What Happens Tomorrow

It's the next morning.Emerald wanders in from the snoozepod and takes a look at Lady Hinesly. Hey, kitty cat. Can we talk? Mare to mare?

Hinesly: Please! It's good to see you.

Emerald: Likewise. Emerald smiles, genuinely and warmly. I just wanted to say, after the other day… I’m sorry for votin’ to kill ya. You had the right idea the whole time, an’ I let my biases get in the way of seein’ the truth for what it was. That ain’t harmonic at all, just bullheadedness. 

And us here… we got a second chance, and I don’t wanna waste it, so… friends? She offers the cat her hand.

Hinesly: Of course. She takes it. I don't blame you for what happened - it was a shot in the dark. Are you part of this Rebel Alliance? You seem like you would be.

Emerald nods. Buckin’ right I am. ‘Cause I was thinkin’ yesterday… Equus already has six heroes. Ky’s sisters could use some, and so could all the other creatures in this universe who don’t have rulers as good as Celestia and Luna to watch over them. I’m not usually the kind of mare to put store into divine missions… but I think I know what Faust wants from me.

People out there need help. And if I learned anything from Twilight, it’s that when people need help, ya never refuse. Me, Kyla, Marena, and all our friends… If I’m Twilight, they’re like Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. VibeCity was just the start. There’s more work to do, and I’m gonna keep at it, until everyone is free an’ happy.

Hinesly: There certainly is. And I'm excited to help... even if that just means throwing my money around.

Emerald grins. “Welcome to the team then.” Then she hears the distinctive sound of Clarence and turns to look. “Hey, Clarence, while I’m on my apology tour… can we chat?”

Clarence walks back in, eyes wide, frantically checking his neckline... Head still attached. Good. He is then startled by Emerald - “Yes, I already know you don’t forgive me - in fact, you wanted me to avoid you, so-“ - he starts to walk away

Emerald: “Hey! Stop a sec and turn and look, will ya? I’m tryin’ to have a moment here!” She takes a deep breadth and continues. “Look. I’m still pretty cheesed off about bein’ killed. I will be for a while. But I also know it ain’t every day a mare comes back from the dead… and if I’m gonna use this second life of mine right, I wanna set things straight, especially with you.” She offers her hand. “I’m sorry for yellin’ at ya yesterday. It wasn’t fair. And if we’re gonna be teammates, we can’t afford to be at odds.”

Clarence: mutters “I mean it was fair, I was responsible for your death… but thank you.”

Emerald nods, and smiles at him. “Truth is? I forgive ya for that. You and I, we were only tryin’ to do the same thing, we just had real different ways of getting there.”

Clarence: "Really... You don't have to, it's murder! Thank you but still!... I guess we'll shake on it then." Clarence holds out his hand for shaking

Emerald shakes it. “Sure it’s murder, but you know what else it is? Over now. I’m here, alive as can be. And that’s what matters.” She smiles happily. “So, anyway… what about you? What’s next?”

Clarence: "Well, I'm helping find relevant info to aid with Kyla's cause... For free! No tips, or reviews or anything."

Emerald: “That’s helpful, ‘cause I decided I was gonna join this Rebel Alliance of hers yesterday. It’s what I wanna do with my life, and it’s the right thing to do.” She smiles, gazing into the distance. “Gem would be glad to hear that… hay, maybe we can get her team roped in on this, now that I think about it.”

On a whim, Emerald takes out something peculiar from her jacket pocket: a sort of badge, consisting of a silver delta backed by two blacky parallelograms. “This thing had better still work…” she mutters, attaching it to her jacket. Feeling Hinesly's eyes on her, she adds: “I know the old sayin’ about curiosity and cats. So go on, ask me what it is I’ve got.”

Hinesly: Very well, then. What's the badge?

Chromia: That looks like a combadge. Several of our designers have worked with the Alpha Quadrant's Starfleet to make them far-reaching. Do you know someone in Starfleet, Miss Emerald?

Emerald grins. “Sure do. Her name’s Gemini, she’s the first of our kind to be a Starfleet captain. This badge was a gift from her the last time I saw her, to help us keep in touch... hopefully me dyin’ hasn't broken it.” She taps it and speaks into its general direction. “Wave to Shadow, Wave to Shadow. Can ya hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Emerald,” says a voice with a posh Trottingham accent. “I’m surprised to hear your voice… is something wrong?”

“Long story, Gem. Real long,” Emerald answers. “Since we’re talking you can track me, right?”

“That is correct, we can,” confirms the speaker. “But how did you end up in the Beta quadrant? That’s nowhere near Equus!” 

“Like I said, long story,” Emerald says. “My friends and I need a ride. Can you get here? Please?”

“But of course," says the voice. "We should be there in a few hours. Shadow out.” 

The connection cuts off, and Emerald grins back at Hinesly. “Ya know, kitty cat, it pays to have friends in high places.”

Hinesly: Quite. Gemini, hmm? I've heard of her. Her operations in Starfleet have brought her up against a few entrepreneurs and CEOs I used to know. And I've never heard of her losing a fight like that. Whatever I might eventually miss about the high life, I won't miss the danger of pissing her off.

Emerald laughs. “Yeah, that’s her, alright. Soft and sweet on the outside, steel on the inside. And exactly the mare we’re gonna need to get us all home and help us free Ky’s sisters.” 

Piglet: Maybe… maybe I could help! I want to go home, but I’ve been away so long… maybe I could stay just a little longer... It would be nice to meet kyla’s family! 🙂

Emerald smiles and gives Piglet a hug, “We’d be glad to have ya, little dude. It’ll be dangerous, obviously… but then again, can’t possibly be worse than the last week, right?” 

Everyone breaks out into laughter at that, as the story of VibeCity comes to an end at last. By nightfall, a Nebula-class starship called the Endeavour would appear in the sky, and ferry the survivors home to their various points of origin... or wherever they wished to go to recover.

But for Emerald, Kyla, and Marena, the adventure is only just beginning...