//------------------------------// // Chapter Sixteen // Story: Harmony Undone: The Rise of Order // by Zodiacspear //------------------------------// The wind had died down to a gentle breeze, and all sounds of animal life had been subdued in the aftermath of the struggle. The storm that had raged only a few moments before had faded as fast as it arrived. The silence was almost deafening to Twilight as she pushed herself up with a grunt. Her ears twitched as she heard the groans from her friends as she tried to clear the blur to her vision. “Ugh,” Rainbow muttered. “Did we win?” At her spoken question, Twilight’s gasp joined the others as she turned to see Tyranny still hovering in the air above them. Her shock turned to confusion at his battered and beaten appearance. One eye was closed shut and his face twisted in a pained grimace. Panting through gritted teeth, he glared at them with pure disbelief. She bristled as he slowly lifted one hoof towards them, staggering to her own hooves to meet whatever offensive he tried to muster. Or at least he tried to, as his foreleg dropped to his side. With a pained cough, he fell to the ground. The snake crown fell from his head and rolled in the grass before disintegrating into nothingness. Grunting with the effort, he pushed himself up—supported only by his front legs—as wisps of black miasma drifted off of his body and vanished into the air. With his one good eye, he turned a hateful glare at Twilight. “How is this, possible? All of my careful planning… How could I have lost?” Celestia grunted as she stood and turned a look of regret his way. “If only you would’ve been willing to change a little, Tyranny, and used your powers for good, it wouldn’t have come to this. You brought this upon yourself.” His laughter sounded like a weak cough. “All this time and still you know nothing, Celestia. As long as the desire for order and control exists, so will I.” He turned a seething glare at her. “I will be back again!” “Are you still wanting to fight?” Twilight demanded of him, flaring her wings. “Are you so stubborn that you can’t realize what you’re doing?” As he painfully stood on all fours, Twilight’s ears flicked as a low rumbling started. “Enjoy this victory while you can, princess, but don’t you dare think this is over…” “It is over, Tyranny!” Luna snapped with a stamp of her hoof. “You have lost!” He managed a contemptuous scoff. “Poor, little, Luna… You absolute fool. You will see the truth of my words…You will see…” Levitating into the air, he said, “I will return… to rule this world again. Equestria, will know peace.” Twilight turned a defiant glare at him even as the rumbling grew louder. “Come back as often as you want. You’ll never win! Equestria is better without you!” She saw that Tyranny wanted to retort, but a severe spasm of pain caused him to wrap his forelegs around his barrel. With a look of disbelief and a shout, he threw his forelegs outward, and a loud, violent eruption of light burst from him, causing them all to shield their eyes from the bright glare. -0- The outpost along Equestria’s eastern border stood as empty and bare as it had since Twilight and the others had arrived. The stillness broke as a flash of light appeared. In its place was the unicorn commander who had been Tyranny’s first victim. He looked around with confusion as more flashes of light brought back his soldiers. All across Equestria, the ponies who had been banished to the Realm of Shadow began to reappear, the magic binding them unravelling. The soldiers could only look at each other speechless before the commander just shook his head and muttered, “I need a vacation.” -0- In another part of Equestria, a certain blue, unicorn showmare appeared by her wagon. Her confused gaze glancing to and fro before settling on her nearby magic cap and cloak. A pinkish aura surrounded the garments, and with a dramatic flourish, they settled in their usual places. Her smile was as wide and genuine as the breeze that blew through her silvery mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned!” she declared with a dramatic flair to nopony in particular. -0- In the Crystal Empire, an orange-pelted and blue-maned pegasus picked himself up and looked at his fellow guards. The commanding officer was quick to assert control. “Find the Princess and Prince, we need to find them! Flash, get to Canterlot and seek Princess Celestia’s aid.” “Yes, sir.” Flash Sentry saluted before flying off. -0- In Canterlot, the returned guards looked at the nearly destroyed castle with wide eyes and slacked jaws. Startled shouts escaped them as Discord appeared and muttered his annoyance while dusting himself off. “Finally!” he huffed. “Took them long enough. Next time, I’ll remember to draw a picture.” The guards simply looked at each other. “Do you have any idea what is going on?” “Not a clue.” -0- Once the glare began to dim in the clearing, the ponies squinted at its center. Instead of the dark velvet stallion, an auburn-colored earth pony floated listlessly in the air as the last of the dark miasma vanished from his body. He floated in the air a moment more before plummeting to the ground. “Wanderer!” screamed a panicked Tourmaline as she took off with a speed born of adrenaline and caught him before he could hit the ground. The two tumbled through the grass in a heap, but it didn’t even slow her as she was back on her hooves and at his side. “Wanderer, please wake up!” she pleaded with the still stallion. She turned an ear against his chest, listening for a heartbeat. “Wanderer, please don’t do this to me. Wake up! Don’t give up now! Wanderer!” she cried out, her voice cracking. The wind ruffled his mane, but it was the only movement from the unresponsive earth pony. “Wanderer…” she whispered, letting the tears flow unabashed. She turned grief-stricken eyes to her brother as he rested a hoof on her shoulder. Her brother’s own eyes were rimmed with tears, but he held strong for her. “Tourmaline—” “No! He’s not gone! Not after all we’ve gone through, not now!” She turned a pleading look to Celestia. “Princess Celestia, please help him! Don’t let him die!” Celestia walked up to the still stallion and lowered her head to listen to his chest. After a moment, she looked at Tourmaline with saddened eyes. “I am sorry, Tourmaline, there are some things not even I can change.” “No! I won’t believe it! Wanderer, please don’t do this to me! Wanderer!” She looked back at him and buried her face into his neck, her sobs shaking her entire body. All around, tears were shed for the pegasus’s loss. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie wept openly. Twilight tried to hold the tears back but failed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack did their best to hide their own. Tourmaline cried more and uttered her friend’s name a final time before resting her head on his neck. It was then she heard it, a faint thump, which was followed by another. She looked at his face and saw his eyes flutter a bit before he drew in a breath. “W-Wanderer?” she asked quietly as a groan escaped him. He grunted again and pushed himself up slowly, turning a confused look her way.  “Tourmaline?” “Wanderer!” She wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug, tears of loss replacing tears of unrestrained joy. Grunting from her vice-like hug, he groaned, “Tourmaline… my ribs… ow.” She gasped and let him go, but when he smiled weakly at her, she tentatively hugged him again. They looked up at the shouts of surprise from behind them. A blast of confetti and streamers showered over everybody—a show of Pinkie’s unrestrained joy. Luna looked at the two, her jaw slack, before looking at her sister, who wore a perplexed expression as well, though it quickly warmed up at the sight before her. “How is this possible?” Celestia shook her head softly, her perplexed look turning to one of happiness as she watched scene unfold. “I don’t know.” “Tormod, what’s going on?” Wanderer asked his friend as the unicorn stood by quietly, a relieved smile on his face. “Where am I?” Before he could answer, Princess Celestia approached. “There is much to speak of, but first we need to make sure you are alright.” “Princess Celestia,” he breathed and lowered his head respectfully. The bow would have sent him back to the ground had Tourmaline not been there to steady him. A warm smile played across Celestia’s muzzle. “Don’t worry. You and your friends can stay at my castle to heal and enjoy the celebration.” “Does that mean what I think it means?” Pinkie asked, pressing her nose into Rainbow’s. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her. “A party?” “A party! Whoo hoo!” Pinkie cheered and danced around, her exuberance allowing for nothing less. As everyone laughed and congratulated each other, Twilight looked around and noticed that Chrysalis was nowhere to be seen. The changeling had likely disappeared shortly after Tyranny had been defeated, she reasoned. As she thought about it, Twilight could only shrug. If Chrysalis tried to make a move on Equestria, they would be ready for her. Twilight, however, silently hoped that Chrysalis had learned a thing or two about friendship and trust. -0- Excited chatter and sighs of relief were shared throughout the train cart as they rode back for Canterlot. Princess Celestia watched Wanderer as he sat quietly next to Tourmaline, watching the others talk and laugh amongst themselves. He was leaning against Tourmaline, and—to Celestia—he seemed to enjoy the pegasus’s presence as much as she was his. “Wanderer, would you be willing to tell us what happened to you while under Tyranny’s control?” Princess Celestia asked. His gaze snapped to her, and he lowered his head a bit. The mood in the train cart changed, just like that, as all gazes were on him. Rubbing the back of his head, he said, “I’m not sure how to describe it. It was like being in a small room to myself, with only a single window to look out of. Through the window, I could see and hear everything he did but couldn’t do anything to stop him. Anytime I screamed or yelled at him to stop, he taunted me. He told me over and over how powerless I was to do anything, and that I should consider myself fortunate to witness his dominance over Equestria and not end up like everypony else he had sent to the Realm of Shadow.” He shuddered. “I wouldn’t wish that upon even my worst enemy.” “So, how did you break free?” Fluttershy asked. “I thought I saw your eyes for a moment before Tyranny stopped attacking us.” A faint frown pulled at his lips. “When he was fighting all of you together, I guess it put a lot of strain on him. The room I was in suddenly cracked open, and I jumped through without thinking.  I only got to see the clearing for a second before I was put back in the room. But then there was the light and his yell before…  I don’t know. I can’t honestly tell you.”  He shrugged helplessly. The royal sisters shared a glance before Applejack spoke. “So is Tyranny truly gone for good, Princess?” Celestia shook her head. “No, it is as he said. As long as ponies desire order and structure, he will continue to exist.” “Despite what we may want otherwise, our world needs order just as much as it needs chaos. Without it, the world could not maintain harmony,” Princess Luna said. “So we’ll have to keep things from getting too chaotic for him to come crawling back again,” Rarity said, still trying to fix her mane after the brutal beating it had taken from the storm’s wind. “Oh, where is the fun in that? A little bit of chaos isn’t such a bad thing.” Wanderer’s eyes widened as a voice drifted around all of them. He jumped a bit as a draconequus appeared beside Rarity, idly flicking at her mane. “Discord!” shouted many ponies. Happy tears ran down Fluttershy’s face as she enveloped him in a fierce hug. “Good to see all of you again, though you certainly took your sweet time.” He released Fluttershy from the hug. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to play I Spyin the Realm of Shadow? It is no walk in the park, let me tell you.” A faint smile tugged at Celestia’s lips as Wanderer looked at Tourmaline for an explanation. “A friend,” she said, nodding to Discord. “He was the one who helped Tormod when he was turned into a statue.” Discord scoffed, shooting a glare at Celestia and Luna. “Another absolutely boring experience, that is. It’s horrible when you have an itch that needs scratching and you can’t move your petrified arms to get to it.” Tormod smiled weakly. “You’re not wrong.” Discord looked at Wanderer. “Well, I’m certain that being turned to stone would have been preferable to being stuck in your own mind with that insufferable Tyranny as your only company.  I’m glad to see that you don’t have to suffer that anymore.” A wan smirk pulled at Wanderer’s lips. “He was a bit of a blowhard.” A full guffaw escaped Discord. “That he is, that he is. Well said.” “There is one thing I don’t understand,” Rarity said as she looked at Celestia. “Why didn’t the Elements turn Tyranny to stone?” The draconequus rolled his eyes, but the others seemed thoughtful. Twilight looked at Wanderer for a moment and was about to say something but caught herself. “What were you thinking, Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked her. “It’s… a theory. I don’t have any proof,” she admitted. “Let us hear it,” Luna said. She looked again at Wanderer. “Well, I think that you had something to do with it.” His head snapped back, his eyes widening. “Me?” She nodded. “I theorize that because Tyranny was in control of your body, that the Elements didn’t turn him to stone. If they had, they would have sealed you in stone along with him.” Shaking her head, she continued, “That would have been far too cruel, and the Elements wouldn’t have done something like that.” He glanced to the side. “You have no idea…” Again, she nodded. “I don’t know where Tyranny has gone. His essence might have been scattered or banished, but I do not know where it could be. Tartarus maybe?” A thoughtful frown made its way across Celestia’s face. “Perhaps. I will speak with Cerberus after we return to Canterlot.” “Well, I can’t say much on the subject,” Discord said with aplomb. “The only experience I’ve had with the Elements is being made into a handsome lawn ornament.” Rarity turned an irritable glare his way. “You are never going to let that go are you?” “Not in my lifetime or yours,” he said matter-of-factly and showed her a mirror that appeared in his hand. Her expression turned to pure horror as she saw her purple mane had been turned into a solid black. “My mane!” she cried, hooves shooting up to cover the ebony locks. “You fiend! A black mane with a white coat is so monochrome. You dastard!” Discord wagged a finger at her. “Now, now, language. A proper lady would not use such vulgarity.” Her glare could’ve put Celestia’s sun to shame. “You know exactly what I said, you hooligan. Change my mane back, this instant!” “Oh, if you insist.” He snapped his fingers again and changed her hair to crimson. “Discord!” Her shriek almost hit ear-piercing levels. “So much for keepin’ things from bein’ too chaotic,” Applejack remarked dryly, as she rubbed at her ears. -0- For three days, the celebration was shared all over Equestria. Ponies danced, partied, and celebrated Tyranny’s defeat as all was made right again. In Canterlot, Pinkie Pie and Discord made sure the celebration was extravagant and would never be forgotten. The storm of confetti clouds and uncountable amount of cupcakes made for an unforgettable event. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor returned to the Crystal Empire to bring the news to the crystal ponies and assure them that all was well. The Crystal Heart was soon set back in its pedestal, and happiness flowed forth once again. After the third day, the adventurers took their leave of Canterlot. Twilight found herself with Princess Celestia in the throne room as the three announced their departure. She stood beside her mentor as they spoke to the three. The damage done to the throne room had been repaired by a simple snap of a draconequus’s fingers. “So, you are leaving?” Princess Celestia asked them. “Yes, Princess, I’m getting the urge to move on,” Wanderer said, his friends beside him. “It usually means there is more adventure ahead for us.” Celestia smiled and nodded, turning her gaze to Tourmaline. “You will take care of them, yes?” Tourmaline smiled wide. “I will, Princess Celestia. I promise we won’t get into too much trouble.” “Except for the trouble you inevitably start,” Tormod muttered. She glared daggers at him. “Care to say that a bit louder, dear brother?” Tourmaline asked, acid dripping from her tone. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a haughty toss of his head. Wanderer laughed, which earned him an elbow to the ribs. “Every day’s an adventure, Princess. As long as you have great friends with you, it’s never a dull moment.” Twilight smiled at them. “You three will visit Ponyville one day, right?” Wanderer turned his easy smile to her. “You can count on it, Princess Twilight. The Everfree Forest is one place we all want to explore one day. Keep an eye out for us.” “Of course, farewell to you all.” With that, the three politely took their leave. Wanderer and Tourmaline walked closely together as they left. A wispy smiled tugged at Twilight’s lips. It was good to see happiness in others. For her, happiness had been restrained during the celebration. Her long-awaited talk with Celestia was at hoof, and she would finally have the answers she so desired to her questions. “Well, Princess Twilight, are you ready?” Princess Celestia asked, turning a serious look her way. Twilight took a calming breath, even if she felt a cold feeling grip her stomach. “I am, Princess.  For better or worse, I am. However…” She hesitated a moment. “I want to say something.” Celestia tilted her head at her before giving her a nod. “Speak on then.” Twilight eased to her haunches, her eyes downcast. “Even if it was just for a moment that I doubted you. I never would turn my back on you. Not for anything. Even if it means that I will have to see my friends and family move on without me.” She lifted her gaze to look her mentor in the eye. “You are still my friend, Princess Celestia, and that will never change. If I have to live forever too, I know I will have you, Luna, Cadence, and Spike with me.” Celestia looked at her for a long moment, moisture collecting under her eyes before she blinked the budding tears away and smiling warmly. “There is something I must show you before I speak.” She raised her head up, and her horn took on its bright, golden glow. As the magic wrapped itself around her, Twilight could feel herself slipping away, her essence leaving Equestria. A sensation, she realized, that she had experienced once before. -0- Her eyes fluttered opened to see that she stood in a place of ethereal light, where every color of the spectrum shown in all their brilliance. They flowed and ghosted around her as she looked around at the marvelous display. “I’ve… been here before,” she breathed, the memories of the day she had created a new spell washing back to her. “This is where—” Small “screens” floated by. They showed images of other alicorns as they went about their lives. Twilight could only look on in wonder, as there were dozens of them. From what she saw of the backgrounds in the screens, she could tell that they spanned centuries in time. Yet, none of them were alicorns she knew of—there were even a few male alicorns! All faces and names that had been lost to history, remaining in the memory of only one pony. “They all felt the same as you, Twilight,” Celestia said as she joined her student. “They all had questions of what it meant to be an alicorn, or what it meant to be a princess or prince.” “Who are they?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide as she looked at the various images. Celestia watched the screens a moment before responding. “They are my recollections of others whom I had adopted and given the title of Princess or Prince of Equestria. It is here, in the Realm of Light, where I can see their faces and hear their voices again—even if I cannot do so in Equestria anymore.” There was a tightness in her voice, and Twilight saw that Celestia had tears rimming her eyes once more. “So they are…?” Twilight asked, even if she knew the answer already. “Dead and passed on, yes,” the princess said with no small amount of grief. “But here, I keep their memory alive and with me forever.” “So that means that I…” she let the thought hang, not able to give it voice. “Will not have to endure the loss of your friends through aging without you aging along with them,” Celestia answered, turning her gaze her way. “I would not be so cruel as to have you learn what true friendship was, only to have you see it pass on in front of you. Nor could I let Cadence marry your brother if it meant she would have to helplessly watch him leave her behind.” Twilight blinked, her eyes widening. “Princess Cadence… Does she know?” “Did you not ask her?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow and small smile. A sheepish blush crept on her cheeks. “I was afraid to ask her, just in case she didn’t know. I didn’t want to upset her at the time, considering the situation we were in.” Celestia nodded, her mane swaying with the motion. “Tyranny likely planned it that way and influenced your thoughts.” Twilight frowned. “Why would he say such things? Surely he knew the truth.” “He did, but he took the risk and assumed you didn’t.” A frown formed on Celestia’s face. “Once he knew, he used you. Because of that, I take the blame, Twilight.” She looked back at Twilight. “Can you ever forgive me?” The way Celestia had said it, Twilight knew her answer would be important. A warm smile played across her face as she said, “Of course, Princess. I would be a horrible pony if I didn’t. You only wanted to protect me until I was ready, and Tyranny took advantage of it. You couldn’t have seen it coming. So yes, I forgive you.” Celestia smiled warmly, and the two shared an embrace. “But, Princess, how is it that you and Princess Luna have lived for so long?” Twilight asked as she stepped back. “Whereas Cadence, the others, and I don’t?” Celestia closed her eyes a moment, and spoke, “My sister and I were born as alicorns, Twilight, and with that came incredible longevity. Not immortality, but a long lifespan. One that has spanned well over a thousand years.” Twilight looked at the screens of the deceased alicorns as they moved past and felt sympathy for her mentor. “How do you do it, Princess Celestia?” As Celestia turned a curious look her way, she explained further, “Each of them and me—how do you stand to see them live and pass on? It has to hurt each time.” Celestia watched the images float past for a time. “It’s hard, Twilight, but I find comfort in knowing they all lived their lives to the fullest. It doesn’t lessen the grief, but it certainly helps me cope.” Twilight tilted her head as she considered that. “You are strong, Princess Celestia, stronger than I will ever be.” The Sun Princess smiled. “Do not sell yourself short, Twilight. When you faced Tyranny, you showed the strength that I would be hard-pressed to match.” She nuzzled her affectionately. “Seeing you and your friends lead full, happy lives gives me my strength. Remember that.” As Twilight felt the magic keeping her in the Realm of Light fade, a content smile eased itself on her face as she drifted away—back home and back to her friends. -0- As Twilight and her friends stepped off the train at the Ponyville train station, she could see that nothing had changed in the sleepy little town. She saw the Cakes carrying the twins on their way to Sugarcube Corner. Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom were selling apples at the local market. She saw Autumn Leaves happily unloading a wagon full of new books with the help of her sister, Winter Blossom, who looked dejected as she helped unload the wagon. ’I’ll have to stop by later. See if they have anything new.’ she thought as they walked. A happy smile played across her face. After so many weeks of being on the road and so much frustration, heartache, and eventual closure to many questions, she was glad to be home. She saw that her friends felt the same way as she, as each of them wore the same, wide smiles. “Alright, better see if the weather ponies have been keeping things running smoothly while I was gone,” Rainbow Dash said as they stopped for goodbyes. “I’m sure that without me around, things have gotten hectic.” “Oh, I bet Angel and all the woodland critters will be so happy to see me,” Fluttershy said as she pranced in place. “I can’t wait to see them.” “I better be getting on home too. Ah’m sure Applebloom is going to chat my ear off askin’ questions, and sure enough, I’ll hear about all the trouble she and her crusader friends been in while we were gone.” A wan smile spread across Applejack’s face as she rested her hat atop her head. “Oh, oh, I gotta let Mr. and Mrs. Cake know I’m back in town! Pound and Pumpkin Cake will be so happy to see me.” Pinkie Pie bounced around excitedly, her saddlebags threatening to burst with treats and goodies left over from the celebration. Rarity sighed. “I’m sure Sweetie Belle has left quite the mess for me to clean up once I get back to the boutique,” she said as she flipped her mane out of her eyes. “No doubt there are orders that will need to be seen too as well. A lady’s work is truly never done.” “I’m sure Spike has a surprise for me waiting at home too. I know he’s been missing us all since he came home without us,” Twilight said. “He’s probably glad he didn’t stay with us,” Rainbow joked. The girls all shared a small chuckle and turned for home. “Same time this next weekend at the watering hole?” Rarity asked. Applejack tipped her hat. “You betcha.” “Indeedy,” Pinkie Pie added. Rainbow gave a confident smirk. “You know it.” “I’ll be there,” Fluttershy said quietly. Twilight smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” “Alright, see you girls soon.” Rarity waved in parting and turned down the lane towards the boutique. As each went their separate ways, Twilight watched after them. She truly felt blessed that she would have excellent friends no matter what came their way. Together, they would see it through as the best of friends for the rest of their lives. With a happy, content sigh, she turned for home.