After Twilight made her way to her room, she burst the door open and yelled: “M.I.L.I.S.! Prepare a video.”
“Recording.”
“Hey guys, Twilight here. I've had enough of Sombra's lies. I'm leaving to find Flash. If I'm needed, contact me through M.I.L.I.S., otherwise, don't bucking bother me. Hopefully I'll find him, and if I don't… let's just say Somber isn't seeing the light of another day. Here's hoping I find him. Farewell.”
“Is that all, Director?”
“Yes, end the recording.”
“Recording ended.”
“Play it back in the lab after half an hour. I should be far enough away by then,” Twilight said as she jumped off the balcony and began flying to the Badlands.
In Twilight's lab…
“I can't believe Twilight made all this technology,” Celestia said aloud.
“Well, she was your smartest student,” Luna said as she entered the lab.
“Sister!” Celestia called as she ran towards Luna, hugging her when she arrived by her side.
“It's good to see you too,” Luna smiled.
“Wait a second, you're not supposed to be better for at least a year, how are you well now?”
“You won't believe me, but it was a small piece of candy that Rarity gave to Doctor Horse for me to eat.”
“Rarity? Usually it's Pinkie that plays around with candy all day long.”
“It was my candy! And by the way, how did it taste?!?” Pinkie exclaimed as she popped up out of nowhere.
“Aah!” the two Alicorns exclaimed with the sudden appearance of a friend.
“Uh, it was sweet, and a bit salty too. It tasted like the ice cream made with sea salt, just not cold,” Luna replied.
“Excuse me, I have a message from Twilight,” M.I.L.I.S. said as she made a screen come out from inside a wall.
“Hey guys, Twilight here. I've had enough of Sombra's lies. I'm leaving to find Flash. If I'm needed, contact me through M.I.L.I.S. Otherwise, don't bucking bother me. Hopefully I'll find him, and if I don't… let's just say Somber isn't seeing the light of another day. Here's hoping I find him. Farewell.”
“There's only one thing I fear more than the power of darkness,” Celestia started, “and this is it.”
“What?” Luna asked with deep concern.
“An Alicorn when enraged,” Celestia stated flatly.
In the North tower of Twilight's Castle…
“Light Heart, we ask of you one wish in exchange for our power,”Myxer and Nixus said simultaneously.
The Light Heart began to glow and spin.
“We wish for our mother… to return to life,” Myxer and Nixus finished.
With that a pillar of light surrounded the Light Heart, Myxer, and Nixus. It drained the power of their Oversoul forms and returned them to their young forms. Then took that power and generated a figure in front of them.
“Why? Why would you sacrifice your most powerful forms to have me?” the glowing figure asked.
“Because, we love you more than our power,” the twins said.
“Then I think the Light Heart will grant that wish.”
Soon the glowing figure began to darken. And it began to take on physical properties.
Chrysalis had returned but was different in appearance. She had a crimson shell on her back; crimson wings, mane, tail, and eyes; and a creame coat.
“I'm proud of you two, you've learned more than I when it comes to caring,” Chrysalis said after taking complete form.
The twins then rushed and nuzzled their mother. She hugged them back as she was feeling a little warm and fuzzy on the inside.
“Is this what it feels like to care?” she mumbled.
“Yes it is, Chrysalis,” Celestia said as she entered the room along side Somber.
“S-Somber…” Chrysalis stated as she ran and hugged her husband.
Somber froze for a second before returning her sentiment. “It's been too long, my love.”
Later, in Twilight’s Laboratory…
“Somber, do you have access to the memories you made as Sombra?” Celestia asked.
A tear came to Somber's eye and he grit his teeth. “Saddly, yes. Though, I wish I could forget all the harm and grief I caused the Kingdoms.”
“In this moment it’s a good thing. You can tell M.I.L.I.S. where Flash Sentry is and she can relay the directions to Twi-”
“Twilight here, Somber you’d best thank your lucky star that I found Flash. To somewhat quote a famous singer: ‘We’re comin’ home. We’re comin’ home. Tell the girls that we’re comin’ home. Let the rain, wash away, all the tears of yesterday.’ Anyway, M.I.L.I.S., teleport us home!”
“Affirmative,” M.I.L.I.S. said before teleporting Flash Sentry and Twilight to the castle Laboratory.
“P-p-please, Princess Twilight Sparkle, forgive me for the things I did as Sombra,” Somber said as he bowed as deeply as he could.
“Silence, or I won’t forgive you.”
“Twilight!” Celestia called loudly.
“Princess Celestia, right now I still can’t forgive him. Flash is in critical condition and I! need to heal him or he just might die,” Twilight said as she set the unconsious, bleeding, orange Pegasus stallion Guard Captain on a table in the lab. “M.I.L.I.S., set up an energy line from console three-four-three directly to my suit. Meta, prepare the healing unit for a full power heal beam.”
“Affirmative,” the two said simultaneously.
“I hope this works,” Twilight said as an antenna arose out of a compartment in a nearby computer terminal and began emitting an electric energy that went straight to Twilight’s armour.
She then pointed her right fore hoof at Flash and a green beam of energy that began healing his wounds.
Flash soon woke up to find himself in the lab surrounded by: Celesia, Luna, Cadance, Shining, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Somber, Chrysalis, Myx, Nix, and Zecora.
“It seems his wounds did mend, but him, on a mission, I would not send.”
“Zecora, please, we’ve known you a long time, and we get that you enjoy rhyming, but please, pretty please, don’t rhyme on friendly visits.”
“Yes, Princess Twilight,” Zecora said as she hung her head.
“Ya’ know, I’m beginnin’ ta git a bit worried,” Applejack said as if something was nagging at her mind.
“What is it, Applejack?” Twilight asked beginning to get worried herself.
“Well, through all these events, we ain’t seen hide nor hair of Discord. I’d ‘a thought he’d be at least around ta’ see it all happen,” Applejack said.
“Oh, Honest Applejack, I have been watching you this whole time,” Discord’s voice echoed throughout the castle.
“Discord!” Celestia said the exact way she did when he returned from his first imprisonment in stone.
“Show yourself coward!” Luna yelled.
“P-lease, I’m no coward. I may be a bit batty, but i’m no coward,” he said before a cloud of smoke appeared in front of the ponies.
When the smoke dissipated, Discord was left standing in front of them eating a theater box of popcorn.
“You do know that this whole adventure you were on was quite the show, don’t you?”
“Discord, why do you always sit on the sidelines and watch everything go wrong?” Cadance asked with a flat tone.
“Because it’s fun. Now, anypony wanna play ‘Pin-The-Tails-On-The-Royals’?” he asked while pulling Celesia’s, Luna’s, Cadance’, Shining’s, Twilight’s, Somber’s, Chrysalis’, Myx’, and Nix’ tails out from behind his back.
All nine Royal ponies looked back at where their tails were supposed to be to see they were missing.
“Discord, enough games. Why didn’t you offer your help to the Elements of Harmony and the Hybrid Twins?” Celestia asked as kindly as she could at the moment.
“Because, they had the whole situation under control from the start,” Discord said smiling and juggleing the tails in the air.
“Okay, we’d like our tails back, um, please?” the twins asked.
“Here you two go,” Discord said as he snapped and the twins tails were put back onto the correct twin.
“What about the other Royals?” Nix asked as she put on a small sad face and her yes grew real big.
“Aw, such a cute face how could I not do what you ask,” Discord said as he snapped once more putting Twilight’s tail on Shining, Shining’s tail on Cadance, Cadance’ tail on Luna, Luna’s tail on Celestia, Celestia’s tail on Twilight, and Somber and Chrysalis had each other's tail.
“Correctly, please?” Nix asked as her eyes got bigger and her face looked sadder.
“Oh, alright,” Discord said agitated as he snapped again correcting the tails’ placement. “There my dear, are you satisfied?” he asked angrily.
“Thanks, Mr. Discord!” she said before trying to rush up and hug him only to be stopped by an invisible barrier he put between them.
“I don’t hug foals!”
“Please?” she asked with the previously mentioned look on her face again. “Just once, friend?”
“I’m... your… friend?’
“Yes, Mr. Discord, you’re my friend and I’d like to show you you’re my friend by giving you a hug. It’s what friends do... isn’t it?”
“Oh, well, yes, but… Okay, c'mere you silly filly!” Discord said before making the barrier disappear, bending down, and letting the foal rush up and hug him.
“Mr. Discord, can I be your friend too?” Myx asked.
“Sure, the more friends there are, the stronger Equestria’s magic becomes!” Discord rang out almost singingly.
“Thanks!” Myx said as he rushed up and joined his sister in hugging Discord.
“Well it seems like this chapter in each of our lives is complete. Perhaps we can all live in harmony together,” Celestia stated confidently. “Chrysalis, are you willing to learn to live in peace with ponies?”
“I’m willing to give it a try, Princess Celestia,” Chrysalis replied.
“Then I will prepare the kingdoms for an announcement,” Celestia said before leaving the room.
“Mr. Discord, is it true there’s such thing as Chaos Water?” Myx asked referring to the ingredient used in the broth Zecora gave them.
“Yes there is, and such water can only be found in the Unstable Zone just outside of Equestria.”
“What’s so special about it?” Nix asked.
“Well for starters, if you put soap in it and then dip a clean dish in the mix it will make the dish dirty.”
“Ha ha, that’s funny, Mr. Discord,” Myx laughed.
“What else can it do?’ Nix asked.
“Tell you what, let’s go take a seat in the library and I’ll tell you everything Chaos Water can do. Sound fair?’
“Sure!” the twins said as they darted off for the library with Discord following suit.
“Somber, Chrysalis, what gave you the inspiration to name your children he way they are?” Luna asked curiously.
“Well I suggested Myx, for our son, after a black Unicorn stallion, with a crimson mane and tail, that was my friend before...,” Somber said as he hung his head and tears came to his eyes.
Chrysalis came closer and tried to comfort her husband. “And I suggested Nix with a modern spelling of the name of a pony my ancestors lost a fight to centuries ago. Nyx Of The Night I do believe was her name.”
“Your ancestors fought Nyx Of The Night?!?” Cadance and Twilight said simultaniously.
“Why, yes. Is there something-”
“Nyx Of The Night was just a mares tale! We didn’t know she actually existed!” Twilight said in astonishment.
“Twilight, Cadance,” Luna began, “if either you had asked Celestia, she most likely would have told you she existed.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think about it,” Cadance said in her defence.
“Nor I,” Twilight said following suit.
“Anyway, next time you want to know about somepony from centuries or millennia ago, ask either me or Celestia, we may turn up an answer for you.”
“Alright, everypony, it’s time for us to make an announcement,” Celestia called from the Laboratory door. “By the way, where are the foals and Discord?”
“Right here,” Discord said after appearing with the foals behind Celestia in a small cloud of smoke.
“Aah! Discord, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Celestia scolded earning a laugh from the trio.
“Oh, boo. Here will these make up for the scare?” Discord said before snapping and making a bouquet of crimson and black petalled flowers.
The black petals formed an equilateral triangle underneath the crimson petals which did the same only at a thirty degree rotation from the black petals as not to cover them completely.
“They’re lovely,” Celestia said as she used her magic to take the flowers gently from Discord’s paw. “Grow them yourself?”
“More or less.”
“What exactly are they?” Celestia asked with sudden concern.
“They are Eternas. The longest living flower know to Draconequus kind.”
“Is there something I must know about them?”
“Nope, just water and sun like you would a potted dandelion and they’ll be just peachy.”
“Alright, everypony,-”
“Ahem.”
“-and Draconequus, it’s time to head to the Town Hall. Chrysalis, I advise you and your twins disguise yourselves to make it to the Town Hall unnoticed,” Celestia stated as she turned around and began walking to the door of the castle followed soon thereafter by everypony-
“Ahem.”
-and Draconequus, else.
“Thank you, narrator. You finally added a moment I could actually break the fourth wall.”
You earned it for being kind and hugging the foals. I know that that is one thing you would not do unless you received a reward.
“Anyway, you can continue on with the adventure now.”
They soon arrived at the Town Hall and Celestia began her announcement:
“Citizens of Ponyville and representatives of other cities. For ages we have fought against many villains, from our worst nightmare, Nightmare Moon, to the physics defying magic of Discord, from the swarms of Changelings at Canterlot, to the Mind Controlling Magic of Sombra, and from the abduction and abuse of the Element of Magic from Sunset Shimmer, one of my former prodiges, to the most recent destruction from Tirek the Centaur. Each foe we have faced only made our friendships stronger.
“I’ve come before you today to remind you that we know evil can be reformed. As Discord is proof we all know this to be true. Today it is with great pleasure I announce that two more of Equestria’s ‘Super Villains’ have been reformed.
The crowd began to chatter amongst itself and there were a few audible boo’s. None the less Celestia was determined to finish her announcement.
“Today I announce that all equines are created equal. The two that have been reformed are: Somber formerly known as King Sombra and Chrysalis formerly know as Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings.”
The crow began making noise of both cheer and uproar. Celestia summoned a bolt of lightning from her horn to the sky gaining everypony’s attention.
“Only three Changelings are to be treated like normal ponies, they are Chrysalis, her son Myx, and his twin sister Nix,” Celestia said as the three Changelings dropped their ruses.
“Princess Celestia, Great Scoop from the Trottingham Post, are you sure you’re doing the right thing by letting two ‘former’ Equestra villains join society as normal ponies without at least keeping watch on them?” a Unicorn stallion asked as he held a tape recorder close to the Princess.
“I never said they wouldn’t have an eye kept on them. Now no more foalish questions!” Celestia said as she stomped the ground with both her forehooves.
“Princess Celestia, Modern Scoops of the Ponyville Journal Logic Breaks Column, and I-”
“No I’ll not answer any of your questions. Next.”
“Princess Celestia, Braeburn of Appleoosa, I’m not so sure you should just let two ‘supposedly reformed’ Equestria Villains just join society and make their homes in our cities?”
“Braeburn, you’re an Apple Family member, am I correct?”
“Yes, Ma’am- I mean, your Majesty.”
“It's quite alright. Anyway, listen to Applejack after this question and answer session is done and I'm sure she'll do her best to tell you why I'm doing this.”
“Yes, your Majesty,” he said as he hung his head.
“One final question is all we have time for.”
“Princess Celestia, Mayor Mare from Ponyville, where are they going to stay?”
“I’ll house them until they are able to afford their own housing,” Twilight said without hesitation almost immediately regretting her comment.
“Th-thank you Princess Twilight,” Somber said as he, Chrysalis, Myx, and Nix bowed before her in gratitude.
“Good idea, Twilight,” Celestia said smiling. “Them living with you will certainly prove beneficial for them as they can ask you for advice on making friends around town.”
“Glad I could help,” Twilight said with a fake smile.
“Alright everypony-”
“Ahem.”
“-and Draconequus,” Celestia continued, “this Town Hall meeting is adjourned.”
The crowd began mumbling as it left the building, yet nary a single comment could be overheard.
“Twilight, is there some reason you don't want these four staying at your castle?” Celestia asked as she turned to face her former student.
“Well, Chrysalis almost took over Canterlot and killed my brother on his wedding day, Sombra almost killed us… thrice, Chrysalis is usually just saying what she does just to get what she wants, and-”
“Twilight, I’m not one to dwell on the past, nor should you be,” Celestia said shaking her head in dismay.
“Oh, alright. But at first sign of revolt, their on their own.”