another pic in my season 9 epilogue. this one takes place 500 years into their imprisonment… 500 more years to go

Strange Quark trotted through the dense forest outside ponyville with some audio equipment as well as protection in the form of a sentinel aggressor he had created that he was to post as the guardian of the petrified trio he visited every day, as well as a monitor who helped with projects of his. The mind stone still stood in it’s pedestal channeling the minds of Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis.

IN THE MIND STONE

Cozy Glow Chrysalis and Tirek were in a mental replica of cloudsdale where they sat and talked in some astral realm that took the form of whatever location they wanted to visit when suddenly they were shifted into what they all agreed was a sort of waiting room as there were chairs for them and they heard what they all agreed was catchy yet slightly annoying music on a loop for about 5 minutes in which Chrysalis to her own surprise started humming along to the admittedly cheery music when suddenly the door let out a 2 tone chime as the center rotated quickly as if unlocking as the door then slid open with a mechanical hiss to reveal a sort of coffee shop setting except the place was much nicer than they were expecting as it had really comfortable looking chairs with TV screens and good quality mic headsets that they could use to communicate with the real world more naturally and intuitively.

L.T: Wow! this place is nice. how did he make all this?

C.G: I don’t know Tirek but i will agree it is nice of him to build… NO WAY! do i smell coffee!? i haven’t had that in five hundred years! i remember now what it smells like. i hope it tastes the same.

Cozy Glow then rushed to the counter where there was the astral form of a barista who lived approximately 198 years ago, the pony then took note of Cozy Glow’s order as she then heard Chrysalis snooping around.

C.G: what are you doing?

Q.C: looking for anything suspicious about this place… it’s a little too nice. i know it’s been 500 years and times change but i still have my doubts about ponies. i may no longer wish to enslave or destroy them but i still trust a pony about as far as i can throw them… wait a second… does all of this feel a little too real to anyone else?

L.T: you know now that you mention it it DOES feel quite real… Strange Quark did something didnt he? Cozy Glow said she smelled coffee which is very weird because for the past 500 years our only senses that have worked are sight and hearing.

Tirek then noticed Cozy Glow getting her coffee for no charge as she then took a sip and got really excited about something

C.G: oh WOW! it tastes just like i remember it!

Cozy glow savored every moment of her long forgotten sensory stimulation when Chrysalis noticed the TV screens and the headsets and put two and two together.

Q.C: If this is all in the mind stone then i suppose this is something he made for us to communicate with him when he isn’t in the stone?

Chrysalis then saw Strange Quark on the screen gesture to put on the headset, Cozy Glow and Tirek then noticed and followed suit as the three of them sat down and put on the headsets when they heard Strange Quark’s voice over the headsets.

S.Q: alright can you hear me? good that means it’s working. i suppose you have all figured out that something is diferent about this world. what i did was used the mind stone to create the little shop you guys now kind of live in, don’t worry theres plenty to do and see. the two screens each of you have are the real world and a media screen for entertainment. the headsets allow you to hear what goes on in real life and the microphones let you talk through a speaker system. also i used the stone to make your brains fire sensory signals to make everything seem as real as possible… all 5 of your main senses now work within this world as to make things interesting as well as let you remember and enjoy smells, tastes sights, sounds, and feelings.

Q.C: alright this i can understand now, i forgot what touch felt like and i must say this is indeed wonderful.

L.T: of course this is under the assumption that you provided this world with sensory stimulation.

S.Q: oh i did… good foods, amazing ambient scents, good music, good décor, and for mental stimulation i would like to share with you a game i took over development for 300 years ago called Minecraft. your job is both to survive and to build whatever you want out of whatever you want. you have to gather resources with tools and all in all it’s a very addicting game that gets you to really think about things

5 HOURS LATER

L.T: and it is complete. look at this… i have built a little house down here on this beach, it’s got a little farm and everything! its so… peaceful… well once you get past the constant creepers and skeletons every night. you know once we get out of being stone in the real world i want to build myself a house like this someday and just live peacefully by myself down on the beach tending my farm, not having to worry about anyone bothering me, a simple but honest life.

C.G: you know Tirek… i think i might do the same, maybe also see if i can find someone who might adopt me so i can be part of something bigger than myself for once.

Q.C: wow! this game really DOES have an impact on you two. although honestly i guess i don’t have any room to talk as i too want to live out the life the three of us have started on this game, just something simple but self sustaining, something out of the way where we won’t be bothered but still sort of part of things as a whole.

Strange Quark listened to the trio as the sun started setting and he knew that there was most definitely hope for the three of them in the next five hundred years. but for now he had to tell them goodnight as it was getting late and he had to go home.