//------------------------------// // Ch.19 Calm Before The Storm // Story: Discord's Reign // by chief maximus //------------------------------// DISCORD'S REIGN Chapter 19-Calm Before The Storm Princess Celestia found repose on one of the numerous hay piles in the barn as Spike distributed the Elements of Harmony to their respective bearers. Big Macintosh had taken the fillies inside while Granny Smith cooked them something to eat. The six ponies and Luna sat patiently, waiting to see if the elements still functioned now that Celestia was free. "Try and charge the elements." Twilight did as instructed and the others followed suit, albeit rather tentatively. The unicorn's eyes immediately began to glow white as the power took hold, and continued to grow. Celestia allowed herself a small smile at the result as the bearers powered down their elements. After a moment, Big Macintosh entered the barn, pulling a cart stuffed with apple related breakfast items. It never ceased to amaze him how even though Granny Smith was well advanced in years, she could still feed a huge group in about a half hour. After a quick breakfast, the element bearers and the princesses got down to business. Luna had sketched a crude map of Equestria, laying it across an empty spool of rope they gathered around. The map contained three concentric rings indicating the intensity of the fog starting with Canterlot (the exclusion zone), the outlying towns up to the city of Manehattan (the beta zone), and Ponyville along with the borders of the kingdom (the alpha zone). "Just like old times, dear sister," Luna added after she had caught Celestia up to speed. "Yes, the circumstances are similar..." the princess admitted. "How did you beat him last time?" Dash asked. "I created the elements of harmony." the solar princess replied. Her expression dropped slightly as she gave voice to her concerns. "Discord was strong then, but nothing our combined efforts couldn't combat. Now however, I fear he may be too powerful for even the likes of us." "Princess, how can he be stronger now than he was a thousand years ago?" Twilight asked, breaking the tense silence. "There are far more ponies alive today for him to draw his power. A thousand years ago, most ponies only lived to be forty or so. Thanks to advances in medicine, our population rose sharply after Equestria was re-established." "Still Celestia, we must act quickly," Luna added, "If left unchecked, Discord will smother the world in chaos." The white alicorn nodded in agreement, "This is true, but I cannot allow any of you to come to harm over this. Discord is my mistake, I've run from him for too long." The others blinked, uncomprehending. Twilight fought to keep her neutral expression, still fairly shocked that Discord had told her the truth about his birth. Celestia sighed. She had kept up the charade for a thousand years. It was time to come clean with those whose unwavering faith had given her hope, even while sealed in that stone prison. "I, am responsible for his existence..." the matriarch began, looking around the makeshift table at the hanging jaws. "I created Discord." Luna was the first to find her voice, "Celestia...why on earth would you-" "I was just a filly...back before I became the princess, before you were born, Luna." The hurt and shame in the princesses eyes threatened to drag every pony there into the depths of despair with her. "I was desperate for a friend, desperate for somepony to tell me I was not a mutant, or a freak of nature...I was pushed far enough, to create life for the selfish purpose of being with me forever." Twilight already knew the rest of the story, but hearing it from her once thought infallible princess, mentor, and second mother made it all the more difficult to sit through. "Once I came to power, I had no use for him...so I removed him from the kingdom." The silence in the barn enveloped every ear as Celestia continued, "Once he attacked Equestria, I was forced to seal him in stone, yet I knew that would not hold him forever." "With every new dawn I wondered, would today be the day he escaped? Now that the unthinkable has happened, I cannot bear the thought of any more of my subjects falling prey to his madness if I can help it." The princess's firm words silenced any dissent before it began. All present however where thinking the same thing; a thought that her faithful student vocalized for the rest of them. "Princess, we can't let you go it alone. We've worked too hard to back down now-" Celestia silenced her with a single raised hoof. "I cannot thank you enough for what all of you have done. I would not be having this conversation if not for all of your faith and effort, but I must insist you honor my request." Twilight had never heard the princess use such a stern tone in her presence before. She knew arguing at this point would get her nowhere, but maybe she would listen to a well thought out, logical alternative. "Tomorrow, I will journey to Canterlot, and confront Discord." Celestia concluded. "But princess-" "Twilight!" The lavender unicorn withdrew in fear, along with everypony else. No one, save for Luna had ever heard Celestia shout before. It was quite unsettling. "I apologize...I did not mean to raise my voice. I am however, your princess, and I must insist you obey my command without question, for your own safety." With that, Celestia stood from her hay pile. "I must rest if I am to have the strength to best Discord." "We've got a spare bed in th' house princess." Applejack offered. "Thank you." the princess added, her soft, familiar voice returning, "Lead the way." Once Celestia was inside the farmhouse, the others considered their options. "We aren't really going to let her do this," Twilight asked, "Are we?" The expressions everypony else wore answered her question silently. "It seems it is our only choice." Luna responded somberly. "I fear that even she may not be able to match his strength now." Twilight heard what Celestia had said. They all had. If there was merely a chance that she could get the princess to see reason, she had to take it. "I'll see if I can talk to her," the violet unicorn sighed, "We've all done too much to let her try and face this alone." She walked out of the barn with Spike in tow, heading into the farmhouse as Applejack was leaving. The muted orange earth pony trotted back to the barn, her eyes glancing upwards as a cyan streak circled lazily in the sky, over their tree. Applejack took a seat beneath the shade of its branches, the hot morning sun beginning to intensify as it rose into the sky. Rainbow noticed her audience and swiftly decided her wings had been stretched enough. With a quick flutter, the cyan pegasus landed beside her, sweat just beginning to form on her brow from the heat of the noontime sun. "Hey." she said rather awkwardly. "Hey." Applejack responded, in much the same tone. After what felt like minutes of strained silence, Applejack swallowed her pride. "Listen Rainbow, I'm sorry for blowin' up on ya like I did in Cloudsdale...I know you didn't do it on purpose, but just hearin' that it was somepony else, and not the fella I was told, it just...I don't know..." the normally forthright earth pony trailed off, having run out of words to express her feelings. Secretly, Dash was overjoyed to simply have Applejack be speaking to her again, but she held a concerned expression nonetheless. "It hurt." Rainbow completed, knowing what it was like to be lied to. The emerald orbs the cyan mare found so enticing flicked up to meet her, a gentle smile she was sure she would never see again rested across the country mare's lips. "I can't say I know how it feels..." Dash continued, "All I can say, is I'm sorry for everything I've ever put you through..." she trailed off and studied her hooves, unable to meet Applejack's eyes for another moment. "No, don't blame yourself darlin'." "But it was my fault! I was impatient, if I had just listened to Sleet that day, none of this would have happened! He'd still have his job, and you'd...still have your parents..." she shut her eyes tightly, hearing her past sins out loud still brought about more un-Rainbow Dash emotions. The cyan pegasus felt something around her that nearly made her jump in surprise. A hug, and a tight one at that. The type of hug you get when you've journeyed across a thousand miles of open desert just to be near someone, the type of hug that, with just an embrace alone confirmed that you were in the presence of a love unlike any before it. Rainbow needed it now, more than ever in the face of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that had been placed before them all. A single drop of moisture fell on Applejack's shoulder, keeping her gentle smile in place as she settled again on her hooves. "Don't look at it that way Rainbow. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today." Dash looked a slight confused, "What?" "If my folks hadn't passed away, Mac and I would have never learned th' value and pride that comes with a hard days work! Who knows the kinda ponies we'd have become!" Rainbow's expression lightened, her watery eyes dried up as she returned a soft smile. "I guess that's one way to look at it." "Everything happens for a reason Rainbow." Applejack added. "You believe that?" "Of course Ah do! If it didn't then everything would just be...ah..." the earth pony put an orange hoof to her mouth, searching for the right word. "Chaos?" "Exactly. Now what were you and little miss Scootaloo gettin' so cozy about last night?" she asked, taking a seat on her flanks beneath the tree. "Heh, well, I may have...kinda...unofficially...adopted her." Applejack burst out laughing, taking her hat off and wiping a tear from her eye. "You always were quick with jokes Rainbow." "Yeah, about that..." "Princess?" Twilight called from beyond the closed door of Applejack's bedroom while Spike entertained the fillies with Big Mac downstairs. No response. Twilight was just about to leave and try again later when Celestia's voice responded from beyond the door. "Come in Twilight." She nudged the heavy applewood door open and walked in, as her mentor shifted atop a bed that was much too small for her. Still, Celestia wasn't about to spurn Applejack's generous offer, no matter what strain it placed on her already bowed mattress. Beams of sunlight shot through the apple patterned curtains that hung half closed against Applejack's window, illuminating the alicorn in bright yellow stripes. "Again, I apologize for getting upset in the barn." the matriarch of Equestria reiterated. "It's okay princess." Twilight said, "I can't imagine what being sealed in stone for that long is like. I'm sure it was stressful." Stress was something Celestia was all to intimately familiar with at this point. "Yes...but not as stressful as the day ahead." Twilight swallowed nervously, hoping not to arouse the princess' anger by bringing up the same topic she had been chastised for in the barn. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that...if you don't mind..." she asked timidly. Celestia sighed, she knew this was coming, but was at least glad she could explain herself to Twilight. Her unshakeable resolve was responsible for her even being here in the first place. She owed her faithful student that much at the very least. "I do not. Close the door." The lavender unicorn closed it with a soft kick of her hind leg. A brief lull in the conversation stretched into an awkward pause, Twilight hesitant to bring up something she had already been semi-scolded for earlier, even though Celestia had given her permission. "Princess...I ask that you let us accompany you into Canterlot to fight Discord." "That is a request I cannot allow." Twilight was growing frustrated at this point. Her patience wore thin, yet she held her respect for the royal alicorn. "Why not?" she asked indignantly. She wasn't a child anymore, and hated to be treated like one, even by somepony she considered to be a second mother. The solar princess closed her eyes; readying herself to reveal a secret she had stricken from history itself to maintain order in Equestria. "Twilight, how many times do you believe Discord has escaped his prison?" She was somewhat confused by her answer, but gave an honest response all the same. "Two times, counting this one." "Four. He has walked the earth two additional times while Luna was serving her exile on the moon. Each time he escaped, I was able to re-seal him in his temporary granite tomb but not before...he got to them..." Twilight raised a curious eyebrow, "Them?" "My apprentices. The ones that came before you." the look of remorse on the princess' face took Twilight by surprise, "I've lost two of them in my lifetime to his madness...I will not lose a third." Twilight tried to wrap her mind around what she had revealed, but seemed to be having some trouble. "I don't understand...lose them?" "He targeted my apprentices to try and get to me. Each time, the element bearers and myself have locked him away...but in two instances...I was too late." a mournful expression crossed Celestia's normally regal features, "He drove them insane...walked them to the edge of madness...and pushed them off." "The tear I shed before Discord used my own spell against me, was for you, Twilight." the quiet admission stoked a flurry of conflicting feelings within the young unicorn. She appreciated Celestia's concern, but also couldn't hide the fear brought about by the realization that Discord had been trying to make her lose her mind all this time. "I knew he would come after you once I was out of the way, to try and take from me that which I cared for...like I had done to him." Princess Celestia's mood lightened inexplicably as she went on. "I take it he contacted you in some way shortly after the Summer Sun Celebration?" She nodded, still dumbstruck by her revelation. "But you resisted." she smiled proudly at her student. "You took his mental assault in stride, and managed to free me. You certainly are every bit the strong unicorn I sensed when I first laid eyes on you." Twilight blushed slightly at her compliment, and felt a genuine curiosity grow inside her. "Princess...if you knew the stone spell wouldn't hold him forever, why didn't you just...um..." she searched for the right word to try and soften this question as much as she could. "Kill him?" Celestia completed. A sheepish grin let the solar princess know exactly what Twilight had been thinking. "I had the opportunity many times, but I couldn't bring myself to do it." she whispered sadly. "Why?" Twilight questioned, "After all the pain he's caused you?" The princess sighed; knowing to try and explain such a matter to a mortal would be futile. She searched for a scenario Twilight could relate to before settling on one. "Do you remember Spike's first birthday in Ponyville?" "Yes..." she frowned, remembering what a monster he had become once he let his innate greed take hold. "Suppose he was unable to regain control of himself." she began, "Could you look him in the eye, as you erased him from existence?" Twilight blinked. 'No way! I'd never hurt Spike, no matter how crazy he acted! He's like my...oh.' Celestia continued, knowing from Twilight's expression that her point had struck home. "Or would you attempt anything you could to try and revive your most loyal friend? To give him chance after chance to reclaim the part of him you knew was still hidden somewhere underneath all the pain you caused him, and...just for him to know you still care." Twilight nodded dumbly. Now she understood the futile hope her mentor had clung to for a thousand years...her desperate prayers for her one time best friend to recover from the wounds of the past, to forgive her of the terrible treatment at her hooves. The unbearable knowledge that with every waking moment, the stone talon of blame pointed squarely at her. "So you see Twilight...I cannot sit idly by while my subjects suffer for my mistake," she added, "And I most certainly will not allow you, of all ponies to put yourself in any more danger than you already have." Twilight had one last card to play to try and convince the princess they all needed to pull together if they were to beat the ever powerful tyrant. "What about the last time Discord escaped?" she snapped, fully aware that she was striking a soft spot. "You weren't trying to protect me then!" The young unicorns tone surprised even herself. But she held fast, fighting the urge to apologize. "Discord made his presence known almost immediately," Celestia explained, "And I was not sealed in stone. He, for whatever reason, isolated his chaos to Ponyville, and all you needed was a gentle reminder of your friendship. The elements did the rest. As for why he chose to conceal himself this time...the answer to that lies somewhere within his warped mind." Twilight knew how weak the princess must have been. Her tired features alone suggested it would take at least a few days of rest before she would stand a ghost of a chance against Discord. "Please princess, you can't hope to face him in your condition!" she pled, "You haven't eaten anything but breakfast for over a week!" "There is no time for me to rest!" Celestia insisted, " The longer I wait, the further Discord's reach becomes. Soon his power will expand beyond our borders, and I will not be responsible for a global catastrophe." "But-" "I'm afraid I must cut your visit short Twilight." the princess said raising a hoof, "I must rest if I am to face him tomorrow." Twilight knew there was no point in arguing. Instead, she steeled herself to do something she had never before considered: disobey a direct order from the princess. Twilight bowed deeply, almost as if mocking the princess before speaking, "Then I will take my leave, your highness." There was a sharp edge to her words. The princess flinched, as if the goodbye had stung, but held her tongue. Her student had every right to be upset. Twilight left Applejack's room, fierce determination etched across her brow. She knew what needed to be done. She entered the living room to find Spike regaling the three fillies with tales of his somewhat exaggerated bravery in the face of the Diamond Dogs the time they kidnapped Rarity. Granny Smith had fallen asleep in her rocker, halfway through knitting what appeared to be a winter jacket about Applejack's size. Though why she was making one in the middle of the summer Twilight hadn't the slightest idea. She quietly passed through the living room out to the porch where Big Mac sat, staring off into the silvery haze that used to be Ponyville. "Why hasn't that fog come out here?" Mac asked. "I don't know. I'm just grateful it hasn't." "How'd your talk with the princess go?" "She still wants us to stay behind while she tries to fight Discord." Twilight admitted in defeat. Mac knew better than to think that would stop his marefriend, "You've got a plan, Ah take it?" She looked to the red stallion and smiled, "You know me well." "And that plan would be?" "We beat her to the punch, and stop Discord ourselves." Not the most elaborate plan, but he figured she knew more about stopping evil deities than he ever would. Despite her apparent confidence, a look of worry crossed his battered features once again. She noticed his expression and affectionately rubbed her head against the highest part of his neck she could reach. "Don't worry. We've got the elements, and the princess with us. We can't fail." Twilight's words conveyed confidence, but the draught horse felt an unease just the same. "You just came back from over there, and now you want to charge back in?" Twilight sighed, knowing he was only trying to protect her from harm, just like the princess. But sometimes, in order to achieve something incredible, she knew you had to put yourself in harms way. "Yes." the lavender unicorn whispered softly to her significant stallion, "I know it's risky, but we don't have a choice. If we do nothing, Discord's power will only grow, and that fog will swallow the world." Mac let out a heavy sigh. It seemed like he had just gotten her back, and now she wanted to leave again? It didn't seem fair. The look on his face drew a nuzzle from Twilight, her horn grazing a few of his cuts, the magic stored in her appendage making the side of his cheek tingle before going numb. "I promise I'll come back to you." He looked her straight in the eye, her stare conveying her sincerity. "Ah'll hold you to it." She planted a quick, yet passionate kiss on his still somewhat cut up lips. "You better." Twilight stepped off the porch and towards the barn to rally her troops as Mac watched her leave. He wasn't normally the type to worry, but this wasn't a normal set of circumstances either. Even so, his face was still as stoic as ever, his apprehension concealed by his naturally calm facade. He took his leave back into the farmhouse, unable to take his mind off the risk the mare he cared about the most was taking. Mac knew he would have this feeling in the pit of his stomach until she came back safe, and everything was back to the way it was. He prayed that moment would come sooner, rather than later. "Alright girls, as you know, the princess is bound and determined to take on Discord by herself." Twilight said, pacing back and forth in front of the other element bearers and princess Luna, who had lined up outside the barn. "But even she has expressed doubt as to whether or not she'll be strong enough to beat him. Given enough time to rest, I'm sure she would be more than formidable, but time is a luxury we don't have." "What do you propose Twilight?" Luna asked. "I propose we march into Canterlot, and put Discord back where he belongs ourselves!" her enthusiasm wasn't met exactly as she'd hoped. "March?" Fluttershy squeaked, "Into...that?" she shuddered, casting a nervous at the silver shroud enveloping the trees. Twilight sighed, "Listen girls, I know this sounds crazy, but if we don't try everything we can, the world may never be the same again!" "Do any of you want to live in a world ruled by Discord?" she continued, Pinkie raised a hoof. "Anypony besides Pinkie?" The pink hoof lowered slowly. "Twilight, I'm all for courageous plans, but what makes you think we can defeat Discord if the princess doesn't think she can?" Rarity asked, getting a nod of agreement from the others. "We don't have to defeat him. All we have to do is hold our own until she arrives! When she realizes we've left, she'll come straight to Canterlot, and when she does, there's no way he'll be able to beat the elements of harmony and the one who created them!" "Ahem!" "And princess Luna, of course!" Twilight added quickly. Still, their expressions remained uncertain. "Oh! Oh! I gotta question!" Pinkie said stepping forward, "How are we going to get past that fog princess Luna was talking about in the barn earlier? I don't think we can seal that meanie Discord back up if we're all crazy and stuff!" In all honesty, that detail had escaped Twilight's seemingly perfect plan. "I...uh..." "I can answer that." Luna responded, "My sister and I developed a spell to combat the reality distorting effects of the fog. I can cast it over an area large enough for us to take shelter, but it takes a lot of concentration. I'm afraid if I get you there, I may not be of much use in battle." "Then its settled. Before dawn tomorrow, assuming dawn comes, we set out to fight Discord!" she stamped her hoof proudly, some of her enthusiasm finally beginning to rub off on her comrades. "Together." Each extended a hoof on top of the others, repeating what their brave general had said as they went. "Together!" As what could very well have been their final day wore on, Twilight couldn't help but consider everything Discord had done so far. He gave them the elements of harmony, twice! Not to mention, instead of dumping the stone Celestia in a volcano, he gave her to the six ponies he knew could free her to fight him. Try as she might, Twilight simply couldn't find any rhyme or reason to Discord's actions. She knew he was the god of chaos, but he had to have some kind of plan, even if it did seem nonsensical to her. Big Macintosh sidled up beside her, noting her thoughtful expression. "Somethin' on your mind?" "Yeah..." Twilight sighed. She felt the weight of the stallion bend the boards beneath her as he took a seat to her left. "I can't help but feel we're walking in to a trap." "What d'ya mean?" "If it weren't for Discord's intervention, we wouldn't have Princess Celestia, or the Elements. He gave them both to us, he wanted us to have them." She stomped a hoof irritably, "It's like he wanted us to free Celestia and come fight him. But it doesn't make any sense! If he wanted to take over the world, he could have easily done that by now! And the fog! It should have made it here by now, but it never crosses your property line, even though it's already spread across Equestria! It's like it's just waiting out there, mocking me!" Twilight hated it when things didn't make sense. Call it a fault, but to a logical mind like hers, unanswered questions were like hooves on a chalkboard. There had to be a purpose for everything that had happened so far. She was sure there was, even if she simply couldn't see it yet. The red stallion paused for a long moment. "You can't look for reasons b'hind what Discord does. I'm no scholar or nothin' but Ah caught a few lines outta that book you had on him. If he's averse ta logic, the only thing you're gonna get outta tryin' ta figure him out is a headache." Twilight groaned, she knew he was right, but trying to figure everything out was part of who she was! She couldn't just 'turn it off'. "You're right Mac. Once we put him back where he belongs, we'll all have a good laugh about this." she said, reassuring Big Macintosh as well as herself. "That's the spirit. Now come on inside and bring the other's with ya. Supper's ready." The smell of Granny Smith's southern fried delicacies had been teasing Twilight for almost an hour. She hastily gathered the others from the barn as they ate at Applejack's rather large dinner table, Celestia even stirring from her rest to join them, having been lured by the same smell as Twilight. After a rather quiet dinner, the barn and the setting sun called to all of them. Celestia attempted to sleep in the barn with the rest of them, but after some insistence from Applejack, she remained in her bed for the duration of the night. Sneaking out early that morning would be near impossible without her in the farmhouse. Instead of the normal nightfall, the moon eclipsed the ever present sun, and held it's unnatural darkness over Equestria. The heavens themselves seemed to halt their normal courses as Discord's power continued to influence the very earth beneath their hooves. Still, it was dark enough to sleep by, though very few in the barn got any rest. The eve of battle unnerved them all, though luckily they had each other to confide in. Spike had curled up beside Twilight, while Mac lay on her other side. Spike was already sound asleep, oblivious to the plan that had been hatched while he was inside with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Twilight contemplated a thought she had been able to suppress up until this point. What if this was her last night as a sane pony? What if Discord truly had reached a strength that could not be matched by any combination of alicorn or element? If it was, she wished she could be alone with Mac one last time, to show him how much his admission earlier that day had meant to her. There was no doubt in her mind that she would have rocked his world. But as it stood, they were together in the barn, with Spike literally right next to her. Twilight was okay with that, but her primal side still wished she could drag Mac behind the barn and show him how much his love meant. But alas... Mac was still awake, and so was Twilight, each knowing why the other was still conscious. Twilight felt a foreleg reach across her gently as she backed into the larger stallion on his side behind her. He was like a big warm teddy bear; simply knowing he was near enough to calm her anxiety toward the coming storm. She nuzzled his chin with her head affectionately, the big stallion returning the gesture softly. "Will you wake me before ya leave?" he whispered. "Mhm." she hummed softly. "Goodnight Mac," she turned her head and gave him a soft kiss on his still somewhat swollen cheek. "I love you." "I love you too Twilight." A contented smile crossed her lips as she fell into a light sleep. On the other side of the barn, Rainbow and Applejack shared a hay pile near the door. "Ah've never seen an eclipse before." "Me neither. It'd be pretty cool if it wasn't so...um...one of those big words Twilight uses, it means bad?" Applejack put a hoof to her mouth in contemplation, "Uh...ominous!" "Right ominous!" They shared a quiet laugh as they returned their gaze to the phenomenon above them. Both sat with legs tucked neatly beneath them, knowing they should be trying to get as much rest as possible before their date with destiny. Both however, wanted to resolve a few burning questions first. "So...I don't want to sound too forward...but...do you...still...uhm..." Rainbow faltered, a bright red tint rushing below her eyes as she flattened her ears in apprehension. Applejack still found her nervousness adorable. "Mean what you said on our way to Cloudsdale?" "You mean, do I still love you?" Rainbow looked up at her with a sheepish grin "Y-yeah..." The country mare only smiled, assuring her without words that obviously the planets themselves had to come between them in order to tear them apart. Even though her gentle gaze told Dash everything she wanted to hear, there was no substitute for hearing the words straight from the mare's mouth. "Yup. Ah do. C'mere you!" she said tackling the cyan pegasus in a flurry of soft giggles, giving her a tight hug and a quick peck on the lips before rolling over onto her back, Rainbow beside her, smiling like she had just been made captain of the Wonderbolts. "We need ta get some shut-eye." Applejack yawned, "We got a heckuva day tomorrow." Rainbow swallowed, her mind drifting to the same worrying thought as Twilight before her. "AJ...you ever wonder what'll happen if...we can't stop him?" such a question was quite unlike the normally confident pegasus, taking Applejack a bit by surprise. "That's just stinkin' thinkin' darlin', of course we can stop him. Ain't no way he can stand up to both princesses and the elements a' harmony." she whispered, inching closer to her worried partner. A comforting hoof rested across Rainbow's chest lazily as Applejack dug her nose into her multi-colored mane, the gentle tug of her lips on her neck making Dash chuckle softly. "What are you doin?" Applejack stopped to raise her mouth to Rainbow's ear. "Revenge." Twilight was the first to awaken in what she assumed was the pre-dawn hours. There was no way to tell, as the permanent eclipse cast everything in an eerily dim twilight. Big Macintosh had rolled off of her during the night, his back now to hers as she quietly raised herself to her hooves. Spike was more of a stationary sleeper as Twilight stepped over the balled up baby dragon to wake the others. She crept over to Rainbow and Applejack, finding them both huddled together, whatever problems they had been having apparently solved. It was kind of cute how well they went together, but knew she had to interrupt their sweet dreams with matters of pressing importance. "Rainbow!" she whispered. The cyan mare began to stir, before yawning and rubbing the sleep from her magenta eyes with her hooves. With a single glance to the pony that woke her, she figured the time had come. "Is it morning already?" she asked sleepily. "I'm...not sure. But the sooner we beat Discord, the sooner we can get back to our lives." Rainbow stood, nudging Applejack awake. "I need you to make sure the princess is still in Applejack's room." Twilight added, Dash nodded, silently fluttering out of the barn and up to the window. After a short while, she returned with the news Twilight had been hoping for. "She's sleepin' like a log." Soon everypony had been quietly roused, as Twilight considered Big Mac's request. She wanted to tell him goodbye, but couldn't bear to see the worry on his face she loathed. Any farewell would be painful, as the thought of this being their last goodbye resided in the very back of her mind, and she was sure it took refuge in his mind as well. She thought it best to leave a note, grabbing an ever-ready quill and scroll from inside the house. "Mac, I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but I couldn't stand the thought of you having to watch me go fight Discord, not knowing whether or not you would see me again. Maybe by the time you wake up, I'll be back, and you'll never have to read this. I pray that you will wake up to a blue sky and the warmth of the bright sunlight, with me by your side; this whole nightmare behind us. I know we will come back victorious, but just in case something happens; remember, I love you Macintosh Apple." She set the note next to the red stallion and kissed him gently on the cheek before turning to join the element bearers and princess Luna outside the barn, each pony's element donned and ready. He stirred only slightly before settling back down. The six ponies gathered around Luna as her horn began to glow a bright blue. Within seconds, a bubble of the same color surrounded them, stemming from the lunar princesses forehead. "Twilight, I cannot use two spells at once." she explained, "Can you teleport us to Canterlot?" Her magic restored, the gifted unicorn felt confident in her ability. A swift nod and they all gathered in a tight group outside the barn. Twilight took one last look at the sleeping Spike and Big Macintosh, memorizing the scene as her motivation to return with Discord defeated. "If, for whatever reason, the lens of truth spell breaks," Luna began as Twilight charged her teleportation spell, "Remember. Nothing you see, is real."