

>Blushing intensely at how strange you imagine you must have looked, you pick up the wooden blade from the floor
>You approach your father, slipping the sword back into his bag before hugging him tightly once more
"Welcome home, dad."
>Your mother joins you shortly afterwards, completing the family hug
>After half a minute, however, she pulls away
>Craning your neck over, you see a concerned expression cross her face
>"Um, I..." Anxiously, her eyes shift towards the main door. "I... just kind of remembered."
>"Hm?" Curious, your father raises an eyebrow. "Remembered what, dear?"
>"Well," she expains, tapping one hoof against the other upon the ground, "it's just, well, dinner's getting cold."
>"Dinner...?"
"Oh, right!"
>Excitedly, you clap your hooves together
"Mom made dinner for us."
>"Eggplant pasta bake," she elaborates, gesturing for you and dad to follow her out towards the dining hall. "Your favourite."
>A goofy grin spreads across your father's face as the two of you start to trot towards the door
>However, before the three of you leave, your parents simultaneously stop in their tracks
>You do likewise a second later, watching their faces
>Exchanging a series of strange glances, your mother and father manage to have an entirely silent conversation
>Though you've seen this more than a few times before by this point, this little trick of theirs still puzzled you
>Eventually, Fluttershy concludes the exchange with a simple nod before turning towards the still-meditating Princess
>"Twilight, Spike," she calls out softly. "Um... would you two like to join us for dinner?"

>Unflinching, the Princess remains in her trance, seemingly unresponsive for the first few seconds
>Then, without warning, her eyes shoot open
>With the strange glow signifying her connection to the Arrowverse fading, her pupils become visible once more
>"Of course," she answers, smiling. She turns her head towards the lanky, teenaged dragon laying down in the corner. "Spike?"
>Jolted out of his focus on his Power Ponies comic book, the Princess's number-one assistant shoots up, bolt-upright
>"Huh? What was that, Twilight," Spike asks, disoriented
>"Fluttershy invited us to dinner. Are you coming?"
>"Well..." Spike trails off as he idly fiddles with his claws, his eyes wandering down to the comic book now laying on the floor
>Before the dragon can politely decline, however, his stomach answers for him with an ear-rending growl
>Letting out a few awkward laughs, Spike shakes his head in defeat. "Sure, Twilight," he answers, forcing himself to his feet
>Together, the Princess and her dragon assistant approach your family, towering head and shoulders above the three of you

>Exiting, the five of you trot down the hallway at a decent clip
>Your father's not going to be around for long, after all, and you and your mother plan to make the best of what time you do have
>As the Princess leads the group into taking a left through the maze-like corridors, she cranes her head back towards your mother
>"Oh, Fluttershy," she says nonchalantly, "I hope you baked enough for six."
>Blinking in surprise, your mother looks at the Princess quizzically. "Yes, I think so," she answers. "But... why? If it's okay to ask, I mean."
>"Oh, it's nothing much," Twilight assures her, smiling. "Dusk just wanted Butterscotch to take some leftovers back for him."
>Your father stifles a laugh. "Well, he did seem pretty hungry earlier..." He sidles up to your mother, casting a wing over her shoulders. "We should have enough, shouldn't we dear?"
>"Of course," she whispers, snuggling into the stallion's side as the two trot in lockstep. "I made enough seconds for everypony."